By Rahil Nora Chopra
REPORT SHOWS SHARP INCREASE IN PROSECUTION OF TAX VIOLATORS
Criminal prosecution by the Income Tax Department saw a sharp increase of more than 100 percent during the three years of the Modi Government, according to a report submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). At a review meeting chaired by Modi, CBDT told the Prime Minister that about 2,500 people had been prosecuted between 2014 and April 2017 as against 1,133 during 2011-12 to 2013-14 before the new government assumed office. Similarly, offences compounded by the income tax department in the past three years saw an increase of 168 percent, taking the total number of cases to 3,128 compared to 1,163 in the previous period. There was also an increase in the conviction rate, with 79 persons having been brought to book, 21 percent higher than the previous period. The Income Tax department carried out over 1,100 searches and surveys immediately after demonetization and detected undisclosed income of over Rs 5,400 crore, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had told Rajya Sabha in April. The department identified 18 lakh people whose tax profiles were not in accordance with the cash deposits made by them during the demonetization period. .Also, more than 400 benami transactions have been identified and provisional attachment of properties done in more than 240 cases, amounting to a market value of more than Rs. 600 crore. To speed up action against benamidars and black money holders, the Income Tax department has set up 24 dedicated benami prohibition units.
VASUNDHARA RAJE LIKELY TO BE SHIFTED TO CENTRAL CABINET
There is talk of a cabinet reshuffle taking place at the Centre and in Rajasthan after the presidential elections. The infighting within the state unit and the manner in which Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is handling the affairs of the state are believed to be under review by the party leadership. One option under consideration is to appoint dissident leader Om Prakash Mathur as chief minister and shift Vasundhara Raje to the Centre as a minister in the Modi Cabinet. But it may not be easy to remove her from the chief minister’s post as she enjoys the backing of 100 plus MLAs. According to sources, many party MPs and MLAs have complained to the central leadership that it would be difficult to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections under the chief ministership of Raje. Om Prakash Mathur is believed to enjoy the backing of Modi and the RSS.
BJP CONSIDERING EARLY ELECTION IN GUJARAT
The Gujarat government may throw a surprise by recommending dissolution of the Assembly and going for an early election before it becomes due in December. The party think tank is said to be in favour of advancing the poll so that the Congress party, beset with infighting, does not get enough time to sort out its problems. Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for the past 22 years and is struggling to regain a foothold. Infighting in Gujarat Congress came to the fore in September last year when party national spokesperson and state legislator Shaktisinh Gohil sought to disassociate himself from the responsibilities of the forthcoming election campaign while senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela is putting pressure on Congress President Sonia Gandhi to declare himself as the CM candidate ahead of the elections. Ashok Gehlot, who is in charge of the state party unit, recently brought together Vaghela and state party president Bharatsinh Solanki at a press conference to critically appraise the three years of Narendra Modi government at the Centre as a show of unity.
ADITYANATH UNDER PRESSURE TO CONTROL LAW AND ORDER
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has a big task at hand to bring the law and order situation under control. For the past one month, atrocities against Dalits and Muslims have increased. First it was the Anti Romeo Squad, which was frequently in the news for harassing boys and girls, and recently clashes between Dalit and Thakur communities have left three people dead and scores injured in Saharanpur. “Dalits are being crushed not only in Saharanpur but all over the country and the BJP-led Centre is responsible,” alleged Rahul Gandhi, who was prevented from entering the town by the district administration. He squarely blamed the Union government for the rising communal tension. The Prime Minister and Home Minister Rajnath Singh are believed to have spoken to the UP Chief Minister on phone and instructed him to take strong action against those involved in the incidents and bring the law and order situation under control. The clashes have come as a challenge for Yogi Adityanath, especially in view of the BJP’s pre-poll promise to improve law and order in the state.
KERALA COW SLAUGHTER INCIDENT EMBARRASSES CONGRESS
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has strongly condemned the conduct of Kerala Youth Congress workers who slaughtered a cow as part of a protest against the central ban on trading of livestock for slaughter. “Such elements have no place in Congress,” party spokesman Randeep Surjewala said. Both Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have protested against the central move and declared that it was an attempt to encroach upon the power of the states and therefore will be challenged legally and constitutionally. (IPA)