, - !" #$ /01"!" #$ SIDISrtVUU@IB!&!!"&#S@B9IV69P99I !%! %! ' !"#$ /)/)! ./%+01 /203 5/#)" *&% %& ' (%& % % * && &% % ' % & & & & + & &% )& & %+ ,-. & *& 7 8 * 00 ., .23 4 %510 $$ % & '()%(*!+, !#( Q R formation campaign” being led of executive power and a lead- by senior BJP functionaries as ing example of the corruption ongress president Rahul well as the Government that of the BJP Government led by CGandhi on Monday the December 14 last year Prime Minister Modi, which expressed regret in the judgment gave a “clean chit” to deserves to be investigated Supreme Court over his the Modi Government on the thoroughly by a Joint remarks attributing certain Rafale deal. Parliamentary Committee and comments against Prime He also referred to a media proceeded against thereafter”. Minister Narendra Modi on the interview by Prime Minister Away from the SC pro- basis of a recent order of the top Narendra Modi in which he ceedings, Rahul once again court in the Rafale deal case, had said that the apex court raked up his often-repeated but wasted no time in repeat- had given a clean chit to the poll theme of alleged corrup- ing his “Chowkidar chor” jibe Government in the Rafale deal. tion in the Rafale deal and and against the PM in Amethi. He maintained that there exhorted people to ask the Rahul expressed “regret” was no “slightest intention” to Prime Minister what he got in in the Supreme Court for “insinuate” anything regarding return for benefiting Anil claiming SC had justified his the Supreme Court proceed- Ambani with 30,000 crore in “Chokidar chor hai” allega- ings in any manner as he holds the fighter jet deal. ! P # # # # # tion in its order. He said the the top court in the highest Mocking at the PM’s “Main % comment was made in the esteem. bhi chowkidar” campaign, “heat of political campaigning”. Clarifying further, Rahul Rahul said, “When his (Modi’s) The apex court on April 15 said he had made the statement theft was caught in the Rafale had given a categorical clarifi- after filing his nomination deal he says “hum sab chowki- cation that in its Rafale verdict paper on April 10 without dar hain.” there was no occasion for it to “having seen or read the order” Addressing an election make a mention of the con- of the apex court passed on that rally in his parliamentary con- temptuous observation that day relating to the admissibil- stituency here, Rahul said, “chowkidar Narendra Modi ity of certain documents relat- “When the PM comes and chor hain” as has been attrib- ed to the Rafale case in the makes false claims, just ask him uted to it by Rahul. The court review petition. why he gave 30,000 crores to had directed Rahul to give his However, on the issue of Ambani and what Ambani did the blasts that also killed eight Police spokesman Ruwan explanation on April 22 on a slogan “Chowkidar chor hai”, for him in return... Soon after Indian nationals. Gunasekera said that 24 arrest- petition filed by BJP MP Rahul in his affidavit re- the Congress comes to power Police said that 9 out of the ed suspects have been trans- Meenakshi Lekhi seeking crim- affirmed his stand and belief after the Lok Sabha elections, 24 arrested for involvement in ferred into the custody of the inal contempt action against Tuesday. court’s order, said his statement and that of his party that Rafale an enquiry would be institut- ! the blasts were ordered to be Criminal Investigations him for his remarks. It is sched- Rahul, who filed an affi- was “purely political” and was deal is a “tainted transaction” ed in the Rafale deal and the remanded by the Colombo Department for further inves- uled to hear Lekhi’s petition on davit in response to the apex made to counter the “misin- and a “gross and brazen abuse truth will be before everyone.” magistrate’s court till May 6. tigations. President Sirisena Government’s spokesman has appointed a three-member Rajitha Senaratne said NTJ is committee to conduct investi- suspected of plotting the blasts gations. The committee will !" that struck three churches submit its report to him with- when the Easter Sunday mass in two weeks. were in progress and three Health Minister Senaratne he Sri Lankan Government five-star hotels. said the Chief of National #$ % Ton Monday accused a pre- “All suicide bombers Intelligence had warned the viously little-known Islamist involved in the blasts are Inspector General of Police outfit called the National believed to be Sri Lankan (IGP) regarding the probable polls. Congress hopes to cash Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) of nationals,” said Senaratne, who attacks before April 11. in on the resentment of the having carried out the Easter is also the Health Minister. “On April 4, international ll 26 constituencies of patidars and rural-urban divide Sunday attacks, and said an Speaking at a press con- intelligence agencies had AGujarat and 20 of Kerala to win at least five to six seats international terror group ference here, Senaratne said the warned of these attacks. The will go to polls on Tuesday in in the State. might have been behind the Government was investigat- IGP was informed on April 9,” the third phase of Lok Sabha On the other hand, Prime atrocities, the worst in the ing whether the group had he said. polls for 116 seats spread over Minister Narendra Modi and country’s history. “international support”. “There He demanded resignation 14 States. Amit Shah have made repeat- However, neither the NTJ, may be international links to of police chief Pujith BJP president Amit Shah, ed pleas to the voters to make nor any other group, has admit- them,” he added. Jayasundera in view of the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi sure than the Congress didn’t ted carrying out the wave of The “conditional state of major security lapse. and Samajwadi party patri- open its account from the state. bombings which tore through emergency” in force since Prime Minister Ranil arch Mulayam Singh Yadav as While Shah, who replaced the island nation, killing 290 Monday midnight would target Wickremesinghe said that an well as several Union Ministers LK Advani as the party nomi- people and injuring nearly 500 terrorism and would not limit investigation must be launched and senior Opposition leaders nee from Gandhinagar, Union others. freedom of expression, said a as to why intelligence reports of are contesting the Tuesday poll. Minister of State for Tribal Seven suicide bombers of statement from the President’s the attack was not taken seri- The polling in Tripura East Affairs Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, is the NTJ carried out a series of media unit. “These will be ously. Rauff Hakeem, a constituency, which was earli- the BJP nominee from Dahod devastating blasts, authorities limited to counter terrorism Government minister and the er scheduled for April 18, will seat. said on Monday. As many as 87 regulations. This is being done leader of the main Muslim be held in this phase, as also in About 18.56 crore voters bomb detonators were found to allow the police and the party — Sri Lanka Muslim a part of the Anantnag Lok are eligible for voting in this on Monday at a bus station in three forces to ensure public Congress — said that it was Sabha seat in Jammu and phase and the Election Colombo, police said. security.” lamentable that no preventive Kashmir, where election is Commission has set up 2.10 Police have so far arrested The Government has also action had been taken despite being held in three phases. lakh polling booths/stations & '( ) * ) + * ) + , 24 people — mostly members declared Tuesday as a nation- the inputs. This phase is seen crucial and has made elaborate secu- %# # # - . & % - & of NTJ — in connection with al day of mourning. Continued on Page 4 for the NDA, which won 66 of rity arrangements. ) & the 116 seats in 2014 and BJP In the first two phases, "# made a clean sweep of winning election was held to 91 and 96 has been fielded from New posted a series of tweets on Sheila has been Chief as well as at the Centre,” Dikshit all the 26 seats of Gujarat. The seats on April 11 and April 18 Delhi seat, Delhi Congress Monday to express his concern Minister for three terms said after her name was Congress and its alliance part- respectively. Elections are being % & ' working president Rajesh as the BJP has not declared his between 1998 and 2013. The declared as a candidate from ners won 27, and the rest went held in seven phases and with Lilothia from North west seat, candidature. eighty-one-year-old leader, North East Delhi. She also to other opposition parties and the completion of third & (& Mahabal Mishra from West Udit held a Press confer- who took over from Maken as said her party was prepared to Independents. phase, the election process will Delhi, five-term Lok Sabha ence later in the evening to air the Delhi Pradesh Congress face the challenge of a trian- Besides all seats of Gujarat be completed in southern ) + MP JP Agarwal from Chandni his grievance and asked the Committee (DPCC) president gular contest in Delhi. (26) and Kerala, four seats in states. Chowk and former Delhi party leadership to come clean earlier this year, was last a Interestingly, senior Assam, five of Bihar, seven of The Congress also hopes to Minister Arvinder Singh on his nomination from the Member of Parliament from Congress leader Kapil Sibal Chhattisgarh, 14 each of imp0rove its tally in Kerala, Lovely will test waters from the North West Lok Sabha seat. He 1984-89 from Kannauj. Dikshit has not been named from the Karnataka and Maharashtra, where the cadre is galvanised East Delhi constituency.