5 months ago
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Citing a caller media study and confidential 254-page papers of the Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation), the Congress alleged that erstwhile Prasar Bharati main Navneet Kumar Sehgal was the biggest beneficiary of a kickback web that siphoned disconnected astir ₹112 crore from Uttar Pradesh authorities schemes betwixt 2019–20 and 2021–22. The enactment besides questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s soundlessness connected the matter.
Mr. Sehgal resigned arsenic Chairman of Prasar Bharati connected December 2, with a twelvemonth inactive remaining successful his tenure. According to a study published by quality portal Newslaundry, based connected the confidential Income Tax document, Mr. Sehgal was identified arsenic the largest alleged beneficiary of the kickback network.
Senior Congress person Pawan Khera, who heads the party’s Media and Publicity Department, said successful a connection that contempt these “serious allegations, determination is nary publically known transgression prosecution oregon departmental enactment pursuing the sharing of the findings”. He pointed retired that the Income Tax Department closed the lawsuit aft accepting Mr. Sehgal’s explanation. Subsequently, helium was appointed Chairman of Prasar Bharati successful March 2024. Mr. Khera besides addressed a property league connected the contented astatine Congress office successful Delhi.
While the authoritative crushed for Mr. Sehgal’s resignation was not known, Mr. Khera said, “Speculation is rife that his resignation is linked to his past relation with Hiren Joshi and the betting app controversy.” Mr. Joshi presently serves arsenic Officer connected Special Duty (OSD) for Communications and Information Technology astatine the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Mr. Khera further claimed that “reports present suggest Hiren Joshi is being replaced” by Mr. Sehgal, a 1988-batch IAS serviceman from Uttar Pradesh.
He questioned Mr. Modi’s soundlessness connected the issue. “What different rackets are operating successful the PMO, and who is accountable? If officials linked to betting app scams tin relation astatine the bosom of the PMO, what does this accidental astir PM Modi?” helium asked, but did not elaborate connected his complaint regarding “betting app scams”.
Mr. Khera besides raised questions astir the “current status” of Mr. Joshi, asking whether helium had “been formally removed, suspended, oregon placed nether investigation? Is PM Modi personally shielding him from scrutiny?”
He accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of shielding Mr. Sehgal, claiming the State authorities failed to enactment adjacent aft the Income Tax Department shared its findings.
“Is this not an outright whitewashing of corruption, adjacent arsenic PM Modi continues to chant ‘na khaunga, na khane dunga’? [I volition not instrumentality bribes, nor volition I fto others instrumentality bribes] Is it not the information that the double-engine authorities has deliberately avoided enactment due to the fact that it excessively had dipped its hands into the loot siphoned disconnected from schemes meant for artisans and tiny workers?” Mr. Khera said.
