Ex-Modi confidante: Top Ahmedabad tycoon knew of demonetization in advance, transferred black to white

Widely considered in Gujarat as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's one-time confidante, Yatin Oza, a senior Gujarat High Court advocate, has claimed, on the basis of “evidence” he has gathered, that Modi had leaked his decision to demonetize Rs 500 and 1000 notes to a top industrialist of Ahmedabad.
Refusing to name this industrialist, Oza says, in the morning of November 9, someone “very near and dear” to him inform him that on November 8 at around 12 in the afternoon, ours before Modi announced demonetization, wife of one of the leading industrialists of Ahmedabad in her presence reached "a very leading jewellery shop and as per pre-order purchased gold worth Rs 20 crore.”
In a Facebook post, well-known anti-Modi former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has shared Oza's letter to Modi, which says, “Gold was ready and packed and it took two minutes to transfer gold and cash to each other”, adding, the lady who saw all this was “present at the shop, buying pre-ordered jewellery worth Rs 5 lakh”, and happens to be a “doctor of a very high repute and eminence.”
Pointing out that as a member of the “kitchen cabinet" of Modi as Gujarat minister, he knows Modi pretty well, Oza insists, this shows, “information of demonetization must have been conveyed well before announcement to your near and dear industrialist who in total controls 50% of black money of this country.”
Oza dares Modi to inquire the purchase of gold and diamonds sold on November 7 and 8 before 8 pm, the timing of the announcement of demonetization, and by whom, adding, this alone would “enable people to think as to why few top notch needed purchase of huge amount of gold and diamonds.”
Also considered by many as BJP president Amit Shah's mentor, Oza blames Shah's men in Ahmedabad for carrying out large-scale operation for converting black money into white. He claims that he is possession of “a video recording” that would “clearly and beyond reasonable doubt prove that all the near and close associates ofShah since November 8 are engaged into exchange business.”
“There is a big queue outside their office and residence for conversion of black money into white at a discounted rate of 37%; people have queued up outside their office and residence”, says Oza, adding, “One has to go without identity with at least a sum of Rs 1 crore which will be counted by the employees and a bag containing Rs 63 lakh of valid denomination would be handed over.”
After being with BJP for long, Oza joined Congress and fought against Modi from the Maninagar assembly constituency of Ahmedabad in the December 2002 elections. After remaining inactive for some years, he rejoined the BJP, and, more recently, he declared he had joined Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party.
Oza underlines, “I could have easily parted with that video, but as I know you will punish those standing in queue rather than booking those persons engaged in the business who are near and dear to Shah.”
Commenting on the ban imposed on district cooperative banks from carrying out transactions of Rs 500 and 1000 rupee notes, Oza says, “One who knows you would refuse to accept that the ban that you imposed on district co-operative banks yesterday (November 14) was after you received an information that large scale irregularities and illegalities were committed at that level.”
“One thing is certain that such an important aspect could not have been out of your mind”, Oza says, “I for one knows very well that you will not act unless a complete blue print of your action is in your mind.”
Pointing out that in Gujarat “all district co-operative banks are controlled by people committed to BJP”, Oza says, “These banks right from 9 pm on November 8 till 5 am on November 9 exchanged Rs 500 and Rs1000 currency notes against smaller denomination.”

Comments

Shyam Benegal's Mathan a propaganda film that supported 'system'? No way

A few days ago, I watched Manthan, a Shyam Benegal movie released in 1976. If I remember correctly, the first time I saw this movie was with Safdar Hashmi, one of the rare young theater icons who was brutally murdered in January 1989. Back then, having completed an M.A. in English Literature from Delhi University in 1975, we would often move around together.

Beyond the Sattvik plate: Prof Anil Gupta's take on food, ethics, and sustainability

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a rather lengthy comment (I don't want to call it a rejoinder) on my blog post about the Sattvik Food Festival, held near the Sola Temple in Ahmedabad late last year. It came from no less a person than Anil Gupta, Professor Emeritus at the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A), under whose guidance this annual event was held.

Would Gujarat Governor, govt 'open up' their premises for NGOs? Activists apprehensive

Soon after I uploaded my blog about the Gujarat Governor possibly softening his stance on NGOs—evidenced by allowing a fisherfolk association to address the media at a venue controlled by the Raj Bhawan about India’s alleged failure to repatriate fishermen from Pakistani prisons—one of the media conference organizers called me. He expressed concern that my blog might harm their efforts to secure permission to hold meetings on state premises.

No to free thought? How Gujarat's private universities are cowing down their students

"Don't protest"—that's the message private universities across Gujarat seem to be conveying to their students. A senior professor told me that students at the university where he teaches are required to sign an undertaking promising not to engage in protests. "They simply sign the undertaking and hand it over to the university authorities," he said.

'Potentially lethal, carcinogenic': Global NGO questions India refusing to ban white asbestos

Associated with the Fight Inequality Alliance, a global movement that began in 2016 to "counter the concentration of power and wealth among a small elite", claiming to have members in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, the Philippines, and Denmark, the advocacy group Confront Power appears all set to intensify its campaign against India as "the world’s largest asbestos importer".

In lieu of tribute to Pritish Nandy, said to be instrumental in collapse of Reliance-controlled daily

It is widely reported that Pritish Nandy , journalist, author, animal activist, and politician, has passed away. While it is customary to pay tributes to a departing soul—and I, too, have joined those who have posted heartfelt condolences on social media—I cannot forget the way he treated me when he was editor of the Reliance-controlled Business and Political Observer (BPO), for which I had been working informally in Moscow.

Barred premise allowed? 'Modi govt fails to seek release of fishermen languishing in Pak jails'

Are the Indian authorities or their Gujarat counterparts softening their stance toward NGOs that flag human rights concerns? I can't say for sure, as only recently the foreign funding license of one of the most prominent NGOs, Janvikas, headed by the well-known civil society leader Gagan Sethi, was canceled. This NGO has been working on livelihood issues for underprivileged sections of society for several decades.

Challenging patriarchy? Adopting maternal and marital surnames: Resistance continues

Anandiben Patel The other day, I was talking with a group of family friends. The discussion revolved around someone very close to me who had not changed her official name in documents, including her Aadhaar and passport, after her marriage. However, on social media and within her husband's family, she had adopted her husband's surname as a suffix to her own. I mentioned that there is a growing trend—though not yet widespread—where women prefer to retain their maiden names or add their maiden surnames alongside their husband's surname. Another emerging trend is where men choose to add their mother's name, or even their wife's name, to their own. This revelation surprised my family friends.

To be or not to be Sattvik: Different communities' differing notions of purity and fasting

This is a continuation of my last blog on Sattvik food. When talking about Sattvik, there is a tendency to overlook what it may mean to different sections of people around the world. First, let me redefine Sattvik: it means having a "serene, balanced, and harmonious mind or attitude." Derived from the Sanskrit word sattva, it variously means "pure, essence, nature, vital, energy, clean, conscious, strong, courage, true, honest, and wise." How do people achieve this so-called purity? Among Gujarati Hindus, especially those from the so-called upper castes who are vegetarians, one common way is fasting. On fasting days, such as agiyarash —the 11th day of the lunar cycle in the Vedic calendar—my close relatives fast but consume milk, fruit juices, mangoes, grapes, bananas, almonds, pistachios, and potato-based foods, including fried items. Another significant fasting period is adhik maas. During this time, many of my relatives "fast" by eating only a single me...

Search This Blog