New Delhi
India has defended and justified Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending birthday greetings to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama stating that it has been the consistent policy of the government to treat His Holiness the Dalai Lama as an "honoured guest in India".
"There is some background to it. I think the Prime Minister did speak to His Holiness last year also, it has been the consistent policy of the government to treat His Holiness the Dalai Lama as an honoured guest in India, a respected religious leader," MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters at the weekly
briefing on Thursday, July 7.
The spokesman was asked to react to China's statement that the Prime Minister's greetings to the Dalai Lama on his birthday (on July 6) was an attempt to use Tibet issues to interfere in China's internal affairs.
MEA spokesman said the Dalai Lama "enjoys a large following in India" and also that "His Holiness is accorded due courtesies and freedom to conduct his religious and spiritual activities".
"His Holiness’s birthday is celebrated by many of his followers in India and abroad. The birthday greetings by the Honourable Prime Minister to His Holiness on his 87th birthday should be seen in this overall context," Mr Bagchi said.
Vivo case : Turnover funds diverted overseas
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Chinese company Vivo India remitted almost 50 percent of the sale proceeds overseas, mainly to China, to disclose huge losses in several domestically incorporated companies to avoid 'payment of taxes' in India.
The ED statement came two days after it conducted searches at 48 locations across the country, including the premises linked to Vivo India and its associated entities, in a case involving Grand Prospect International Communication Private Limited (GPICPL) that was allegedly being run by some Chinese nationals.
According to ED, of the total sale proceeds of Rs 1,25,185 crore in the country, Vivo India had transferred out Rs 62,476 crore.
Asked to comment on the case, MEA spokesman Bagchi said, "....to be honest, a judicial matter is not really pertaining to the foreign policy dimension. So I would refer you to the investigative authorities on any further details. I don't really have a comment on that part.
The Indian companies who operate here or otherwise need to follow the law of the land and I think our legal authorities are taking steps as per the law of the land".
ends
ED has so far seized 119 bank accounts of various entities with gross balance of about ₹465 crore, including ₹66 crore in fixed deposits of Vivo India, two kg worth gold bars and ₹73 lakh in cash.
Vivo Mobiles India was incorporated in Delhi in August 2014 as a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Multi Accord Limited. In December 2014, GPICPL was incorporated allegedly by Chinese nationals, Zhengshen Ou, Bin Lou and Zhang Jie, with the help of Chartered Accountant Nitin Garg. It was registered with the Shimla Registrar of Companies with its offices shown in Himachal Pradesh's Solan and Jammu.
Mr. Lou left the country on April 26, 2018, while Mr. Ou and Mr. Jie went abroad last year. The ED said that Mr. Lou was also a former director of Vivo. He had allegedly floated 18 companies across the country just after the incorporation of Vivo India in 2014-15. Another Chinese national, Zhixin Wei, incorporated four companies.
The suspect entities were located in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Indore, Guwahati, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar. “These companies are found to have transferred huge funds to Vivo India,” said the agency, adding that further investigations were under way.
The ED's money laundering probe is based on a first information report (FIR) registered at the Kalkaji police station in Delhi on December 5, 2021, following a complaint from the Deputy Registrar of Companies (RoC), Delhi and Haryana.
It was alleged that certain Chinese shareholders of GPICPL were projecting it to be subsidiary of Vivo and had also used forged documents and falsified addresses in conspiracy with the accused chartered accountants, including Jagmohan Chodha and Ankita Uniyal. The agency found that GPICPL directors had disclosed the addresses that turned out to be of a government building and the house of a senior bureaucrat, as reported in 'The Hindu'.
“Due procedures as per law were followed during the said operations... the employees of Vivo India, including some Chinese nationals, did not cooperate with the search proceedings and had tried to abscond, remove and hide digital devices which were retrieved by the search teams,” says ED.
“Vivo is cooperating with the authorities to provide them with all required information. As a responsible corporate, we are committed to be fully compliant with laws,” Vivo India’s spokesperson had earlier said.
MEA spokesman Bagchi was asked what two individuals, and his response was : "....there were two directors, they are not here? I don't want to go into this. See, we have not got any information from the authorities that right now we should talk to China on this issue. But this is a legal issue, if they ask anything, then we have our system of mutual legal assistance, but right now I have no such news.
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