Live! Home Ministry asks UP govt to send 12-hourly reports

LIVE

Mon, 09 September 2013

Timeline Refresh

21:28 Sangh organisations suggest inputs for BJP manifesto

A two-day coordination meeting that ended today saw the BJP getting inputs from RSS and other Sangh-affiliated organisations for its manifesto as well as directions for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The 12-hour long meeting- with some breaks in between- held yesterday and the six-hours spent today by the top brass of the RSS, BJP, VHP and 11 other Sangh outfits discussed the state of the economy, internal and external security situation, agriculture scenario in the country, the status of women, youth, Dalits and tribals and the road ahead.

France today said there was sufficient proof on use of chemical weapons by Syrian regime against its population for which it has "to be punished one way or the other".

"Our stand is very clear. We consider that what has happened in Syria is a crime. The people responsible for this crime is the Syrian regime and they have to be punished one or another," French Ambassador to India Francois Richer told PTI on the sidelines of an event today.

With violence continuing in Muzaffarnagar, the Union Home Ministry today asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send situation report every 12 hours till normalcy returns in riot-hit areas.

The Centre also asked the state government to deploy enough forces in rural areas of Muzaffarnagar district where violence is yet to be contained fully, a senior official told PTI.

19:10 First batch of Haj pilgrims leaves

The first batch of 443 Haj pilgrims, mostly from the national capital and Uttar Pradesh, today left for Saudi Arabia.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs K Rehman Khan, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India Saud Mohammed Al-Sati and Chairman of Delhi Haj Committee Parvez Mian were present at a function organised to see off the first batch at the Indira Gandhi International airport here.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) today announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh on information leading to arrest of Waqas, a Pakistani national, who is alleged to have planted bombs in the 2011 triple blasts in Mumbai.

During the interrogation of Yasin Bhatkal, alleged to be the mastermind of several terror attacks in the country including the triple blasts in Mumbai on July 13, 2011, security agencies were told that Waqas was roaming in India and was planning to strike again, official sources said today.

As President Barack Obama sought Congressional backing for a military strike on Syria, a new national survey released today shows him swimming against a strong tide of public opinion from war-weary Americans, who are against the US getting involved in Syria's civil war.

Shastri Bhawan saw a flurry of activity when the Central government office opened on Monday. The Coal ministry is housed inside this building. Sources told rediff that an FIR would soon be registered to trace the missing coal files.

There also news of the attorney general sending a strongly worded letter to coal ministry. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal may resign once the FIR is filed. The coal secretary, M K Srivastava, informed the AG that most of the files and documents were with other ministries like power, steel, mines and even the state governments.

Except for some papers relating to the minutes and draft minutes of the screening committees, most have been tracked. With Attorney General of India G E Vahanvati writing a terse letter to the coal ministry to locate all the files and documents sought by the CBI relating to coal-gate, the ministry has pressed the panic button.

Politically filing FIR will have an impact on the continuance of Jaiswal as minister. He may resign from his ministership owing responsibility.

The two-day RSS-BJP meet has concluded but the RSS has said that the issue of prime minister candidate was not discussed.

The meeting was only to exchange views on key issues, RSS said.

The country's premier investigating agency, CBI, has come in for praise from Interpol which has described it as a "powerful and respected" voice in international arena that has placed India at the forefront of global policing.

In a message on CBI's golden jubilee, "the Secretary General, Interpol Robert K Noble has complimented CBI in its capacity as the National Central Bureau (NCB) for Interpol in India for demonstrating professionalism and willingness to share its expertise to effectively combat transnational organised crime...," a CBI statement said.

The Indian government has proposed a joint action with the United States to arrest the fugitive gangster and country's most wanted terrorist, Dawood Ibrahim, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said today.

15:25 Muzaffarnagar riots: PM speaks to Akhilesh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav about steps being taken to restore peace in the areas which witnessed violence.

PM has condemned the violence in UP and has assured the CM of all required help from the Centre in tackling the situation.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has claimed that the 4 BJP MLAs are innocent.

14:28 13 hurt as plane skids off runway in Thailand

At least 13 people have sustained injuries when a plane belonging to Thailand's biggest airline - THAI - skidded off the runway in Bangkok after its landing gear malfunctioned.

Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with 288 passengers and 14 cabin crew on board, travelling from China's Guangzhou skidded off the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport here last night following its landing gear malfunctioned, Thai Airways International (THAI) President Sorajak Kasemsuvan said.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded that the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh should be dismissed for its failure to stop the communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar.

Mayawati alleged that both BJP and SP are responsible for Muzaffarnagar riots. "Can see the hands of BJP and SP behind this. Lok Sabha polls are near. Both parties want to give a communal colour to the polls. Both parties are together in this trying to play dirty politics," Mayawati said.

Prime Minister-elect Tony Abbott arrived in Canberra today to start the transition to his coalition government, with a pledge that he would ensure the new parliament delivers Australians the "change they want".

Abbott's Liberal-National coalition won a majority in the 150-seat House of Representatives, ending six years of Labor party rule.

13:25 India in reverse

India's once booming economy is sliding into a deep slump. The country grew just 4.4 percent this summer, a far cry from the 7.7 percent average for the past decade.

Its currency, the rupee, has tumbled 16 percent against the dollar in the last three months. And analysts expect things to get even worse in the coming months.

RLD chief Ajit Singh and his son Jayant Singh have been stopped from entering Uttar Pradesh and were detained when they were on their way to Muzaffarnagar.

Minister of State for Home Affairs RPN Singh has said that the Centre is in touch with the Uttar Pradesh government over suggestions of President's rule in the state.

The Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate has said no politicians will be allowed to visit affected areas.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has assured strict action against those responsible for Muzaffarnagar riots.

12:03 Curfew remains in force in Shopian

Curfew remained in force for the second day today in parts of Shopian district in south Kashmir following killing of four persons in a firing incident on Saturday.

"Curfew remains in force in parts of Shopian district as a precautionary measure," a police spokesman said.

In the wake of the violence in Muzaffarnagar, the Uttar Pradesh government today transferred Saharanpur DIG DD Mishra.

Mishra has been replaced by A M Jain, who was posted in police recruitment board as DIG, official sources said.

11:45 Assam government mulling anti-superstition law

The Assam government is planning to bring in an anti-superstition bill in the next session of the state Assembly, considering that attacks against persons suspected to be practising witchcraft are on the rise.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi recently announced that the state government was contemplating to enact a law to put an end to the practice of witchcraft.

For the longest time, most calls that came to Childline would be from a kid on a railway platform asking for help after a brutal police beating or desperately looking for shelter.

But the decline of public call offices (PCOs) across the country have led to a sharp drop in calls from marginalized children to India's first toll-free helpline for children in distress.

11:11 90 held in Muzaffarnagar violence

A total of 90 people have been arrested in Muzaffarnagar violence. Shoot at sight orders have been issued in the area. A case has been registered for conducting the Mahapanchayat.

The army has been conducting flag marches in violence-hit Muzaffarnagar.

BJP MLA Hukum Singh, who has been booked for Muzaffarnagar riots, has denied making inflammatory statements.

"This is totally the responsibility of Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav," Hukum Singh said.

10:55 The elephant experts didnt see

Not gold and oil, but the huge import of capital goods in the UPA years has triggered the current account deficit and rupee crises.

Normally a new government faults the previous dispensation of another party for leaving behind a bad economy. But when the UPA government took over in 2004, it had some good words for its predecessor, the NDA.

In his Budget speech in July 2004, Finance Minister P Chidambaram noted that "the economic fundamentals appear strong' and "the balance of payments robust'.

10:53 Italian reporter abducted in Syria is freed

An Italian war reporter and a Belgian writer who were kidnapped in Syria in April have been freed, the Italian government said.

A few hours after the announcement, Domenico Quirico, a correspondent for the Turin daily La Stampa, stepped off a plane at a Rome airport and was embraced by Italy's foreign minister yesterday.

The Belgian man, Pierre Piccinin, was also free and was flown to Italy along with Quirico, Premier Enrico Letta's office said in a statement.

The United States has congratulated Japan on the selection of its capital Tokyo as the host for 2020 Olympics.

"On behalf of President Obama and the United States, I am delighted to congratulate the city of Tokyo, and our close ally Japan, on its selection as host of the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said yesterday.

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES