Timeline Refresh
Arvind Kjeriwal has left the residence of Delhi Lieutenant General Najeeb Jung after handing over his resignation letter.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned on Friday after suffering a defeat in the assembly on the Jan Lokpal Bill and in a political gamble he recommended dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh polls.
In yet another populist measure, it decided that consumers who did not pay their electricity bills as part of AAP's power agitation will have to shell out only half of their total dues, a move that cost the exchequer Rs 6 crore.
Keeping a pre-poll promise, Kejriwal had announced a 50 per cent subsidy on electricity consumption of up to 400 units.
The AAP government also ordered the Comptroller and Auditor General to audit the finances of the three private power distribution companies serving Delhi.
He apologised to his supporters saying if he had made mistakes, he was sorry, to which they cheer saying, "No, No!"
"The moment we laid hands on Ambani, the BJP and the Congress joined hands. For the last on year, Ambani is behind Modi too. Where is Modi getting so much money from? I am against those who rule the government out of fear for Mukesh Ambani.
"After the FIR, Mukesh Ambani said the AAP government is a thorn in my side. They fear that more than half of them will go to jail if the Jan Lokpal bill gets passed," he said.
He asks how does Narendra Modi fund his massive rallies. "It is because Mukesh Ambani is behind the rallies," he said.
He says Kamal Nath, Sharad Pawar would have come up on the AAP list next, so the BJP, Congress came together to defeat the Jan Lokpal Bill.
"People of Delhi feel they have been betrayed. He has miserably failed to deliver. He has never delivered anything except for making false speeches," said Dr Harsh Vardhan.
"We are not against the Jan Lokpal bill. We support it 100 times more than the AAP government," he said.
"He should stop telling lies and making such baseless allegations," Harshvardhan said adding that Kejriwal should resort to transparent politics.
Kejriwal has apparently written a one-line letter to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung saying he would like to step down as CM. His entire cabinet has resigned with him.
Kejriwal has now formally quit as Delhi CM.
On Twitter: "With my heart and soul I regret visiting Jantar Matar almost 3 yrs ago and for lighting that candle in support! I want my money back!"
Kejriwal says he has been targeted because he brought up the gas pricing issue.
Historical day in the Delhi Assembly.
The action moves to the streets of Delhi. Kejriwal will address party workers at 8 pm.
Harsh Vardhan says the Delhi CM has consistently lied to the people and misled them.
Kejriwal has been exposed before the whole country for his lies and baseless allegations, says Harsh Vardhan.
Opposition demands Kejriwal's resignation while he is addressing them.
"Mukesh Ambani is behind the Congress, BJP," he says.
Outside the AAP HQ, supporters watching the live telecast of the Assembly proceedings. The mood seems upbeat, yet sombre.
Kejriwal says the assembly is like a temple, a place of worship. He says nobody tears up the Gita or Koran like the way papers are torn to bits in the Assembly. "Why are you breaking the mike, why are you tearing up documents," he beseeches the opposition.
Relentless din from the opposition, but Kejriwal ploughs on. This is his first address to the Assembly since the session convened this morning.
Kejriwal says he is upset at the proceedings in the house. A mike had been broken earlier and Kejriwal said he was upset at how MLAs behaved.
An opposition MLA says, "Mike todne se dil toota hai, samvidhan todne se nahin!" "You felt hurt when a microphone was broken, not when you broke the Constitution."
bit youve broken the constitution you did not feel bad
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"The Chief Minister feels there is no point in remaining in the government," the sources told PTI, adding all the party workers have been asked to come for consultations.
After the Delhi Assembly session concludes this evening, Kejriwal will go to his party office and call a meeting. Expect some kind of announcement today.
Now, that the Jan Lokpal has not tabled, will Arvind Kejriwal step down as CM? That is precisely what he is has been saying for the last few days. No signs of the CM stepping down as yet.
The other proviso Kejriwal had said that would make him step down, was if the Jan Lokpal Bill is tabled but not passed.
So, a protest at Jantar Mantar and yet another referendum?
Apart from the AAP, the entire Delhi Assembly voted against the tabling of the bill. The CM has painted himself into a corner.
The figures are clear: AAP won 28 seats of which one MLA Vinod Kumar Binny was expelled. This makes AAP numbers in the Assembly 27. All 27 in favour of the tabling of the bill.
"The only reason Arvind Kejriwal despite his party getting 28 seats is the CM, and the BJP is the oppostion is because of the LG's directions. If we can follow that, why can't we follow his directions on the Bill. By disregarding the law and insulting the LG, we cannot discuss the Jan Lokpal Bill," says Harsh Vardhan.
He says every party can back the bill if it is brought in constitutionally.
Expelled AAP MLA Vinod Binny says tabling the bill is unconstitutional.
Congress's Arvinder Singh Lovely says the Bill was introduced without permission from the house, just the Speaker's permission, which is not enough.
AAP minister Somnath Bharti had said earlier that the Congress was free to bring in a no-confidence motion against him.
For all that, the proceedings are remarkably peaceful as compared to the Parliament proceedings yesterday. No flying computers, knife-wielding members, or pepper spray. No torn papers, snatched microphones either. So far.
So far, what has happened is that the Jan Lokpal Bill has been introduced, defying Lt Gov's Najeeb Jung's letter to the Speaker saying tabling the bill is unconstitutional.
And ruckus continues, but not in an unseemly way.
The L-G's letter says that the Jan Lokpal Bill was not presented to him.
All the MLAs across party lines are on their feet.
"We helped the Congress pass the Lokpal Bill in Parliament. Kejriwal lied on Facebook when he said that we would not allow the tabling of the Jan Lokpal Bill. We have been given a copy of the bill only last night, and we haven't had the time to study it," said the BJP leader. "In fact, the BJP is more dedicated to passing the Jan Lokpal bill than the AAP," he said.
He also stated that the Speaker must reveal what Lt Gov Najeeb Jung wrote to him on the tabling of the Lokpal Bill.
Harsh Vardhan also said he wanted the Delhi CM to sack Somnath Bharti. "The house must take up a censure motion against Bharti," he said.
Dr Harsh Vardhan points to various seats in the Assembly that had been occupied by political stalwarts across parties, an attempt to draw attention to the falling standards in the assembly.
BJP's Harsh Vardhan accuses the government of breaking all norms and rules and regulations of the house. Harsh Vardhan wants law minister Somnath Bharti sacked.
He said the Congress was very much with the AAP. "We support the AAP government and the Delhi CM should stop misguiding people. We support the Jan Lokpal Bill and the AAP government, but we do not back any unconstitutional methods," said Lovely.
He said the party had already written to Arvind Kejriwal pledging their support for the bill. "But we should have got a copy of the bill a week ago. Kejriwal should stop acting like a child. In fact, he has been misguiding the people. The AAP govt will find a place in the Guinness Book of records for lying," he said.
Read this MNS, Shiv Sena.
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The Delhi government is opposing the death penalty saying Bhullar is mentally ill.
However, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has written to Delhi Speaker MS Dhir saying that the Bill cannot be tabled without his approval.
Kejriwal on Tuesday directed the anti-corruption branch of his government to register an FIR against Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani, petroleum minister Veerappa Moily, former petroleum minister Murli Deora and former director general of hydrocarbons VK Sibal for increasing the price of natural gas produced in India.
Some of us have longed for change; some are not sure whether the dreams that are being sold to them will fructify.
Irrespective, India is on the brink of a path-breaking election. The verdict will spell out what the nation wants.
Rediff.com, with its first-of-a-kind survey, attempts to get a sense of what lies ahead, what the voter wants.
In what should make our netas sit up and take note, over 80 per cent of people who have voted on this poll say they want good governance NOT freebies from the government.
What do you think? Click here and tell us.
An Air India airhostess on Thursday refused to fly on the Delhi-Sydney flight as per her duty schedule and told the airline she was well enough only to zip off to some place nearby like Dubai. The doctor, though, found her fit and a livid airline management suspended her.
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This is what it writes on it's Facebook page.
"Penguin Books India believes, and has always believed, in every individual's right to freedom of thought and expression, a right explicitly codified in the Indian Constitution.
"This commitment informs Penguin's approach to publishing in every territory of the world, and we have never been shy about testing that commitment in court when appropriate.
"At the same time, a publishing company has the same obligation as any other organisation to respect the laws of the land in which it operates, however intolerant and restrictive those laws may be.
"We also have a moral responsibility to protect our employees against threats and harassment where we can. The settlement reached this week brings to a close a four year legal process in which Penguin has defended the publication of the Indian edition of The Hindus by Wendy Doniger.
"We have published, in succession, hardcover, paperback and e-book editions of the title. International editions of the book remain available physically and digitally to Indian readers who still wish to purchase it.
"We stand by our original decision to publish The Hindus, just as we stand by the decision to publish other books that we know may cause offence to some segments of our readership.
"We believe, however, that the Indian Penal Code, and in particular section 295A of that code, will make it increasingly difficult for any Indian publisher to uphold international standards of free expression without deliberately placing itself outside the law.
"This is, we believe, an issue of great significance not just for the protection of creative freedoms in India but also for the defence of fundamental human rights."
Read more HERE
The devastating floods and storms sweeping Britain are clear indications of the dangers of climate change, according to Lord Stern, the author of a 2006 report on the economics of climate change.
Writing in the Guardian, the crossbench peer said the flooding and storm damage demonstrate the need for Britain and the rest of the world to continue to implement low-carbon policies to reduce the probability of greater tragedies in the future.
He said the five wettest years and the seven warmest years in the UK have happened since 2000, which is explained by a clear body of evidence showing that a warmer atmosphere contains more water and causes more intense rainfall.
When this is combined with higher sea levels in the English Channel, the risk of flooding increases. Recent UK weather is part of an international pattern of extreme weather which proves the dangers of climate change and the need to cut carbon emissions, Stern said.
Citing a lack of evidence, Afghan authorities released from prison 65 men Thursday over strong objections from U.S. officials, who said they pose a threat to security forces and civilians.
"We took this decision according to our law," said Mohammad Ishaq Aloko, the Afghan attorney general. In a statement posted on its website, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul called the move "deeply regrettable," saying the Afghan government "bears responsibility for the results of its decision."
Abdul Shukor Dadras, head of the Afghan Review Board, said the attorney general ordered the releases from the Parwan Detention Center -- formerly known as Bagram prison -- after a careful review of 88 cases.
Parliament in Belgium has passed a bill allowing euthanasia for terminally ill children without any age limit, by 86 votes to 44, with 12 abstentions. When, as expected, the bill is signed by the king, Belgium will become the first country in the world to remove any age limit on the practice.
It may be requested by terminally ill children who are in great pain and also have parental consent. Opponents argue children cannot make such a difficult decision. It is twelve years since Belgium legalised euthanasia for adults.
In the Netherlands, Belgium's northern neighbour, euthanasia is legal for children over the age of 12, if there is parental consent.
Additional Director General (state highway traffic) Vijay Kamble has been named as the new Mumbai Police Commissioner.
Kamble, a 1980 batch officer, has been joint commissioner for traffic and additional commissioner in the Mumbai East region. He was also Navi Mumbai police commissioner.
Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has said he will resign on Friday after his Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration. Party leader Matteo Renzi had earlier called for a change of government at a party meeting, saying the country could not go on in "uncertainty".
Speculation has been rife that Mr Renzi wants to take over as prime minister. He is eight years younger than Mr Letta and was elected leader of the party in December.Continue reading the main story
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