Timeline Refresh
Locals have alleged that despite reports of an imminent attack, the military failed to help.
Image for representation only
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Read the full story here
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a CBI probe into the death of former Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde to bring out the "facts" and assuage the feelings of the BJP leader's supporters.
In a letter to Modi, Pawar said that after the "sad and untimely" demise of Munde, his last rites were performed at Parli, Beed District of Maharashtra yesterday.
"This unfortunate incident (the death) left many a people shocked and dismayed, specially supporters of his constituency," he said.
The former Union Minister noted that Munde's followers have demanded a thorough CBI probe into the accident in Delhi which led to his death.
He said the sentiment has also been echoed by Maharashtra BJP President Devendra Phadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
India and US trade ministers would meet next month in Sydney during the G-20 meeting to boost bilateral economic relations. US Trade Representative Michael Froman called up Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the two talked about ways to further strengthen the relations on economic front during their 20 minutes talks, an official said.
Later Sitharaman tweeted: "Froman called, a good beginning, committed to building a strong partnership. Will meet him at G-20 in July in Australia." The official said that the Indian minister reciprocated Froman's gesture by signalling interest in making a fresh beginning on a positive note.
Further, the USTR also talked about the Trade Policy Forum (TPF), which has not "met for quite some time".
While, the TPF have not met, officials from both the sides have engaged through video conferencing. Notes were exchanged by officials on issues such as intellectual property rights, services, agriculture and investment issues.
Sri Lanka today reacted strongly against the genocide remarks made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa against the country over the Tamil issue and said it will make formal objections to India over her comments.
"It is very much in keeping with the character of this politician to make wild allegations against Sri Lanka," the government spokesman and Minister of Information Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters.
He was reacting to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which carried word "genocide" on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.
She had demanded that India should sponsor a resolution in the United Nations condemning the genocide in Sri Lanka. "I request that India should sponsor a resolution in the United Nations condemning the genocide in Sri Lanka and to hold to account all those responsible for the genocide and thereby render justice to Tamils in Sri Lanka," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had said in the memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister.
"It is very wrong to use words like genocide to describe what happened in Sri Lanka," he said.
Rambukwella said Sri Lanka was to make formal objections to the Indian government over Jayalalithaa's comments. Sri Lanka is happy that Modi won outright control of the Lok Sabha without having to rely on the support from Jayalalithaa.
Vardhan said that his plan for 'Green AIIMS' is based on the government's determination to fight climate change.
"Healthcare institutions should strive to reduce their energy consumption and maximise use of solar energy and other similar natural resources," he said, addressing a gathering on the occasion of World Environment Day.
His comments come within days of former Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde's death in a road accident in the national capital.
The new bill is likely to include measures such as installing CCTV cameras at all traffic signals, redesigning of heavy vehicles and centralising data to check misuse of driving licences.
"Yesterday, I spoke to the Prime Minister and Munde's family. It is the Prime Minister who will decide the proper course of action on the matter and truth will prevail," Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Gadkari said. Gadkari said if there is any doubt in the minds of people it should be cleared.
Tharoor said that he (Modi) has remodelled himself from a "hate figure' to an "avatar of modernity and progress".
He also said it would be "churlish" of the Congress to ignore his "inclusive and accommodative' outreach.
"Just as he remade himself from a hate figure into an avatar of modernity and progress, he is seeking to remake the BJP from a vehicle of Hindu chauvinism to a natural party of governance. This will mean a change in both language and tone, as he has demonstrated,' Tharoor wrote in The Huffington Post.
Rahul Gandhi remains in the back benches.
It was during a one-on-one meeting, the following day, that Modi had gifted the shawl for Sharif's mother and a compilation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's poetry as a symbol of affection and respect.
Sharif's daughter Maryam had acknowledged the gift with the tweet: Thank u v much PM @narendramodi for the beautiful shawl for my grandmother. My father personally delivered it to her.
Sharif's gift of a white sari for Modi's mother, is in reciprocation.
Pic: The shawl Narendra Modi had gifted Nawaz Sharif's mother
"The people of Pune want peace. What was posted on Facebook was sad. It was bound to have some repercussions," Shirole told reporters. He, however, took care to qualify his remarks by saying, "This was not right."
A 28-year-old software professional was bludgeoned to death allegedly by persons with suspected links to a Hindu outfit near Pune. The murder of Shaikh Mohasin Sadiq, who hailed from Solapur and who was a resident of Hadapsar, sparked tension in the area.
The trigger for the attack was apparently uploading of derogatory pictures of warrior king Shivaji and late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Facebook, which led to a protest bandh on Sunday.
Four more persons suspected of having links with the Hindu outfit were arrested today taking the total number of arrests to 17.
Pic: Pune techie Shaikh Mohasin Sadiq was targetted because he was wearing a skull cap and had a beard, said the police.
As a part of the pre-budget consultation exercise, the Finance Minister has already met with agriculturists and will meet representatives of social sector later today.
The industry wants the new government to take steps to boost the manufacturing sector, which has remained stagnant in the past two years.
It also wants clear and credible policies to attract investments, push mega projects and encourage growth.
It has already made a case for non-adversarial, conducive and fair tax regulatory environment. The sub-five per cent GDP expansion poses a big challenge for the new government which needs to act fast to revive the economy.
"Koi aapse keh kar toh nahi ja raha ke balaatkar karne ja raha hai, info toh hoti nahi, ye samajik burai hai. Isme bechaare Akhilesh ya Mulayam-ji kya kar sakte hain?" he said. (The perpetrator/rapist will not tell you that he is on his way to commit a rape. There is no such information (available with the government). It's a social evil. So, what can poor Akhilesh and Mulayam do?)
Gaur was speaking on the increased incidences of rapes in UP.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke in English while with few Pakistani leaders he did speak in Punjabi. But, it's now official that Modi has brought Hindi into vogue in the Videsh Mantralaya. Modi will use interpreters from now onwards.
A day after the swearing-in he took the help of a joint secretary in the MEA in the meetings with SAARC leaders. Read the full story on Rediff.com.
The Speaker also accepted the resignation of K Chandrasekhar Rao from Medak Lok Sabha constituency, Protem Speaker Kamal Nath informed the Lok Sabha today.
Yadav and Rao had resigned on May 26, while Modi tendered his resignation on May 29. All the three resignations were accepted with effect from May 29. Modi and Yadav had contested the Lok Sabha elections from two seats.
While Modi has retained the Varanasi constituency, Yadav retained Azamgarh. Rao vacated the Medak seat after he became the first Chief Minister of Telangana on June 2.
Pic: Sonia Gandhi greeting Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after she took oath.
Chief Judicial Magistrate of Imphal East A Noutuneshwori gave the ruling yesterday after an FIR was filed by Manipur Police.
Cross examination of the prosecution will begin from July 7.
Sharmila said she was not trying to commit suicide but only demanding withdrawal of AFSPA from the state. She said her demand was solely the withdrawal of AFSPA so that people could live without any fear in the state.
Sharmila launched her fast in November 2000 after 10 persons were killed allegedly by Assam Rifles in an encounter with militants at Malom near Imphal airport.
Read our report: Meeting Irom Sharmila
Thirteen people have been arrested in the case. The exact location of Father Alexis has not been revealed for security reasons.
While Modi is quite conversant in English given that many New Delhi-based diplomats have met him and never found language to be an impediment, sources said he seems to have decided to stick to the national language in his interactions.
That he is reasonably comfortable with the English language is clear by the fact that interpreters are not required to translate from English to Hindi. Read more
And this is the picture that's doing the rounds on social media.
Here's the buzz...
@thtTALLgirl Sushma Swaraj took Lok sabha oath in Sanskrit. Heard someone speak that language after ages!
@RohitBJP Smt. Sushma Swaraj takes oath in Sanskrit. #Respect
@TheHumerus Ms Swaraj took oath in Sanskrit? Respectum
@pujyam1 Wow: Mrs Sushma Swaraj takes oath in Sanskrit as member of Parliament. !!
@ash_dubey Wow !!! @SushmaSwaraj took Oath as MP in Sanskrit !!!!!!! Lessons for many others....!
@ramsv0312 1h Sushma Swaraj takes oath in the Parliament in Sanskrit... Bravo... Loved that.
@chotivalebaba @SushmaSwaraj swears in Sanskrit... Awesome
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Food Processing Minister, took the oath in Punjabi.
Jual Oram, Minister for Tribal Affiars, took the oath in Odiya.
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Health Minister, too the oath in Sanskrit as well. External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also took the oath in Sanskrit, earlier.
Sarbananda Sonowal, MoS (Independent), took oath in Assamese.
Siddheshwar Rao took the oath in Telugu Kiren Rijiju, MoS (Home), took the oath in Hindi.
"Dear colleagues, with a heavy heart, I am ending my association with AAP," she said in her resignation message to top AAP office bearers.
"My greatest regards for Arvind (Kejriwal), who is like an elder brother. All I want to request is that please do not have any conspiracy theories over my exit," Damania said.
The AAP state convenor added she had never compromised her values and would never do so.
"I request the media to respect my privacy," she said.
A former crusader against corruption in high places, Damania said she had nothing more to add except that she cared a lot for AAP and expressed her best wishes for it.
Damania took on BJP heavyweight Nitin Gadkari from the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Barry O'Brien, who was once nominated by the Left to represent the Anglo-Indian community, today joined the BJP along with his wife Denise. Barry is the younger brother of Derek O'Brien, the Trinamul spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP -- a detail that drew much comment in Bengal's political circles although the elder sibling could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.
Another nugget drew attention in Delhi: that Barry is an alumnus of La Martiniere for Boys. Read the full story here.
His brother, Barry, joined the BJP yesterday.
The subsidized tea and coffee at Parliament House caught the attention of new Kerala MP and actor Innocent, who quipped, "Coffee and tea is so cheap, MPs will keep coming out for breaks."
Here are some interesting tidbits from the first day of the 16th Lok Sabha yesterday.
For the first time Narendra Modi addressed the media outside the Parliament House Gate Number 4, in what is a customary interaction with the media.
For the first time Modi presided over a Union Cabinet meeting inside Parliament Houseat 11.30 am to approve the President's address to the joint session of Parliament on Monday, June 9, 2014.
For the first time Modi said Namaste to Sonia Gandhi inside Lok Sabha just before the session began.
For the first time Modi went to room number 9 inside Parliament House, which is the Prime Minister's Chambers. He met Union ministers and officials there.
For the first time Modi entered the Lok Sabha. He was accompanied by Venkaiah Naidu. Modi went to the benches of all political leaders to greet them at 10.55 am, just a few minutes before Pro-tem Speaker Kamal Nath occupied the Speaker's chair.
For the first time Modi was in Central Hall. There he shook hands with many MPs, including from the Congress.
For the first time, well, the number of first-time MPs, 315 according to PRS Legislative Research, was huge in Central Hall of Parliament. Needless to say, the representation of Congress MPs was not much.
Kamal Nath who is the prot-tem speaker says cabinet ministers, ministers of state and other members will be sworn in that order. This will be followed by MPs from states, and union territories in alphabetic order.
After taking the oath, each MP signs the register.
Advani signs the register and shakes hands with Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh.
Yesterday, Union Minister Gopinath Munde's death cast a shadow over the first day's sitting of the Lok Sabha which adjourned for the day after paying homage to the departed leader.
Proceedings of the House began on a sombre note, after the national anthem was played out.
Earlier, senior Congress leader Kamal Nath was sworn in as the Pro-tem Speaker of the newly constituted Lok Sabha by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Read more
At his first direct interaction with some 72 secretaries who head the bureaucracy in various ministries on Wednesday, the message from Modi was clear: Top officers must take their leadership role seriously and be decisive to make things happen quickly and improve governance.
This is the first time in eight years that a PM has undertaken such an exercise and indicates Modi's aim of establishing a direct connect with the bureaucracy. Read
Follow the latest updates on @RediffTweets
The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Justin Bourque. The police have posted a photograph of a man dressed in fatigues, carrying what appeared to be a rifle.
"Shooter still believed to be in Pinehurst Subdivision area of Moncton. Stay locked inside. Leave outdoor lights on," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in New Brunswick tweeted early Thursday morning.
Follow the latest updates on @RediffTweets
Lieutenant General (retd) Abhijit Guha is part of the five-member panel of experts appointed by under-secretaries -- general for peacekeeping operations and for field support Herve Ladsous and Ameerah Haq.
Guha has recently concluded a term as director of the office for peacekeeping strategic partnerships in the department of peacekeeping operations and also served as the former deputy military adviser in the department from 2010 until 2012, a statement said.
A 35-year-old woman was shot dead by suspected Garo National Liberation Army militants sparking outrage.
The woman was at home with her husband and five children when four to five armed militants of the GNLA entered their house around 6 pm on Tuesday. They locked up her husband and five children inside the house and pulled out the woman, police said.
She was first assaulted and molested. When she resisted, they shot
her with automatic assault rifles from point blank range blowing her
head in almost two pieces, Inspector General of Police (operations) GHP
Raju said.
Follow the latest updates on @RediffTweets
"The (India US strategic) dialogue (in New Delhi) would provide an early opportunity for the US government to engage with the new government in India," Senator Mark Warner, told a Washington audience yesterday.
The strategic dialogue, which was launched by the previous secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is held every year alternatively in India and the United States. Last year it was held in New Delhi, for which the US Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to India.
As such the dialogue for this year is scheduled this year in Washington. But Warner and many friends for India in the US have been arguing that this year it should be held in New Delhi.
"Since the new Indian government will just be getting started, holding the dialogue in Delhi will be less disruptive to organizing meetings and will provide both sides the opportunity to meet and get to work early in the term on joint initiatives," Warner said.
Follow the latest updates on @RediffTweets
Even though there is enough oil in the international market for countries like India and China to reduce their dependence on Iranian oil, so as to avoid US sanctions as per Congressional Act, Obama determined that there is no need to do so for the next six months as Tehran is fully co-operating with the US-led international community to address their concerns about its nuclear weapons program, the White House said yesterday.
The meeting won't happen on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in New York but in the form of a full-fledged bilateral summit in Washington. Obama had invited Modi when he called to to congratulate the new PM after his May 16 win.
After the 2002 riots, Modi was denied visa to the US.
Sinha's refusal came when a state BJP delegation led by former Assembly speaker C P Singh called on him in the jail and urged him to apply for bail, one of the accompanying party leaders said.
"Sinha refused to come out of the jail. The arrests were illegal as the BJP workers were agitating peacefully and did not resort to any violence. He said he will come out of jail only when the illegal cases against him and the BJP workers are withdrawn by the administration," the leader said.
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Woman bus conductor stripped, molested in Maharashtra