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Thu, 10 August 2017
Ivanka to visit India in November, tweets PM Modi

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23:09   Ivanka to visit India in November, tweets PM Modi
India and the US will co-host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Hyderabad from November 28 this year and the American delegation will be led by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka.

This was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight.

He said the three-day event would aim to bring together entrepreneurs of the two countries.

'The Summit is a unique opportunity for bringing together entrepreneurs and start-ups with global leader,' Modi tweeted.

'Look forward to Ms Ivanka Trump's presence at #GES 2017 Hyderabad as the leader of the US delegation,' he said in another tweet.

Modi, during his meeting with Trump in Washington in June, had invited Ivanka for the GES.

Ivanka had later tweeted, 'Thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for inviting me to lead the US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this fall.'

The event is being organised by the NITI Aayog in coordination with Ministry of External Affairs.  -- PTI
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22:02   BMC passes proposal to make 'Vande Mataram' must in schools
The general body of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) today passed a proposal to make singing of 'Vande Mataram', the national song, compulsory in the civic-run schools twice a week.

It will come into effect after Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta gives his administrative nod.

Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Sandeep Patel tabled a notice of motion, which was supported by the ruling Shiv Sena, and Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar approved it.

The Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) corporators boycotted the proceedings, alleging that they were not allowed to put forth their views.

"A recent Madras high court ruling, which made singing of 'Vande Mataram' mandatory in the schools of Tamil Nadu, gave me the idea that if it can be done there, then why not in Mumbai," Patel told PTI.

"So, I tabled the motion and I am grateful that the mayor approved it after finding enough support for it," said the first-time corporator from the Goregaon area.

"We need to instill a sense of patriotism in our youth as they should remember the glorious period of our freedom struggle," the BJP member said.

However, the group leader of main opposition Congress, Ravi Raja, alleged that the BJP and the ruling Shiv Sena were 'trying to impose' their will on everyone.

"We don't oppose singing of Vande Mataram in schools, but the way it is going to be imposed, we object to that. This would violate our fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution and therefore, I am going to write a letter to the municipal commissioner," he said.

SP's group leader in the House Rais Shaikh said the move was 'unacceptable'.

"Let me clarify that we are not opposing Vande Mataram. Whenever and wherever it is sung, we give it due respect. What we are opposing is it being made mandatory. Since we were not allowed to put forth our view in the House, we will meet the commissioner and put across our point," he added.

The Madras high court ruling had triggered a political slugfest in the Maharashtra Legislature, with a BJP MLA demanding its implementation in schools and colleges of the state, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and SP MLAs opposed the proposal.  -- PTI
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21:30  
BSE Sensex today.
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21:27  
BSE Sensex: Top losers today.
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21:12   Swaraj calls on Nepal's President Bhandari, PM Deuba
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today called on Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and discussed ways to boost bilateral ties in sectors like infrastructure, energy and connectivity.

Swaraj, who arrived here on a two-day visit to attend the 15th ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, met Deuba at his official residence in Baluwatar.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Deuba took over from Maoist leader Prachanda as Nepal's prime minister in June in a power-sharing deal.

Swaraj, who is one her sixth visit to Nepal, said the Indian government was looking forward to Deuba's five-day state visit to India, scheduled to take place from August 23.

She later called on Bhandari and recalled the successful visit of the Nepalese president to India earlier this year, which 'further strengthened our age old ties', according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

'The two sides discussed ways to enhance cultural linkages and people-to-people contacts between our two countries,' it said, adding they also discussed an expanded bilateral agenda reflecting the updated national priorities of Nepal.

Cooperation in hydro power sector also came up for discussion.

Both sides agreed that there are immense possibilities for cooperation in the sectors of infrastructure, connectivity and energy, the statement added.

Swaraj's visit to Nepal comes as India is pushing for a larger role for BIMSTEC, an international organisation involving a group of countries in South and South East Asia.

The member countries of BIMSTEC are India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. Earlier in the day, the BIMSTEC Secretary-level talks were held to discuss agenda for the ministerial meeting, which will take place tomorrow.

The meeting, which was inaugurated by Deuba today, will deliberate on 14 different themes like trade, investment, transport and communication, energy, tourism, agriculture, counter-terrorism, poverty alleviation, public health, environment and natural disasters and climate change.  -- PTI

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj shakes hands with Nepals Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at a meeting in Kathmandu on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
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20:52   JD-U asks Sharad Yadav 'not to cross limits'
The Janata Dal-United on Thursday appeared moving closer to a separation from its senior leader Sharad Yadav as it asked him to desist from making comments which 'cross limits', saying such words were objectionable and uncomfortable for the party.

The warning from its spokesperson K C Tyagi came on a day Yadav slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's move to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party, and said he remained with the grand alliance, which was formed among the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the JD-U and the Congress.

There is no another example in independent India of two parties with such different ideologies joining hands barely 20 months after fighting each other in a poll, Yadav said in a statement as he reached Bihar on a three-day tour to receive 'people's feedback'.

Reacting to his statement, Tyagi said, "The political language being used by him is very objectionable and uncomfortable for the party president (Nitish Kumar) and the government (of Bihar). It will be better if he puts his point of view at the party's national executive on August 19. We will ask him to refrain from making statement which crosses limits."

Yadav seemed to be choosing his own path now, he said, claiming that it was not leaders from the JD-U but Lalu Prasad-led RJD who have arranged his programmes.

Asked if the party would take any disciplinary action against him, he said it had not taken any such measure so far.

Tyagi also objected to Yadav's comments that he remained with the grand alliance, saying it was objectionable for a senior leader like him to say after the party has broken ties with it and joined hands with the NDA.

He said all party MLAs, MLCs and district president in Bihar were with Kumar's decision and it was leaders of the RJD who have made arrangements for Yadav's tour through the state.

Yadav said the grand alliance had secured two-thirds majority in the 2015 assembly poll and people were now feeling 'cheated' with Kumar's decision.

"During the election we campaigned for one and a half month tirelessly and sought vote for the grand alliance. Our alliance had only 3 helicopters for campaigning against 26 of the opposite party.

"In my entire political career and after independence I have no other example of two political parties with different ideologies and manifestos fighting against each other in elections and then joining hands after 20 months," he said.

Asked whether his trip did not amount to 'anti-party activity', Yadav, who is the leader of the party in the Upper House, said, "I do not want to make any comment." -- PTI
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20:21   2005 Hyderabad blast: Court acquits all 10 accused
Hyderabad's Nampally court on Thursday acquitted all 10 accused in the 2005 bomb blast case.

Metropolitan Sessions Court judge T Srinivas Rao exonerated the accused, who were jailed for more than a decade.

According to defence advocate Abdul Azeem, the court acquitted the accused as the prosecution failed to provide substantial evidence.

One of the 10 arrested men was out on bail, while the others were still in prison.

On October 12, 2005, a suicide bomber had blown himself up at the Task Force office in Hyderabad's Begumpet area.

The blast killed a home guard and injured another.

A Special Investigation Team was constituted to investigate the case and it claimed that Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI) of Bangladesh was involved in the blast.It also identified the suicide bomber as HUJI activist Dalin. -- ANI
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19:27   Probing Panama leaks, but won't follow Pak's example: Jaitley
Answering questions over the fate of Panama papers, the government today said every account named in the leak is being probed but made it clear that nobody would be punished here without a proper process, unlike Pakistan where Nawaz Sharif was removed as Prime Minister.

"Nobody has ever taken more action than this government on foreign account details which have come," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in the Rajya Sabha while replying to a debate on Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill which was passed by the House later.

Referring to the Panama papers leak, he said 'every account' in it is being investigated.

"We have a rule of law. We do not have system like the neighbouring country where you remove first and then have a trial," Jaitley said, clearly referring to Sharif who was ousted last month over the Panama papers leak issue.

Sharif had to resign after the Pakistan Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against him and his children over the Panama papers scandal.

In the wake of that development, questions were raised here regarding the status of probe in the same issue.

During the reply, Jaitley said tax authorities are conducting investigations and prosecutions are being launched in cases where documents have been received.

"We first make our own investigations and on each one of those cases, whether it is Liechtenstein cases or HSBC cases or other cases which have come to the notice or the Panama, in each case, we have been touch with the regular authorities of the country where these accounts are," he said.

"Prosecutions are being filed wherever documents are coming. Assessment proceedings are being cleared and there is no prohibition on publishing their names once the prosecutions are filed because they are filed in India in open court," the finance minister said.

Jaitley said names are confidential as long as the matter is under investigation but the confidentiality clause ceases to exist once it reaches court.

Dubbed as 'Panama Papers', investigations into vast stash of records from Panamanian legal firm Mossack Fonseca by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalist had named several world leaders and celebrities as having money stashed abroad in offshore companies.

The leak had surfaced last year.  -- PTI
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18:46   Maha appeals against decriminalisation of beef possession
The Maharashtra government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay high court's verdict which had decriminalised possession of beef in case the animals were slaughtered outside the state.

It has challenged the verdict of May 6 last year striking down sections 5(d) and 9(b) of the Maharashtra Animals Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995, which criminalised and imposed punishment on persons found in possession of beef of the animals, slaughtered in or outside the state, on the ground that it infringed upon a person's 'right to privacy'.

The high court had termed as 'unconstitutional' the provisions which held mere possession of beef as crime, saying only 'conscious possession' of the meat of the animals slaughtered in the state would be an offence.

The appeal would come up for hearing tomorrow before an apex court bench of justices R K Agrawal and A M Sapre.

The plea, filed through advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, has assailed the judgement saying the restriction imposed by the 1995 Act on possession of flesh of cow, bull or bullock could not be interpreted and concluded to be an infringement of 'right to privacy'.

It said that the high court 'while coming to the finding that right to privacy forms part of the fundamental right to personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, ought to have appreciated that right to privacy has not yet been designated as a fundamental right'.

The plea said that according to the verdict, obligation upon the state to prove 'conscious possession' of beef would 'constitute an unsurmountable circumstance readily available to the wrongdoer to escape sentence'.

It said that the high court had 'failed to appreciate that the restriction imposed by the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995 on the possession of flesh of cow, bull or bullock could not be interpreted and concluded, in any stretch of imagination, as infringement of right to privacy'.

In its judgment, the high court had upheld the ban on slaughter of bulls and bullocks imposed by the Maharashtra government, but had decriminalised possession of beef in case the animals were slaughtered outside the state.

Under the state Act of 1976, there was a ban on cow slaughter and possession and consumption of the meat.

However, in 2015, the ban on the slaughter of bulls and bullocks was also included in the Act by an amendment. -- PTI
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18:26   Vaghela sees 'conspiracy' behind Ahmed Patel's win
Veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela today claimed Ahmed Patel's victory in the Rajya Sabha polls came through a 'well thought-out conspiracy' scripted by Congress leaders and voiced reservation over the Election Commission's decision to invalidate the votes of two MLAs.

Vaghela, who revolted against the Congress last month, claimed party leaders drew up the plan to ensure Patel's victory a day ahead of the voting on August 8.

"It was a conspiracy by the Congress (leaders) to win the election. Otherwise, their candidate would never have won. Their leaders planned everything in advance. They had prepared the documents to support their objection a day before the poll and challenged the voting as per that plan," Vaghela told reporters in Gandhinagar.

He was referring to the votes of rebel Congress MLAs Raghavjee Patel and Bholbhai Gohel, which were invalidated after Congress' polling agent Shaktisinh Gohil lodged a complaint with the EC.

"The polling agent of the Congress intimidated these MLAs as part of the conspiracy. I think that the EC has no right to intervene during the counting of votes, as only the returning officer can take such a call," he said.

"The EC must apply its mind and watch the video footage to get the clarity (on the matter)," he said, adding the panel's decision will be challenged in the Supreme Court. -- PTI

IMAGE: Shankersinh Vaghela. Photograph: PTI Photo
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17:47   Rajini also attends DMK event
Rajinikanth also attends the 75th anniversary celebrations of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's mouthpiece Murasoli, in Chennai. Photograph: ANI
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17:27   Kamal Haasan shares stage with Stalin at DMK function
Tamil Nadu: DMK's MK Stalin and actor Kamal Haasan at the 75th anniversary celebrations of DMK's mouthpiece Murasoli, in Chennai.

The two-day celebration is being held in Chennai.

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth is also likely to attend the event.

Haasan is expected to speak about Murasoli at the event which will also witness party's working president MK Stalin's son Udhayanidhi Stalin's vote of thanks.

The presence of Rajinikanth and Haasan, if they attend the event, bears significance after both the legendary actors have hinted about entering politics.
Stalin had openly backed Haasan. 
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16:38   Aamby Valley auction cannot be put on hold: SC tells Subrata Roy
The Supreme Court today refused to accept Sahara chief Subrata Roy's plea to put on hold the auction process of the group's project Aamby Valley in Pune district of Maharashtra.


A bench of justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri said, "The prayer of the contemnor (Roy) is hereby rejected."


During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Roy, said that the auction process should be put on hold till September so that his client could arrange Rs 1,500 crore to be deposited into Sebi-Sahara account.


The bench, however, said that it will pass orders at an appropriate time. Roy had yesterday moved the apex court seeking to put a hold on the auction process to sell the group's Rs 34,000- crore worth Aamby Valley property by the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court.


The apex court had on July 25 asked the embattled Sahara chief to deposit Rs 1,500 crore in the SEBI-Sahara account by September 7 and said that it might then deliberate upon his plea seeking 18 months more time for making complete repayment. The court had simultaneously approved the draft sale notice and terms to dispose of the property prepared by the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court.


"The official liquidator shall publish the sale notice as given by him and the notice shall be published on August 14. The steps which are required to be taken for the publication of the sale notice, are allowed," the court had said.


The Sahara Group had earlier sought 18 months' time to repay around Rs 9,000 crore balance amount of the principal amount of Rs 24,000 crore.


Sibal, however, had said that according to the group, the remaining amount was around Rs 8,000 crore and it had made all efforts to deposit the money. Roy, who has spent almost two years in jail, has been on parole since May 6 last year.


The parole was granted the first time to enable him attend the funeral of his mother. It has been extended since then. Besides Roy, two other directors -- Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary -- were arrested for failure of the group's two companies -- Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) -- to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. Another company director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody.
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16:27   Transgender bill introduced in Pak parliament
For the first time, a legislation has been introduced in Pakistan's lower house of parliament to protect the fundamental rights of transgender people in the conservative Muslim nation.


The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, moved by Naeema Kishwar on Tuesday, seeks to provide equal rights to transgender persons.


The bill is the first piece of proposed legislation that extends recognition to this often-ignored segment of society, Dawn news reported.


According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, "There is a need to safeguarded rights of transgenders at par with other citizens and residents of the country".


"The Constitution of Pakistan explicitly provides, inter alia, the fundamental rights to life of liberty (Article 9), equality of citizen, (Article 25) and inviolability of dignity, safeguard to educational institutions in respect of education, protection of property, safeguard against discrimination in service," it says.
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15:51  
Suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist Zeeshan Ali, deported to India from Saudi Arabia, sent to 14 days police custody by Delhi court.
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15:51   Jaitley's Marwari farewell lunch for Hamid Ansari
Arun Jaitely, the Leader of the Rajya Sabha, hosted a lunch for leaders of almost all Opposition parties including the JD-U. It's a routine affair hosted by Jaitley during every Parliament session, whether he is in the ruling party or in the Opposition. Invariably, the lunch will be vegetarian.

This time, Ajay Sancheti, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra was tasked with getting the food from Mumbai. And so, we hear authentic Marwari food, along with a few Gujarati and Maharashtrian delicacies were flown in from Mumbai for the occasion. MPs cutting across parties -- Congress, SP, BSP, TMC, AIADMK, DMK '" broke bread especially since it was also a farewell lunch for the Rajya Sabha chairperson, Hamid Ansari, who demitted office as vice-president today.

Representational image.
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15:48   Kovind, kettles and letters
President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday hosted a 'At Home' for about a 100 freedom fighters at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The gift handed out to each invitee was unusual at best -- a kettle. Since the freedom fighters were all in advanced years, medical assistance was at hand in case of an emergency. In a handwritten, personal letter, given along with the kettle, Kovind said that he and 130 crore countrymen were grateful to them to get India freedom.

President Kovind posed for photographs with each freedom fighter and their families. A touching moment indeed, but not new for President Kovind, who has hosted a similar ceremony at when he was Bihar governor, at Patna's Raj Bhavan.
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15:14   Chandigarh stalking: Both accused sent to 2-day police custody
Just in: Vikas Barala and Ashish Singh, the two accused in the Chandigarh stalking case, have been sent to two-day police custody, till August 12. The defence says the attempt to kidnap charge is based on apprehension and that neither Vikas nor his friend were carrying any weapons. The defence said it was a case of media trial. Vikas Barala was interrogated for three hours.

On August 5, Vikas Barala, son of BJP Haryana unit President Subhash Barala, was arrested on the charges of stalking and harassing an IAS officer's daughter in Chandigarh. He was, however, granted bail on the same day.

Subhash Barala, however, rebuffed the claim of pressurising or influencing the police in the case. Vikas and Ashish Kumar appeared in Chandigarh Sector 26 Police Station yesterday.

Director General of Police Chandigarh Tajender Singh Luthra had said that Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas and his friend Ashish were slapped with charges of abduction.

The notice was issued to both the accused under 160 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the case has been filed against Barala under Section 354D (stalking), 341 (wrongful restraint), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 185 MV Act (rash driving). -- ANI
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14:55   China invades Dilli Haat
Jaya Jaitly @Jayajaitly tweets: "Chinese plastic flowers seen at Dilli Haat. This was not the purpose for which I created this Indian crafts market."


Jaitly helped found the acclaimed craft market of Dilli Haat and is the founder president of the Dastkari Haat Samiti, an association of crafts people she founded in 1986.
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14:50   Ahmed Patel says his victory has boosted Congress' morale
Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who retained his Rajya Sabha seat after polls in Gujarat on August 8, on Thursday said that the win has boosted the morale of the whole party.


Speaking to the media, the Congress MP added that this is not just a joyous moment for him, but for the whole Congress party.


"The Congress cadre is so happy with this victory. This is a win for our democracy as well," he said.Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel retained his Rajya Sabha seat by winning 44 votes.


Voting for the three Rajya Sabha seats was conducted on Tuesday. BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are other two candidates who won.After the victory, Patel yesterday alleged that the election exposed the "personal vendetta and political terror" of the BJP.
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14:29   Terror funding case: ED conducts searches in Srinagar
The Enforcement Directorate today conducted searches at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir's capital Srinagar in connection with an alleged terror funding and hawala case involving over Rs 20 crore funds.
Officials privy to the operations of the Enforcement Directorate said the agency is conducting searches against one Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad and at least three premises connected to him.
They said Sheikh's house in Ahmad Nagar and a firm identified as Al Khuddam Tours and Travels in Srinagar town are being searched.
The central agency has roped in the state police for conducting the searches, they said.
The ED is probing the case under sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and it pertains to an alleged export outstanding of the firm to the tune of over Rs 20 crore for a period of 2014-15 and some other block periods.
The ED suspects the case to be of terror funding through hawala dealing and other illegal transactions, they said. 
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14:13   No renewal of insurance for vehicles without PUC, says SC
In a bid to curb pollution, the Supreme Court today issued a slew of directions including that insurance companies will not renew insurance of a vehicle unless the owner provides pollution under control certificate.
A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur also asked the ministry of road transport and highways to ensure that all fuel refilling centres in the National Capital Region have PUC centres.
The apex court granted four weeks time to the Centre to ensure that there are functional PUC centres in NCR to ensure that vehicles plying have PUC certificate.
The court considered the suggestions given by Environment Pollution Control Authority.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist M C Mehta way back in 1985 dealing with various aspects of pollution. 
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13:29   Fair is not the only lovely or handsome: Mukund
Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund has slammed racial abuse on social media, saying that he has himself been at the receiving end of insults and ridicule for his skin tone.

In a statement posted on his Twitter page, Mukund, who featured in the first Test against Sri Lanka in the ongoing series and scored 81 in the second innings, expressed his disappointment at some of messages sent to him targetting his skin tone.

The left-handed Tamil Nadu batsman, however, made it clear that his statement had nothing to do with any member of the Indian cricket team.

"I am writing today not to garner sympathy or attention but with the hope to change the mindset of people on an issue I feel strongly about. I have been travelling a lot within and outside our country since I was 15. Ever since I was young, people's obsession with my skin colour has always been a mystery to me," his statement, posted last night, read.

"Anyone who follows cricket would understand the obvious. I have played and trained day in and day out in the sun and not even once have I regretted the fact that I have tanned or lost a couple of shades.

"It is simply because I love what I do and I have been able to achieve certain things only because I have spent hours outdoors. I come from Chennai probably one of the hottest places in the country and I have gladly spent most of my adult life in the cricket ground."

Further, the 27-year-old said that he has been subjected to this abuse for long and it has not ended. "I have been subjected to a lot of name calling and I have laughed and shrugged it off because I had bigger goals! Affected young, I toughened up because this was never something that would pull me down. "There were many times when I chose not to dignify these insults with responses. Today I am speaking up not just for me but for many from our country who experience ridicule based on the colour of one's skin. Obviously with the rise of social media, it has gone to magnitude that I see people hurling abuses left, right and centre at something I have absolutely no control over!

"Fair is not the only lovely or handsome guys! Stay true, stay focussed and be comfortable in your own skin," he concluded.

His statement evoked strong response from his fans, who praised him for sharing his thoughts on the subject. Bengal cricketer Manoj Tiwary, replying to him, tweeted, "Well said ABHINAV."
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13:20   Sasikala will not be leading AIADMK: TN CM
The AIADMK (Amma) faction has come out formally against deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran. It has, in a meeting headed by Tamil Nadu CM E Palaniswami with senior party leaders this morning, passed a resolution that the appointments made by Dinakaran are not permissible as per the rules of the party and that his decisions would not be binding on members of the party. Appointment of Dinakaran as Sasiskala's deputy against party by-laws, says the resolution adopted at meeting chaired by CM Palaniswami.

Twenty seven functionaries of the party including senior Ministers attended the meeting.

The resolution also said that VK Sasikala's appointment as party general secretary was only till the election of the new chief and will not be leading the party .
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12:26   EC bribery: HC notice to Delhi Police on Sukesh's bail plea
The Delhi High Court today issued a notice to the Delhi Police on the bail plea of Sukesh Chandrashekar, arrested in the Election Commission bribery case involving AIADMK (Amma) leader TTV Dhinakaran. Justice Ashutosh Kumar sought the response along with a status report from the police before the next date of hearing on September 5.
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12:24   Dhinakaran's appointment as AIADMK dy gen secy illegal
Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami's faction passes a resolution saying TTV Dhinakaran's appointment as deputy general secretary is illegal and is announcements are not binding on the party.
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11:50   Varnika Kundu's father at police station
In Chandigarh, Virender Kundu, father of Varnika Kundu, reaches Sector 26 police station in the stalking case.
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11:43   AIADMK's OPS, EPS factions may merge by Independence Day
Just in:  A three-point formula may have been worked out marking the way ahead for the fractured politics in Tamil Nadu.

Our sources tell us that Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and former chief minister O Panneerselvam are on the verge of merging the two AIADMK factions thereby checkmating TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala.

Even now, Palaniswami is chairing a meeting of his ministers and top leaders at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai,

EPS will continue as Chief Minister, O Panneerselvam will be the deputy CM and will also be handed the home ministry portfolio.

Health minister C Vijayabasker who has been embroiled in a tax evasion case will be dropped.

The condition is that OPS, who heads the AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) faction will withdraw the petition from Election Commission. OPS will get three portfolios for his loyalists apart from the governance of six corporations.

Both the OPS and EPS factions said the announcement would be made today ahead of a formal merger by Independence Day.

The appointment of Sasikala as general secretary is under dispute before the Election Commission.
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11:20   Rajya Sabha bids farewell to Hamid Ansari
Rajya Sabha bids farewell to Hamid Ansari, leaders of the house thank the Vice President. First up was Arun Jaitley, followed by the PM and Ghulam Nabi Azad. Listen in here.

Also read: 'Indianness of any citizen being questioned is disturbing'

For context, read this column: Only because his name is Hamid Ansari?
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11:14   Sharad Yadav to begin yatra to meet 'hurt' Bihar after grand alliance break-up
Senior Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) leader Sharad Yadav will kickstart his three-day Jan Samvad Yatra today and will meet the people of Bihar to discuss the repercussions of the withdrawal of the grand alliance in the state.

Yadav will visit nearly eight to 10 constituencies of Bihar from August 10 to 12 and will hold discussions.

"I am going to meet the people and will discuss the condition of the state after the withdrawal of the grand alliance. I have not done any preparation for this. I will stay there overnight and will talk to people on this issue," Yadav told ANI.

He said the people supported the grand alliance and expected a lot from it, adding that they are hurt with its withdrawal.

"I was one of those who asked the people of Bihar to vote for the grand alliance. I consider this as a responsibility. The people are hurt with this withdrawal," he said.

Sharad Yadav has openly expressed his disappointment over the prevailing situation in Bihar, especially with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar undoing the grand alliance and joining hands with the BJP.

There have also been reports of a widening rift between Yadav and Nitish, with the former backing RJD and the Congress.
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11:02   Split India
The 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement was transformed in Parliament today into an occasion that exposed deep fractures in the polity. The two Houses could not agree on a common resolution. The separate resolutions were revealing. A key paragraph in the resolution adopted in the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition holds the upper hand, said: "On this day, we solemnly take a pledge to uphold and safeguard the values and ideals of the freedom movement and re-dedicate ourselves to build an India that is strong, self-reliant, inclusive, secular and democratic."

The resolution in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP is the dominant force, laid emphasis on a strong, prosperous, clean and corruption-free India. It spoke of science and technology, patriotism and democratic values. One word - sadbhav (harmony) - stood in for more political words like "secular" and "inclusive".

The following are excerpts from some of the speeches that stood out.
Read it here.
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10:55   Bihar: Lalu Yadav's aide, RJD leader Kedar Rai shot dead
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Kedar Rai was shot dead by some unknown assailants on Thursday while he was on his morning walk along Bihar's Sugna road.
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10:53   DCW Chief Swati Maliwal demands Subhash Barala's resignation
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday asked for BJP Haryana unit President Subhash Barala's resignation after he was accused of using his power to save his son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar in the Chandigarh stalking case.

"Subhash Barala should immediately give his resignation as I do not think that a person who is busy saving his culprit son and is defending his misdeeds is capable of being in such a public position," Maliwal told ANI on Thursday.

"He has used his political power and has made effort to save his son. It was the pressure of media and people that accused got arrested. I hope that strictest punishment will be given," she added.

Vikas Barala was arrested on August 5 on the charges of stalking and harassing the IAS officer's daughter in Chandigarh. He was, however, granted bail on the same day. -- ANI
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10:20   GoAir plans international foray with Phuket, Maldives service
GoAir plans to launch its overseas operations with flights from Mumbai to Phuket (Thailand) and Male (Maldives), in the winter schedule. GoAir became eligible to launch international services last year when it inducted its 20th aircraft.

However, the launch has been postponed because of a delay in deliveries of the Airbus A320neo planes. GoAir has 23 Airbus A320 planes, including five A320neo aircraft. The airline is expected to receive two planes by October and would firm up its overseas plans by then, sources said. 
-- Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard
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10:16   Dead snake found in mid-day meal in Bihar
In a shocking incident in Bihars Vaishali district, a dead snake was found in a mid-day meal served at a government-run middle school, on Wednesday.

At least six student fell ill after consuming the food, which triggered angry protests by villagers, who took a government official hostage for over an hour, the police said.

A student, who was served mid-day meal, found a baby snake in his plate and informed the school teachers and cooks, but initially they ignored it. Soon, two students vomited and complained of stomach pain, while a few others complained of uneasiness, a police official said. The ill students were taken to a doctor for treatment.

When Block Education officer Mohammad Shaffi Alam reached the school after getting information about the incident, angry villagers made him hostage and demanded he call top officials of the district administration. Local police rescued Alam and assured villagers of action in the case, a police official said.

According to a teacher, two cooks and their assistant, Gunja Devi, Mania Devi and Manju Devi, served the mid day meal supplied by Ekta Shakti Foundation to students.  -- MI Khan in Patna/Rediff.com
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10:09   Vikas Barala admits to chasing Varnika's car
Vikas Barala (23), the son of Haryana BJP chief Shubhash Barala, who was arrested on Wednesday on the charges of stalking and attempting to kidnap Varnika Kundu, in Chandigarh last week, has reportedly accepted the charges, reports NDTV.

The 29-year-old victim, shared the entire ordeal of being chased by Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar for hours on Friday night in a Facebook post. Kundu, who works as a DJ,  said they blocked her car, banged on her window and tried to force open the door.

This is the second time Vikas, 23, and his co-accused Ashish Kumar, 27, have been arrested in the case which has triggered a massive furore and brought the issue of women's safety on national centre stage.

The Chandigarh police grilled the two accused for nearly three hours yesterday and then added the non-bailable charge of 'attempt of abduction' under section 365 and 511 of the Indian Penal Code after claiming to have found "new fact and evidence" in the case which has been under constant media glare.

Both the accused will be produced before the court today, Director General of Police, Chandigarh, Tejinder Singh Luthra told mediapersons in Chandigarh.
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09:45   India, from the eyes of one who saw her birth
An old time civility distinguishes Lieutenant General Anand Sarup, Mahavir Chakra. Decorated with the nation's second highest gallantry award in the 1971 War, the war hero is remarkably humble about his many military achievements. Just as India became free, he joined the Indian Army and has journeyed with the country from her days of captivity to its freedom to its 70th year as a nation. On a quiet summer evening, the 88-year-old general graciously shared his memories of August 15, 1947 with Rediff.com's Archana Masih. The captivating conversation revealed how we understand our past better when we hear it from those who have lived, seen, heard and felt it. Do read.
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09:12   Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls: Did the two invalidated votes matter?
Counting in the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat did not go into the second round. Three of the four candidates were elected on the basis of first preference votes after two votes were invalidated. Had these votes not been invalidated, would Ahmed Patel of the Congress still have won? An examination.

Ahmed Patel of the Congress may have won the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat even if the two invalidated votes cast in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party had been allowed, given the peculiarities of the system of single transferable vote.

In fact, what gave Mr. Patel the edge was his unassailable lead over his BJP rival. If he had got one vote less, it was possible that the third BJP nominee would have sailed through, depending on how many second preference votes he gathered.

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08:57   Hafiz Saeed is the enemy of Islam, take action against him: Muslim clerics to UN
Over 1,000 Muslim clerics and imams have called on the United Nations to take action against the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed for his "anti-India" activities.
On Wednesday, they passed a resolution to this effect at a gathering in Mumbai, a cleric said, adding more than 1,000 Muslim clerics and imams supported the motion.
The resolution, which also denounces the JuD along with several other Pakistan-based terror outfits, has been forwarded to the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee with a copy marked to the Prime Minister's Office, said Abdur Rahman Anjaria, head of city-based NGO Islamic Defence Cyber Cell.
Anjaria, who introduced the resolution said, "Hafiz Saeed and the terror outfits he heads are threat to global peace. He calls India enemy No. 1 but he is the enemy of Islam and humanity."
"Apart from demanding action against the India-hater from the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee, we have apprised the PMO about the same," he told PTI.
Anjaria added, "We passed the resolution at a gathering held at a madrassa and unanimously denounced JuD and several other Pakistan-based terror outfits which are hellbent on harming our country."
The cleric said Kashmir is an internal issue of India and no third party should interfere in it.
"We have dispatched our resolution to Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, chair of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee at the Security Council," he said.
In 2015, Anjaria had initiated the world's biggest fatwa against the terror outfit Islamic State and got it signed by over 1,000 Indian Muslim clerics and imams. 

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08:35   Bomb scare on Akal Takhat Express over suspected object
A suspicious object has sparked a bomb scare on Amritsar-bound Akal Takhat super fast Express.

The Amritsar-bound was train coming from Kolkata when it was halted at Amethi after a passenger found a suspicious object in toilet. 

All passengers have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Bomb disposal squad is currently at the site to examine the object. 

More details are awaited.  
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00:05   Indian Army is in 'no war, no peace' mode in Doklam: Sources
The Indian Army is in a 'no war,no peace' mode against the Chinese military in Doklam and status quo continues in the area, official sources said on Wednesday.

They said there has been no specific movement of troops and weapons by the Indian Army in the area, adding whatever 'movement' is taking place is for maintenance purpose.

Asked specifically about reports of sending of troops from the Sukna-based 33 Corps to Doklam, the sources said there has been no enhancement of army personnel in the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.

We are in no war no peace mode in Doklam, the sources said.

In military parlance, no war, no peace mode refers to a confrontation or face-off position with enemies.

India and China have been locked in a face-off in the area of the Sikkim sector for 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area. -- PTI

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