Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today allotted the key tourism portfolio to her younger brother Tassaduq Mufti who along with another People's Democratic Party legislator Javaid Mustafa Mir was inducted into the state cabinet.

According to an order issued by the chief minister, Tassaduq Mufti was allotted the tourism ministry, a portfolio earlier with Mehbooba Mufti.

Mir was given the portfolios of disaster management, relief and rehabilitation, and reconstruction and floriculture, the order said.

In addition, the state's Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs minister Abdul Rehman Veeri was given additional portfolio of Hajj and Auqaf, while Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education Asiea Naqash was given the additional charge of power development, industries and commerce.

Minister of State for Forest, Environment, Animal Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Mir Zahoor Ahmad was given additional charge of public health engineering, irrigation and flood control.

On December 22, Minister of State Haj and Aquaf (Independent Charge), Power Development Department, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control and Industries and commerce Syed Farooq Andrabi resigned as a prelude to the inclusion of Tassaduq Mufti into the cabinet.  -- PTI

IMAGE: Tassaduq Mufti takes the oath of office and secrecy during a swearing-in ceremony in Srinagar on Thursday. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

A special court today granted conditional bail to journalist Vinod Verma in connection with the circulation and possession of a 'sex CD', allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister, as investigators failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory period of 60 days after his arrest.

Special CBI Magistrate Shantanu Kumar Deshlahre granted relief to the scribe after he submitted a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a guarantee of equal amount as directed by the court.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

"The court accepted Verma's plea for bail which he submitted in the court yesterday under the section 167 (II) of the CrPC," said Verma's lawyer Faisal Rizvi.

Rizvi said Verma may walk out of the Raipur Central Jail late tonight.

Verma was arrested by Raipur Police during investigation after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prakash Bajaj.

Bajaj had alleged that he 'was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller', who told him that he had a CD of his 'aka' (master).

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Verma's residence.

After his arrest, the 'sex CD', allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the Civil Lines police station in Raipur for 'tarnishing' his image with the 'fake CD'.

On recommendation of the state government, the CBI took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD and questioned Verma in the Raipur Central Jail on December 20.  -- PTI

Photograph: ANI

Two Rajasthan-based professors today said they have been invited by the Central Board of Film Certification to be part of a panel to review Sanjay Leela Bhansali's troubled film Padmavati.

The two academics are R S Khangarot, principal of the Agrawal College in Jaipur, and B L Gupta, a retired Rajasthan University professor.

Khangarot said he received a call from censor board chief Prasoon Joshi to view the film, which is awaiting a censor certificate.

"I got a call from (Prasoon) Joshi recently. He sought my opinion on the film as a part of a panel of historians. I told him that I can be available for the review next week," he told PTI over phone from Dubai.

Khangarot said it was a verbal invitation and he has received no written communication.

"For me, this is not an issue between Bhansali and the Rajput community or between Bhansali and Karni Sena. I see it as an issue between the filmmaker and history and I will be reviewing the film in this light," he said.

Gupta said he would be able to give his opinion on the period drama after watching the movie and would judge it on the basis of historical facts.

"I can say anything on the film only after watching it. Whether the historic facts are true or not can be assessed only after screening it.

"My endeavour will be on judging the historic facts to the best of my knowledge," he said.

Bhansali, who appeared before a parliamentary panel, has said his lavishly mounted Rs 150 crore period drama, featuring Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the 16th century epic poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.

The film, on the life of Rajput queen Padmini, has run into trouble with Rajput groups alleging that it distorts history, a claim repeatedly denied by the director.

Historians are divided on whether Padmini actually existed.

As protests spread across various states, the film's December 1 release was deferred as it didn't have censor clearance.  -- PTI

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board today expressed serious reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha and said it will take steps through democratic means to 'amend, improve or scrap' it.

The Shia Waqf Board, meanwhile, called for making the punishment to those indulging in 'triple talaq' more stringent.

"We will take whatever steps required through democratic means to amend, improve or scrap it. There is no move to go to court as of now...The bill was brought in a haste," AIMPLB spokesperson Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani told PTI.

He said the board should have been taken into confidence on the issue.

"Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while tabling the bill also quoted the board and a lady MP of the ruling party tried to answer the queries raised by the Board in a letter to the prime minister proving that the government recognises the board. So the board should have been taken into confidence," Nomani said.

However, AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani hinted that the board may approach the supreme court against the triple talaq bill once it is passed by the Parliament.

"An option is always open to challenge the law passed (by the Parliament), which is against the Supreme Court's judgement and the Indian Constitution, in the Supreme Court.

"Convenor of our legal committee has also suggested that it can be challenged in the court. However, we will decide our future course of action once the Bill is passed and law is enacted," Jilani told a news channel.

AIMPLB wanted that the triple talaq bill should not be in conflict with either the Constitution, supreme court order or Muslim personal law board, he said.

"We had demanded that Bill should have been prepared only after consultation of representatives of Muslim women organisations, All India Muslim Personal Board, but it doesn't mean that we were against the Bill.

"We just wanted that Bill should not be in conflict with either Constitution of India, Supreme Court Judgement or Muslim Personal Law Board," he said.

The president of the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), Shaista Amber welcomed the tabling of the bill but insisted that it should be in the light of Quran. -- PTI

The Pakistan Army today rejected claims that the Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the Line of Control killing three Pakistani soldiers in a tit-for-tat action.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor also said the armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality.

"India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers," he said, adding this is all 'false propaganda' for their domestic audience to take the focus off Kashmir.

Addressing the media in Rawalpindi, Maj Gen Ghafoor also termed last year's 'surgical strike' by India across LoC as 'false propaganda'.

"You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings."

The Indian Army sources in New Delhi earlier this week said a 'small group' of 'Ghatak' commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 metres across the LoC in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.

The operation is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district last week.

Maj Gen Ghafoor also rejected Indian concerns over treatment of Kulbushan Jadhav's family and said the Foreign Office had already given a detailed response to it.

"India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter," he said.

"Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state," he added.  -- PTI

Image only for representation. Photograph: PTI Photo

JUST IN: The Lok Sabha passes bill making instant triple talaq illegal.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill passed by Lok Sabha by voice vote. -- PTI

IMAGE: A group of Muslim women at a market in Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan /PTI Photo

Voting on bill against instant triple talaq underway in the Lok Sabha.

Two amendments moved by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi and one by Biju Janata Dal's Bhartruhari Mahtab have been negated.

Amendments moved by Congress's Sushmita Dev and Communist Party of India-Marxist's A Sampath also negated. -- ANI

Photograph: PTI Photo

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio will acquire mobile business assets including spectrum, mobile towers and optical fibre network of Reliance Communications -- owned by his younger brother Anil Ambani.

"Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, today announced signing of definitive agreement for the acquisition of specified assets of Reliance Communications Limited and its affiliates," Reliance Jio said in a statement.

The deal is slated to bring relief to RCom which is reeling under debt of around Rs 45,000 crore. Reliance Jio or its nominees will acquire assets under four categories -- Towers, Optic Fiber Cable Network ('OFC'), Spectrum and Media Convergence Nodes ('MCN') from RCOM and its affiliates.

"These assets are strategic in nature and are expected to contribute significantly to the large scale roll-out of wireless and Fiber-to-Home and Enterprise services by RJIL," the statement said.

Reliance Jio will acquire all the assets without any previous liabilities attached to them.


"The acquisition is subject to receipt of requisite approvals from governmental and regulatory authorities, consents from all lenders, release of all encumbrances on the said assets and other conditions precedent. The consideration is payable at completion and is subject to adjustments as specified in the agreement," the statement said.

Reliance Jio said process to acquire assets of RCom is supervised by an independent group of distinguished industry experts and it emerged as the successful bidder in the two- stage bidding process.

"An asset monetisation process for RCOM assets was mandated by the lenders of RCOM, who appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited to run the process," the statement said.

The parties are bound by confidentiality obligations and will make further disclosures at the appropriate time.

RJIL is being advised by Goldman Sachs, Citigroup Global Markets, JM Financial Private Limited, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Khaitan & Co and Ernst & Young on this transaction, the statement said.  -- PTI

Facebook has asserted it has no plans of 'integration or authentication with Aadhaar' and is not linking the social media accounts to the 12-digit biometric identifier.

The clarification came in response to reports that indicated that Facebook was running a test, where it requested for people's Aadhaar information when they signed up for a Facebook account.

Facebook clarified that the test, which is now complete, included additional text explaining to users that if they used Aadhaar name it will help their family and friends recognise them.

'We are not collecting Aadhaar data and do not require people to enter their Aadhaar name when they sign up to Facebook,' it noted in a blogpost.

Facebook said the goal of the test was to help new users understand how to sign up to Facebook with their real name and connect with their friends and family.

The move by Facebook is being seen as part of the company's efforts to check the increasing number of fake accounts on the platform.

Facebook, however, did not comment on that. It explained that at the point of account sign-up, users -- who were part of the test -- saw language that said 'using the name on your Aadhaar card makes it easier for friends to recognise you'.

'This is an optional prompt that we were testing. People were not required to enter the name on their Aadhaar card, and there is no integration or authentication with Aadhaar,' Facebook added.

The US-based company said the test ran with a small number of users in India and has now concluded.

'...we currently have no plans to roll this test out further,' it added.

India -- with over 240 million users -- is the second largest market for Facebook after the US.

On the other hand, with 119 crore residents already enrolled for the Aadhaar -- a unique 12-digit number backed by fingerprints, iris scans and certain demographic details -- the programme today is the world's largest biometric database.

The government is pushing for linking Aadhaar to a host of schemes and services such as mobile connections, PAN, and bank accounts to weed out ghost holders and check tax evasion.  -- PTI

Earthquake tremors felt in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag area.

In an effort to ensure that the BJP lives up to its claim of getting 350+ seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party is now looking at forging alliances with more regional parties.

With the DMK for instance.

The pointsman to do that is, of course, the DMK's recently acquitted leader A Raja. Soon after the CBI Special Court verdict in the 2G scam case acquitting Raja and all the other accused in the case, sources in the party said that they expected several answers from the Congress, it's alliance partner.  

The DMK said that the Congress needs to be wary of A Raja's book, set to be on the stands on January 20, which has revelations on the 2G case and the reason for his arrest.

There is apparently one chapter why former PM Dr Manmohan  Singh and P Chidambaram did not appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G case.

So does this mean the DMK is distancing itself from the Congress?

The PM's visit to Chennai last month to meet DMK elder M Karunanidhi, ostensibly just a courtesy call to enquire after his health, is not all that it seems.


Image: PM Modi with DMK leaders MK Stalin and MK Kanimozhi in Chennai

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday moved a privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for "mocking" Finance Minister Arun Jaitley by "twisting" his name. BJP member Bhupendra Yadav moved the motion under Rule 187, against Mr Gandhi and urged the Chair to take notice of the alleged breach of Mr Jaitley's privilege, who is also the Leader of the House.


"The members of this House have dignity. The name of Leader of the House Arun Jaitley has been intentionally published by the Congress President with malafide intentions to defame this House," Mr Yadav told the Chair.


"The way his (Jaitley's) name has been twisted by the Congress President on his Twitter handle, it comes in the category of (breach of) privilege. There are precedents such as that of NC Chatterjee in 1954. I request you to go to this precedent and issue notice to Rahul Gandhi," he added.


Referring to a statement given by Mr Jaitley in the House on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Dear Mr Jaitlie (sic) - thank you for reminding India that our PM never means what he says or says what he means."

Jaitley on Wednesday made a statement in the House clarifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position vis-a-vis his "conspiring with Pakistan" comments against his predecessor Manmohan Singh in order to end an impasse. "The statement (by Modi) did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment to the nation of Manmohan Singh or Hamid Ansari, the former vice president. Any such perception is completely erroneous. We hold these leaders in high esteem as also their commitment to the nation," Jaitley had said.


The finance minister made the statement as part of an understanding with the Congress party over the issue, that had led to stalling of the Rajya Sabha and disruptions in Lok Sabha for several days with the party demanding an apology or explanation from PM Modi.


The Congress also reciprocated by disapproving Mani Shankar Aiyar's criticism of the prime minister after which the House resumed normal business.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has dismissed the Triple Talaq Bill terming it as the government's attempt to make political gains.

"The Central government's approach is based on their political interests. They don't have anything to do with Muslim women; they are only doing it for political gains," Zafaryab Jilani, AIMPLB member told ANI.


Earlier in the day, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq was tabled in Lok Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.


Prasad said the proposed law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion.


To this, Jilani said the Parliamentarian was "misleading the Parliament" citing that apart from prayer, and ritual, the divorce law is also protected by Article 25 of the Constitution.

The Constitution allows Muslims, the biggest minority in the country, to regulate marriages, divorces and inheritance through their own civil code.But in August, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional".As many as 22 Muslim countries have banned the triple talaq.  - ANI

Isis has claimed responsibility for a coordinated bomb attack on a Shia cultural centre in the Afghan capital Kabul, according to its propaganda channel Amaq. Afghan officials say at least 40 people died in the attack with dozens wounded on Thursday morning. 

India test-fires supersonic interceptor missile in Odisha's Balasore. Details awaited.

Those following actor Riteish Deshmukh's Twitter handle stumbled across an unusual photograph this morning. The picture had former Congress party president Sonia Gandhi casually dressed in black slacks and a white kurta riding a bicycle.

The actor wrote, "Some pictures make you happy... this is one of them.  Wishing Sonia ji happiness and best of health."

The 71-year-old Congress leader is beaming and posing for a photograph, ostensibly at a resort in Goa, where she is on a holiday.

This morning her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed party workers on the 133rd foundation day of the party, his first since he took over the reins of the party from Sonia Gandhi after 19 years.

We join Riteish in wishing Mrs Gandhi a wonderful holiday.

In a novel way to stop people from urinating in the open, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has asked its workers to "whistle and make a sound with a stick" to discourage such behaviour.


Under the new method, named "Lathi, Seeti" (stick, whistle), GHMC workers, on finding someone urinating in the open, would whistle and tap the lathi on the ground to draw public attention.


The GHMC has already taken up measures like imposing fines and "garlanding" those urinating in public, it said. The civic body stated that it has made available 109 pre-fabricated toilets, 46 Sulabh complexes, 20 community toilets for public use.


It added that toilets in petrol pumps, hotels and restaurants have been made available to citizens. In commerical areas, a toilet has been arranged every half kilometre for the convenience of citizens, the release said. -- PTI

Congress will support the instant triple talaq bill in Parliament, but will raise the issue of criminal provisions in the bill. Hailing the proposed law against triple talaq, victims on Thursday said that the legislation would provide a great amount of relief in to Muslim women.


Speaking to ANI, Triple Talaq victim Huma Khayanat (pictured) sought tougher provisions to combat the menace.


"People like us who have been divorced and those who are threatened with divorce would be benefited from this law. If a law is formed for Triple Talaq just like there is a law for domestic violence, we will get some relief. At least women will be relieved that it will not be misused," she added.


Another victim from Agra, Faiza Khan expressed her happiness and said, "We are really happy that the procedure started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for Muslim women is going to succeed. This day will be more significant in a Muslim women's life than Eid or Bakrid."


The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to criminalise the practice of triple talaq, is expected to be tabled in the Parliament by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today.


The draft bill says, "Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal."


There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance.It also has a provision for the divorcee Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children.


The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir. -- ANI

The government does not want Air India to become defunct like the Kingfisher Airlines, promoted by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, and wants it to serve the nation, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said today.


The government does not want anyone working in Air India to lose job, Raju said in the Lok Sabha, adding that the disinvestment process of the national carrier has been initiated.


"Nobody wants anyone to become unemployed. We don't want Air India to go the Kingfisher (Airlines) way. We want the Air India to serve the nation, to serve the people and fly high," he said during the Question Hour.


The minister said a ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is looking into the matter of disinvestment of Air India and anyone, including MPs, are welcome to give their suggestions to this panel.


On June 28, the Union Cabinet had cleared disinvestment of debt-laden Air India but the final modalities, including the quantum of stake sale, would be decided by a group of ministers headed by the finance minister. -- PTI

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday tore apart Pakistan's spy shoe theory in the aftermath of the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family in Islamabad.

Making a statement in Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said the way Pakistan is spreading rumours that the shoes Jadhav's wife wore were 'bugged' is "absurd beyond measure".

"Pakistani officials surprisingly asked Jadhav's wife to remove her shoes and was provided slippers. Pakistan didn't return her shoes after the meeting despite several requests by Jadhav's wife. Now, our apprehensions are proving to be true as reports coming from Pakistan allege that there was a camera or a recording chip hidden in the shoes," Swaraj said.


The External Affairs Minister said it is absurdity beyond measure as both women took two flights -- Air India and Emirates Airlines -- to reach Islamabad.


"For the sake of believing, let's assume the 'suspicious shoes' were cleared by Air India, but what about the Emirates Airline flight that they took from Dubai to Islamabad? Is it possible for anyone to deceive the security check of Emirates Airlines?" Swaraj asked, and added: "it's absurdity beyond measure".


Continuing the attack on Pakistan, Swaraj said Islamabad crossed all limits of inhumanity in the garb of allowing jailed Indian Naval officer Jadhav to meet his mother and wife after 22 months.

At least 40 dead in multiple Kabul blasts: interior ministry.

Bill to prohibit divorce by triple talaq and protect rights of married Muslim women introduced in the Lok Sabha. Debate on the bill happening now. It will will be considered in the Rajya Sabha after the Lok Sabha debate. Opposition raises questions on the Bill. The Bill was tabled by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the Lok Sabha who said, "we are about to make history. This law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion."

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar has said that the bill on Triple Talaq is aimed to give gender justice, protection and respect to Muslim women.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 seeks to criminalise the practice of triple talaq. The draft bill says, "Any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal".


There is also a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and fine for violators. The draft bill also envisages entitling divorcee Muslim women for maintenance.It also has a provision for the divorcee Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children.

The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.The Bill shall extend to the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir. -- ANI

The leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, on Sushma Swaraj's statement: Misbehaviour of Pakistan with the wife and mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav was misbehaviour with all Indians. Regardless of political differences, when it comes to nation's dignity and another country misbehaves with our mothers and sisters, it will not be tolerated.

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj slams Pakistan saying it showed neither humanity nor sensitivity in its behaviour with Kulbhushan Jadhav's family.

Rising in the Rajya Sabha to make the statement, an assertive Sushma Swaraj said:

"The meeting between a mother and her son, a wife and her husband after going through so much was turned into an exercise of propaganda and an opportunity to exploit the situation.

"Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother wasn't permitted to speak in Marathi to Jadhav, their conversation was interrupted.

"In the name of security their clothes were changed and Jadhav's mother who wears a sari was asked to wear a 'salwar kameez'. Bindi, Mangalsutra, Bangles were removed too. I called his mother in the morning before making this statement in Parliament and confirmed this.

"The manner in which the meeting was organised was appalling Both mother and wife were presented as widows in front of Mr Jadhav.

"The first thing Mr Jadhav asked his mother was if his father was OK, since his mother wasn't wearing her bindi or mangalsutra.

"Even after her repeated requests, the shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife were not returned. Pakistan says there was a camera or a recorder in the shoes, nothing can be more absurd than this as she traveled in two flights with those shoes on. It is an absurdity beyond measure.

"By Jadhav's conversation and tone it is obvious that he was pressurized by Pakistani officials and also that his health wasn't fine.

The meeting with Jadhav and his family was facilitated by political channels.

"This meet could have been a step forward but it is regrettable that this meeting was turned into a propaganda. We have conveyed to Pakistan about our displeasure.

"It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again and an environment of fear was created for them.

"Pakistan had promised that the press would be kept away from the mother and wife, but they were in fact allowed near them and they were heckled and were allowed to harass them mercilessly." 


Image: Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife, tweeted by Pakistan's foreign office.

Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi And Ghulam Nabi Azad, protest in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises over Ananth Kumar Hegde's comments on the constitution. Hegde has since apologised.

This is what Hegde said: "Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that the Constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me.

I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament & Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it."

Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses the AICC on the Congress Party's 133rd foundation day.

Rahul said the  Constitution, the foundation of our country is under threat, it is under attack directly. Statements are being made by senior members of the BJP and  it is under attack surreptitiously from the back. It's our duty, the duty of the Congress party and every single Indian to defend it.

The Congress party chief also distributed sweets among children at the AICC headquarters earlier.

Addressing party workers, he said What is happening today in our country is a web of deceit. "The BJP operates on the basic idea that lies can be used for political benefit and this is the difference between us and them. We might not do well, we might even lose but we will not give up the truth."


This is Rahul's first Congress Foundation Day after taking over as President of the party.

Yesterday, Rahul had referred to finance minister Arun Jaitley as "Jaitlie" following his remark in the Rajya Sabha clarifying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't mean to question his predecessor Manmohan Singh commitment to India when he accused him of colluding with Pakistan.

"PM in his speeches didn't question, nor meant to question the commitment to this nation of either former PM Manmohan Singh or Former VP Hamid Ansari, any such perception is erroneous, we hold these leaders in high esteem, as well as their commitment to India," said senior BJP leader and Union minister Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Congress to protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi status inside Parliament premises at 10 am today against the GST and Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde's controversial statements on secularism and changing the Constitution, reports ANI.

Israel's Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on Wednesday announced that a train station set to be built adjacent to Jerusalem's Western Wall and will be named after United States President Donald Trump.

The Jerusalem Post quoted the Israeli minister as saying, "The Western Wall is the holiest place for the Jewish people, and I decided to name the train station that leads to it after President Trump, following his historic and brave decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel."

Katz said the decision was taken to honour President Trump's decision to consider Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

The station will be build as part of an extension of Jerusalem's highspeed rail, which will soon reach the Western Wall.

Earlier in May, Trump became the first US President to visit the wall, which is considered one of the holiest sites in Judaism, during his trip to Israel.  -- ANI