A Bengaluru-bound GoAir flight with nearly 190 people onboard made an emergency landing today at the airport here due to technical issues. 

Bihar Staff Selection Commission examination scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled due exam paper leak on social media, ANI reports

PM: There was so much said about what is wrong with the nation... perhaps they were giving a report card of their own record.

Surjitji (Harkishan Singh Surjeet, CPM leader) also spoke of demonetisation in 1982. He said Indira Gandhi thrives on black money, her politics is alive because of black money. This report has not been acted upon, but was also kept hidden for 12 years.

Tea garden workers were given bank accounts and salaries through digital means. Their condition has improved.

I am the only PM to acknowledge the contributions of other governments in taking this country forward.

Attacks on the party I belong to, our government, on me are understandable but why was the RBI dragged into this. It was not required.

We want to fulfill aspirations of the poor. We want to give gas connections to 5 crore poor families.

Yahan Swachhta Abhiyaan ka mazak udaya ja raha tha. Aaj Mahatma Gandhi ji hote to aap swachta pe yahi bhasha bolte? People are making fun of the Swachh Bharat mission. If Mahatma Gandhi was alive today, is the language you would have used for cleanliness?

Anand Sharma-ji was asking why are you spending crores on Digital tech. Not a single extra penny was spent in development of BHIM app.

Ruckus in Parliament after the PM's attack on Dr Manmohan Singh. Congress walks out after PM Modi takes on former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. The PM is now addressing only the Treasury benches. 

This is what he said before the disruption.

"There is a horizontal divide- on one side are the people of India and  government and on the other side are a group of political leaders.

"For almost 35 years, Manmohan Singh-ji had a lot of influence on country's economic policies. There have been so many scams in these decades, but not a single taint on Dr Singh. Bathroom mein raincoat pehen kar nahaane ki kala sirf Dr saab (Manmohan Singh) hi jaante hain.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is replying to the Presidential Address in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has issued a whip to its Rajya Sabha members asking them to remain present in the House. BJP has 56 MPs against Congress's 60 in the 245-member Upper House. Highlights.

The PM begins speaking on demonetisation.

-- Several members have shared their views, there was considerable discussion on demonetisation.

-- The fight against corruption and black money is not a political fight. It is not to single out any particular party. Note ban not a political fight.

-- Fake notes dont reach banks, they reach terrorists. Corruption has ruined the economy.

-- Corruption has adversely impacted aspirations of the poor and the middle class.

-- We will have to be tough on those who are cheating the system. When we do that, the hands of the poor will be strengthened.

-- There has been no comparison to India's demonetisation and it has become a case study for economists. There is no parallel in the world.

-- 700 Maoists surrendered after note ban. 

-- Former PM Indira Gandhi considered demonetisation but decided against it because she had to fight elections.

Asserting that it wishes to have good neighbourly relations with Pakistan, the government today said it remained in touch with it through bilateral diplomatic channels, including addressing all urgent humanitarian even after cancellation of Foreign Secretary-level talks as agreed in December 2015.

In a written reply to Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the talks envisaged between Indo-Pak foreign secretaries to decide the modalities of the Composite Bilateral Dialogue, agreed during her visit to Islamabad in December 2015, could not take place due to the terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase in January 2016 and other attacks last year emanating from Pakistan. She also noted that the government's diplomatic efforts in the wake of Pathankot and Uri attacks led to widespread recognition internationally that Pakistan's policy to sponsor and support terrorism against its neighbours posed the biggest challenge to peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today insisted that demonetisation has had an adverse impact on job creation in manufacturing and other sectors, with the government rebutting the argument saying existing data does not back such a claim.


During the Question Hour, TMC member Ahmed Hassan said that following demonetisation people were learnt to have lost jobs and sought to know what steps would be taken to rehabilitate them.


Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there were no reports about people having lost jobs. As members insisted that job losses have occurred, she said, "I am unable to respond to a question which comes from, I am not sure what kind of data."


Congress leader Digvijaya Singh then raised a question saying that the Purchasing Manufacturing Index (PMI) had been adversely affected because of the note ban.


"I am not sure where the data comes from. The PMI data that the member has referred to jumped to 50.4 in January," Sitharaman said.


Another Congress member Pratap Singh Bajwa mentioned that while Indian-made footballs were used in an earlier World Cups, their exports were now facing a challenge. "I first of all refused to believe that Make in India could have resulted in a slump in exports in sports," she said adding that because of cheaper exports there may be some challenges.


Later in reply questions to Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya, members again asked whether demonetisation has adversely affected the job market. Dattatreya in his reply said the International Labour Organisation has brought a report as per which number of unemployed is expected to rise from 17.7 million in 2016 to 18 million in 2018 but the unemployment rate is expected to come down.

AIADMK cadre wearing their heart on their sleeve.

VK Sasikala's supporters outside Poes Garden in Chennai, wearing T-shirts with Sasikala and Jayalalithaa's photos.

FLOTUS, face-palm, net neutrality along with terms from recent advances in science - such as CRISPR - are among over 1,000 new words added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the first time since 2014. The new entries include borrowings from foreign languages as well as words from tech, medicine, pop culture, sports.

"The work of revision is ongoing and constant; even though it seems that the latest slang gets the most attention when dictionaries issue lists of new words, the additions come from the whole range of registers and from every corner of the language," the Merriam-Webster Dictionary said in its blog. "These are words that have demonstrated frequent and increasing use in a variety of sources, and are therefore likely to be encountered by a reader - and should be in the dictionary," it said.

Just in: 130 AIADMK MLAs being herded into a bus and taken to a hotel at an unknown location. The MLAs will leave for Delhi tonight to meet President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow. The lawmakers have complained about Governor Vidyasagar Rao's absence from Chennai as a crisis brews in the state. The governor has been in Mumbai over the last three days delaying Sasikala's takeover as CM. The MLAs will be kept in the hotel till such time the governor returns. Senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai has sought an appointment with the President.


As VK Sasikala held a meeting with AIADMK MLAs this afternoon, all but three of the 134 lawmakers were present. Sasikala spoke at length on the party's crisis, why she waited to take charge after Jayalalithaa's death in December and spoke about Panneerselvam's betrayal and the collusion with the DMK.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta represented Maharashtra at the 'National Prayer Breakfast' forum for world peace held on February 2 in Washington, DC, where Amruta, a banker by profession, spoke on the topic 'Power of Love'.

Just in: Cash withdrawal limits raised to Rs 50,000 from the existing Rs 24,000 effective February 20. No limits on cash withdrawals from savings account after March 13, says RBI.

Last month, the Reserve Bank of India raised the daily withdrawal limit at ATMs to Rs 10,000 per card and doubled that for current accounts to Rs 1 lakh per week, signaling that the post-demonetisation cash crunch is easing as currency supplies have risen over the past few weeks.

The overall cap of Rs 24,000 per week for savings accounts has now been upped to Rs 50,000 per week. This limit too will be done away with on March 13. 

AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala sacks IT wing secretary G Ramachandran for anti-party activities and appoints VVR Raj Sathyan in his place. Ramachandran was handpicked by J Jayalalithaa.


Sasikala, facing a rebellion from O Panneerselvam, told her party today that she would work on the path of Amma and "betrayal will not be tolerated." In an hour-long speech punctuated by applause from over 100 MLAs, she called Panneerselvam a traitor "playing the dirty games" of rival DMK.

First reactions from DMK's MK Stalin after Sasikala's address to AIADMK MLAs: This is not the first time we backed the AIADMK, he said.


Stalin said the DMK will back OPS as CM and would continue to behave like a responsible opposition.

Reacting to Sasikala's allegations that the DMK is the force behind OP Panneerselvam's rebellion and that it was obvious by observing Panneerselvam smiling at Stalin, the DMK treasurer asked how can a smile be objectionable. He said in the past, Jayalalithaa had often smiled at him in the Assembly and it meant nothing. He said that people were mocking Sasikala for the mess the state is in.

To bring you up to speed, last night, after visiting his mentor Jayalalithaa's beach-side memorial, Panneerselvam announced that he was coerced and humiliated into resigning as Chief Minister, and that if the cadre wants, he will withdraw that resignation. Today, he proclaimed that he will prove himself as the rightful head of state by taking a trust vote.


Asserting that the Tamil Nadu Government has collapsed in the last eight months, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin on Wednesday called for Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao's intervention in the political turmoil in the state.

"Tamil Nadu Government administration has collapsed in last eight months. The Governor must immediately come to Chennai to safeguard TN interests," Stalin tweeted.

After late night emergency met with AIADMK leaders, Sasikala had said that Panneerselvam was seen smiling at Stalin during the assembly session.

She implied that Panneerselvam was in cahoots with the DMK and had indulged in a smear campaign against the party at the behest of DMK.

"There have been times when Jayalalithaa inside assembly greeted me, smiled. Can Sasikala question this act of Jayalalithaa? Shameful to say that smiling is an objectionable thing. Now what will she say about the mess people are laughing on now?" Stalin added.

Meanwhile, reacting to the political crisis, Panneerselvam earlier in the day said there is a force behind everything that is happening in the state.

Issuing fresh allegations, Panneerselvam claimed he was never allowed to meet late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa even once when she was hospitalised.

In the dangal of UP politics, much as Muzaffarnagar wants to leave its past behind, the shadows are never far away. Rediff.com's Archana Masih visits a town that has become synonymous with riots and listens in to what its people say. Do read.

RBI leaves key rates unchanged. Repo rate at 6.25 per cent, reverse repo rate at 5.75 per cent. 

AIADMK MLAs likely to meet President Mukherjee tomorrow. 

"Deception", "disruption", "diversion" and "diabolic agenda''. Words deleted from CPM leader Sitaram Yechury's "verbatim records'' of his Rajya Sabha speech on February 6.


Yechury went public with a grievance other members have grumbled about for some months now: that their speeches are being edited even when there are no unparliamentary references or something House rules do not permit.

Read more

AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala addressing party MLAs at the AIADMK HQ. Sasikala is facing rebellion from O Panneerselvam, the man who took over the as Tamil Nadu CM after Jayalalithaa's death. In a speech punctuated with applause by nearly a 100 MLAs, she said she would work on the path of Amma and betrayal would not be tolerated. At several points in the hour-long speech, she blamed the DMK for the rebellion.

Highlights...

-- We won't deviate from the path of Amma.
-- Won't tolerate betrayal, won't tolerate dirty tricks.
-- OPS' betrayal wont go unpunished.
-- Was there any temptation by the Opposition parties? Is he falling victim to their games?
-- I wont deviate from the path Amma showed.
-- This is an attempt to break the unity of the party and let me assure you we will not let it happen. The DMK is trying to break up the party and let me tell them, they will not be successful.
-- History has shown us that traitors can never win. No on can defeat the AIADMK.
-- I hope all of Amma's children, all of you, will be with me.
-- We will show the betrayers, the naysayers, the true path of Amma.
-- No one will be able to divide us.
-- I will clear the confusion in the next few days.
-- The enemies of the AIADMK will come one after the other. But they will only face defeat.
-- As Dr MGR said fear is foolishness, you have to rise above fear.
-- OPS falling victim to DMK's dirty politics.
-- Amma was my heart,  my God. I swear this in the name of Amma, in the name of Dr MGR.
-- For 33 years there were many ups and downs many calamities. I have faced so many betrayals, but I have overcome all of that and we will overcome this too.
-- It's a DMK-OPS plot to split the party.
-- When Amma died there was confusion that the party will be split.
-- This is the deceitful plan of the DMK that OPS is falling to.
-- I took the decision that OPS should be CM. But at the time, cadre said I should be CM. But I was not in a mental position, I was grieving.
-- In the last two months OPS has been colluding and cooperating with opposition forces.
-- But I overlooked it. Amma has showed the way.
-- But events of the last two days have forced me to take this step.
-- His evil act to destroy the party will not be forgiven. He undermines everything that Amma fought for, that the cadre fought for. He is out to destroy all of that.
-- It is a deviation from Amma's path and I will not allow it.
-- I dedicate my life to Amma's dream.
-- The journey for us is to follow in the path that Amma has show us.
-- There is more power in the word Amma, than CM.
-- Our enemies are acting to undermine us.
-- The AIADMK will not break nor will I break because of this.
-- Her dreams will always be with us and will be fulfilled.
-- No power can stop us. Because the power called Amma is with us.
-- The 5th of December legislative meeting -- I did not call for it.  That I influenced this, that I forced OPS to resign is not true and nobody will believe
it.
-- Why did OPS change in the last 48 hours?  Was OPS tempted by the DMK? Why did he keep quiet for all these days. Was he being played by the DMK? People are vexed because he cohorted with the DMK.
-- When OPS complained that members are colluding against him,  I immediately took action and told them not to do anything that undermines the authority of the CM.
-- I understand the machinations of the DMK with OPS.
-- As general secretary I would have forgiven him. But what happened yesterday has crossed all boundaries.
-- Stalin was happy yesterday and that shows OPS is in cahoots with the DMK.
I dedicate myself to the dreams of Amma.
I hope you will join  me in realising her dreams.

Former Advocate General of India Soli Sorabjee, a Constitutional expert, says Governor Vidyasagar Rao is right in deferring Sasikala's oath-taking. He said if the Supreme Court overturns the Madras High Court ruling and finds Sasikala guilty of corruption, she cannot assume office in any case. The SC is expected to give the judgment next week. Meanwhile, the governor, who is also the governor of Maharashtra is in Mumbai and it is uncertain when he will return to Chennai. 

The meeting of AIADMK MLAs in Chennai is over. Sasikala called for a meeting of AIADMK MLAs at the party office. Of the party's 134 lawmakers, about 100 are on her side. She is likely to address the media later today. She said no one can break the unity of the party. Reports say she addressed MLAs at the meeting and urged them not to support traitors, a reference to O Panneerselvam.

Panneerselvam has said that he will meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao after he returns to Chennai. He said after assuming the CM's position, the experiences which he went through has pained him a lot. "Being a CM I was targeted and humiliated," he said.

AIADMK senior leader Dr Maitereyan said the rank and file support O Panneerselvam since he is Amma's choice. "The people and cadre support OPS. The BJP can give moral support to OPS, but strength will be tested in an Assembly.

Sasikala has maintained that she did not force OPS to resign.

The declaration that OPS was forced to resign could trigger a constitutional crisis and it remains to be seen how the governor would react. The BJP is keen on courting the AIADMK ahead of the presidential elections. BJP national secretary H. Raja tweeted "OPS, Sir, Congrats" and "the public will rally around OPS".   Read more

President Donald Trump's controversial immigration order today faced intense scrutiny as a court of appeals grilled the Trump Administration whether the travel ban unconstitutionally discriminates against Muslims and questioned the arguments that curbs were motivated by national security concerns.

Asserting that President Trump was within his constitutional rights and obligations to sign the executive order that temporarily bans immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, the Justice Department urged court of appeals to reinstate the travel ban -- put on hold by the courts last week.

During the hour-long hearing, conducted by phone, before a three-judge panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals here, the Justice Department lawyer August Flentje said in signing the executive order Trump struck the balance between national security and the practice of allowing people from entering the country.

JUST IN: EC says AIADMK rules don't allow interim general-secretary, jolt for Sasikala. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Lok Sabha proceedings in the Parliament. For those who missed it, PM Modi tore into the Opposition, namely the Congress, on Tuesday. 

After dropping a bombshell last night, saying he had been forced to resign from the post of Tamil Nadu chief minister to make way for Sasikala, O Panneerselvam addressed the media this morning. 

It's twist after twist in the battle for Tamil Nadu. 

Reacting to Sasikala's claims that the DMK was responsible for O Panneerselvam's rebellion last night, TKS Elangovan responded, "How can DMK be behind this. How can they blame us for their infighting? How can we support O Panneerselvam when hes the Opposition? Were a major party and we want to come back to power and expose AIADMKs wrongdoings.

The Congress party on Wednesday blamed BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for the political chaos going in Tamil Nadu and alleged that the latter was trying to utilise the situation to stamp the presence of the saffron party in the state.  

A senior citizen was seriously injured after a portion of a skywalk in the Mumbai suburb of Dahisar collapsed, civic officials said today. 

After dropping a bombshell late on Tuesday night, saying he was forced to resign from the chief minister's post, O Panneerselvam raised the ante against Sasikala and said that she had even restricted his access to Jayalalithaa while the latter was in hospital. "Had visited hospital daily to enquire about Jayalalithaa's health condition, but couldn't meet her even once," he said. 

In what was seen as an act of rebellion, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister OPanneerselvam on Tuesday said he was repeatedly "humiliated by own partymen and was forced to resign as chief minister".

Hours after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam made a shocking revelations, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary VK Sasikala has removed him as party treasurer.