LIVE! 'Why this Kolaveri da': Rahul's fresh jab at BJP on Jay Shah row

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Tue, 17 October 2017

'Why this Kolaveri da': Rahul's fresh jab at BJP on Jay Shah row

Timeline Refresh

23:27 Day after release from jail, Talwars embark on tour

Dentist couple Nupur and Rajesh Talwar today embarked on a tour, a day after they walked out of Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad after four years behind bars.

The couple left Nupur Talwar's parents' flat in Noida in a car.

They refused to talk to a posse of mediapersons waiting outside the complex to get a response from the couple on their acquittal in the murder case of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj.

Vandana Talwar, an aunt of Aarushi, told reporters that the dentist couple had left on a tour. They are interested in visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, she added.

Nupur Talwar's father B G Chitnis told the media that the dentist couple had left for Punjab and added that they would celebrate Diwali at home.

"They are not in a position to talk to the media now... It will take some time for them to register this. They will talk to the media on a later date," Vandana Talwar said.

After their release from the jail yesterday, the police escorted the couple to Aarushi's maternal grandparents' house in Noida's Jalvayu Vihar. The Talwars lived in another flat -- where the double murder took place on May 16 in 2008 -- in the same housing complex.

The couple were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court on October 12 after they were convicted in 2013 by a lower court for the murder of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj. -- PTI

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the government over the latter extending legal help to party chief Amit Shah's son in a defamation case he has filed against a news website over a report about his financial dealings.

"State legal help for Shah-Zada! Why this, why this Kolaveri Da?," he tweeted.

He also tagged a news report entitled "Jay Amit Shah Attempts to Gag 'The Wire'", the news portal which had carried a report on a firm linked to the BJP chief's son seeing a huge jump in turnover after the saffron party came to power at the Centre in 2014.

Jay Shah has filed a criminal defamation case in a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad against the portal, its journalists and the company that runs it. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has been granted government permission to represent him in the case.

Gandhi and the Congress have mounted an all-out attack against Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Jay Shah's financial dealings. They have repeatedly questioned the prime minister's "silence" on the issue.

The Congress also demanded Shah's sacking and a probe by two Supreme Court judges into the entire episode. -- PTI

Britains Prince William and wife Kate Middleton today revealed that their third baby is due in April.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to confirm they are expecting a baby in April 2018," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had been forced to make an early announcement that they were expecting another baby last month when Kate missed a series of royal engagements due to severe morning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum.

But the royal couple, both 35, made an official announcement of the babys due date today.

Kate has since been recovering from her severe morning sickness and was seen at a mental health charity event at Paddington station in London yesterday after a long gap.

"The Duchess is feeling much better but she has still not fully recovered," a royal aide had said after her appearance alongside her husband and brother-in-law Prince Harry at the event held to coincide the upcoming cinema release of 'Paddington 2'.

Kate had suffered from the same sickness when she was pregnant with Prince George, now 4, and Princess Charlotte, who turned two this year.

Her condition meant she had to miss out on dropping off George at the gates when he started primary school near Kensington Palace last month.

The expected child will become the fifth in line to the throne behind Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

A change to the rule of male primogeniture which meant sons took precedence over their female siblings in Britain's line of succession had come into force in March 2015.

The couples third child and Queen Elizabeth II's sixth great-grandchild will also push Williams brother Harry further down the succession line to sixth.

While Kate is yet to resume her full royal schedule, Kensington Palace has announced that the royal couple will be undertaking a tour of Scandinavia at the request of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Kate will be well into her pregnancy when they arrive in Norway and Sweden early next year for a tour, the exact dates for which have not been confirmed yet.

Prince William will meanwhile make a solo official visit to Finland at the end of November, also at the request of the FCO.

The palace had originally planned for the couple to tour all three countries in November, but Kates morning sickness meant the trip to Norway and Sweden had to be postponed.

William was always committed to visit Finland this year, as 2017 marks the centenary of the country's independence. -- PTI

22:39 Modi, Shah to campaign in Tripura

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah will campaign for the party, which aspires to capture power in Tripura in the assembly elections scheduled for February next year.

Tripura BJP vice-president, Subal Bhowmick said Shah will arriving here by December 15 and Modi will visit the state after declaration of the poll schedule.

The PM will campaign for BJP in two phases but the schedule has not been finalized yet, he said.

The decision to go for extensive campaign was taken in the state core committee meeting attended by the party's national general secretary, Ram Madhav, central observer Sunil Deodhar and state party president Biplab Deb on Monday.

The BJP will start its poll campaign in the state from November 1 with rallies and pada yatras in the constituency and state leves, he said.

Bhowmick said in the 2013 assembly election in the state around 49,000 fake names of voters were included in the final electoral rolls and BJP has conveyed its concern over it to the chief electoral officer Sriram Tarunikanta. "We are careful this time to ensure error-free electoral rolls." -- PTI

Former President Pranab Mukherjee has described Mamata Banerjee as a "born rebel" and recalled how she once stormed out of a meeting, leaving him feeling "humiliated and insulted".

Noting that there was an aura about her which was "difficult to explain but impossible to ignore", Mukherjee said in his new book The Coalition Years that she had built her career fearlessly and aggressively and was the "outcome of her own struggle".

"Mamata Banerjee is a born rebel," he wrote, adding that nothing illustrated this trait better than an episode in the West Bengal Congress organisational election in 1992, in which she was defeated.

He recollected how she suddenly changed her mind and demanded open elections in the party unit.

The former president recalled that after media reports said the top leaders of the West Bengal Congress, including Banerjee, wanted a consensus election to avoid an open contest that could bring out "ugly factionalism" in the party, then prime minister and Congress chief P V Narasimha Rao asked him to mediate and find a solution.

"One day, during the winter of that year, I requested Mamata Banerjee for a meeting to discuss some of the observations she had made about the process (of organisational elections).

"During the discussion, Mamata suddenly flared up and accused me along with other leaders of a conspiracy against her. She now demanded organisational election, and said she had always stood for elections so that grass-roots level workers could have their say in organisational matters," he said in the book.

Banerjee went on to accuse him and others of "distributing organisational positions" among themselves, "thereby thwarting the electoral process", he wrote.

Mukherjee said he was "flabbergasted by her reaction and wild allegations" and told her that a compromise formula was being devised at the request of the leaders, including her.

But she claimed she was totally opposed to his approach and wanted open elections, he said.

"Having said that she left the meeting in a huff. I was stunned and felt humiliated and insulted," he said.

The former president said she lost by a very narrow margin to Somen Mitra in the election for the post of the WBPCC president held through a secret ballot.

"I was present when that result was announced. An angry Mamata came up to me and asked, 'Are you happy? Has your desire to defeat me been fulfilled?' I told her that she was totally mistaken," Mukherjee recalled.

He told her he had played no role in the organisational election since she last met him.

The former Congress leader in the book also said that the evolution of Mamata Banerjee as a political leader of substance was an important episode in contemporary politics of West Bengal. -- PTI

A miffed S Sreesanth today termed the Kerala high xourt's verdict to restore the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI the "worst decision ever" and vowed that he would not give up his fight.

In a major setback for the fast bowler, the Kerala high court today decided to restore the life ban imposed on the bowler by the Indian cricket board.

A division bench of the court in Kochi said that it cannot conduct a judicial review of the life ban imposed by the BCCI and therefore upheld the appeal.

The 34-year-old pacer took to social networking site, Twitter to express his disappointment, questioning the BCCI on allowing Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals to come back into the IPL fold after serving two-year suspensions each.

"This is the worst decision ever..special rule for me what about real culprits?What about chennai super kings ? And what about Rajasthan ?" Sreesanth wrote on his twitter handle.

Sreesanth thanked his fans for their support and said that he would continue to fight.

"Thanks a lot for all the support Nd encouragement given so far. I assure u all that I'm not giving up..I will Keep at it..Nd alwys believe

"Anyway all I have is my family and lots of dear ones who still believes in me..I will keep fighting and make sure I don't give up.."

Sreesanth further said, "And what about the accused 13 names in Lodha report?? No one wants to know about it?i will keep fighting for my right..God is great."

Speaking to the media, Kerala Cricket Association secretary Jayesh George said the KCA has been supporting Sreesanth.

"We had made arrangements for him to undergo a full fitness test so as to make him match fit. Now with this verdict, we will have to respect it," said George.

The BCCI had filed a counter-affidavit on the issue in the court in response to the plea by Sreesanth, who had challenged the life ban despite a court dropping all charges against the pacer. -- PTI

About 49 per cent Indians are likely to spend less this Diwali compared to last year due to demonetisation and impact of GST, with expenditure on clothes and sweets to be the highest, says a survey.

The survey conducted by news app InShorts and research firm Ipsos said though 21 per cent will be spending more over last year, 18 per cent will spend same as the last year.

Besides, 21 per cent respondents said they were undecided.

"Consumers are still reeling under the impact of demonetisation and GST. The sentiment is not that upbeat this Diwali," Ipsos India CEO Amit Adarkar said.

The survey titled 'Pulse of the Nation Diwali Poll' was conducted online on October 14. Over 39,000 Indians participated in the poll through InShorts mobile application.

While clothes and sweets will see highest spending at 38 per cent, gadgets and gizmos will see 13 per cent spending followed by home renovation and furnishing at 12 per cent and automobiles at 3 per cent, the survey said.

In terms of Diwali break, the survey said 55 per cent of the respondents won't be working while 34 per cent would be working. About 13 per cent said they were not sure.

"Time zones, global client deliverable, essential services these factors take precedence over Diwali holidays," Adarkar said.

Image: A vendor arranges colourful lanterns on sale for the Diwali festival in Karad, Maharashtra. Photograph: PTI Photo

21:02 Snapdeal CFO Anup Vikal quits

E-commerce firm Snapdeal today said its chief financial officer Anup Vikal has put in his papers.

The development comes two months after acquisition talks between Snapdeal and larger rival Flipkart collapsed.

Snapdeal Co-Founder and CEO Kunal Bahl said Vikal has done sterling work at the firm, building high levels of governance and helping structure various transactions of importance for the company.

"I wish him the very best for his professional pursuits. He has led the finance function with distinction, contributing immensely in furthering the profitability initiatives of Snapdeal, which the deep bench of Snapdeal' finance team will continue," Bahl said in a statement.

Vikal said "it has been a privilege to lead the finance and legal teams, at Snapdeal, through a series of intense and crucial activities around divestments, profitability and investor relations".

His next destination could not be immediately ascertained.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has every right to express his opinion on the country's economic situation, as he sought to end a potentially damaging

spat between the powerful military and the interior minister.

Abbasi's intervention came in the backdrop of a simmering controversy stirred by a recent spat between Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and chief military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor over the Army chief's remarks on the woes of Pakistan's economy.

"There might be difference of opinion... [but] There is no civil-military tension," Abbasi said.

"If everyone is free to give their opinion on economy, then why can't the army chief talk about economy", he said in an interview on Aaj television last night.

Abbasi's comments came two days after one of his party's senior lawmakers, Rana Afzal Khan, said the Army chief should comment on the economy only at the National Security Committee and not publicly.

In an unusual move, Gen. Bajwa had voiced concern at Pakistan's "sky-high debt" and called for broadening tax base and bringing in financial discipline to break the "begging bowl".

The Army chief said that economic stability was tied deeply to Pakistan's security concerns.

Last week military spokesman Maj Gen Ghafoor told a TV channel that "if the economy is not bad, it isn't good either".

Interior minister Ahsan hit back immediately advising the military spokesperson to "refrain from commenting on the economy...[because] irresponsible statements could damage Pakistan's image globally".

"Disappointed" by Ahsan's reaction, Maj Gen Ghafoor said he, in his capacity as the military spokesperson, spoke on behalf of the Pakistan Army. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah today hit out at Kerala's Communist Party of India Marxist-led Left Democratic Front government over the political violence in the state, asking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

if he was prepared to take moral responsiblity for the "killing of 13 innocent BJP/RSS workers."

Addressing party workers at the Puthrikandam maidan in Thiruvananthapuram on the conclusion of the party's 15-day 'Jan Raksha' Yatra in the state, Shah alleged that the 13 workers were killed after the present government came to power in May last year.

"I am asking the Kerala chief minister, whether he is prepared to take moral responsiblity for the killing of 13 BJP/RSS workers in the state after the LDF government came to power."

"CM saheb, if you want to fight us, let us fight in terms of development and ideology," he said.

Shah said if the Marxist party feels that BJP/RSS workers can be eliminated through violence even after 70 years of independence, "they are mistaken."

"I will like to tell CPI-M that it is not possible," the BJP chief said.

He also asked Vijayan whether people had given him the mandate for elimination of BJP/RSS workers in the state.

Earlier, Shah walked with party workers for about two km from the Martyr's column at Palayam to Putharikandam maidan, near the famous Padmanabhaswamy temple.

The BJP chief waved and acknowledged greetings from thousands of BJP workers as he joined the yatra led by state party president, Kummanam Rajasekharan.

He also paid tributes to party workers who had lost their lives in political violence in the state before addressing the public meeting.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will celebrate Diwali with soldiers at the strategically important tri-service command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Sitharaman will pay a two-day visit to the Andaman and Nicobar tri-services command from tomorrow, during which she will review its operational preparedness and related issues.

"On her maiden visit to the command, she will be celebrating Diwali with troops and interacting with the families during various events over the two days," the defence ministry said.

It said Sitharaman would be visiting the operational area of the command and Car Nicobar Air Force Station.

The Andaman and Nicobar command is India's only tri-services command.

Sitharaman will also lay wreaths at the Swatantra Jyoti in the Cellular Jail and the Tsunami memorial in Car Nicobar.

18:53 Kerala HC restores life ban on Sreesanth

The Kerala high court on Tuesday restored the life ban imposed on cricketer S Sreesanth by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, PTI reported.

The division bench of Chief Justice Navniti Prasad Singh ruled that the court cannot conduct a judicial review on the life ban imposed by the BCCI and hence upheld the appeal.

The Kerala high court had on August 7, ordered the BCCI to lift the life ban imposed on the pacer following the spot-fixing scandal in the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League in 2013.

Actor Reese Witherspoon has opened up about being sexually assaulted by a director when she was just 16.

The 41-year-old star hoped the Harvey Weinstein scandal will encourage women to speak up about harassment, reported People magazine.

"This has been a really hard week for women in Hollywood, for women all over the world, and a lot of situations and a lot of industries are forced to remember and relive a lot of ugly truths," Witherspoon said during her speech at the Elle Women in Hollywood.

Dozens of women have come forward to allege Weinstein, a heavyweight Hollywood studio head, of sexual assault and in some cases rape.

Sharing her story, Witherspoon said, "I have my own experiences that have come back to me very vividly and I find it really hard to sleep, hard to think, hard to communicate a lot of the feelings that I've been having about anxiety, honest, the guilt for not speaking up earlier.

"(I feel) true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16-years-old and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment. And I wish that I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career, but sadly it wasn't. I've had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault and Idon't speak about them very often."

Witherspoon said reading about stories of other brave women convinced her to finally "speak up and speak up loudly because I actually felt less alone this week than I have ever felt in my entire career."

"I have just spoken to so many actresses and writers, particularly women, who have had similar experiences and many of them have bravely gone public with their stories. That truth is very encouraging to me and everyone out there in the world because you can only heal by telling the truth."

The actor-producer hoped that there would be a "new normal" where women have other women's back.

"It makes me so sad to talk about these issues, but I would be remiss not to," Witherspoon concluded.

Her comments come after dozens of women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct -- including Cara Delevingne, Ashley Judd, Gywneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie.

18:18 J&K: Mob sets slain PDP leader's house on fire

A mob instigated by anti-national elements and over ground workers of the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist group today set on fire a house belonging to a slain PDP leader, who was gunned down by militants in the Shopian

district of south Kashmir.

Mohammed Ramzan Sheikh, a former sarpanch, was killed by militants last night at his house located at Humhuna of Shopian.

Sheikh's family members had a scuffle with the assailants in which one of the militants identified as Showkat Ahmed was also killed.

As the mourners were gathering at the residence of Sheikh, a mob mainly comprising of over ground workers of Hizbul Mujahideen and other anti-national elements attacked the house, police said.

Immediately, police swung into action and rescued the family members which included Sheikh's mother, Rafiqa, wife Nusrat Begum, brother Farooq Ahmed Sheikh, his two sons and two daughters.

Terming it as inhumane, Director General of Police S P Vaid said, "The family had not even condoled the death of their loved one properly before such a senseless act instigated by terrorists was perpetrated on them in less than 24 hours."

"Tears of two small daughters and two sons may not have dried off their cheeks and they had to witness inhumanity once again. Its a shameless act," Vaid said.

He said that an FIR has been registered against the rioters. Strict action as per law will be take against those involved in the incident, Vaid said. -- PTI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India today faced criticism on Twitter after they referred to former India skipper and coach Anil Kumble as just a 'former bowler' when they wished him on his 47th birthday.

"Here's wishing former #TeamIndia bowler @anilkumble1074 a very happy birthday," the BCCI had tweeted.

However, this didn't go well with the fans, who took offence and forced the board to delet the tweet.

"Umm bowler? Wasnt he also Captain and Coach and is India's leading Wicket taker?," one tweet said.

"Such is an influence of Virat Kohli that even BCCI forgot Anil Kumble was once the Indian captain and coach, as well," said one Twitter user.

"He was the captain of the team ! Give him the due respect!," said another Twitter user.

Later, the BCCI tweeted another message calling him "former captain" and "legend".

"Here's wishing a very happy birthday to former #TeamIndia Captain Mr. Anil Kumble #Legend #HappyBirthdayJumbo," the BCCI said in a fresh tweet.

The row follows Kumble's acrimonious departure as national coach in June, when he quit saying his relationship with captain Virat Kohli was "untenable".

The Union home ministry has asked the state governments to be extra vigilant during the ongoing festival season against attempts by terrorists and subversive elements to disrupt peace and ignite communal tension, an

official said today.

In a country-wide advisory, the ministry asked all states to deploy additional forces in crowded places such as markets, railway stations, bus terminals and religious places to foil attempts by terrorists to carry out attacks.

The state governments were also asked to be alert during the festivals against provocative sloganeering, especially near religious places, by subversive elements, the home ministry official said.

However, the official said, there was no specific inputs about any plan by terrorists trying to disrupt peace anywhere in the country.

While Dhanteras is celebrated today, Diwali and Bhai-Duj will be celebrated on Thursday and Saturday respectively. -- PTI

Leading bourses BSE and NSE said they will conduct a special 'Muhurat' trading session on Thursday, October 19.

The 'Muhurat' trading, which is conducted on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, will be held between 1830 hrs and 1930 hrs, the stock exchanges said.

The pre-opening session will start at 1815 hrs.

The Calcutta high court on Tuesday put a stay on the removal of central forces from Darjeeling.

The Centre will file an affidavit in the HC by October 23 in the regard.

The state will file a reply on October 26 and the next date of hearing is on October 27.

The HC division bench was unhappy with the reply of the counsel for the Centre.

The decision was taken after the West Bengal had moved the court seeking a stay on the same.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had even written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh claiming that the withdrawal of forces was 'politically and administratively a bad decision'.

Earlier on Sunday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it will withdraw 10 companies of central forces from October 16 and the remaining five from October 20 onwards. -- ANI

15:56 Pak seeks extension of Hafiz Saeed's detention

Pakistan's Punjab government today sought the extension of detention of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed under public safety law, two days after withdrawing its application to prolong his house arrest under the anti-terrorism law.

Saeed, the Jamat-ud-Dawah chief who has been under house arrest since January, was presented before a three-member provincial judicial review board amid high security.

The Punjab Judicial Review Board comprising Justice Yawar Ali, Justice Abdul Sami and Justice Alia Neelam heard arguments of a law officer of the Punjab Home Department for the extension of detention of Saeed and his four close aides -- Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain.

Their detention period is scheduled to expire on October 24.

Under the law, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges.

The government can extend the detention only after the approval from the judicial review board.

Lahore police had made strict security measures around the Lahore high court building where Saeed and others were presented before the board.

The board, after hearing the law officer, issued notices to Advocate General Punjab and foreign and interior secretaries to appear before it on October 19 to tell as to why the government wants extension to Saeed's house arrest.

On last Saturday, the Punjab Home Department had withdrawn its request from federal board to seek the extension to detention of Saeed and others under 'anti-terrorism act'.

Explaining as to why the government withdrew its application seeking extension to detention of Saeed and others, the Punjab government said since it has extended the detention of Saeed and four others for October 24 under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960, it does not require to have their house arrest extended under the anti- terrorism law.

On January 31, Saeed and four others were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under preventative detention under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

However, the last two extensions were made on the 'public safety law'. The JuD has already been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

The JuD chief carries a reward of $10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities. -- PTI

What's India's finest contemporary dancer Astad Deboo been up to?

He is currently in Seoul, where he informs us he has been working with the Korean music ensemble Noreum Machi along with three Carnatic musicians, C Manjunath, Praveen D Rao and Varijashree, as part of their second residency programme together.

Their collaboration, Same Same But Different, takes off today, to be followed up with performances on October 20 at the National Theatre and 21st at Sarang, the Festival of India in Korea.

After that Deboo will perform a solo on the 25th at the Jeju Stone Park, before rounding off his Korean sojourn with a solo on the 26th in Seoul.

The CEO of a business venture run by Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted following the conviction of the sect's head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case on August 25, the police said today.

Also, a Bathinda-based woman and her son were arrested yesterday for allegedly providing shelter to the sect head's adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan when she was evading arrest, they said.

C P Arora, the Chief Executive Officer of MSG All India Trading International Pvt limited, was arrested from Panchkula by the Special Investigation Team of the Haryana Police yesterday, Panchkula Police Commissioner A S Chawla said.

"We have sufficient evidence against him about his role in Panchkula violence," the police officer said.

Chawla said Arora would be produced before Panchkula district court today and his police remand would be sought so that he can be questioned thoroughly.

According to the police, Arora had already been booked for allegedly conspiring to incite violence on August 25.

Following the conviction of Ram Rahim, violence erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa districts of Haryana leaving 41 people dead and several injured.

Arora was said to be close to absconding key Dera functionary Aditya Insan against whom a lookout notice was issued. MSG All Trading International Pvt Ltd deals in food and other products.

Last year, the company launched 151 items of its brand, including basmati rice, tea, pulses and biscuits. The products were launched by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Bhatinda-based Sharanjit Kaur and her son Gurmeet Singh has been from Jangirana village in Punjab. They had gone into hiding when Haryana police had gone to their house last week along with Honeypreet, the police said.

After being on the run for over a month, Honeypreet was arrested on October 3 by the Haryana Police from Zirakpur-Patiala road in Punjab for her alleged involvement in hatching a conspiracy to incite the violence in Panchkula.

Haryana police has also arrested Chandigarh Police head constable Labh Singh for his suspected role in the conspiracy to free Ram Rahim Singh after his conviction on August 25.

They have also arrested Dera member Gopal Bansal, a resident of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, in connection with the Panchkula violence. -- PTI

A 22-year-old Pakistani man was today arrested from along the International Border in Suchetgarh sector of R S Pura in Jammu soon after he crossed over to this side of the fence, a Border Security Force officer said.

During questioning, the man, identified as Ali Raja, said that he was a tailor at Pasroor in Pakistan's Sialkot, the officer said, adding Pakistani currency notes were recovered from him.

BSF troops noticed that a man was trying to sneak into this side in the early hours under the cover of darkness and subsequently arrested him near the border fence, he said.

Last month, scuttling a major infiltration bid, BSF troops unearthed a 14-feet-long tunnel across the IB in nearby Arnia sector which was being dug from the Pakistani side.

The unfinished tunnel, approximately three-feet high and two-and-a-half feet wide, on the slopes of the bank of Dhamalla nulla (stream) was detected on September 30.

A US-made compass, 60 rounds of ammunition, a hand grenade and other items, most of which carrying Pakistan markings were seized from the tunnel. -- PTI

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Sangeet Som praised the decision to remove the Taj Mahal from the list of tourist destinations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the monument is 'very important to us'.

"It (the Taj Mahal) is very important for us, especially from tourism perspective. It is our priority to provide facilities and safety to tourists visiting Taj Mahal," he said.

The CM will also reportedly visit Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

On questions about Som's remark that it was built by a ruler who oppressed Hindus, Yogi said, "It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers."

Earlier, in the day, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has called for the destruction of Rashtrapati Bhawan, Qutab Minar and Red Fort, calling the historical buildings a sign of slavery.

Taking potshots at Som, Khan said, "Why only Taj Mahal? Why not Rashtrapati Bhavan, Qutab Minar, Lal Qila? All these are signs of slavery. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh people call it a sign of traitor and if it is so, then the Taj Mahal should be demolished." -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on Ayurveda Day continues:

- Like IT revolution a few years ago, the time has come for a 'health revolution' under the aegis of Ayurveda.

- The government has approved 100 per cent foreign direct investment in healthcare. It should be worked out how will this benefit Yoga and Ayurveda.

- The reason to promote every kind of healthcare system is that the government wants the poor and underprivileged to get cheaper healthcare.

- That's why, our focus is on two points, first preventive healthcare and second that access and affordability in healthcare system should be enhanced.

- We've been moving forward with a holistic approach in enhancing affordability and accessibility in the healthcare system. For this purpose, number of seats in PG medical colleges have been increased.

- New All India Institutes of Medical Sciences are being opened to provide better treatment and healthcare. The price of stents has been slashed. Decisions have been taken to regulate cost of a knee transplant. Cheap medicines are being provided to the underprivileged by public medicine centres. -- ANI, @PMOIndia/Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda to the nation on occasion of 2nd Ayurveda Day on Tuesday.

There should be an Ayurveda hospital in every district. AYUSH ministry is working in this direction, Modi said, speaking on the occasion.

"However may a country try to be developed, it cannot move forward until it takes pride in its history and heritage. Countries which move forward leaving behind their heritage are destined to lose their identity," the PM said.

"While our country was enslaved, our traditions, our scientific knowledge, our Ayurveda and Yoga all were made fun of. The power of these disciplines was underestimated. And an effort was made to sully their credibility among our own citizens," he said.

"I'm delighted that the situation has been improved in the past three years. The glory of our heritage is reaching everywhere," he said.

The PM said Ayurveda is not just medical science; it also concerns taking care of the health of environment and society. That's why our government is stressing on integration of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush disciplines to public healthcare system. -- ANI, @PMOIndia/Twitter

An 11-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Simdega starved to death after her family was allegedly refused ration under public distribution system because of non-linking to Aadhaar.

"I went to get rice but I was told that no ration will be given to me. My daughter died saying bhaat-bhaat (rice-rice)," Koyli Devi, the girl's mother said.

However, Saryu Rai, minister in-charge of food and civil supplies in Jharkhand said there are clear instructions that ration shouldn't be denied to those who haven't linked their ration card with Aadhaar.

"We will look into this and will also send a reminder of my orders on distribution of ration," Rai said.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the girl, Santoshi Kumari, died on September 28 after starving for four days, her mother told activists.

The family had not received any ration since February but subsisted on doles from villagers and the mid-day meal Santoshi would get at her school, the report said.

However, during Durga Puja vacations, she was deprived of mid-day meal. As the food stock at home ran out, Santoshi, after not eating for four days, complained of severe stomachache and died. -- ANI, Agencies

Image strictly for representation.

Investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who worked on the Panama Papers of 2016 which unearthed how the powerful the world over hid their wealth in offshore havens, was killed in a targeted bomb explosion near her home in Malta on Monday.

The 53 year old journalist had left her home in the afternoon soon after updating her blog, when her car was blown up. So powerful was the explosion that the wreckage was scattered over yards.

Caruana Galizia had tracked Malta's links in the Panama Papers, specifically unearthing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's wife's offshore holdings, as well as that of the government's chief of staff. Both of them had denied the allegations.

The journalist had in fact filed a police complaint two weeks detailing threats to her life.

One of Caruana Galizia's sons is a journalist, and was part of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists which had won the Pulitzer Prize for its work on the Panama Papers.

The central government was using aircraft and vessels to search for 10 Indian crew members, who went missing after their cargo ship sank in the Pacific off the Philippines last week, the external affairs ministry has said.

They also said that five Indian crew members of 'Emerald Star' are in Irene, the Philippines, and the country's mission is bringing them to Manila before repatriation to India.

On Friday, the 33,205-tonne cargo ship Emerald Star with 26 Indian nationals on board sank off Okinawa.

While 16 Indians were rescued, a search for the missing crew members was launched by Indian missions in the Philippines, Japan and China to locate them.

'Officials from our Guangzhou Consulate visited the injured Indian crew of 'Emerald Star' in a Xiamen hospital. 11 crew members are in Xiamen. Search for missing 10 crew members still ongoing using aircraft and vessels. We will keep postingregular updates on further developments,' ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted yesterday.

Separately, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, in a series of tweets, said there were 26 Indians on board the ship, of them 16 have been rescued and 10 are still missing.

"Indian Embassy in Japan has informed me that a helicopter and 2 patrol vessels of Japan Coast Guard are engaged in search/rescue operations," she has said.

The minister said the Indian Navy's P8I aircraft has reached Manila and joined the search and rescue operation for the missing Indians. P8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

10:05 Senior RSS leader shot dead in Ludhiana

A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been shot dead by unidentified men in Ludhiana's Kailash Nagar, this morning.

RSS leader Ravinder Gosai was returning home from shakha -- regular assembly of the RSS men -- in the morning when he was attacked.

"He was returning home in the morning when attackers fired on him and he died," Ludhiana Police Commissioner said.

More details awaited. -- ANI

09:53 Govt removes IGST on gold imports

The government has issued a notification allowing 36 banks and five canalising agencies, including MMTC and MSTC, to import gold without paying a 3 per cent integrated goods and services tax (IGST), reports Rajesh Bhayani in Business Standard.

It's a big relief for financial institutions importing gold, as the 3 per cent tax was an additional burden on them.

Till now, importers' working capital used to get blocked until they got the refund on GST paid. However, the new notification removes that hurdle and smoothens the process of import.

Analysts say gold imports on a consignment basis, which had almost stopped after the implementation of the GST, will resume again. So far, most import was happening as gold metal loans usually by banks.

In the case of consignment import, an importer kept gold ready in stock and it was priced when sold. This was helpful as sudden demand helped banks to give virtually spot delivery.

However, due to the 3 per cent IGST payable on imports, banks and other agencies had stopped it. The latest notification doesn't change anything for traders who will have to pay 10 per cent import duty and 3 per cent IGST and claim back the IGST as input credit.

Gold refineries that import dore gold or unrefined gold, will have to pay the IGST and hence, they are at a disadvantage compared to refined gold importers.

Surendra Mehta, national secretary, Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association, said, "Removing the IGST on gold imports and not on dore imports (gold dust) will kill Indian gold refining industry.'

09:05 Minor fire at PMO, doused

A minor fire broke out in a room at Prime Minister's Office in the wee hours on Tuesday.

The blaze was reported in room number 242, located on the second floor, at around 3.35 am.

"At around 3.35 am we got a call in our control room that a fire broke out in PMO's office, room number 242," Divisional Fire Officer Gurmukh Singh told ANI.

Fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot, which took care of the situation in less than 20 minutes.

Singh said the fire broke out due to sparking in the computer's UPS. No casualties have been reported into the incident.The room belonged to a section's officer. -- ANI

08:58 Shah to rejoin Janraksha Yatra in Kerala today

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah will join the Janaraksha Yatra on its last day in Thiruvananthapuram today.

The yatra will begin at 3 pm from Paruthippara village and will culminate at Patton.

Shah will also address a public meeting at 4 pm in Putharikandam Ground in the state capital.

The BJP launched the Janaraksha Yatra to protest against attacks on its workers, allegedly by the Communist Party of India-Marxist workers in Kerala.

The march was flagged off by Shah at Kerala's Kannur on October 3. -- ANI

United States President Donald Trump has asked former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run against him in the 2020 presidential elections.

Clinton in recent months has been attributing external factors for her defeat, whereas Trump claims that she was a weak candidate.

"I hope Hillary runs. Is she going to run? I hope. Hillary, please run again. Go ahead," Trump told reporters at an impromptu news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Trump said there a number of reasons for the defeat of Clinton in the presidential elections.

"There are a lot of reasons she didn't win, including the fact that she was not good at what she did," Trump said.

He also slammed Clinton for defending NFL players who kneel during national anthem.

"I think that her statement, in itself, is very disrespectful to our country," he said. "It is very disrespectful to our country when they take a knee during the national anthem, number one. Number two, the people of our country are very angry at the NFL. All you have to do is look at their ratings and look at their stadiums. You see empty seats where you never saw them before. A lot of people are very angry at it," he said.

"It is highly disrespectful, they shouldn't do it, Trump said in response to a question. Trump also said that Clinton blaming Russia for her defeat is an excuse.

"The whole Russian thing was an excuse for the Democrats losing the election, and it turns out to be just one excuse. I mean, today, Hillary blamed Nigel Farage. That one came out of nowhere," he charged.

The Democrats, he argued, have a big advantage in the electoral college and they should never lose an election.

"They should always be able to win in the Electoral College, but they were unable to do it. So there has been absolutely no collusion. It's been stated that they have no collusion. They ought to get to the end of it, because I think the American public is sick of it," Trump said. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to dedicate first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda to the nation on occasion of second Ayurveda Day today.

Set up as an apex institute under the Ministry of AYUSH, the AIIA will bring in the synergy between traditional wisdom of Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology, Shripad Naik, Minister of State for AYUSH, had said earlier.

The All India Institute of Ayurveda, set up on a total area of 10.015 acres on a budget of Rs 157 crore, is the first medical institute under the AYUSH ministry to hold the coveted National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers accreditation.

The Ayurvedic Standard Treatment Guidelines developed by the ministry will also be released at the inaugural function.

Nearly 1,500 participants from across the country are expected to be a part of the programme.

The present clinical specialities of hospital block include neurological and degenerative disease care unit, rheumatology and musculoskeletal care unit, diabetes and metabolic/allergic disorders care unit, Yoga, Panchakarma clinic, Kriya Kalpa, diabetic retinopathy clinic.

The Ministry of AYUSH has requested all the state governments, Ayurveda teaching institutions, associations of Ayurveda practitioners and Ayurveda drug industries among others in India and abroad to observe 'Ayurveda Day' on October 17 and undertake various activities like organising public lectures, seminars, exhibition and radio talks. -- ANI, PTI

United States President Donald Trump warned of a possible termination of the Iranian nuclear deal, but said he was happy that the tone of Iran's leaders in response to his new policy had changed.

"I thought the tone of the Iranian leaders was very modified. And I was happy to see that. But I don't know if that means anything," Trump said at his Cabinet meeting at the White House.

This was his first public comment after he announced his new Iran policy last week, wherein he said he will not give certification that Tehran is complying under the Iranian nuclear deal.

In his opening remarks to his Cabinet, which among others was attended by Indian American Nikki Haley, the US' Permanent Representative to the UN, Trump said Iranians leaders are great negotiators.

"They negotiated a phenomenal deal for themselves, but a horrible deal for the United States. And we'll see what happens," he said.

The president noted that a lot of people agree with him.

"I feel strongly about what I did," he said in reference to his policy announcement on the Iranian nuclear deal.

"I'm tired of being taken advantage of as a nation. This nation has been taken advantage of for many years, many decades. Frankly, I'm tired of watching it. But the Iran deal was something that had to be done," he asserted, adding that he will see what happens next.

"It might be very positive. Might be a total termination. It's a very real possibility. Some would say that's a greater possibility. But you also have to be very positive. We'll see what happens," Trump said. -- PTI

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