LIVE! Even Vajapyee, Modi hugged Nawaz Sharif: Shatru backs Sidhu

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Tue, 21 August 2018

Even Vajapyee, Modi hugged Nawaz Sharif: Shatru backs Sidhu

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23:47 Even Vajapyee, Modi hugged Nawaz Sharif: Shatru backs Sidhu

BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha today defended Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's hug to Pakistan's army chief, saying both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi had hugged their Pakistani counterparts during their visits to that country.

Sinha said Sidhu has already made himself clear on the issue and "I don't think there is any scope for any controversy."

"I have already said our former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his visit to Pakistan had hugged his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Our present prime minister Narendra Modi had also hugged Nawaz Sharif during his visit. I think the whole thing has been blown out of proportion," Sinha, a member of parliament, told reporters in Kolkata.

Sidhu, who was in BJP and joined the Congress in January last year ahead of the assembly election in Punjab, has often taken a stand at variance with his party.

The cricketer-turned-politician, visited Pakistan last week for the swearing-in of Imran Khan as Pakistan's prime minister. But a photo grab of him hugging Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the function landed him in a controversy back home.

The Punjab minister today defended hugging the Pakistan army chief, saying he got caught in the moment after hearing that Sikh pilgrims may get access to a shrine across the border.

Speaking at a seminar in Kolkata, Sinha said he has never spoken against BJP but tried to "act as mirror" for the party.

"When people say that I speak against my party or the government, it is not speaking against them. I have received my training from leaders like Nanaji Deshmukh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani. I have learnt from them that party is bigger than the individual and country is bigger than the party," he said.

"If I am saying anything in favour of the nation, something positive, then actually I am saying it in favour of the party," he said.

"Keeping in mind the seniority and maturity sometimes you can show the mirror to others. When I am speaking on demonetisation, I am speaking after witnessing the chaos across the country that this decision has led to. Is it not my democratic right to speak up, I am not saying anything against the prime minister," Sinha, who served as Union minister in the Vajpayee government, said.

He also criticised the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, calling it "complicated". "The people of this country faced lot of problems. So is it not my duty to speak up and point out?" he said.

Speaking to reporters later, Sinha expressed sadness over several incidents under the present NDA dispensation which, he said, indicated that the democratic institutions of the country were under threat. -- PTI

No expenditure was incurred on the making of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fitness video in June, the PMO has said in an RTI reply.

On June 13, a week before the Yoga day, Modi posted his fitness video on Twitter in which he was seen stretching on a rock, walking barefoot on a narrow path and doing yoga, wearing a black jogging dress. The PM had released the video days after accepting a fitness challenge from Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had alleged that Rs 35 lakh was spent on making of the video, but the claim was rejected by the government.

"No expenditure has been incurred on filming of the video posted by Shri Narendra Modi. The video was filmed at the prime minister's residence," the PMO said replying to an RTI query.

It said the videography was done by the cameraman of the PMO and that nothing has been procured for the video.

"Here are moments from my morning exercises. Apart from Yoga, I walk on a track inspired by the 'panchtatvas' or five elements of nature - Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. I also practice breathing exercises. #HumFitTohIndiaFit"," the prime minister had tweeted along with the video.

In the video, the PM was seen doing the exercises and yoga, wearing a black jogging dress. He was also seen balancing himself while walking on a narrow, circular track.

Ahead of the Yoga Day celebrations, a campaign titled "#HumFitTohIndiaFit" (If we are fit, India is fit) was launched and Sports Minister Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore had said that Modi was the inspiration for it. -- PTI

The government is unlikely to accept any foreign financial assistance for flood relief operations in Kerala, official sources said.

They said government has taken a considered decision to rely solely on domestic efforts to tide over the situation.

The United Arab Emirates has offered USD 100 million (around Rs 700 crore) as financial assistance for flood relief operation in Kerala.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, called up Prime Minister Modi and made the offer for assistance, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in Thiruvananthapuram.

Around three million Indians live and work in the UAE out of which 80 per cent are from Kerala.

The government of Maldives has also decided to donate USD 50,000 (Rs 35 lakh) for flood affected people in Kerala.

It is understood that the UN is also offering some assistance for Kerala.

However, sources said India is unlikely to accept the assistance.

The floods in Kerala, worst in a century, have claimed lives of 231 people besides rendering over 14 lakh people homeless. -- PTI

23:18 JEE-Main on Jan 31, Apr 30 next year

The Joint Entrance Examination-Main for admission to engineering colleges across the country will be held on January 31 and April 30 next year.

This is the first time the exam will be conducted twice a year and completely in online mode.

The newly formed National Testing Agency announced the exam schedule today.

The National Eligibility Test will be conducted on January 10, 2019, while the Common Management Admission Test or CMAT and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test or GPAT will be held on January 28, 2019. -- PTI

Government today extended the last date for filing of GST returns for taxpayers registered in flood hit Kerala, Mahe (Puducherry) and Kodagu district of Karnataka.

The revenue department has also exempted basic customs duty and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST) on import/supply of goods for flood relief in Kerala.

The due date of filing of GST summary sales returns in Form GSTR 3B for July has been extended to October 5 from August 20 for the flood affected areas.

However, for other taxpayers, the date has been extended only till August 24.

Taxpayers in these flood affected areas will be given time till October 10 for filing GSTR-3B for the month of August.

"In view of disruption caused due to severe floods in Kerala, Mahe (Puducherry) and Kodagu (Karnataka), the competent authority has extended the due dates for filing of (GSTR-3B and GSTR-1) by taxpayers" registered in these areas, an official statement said.

As regards Form GSTR-1 (sales return), taxpayers having turnover of up to Rs 1.5 crore can now file their July-September quarter return up to November 15.

For others in the flood affected areas, the filing date for July GSTR 1 has been extended to October 5 and for the month of August to October 10.

Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said: "In light of the inconvenience faced by the people of Kerala due to the flood situation, the GST returns for the month of July can now be filed by October 5th, and the returns for the month of August can now be filed by October 10th". -- PTI

Petrol and diesel will not come under the purview of goods and services tax in the immediate future as neither the Central government nor any of the states is in favour on fears of heavy revenue loss, a top source said today.

When the one-nation-one-tax regime of GST was implemented in July last year, five petro-products -- petrol, diesel, crude oil, natural gas, and aviation turbine fuel were kept out of its purview for the time being.

Though there have been talks in the industry and by some ministers, including by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, for the need to bring them under GST at the earliest to deal with volatility in prices, there is no immediate plans on the anvil to do so, the source, who wished not to be named, said.

The Union finance ministry, he said, has not mooted any proposal to bring petrol and diesel or even natural gas under GST but took up the issue at the last GST Council meeting on August 4 based on media reports.

"All states were opposed to the idea," he said.

If the two fuels are put under GST, the Centre will have to let go Rs 20,000 crore input tax credit it currently pockets by keeping petrol, diesel, natural gas, jet fuel and crude oil out of the GST regime. States, on the other hand, want to keep a revenue tool in their hand to meet any contingency like the floods in Kerala, he said.

The Centre currently levies a total of Rs 19.48 per litre of excise duty on petrol and Rs 15.33 per litre on diesel. On top of this, states levy Value Added Tax (VAT) - the lowest being in Andaman and Nicobar Islands where a 6 per cent sales tax is charged on both the fuel.

Mumbai has the highest VAT of 39.12 per cent on petrol, while Telangana levies highest VAT of 26 per cent on diesel. Delhi charges a VAT of 27 per cent on petrol and 17.24 per cent on diesel.

The total tax incidence on petrol comes to 45-50 per cent and on diesel, it is 35-40 per cent.

Under GST, the total incidence of taxation on a particular good or a service has been kept at the same level as the sum total of central and state levies existing pre-July 1, 2017. This was done by fitting them into one of the four GST tax slabs of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

For petrol and diesel, the total incidence of present taxation is already beyond the peak rate and if the tax rate was to be kept at just 28 per cent it will result in a big loss of revenue to both centre and states. -- PTI

Four Indian players scored a hat-trick each as the women's hockey team mauled lowly Kazakhstan 21-0 to notch up its second consecutive win in the Asian Games in Jakarta today.

Goals rained thick and fast in the Pool B match at the GBK Hockey Field with as many as 10 Indians out of 18, who took the field, entering their names in the scoresheet.

The Indians scored almost at will against the hapless Kazakhstan team but the scoreline missed the all-time Asian Games record of 22-0 by a goal. The Indian women's team had beaten Hong Kong 22-0 in the 1982 Asiad.

Navneet Kaur (11th, 12th, 16th, 48th, 48th) top-scored with five goals while drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, who had also scored a hat-trick in India's 8-0 thrashing of Indonesia in their opening match, had four strikes (8th, 36th, 44th and 51st).

Lalremsiami found the target in the ninth, 19th and 29th minutes while Vandana Katariya (28th, 37th and 52nd) was the fourth player to score a hat-trick in the lop-sided match.

India, who had won a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, are currently ranked ninth while Kazakhstan are 34th in the latest FIH chart. India is the highest ranked team in the competition.

Gurjit scored the first goal for India in the eighth minute as she sent a low and powerful shot to the Kazakhstan goalkeper's left.

A minute later, India were 2-0 up as as Lalremsiami connected a pass from Lilima Minz before Navneet struck her first goal two minutes later. India were 4-0 up in the 11th minute, with Navneet finishing off once again.

India got their sixth goal of the game in the 18th minute off a penalty corner conversion by Lalremsiami.

Just a minute before the end of the second period, India were 8-0 up with Vandana scoring with a superb shot. Lalremsiami added another one to complete her hat-trick at the stroke of half time to make the scoreline 9-0.

India added another 12 goals in the next two 15-minute periods to overwhelm their opponents. -- PTI

The Congress today skirted the issue of Navjot Singh Sidhu hugging the Pakistan Army chief during his visit to Islamabad by terming it a "non-issue" and said the real thing is the relationship between India and Pakistan and the absence of a policy towards the country.

The party also accused the government of raking up the issue to obfuscate its own lack of policy towards Pakistan.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make public his letter to new Pakistan premier Imran Khan and clear his stand on whether the government has expressed willingness to resume dialogue despite the red lines put in place in the past four years.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu's decision to go to Pakistan in his personal capacity is actually a non-issue. The real issue is the relationship between India and Pakistan, is the impact of the India-Pakistan stand-off on the larger South Asia and the complete absence of the BJP government's policy towards Pakistan," he told reporters when asked about Sidhu defending his action of hugging the Pak Army chief.

Cricketer-turned-politician Sidhu visited Pakistan last week to attend the swearing-in of Imran Khan as Pakistan's prime minister. The Punjab minister today defended hugging the Pakistan Army chief saying he got caught in the moment after hearing that Sikh pilgrims may get access to a shrine across the border.

Tewari alleged that the BJP government's policy towards Pakistan has "swung from the sublime to the ridiculous" and there has not been any policy till date.

"In the last four years, the NDA-BJP government has no policy towards Pakistan and it has been nothing except U-turns, somersaults and 180-degree turns," he said.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu is not the issue. The issue is the relationship between India and Pakistan. And the reality is that India-Pakistan relations are an extremely complicated and a convulated piece of work," the Congress spokesperson said.

Accusing the BJP government of raking up Sidhu's issue, Tewari said, "There has been an attempt, a concerned attempt by the government and its friendly news dissemination outlets in order to try and obfuscate this government's lack of a policy on Pakistan. That is the real issue."

He said since this question has been raised, it is important to ask the prime minister, "since he has written a letter to prime minister Imran Khan where there seems to be a suggestion on resumption of a dialogue, that all red lines which was put in place over the past four years by the NDA-BJP Government... So what has happened to all those red lines"?

Tewari said that this government had claimed there will be no talks till terror emanating from Pakistan does not stop and till the trial of 26/11 perpetrators is not resumed, till Lakhvi is not put back into prison and till Jamaat-Ud-Dawa had Hafiz Saeed is not incarcerated.

When he was told that the government claimed there was no suggestion to resume dialogue, the Congress leader said, "The difficulty with this government is, it only speaks through sources on uncomfortable questions. This government does not have the courage, the conviction of courage to upfront address issues of national concern." -- PTI

20:59 Over 24,000 people rescued in Kerala: NDRF

Over 24,000 people have been evacuated till now from the flood affected regions of Kerala till now even as 41 National Disaster Response Force teams are still undertaking relief and rescue operations in the state, a force spokesperson said today.

Flood waters were receding in most of the affected areas and there are no alerts for heavy rainfall for the next few days.

"The force has rescued 535 people and evacuated 24,616 marooned people to safer places. 119 animals were also evacuated and pre-hospital treatment was provided to 4,908 people till now," he said.

At least 41 teams of the federal disaster contingency force are still deployed in Kerala to assist the state administration in rescue, relief and rehabilitation work and to respond in case of any eventuality, the spokesperson said.

A National Disaster Response Force team has about 35-40 personnel.

An estimated 223 people have lost their lives since August 8 in Kerala's worst floods in nearly a century which also forced more than 10 lakh people out of their homes. -- PTI

20:47

Mumbai's world famous dabbawalas dispatched a consignment of food, medicines and first aid kits to flood-affected Kerala. Photograph: Arun Salvi

20:41 Nirav Modi, Choksi's illegal bungalows in Alibaug to be razed: Maha Min

Authorities have been directed to demolish "illegal" bungalows of fugitive diamond traders and Punjab National Bank scam accused Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi situated in Raigad district, a Maharashtra minister said today, days after the Bombay high court pulled up state government for not taking action against the buildings.

Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam gave the demolition orders after presiding over a review meeting on illegal bungalows built in the adjoining coastal district with Raigad collector Vijay Suryawanshi at the state secretariat in Mumbai.

After the meeting, Kadam told reporters that 121 "illegal" bungalows, including those built by Modi and Choksi, were identified in Alibaug, a coastal town popular as weekend gateway for Mumbai residents.

Similarly, 151 unauthorised bungalows have been built in Murud area of the district, he said.

All these bungalows have come up allegedly in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and also do not conform to their sanctioned plans, Kadam said.

"Some of these illegal bungalows belong to Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and others. Today, I have asked the Raigad Collector to demolish the illegal bungalows of Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi," said Kadam.

An official from the district collector's office said Modi's bungalow is located in Kihim village, while that of Choksi is in Awas village.

In case of other illegal bungalows, there are stays granted either by district courts or the Bombay High Court, Kadam said.

"So, we have now transferred the cases to the National Green Tribunal. The Raigad police will conduct verification of documents in a month. All the cases in the NGT are likely to be cleared in the next 2-3 months," he said.

As of now, action would not be taken against illegal bungalows built by local residents, the minister said.

The number of unauthorised bungalows built by local residents in Alibaug and Murud stood at 61 and 50 respectively, Kadam said.

Suryawanshi said the government will go ahead with the demolition process after taking permission from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which has attached the bungalows of Modi and Choksi as part of its probe into the multi-crore PNB scam which came to light in February this year.

Both the diamond traders, key accused in the mega banking scam, have fled India.

"The demolition action will happen after we get a go ahead from the ED," said Suryawanshi.

On August 14, the high court, while hearing a petition, had pulled up Maharashtra government officials for not taking action against the illegal bungalow of Nirav Modi.

The HC had said it will direct the state government to initiate an inquiry into the issue. -- PTI

The Centre today released Rs 600 crore to flood-hit Kerala and decided to waive customs duty and goods and services tax on the relief materials being imported for the affected people in the state.

The announcement came following a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), which met for the sixth consecutive day.

The central assistance of Rs 500 crore as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rs 100 crore announced by Union home minister Rajnath Singh for flood affected Kerala has been released to the government of Kerala today, an official spokesperson said.

The central government has also decided to waive Customs Duty and the IGST on the relief materials being imported to aid the people in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.

The IGST refers to the Integrated Goods and Services Tax which is a part of GST under the concept of one nation one tax. It is charged on the goods and services supplied from one state to another. -- PTI

19:36 Satya Pal Malik to replace NN Vohra as J-K Guv

Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik has been transferred to Jammu and Kashmir and he will replace N N Vohra, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique today.

Senior BJP leader Lal Ji Tandon has been appointed as the Governor of Bihar replacing Malik, and Satyadev Narayan Arya will be the new Governor of Haryana, it said.

Baby Rani Maurya will be the new Governor of Uttarakhand, it said.

Kaptan Singh Solanki, the Governor of Haryana, has been transferred to Tripura.

Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy has been transferred to Meghalaya, it said.

Ganga Prasad, the Governor of Meghalaya, has been transferred to Sikkim, it said.

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said 89,540 tonne of foodgrains and 100 tonne of pulses will be supplied for free to flood-hit Kerala for distribution among those who are not covered under the food security act.

The Centre allocates 1.18 lakh tonne of foodgrains monthly to the state. About 52 per cent of the state population is already covered under the National Food Security Act under which highly subsidised grains are distribution via the Public Distribution System.

"We have taken a decision to provide 89,540 tonne of foodgrains to the state for distribution to those who are not covered under NFSA. The allocation will help the state to cover most of its population," Paswan told reporters.

That apart, 100 tonne of pulses (dals) have been allocated to the state. The ministry has also decided to provide to the state 80 tonne of pulses on a daily basis to ensure adequate supply and check price rise, he said.

The foodgrains and pulses are being provided free of cost. An order in this regard has been approved. The state had demanded foodgrains of 1.18 lakh tonne from the Centre, he added.

Paswan said this is an initial allocation. "My department is ready to help the state if more is required," he added.

Rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.

-- PTI

The UN's nuclear watchdog said it had not seen any indication that nuclear activities in North Korea have stopped despite its pledges to denuclearise.

"The continuation and further development of the DPRK's nuclear programme and related statements by the DPRK are a cause for grave concern," said a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, referring to North Korea's official name.

The report, published late yesterday, by the director general of Yukiya Amano is to be submitted to an IAEA board meeting in September.

In 2009 Pyongyang expelled IAEA inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear site and has since refused to allow IAEA inspections on its territory.

The watchdog has stepped up monitoring through open source information and satellite imagery, it said.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor during his visit to Geneva, Switzerland has asked the United Nations and its allied agencies to assist India in managing the flood-hit state Kerala.

Kerala, which was destroyed due to heavy rain and flood, is currently on its way to normalcy. The state witnessed massive destruction which resulted in the death of over 350 people. The government along with some NGOs are trying to help Kerala get back on track by organising relief camps and providing medicines, food, clothes, and shelter to the flood victims.

However, Tharoor's visit has created a row with the CMO Kerala saying he had not gone there as their representative and was not the envoy for the government.

The BJP has accused Tharoor of not being serious.

Ayyappa devotees wishing to go to the hill shrine of Sabarimala for the Onam festival have been advised by authorities not to go there as flood waters in the Pampa river at the foothills have not receded.

Besides, roads in nearby areas of Pampa have been damaged and several trees en route to the shrine uprooted under the impact of the heavy rains, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the shrine, said.

The path to the shrine was also filled with mud and this would make trekking to the shrine very dangerous, the TDB said in a release.

The temple will open for Onam poojas on August 23 and close on August 28.

The devastating deluge in Kerala has left 223 dead in a fortnight and forced over 10 lakh people out of their homes.

-- PTI

Flight operations from the Cochin International Airport Limited

which has suffered an estimated loss of over Rs 220 crore due to floods, are expected to resume from August 26, airport officials said here today.

The airport, which is among the busiest in the country, had been rendered non-functional since August 14 due to flooding and torrential rains.

"We have been striving hard to settle the issues pertaining to Kochi Airport due to floods. We hope that we can resume operations on August 26 as announced earlier," a CIAL spokesman said.

He said the water on the runway, taxiway and parking bays has completely receded.

The runway needs some milling work which would be completed within two days.

"To ensure utmost safety, all runway lights (almost 800 of them) have to be removed, tested and refitted," he said.

The CIAL management has launched rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure including 2.6 km long airport walls that collapsed after Periyar river overflowed.

"We have lost almost 2,600 metres of the wall. The re-construction work has already been started. Parallel to this, we are erecting ready-to-use structures, as per security norms, to meet with the deadline," the spokesman said.

Airport officials said the runway, taxi bay, duty free shops and other areas of international and domestic terminals were submerged, causing damage to electrical equipments including runway lights.

-- PTI

The Tripura government will donate Rs 1 crore for flood relief in Kerala, a state minister said today.

The decision was taken in the meeting of the council of ministers held at the civil secretariat yesterday, the state's Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said.

"We are deeply shocked at the loss of life and immense suffering of the people of Kerala, due to the ongoing flood situation. We have decided to donate Rs 1 crore towards flood relief in Kerala," he told reporters.

The Chief Justice, judges of the Tripura high court and all its judicial officers and staff members will also contribute one day's salary to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund of Kerala.

The entire contribution is likely to amount to Rs 16 lakh, the Registrar of the High Court, S G Chattopadhyay said in a release.

-- PTI

A special court has awarded death sentence to two men for raping a minor girl in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh two months ago.

Irfan and Asif were sentenced ti death for raping the 8-year-old girl.

The case was put on fast track by the MP government.

More details awaited. -- PTI/ANI

As the Bharatiya Janata Party attacked Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan Army chief at the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan,the latter has thanked the Punjab minister for visiting Pakistan.

"I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pak for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace and was given amazing love and affection by people of Pak. Those in India who targeted him are doing a great disservice to peace in the subcontinent -- without peace our people can't progress," Khan said.

'To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading,' Khan tweeted.

The BJP, meanwhile, attacked Sidhu on Tuesday for saying that his visit to Pakistan was not 'political' but just on a 'warm invitation from a friend'.

"It's sad that Navjot Sidhu has somewhat tried to implicate India in all this by saying Indians have small hearts.

"We condemn this. We want an answer on this not from Sidhu ji but from Rahul ji. Is Rahul ji trying to run a parallel government?" BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said. -- ANI

15:08 Kerala floods: Putin writes to Kovind, Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin writes to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing condolences over lives lost in Kerala floods. Photograph: ANI

The Cochin International Airport Limited has suffered an estimated loss of over Rs 220 crores in the floods, an official said in Kochi today.

He said the CIAL management has launched rebuilding of the damaged infrastructure including 2.5 km long airport walls that collapsed after Periyar river overflowed.

The runway, taxi bay, duty free shops and other areas of international and domestic terminals were also submerged, causing damage to electrical equipment including runway lights, the official noted.

He said the solar power system of the world's first solar-powered airport has also suffered damage in the floods.

"We have launched efforts on a war-footing to rebuild the damaged infrastructure. Our initial assessment is that we have suffered an estimated loss of Rs 220 crores in the floods," the official said, adding around 200 workers have been engaged to clean up the terminal building.

The airport is expected to be reopened next week.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority said that rains, floods and landslides in Kerala have killed 373 people since May 30.

A total of 87 people were injured and 32 others went missing in the deluge which hit all the 14 districts of the southern state.

373 people have lost their lives and 32 others went missing in Kerala since May 30 following monsoon rainfall, the NDMA said in a statement.

Over 54.11 lakh people in Kerala were affected in the massive floods of which 12.47 lakh inmates have taken shelter in 5,645 relief camps since May 30, it said. -- PTI

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday clarified his previous statement on Ramjnamabhoomi dispute and said that even majority of Muslims want Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya.

Speaking to ANI, Maurya criticised the Congress party for looking at Ayodhya dispute as a political issue.

"Just like other devotees of Lord Ram, I also want that Ram temple should be constructed in Ayodhya at the earliest. Currently, the matter is being heard in the Supreme Court. We are waiting for its judgment. The Bharatiya Janata Party has always been in favour of the construction of Ram temple. It's not a political issue, rather it's about our faith," Maurya said.

"We have a majority in Lok Sabha, but we don't have the numbers in Rajya Sabha to pass a bill for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Majority of Muslims also want Ram temple to be made, but due to some political reasons, especially the Congress party does not want consecutive hearings in the Supreme Court. They do not want Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya," he added.

Earlier on Monday, Maurya suggested two options to resolve the dispute. He said either a dialogue process can be started among the stakeholders or a law can be passed in Parliament to resolve it.

"There is demand from saints to resolve the issue at the earliest. If there is any delay in the judgement, there are other options, such as dialogue or passing a law in Parliament. But the signals we are getting indicate that there would not be any delay," he had said. -- ANI

The ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be immersed in the Mandovi and Zuari rivers of Goa on August 24, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party official said today.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will immerse the ashes in the Mandovi river while South Goa BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar will do the same in the Zuari river, state party president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters in Panaji.

Parrikar, who is in the United States for a medical check-up, is scheduled to return to Goa on August 23.

Tendulkar said he would go to New Delhi to collect the 'kalash' (urn containing the ashes), which would be taken around the state before immersing the ashes in the two prominent rivers of Goa.

"The ashes will be brought to Goa tomorrow evening and will be be kept at BJP state head office here so that the party workers and others can pay their tributes," he said.

Vajpayee was a great leader and many would like to pay their tributes to him, Goa BJP general secretary Sadanand Tanavade said.

The BJP will hold a 'kalash yatra' across the state on August 23 and 24 before immersion of the ashes, he said.

The BJP had said earlier that Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country. One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee died in Delhi on August 16 at the age of 93. He was cremated with full state honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the national capital on August 17. -- PTI

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu today due to non-availability of adequate number of pilgrims, officials said, adding that it may be resumed depending on the arrival of pilgrims at the base camp.

However, the Budha Amarnath Yatra went smoothly with the fifth batch of 449 devotees leaving Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the mountainous shrine of Lord Shiva in Poonch district, they said.

Yesterday, the smallest batch of 43 pilgrims left the base camp for Kashmir to undertake the annual yatra to the 3,880 metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas.

"No devotee arrived for the pilgrimage and accordingly it was decided to suspend the yatra from here for the time being," the officials said, adding in case the pilgrims again arrive at the base camp for the yatra, it will be resumed to facilitate them to pay obeisance at the shrine before the conclusion of the pilgrimage on August 26.

The 60-day pilgrimage commenced from the twin routes of Baltal and Pahalgam on June 28 but over the past fortnight, the arrival of devotees recorded a sharp decline owing to the early melting of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam at the shrine.

Till last evening, as many as 2,83,140 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine since the commencement of the yatra which entered into the final phase yesterday with the joining of the 'Charri Mubarak' (saffron robed holy mace of Lord Shiva).

The holy mace was taken from its abode in Srinagar to Pahalgam by a group of Sadhus yesterday and after a night halt, the onward journey started today.

It is scheduled to reach the cave shrine on August 26, marking the conclusion of the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, the fifth batch of 499 pilgrims including 72 women left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for Budha Amarnath shrine in mountainous Poonch district this morning, the officials said. The 10-day yatra was going on smoothly and so far over 7,000 pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the shrine, they said, adding the yatra is also scheduled to conclude on August 26, coinciding with 'Raksha Bandhan'. -- PTI

14:10 Ahmed Patel new treasurer of Congress

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today appointed Ahmed Patel as the party's treasurer in place of Motilal Vora, who will now be All India Congress Committee general secretary administration, a newly created post.

Patel, who was the political secretary of former party chief Sonia Gandhi, has earlier served the post of treasurer.

Rahul appointed former Union minister Anand Sharma as the chairperson of the party's foreign affairs department replacing Karan Singh, the Congress said in a statement.

Former speaker Meira Kumar has been made a permanent invite to the Congress working committee, the highest decision making body of the party.

Luizinho Salerio was appointed as AICC general secretary in-charge of north-eastern states, excluding Assam, replacing C P Joshi. -- PTI

Union IT Minister RS Prasad after meeting WhatsApp CEO Chris Daniels:

"I had a very productive meeting. I complimented him for the extraordinary technological awakening that WhatsApp has led in the country, for education, healthcare, relief in Kerala. These are positive developments.

"There are also very sinister developments, that provokes crime like mob lynching, revenge porn, and I told him you must find solutions to these challenges which are downright criminal violation of Indian laws.

"I suggested 3 points. 1: WhatsApp must have a grievance officer in India, 2nd: you must have a proper compliance of Indian laws.We won't appreciate a scenario where any problem will have to be answered in America. And 3rd: WhatsApp has become an important component of India's digital storage & must have a proper corporate entity located in India.

13:17 Ahmed Patel gets his groove back

Changes in the Congress: Ahmed Patel will be the new treasurer of the party, he will replace Motilal Vora. Anand Sharma to be Chairman of Congress Foreign Cell.

13:07 Whatsapp CEO meets Ravi Shankar Prasad

Whatsapp CEO Chris Daniels meets Union Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The company attempts to address concerns around fake news on its messaging platform which have led to horrific crimes like mob-lynching. Daniels will be in India for 4-5 days, beginning tomorrow, and meet business and government officials during his visit.

A train carrying hundreds of people stranded in the flood-ravaged Kerala reached Kolkata, a South Eastern Railway spokesman said today. The passengers, mostly labourers from West Bengal, reached Howrah station late last night in the 21-coach special train from Thiruvananthapuram.

Two more trains, which left Ernakulam on Sunday evening, are scheduled to reach the city today, the spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said. Mostly labourers in different professions like skilled workers to hotel staff, these people were stranded in several places in Kerala, which has been severely affected by floods.

The passengers were ferried to their destinations in buses arranged by the West Bengal government. The relatives of the passengers heaved a sigh of relief with their near and dear ones reaching safely.

A railways medical team, including two doctors, accompanied the passengers and they reported that nobody needed any medical assistance, he said. -- PTI

Representational image

12:11 Bhopal waterlogged

Not Kerala or Karnataka, that's Bhopal with streets and houses waterlogged following heavy rainfall in the city.

12:06

Coimbatore: 105 battalion of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and G36 group of Rotary clubs dispatch relief material in 10 trucks for flood victims in Kerala's Ernakulam, Kottayam and Alappuzha.

11:37 UAE offers Rs 700 crore for Kerala flood relief

Kerala, Karnataka floods' update:

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijaya says the UAE has offered financial assistance of Rs 700 crore for the Kerala floods.

A united opposition has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Rs 500 crore allocated for Kerala floods is simply not enough. Rahul Gandhi pressed the need to declare the floods as a national disaster.

Taking to Twitter, the Gandhi wrote, Dear PM, Increasing funds allocated for Kerala relief to Rs 500 Cr is a good step but nowhere near enough. It is critical you declare the floods as a National Disaster. Please do not vacillate as the people of Kerala are suffering.

Want to donate for the Karnataka or Kerala?

Kodagu District-in-Charge Minister SR Mahesh has requested people not to send more relief food material and instead transfer money to the Chief Minister's fund as there is already enough food material and there is no space left to store more retail stuff.

Army Engineers Flood relief column led by Capt Aman Thakur launched rescue operations in Ernakulam District. The column saved 2032 civilians. The IndianArmy in total rescued 10629 civilians, restored connectivity to 49 locations.

Image: An elderly woman is rescued from floodwaters in Kerala.

Debutant teenager Saurabh Chaudhary clinched India's first shooting gold of the 18th Asian Games, fetching the top honours in the men's 10m air pistol event in Palembang today. The 16-year-old Chaudhary, who topped the qualifying round, shot a Games record score of 240.7 to pip Japan's Tomoyuki Matsuda (239.7) in an exciting final to add a gold to India's shooting tally of two silver and a bronze this Asiad. Hobby shooter Abhishek Verma, also making his Asian Games debut at 29, settled for the bronze medal in the same event with a score of 219.3. In second position for most of the final, Chaudhary grabbed the lead after Matsuda fired 8.9 in his penultimate shot. The Indian went ahead with a 10.2 off his second-last shot and held the nerve to stay ahead.

10:56 J-K road accident claims 11

In Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, 11 dead bodies have been recovered after a vehicle carrying 'Machel Mata' devotees rolled down the cliff into the river Chenab 28 kilometres from Kishtwar. A 5-year-old injured child has been moved to hospital.

10:51 Train services partially restored in Kerala

Train services which had collapsed following the incessant downpour in Kerala, have been partially restored.The train services in Kayankulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam and Palakkad-Shoranur-Kozhikkode sections have been resumed. The Trivandrum-Ernakulam section was also connected by passenger special trains for the flood period.

Heavy damages caused by the floods in Aluva-Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur, Kayamkulam-Kottayam-Ernakulam Shoranur-Tirur, Shoranur-Palakkad routes have been fixed.

Few special trains were started via Trivandrum, Tirunelveli, and Madurai to Chennai, Egmore, Howarah, Gorakhpur, Bhubaneswar routes to evacuate stranded people.

The traffic in Aluva-Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur sections was also restored.

Barring the flood-affected areas, the Southern Railway had began running 159 Express trains and 11 passenger trains connecting Kerala to the rest of the states from August 16-18. Kerala has been facing the worst flooding in a century. The death toll, ever since the monsoon season began this year, has crossed 300. -- ANI

Image: Fishermen in Kerala were the first on the scene and helped rescue thousands stranded in flood-hit areas.

10:51 Train services partially restored in Kerala

10:35 Thrissur tries to get back on its feet

In Kerala, the focus is now not so much on rescue, but on rehabilitation. Restoration work has begun at Chalakudy market in Thrissur after a decrease in the water level in the district.

More than 43,000 persons have been rescued so far, out of which around 600 people were rescued on Monday. And 12.47 lakh people are lodged in relief camps. The state government has requested for financial assistance up to Rs 21,000 crore to reconstruct basic infrastructure following the floods which has claimed at least 216 lives since August 8.,

And more rain havoc, this time in Maharashtra.

The route from Malshej Ghat, a vital link to Mumbai and other areas via Murbad taluka in Maharashtra's Thane district, has been closed for vehicular movement following boulder crash today, an official said. Some boulders fell from the ghat around 3 am due to rains, Thane Resident Deputy Collector Shivaji Patil said. No casualty has been reported in the incident, but as a precautionary measure and to remove the debris, the ghat route has been shut for the time being, he said. -- PTI

In Kodagu, road clearance work is underway at the Kodagu-Mangalore highway after traffic movement was stalled due to multiple landslides on the route.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has urged the Centre to provide Rs 100 crore relief fund for rain-ravaged state's Kodagu district.

Addressing the media, the chief minister said, "The Prime Minister has announced relief of Rs 500 crore for Kerala, we expect at least Rs 100 crore for Kodagu. We will request the central government for it. We have to repair roads for connectivity. We are taking help of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)," Kumaraswamy said.

He added, "We conducted an aerial survey in Kodagu to review the flood situation. In all, 12 people have lost their lives. 845 houses have been damaged out of which 773 houses are partially damaged."

Kumaraswamy stated that a total of 6620 people have been rehabilitated in the relief camps. He said, "41 relief camps in Kodagu and nine relief camps in Dakshina Kannada have been set up and a total of 6620 people are sheltered in these relief camps. An adequate supply of drinking water and milk is being ensured in these camps." -- ANI

10:16 The most moving feature you'll read today

"The elderly woman was evacuated from her house at 2 in the morning in an uruli (traditional cookware made of clay, copper and bronze). The others from her family swam. They had to swim for two hours till they reached a place where there was no water. I still cannot forget the way they looked. All of them were on the verge of collapse. They had not had any food for four days and they were covered fully in mud and slush.

"The first thing I did was I gave them hot water to have a good bath and by the time they were ready, I served them all food."

Ajitha, who lives in the Kuttanad region in Alleppey, tells Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com on how she and her husband and every other person in the area rushed in to help the flood-affected. Do read

Five members of a family, including three minors, were found dead inside their locked house by the Allahabad Police late on Monday night. The police recovered the body of a man, his wife and his three daughters from Dhumanganj area.

While the man was found hanging from the ceiling fan, his wife's body was found inside the fridge. Out of the three daughters, the body of one was in a suitcase, other in an almirah and the body of the third daughter was lying on the floor.

"Prima facie it seems that the man killed his wife and daughters, and later committed suicide," said Allahabad SSP Nitin Tiwari.

The bodies have been sent for postmortem and the police have begun further investigation in the matter. -- ANI

09:35 Tejashwi visits ailing father in Mumbai

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav posts this photo on Twitter of him visiting his father and party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav at a hospital in Mumbai.

'Visited my ailing father admitted in Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai due to various diseases. Perturbed to see his falling health & increased infection. Praying that he may recover soon under the around-the-clock monitoring & continuous medical care of specialist doctors,' Tejashwi wrote.

The RJD chief was admitted to the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai due to 'failing health' late on Monday.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has urged the Centre to provide Rs 100 crore relief fund for rain-ravaged state's Kodagu district.

Addressing the media, the chief minister said, "The prime minister has announced relief of Rs 500 Crore for Kerala, we expect at least Rs 100 Crore for Kodagu. We will request the central government for it."

"We have to repair roads for connectivity. We are taking help of the Army and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)," Kumaraswamy said.

He added, "We conducted an aerial survey in Kodagu to review the flood situation.

In all, 12 people have lost their lives. 845 houses have been damaged out of which 773 houses are partially damaged.

"Kumaraswamy stated that a total of 6620 people have been rehabilitated in the relief camps," he said, adding, "41 relief camps in Kodagu and nine relief camps in Dakshina Kannada have been set up and a total of 6620 people are sheltered in these relief camps. An adequate supply of drinking water and milk is being ensured in these camps."

On August 20, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government should allocate adequate financial aid for relief efforts in the Kodagu district.

While on August 19 Kumaraswamy conducted an aerial survey of landslides and flood-affected areas in Kodagu district.

The chief minister also presented cheques to the families of Avarthi village who lost their houses in floods.

He also inspected rain-affected areas in Somawarpet and adjacent areas.Kumaraswamy on Saturday announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families which were rendered homeless. -- ANI

The train services which had collapsed following the incessant downpour in Kerala, have been partially restored.

Train services in Kayankulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam and Palakkad-Shoranur-Kozhikkode sections have been resumed.

Trivandrum- Ernakulam section was also connected by passenger Special Trains for the flood period.

Heavy damages caused by the floods in Aluva- Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur, Kayamkulam-Kottayam- Ernakulam Shoranur-Tirur, Shoranur- Palakkad routes have been fixed.

Few special trains were started via Trivandrum, Tirunelveli, and Madurai to Chennai, Egmore, Howarah, Gorakhpur, Bhubaneswar routes to evacuate stranded people.

The traffic in Aluva- Thrissur, Thrissur-Shoranur sections was also restored.Barring the flood-affected areas, the Southern Railway had began running 159 Express trains and 11 passenger trains connecting Kerala to the rest of the states from August 16-18.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced that the severe inundation claimed at least 223 lives between August 8-20.

Briefing the media in Trivandrum, the chief minister said, "223 people lost their lives between August 8-20. Six people died today. The Centre said they will make all necessary requirements available to us but in today's situation what is most needed is the necessary help, equivalent to the total damages caused so far."

The chief minister further informed that the state has suffered a loss of Rs 19,512 crores due to floods.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met for the fifth time in five days in Delhi on Monday to review the rescue and relief operations in the flood-affected areas in Kerala.

Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha chaired the meeting. The Chief Secretary of Kerala participated in the meeting via video conference. He informed that there has been less rainfall and floodwater has started receding. -- ANI

IMAGE: Flood affected areas of Chengannur seen from a Indian Navy helicopter, at Alappuzha district. Photograph: PTI Photo

Two Muslim youths were allegedly thrashed and paraded by a mob led by the head of a vigilante group on suspicion of smuggling two cows in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district on Monday evening, police said.

The head of the cow vigilante group was arrested and the two youth were booked under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, and taken into custody, they said.

Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said Dilshad and Shah Rukh were ferrying two cows, which they claimed were bought from a temple priest, to their village when the mob intercepted the truck in Shamli town and attacked them.

Anuj Bansal, the head of the cow vigilante group, has been arrested and a search is on for the other members of the group, he told PTI.

According to the FIR, the duo and the priest, who was also in the vehicle, told the attackers that they had bought the cows for rearing, but the accused thrashed the two youths and paraded them in the area.

The priest was not attacked, police said.

On receiving information about the incident, police rushed to the spot and rescued the youths. They have been have been taken into custody, police said. -- PTI

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