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Sat, 08 December 2018
There should be no politicisation of defence forces: Military veterans

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20:30   There should be no politicisation of defence forces: Military veterans
To ensure better interface between the public and the armed forces, various defence experts on Saturday emphasised the need to bring far more openness in military matters to mobilise public opinion in the larger interest of national security.
 
They were also of the opinion that there should be no politicisation of the defence forces, which was gradually creeping into the system.
These views were expressed by the experts during an interactive session on 'Valour, History, Politics and Media' on the second day of Military Literature Festival-2018 in Chandigarh, a Punjab government release said.
The discussions were mainly focused on the role of cinema and media in highlighting the heroic deeds of armed forces, the release said.
      
The penalists included Lt Gen (retd) N S Brar, Lt General (retd) T S Shergill. 
      
The defence experts also underscored the need to have direct connect between common masses and armed forces to realise the hardships faced by the army personal and their 24X7 arduous nature of duty to safeguard the borders from internal as well as external aggression, the release said.
Sharing his views, Lt Gen (retd) Shergill said that the media should play a pro-active role in boosting the morale of the armed forces to enable them to discharge their duties diligently with a sense of utmost professional commitment to safeguard the integrity, security and sovereignty of our country. 
He cited the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, when the media was telecasting real-time, which led the perpetrators to know about the counter insurgency operations. 
He exhorted the media to discharge their duties by exercising restraint, especially while reporting on defence matters of sensitive nature.
Lt Gen (retd) N S Brar underlined the need for general debates in the public domain on matters related to National Security and defence forces. 
Thus, intimate interface was required more frequently between the government and defence forces on issues of higher defence management, he added. -- PTI
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20:07   Delhi's air quality remains 'very poor'
Delhi's air quality remained 'very poor' on Saturday even as authorities warned of a spike in pollution level from the next week when dense fog is expected to engulf the national capital.
 
The Central Pollution Control Board recorded an overall air quality index of 343.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor' and 401 and 500 is 'severe'.
The air quality in four areas --Jahangirpuri and Nehru Nagar recorded severe air quality while 26 areas recorded very poor air quality and two areas recorded poor air quality, according to CPCB.
The overall PM2.5 (fine particulate matter in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometre) level was recorded at 193 and the PM10 level at 353, it said.
In NCR,  Faridabad and Noida recorded 'very poor' air quality, the CPCB data showed.
The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said the overall air quality of Delhi continues to remain in the 'very poor' range.
"Meteorological conditions have slightly improved causing dispersion of pollutants but the air quality might deteriorate from Sunday with dense fog engulfing the capital which may degrade the air quality," the SAFAR said. 
According to the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the maximum ventilation index was likely around 4000 sqm/second on Saturday.
A ventilation index lower than 6,000 sqm/second with average wind speed of less than 10 kmph is unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants, it said. -- PTI
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20:06   Tension grips UP's Jalaun district after recovery of cattle carcasses
Tension prevailed in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district Saturday after carcasses of cattle that died in a nearby cow shelter were recovered, police said Saturday.  
 
Jalaun Superintendent of Police Arvind Chaturvedi said the cattle in the shelter, that houses 500 cows, were either suffering from different diseases or injuries sustained during road accidents.
He ruled out the incident as that of cow slaughter.
A total of seven cow and calf carcasses were found in the area on Friday evening which were buried soon after, Chaturvedi said, adding the carcasses appear to be about 15 days old.
The cattle died in the shelter run by Rajendra Gaudas, a local villager, the SP said.
The SP said that Gaudas has been instructed to ensure proper disposal of dead cows and calves in future or else stern action will be taken against him.
Security has been beefed up in and around the village to keep vigil and ward off any incident of violence, the SP added. -- PTI
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19:40   BJP in state of extreme panic, sensing defeats in polls: Congress
The Congress hit out at the government Saturday over Enforcement Directorate raids against Robert Vadra's associates, alleging that the Modi dispensation was using "high-handed tactics" to threaten people as it was in a "state of panic of the highest degree" sensing poll defeats.
At a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also alleged that there was never such a "terror raj" in the "constitutional rule" of India.
"We fought the British Raj and the BJP would do well to know that the day of judgement will come for it," he said.
The ED carried out searches against three persons linked to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra Friday.
"They are afraid of the Congress and its values, so they are threatening people and using high-handed tactics against those who are relatives of our leaders or are associated with them," Singhvi said.
"This is called character assassination by innuendos and insinuations. When they do not have facts, this is what they will do," he added.
The Congress leader claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party was in a "state of panic of the highest degree", sensing rejection from the people in the just-concluded Assembly polls in five states.
"The word 'panic' would be an understatement and all these raids and searches against various people are nothing but a ploy to divert the attention of the people from the real issues and the BJP's failures," he said.
The ED had carried out searches against the three persons in connection with its probe into alleged "commissions received by some suspects in defence deals" and illegal assets stashed abroad, officials had said Friday. 
Singhvi claimed that the searches were carried out in violation of laws, adding, "We have nothing against any particular person, but we are talking about principles.... No Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of the FIR has been shared, no search warrant issued, no access to lawyers, and detained persons were also physically roughed up."
"All of this is happening because the BJP feels the certainty of the rejection by the people and is desperate to divert people's attention from the real issues," he said. -- PTI
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19:39   Glad key people shedding fear, breaking silence on govt decisions: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said it was heartening that persons who were in key posts in the government were "shedding their fear and breaking silence" on important policies and decisions.
   
His reaction came a day after Lieutenant General (Retd) D S Hooda, who was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out on September 29, 2016 across the Line of Control, said that there was "too much hype" over the operation and it was politicised.
In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said it was former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, who first broke his silence by terming demonetisation a "massive monetary shock".
 
The former finance minister said that after Subramanian, the recently-retired Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat said demonetisation had no impact on the use of black money in elections.
 
Now, it is Hooda, who has "decried the hype over the so-called 'surgical strike' and its politicisation by government", Chidambaram said, adding,  "Glad to see important persons shedding their fear and breaking their silence".
 
Last month, Subramanian had raised concerns related to note ban. Six months after resigning as CEA, he described demonetisation as a "massive, draconian, monetary shock".
 
Two days after his retirement, Rawat had said the note ban didn't reduce the misuse of black money in elections but in fact in some states more seizures were reported compared to previous years.
 
The government had banned old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes on November 8, 2016 with an aim to check corruption and black money besides others. -- PTI 
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18:38   Surgical strikes were a successful tactical operation: Army's Northern Command chief
The 2016 surgical strikes were a successful tactical operation which conveyed a clear message to Pakistan to stop any misadventure along the Line of Control, army's Northern Command Chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said on Saturday.
 
His comments came a day after Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda, who was associated with the operation, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success but the constant hype around the surgical strikes was unwarranted.
In hindsight, it would have been better had we had kept it a secret, he had said on Friday at an event in Chandigarh.
On September 29, 2016, Indian Army commandos had carried out surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
"From military point of view, these were successful tactical operations, which conveyed a very strategic message and the Indian Army was able to convey a very clear message to Pakistan that should they not stop any kind of misadventure along the LoC, they shall be given befitting reply," Singh told reporters in Punjab's Kapurthala on the sidelines of his visit to Sainik School, his alma mater.
The then Director General of Military Operations, who had announced the operation at a press conference, refused to comment on the politicisation of surgical strikes.
Singh said all actions carried out by the army along the LoC were carried out in an extremely professional manner to meet the national aspirations and achieve the military objectives. -- PTI
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18:33   Encounter breaks out on Srinagar's outskirts
An encounter broke out Saturday between terrorists and security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
 
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the evening near the Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on the city's outskirts, a police official said.
As the forces were conducting searches, the terrorists fired upon them, he said.
The forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter, the official said.
He said the gunfight was going on and further details were awaited. -- PTI  
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18:10   Express my regret, will write to her: Sharad Yadav on body shaming Raje
Facing flak for his remarks against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, former Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav on Saturday expressed regret for "hurting" her and said he would write to her.
   
Raje has demanded that the Election Commission take cognisance of Yadav's "insulting" remarks and taken action against him.
 
"I have seen her (Raje's) comments. Our relations are very old. If she thinks whatever I had said has hurt her, I express my regret for that," Yadav told reporters.
 
"I will also write a letter to her," he added.
 
Yadav, a former JD(U) Rajya Sabha member, while campaigning for Loktantrik Janata Dal in Alwar in Rajasthan on Wednesday, had called Raje fat and asked people to give her rest.
 
After criticism from various quarters, Yadav had said it was a joke and that he had no intention of hurting Raje and it was not meant to be derogatory in any way.
 
Reacting to his remarks, Raje had said, "I feel insulted. This is insult of women". The BJP leader said she was "absolutely shocked" and did not expect such a comment from an experienced leader.
 
It is important that the Election Commission takes cognisance of this and sets an example so people don't repeat such a thing in future, she had added.
 
A video of Yadav was circulated on social media with many labelling his comments crass and misogynistic. -- PTI
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17:06   MP CM calls himself 'biggest pollster', predicts BJP win
As the exit polls predicted a tight race with the Congress,  Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expressed confidence that the BJP would win a comfortable majority in the assembly election to form a government for the fourth consecutive time
 
"I am the biggest surveyor (pollster) as I remain in the midst of public all day long. The BJP is set to romp home," Chouhan told reporters after visiting the famous Shree Pitambara Peeth temple in Datia.
He was asked about exit polls predicting a close fight between the BJP and the Congress.
"We have got the blessings of every section of society in the elections and we are on the way to win the polls," he claimed.
The state went to polls on November 28 and results for the 230-member House will be declared on December 11.
"Abki baar, 200 par (this time, over 200 seats)," Chouhan said repeating the BJP's slogan for the MP polls.
"I have come to seek the blessing of goddess Pitambara for the well being of Madhya Pradesh," the chief minister said. 
While Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat exit poll gave 108-128 seats to the BJP and 95-115 to the Congress in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh, India Today-Axis said the saffron party could win 102-120 seats as against 104-122 for the Congress.
However, the Times Now-CNX exit poll predicted a majority for the BJP in MP with 126 seats and gave the Congress a tally of 89 seats.
On the other hand, ABP News exit poll said the Congress is likely to get a majority by bagging 126 seats. The BJP, it added, would get 94 seats. -- PTI  
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17:02   FinMin extends deadline for filing GST annual returns till March 31
The finance ministry has extended the last date for filing annual GST return forms by three months until March 31, 2019.
 
The annual returns form in which businesses registered under the GST have to provide consolidated details of sales, purchases and input tax credit benefits accrued to them during 2017-18 fiscal was notified in September. The last date for filing was set at December 31, 2018.
 
In a statement, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said, "the competent authority has decided to extend the due date for filing Form GSTR-9, GSTR-9A and GSTR-9C till March 31, 2019. The requisite Forms shall be made available on the GST common portal shortly.
 
GSTR-9 is the annual return form for normal taxpayers, GSTR-9A is composition taxpayers, while GSTR-9C is a reconciliation statement
 
Trade and industry players have been seeking an extension of the deadline for filing the annual returns.
 
EY Tax Partner Abhishek Jain said industry players have been struggling to collate the information required to be disclosed in GSTR-9 and GSTR-9C.
 
PwC Partner and Leader (Indirect Tax) Pratik Jain said, "Industry, as well as consultants, were struggling with December 31 deadline, given the volume of work involved including preparing a virtual P&L at a State level". -- PTI
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16:30   Modi used surgical strikes for 'political capital': Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over  Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda's remarks that it would have been better if the 2016 surgical strikes were carried out secretly, alleging that the PM used the military action for "political capital".
 
Lt Gen (retd) Hooda, responding to a question during the Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Friday,  had said in hindsight, it would have been better had "we done it (surgical strikes) secretly".
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said: "Spoken like a true soldier General. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset.
"He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambani's real capital by 30,000 Cr. #SurgicalStrike (sic)."
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala thanked Lt Gen (retd) Hooda for "exposing the petty politicisation by PM Modi".
"No one can use the valour & sacrifice of our brave soldiers to score cheap political points Modiji is squarely guilty of compromising National Security & Strategic Interests by unwarranted chest thumping!" he wrote on Twitter.  
 
Lt Gen (retd) Hooda, who was the Northern Army Commander in September 2016 when Indian troops carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads along the Line of Control, had also said that it was natural to have initial euphoria about the success but the constant maintenance of hype around the military operation was unwarranted. -- PTI  
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15:40   Pant equals Dhoni's record of most catches in a Test innings
Young Rishabh Pant on Saturday took six catches during Australia's first innings to equal predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni's record of most catches by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test innings.
   
The 21-year-old Pant had a hand in dismissing Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb and Tim Paine on the second day before pouching on to edges off Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood's willow on Saturday.
 
He equalled the record after taking Hazlewood's catch off Mohammed Shami's ball in the first innings in Adelaide.
 
In 2009, Dhoni had achieved his record feat during the Wellington Test against New Zealand. 

Pant, who is playing his sixth Test, was selected in the Indian team following the injury of Wriddhiman Saha and retirement of Dhoni in 2014. 
 
He has so far scored 346 runs with an average of 43.25 with the highest score of 114 against England. -- PTI
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15:27   Hilary Clinton arrives in Udaipur for Isha Ambani's wedding
Hillary Clinton, former first lady of the United States, has arrived in Udaipur to attend pre-wedding celebrations of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal. 

The couple will tie the knot on December 12 in Jodhpur.
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15:22   Over 200 terrorists killed in J&K in 2018: Officials
Security forces have eliminated over 230 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, while there has been a dip in injuries caused due to stone pelting, officials said Saturday.
 
As many as 51 terrorists were killed in the 80-day period from June 25 to September 14, while 85 terrorists were killed between September 15 and December 5, an official said.
A total of 232 terrorists have been killed so far this year, while 240 terrorists, including foreigners, are active in the Kashmir Valley, the official said.
Eight people, including security personnel, were killed and 216 others, including security personnel, received injuries between June 25 and September 14 this year.
In the subsequent 80 days -- from September 15 to December 5 -- just two people were killed and 170 others received injuries during stone pelting incidents, the official said.
There has been a marked improvement in the security scenario in the Kashmir Valley ever since the imposition of Governor's rule on June 19 when the BJP withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government, another official said. -- PTI
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14:48   Pak violates ceasefire along LoC in Rajouri
Pakistani troops on Saturday opened fire at forward posts along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. 
 
The Pakistani troops targeted Indian posts at about 9 am, prompting strong and effective retaliation from the Indian Army, the spokesman said. 
No casualty has been reported in the firing which was still continuing when last reports came in. 
The latest violation comes two days after a BSF jawan was killed and another injured in Pakistani firing in the same sector on Thursday.
Pakistani troops also suffered several casualties in the retaliatory action following the killing of the BSF jawan, officials said. -- PTI  

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14:17   Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas receive apology from The Cut writer
Newlyweds Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas have received an apology from writer Mariah Smith, who penned an article for The Cut in which she labelled the Indian star as a "modern-day scam artist".
 
The article, published on The Cut website, claimed that Nick shares a "fraudulent relationship against his will". The piece was full of racist, first world complex and misogynist undertones. 
"I want to sincerely apologise to Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, and to the readers I offended and hurt with my words. I do not condone racism, xenophobia, or sexism. I take full responsibility for what I wrote, and I was wrong. I am truly sorry," Smith posted on Twitter.
The article was slammed online by many people, including Nick's brother Joe Jonas and his fiancee, Game of Thrones star, Sophie Turner. The duo attended the wedding in Jodhpur along with the rest of the family members. 
One of the portions of the article read, "All Nick wanted was a possible fling with Hollywood's latest It Woman, but instead he wound up staring straight at a life sentence with a global scam artist."
"Even more upsetting, she's a scam artist who never even took the time to make sure he was comfortable riding a horse before arranging for him to enter their wedding ceremony on horseback," Smith had written.
After the furore, the website issued an apology and said it has deleted the objectionable article. -- PTI
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13:46   Goa govt refuses to share Parrikar's health status in court
Citing the fundamental right to privacy, the Goa government has opposed a plea seeking the high court's direction to the state administration to declare the health status of chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
 
In an affidavit filed before Justice R M Borde of the Goa bench of the high court Friday, state chief secretary Dharmendra Sharma questioned the maintainability of the petition filed by activist Trajano D'Mello a month ago.
"Like any other person who may not occupy public office has a right to not disclose his health problems to the public. If a person is directed to disclose his health ailments to the public merely because he happens to be the CM, the same would be the violation of Right to Privacy under Article 21," it stated.
In his public interest litigation, D'Mello had claimed "administrative collapse" in Goa due to extended absence of Parrikar, 62, from office.
The chief minister, who has been in and out of hospitals since early this year, is currently recuperating at his private residence in Panaji since he was shifted there from AIIMS in Delhi in October.
"The present petition is absolutely lacking in good faith which is an essential prerequisite for the maintainability of public interest litigation," the affidavit said.
The petitioner's claim of "administrative collapse" is absolutely unsubstantiated, vague and is entirely based on hearsay which cannot be the basis of a PIL, it said.
"The petitioner, through this PIL, indirectly seeks to assail the right to privacy of the CM, as an individual," the affidavit read.
In his plea, D'Mello had raised apprehension that Parrikar's signatures on several official documents are being forged.
"Despite physically incapacitated and bed-ridden in the ICU, Parrikar has breached constitutional trust by virtue to remain as CM despite the fact that he is physically and mentally incapable of discharging his constitutional obligations," D'Mello's affidavit said.
The chief secretary stated that there is no genuine grievance by the petitioner to substantiate his allegation of administrative collapse in Goa. -- PTI
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12:49   More trouble for Trump as Mueller files new papers in court on Russian investigations
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has filed a new set of papers in court that may increase the legal woes of United States President Donald Trump in connection with the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible contacts between the Trump's presidential campaign and Moscow.
While the court papers does not answer the central question of whether Trump or his associates conspired with the Russians, the documents suggest that the president's legal woes are far from over and reveal a previously unreported contact from a Russian to Trump's inner circle during the campaign, according to a report in the Washington Post.
The Court papers directly implicated Trump in plans to buy women's silence as far back as 2014 and offering new evidence of Russian efforts to forge a political alliance with Trump before he became the president - disclosures that show the deepening political and legal morass enveloping the administration, said the report.
In his filings before a US federal court in Washington DC, Muller said that Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager lied to prosecutors about his contacts with the White House and an associate with suspected ties to Russian intelligence.
The president and the White House denied of any wrongdoings. 
"Totally clears the President. Thank You," Trump responded with his characteristic fiery tweets.
In another court submission, Mueller said Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of Trump, has gone to "significant lengths" to assist his ongoing Russia investigation.
Mueller said Cohen has provided the special counsel "with useful information concerning certain discrete Russia-related matters core to its investigation that he obtained by virtue of his regular contact with company executives during the campaign."
A federal court in New York is scheduled to give its sentencing order against Cohen on December 12. In August he had pleaded guilty to the charges of campaign-finance violations and tax frauds. 
Federal prosecutors have recommended substantial prison time for Cohen. -- PTI
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12:38   6 days after violence, UP govt removes Bulandshahr SSP
Six days after a cop and a civilian were killed in mob violence over cow carcasses in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, the top officer in the district has been transferred. 

Senior Superintendent of Police Krishna Bahadur Singh has been moved to Lucknow and he has been replaced by the Superintendent of Police of Sitapur, Prabhakar Chaudhary.

Two other police officers have also been transferred.

The police have arrested eight accused in the case.

Meanwhile, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has called the Bulandshahr incident an "accident". 
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11:34   11 killed after bus falls into gorge in Kashmir
At least 11 people were killed and several others injured after a bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district today.

The bus was going from Loran to Poonch.

More details are awaited.

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11:12   Rajasthan: 2 officials suspended after ballot units found on road
Two officials have been suspended after a ballot unit was found lying on road in Shahabad area of Kishanganj Assembly Constituency in Baran district of Rajasthan on Friday.

District Election Officer and Collector S P Singh issued the suspension order after taking cognisance of the fact-finding report of the returning officer, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kishanganj in connection with the incident.

Abdul Rafeeq and Patwari Naval Singh were suspended on Friday with immediate effect on grounds of negligence.

The ballot unit has been kept in the strong room in Kishanganj.Rajasthan went to polls on Friday and the results will be announced on December 11.

The polling was held in 51,687 polling booths out of which 259 were managed exclusively by women officials and security personnel. -- ANI

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10:34   Security upped at Hanuman temple after Bhim Army's call to take over
Security has been reinforced at the 'Hanuman dham' in Shukratal in Muzaffarnagar as Bhim Army activists may attempt to take it over, police said on Saturday.

The move comes days after Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar said on Sunday that members of the Dalit community should take over all Hanuman temples in the country and appoint Dalits as priests there.

He had said so while reacting to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claim that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit.

Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and police teams have been deployed at the Hanuman Dham apprehending attempts by Bhim Army activists to assume control of the temple, officials said.

So far, there's no report of any untoward incident taking place, they said.

"Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to unite all Indian communities, from north to south and east to west," Adityanath had said while addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

A right-wing group in Rajasthan has sent a legal notice to Adityanath, asking him to apologise for calling Lord Hanuman a Dalit.

Last week, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) chairperson Nand Kumar Sai claimed that Lord Hanuman was a tribal.  -- PTI
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10:10   Trump calls Tillerson 'dumb as a rock' after latter's interview
United States President Donald Trump on Friday lambasted his former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, describing him as 'dumb as a rock' and 'lazy as hell', after the ex-diplomat alleged the president regularly pushed him to take decisions that were 'illegal'.

On the same day, Trump praised Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for doing a great job.

'Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn't have the mental capacity needed,' Trump said in a tweet.

'He (Tillerson) was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at state!' he said.

Trump's angry tweet on Tillerson came after the former secretary of state, in an interview to CBS News, was critical of the President.

"I think he grew tired of me being the guy everyday that told him, 'You can't do that, and let's talk about what we can do'," Tillerson said in his interview.

"He acts on his instincts, in some respects it looks like impulsiveness' But' it's not his intent to act on impulse. I think he really is trying to act on his instincts," he said.

"It's challenging for me coming from the disciplined, highly process-oriented ExxonMobil Corporation' to go to work for a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn't like to read, doesn't read briefing reports, doesn't like to get into the details of a lot of things.

"But rather just kind of says, 'Look, this is what I believe and you can try to convince me otherwise,' but most of the time you're not going to do that," Tillerson said.

Tillerson was the first Secretary of State in the Trump administration. They had never met till the day Tillerson was named as the secretary of state.

"I think part of it (differences) was obviously we are starkly different in our styles. We did not have a common value system," he said.

"When the president would say, 'Here's what I want to do and here's how I want to do it,' I'd have to say to him, 'Mr. President, I understand what you want to do, but you can't do it that way. It violates the law. It violates a treaty.' You know, he got really frustrated," said the former CEO of ExxonMobil.

As the secretary of state, Tillerson had announced a 100-year plan for India. He visited India once as the top American diplomat. He was fired by Trump days before he was to participate in the first 'two plus two' dialogue with India. This was postponed and was held months later in September.

Trump replaced, Tillerson with Mike Pompeo, who was the CIA Director at the time.  -- PTI
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09:27   Will topple govt if Ram Temple construction opposed: Swamy
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has warned that if the Centre or Uttar Pradesh government tries to oppose the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, he would 'topple the government'.

"If our matter (Ram temple) is listed in January, we'll win it in two weeks. Because my two opposing parties are the central government and Uttar Pradesh government. Do they have the guts to oppose me? If they do, I'll topple the government. Though I know that they won't do it," he said while addressing a gathering at the Jawaharlal Nehru University on Friday.

Furthermore, Swamy claimed that the Muslims known to him had no objection in the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"The Muslims I meet personally tell me that they will not have any objection on the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya," he asserted.

Explaining the timeline of the case, Swamy noted: "Sunni Waqf Board filed a case claiming that the land that was captured by Mughal ruler Babar is ours. They never said that they want to re-construct Babri. They just said it's our title. Hindu parties like Ram Janmbhoomi Vyas an Nirmohi Akhada said that there were two temples of which they were trustees, and should be given to them.

"The Allahabad gigh court heard their suit and said it's Ram Janmbhoomi, two gumbads will go to Hindus, one to Muslims."

He added: "Sunni Waqf board challenged it because the land was given to Muslims and not them. The matter was then not heard from 2010-2017. I went to the Supreme Court, and that is why the date was not being fixed by the court. First, they ousted me asking what my stake is (in the matter)."

Elaborating upon how he further went about the case, Swamy claimed that his right to pray should be considered above a property right."I have the right to pray according to the constitution. Court agreed to hear. My faith says that Ram was born here and I want a huge temple there. Muslims are only asking for property, which is not a fundamental right."

"I appeal to the Supreme Court to put my fundamental right above their normal property rights and accept my petition," said the BJP leader.

Swamy claimed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) stated that there was a temple on the disputed land of Ram Janambhoomi.  -- ANI
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08:45   Voting for 8th phase of J&K panchayat polls begins
Voting for the eight phase of panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir began on Saturday at 2,633 polling stations -- 550 in the Kashmir division and 2,083 in the Jammu division.

The timing for polling is from 8 am to 2 pm.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K, Shaleen Kabra, 361 polling stations have been categorised as 'hypersensitive' in this phase.

Of these, 171 are in the Kashmir division and 190 in the Jammu division.

He said 6,304 candidates are in the fray for 331 sarpanch and 2007 panch seats in Phase-VIII, while 43 sarpanch and 681 panch have been elected unopposed in this phase.

He said in the areas going to polls in Phase-VIII, an electorate of 5,15,121 will be voting for sarpanch constituencies and 4,19,775 for panch constituencies.

"Photo Voter Slips have been distributed among the voters to inform them about their polling station," he said.

The CEO said at the end of seven phases of the panchayat polls, the state recorded an overall voter turnout of 73.8 per cent, with 44.4 per cent in the Kashmir division and 83.2 per cent in the Jammu division.

Photo Voter Slips have been distributed among the voters to inform them about their polling stations. He said senior government officers have been appointed as General Observers to oversee the smooth, fair and orderly conduct of the panchayat elections.

"Also, Expenditure Observers are keeping a watch on the expenditure by the candidates. In addition, for the poll day, Micro Observers have been placed in polling stations, particularly those considered hypersensitive. Besides, the Zonal and Sector Magistrates too have been deployed," he added.

The CEO said Control Rooms have been established in all the districts across the state to respond promptly to any complaints of violation of the model code of conduct as also to disseminate information to the public.

Security arrangements have been made including deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

He said the government has declared holiday on the day of polls in the panchayat areas to enable the voters to cast their vote.

He said special casual leave shall also be granted to the employees who have to go to other areas to exercise their right to franchise.

As per the standing guidelines, the central government offices shall not be closed but the employees who are voters of the wards going to polls Saturday can shall be offered reasonable facility to exercise their franchise, he added.  -- PTI
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08:27   Too much hype over surgical strikes not needed: Gen in charge of the op
Two years after surgical strikes were carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC), Lt Gen D S Hooda (retd) on Friday said that the hype associated with the Surgical Strike was not needed.

Speaking to ANI, Hooda said, "I do think there was too much hype over it. The military operation was important and we had to do it.

"Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it is right or wrong is something that should be asked to politicians."

Elaborating upon how the forces on the border should react to events that occur on the Line of Control (LoC), Hooda said, "I think the way the things are going on the LoC, we must have a pro-active and unpredictable response unless Pakistan does something to ease tensions and stop infiltrations."

At the time of surgical strikes, General Hooda was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, in charge of the planning and execution of the top secret operation across the Line of Control.

However, former Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag in September revealed that the Indian Army had been preparing for the 2016 surgical strike since June 2015, adding that the troops were told that failure was 'not an option'.

Moreover, Suhag had claimed that if needed, there can be another strike as well.

"We have exhibited our capability. Our troops are motivated and now having done it once, troops are also confident of doing it again. So, if we can do it once, we can do it again and if necessary again and again," he had said.  -- ANI
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00:37   EC orders removal of RO after EVM found at BJP candidate's home
The Election Commission on Friday ordered the removal of returning officer of Pali in the Rajasthan Assembly seat after an electronic voting machine was reportedly found at the residence of a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate.

Earlier in the day, the poll panel had said that a sector officer carrying a reserve machine had gone to the BJP candidate's house following which the sector officer was removed and the EVM taken out of election system.

The EC also ordered removal of Pali returning officer Mahaveer, who has been transferred, and Rakesh from Jodhpur has been asked to take the charge, the commission said.

A video purportedly showing the electronic voting machine laying unattended in the house has gone viral.  -- PTI

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