LIVE! End of the road for Nano? Just 1 unit produced in June

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Wed, 04 July 2018

End of the road for Nano? Just 1 unit produced in June

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23:25 End of the road for Nano? Just 1 unit produced in June

Tata Motors' small car Nano is inching closer towards the end of its journey with just one unit produced in June, although the company maintained that no decision has been taken yet on stopping its production.

The entry level car, brainchild of Ratan Tata who envisaged giving a safer and affordable alternative to families riding on two-wheelers, sold just three units last month in the domestic market.

In a regulatory filing, Tata Motors said there was no export of Nano in June this year. It had shipped 25 units in the same month last year.

In terms of production, only one unit was produced last month as against 275 units in June 2017.

Domestic sales were at three units in June as against 167 units in the year-ago month.

When contacted for comments on whether the company has taken a decision to stop Nano production, a Tata Motors spokesperson said, "We are well aware that the Nano in its present form cannot continue beyond 2019 and may need fresh investments to survive. No decision has been made yet in this regard."

Terming the party's social media volunteers cyber warriors, BJP chief Amit Shah today asked them to spread like fire from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari to ensure the party's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Shah, who was the chief guest at the BJP's 'Social media volunteers meet of Eastern UP' held in Varanasi, said the volunteers need to use their creative minds to defeat opponents and give a befitting reply to those spreading lies against the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP president was on a two-day visit to Uttar Pradesh to feel the pulse of the people ahead of the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He asked volunteers to spread like fire from Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari to ensure the BJP's victory in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year.

He said that there was no leader like Modi in the country whose reach was pan-India.

He also praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying law and order had improved in the state and criminals had gone into hiding in neighbouring Delhi, where the situation had deteriorated .

Shah said under Modi's leadership, India was globally respected and he also praised the Centre for carrying out surgical strikes against Pakistan, saying after America and Israel, India was the only country to take revenge through such a step.

-- PTI

A 14-year-old tribal girl was allegedly raped by four persons in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, police said today, fourth such incident in the state in last 10 days.

The incident took place at Tejpur village, Assistant Sub-Inspector K L Ahirwar of Gourjhamar police station, said.

A next door neighbour allegedly asked the victim, a school dropout, to come to her house to help with some domestic chores yesterday morning, he said.

When the girl went to her house, the woman allegedly locked her in a room, where four persons raped her all day, Ahirwar said.

The girl's parents, who are construction workers, found her missing when they returned home and started a search. The victim was found dumped near a government school in the village in an unconscious state late in the night, the police officer said.

Police, after being informed by the parents, rushed the girl to the district hospital where her condition was stated to be stable, he said.

The accused were detained today after the girl gave a statement, district Superintendent of Police S Shukla said.

This is the fourth incident of rape of minor girls in Madhya Pradesh in the last ten days.

On June 26, an eight-year-old girl was raped by two men in Mandsaur. A 15-year-old girl was raped by three persons in Jabalpur district on June 28, while a four-year-old girl was raped by a man in Satna on July 1.

-- PTI

India may slip further from its current 138th place in the World Press Freedom Index as four journalists were murdered in less than six months amidst a sharp rise in hate speech, a global media watchdog warned today in its first report on the country.

The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said it had come out with a report exclusively on India in view of the "increase in breaches of press freedom" in India in the past six months.

In the 2018 Index, published in April this year, India was ranked at the 138th position out of 180 countries, two places lower than in 2017, and the situation has continued to deteriorate.

"As a result, the Abuses and Environment indicators, which contribute to the country's evaluation for the Index, show a negative trend and point to another decline in its ranking in the 2019 edition unless the authorities take steps to rectify the situation," it said.

On July 3, RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling him that the first Incident Report had been issued in relation to press freedom in the country, the media watchdog said in a statement.

"In the first six months of 2018, at least as many reporters were killed as for the whole of 2017, while hate speech directed toward journalists has increased massively, causing serious concern for their safety," the letter noted.

The recent killings of the journalists took place amidst a sharp rise in hate speech.

-- PTI

The Congress said the hike in minimum support price for kharif crops, announced by the government today, was a "jumla" (rhetoric) and "electoral lollypop" aimed at wooing farmers ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The party charged the Modi dispensation with "duping" farmers and said that it had failed to live up to its promise of fixing MSP at 50 per cent above the cost of production.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that government has not given cost plus 50 per cent to farmers for any crop as per recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

He also alleged that the MSP announced today would be given to farmers only next year, by the time this government would be out of power and another one would pay.

"The MSP declared today does not fulfil the promise of cost plus 50 per cent of produce. If this is not betrayal with farmers, what is it?" he asked.

"Farmers have been duped yet again. This MSP does not fulfil the promise of giving cost plus 50 per cent to farmers as per CACP recommendations. It is a betrayal with the farmers. This is merely a PR exercise on MSP and is a mere electoral lollypop'," he told reporters.

The Congress leader said the recommendations of the CACP for 2018-19 are yet to come and the government has taken into account last year's recommendations to give MSP for next year.

"In May 2014, using false promises Prime Minister Modi gained the support of the farmers, but in the last four years, farmers did not receive the right MSP," he alleged.

Surjewala said the farmers have neither got MSP nor a loan waiver, even as prices of inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides, power and diesel have risen considerably.

-- PTI

A new Quinnipiac University poll has a striking result: 49 per cent of people said they believe US President Donald Trump to be a racist while 47 per cent believe he is not.

Read the full story HERE

In a U-turn, Gulf carrier Emirates today scrapped its decision to discontinue 'Hindu meal' on its flights citing customer feedback.

The move comes a day after the airline announced that it would stop serving 'Hindu meal' and that Hindu customers can choose from a variety of regionally-inspired vegetarian and special meals.

Emirates is the single largest foreign carrier operating in India in terms of flights.

"Based on feedback from our customers, Emirates confirms we will continue to provide a Hindu meal option, to make it easier for our Hindu customers to identify and request this option," the airline said in a statement today.

According to Emirates, it constantly reviews the offering after taking into consideration customer uptake and feedback.

"Food and drink form an integral part of any Emirates flight experience and our menus are created by leading chefs to reflect the culture and preferences of Emirates' diverse customer base," it noted.

"Emirates has always provided a wide variety of special meals that can be ordered at least 24 hours in advance to cater to our customers with medical or religious dietary requirements, including our Hindu customers," the statement said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the carrier had said as part of continuous review of the products and services available to customers, it would discontinue the 'Hindu meal' option.

The airline had also said that its Hindu customers can order in advance from a wide variety of regionally-inspired vegetarian and special meals catering to specific dietary requirements in all classes of travel.

-- PTI

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh recommending death penalty for first-time drug smugglers and peddlers, an official spokesperson said.

The decision to send a formal recommendation to the Centre to initiate the process of amending the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985, was taken on Monday in a Punjab Cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister.

In his letter, Amarinder Singh stressed on the need to strengthen the existing enforcement measures to provide for more deterrent punishment to the offenders.

The Punjab chief minister pointed out that the NDPS Act, in its current form, provides for death penalty if certain offences are committed twice.

This, the chief minister said, meant that a person can get away with these offences at least once, causing substantial damage to the youth and the society.

This should not be allowed and death penalty should be awarded to first-time offenders for offences elaborated in Section 31A of the NDPS Act, Amarinder Singh further said in the letter.

Apprising Rajnath Singh of the magnitude of the drug problem in Punjab, Amarinder Singh said drug dealing and peddling had caused serious strains on Punjab's human and economic resources.

These, he said, were obstacles in the state's socio-economic development.

-- PTI

Fifteen-year-olds Shivam and Dhruv, members of the Bhatia family who were found dead under mysterious circumstances on Sunday, were bright students and had keen interest in music, teachers at their school say.

The teenagers' deceased elder sister, Meenu, who was registered as Maneka in school records, was an alumnus of the Virendra Public School in north Delhi's Timarpur and was a school topper.

A representative of the school said they were also contacted by the investigators in connection with their probe in the case.

Class 9 students Shivam, registered as Dushyant and Dhruv (or Dhirendra) were "all-rounders".

"They were studying here right since their childhood and were doing well in their studies. They were also into co-curricular activities. Their elder sister Maneka also passed out from our institution and was a school-topper. None of the teachers had ever had any complaints about their behaviour," he said.

A language teacher, who taught Maneka, Dushyant and Dhirendra, said that all of them were in "shock" after hearing about the incident.

"I have taught these children and knew them well. Both of them were very intelligent. They were good in music. In fact, I have even taught their elder sister who was quite a studious girl and used to get good grades," she recalled.

Teachers also said the parents of the two boys were regular at the parents-teachers' meeting and used to take keen interest in their children's performance in class.

Students who used to commute with them in the same school bus from Burari to Timarpur said the brothers never fought with anyone.

Ten of the 11 members of the Bhatia family were found hanging from an iron-mesh in the ceiling on July 1, while the body of 77-year-old Narayan Devi, the head of the family, was lying on the floor in another room of the house.

-- PTI

The government was not aware whether bank fraud fugitive Nirav Modi sought political asylum in the United Kingdom, official sources said today.

A media report had said that Nirav Modi was seeking political asylum in the UK.

"We are not aware that he has asked political asylum in the UK. The UK has not informed us that he has sought political asylum in that country," said a source.

Nirav Modi is wanted by the CBI in the $2 billion Punjab National Bank scam.

The Interpol has already issued a Red Corner Notice against Nirav Modi, his brother Nishal Modi and his employee Subhash Parab on the request of the CBI.

There were reports that Nirav Modi may have visited the UK, France and Belgium in the past few weeks.

The sources said Indian missions abroad are conveying to local governments about the Interpol Red Corner Notice against Nirav Modi.

The Interpol has issued the Red Corner Notice (RCN) on the basis of charge sheet filed by the CBI in a special court in Mumbai and the arrest warrant issued by the judge special J C Jagdale there.

In its Red Corner Notice issued against a fugitive, the Interpol asks its 192 member countries to arrest or detain the person if spotted in their countries after which extradition or deportation proceedings can begin.

Nirav Modi along with his wife Ami Modi, a US citizen, brother Nishal Modi, a Belgian citizen, and uncle Mehul Choksi, all accused in the CBI FIRs in the case, had left the country in the first week of January, weeks before country's biggest banking scam surfaced.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also written to several European countries seeking help in tracing Nirav Modi. -- PTI

Mumbai attack mastermind and banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed has launched an intense election campaign in different parts of Pakistan urging people to vote for his candidates in the July 25 general elections to safeguard the two-nation ideology and avert a water crisis.

Saeed inaugurated the election offices of the Milli Muslim League (MML), the political wing of the JuD, in Lahore, Islamabad, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Jhang and addressed rallies there during the last one week.

The appeal he is making in his speeches is 'vote for those who can stop India from building dams on Pakistani rivers so that Pakistan do not face water crisis in days to come, safeguard the two-nation ideology and help Kashmiris to get freedom and make the country a strong citadel of Islam'.

Saeed also promises to provide a 'new political leadership' that will change the destiny of Pakistan.

"We have decided to enter the political arena to make Pakistan stronger. We are not running our election campaign in a conventional way'," he said while addressing the MML activists at the JuD headquarters in Lahore today.

He said politicians have made politics a 'profitable business', but the MML will not.

"We will not do business after getting elected. We have to fight Pakistan's case. We have to stop foreign interference in our matters and liberate its influence," he said, asking the people not to vote for those (PML-N) that did not stop India from building dams on Pakistani rivers.

As the MML has failed to get registered as a political party with the Election Commission of Pakistan, its candidates are contesting on the platform of a little known outfit Allah-u-Akbar Tahreek (AAT).

Hafiz Saeed 's son, son-in-law and 13 women are among 265 JuD candidates contesting on AAT platform in July 25 general elections on national and provincial assemblies seats across Pakistan.

Saeed, who also carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities, is not contesting the election.

The JuD had formed MML when Saeed was under detention by the Punjab government in Lahore. Saeed and his four aides -- Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain -- were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under anti- terrorism act.

The JuD was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. The group is a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack. -- PTI

Lucknow University was today closed till further orders after over a dozen teachers including the Proctor were attacked inside the campus by outsiders claiming themselves to be Samajwadi Party workers, varsity officials said.

"Over a dozen teachers were injured in the incident. I might have also been attacked by them but my colleagues saved me and I reached my office," vice chancellor S P Singh told reporters.

"All those involved in the incident were not LU students and were anti-social elements and outsiders claiming themselves to be SP workers. There were 25-30 such persons involved in the attack," Singh said.

"The University has been closed sine die and counselling going on for admission has also been stopped. We are going to lodge an FIR in this connection against those we identify," the VC said.

Among the teachers injured were proctor Vinod Singh, chief provost Sangita Rani. Some university guards were also hurt.

"Three persons have been arrested in this connection. We are awaiting complaint by the university administration," Trans Gomti superintendent of police Harendra Kumar said.

University officials told police that an agitation was on at the campus for past two or three days over demands related to admission. Some of the protesters allegedly attacked the teachers. -- PTI

Electronics and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on the WhatsApp's response to the government's stern message to be accountable for the fake messages that led to several people being lynched.

Prasad said, "We sent a notice to WhatsApp yesterday. We found that disinformation and provocative messages on WhatsApp played a major role in instigating violence. While we welcome WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook, they must also remain accountable, responsible and vigilant."

He added that WhatsApp has sent the government a reply from California saying they've launched a setting where a group admin can decide who can send messages. "They also said they're trying to see that messages aren't forwarded without reading and understanding. I appreciate this initiative."

India told Facebook-owned WhatsApp to take "immediate action" after a spate of horrific lynchings sparked by false rumours being shared on the hugely popular smartphone messaging service. More than 25 people have been killed in India in recent months after rumours were spread on smartphones about child kidnappers, thieves and sexual predators.

Reacting to this news, WhatsApp responded to the Government of Indias letter on rumours spread via the app and said, Like the Government of India, were horrified by these terrible acts of violence and wanted to respond quickly to the very important issues you have raised. We believe this is a challenge that requires government, civil society, and technology companies to work together.

Image: RAF disperses protesters in Jamshedpur last week. Parents in four areas of Jamshedpur stopped sending their children to schools or even outdoors over rumours of child lifters. Photo: PTI

The Indian government on Wednesday said it is yet to receive an official confirmation from Malaysia with regard to the extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.

"The Ministry of External Affairs had made a formal request to Government of Malaysia for his extradition this year in January and has been pursuing it through diplomatic channels. We have seen media reports regarding the deportation of Zakir Naik by the Malaysian Government. We are yet to receive official confirmation in this regard from Malaysian Government," sources said.

The National Investigation Agency, that is probing the cases against Naik, too denied having any information about his return to India. "We have no such information as of now. We are verifying it," said Alok Mittal

Spokesperson of the NIA on the reports of Naik being brought to India from Malaysia.The statements come following reports in media which quoted sources as saying that Naik will be extradited to India by the Malaysian government and will be brought to Mumbai on Wednesday night.

Naik is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India. The Indian government has sent a request to the Malaysian government for his extradition.

While dismissing the reports of his return to India Naik said, "The news of my coming to India is totally baseless and false. I have no plans to come to India till I don't feel safe from unfair prosecution. Insha Allah when I feel that the government will be just and fair, I will surely return to my homeland."

Naik is facing a probe both in India and Bangladesh after two of the suspects in the terror attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in July 2016 claimed they were inspired by Naik's radical preachings and they were staunch followers of Naik on Facebook and on the Peace Television Channel.

The terror attack had left 22 people dead.Following a request from Bangladesh probes were launched by both NIA and the Enforcement Directorate against Naik and his NGO -- Islamic Research Foundation.

The ED is probing allegations of money laundering against the NGO and has declared it unlawful. The Ministry of External Affairs too has cancelled his passport and asked Malaysia to handover the fugitive to India. Naik had last month petitioned Bombay High Court seeking relief against passport revocation by MEA. The Bombay HC, however, refused to grant relief to Naik. -- ANI

Following his 'major victory' in the Supreme Court in his bitter power tussle with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet former Union minister P Chidambaram today to 'thank' him for representing the city government as one of its counsel in the apex court.

"The chief minister will meet P Chidambaram in the evening to thank him. He was one of the lawyers who represented Delhi government in the Supreme Court," an official said. -- PTI

At least 10 people were killed after a major fire broke out at a firecracker godown near Koti Lingala Temple in Telangana's Warangal district on Wednesday.

The collector of Warangal district confirmed the report and said that four fire tenders were present at the spot to douse the flames.

The reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained.

More details are awaited.

Downplaying Aam Aadmi Party's victory proclamations over the Supreme Court verdict, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said the ruling that the Lieutenant Government is bound by the government's advice was 'not a vindication' for the party as 'it has always been so'.

The Supreme Court handed a major victory to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in his bitter power tussle with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, ruling that the L-G has no independent power to take decisions and is bound by the elected government's advice.

"There is no room for absolutism and there is no room for anarchism also," the five-judge bench of the Supreme Court said in a unanimous ruling pronounced by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

Dikshit, who was the chief minister of Delhi from 1998-2013, said her government may have had differences with the LG, but there was never any 'tussle'.

"We may have had differences. When the differences came out, after talking to each other we sorted out those differences," Dikshit told PTI after the ruling.

Asked if the Supreme Court verdict that the LG is bound by the government's advice was a vindication for the AAP, the senior Congress leader said, "It is not a vindication, it has always been so. We also ran a government for 15 years and whatever the Cabinet decided, the LG used to always agree to that."

The LG has total control over land and law and order, but beyond that he goes through the advice of the cabinet, Dikshit said.

"I don't see why it (the matter) should go to the court. There is a constitutional provision, Article 239 (AA) in the Constitution.. it says the Union territory, it is all clearly laid down then what is the conflict about.

"If you want to change that then go to Parliament and say that you want these changes," the three-term chief minister said.

Talking about her experience of working with different LG over the years, she said, "We had four or five different LGs, but did not have confrontation... because our first job was to govern and not have confrontations."

Asked about the AAP demand for full statehood for Delhi, Dikshit said it has to be decided by Parliament.

"But, Delhi being the capital of this country, I have my doubts, we also tried it all three times, but we couldn't get it either. And I think the reason for that is that because it is the capital city of the country," she said.

Dikshit asserted that full statehood was not a prerequisite for good governance, saying whatever 'tools' are available are good enough for Delhi to get good governance.

She hoped that with the verdict the confrontation would end as it was 'very important for Delhi'. -- PTI

16:07 Naxals killed, escape in 2 encounters

In Chhattisgarh, two Naxals were killed in exchange of fire with Narayanpur District Reserve Guard teams in the forest area of Balebeda village this morning. Two weapons, bags and other material were seized from the spot. In another exchange of fire this morning in the forest area of Jedda village with teams of Special Task Force & District Reserve Guards, security forces seized 5 pressure cooker IEDs, medical kits, bags and other materials from the spot. Naxals managed to escape.

15:56 13 IAS officers transferred in J-K

The Jammu and Kashmir government carried out a mid-level administrative reshuffle, transferring 13 IAS officers, including seven deputy commissioners.

Muslim clerics and scholars are opposing the Uttar Pradesh government's plan to introduce a dress code for Madrasa students.

Questioning the requirement for bringing a change in the traditional attire worn by Madrasas students, Sufiyan Nizami told ANI, "Dress code for all the Madrasas and colleges that are running in this country is not decided by the government. It is decided by the managing committee of that institution. So, why such discrimination against the Madrasas?"

Echoing similar sentiments Madarasa Darul Uloom Firangi Mahal has raised its objection towards this plan.Cleric Mohd Haroon said, "It should be left to us to decide what is good for Madrasas, in any case hardly 1-2 percent of Muslim children study there. Government should not worry."

Yesterday, the Uttar Pradesh government decided to make madrasas across the state "more formal" by introducing a dress code for the students.

"Our aim is to bring madrasas at par with other educational institutions. Till now, students in madrasas have been wearing 'kurta-payjama'. A dress code will make it more formal. We will provide them the uniform," Uttar Pradesh Minister Mohsin Raza told ANI yesterday.

"Our intentions are absolutely clear as we work with transparency and believe in sabka saath, sabka vikas", Raza said.

The new dress for the students is yet to be decided.

This comes after the Uttar Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the introduction of National Council of Educational Research and Training textbooks in the Madrasa Board.

Madrasas were asked to follow the NCERT curriculum and introduce subjects like Science, Mathematics and Social Science.Adityanath on various occasions has stressed the importance of introducing modern education in madrasas. -- PTI

15:07

Filmfare @filmfare Jul 2 #Sanju creates history! It now has the highest collections for an Indian film on a single day ( 46.71 crores) beating the previous record set by #Baahubali2 ( 46.50 crores).

15:03 Passport officer, police exceeded brief in interfaith couple case: Sources

An internal government probe has found that the Lucknow passport officer was wrong in asking an interfaith couple irrelevant questions about their religion when they visited his office with their applications for the document, sources said today. They said the Uttar Pradesh Police was also wrong in finding about their residence and other irrelevant details while conducting verification process, required to issue an passport.

Union Minister Sushma Swaraj has been facing attacks from twitter trolls after the Ministry of External Affairs transferred Lucknow passport official Vikas Mishra after he allegedly harassed city resident Tanvi Seth and her husband Mohammad Anas Siddiqui. The sources said the Lucknow passport official has exceeded his brief.

The MEA has also examined the police verification report of Seth and found that they too overstepped in finding out irrelevant details about the couple.

As per procedure, the police should only check whether an applicant is involved in any criminal activity and whether he or she is a bonafide Indian citizen or not, the sources said. Swaraj was targeted by the trolls following the transfer Mishra.

Mishra was transferred from Lucknow to Gorakhpur after the couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications. -- PTI

Image: Tanvi Seth and her husband Mohammad Anas Siddiqui.

Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik today refuted media reports that he is coming back to India and said that he will return to his homeland when the government will be just and fair.

"The news of my coming to India is totally baseless and false. I have no plans to come to India till I feel safe from unfair prosecution. Insha Allah when I feel that the government will be just and fair, I will surely return to my homeland," Naik said in a statement.

The 51-year-old televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed under terror and money-laundering charges by the NIA.

He fled from India on July 1, 2016, after terrorists in neighbouring Bangladesh claimed that they were inspired by his speeches.

The NIA had on November 18, 2016, registered a case against Naik at its Mumbai branch under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

His Mumbai-based NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, has already been declared an unlawful association by the Union home ministry.

13:32 Delhi BJP welcomes SC verdict

The Delhi BJP has welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the power tussle involving the office of Lt Governor and the AAP government, and said the ruling party should now shun its "political demand" of full statehood to the city.

BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said the apex court verdict today has directed the AAP government to follow the law and it is expected that they will do so.

In a landmark verdict on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre, the Supreme Court today held Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal does not have independent decision-making powers, and is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

It said all decisions of the Council of Ministers must be communicated to the LG but that does not mean his concurrence is required.

"We welcome the SC verdict. The Delhi government should have been following the law even without the order of the court. We hope, they will do so after the judgement," he said. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the verdict has "decided" that Delhi is a Union Territory and the AAP should stop raising their "political demand" for full statehood to the city.

"It is now decided that Delhi is a UT. So, the AAP and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should stop raising the full statehood demand." Kapoor said the judgement has directed for more cooperation between the LG and the city Cabinet and that all parties concerned should respect the verdict.

The apex court's decision is a major victory for the AAP government which has been in a constant tug-of war with LG Anil Baijal, and also his predecessor Najeeb Jung, over the power wielded by the two branches of the executive. -- PTI

The government today hiked the minimum support price for paddy by a steep Rs 200 per quintal as it looked to fulfil its poll promise to give farmers 50 per cent more rate than their cost of production.

The decision, taken by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes less than a year before next general election. While the BJP had promised in 2014 to give farmers a price of 1.5 times of cost, an announcement to give effect to the promise was made in the government's fifth and final annual Budget presented on February 1 this year.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at its meeting today approved the MSP of 14 Kharif (summer-sown) crops. According to sources, the MSP of paddy (common grade) has been increased by Rs 200 to Rs 1,750 per quintal, while that of Grade A variety by Rs 160 per quintal to Rs 1,750. Hike in paddy MSP will increase the food subsidy bill by over Rs 11,000 crore based on procurement figure of the 2016-17 marketing year (October-September). -- PTI

Just in: Actress Sonali Bendre Behl has been diagnosed with cancer.

The 43-year-old actress, who was last seen in a cameo appearance in the 2013 film, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Doobara, posted a statement on her Instagram and Twitter accounts saying she was under treatment in the US for high-grade cancer.

"Sometimes, when you least expect it, life throws you a curveball. I have recently been diagnosed with a high grade cancer that has metastised, which we frankly did not see coming. A niggling pain led to some tests, which led to this unexpected diagnosis. My family and close friends have rallied around me, providing the best support system that anyone can ask for. I am very blessed and thankful for each of them.

"There is no better way to tackle this, than to take swift and immediate action. And so, as advised by my doctors, I am currently undergoing a course of treatment in New York. We remain optimistic and I am determined to fight every step of the way. What has helped has been the immense outpouring of love and support I've received over the past few days, for which I am very grateful.

"I'm taking this battle head on, knowing I have the strength of my family and friends behind me."

Our prayers and best wishes with you, Sonali.

Pic: Sonali Bendre's Twitter account.

12:37 Swamy calls AAP Naxals

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has the last word -- throws in a barb as he concurs with the judgment: "Yes, what the SC said is correct that LG must respect Delhi cabinet decisions, but if any anti national security or anti constitutional decision is taken, which they are capable of taking, as they are Naxalite type people, then the LG can oppose.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today hailed the Supreme Court verdict on the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre as a "big victory" for the people of the city and for democracy.

The apex court today held that Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal does not have independent decision-making powers, and is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

The judgement pronounced in the court by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who was heading a five judge Constitution bench, also held that the LG cannot act as an "obstructionist".

"A big victory for the people of Delhi...a big victory for democracy...," Kejriwal tweeted minutes after the verdict. The decision is a major victory for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP government which has been in a constant tug of war with LG Anil Baijal over the power wielded by the two branches of the executive.

The Supreme Court said that except for three issues, including land and law and order, the Delhi government has the power to legislate and govern on other issues. The LG needs to work harmoniously with the Council of Ministers and an attempt should be made to settle the difference of opinion with discussions, the apex court said. -- PTI

To encapsulate the landmark verdict by the Supreme Court in a majority 3:2 verdict said that the power tussle between the Delhi government and the Centre, the Court today held that Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal does not have independent decision making powers, and is bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

The judgement pronounced in the court by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, who was heading a five judge Constitution bench, also held that the LG cannot act as an "obstructionist". Two other judges, Justices A K Sikri and A M Khanwilkar, concurred with the verdict. It said all decisions of the Council of Ministers must be communicated to the LG but that does not mean his concurrence is required. Justices Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan offered a dissenting judgment.

"There is no room for absolutism and there is no room for anarchism also," the court ruled.

The decision is a major victory for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP government which has been in a constant tug of war with LG Anil Baijal over the power wielded by the two branches of the executive.

The Supreme Court said that except for three issues, including land and law and order, Delhi government has the power to legislate and govern on other issues.

It was ruling on a batch of appeals filed by Kejriwal's government challenging the Delhi High Court's order holding the LG as the administrative head of the national capital.

Virtually disagreeing with the High Court order, the Supreme Court said the LG should not act in a mechanical manner and stall the decisions of the Council of Ministers.

It said the LG has not been entrusted with independent powers and he can refer issues on difference of opinion to the president only in exceptional matters and not as a general rule.

The LG needs to work harmoniously with the Council of Ministers and an attempt should be made to settle the difference of opinion with discussions, the apex court said. -- PTI

11:41 Big victory for people of Delhi: Kejriwal

First reactions from Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal: A big victory for the people of Delhi...a big victory for democracy...

I think what SC has said is very clear. As per Article 239 (AA) of the Constitution, Delhi is not a state,it is a UT.If Delhi Govt&LG don't work together then Delhi will face problems. Congress ruled Delhi for 15 years, no conflict took place then: Sheila Dikshit, Former Delhi CM

Its a landmark judgement by Supreme Court. Now Delhi Govt will not have to send their files to LG for approval, now work will not be stalled. I thank the SC, its a big win for democracy: Manish Sisodia,Delhi Deputy Chief Minister

Its a good verdict by Supreme Court. LG and Delhi Govt have to work harmoniously,can't always have confrontation. Daily squabbles are not good for democracy. I welcome the decision: Soli Sorabjee,former Attorney General of India

Update on the AAP vs Centre power tussle:

SC rules that, "All decisions of council of ministers must be communicated to LG but that doesn't mean concurrence of LG is required.

"LG should not act in a mechanical manner and stall decisions of council of ministers.

"LG has not been entrusted with independent powers. LG can refer issues on difference of opinion to President only in exceptional matters and not as general rule.

"LG must work harmoniously with council of ministers and attempt should be made to settle difference of opinion with discussions."

Justice D Y Chandrachud in his separate but concurrent verdict said LG must realise that council of ministers are answerable to people.

11:23 Delhi cannot have full statehood: SC

Update on the AAP vs Centre tussle: The LG cannot act independently unless where the Constitution allows it. The LG cannot be an obstructionist. The Lt Governor cannot refer all matters to the President.

However, Kejriwal's demand for full statehood for Delhi was not granted with the court observing that Delhi cannot have full statehood in view of an earlier nine-judge judgment.

The Supreme Court is delivering its verdict in the case involving the Delhi government and the Centre's tussle regarding administrative control over the national capital. The verdict is a clear win for the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi. The Supreme Court in no uncertain terms said that the state should enjoy freedom with unsolicited interference. The court said real power must lie with the elected government.

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra says in the matter of the power tussle between the Centre and the Delhi Government that obeying the Constitution is everybody's duty and responsibility.

"The relationship between Centre and State Govt should be healthy. The LG must work harmoniously with the state, the LG and council of ministers have to be constantly aligned and it's role cannot be obstructionist. The LG cannot have a difference of opinion on every matter with the council of ministers," the SC said.

"The LG should not act in a mechanical manner to refer every order of the Govt to the President but only exceptional ones," the SC said.

Only three reserved subjects, police, land and public order remain with the Centre. All others are under the domain of the Delhi Govt.

The SC holds that the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

The top court had reserved its judgment on the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party government challenging the Delhi High Court's ruling, which stated that Delhi is a Union Territory and the Lieutenant Governor, its administrative head.

10:59 Mumbai: Some slow trains on WR cancelled

@WesternRly Due to some technical issues, train operations from PF No. 4 at Andheri has been suspended temporarily due to which some slow trains will remain cancelled.

10:53 Emirates to discontinue 'Hindu meal' option

Emirates Airlines announced that it has decided to discontinue the 'Hindu meal' option.In an official statement, the Dubai-based airline said the decision to withdraw the above-mentioned option from its in-flight menu was taken following a review of the onboard products and services.

"As part of our continuous review of the products and services available to customers, Emirates can confirm that it will discontinue the Hindu meal option. We constantly review our offering, taking into consideration customer uptake and feedback. This helps us improve service efficiencies," the statement read.

However, the airline said that Hindu passengers would still be able to choose from a variety of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian regionally-inspired meals.

Emirates is also providing meal options catering to a number of health and dietary requirements. For its vegetarian passengers, Emirates would offer a number of meal options such as Vegetarian Jain Meal, Indian Vegetarian Meal, Kosher meal and Non-Beef non-vegetarian options as well.

10:48 96 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims evacuated

At least 96 Indian pilgrims, undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, were evacuated on Wednesday.According to sources in Nepal, at least 73 Indian pilgrims were evacuated to Surkhet district by flight while a chopper used for 23 others. If the weather remains conducive, the evacuation process will be completed in two to three days.

Meanwhile, the pilgrims who are in Tibet, still remain there and are safe. They will be brought back after the evacuation process in Nepal is completed.

At least 104 Indian pilgrims were evacuated to Simikot from Hilsa, yesterday.

A pilgrim from Andhra Pradesh and another one from Kerala, died in Nepal when they were returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage.

The Indian Embassy in Nepal issued a list of hotline numbers for the pilgrims stranded in Nepal and their family members. A number of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims are stranded in parts of Nepal following heavy downpour.

Thousands of Indian pilgrims take part in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra every year via Nepal in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China ahead of the monsoon season.The tour is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs each year between June and September in cooperation with the government of People's Republic of China through two different routes - Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

10:45 Sensex, Nifty turn choppy on weak global cues

The BSE Sensex turned negative after opening 59 points higher in the early trading session today on sustained capital outflows and weak global cues following rising concerns of a global trade war.

The 30-share index was trading lower by 54.01 points, or 0.15 per cent, at 35,324.59. The gauge had gained 114.19 points in the previous session. Investor sentiment turned weak after most Asian stocks declined as trade jitters continued to simmer ahead of the July 6 deadline when US tariffs are due to take effect, brokers said.

The deadline is set to see the imposition of 25 per cent tariff on USD 34 billion worth of Chinese goods. China has also announced that it will retaliate against those measures.

Vedanta, ONGC, Tata Motors, Adani Ports, SBI, Yes Bank, Tata Steel, TCS, Bharti Airtel, Hero MotoCorp, Infosys, Asian Paints, ITC, L&T, ICICI Bank, Wipro and Coal India were among the top index losers, shedding up to 1.91 per cent.

On the other hand, Power Grid, Sun Pharma, HDFC Ltd, RIL, HUL and HDFC Bank, rose up to 1.11 per cent. The NSE Nifty too edged lower by 18.65 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 10,681.25.

A day after the footbridge collapse at Andheri, the Mumbai police has sounded an alert for another bridge.

@MumbaiPolice tweeted that the bridge at Grant road station has developed cracks. Traffic has been diverted to Nana chowk towards Kennedy bridge.

Multiple tweeted by the Mumbai Police saw cracks on the road almost along the entire length of the bridge, similar to cracks caused by earthquakes.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban will undergo a safety audit. "I got the design of this bridge studied. This bridge is a Cantilever bridge and is around 40 years old. Safety audit will be done of 445 bridges in suburban Mumbai. As per findings of an audit, necessary action will be taken at the earliest."

Another testimony to the city's crumbling infrastructure and the government's sadly lacking attention towards repairs and maintenance.

09:56 First look of film on Malala

First look of the film, Gul Makai inspired by the life of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai. The film has been directed by Amjad Khan. The film's name is derived from the pseudonym that Malala had used while writing blogs about her life in the Swat valley for BBC Urdu.

Update on the Mumbai bridge collapse:

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that 445 bridges in Mumbai suburban will undergo a safety audit. "I got the design of this bridge studied. This bridge is a Cantilever bridge and is around 40 years old. Safety audit will be done of 445 bridges in suburban Mumbai. As per findings of an audit, necessary action will be taken at the earliest."

The Gokhale Bridge, which connects Andheri East and Andheri West, collapsed in Mumbai's Andheri station on Tuesday morning, injuring at least six people.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, taking stock of the situation, spoke to the Commissioner of Police of Mumbai and asked him to ensure smooth traffic movement.

The Fadnavis government also announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to those injured.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led state government has also asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner to increase the frequency of BEST buses for the convenience of commuters.

Image: Debris of the collapsed bridge on the rail tracks at Andheri yesterday. Rail tracks have been cleared and all lines on the Western Railway are operational, but running late.

09:36 Who is Delhi's boss? SC verdict today

The Supreme Court is slated to deliver its verdict in the case involving the Delhi government and the Centre's tussle regarding administrative control over the national capital this morning.

The top court had reserved its judgment on the plea of the Aam Aadmi Party government challenging the Delhi High Court's ruling, which stated that Delhi is a Union Territory and the Lieutenant Governor, its administrative head.

In November last year, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court observed that the AAP government in Delhi needs the Lieutenant Governor's nod to govern the national capital, but the LG cannot sit on files beyond a reasonable period.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan had reserved the verdict in the case after a 15-day long hearing took place.

However, the Centre told the apex court that the AAP cannot claim privileges of a state government, as Delhi is a Union Territory.

The Centre also refuted allegations of the Arvind Kejriwal-led government that the Lieutenant Governor sat on files sent by the government for their execution.

The power tussle between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor has been on since the formation of the AAP government here.

Recently, Kejriwal, along with Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other, sat on a nine-day sit-in strike at Raj Niwas, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal's office-cum-residence.

Kejriwal and other ministers urged Baijal to direct the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers working under the Delhi administration to end their "undeclared strike." -- ANI

Trains on Mumbai's western line are running late by 20-25 minutes.

"Mumbai Suburban services are restored. However, services are delayed by 20 to 25 min due to technical reasons," Divisional Railway Manager- Mumbai Division of Western Railway said on Twitter.

Barely seven months after it was inspected for structural safety, the Gokhale over-bridge at Andheri railway station in Mumbai collapsed yesterday, prompting the railway ministry to order a probe into it.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has asked the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Western Circle, to conduct an inquiry into the incident and submit his report within 15 days.

A part of the 47-year-old over-bridge collapsed during heavy rains, disrupting train services, injuring five people.

Goyal said that during the next six months, a joint safety audit will be conducted by the railways, the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation and the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, at the 445 road over-bridges, foot over-bridges and bridges over pipelines in Mumbai as part of efforts to improve safety for the commuters.

An audit of this particular bridge was conducted in November 2017, Goyal said, while a spokesperson of Western Railway told PTI that "no structural flaw was found in the audit".

The structure was one of the 2,000 bridges and 550 ROBs that were thoroughly inspected last year, railway officials said.

All the bridges are inspected at least twice a year -- before the monsoon and after the monsoon, they said, adding that some of the structures are inspected more frequently, depending on their condition.

The railways has set a target of inspecting 10,000 bridges and 2,870 ROBs at least once over a period of five years.

The officials said after the stampede at a foot over-bridge at the Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai in September last year, killing 23 people, all the FOBs in the Mumbai suburban area were inspected by the Western Railway and the Central Railway.

The railways had a total of 1,47,523 bridges in the country, including 2,870 ROBs, 3,422 FOBs, road under-bridges and subways, as of April.

The probe report of the Western Railway after the Elphinstone Road stampede had blamed heavy rains and bridge collapse rumours for the incident. -- PTI

Westerner line services have been restored after debris of a foot overbridge which collapsed on the tracks in Andheri were cleared.

As per latest reports, all local trains between Churchgate and Virar are running 10 to 15 minutes late.

"All Local Trains between Churchgate and Virar are running 10 to 15 min behind schedule," Divisional Railway Manager- Mumbai Division of Western Railway said on Twitter.

Yesterday, the 40-year-old foot overbridge collapsed on rail tracks in suburban Andheri amid heavy rains bringing local services of the Western Railway to a halt and affecting some long distance trains.

Five people were injured in the incident, the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation said, adding that two of them were seriously hurt.

The Indigenous People's Front of Tripura and its senior alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party will contest next year's Lok Sabha election separately, the parties said.

While the IPFT said it was 'forced' to take the decision following the BJP's unilateral naming of leaders for the two Tripura Lok Sabha seats, the saffron party has claimed that its alliance with the IPFT in this year's assembly election was one-off.

The IPFT and the BJP came together for the first time in January this year in a pre-poll alliance to unseat the Left Front after 25 years.

Differences have cropped up between the two parties on a number of issues including the Central Bureau of Investigation booking three IPFT leaders, including an MLA, for the killing of a journalist last year.

According to IPFT, the BJP did not consult it while forming two committees recently and putting leaders at their helm to look after the poll preparations for the two Lok Sabha seats -- East Tripura (ST reserve) and West Tripura.

This did not go down well with the IPFT and a decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of the party's High Level Coordination Committee, IPFT assistant general secretary Mangal Debbarma said.

He added that the BJP has appointed state Law minister Ratan Lal Nath and general secretary Rajeev Bhattacharya as in-charges of East Tripura Lok Sabha constituency, while state Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman and party general secretary Pratima Bhowmik were put in charge of the West Tripura parliament seat.

"We were interested to talk on the issue. But they (BJP) have put their party leaders in charge of both Lok Sabha seats without discussing with us. We were forced to take this step and contest alone," the IPFT leader said.

The IPFT has a significant presence in both East Tripura (ST reserve) and West Tripura Lok Sabha seats, which are currently held by the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

When contacted, BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said, "The alliance of BJP with IPFT was formed for the last Assembly election held in February.

"It is not that BJP and IPFT will contest all the elections together. Our state in-charge Sunil Deodhar earlier announced that BJP would contest in all the two seats of the Lok Sabha alone."

Deb, however, said the decision will have no impact on the present government.

The BJP had electoral alliance Shiv Sena in Maharastra in state elections, but later the two parties fought several elections separately having no impact on the government.

I think it would also be like this. There would be no impact on the government, he said. -- PTI

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