LIVE! Rahul remembers temples only during elections: Yogi Adityanath

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Sun, 24 June 2018

Rahul remembers temples only during elections: Yogi Adityanath

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20:46 Rahul remembers temples only during elections: Yogi Adityanath

Launching a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Rahul remembers temples only during elections.

Addressing a function at Chhibramau, Adityanath said, "The Congress president remembers temples only during the elections. Four generations of Rahul's family have never wore a 'janeu' (sacred thread worn by Hindus), but at the time of elections, he shows his janeu."

"The four generations of Rahul Gandhi have never moved a step towards a temple. One should visit a temple with a feeling of devotion and not for politics or to show off," the chief minister added.

The UP chief minister also accused Gandhi and other Congress leaders of trying to demotivate the Indian Army by questioning its bonafide acts.

"When the army guns down the terrorists, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders raise questions against the Army. The BJP government at the Centre is trying to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the roots and also address the problem of separatism, which has made the Congress worried," he said.

Adityanath also said that Rahul has inherited politics (rajniti viraasat mein mili hai).

"We have moved ahead in politics through sheer struggle. Rahul behaves like an yuvraj, while we see politics as a medium of service," he said.

On the eve of the 43rd anniversary of Emergency, Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday recalled how more than four decades ago the government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi clamped a phoney emergency that turned democracy into constitutional dictatorship.

On June 25, 1975, Indira declared a state of emergency across the country citing that security of India was threatened by internal disturbance. Between June 26 to March 21, 1977, when the Emergency was in force, the government of PM Indira Gandhi assumed draconian powers and crushed all dissent. Hours before the proclamation through the night of June 25-26 police arrested all major Opposition leaders, including Jaiprakash Narayan.

It was a phoney emergency on account of proclaimed policy that Indira Gandhi was indispensable to India and all contrarian voices had to be crushed. The constitutional provisions were used to turn democracy into a constitutional dictatorship, said Jaitley in a Facebook post, the first part of the three-part series titled The Emergency revisited. The second part of the series will come tomorrow.

In the days that followed, civil liberties were suspended, media censored, and amendments were brought that threatened to alter the basic character of the Constitution. Draconian laws like MISA were strengthened. The government suspended the right to move court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Jaitley claimed that he became the first Satyagrahi against the Indira Gandhi-led governments draconian move and was lodged in Tihar Jail for organising a protest meeting on June 26.

Twenty five out of the 50 dirtiest towns in India are from West Bengal, claims the Narendra Modi-led union government. Citing the 2018 "Swachh Survekshan" or nationwide cleanliness survey, it claims that the state has fared dismally with an overall ranking of 28 out of 30 states.

The survey - Conducted by the Union Housing & Urban Affairs Ministry - reveals that West Bengal has an aggregate score of 164 points, faring just a little better than Nagaland (145) and Tripura (131) at the bottom of the rankings table.

Of the 500 urban local bodies with a population of more than one lakh that were surveyed, none of the small towns from West Bengal have been able to break into the top 300.

Habra in North 24 Parganas district fared the best with a rank of 366, while Bhadreswar in Hooghly district has been judged the dirtiest small city in the country with a score of 448.33 points. Known as the "queen of hills", the world famous Darjeeling town has been ranked 461 out of 500.

Mo Salah is considering quitting the Egyptian national team due to his unhappiness over what has happened in Chechnya, where the team was based during the World Cup at Russia 2018, a source close to the Liverpool forward has told CNN.

Last season Salah became an international star ranked alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr due to his goalscoring feats for Liverpool, who he helped reach the Champions League final.

Salah was injured in that game against Real Madrid and subsequently missed Egypt's opening World Cup match against Uruguay, though he played and scored in the 3-1 defeat by hosts Russia.

But as he struggled for fitness a picture of Salah walking beside Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov became a major talking point at the World Cup. The Egyptian football media team was not immediately available for comment.

Kadyrov, leader of Chechnya since 2004, has stifled any form of dissent, subduing the separatist movement that fought the Russian army for nearly two decades.

Subsequently Kadyrov made Salah an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic.

Salah feels exposed by what has happened in Chechnya, the source told CNN. The Liverpool star doesn't wish to engage in topics beyond football or to be used for anyone's political image.

Singapore said on Sunday it spent S$16.3 million ($12 million) on hosting the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, less than earlier reports that had angered some locals.

Most of the money went on security, the foreign ministry said, without giving a detailed breakdown.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had earlier estimated the event cost Singapore S$20 million. Foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan had said that included the cost of Kim's hotel room.

Trump and Kim spent each spent three days in Singapore for the June 12 summit where the two pledged to work on ending North Korea's nuclear program and improve ties.

More than 250 terrorists are active in Kashmir and about the same number are waiting at "launch pads" across the Line of Control to infiltrate into the valley, the army said today.

"About 250-275 terrorists are active in Kashmir valley," General-Officer Commanding of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps (15 Corps), Lt Gen A K Bhatt told reporters in Baramulla in north Kashmir.

He said terrorists in groups of 25-30 are waiting at launch pads across the LoC to infiltrate into the valley.

"In the 15 Corps' zone (across the LoC), about 250-270 in groups of 25-30 are at different launch pads," he said.

Lt Gen Bhatt said the situation in north Kashmir is better than in the south.

"Compared to south Kashmir, there is less number of militants in north and the situation is also better in north Kashmir for which I thank the people, especially the youth, here," he said.

Asked whether NSG would be deployed during counter-militancy operations in Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army officer said "yes".

"I think NSG will be deployed in Srinagar city along with police".

-- PTI

18:46 Fake news proving deadly in India: BBC

Fake news spread instantaneously over WhatsApp chat groups and Facebook is causing a firestorm in India and resulting in the loss of lives, warns the BBC in a new investigative report from Bangalore.

The British public broadcaster is set to highlight the issue in a report to be aired on BBC World News on Tuesday centred around the death of Kaluram Bachanram, who was beaten to death by a mob in Bangalore after WhastApp rumours convinced people that he was a child kidnapper.

"Kalu became a victim of India's fake news firestorm Across India eight lives have been lost in this latest wave of fallacy defeating fact. Fake news is a challenge we all grapple with but here it is proving deadly," the BBC correspondent says in his report.

The BBC has been working to combat the issue of fake news through initiatives such as "BBC Reality Check", a political discourse fact-checking service. It was launched during the European Union referendum in 2016 for both TV and online and has now been made permanent and covers a wide range of issues.

"Fake news is a big problem and it's vital for democracy that ordinary people are able to tell truth from fiction in the news they read, watch, and hear," said Jim Egan, CEO of BBC Global News Ltd.

He noted: "Trusted news will be as important as ever as we approach the elections in India next year, however a recent BBC 'Value of News' study found that 83 per cent of Indian news consumers are concerned about fake news.

"We experienced the reality of this problem recently when a fake survey on Karnataka polls circulated on WhatsApp with BBC News branding and we were forced to put out a statement making clear that it did not come from the BBC."

-- PTI

Pakistan today rejected the allegations that Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was denied access to a famous Sikh gurudwara near Islamabad, saying the diplomat had agreed to cancel his visit following the protests by the Sikh pilgrims against the release of controversial movies in India.

India yesterday summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest over the denial of access to its envoy in Islamabad and consular officials to visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib and meet visiting Indian pilgrims.

It was conveyed to the Pakistan side that preventing the Indian High Commission officials from discharging their consular responsibilities was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, and the 1974 bilateral Protocol on visit to religious shrines.

Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal today tweeted that Sikh pilgrims "were protesting against maltreatment in India & release of controversial movies."

He said the Indian high commissioner was informed about the heightened pilgrim sentiments and he agreed to cancel his visit due to this concern.

Faisal said that more than 300 Indian Sikhs are visiting Pakistan for the death anniversary of Raja Ranjit Singh and a special train was arranged from Attari to Wagah for the Sikh yatris "who are always welcome to Pakistan for their religious and cultural ceremonies".

Earlier, media reports had said that Bisaria and his wife were denied entry by Sikhs who were protesting over controversial movie Nanak Shah Fakir.

-- PTI

The West Bengal CID today arrested a person from Purulia district for his alleged involvement in the killing of Trilochan Mahato, whom the BJP had claimed as its member.

Punjabi Mahato, 45, was arrested this morning following a prolonged interrogation, a senior CID officer said.

Trilochan's body was found hanging from a tree under Balarampur limits in the district on May 30.

Two mobile phones and two SIM cards, which were hidden at Punjabi's residence, have been seized, the officer said.

"Forensic tests will be conducted on the phones and the SIM cards. Punjabi will be taken to court tomorrow with a prayer for police custody," he added.

An unsigned handwritten note in Bengali found near the body of the 20-year-old victim said that he was "punished for working for the BJP" during the recent rural polls in the state. The same was scribbled behind the T-shirt worn by Trilochan at the time of his death.

The deceased's father, Hariram Mahato, had lodged a case with the Balarampur police station.

He had also filed a writ petition before the Calcutta High Court last week, seeking a CBI probe into the death.

Three days after Trilochan's death, 35-year-old Dulal Kumar was found hanging from a power transmission tower in the district.

The BJP had claimed that Kumar was also its worker.

The saffron party has been organising demonstrations and rallies in different parts of the state, demanding justice for both the victims.

The state government had transferred district SP Joy Biswas following the two incidents.

-- PTI

Prince William arrived in Jordan on Sunday on the first stop of a five-day Middle East tour that will make him the first British royal to pay an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Duke of Cambridge will meet with Crown Prince Hussein, the son of Jordan's King Abdullah II, and other Jordanian leaders during his two days in the kingdom.

On Monday night, he will leave for Israel, where he can expect his every move to be closely watched.

After a Tuesday morning visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, Prince William will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

On Wednesday, he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the West Bank.

The following day, William is expected to visit Jerusalem's Old City, the Mount of Olives and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the Garden of Gethsemane, where his great-grandmother, Princess Alice -- Prince Philip's mother -- is buried.

Events with children are also a focus of the royal visit. William will meet with young Syrian refugees and Jordanian students while in Jordan and play soccer with children in Jaffa, Tel Aviv.

His wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, who gave birth to their third child in late April, will not be joining him on the visit.

The state-wide plastic ban,including carry-bags and thermocol by the Devendra Fadanvis government, will result in loss of up to Rs 15,000 crore and nearly 3 lakh job, says the plastic manufacturing industry.

"The ban imposed by Maharashtra from Saturday has hit the industry very hard and the plastic industry is staring at a loss of Rs 15,000 crore, leaving nearly 3 lakh people jobless overnight," said Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association of India general secretary Neemit Punamiya.

Nearly 2,500 members of the association have left with the no option but to shut shop following the ban, he added and termed the ban as "discriminatory".

Industry insiders have said the job losses from the ban will impact the state's GDP, and also increase banks' bad loans from the plastic sector.

While retailers across the megapolis have said heavy fines for violating the bank will make them financially unviable and force them to turn away many customers, consumers have complained of inconvenience, and wondered whether the ban makes any sense.

The civic authorities have imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for the first-time offenders and Rs 10,000 for the second-time offenders. Those who violate the ban for the third time will face a fine of Rs 25,000, along with a three-month imprisonment.

-- PTI

Several media bodies, including the Press Club of India, today sought strict action against senior BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh over his "threatening and intimidating" remarks directed at Kashmiri journalists.

In a joint statement, the Indian Women's Press Corps, Press Club of India, Press Association and Federation of Press Clubs of India said, "We, the undersigned organisations demand that strict action be taken against the lawmaker for making threatening remarks hinting possible violence at journalists in the valley.

"Such statements are nothing short of criminal intimidation and a direct attack on the freedom of the press. They also serve to vitiate atmosphere and endanger the lives of journalists who work and live precariously in conflict situations," it said.

Lal, former minister in the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir government, had warned Kashmiri journalists to draw a line between reporting facts and supporting terrorists or face the fate of Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari, who was shot dead by militants.

"Kashmiri journalists have created an erroneous atmosphere and I would like to ask them to draw the line," he had told reporters in Jammu on Friday.

"You want to live like what happened to Basharat," he said in an apparent reference to Bukhari.

"Take care of yourselves and draw a line so that the brotherhood is not broken and it is maintained so that progress and development (of the state) is ensured, Singh said.

-- PTI

In a strong rebuttal to BJP chief Amit Shah's allegations against her government, PDP supremo and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti today said several "false charges" have been levelled against her party and asserted that her commitment to the common minimum programme never wavered.

Breaking her silence on the series of allegations levelled by her former ally, the BJP, on the state government led by her, Mehbooba said it was sad to see the saffron party disown its own initiative and label it a "soft approach".

Many false charges levelled against us by our former allies. Our commitment to the Agenda of Alliance, co-authored by (BJP national general secretary) Ram Madhav & (and) endorsed by senior leaders like (Union Home Minister) Rajnath (Singh) Ji never wavered. It is sad to see them disown their own initiative & label it a 'soft approach', she wrote on Twitter.

In a series of tweets, the PDP president said the measures taken by her government to restore confidence on the ground were "recognised and endorsed" by the BJP.

"Status quo on Article 370, dialogue with Pakistan & (and) Hurriyat were a part of AoA (Agenda of Alliance). Encouraging dialogue, withdrawing cases against stone pelters & the unilateral ceasefire were much needed measures to restore confidence on the ground. This was recognized & endorsed by BJP," she said.

Slamming her former alliance partner, Mehbooba said the allegations levelled by Shah at a rally in Jammu yesterday, had no basis in reality.

The JD-U wants the results of the 2015 Bihar assembly polls, in which it had fared much better than the BJP, to be a key factor while deciding how many seats each of the four NDA parties in the state will get to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Though the demand of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led party is unlikely to be met with any enthusiasm by the BJP or two of its other allies -- the Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party and the Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party -- JD(U) leaders claim that the asembly polls were the latest show of strength in the state and the outcome of it could not be ignored while distributing seats for the general election.

Formal talks over a seat-sharing formula among the NDA constituents are yet to begin and JD-U leaders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the BJP should take the lead to ensure that it was done quickly to avoid any serious differences near the polls.

In the assembly election, the JD-U had won 71 of the 243 seats, while the BJP had emerged victorious in 53 seats and the LJP and RLSP in two each.

The JD-U was then an ally of the RJD and the Congress, before it dumped them last year to rejoin the NDA.

A BJP leader described the JD-U's argument as "unrealistic" and the "usual political tactics" deployed by different parties ahead of elections.

Two Lashkar-e-Tayiba were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of south Kashmir today, police said.

The encounter began this afternoon at a village in Kulgam as Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the CRPF and the army, were carrying out operations to clear a national highway ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, beginning June 28, a senior police official said.

The encounter was still going on, the official said.

15:35 Obama to visit Kenya next month

Former US President Barack Obama will travel to his father's homeland of Kenya next month as part of a trip that will include stops in South Africa, Spain and Portugal.

Obama will visit Kenya from July 15-16, where he'll attend the inauguration of a youth sports center founded by his sister, Auma Obama.

The vocational center in Siaya County aims to provide educational and economic opportunities to help young people serve their communities, and shares a similar mission as the former US President's Obama Foundation.

"Given that his own mission under the Obama Foundation is to inspire and empower people to change the world, his attendance at this event at our ancestral home, where our father was laid to rest, is of great significance to me," Auma Obama said.

The two share a father, but have different mothers. They have described their close relationship, and Auma Obama attended his 2009 inauguration and was a big part of the president's 2015 visit to Kenya.

15:10

JUST IN: Jammu-Kashmir: Terrorists attack an army patrol party in Kulgam's Chadder Bhan.

More details awaited.

15:06 UP CM launches campaign to clean Gomti river

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today launched a campaign to clean the Gomti river and said that it will create awareness among people about protecting the environment.

An official spokesperson of the state government said the chief minister launched the campaign from Jhulelal Vatika on the banks of the Gomti river.

On the occasion, he administered an oath to the people present there to keep the river clean. Plant saplings were also distributed on this occasion.

"This maha abhiyan will generate awareness among the people about environment. It will also motivate the people to keep the rivers clean," Adityanath said at the event.

-- PTI

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described the 1985 Air India bombing as the "single worst terrorist attack" in the country's history as he paid tributes to the 329 victims of the Kanishka Flight 182 which was blown off mid-air.

"On this day in 1985, Canadians awoke to news that defied belief, and left our country in a state of shock and suffering," Trudeau said yesterday, marking the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism in Canada.

Air India Flight 182, bound for London after picking up passengers in Toronto and Montreal, disappeared from radar off the coast of Ireland on June 23, 1985. A bomb planted on the plane in Canada in an act of terror exploded on board, killing all 329 people on board, including 280 Canadians.

"The Air India bombing remains the single worst terrorist attack in Canada's history. This horrific act of malice and destruction left families and friends grieving the loss of loved ones, and brought pain that will never completely go away," the prime minister said.

"In times of tragedy and testing, Canadians have shown that the values which bring us together inclusion, compassion, justice, and equality are much stronger than the forces that try, and fail, to wedge us apart," Trudeau said.

"Terrorists believe, through cowardly and violent acts, that they can make us question not only our safety, but the democratic institutions that keep us safe. They are wrong. Canadians are for facts and diversity, not fear and division. Our society thrives on inclusivity, and these acts only strengthen our resolve for unity," Trudeau said.

He said, "Canada condemns all forms of terrorism. We stand in solidarity with our allies, and the international community, in the ongoing fight to prevent radicalization and fight terrorism at home and abroad".

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my condolences to everyone everywhere who has lost loved ones to terrorism. We also thank and honour those who work each day to keep our citizens, communities, and country safe," he said, referring to several terror attacks across the world.

-- PTI

An arrest warrant has been issued against absconding diamantaire Nirav Modi in connection with the case of evasion of Customs duty, registered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

The warrant was issued under Section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973, by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chief Court of Surat, on Friday.

A prosecution in the case was launched by the DRI before the Surat Court in March this year.

In December 2014, the DRI, on a specific intelligence, had intercepted the consignments at Air Cargo Complex, Sahar, Mumbai, destined to Hong Kong and Dubai, which were found to be grossly mis-declared in their quality, quantity, and value, mainly that of Cut & Polished Diamonds (CPD).

Freight on Board (FOB) value of the diamond for the said six consignments was declared as Rs. 43.10 crores, whereas the official value ascertained was found to be only Rs. 4.93 crores.

During further investigation, the DRI officers found that three companies of Nirav Modi Group - M/s Firestar International Pvt. Ltd. (FIPL), M/s Firestar Diamond International Pvt. Ltd. (FDIPL) and M/s Radashir Jewellery Co. Pvt. Ltd. (RJCPL) were indulged in the diversion of duty free imported goods, CPDs, and pearls, all three units were located in Surat.

The total diversion of duty-free goods (CPD and pearls) was found to be Rs. 1205 crore, while the total customs duty along with interest and penalty recovered on such diversion was Rs. 48.21 crore.

After completion of the investigation and other proceedings (recovery of customs duty along with interest and penalty), Prosecution under Section 132, 135, read with Section 140(1) of the Customs Act, 1962 and under Section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 was launched against Nirav Modi and his three companies.

-- ANI

Freezing temperatures inside when it is burning outside might soon be history as the power ministry has advised the manufacturers of air conditioners to keep the default setting of the cooling machines at 24 degree Celsius saying that this will help save a lot of energy.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, which carried out a study, recommended the default setting that could go up two notches to 26 degree Celsius.

The proposal is part of the campaign initiated by the ministry of power that aims to save substantial amount of energy and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Following an awareness campaign in the next six months and a survey to gather feedback, the ministry would consider making it mandatory. This will help save 20 billion units of electricity in one year alone, according to the power ministry.

Explaining the rationale behind the recommendation, Union Power Minister RK Singh said that every one-degree increase in the temperature setting saves six per cent of electricity consumed.

"The normal human body temperature is approximately 36-37 degrees Celsius, but a large number of commercial establishments, hotels and offices maintain a temperature around 18-21 degrees Celsius forcing people to wear warm clothes or use blankets. This is actually wastage of energy. Some countries like Japan have put in place regulation to keep the temperature at 28 degrees Celsius," Singh said, according to news agency ANI.

An advisory will be issued to manufacturers and establishments, including airports, hotels, shopping malls, offices and government buildings.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford have revealed the name of their baby girl, who was born Thursday.

Ardern is the first world leader in nearly 30 years to have a child while in office.

Emerging from Auckland City Hospital with their sleeping baby Sunday morning, Ardern and Gayford told waiting media they had named her Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford.

"Neve" (pronounced like leave) means radiant, light or snow and "Te Aroha" (TAY AH-row-ha) means love and is also the name of the mountain and town near where Ardern lived as a child.

The baby will be known as Neve Gayford for short.

Ardern said like many parents she and Gayford had struggled to settle on a name before the birth and had a shortlist prepared.

The body of a 30-year-old Argentina football team fan was recovered from a river near Kottayam, two days after he left home upset over poor showing of the South American team in the World Cup, police said.

Dinu Alex, an ardent fan of Argentina football team and its captain Lionel Messi, was missing since he left his home in Arumanoor near here on Friday, saying, in a note, he was going to end his life upset over Argentina's 0-3 rout against Croatia in the World Cup.

Police, along with the Fire and Rescue service personnel, were searching for his body in the nearby Meenachil river.

It was found in the river near Illickal Bridge, about 10 km from his village, police said.

In a suicide note, which was found in his room, Alex had said he was upset with Argentina's defeat and was going to end his life.

Alex's father had said his son was a great fan of Messi.

Argentina has just one point from two games in so far in the World Cup in Russia.

-- PTI

13:00 Violence cannot solve any problem: PM

Violence and cruelty can never solve a problem and it is peace and non-violence which always win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

Referring to Guru Nanak Dev and Kabir Das, he said they worked towards social harmony and fought against casetism.

He also referred to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, saying he worked for the unity and integrity of India.

Talking about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the PM said the lesson to be learnt from the incident is that "violence and cruelty can never solve any problem. It is peace and non-violence, renunciation and martyrdom that are triumphant in the end".

-- PTI

From the first government led by Jawaharlal Nehru to the Narendra Modi regime today, every administration has been convinced about the "truth" of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's disappearance but made no effort to bring back his remains from Japan, says his grandnephew and author Ashis Ray.

Various governments made little attempt to reach out to those in Bose's extended family and political parties who have been opposing the return of the national leader's remains from Tokyo's Renkoji temple, Ray said.

The question of how and when one of the great heroes of the Indian freedom movement died has been an enduring mystery over the decades but Ray hopes to end the debate with his recent book, "Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhas Chandra Bose's Death".

The book collates the findings of 11 different investigations into the death of one of the great heroes of the Indian freedom movement and concludes that he died on August 18, 1945 in a plane crash in Taipei.

"From the Nehru government to the Modi government, every single Indian administration have been convinced about the truth but has failed to bring the remains to India," Ray said over the phone from his home in London.

"The government of India pays for the preservation of the remains at Tokyo's Renkoji temple. A section of Bose's extended family and some political parties have, of course, opposed their return. But no sincere effort has been made by the central government to reach out to such opponents," the writer said.

In 1995, then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and his external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee did make an attempt to bring the remain back, but could not complete the task, he said, holding the other governments guilty of negligence.

The country, Ray feels, "has done a great injustice to Bose by not honouring his memory".

The researcher-author added that he penned his book for humanitarian reasons.

-- PTI

After an unsuccessful first attempt at auctioning Delhi's iconic luxury hotel Taj Mansingh, New Delhi Municipal Council has decided to conduct a fresh bid for the property on July 18.

The much-delayed auction, which was to be held this month, was cancelled since only Tata Group's Indian Hotels Company Limited - the existing operator - bid for retaining the property. The bid of the only other participant, ITC, was not accepted on technical grounds.

The civic body had issued an annulment notice for the e-auction last week.

"Less than three bids were received for the property and as per norms three technically qualified bidders are required for the e-auction process to the second stage. Hence, the auction process stands annulled," the notice read.

Taj Mansingh was given to the Tata group in 1978 on a lease for 33 years, which ended in 2011. The company was since given nine temporary extensions. However, the civic body could not auction the property then as it was tied up in a legal battle with IHCL.

The hotel was open for site visits by prospective bidders between June 16 and 22. The NDMC will conduct a pre-bid meeting tomorrow and the last date for submission of bids is July 9.

The criterion of three minimum qualified bids has been retained in the latest re-tendering process. The lease period, which was 33 years in the first tender, has not been changed as well. The bid security amount of Rs 250 million, too, is unchanged.

-- PTI

Fridays murder of a Class 9 student in Vadodara has turned out to be a close rerun of last years killing of a seven-year-old at a school in Haryanas Gurugram. The alleged killers picked a common murder site -- a school toilet --and chose the victims at random. Both had exhibited behavioural problems in the past.

The Vadodara murder suspect, a Class 10 student of Shree Bharti Vidhyalay, confessed to killing Dev Tadvi, a junior, the police said; he said he had planned the murder to force the school to close in revenge for a scolding he received from teachers.

The body of Tadvi, 14, a newly enrolled Class 9 student, bore several stab wounds. A 12-inch knife was found near the body in a school toilet , and a satchel recovered from the roof of a temple adjacent to the school had more sharp-edged weapons, a bottle of chili powder solution and a blood-stained shirt. The suspect may have tossed the bag on to the roof from one of the classrooms, the police said.

The accused had no animosity towards Tadvi. He barely knew Tadvi, who had taken admission only 10 days back. The accused had displayed behavioural problems on several occasions in the past for which he was scolded by his teachers, said Vadodara police commissioner, Manoj Shashidhar.

The accused wanted to take revenge on the school and wanted it to shut down. He found Tadvi when he reached the school on Friday. The victim could have been any student, Shashidhar added.

11:42 Hafiz Saeed launches election campaign

Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed formally launched the election campaign of his fifteen-year-old party, Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, prior to the national assembly elections in Pakistan in July.

As per certain Pakistan-based media reports, AAT party, which has been registered under the election commission, has gained the support of its linked party, Milli Muslim League.

Saeed had inaugurated the AAT party's election office in Islamabad on June 21.

The MML was launched in August 2017 to contest the general elections. However, the Election Commission rejected its registration request on June 13 this year.

It was earlier reported that the JuD has fielded more than 200 candidates to contest both national and provincial elections.

On April 3, the United States Department of State released an amended list of the declared terror outfits, under which MML and Tehreek-i-Azadi-i-Kashmir were referred to as Lashkar-e-Tayiba affiliates.

In May 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224.

-- ANI

Bollywood superstar Anushka Sharma and her cricketer husband Virat Kohli have been served legal notice by the man whom the actor schooled for littering on a road in Mumbai, reported news agency ANI.

The man, Arhan Singh, sent the couple a legal notice for shaming him on social media last week.

Arhan tossed a plastic wrapper out on the road from his car's window in Mumbai. In an SUV next to him, Anushka Sharma rolled down her window, and then gave him a piece of her mind. A video of the incident was uploaded on social media by Virat Kohli, which went viral.

"Hi. My legal advisors have sent a notice to Mr Virat Kohli and Mrs Anushka Sharma Kohli. As the ball is in their court, no comments now. As in all fairness I should await their response," Arhan was quoted as saying by ANI.

The video, which had millions of views, received mixed reactions on the internet with many accusing the Anushka Sharma of being "rude", "impolite" and "arrogant" in her tone. Many people also came in support of them, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju saying civic sense is social ethics.

Later, Arhan in a Facebook post hit back at the celebrity couple and said, "The garbage that mistakenly went out of the window of my 'luxury car' was way less than the garbage that came out from your mouth, from your 'luxury car's window, or the trashy mind of Virat Kohli to shoot and post this online... for whatever gains. Now that's some serious trash."

11:10 Heads of 11 PSBs to appear before House panel

Heads of 11 state owned banks will apprise a parliamentary committee about the problems of mounting bad loans and increasing fraud cases on Tuesday, sources said.

They will be appearing before the Standing Committee on Finance, headed by veteran Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, which is looking into 'Banking Sector in India- Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward, including Non- Performing Assets/ Stressed Assets in Banks/Financial Institutions'.

Top officials of IDBI Bank, UCO Bank, Central Bank of India, Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Dena Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Bank of Maharashtra, United Bank of India, Corporation Bank and Allahabad Bank, will make presentations before the panel and respond to queries on June 26, said sources.

The banking sector is grappling with rising non-performing assets (NPAs), which touched Rs 8.99 lakh crore or 10.11 per cent of total advances at December-end 2017.

Of the total gross NPAs, the public sector banks accounted for Rs 7.77 lakh crore. The rising number of frauds has become a serious cause of concern.

The number of frauds reported by banks increased from 4,693 in fiscal 2015-16 to 5,904 in 2017-18.

The fraud amount at end-March 2018 was Rs 32,361.27 crore, up from Rs 18,698.8 crore at the end of 2015-16.

Earlier this month, RBI Governor Urjit Patel had replied to host of questions asked by the committee members.

Patel, sources had said, was asked about bad loans, bank frauds, cash crunch and other issues.

They also said he assured the panel members that steps were being taken to strengthen the banking system. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in India and abroad in the 45th episode of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme at 11 am today.

The programme will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan.

It will also be streamed on the YouTube channels of the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, AIR and DD News. And will be simultaneously broadcast on AIR's website - www.allindiaradio.gov.in.

The AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast.

Regional language versions of the programme will also be repeated at 8 PM.

Earlier, in a tweet, the Prime Minister said, the diverse thoughts and inputs received for Mann Ki Baat have greatly enriched the platform. -- PTI

The Congress party hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah, saying that the latter has no right to lecture them on Nationalism as most of its leaders have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala in a statement said Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral and inseparable part of India and the BJP will never be able to realise the 'hard work which Congress-LTA did to usher peace in Jammu and Kashmir'.

He further alleged that the BJP has shamelessly squandered the mandate and shunned their responsibility.

"Amit Shah has no business to lecture the Congress party on Nationalism because our topmost leaders have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives nation by becoming victims to Terrorism and Naxalism," he added.

Surjewala further took a swipe at the collapse of BJP and the People's Democratic Party government in Jammu and Kashmir and said the end of an alliance is a relief for people.

"After plunging Jammu and Kashmir into a deep turmoil, through an unethical opportunistic alliance marred with a disquiet border, corruption, mal-governance and false promises, in the last 4 years, BJP president, Amit Shah is shedding crocodile tears in front of the people of Jammu today," he said.

He further said that facts are sacrosanct and they speak for themselves, so instead of doing choreographed drama, Shah should reflect upon hard facts.

The Congress leader accused the BJP-PDP government of not taking any step for resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits and betraying the people of Ladakh by promising a UT Status and Hill Councils, but nothing materialising it.

Surjewala's reaction came after Shah in a rally on Saturday in Jammu said that his party will never allow the separation of Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of the country.

Earlier on Saturday, Shah hit out at the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, for his remark that more civilians were being killed in Kashmir than terrorists and demanded an apology from the Congress party over the same.

"I cannot even repeat what Ghulam Nabi Azad has said. But as soon as he made the statement, Lashkar-e-Taiba extended their support to his comment. Congress leaders should apologise to the country for this," Amit Shah said while addressing a public gathering in Jammu. -- ANI

As Saudi Arabia lifted its longstanding ban on women driving, ladies can now legally get behind the wheel of a car for the first time beginning today.

The religiously conservative kingdom, which has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women, started issuing its first driving licences for female motorists earlier this month, as per Al Jazeera.

The move was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last September, who aims to reform the country.

Women's rights activists welcomed the move but claimed that there were still many hindrances for women wanting to get behind the wheel.

"The fees for having lessons are six times more than men. This is one of the restrictions and this makes women not being able to access driving licenses in a fast way, in addition to the limited driving schools in Saudi Arabia," Al Jazeera quoted Suad Abu-Dayyeh, Middle East consultant for the Equality Now non-governmental organisation as saying.

However, special driving schools have been set up for women. Car showrooms are filled with female buyers, and events are being held in Riyadh to encourage these new female drivers. -- ANI

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