LIVE! Tej Pratap's divorce not matter of public interest: Tejashwi

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Sat, 10 November 2018

Tej Pratap's divorce not matter of public interest: Tejashwi

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20:58 Tej Pratap's divorce not matter of public interest: Tejashwi

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav Saturday said his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav's divorce plea was not a matter of public interest and his family was capable of handling the situation.

The former Bihar deputy chief minister made the remark when he was quizzed by the media whether Tej Pratap would agree to a compromise with his wife Aishwarya Rai. The divorce petition was filed recently.

Tej Pratap, an MLA and a former Bihar health minister, had said on Friday he would not return home till his family backed his decision to divorce his wife. He was last seen in Mathura from where he left for Delhi on Friday to celebrate Tejashwi's birthday.

Rai is the daughter of RJD MLA Chandrika Rai and grandchild of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai. She married Tej Pratap on May 12.

Tejashwi, hit out at the reporters, saying "The thing which is not in public interest, I will not tell. It is a family matter and the family members are capable of looking into whatever is going on."

He was in the Jharkhand capital to meet his ailing father Lalu Prasad at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences. The RJD supremo is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases and at present, is admitted at the hospital.

Tej Pratap had met Prasad at the medical institute a week ago. The RJD chief is learnt to have been upset over his elder son's decision to seek divorce.

An apparently peeved Tejashwi told reporters: "You tell me, who has prepared meals at your house. You prepared it or your wife? Was it good (taste) or bad (taste)? Did you eat together or not?"

On his visit to Ranchi, he said,"Every Saturday family members get the opportunity to meet my father. Yesterday, was my birthday and obviously, I came to seek his blessings."

"I also came to enquire about my father's health. His health is not well somewhat and we are concerned. We pray that doctors attending him will help him recover at the earliest," Tejashwi said.

He also said the media has been his family's well wisher and asked reporters not to indulge in "A to Z (regular) update".

Indonesia on Saturday called off the search for passengers of a Lion Air plane, almost two weeks after the jetliner plunged into the Java Sea killing 189 people on board.

Some 196 bags containing body parts have been recovered from under the water with 79 victims identified and handed over to their families for burial.

"Since yesterday afternoon until today we have not found any more victims and therefore I declare the search and rescue operation is over," Muhammad Syaugi, head of the search and rescue agency, told reporters on Saturday.

"We apologise to the public, especially the families of victims if during the operation we were not able to satisfy everybody," he added.

Rescuers have also retrieved parts of the plane's engines, wheels and seats from the sea. One diver died helping with search.

Lion Air has begun paying $102,058 compensation money for each passenger to the grieving families.

ndonesian National Transportation Safety Committee has retrieved one of the black boxes -- the flight data recorder -- and is still hunting for the cockpit voice recorder, which recorded the last conversation between the pilot and co-pilot before the crash.

The doomed jet was a Boeing 737-Max 8, one of the world's newest and most advanced commercial passenger planes, and there is still no answer as to what caused the crash.

The Lion Air plane plunged into the Java Sea on October 29 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang city.

All 189 people on board were killed and the data from the flight recorder data has so far revealed the plane's air speed indicator had not been working properly on its last four journeys, including on the fatal flight.

A senior BJP leader on Saturday demanded a ban on "Kedarnath", an upcoming film set against the backdrop of a catastrophic deluge that hit the Himalayan shrine in 2013, alleging that it hurts the sentiments of Hindus and promotes love jihad.

Ajendra Ajay, who is part of the state BJP's media relations team, wrote to Central Board of Film Certification Chairman Prasoon Joshi that despite being set against the backdrop of one of the worst human tragedies, the film directed by Abhishek Kapoor makes fun of Hindu sentiments.

Taking exception to a kissing scene between lead pair Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan featured in the film's teaser and a tagline in its poster reading "Love is a Pilgrimage", the BJP leader alleged that it was an attack on the Hindu religion as Kedarnath represents the faith of crores of Hindus.

"By setting a romantic love story against the backdrop of a huge tragedy that occurred at Kedarnath, a centre of faith for crores of Hindus, the filmmakers have shown great disrespect to the followers of the religion" Ajay said.

Objecting to the film depicting the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu pilgrim, Ajay said couldn't the makers of the film find a Hindu character for the lead.

Accusing the film of promoting love jihad, the BJP leader said acute resentment prevailed among teertha purohits for projecting Kedarnath in such a flippant manner.

Warning of largescale protests in the state if the film was released, Ajay urged the CBFC chairman to impose a ban on the movie produced by Ronnie Screwwala and Pragya Kapoor.

-- PTI

Over 27,000 people Saturday visited the Statue of Unity in Gujarat's Narmada district, the highest since the Sardar Patel memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31 and opened to the public on November 1.

The statue, built on an islet near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya, at 182 metres is the tallest such structure in the world.

With the capacity of the high-speed lift which takes tourists to the viewing gallery inside the statue being 5,000 persons per day, the state government asked people to plan their trip to the memorial keeping this aspect in mind.

The viewers gallery inside the statue is at a height of 135 metres and can accommodate up to 200 persons at one time.

-- PTI

A hijack scare on a Kandahar-bound flight sent security officials at the Delhi airport into tizzy on Saturday after the pilot "mistakenly" pressed the 'hijack button' when it was taxiing for take-off, sources said.

The Ariana Afghan Airlines plane took off nearly two hours later after "satisfactory" security checks, they said.

While there was no immediate official reaction, the sources said the pressing of hijack button had pushed all agencies concerned, including the anti-terror force National Security Guard, into action.

NSG commandos and officials of other agencies swiftly responded to the situation and surrounded the aircraft, they said.

After a two-hour operation that created panic among passengers on board the aircraft, the plane was cleared for take-off, the sources said.

The Delhi-Kandahar FG312 flight was scheduled to depart at 3.30 pm.

-- PTI

18:40 Market watch

How the markets fared

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday inaugurated the first India-bulit war memorial in northern France to pay tribute to thousands of Indian soldiers who fought selflessly and made supreme sacrifices during the World War I.

Naidu, who is on a three-day visit to Paris starting Friday, also interacted with French armed forces veterans and children at the inauguration of the Indian War Memorial at Villers Guislain.

"Extremely happy to unveil the Indian Armed Forces Memorial at Villers-Guislain town in France today. It's a great tribute to several thousands of Indian soldiers whose gallantry and dedication have earned worldwide recognition," Naidu said in a tweet.

The memorial is the first-of-its-kind built by India in France after the country's Independence. The announcement to construct the memorial was made by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her last visit to Paris in June 2018.

"India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Her soldiers served with credit and honour in numerous battlefields around the globe: in France and Belgium, in Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia and Salonika," he said.

"We therefore share a bond of sacrifice that joins us to French soil and society. The final resting places of these soldiers are spread over 158 cemeteries across various communes and cities of France. Their blood is permanently mixed with the soil here," he said.

Naidu said despite India's significant role in the World War I, it was frequently "overlooked" as a result of the horrors experienced in trench warfare and by Europe's tendency to home in on battles such as those fought at the Somme and Verdun, which many assume only Europeans fought in.

-- PTI

As pollution in New Delhi hit "severe" on the air quality scale on Saturday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came under fire following reports he had left the city for an overseas family trip.

For a second year the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, has likened Delhi to a "gas chamber" because of the pollution.

Seasonal burning of crop stubble and smoke from fireworks let off to celebrate Diwali on Wednesday have aggravated already high smog levels in the past few days from vehicle emissions, industrial gases and construction work.

Local television news channels said Kejriwal had left the country on a private family trip to Dubai, triggering a backlash on social media and finger-pointing on Twitter by the Delhi arm of the BJP.

"Arvind Kejriwal cares about his family so much that he urgently booked tickets and ran away to Dubai with them as soon as Delhi started choking with pollution," said one Twitter user.

A member Mr Kejriwal's party, said that the chief minister was not in the city. He declined to elaborate or be identified because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Environmental activists say residents need to be more vocal about holding political leaders to account over the pollution.

"Public pressure has to be much sharper and demand compliance. Directions, policies have been issued but stringent implementation is needed," said Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director at the Centre for Science and Environment, a think-tank.

Launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, poll-bound Chhattishgarh's Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday alleged the Congress chief was "sort of an entertainment" for people in the state and his campaign could be detrimental to his own party.

Ahead of the crucial first phase of voting in the state on Monday, Singh said Gandhi does not know anything about Chhattisgarh and his rallies would not help the Congress draw any significant votes.

Singh's counter-attack came a day after the Congress president, during his election campaign on Friday, accused Singh of indulging in graft and of doing any work only after taking "permission from his 10-15 industrialist friends".

"Rahul does not know anything about Chhattisgarh. People of Chhattisgarh do not take him seriously. He is sort of an entertainment for them," Singh said.

Singh, who has been chief minister of the tribal-dominated state for a record 15 years out of its 18-year history, said Gandhi's presence in the state would not dent poll prospects of the BJP, but might prove detrimental to his own Congress party.

17:33

JUST IN: Campaigning for the first phase of state assembly Elections concludes. Voting for 18 constituencies to be held on November 12.

17:17 Turkish police 'end search' for Khashoggi's body

Turkish police are ending the search for Jamal Khashoggi's body, but the criminal investigation into the Saudi journalist's murder will continue.

Traces of acid were found at the Saudi consul general's residence in Istanbul, where the body was believed to be disposed of with the use of chemicals.

The residence is at walking distance from the Saudi consulate, where Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist critical of the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed on October 2 by a team of Saudi officers and officials.

Saudi Arabia attempted to cover up the killing by initially insisting that Khashoggi had left the consulate. It then changed its narrative, saying the journalist died in a fistfight. Later, Saudi Arabia admitted Khashoggi was killed in a premeditated murder, but that to killing was an unplanned "rogue operation".

Turkish and Saudi officials have carried out joint inspections of the consulate and the consul's residence, but Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said some Saudi officials were still trying to cover up the crime.

More than 450 heavy and medium goods vehicles were sent back from Delhi borders due to a three-day ban on their entry till Sunday, authorities said.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar, 1,559 vehicles were checked and 1,078 vehicles were allowed entry from 11 pm on Friday till 6 am on Saturday as they were carrying essential goods.

As many as 481 vehicles were returned from the Delhi borders, Kumar added.

The Delhi government's transport department had issued a notification, banning the entry of heavy and medium goods vehicles into the region from 11 pm on Thursday till 11 pm on Sunday. It has also appealed to private diesel car owners to avoid using their vehicles during the period.

However, vehicles carrying vegetables, fruits, grains, milk, eggs, ice and other essentials, and tankers carrying petroleum products are exempted from the ban.

The air quality on Saturday was in the 'very-poor' category after local pollutants "reduced significantly" and the contribution from stubble-burning remained "marginal" due to wind speed, officials said.

-- PTI

Mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy, who pleaded innocence in a video released on Saturday and claimed he was not in hiding in Hyderabad, has arrived at the crime branch office in Bengaluru for questioning in the ponzi case.

The media has been portraying that I have been absconding, that I'm in Hyderabad etc which is why I have made this video along with my lawyers, so that I can clarify all doubts. I have been in Bangalore and watching all developments through the media. I have received the notice so I will present myself and cooperate with the central crime branch, he said in the video.

He added that he had not committed anything wrong. The police do not have not a single document to prove that I am wrong. They are misleading the media," he said. "I decided to make this video to let people know the truth. I have faith in the police and believe that they would not succumb to any political pressure."

The central crime branch had issued a notice to Reddy, asking him to appear before it on November 11. Reddy is wanted in connection with money transaction amounting to crores of rupees allegedly linked to a Ponzi scheme.

The CCB is also searching for Reddy's close aide Ali Khan, who allegedly struck a Rs 20-crore deal with Syed Ahmed Fareed of Ambidant Marketing Pvt Ltd, a firm accused of involvement in the ponzi scheme, to bail him out of an Enforcement Directorate investigation.

16:23

Former Karnataka minister and mining baron G Janardhana Reddy arrives at crime branch office in Bengaluru for questioning in ponzi case.

15:50 India's economic growth held back due to demonetisation, GST: Rajan

Demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax are the two major headwinds that held back India's economic growth last year, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said, asserting that the current seven per cent growth rate is not enough to meet the country's needs.

Addressing an audience at the University of California in Berkley, Rajan said for four years -- 2012 to 2016 -- India was growing at a faster pace before it was hit by two major headwinds.

"The two successive shocks of demonetisation and the GST had a serious impact on growth in India. Growth has fallen off interestingly at a time when growth in the global economy has been peaking up," he said delivering the second Bhattacharya Lectureship on the Future of India.

A growth rate of seven per cent per year for 25 years is "very very strong" growth, but in some sense this has become the new Hindu rate of growth, which earlier used to be three-and-a-half per cent, Rajan said.

"The reality is that seven is not enough for the kind of people coming into the labour market and we need jobs for them, So, we need more and cannot be satisfied at this level," he said.

Observing that India is sensitive to global growth, he said India has become a much more open economy, and if the world grows, it also grows more.

"What happened in 2017 is that even as the world picked up, India went down. That reflects the fact that these blows (demonetisation and GST) have really really been hard blows...Because of these headwinds we have been held back, he said.

While India's growth is picking up again, there is the issue of oil prices, the economist noted referring to the huge reliance of India on import of oil for its energy needs.

With the oil prices going up, Rajan said things are going to be little tougher for the Indian economy, even though the country is recovering from the headwinds of demonetisation and initial hurdles in the implementation of the GST.

Commenting on the rising Non-Performing Assets, he said the best thing to do in such a situation is to "clean up".

-- PTI

Portending violent protests when the Sabarimala temple opens for the two-month long mandalam-makaravilakku pilgrimage season next week, a total of 550 women in the age group of 10 to 50 are believed to have signed up for darshan through the online booking facility of the Kerala Police.

Every year during the festival, the Kerala Police operates the virtual queue system similar to the Tirupati temple through which pilgrims can select the date and time of their choice when they could have darshan of the deity at Sabarimala. This system was put in place a few years ago to control and channel the huge crowds that stream into the temple especially during this period.

The opening of the virtual queue system this year comes barely two months after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on the entry of women of all age groups at Sabarimala. The two times the temple opened in the last 2 months, there were violent protests and agitation by activists of right-wing groups against the verdict. Till date, no woman in the previously restricted age group has been able to climb the hill.

However, the police are not sure about the identities of the 550 women who have registered through the facility. Since the website does not ask for an identification proof, it cannot be ascertained if these people are indeed who they claim to be.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the Supreme Court which will hear the review petitions filed against its verdict on November 13, just a couple of days before the temples reopening. The present government has made it clear that it will do everything possible to implement the ruling of the top court and ensure safety and security of women devotees. Both the opposition BJP and the Congress have set off street protests and agitations against the stand of the state government.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday lauded the Raman Singh government for making Chhattisgarh "almost free" of Naxalism and targeted the opposition Congress, saying a party that thought the rebel movement was a medium for revolution could not do any good for the state.

He further hailed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Chhattisgarh government for developing the state as a hub of power and cement production.

Shah exuded confidence that the saffron party would win the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, slated to be held this month, for the fourth straight time.

Addressing a press conference after releasing his party's manifesto ahead of the first phase of polling in the state on November 12, Shah said, "The BJP government under Chief Minister Raman Singh has contained Naxalism and made the state almost free of it."

"A party that feels Naxalism is a medium for revolution cannot do any good for Chhattisgarh," he said, while attacking the Congress.

Shah was apparently referring to Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar's remarks last week, when the latter had reportedly said Naxals had launched a "revolution" that could not be stopped through guns and the menace should be resolved through talks.

Releasing the BJP's manifesto for the Chhattisgarh polls, Shah said for his party, revolution was providing gas connections, electricity, education, employment to the poor and deprived sections of the society.

"Taking on the Congress's propaganda and working tirelessly for the state's development for the last 15 years is a big challenge. I am confident that the BJP will win a straight fourth term in office," he said.

The BJP chief claimed that the Raman Singh government had broken all records of development in its last three terms.

-- PTI

14:28 Michelle Obama slams Trump in new book

Former US first lady Michelle Obama says she can "never forgive" Donald Trump for questioning her husband's American citizenship, saying the president and other "birthers" put her family at risk, in her hotly anticipated new memoir.

Obama also says she was surprised that so many American women voted for the "misogynist" Trump over Hillary Clinton, "an exceptionally qualified female candidate," in the 2016 election.

The book, "Becoming," hits stores on Tuesday.

It is one of the most awaited books about US politics in years, and Obama does not mince words about her husband's successor -- and his involvement in promoting the idea that Barack Obama was born abroad.

"The whole (birther) thing was crazy and mean-spirited, of course, its underlying bigotry and xenophobia hardly concealed," she writes, in excerpts of the book published by ABC News and The Washington Post.

"But it was also dangerous, deliberately meant to stir up the wingnuts and kooks," she adds.

"What if someone with an unstable mind loaded a gun and drove to Washington? What if that person went looking for our girls? "Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family's safety at risk. And for this I'd never forgive him."

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had waived loans worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore of 15 select industrialists during his tenure.

Addressing a rally ahead of the state assembly polls, Gandhi said he wanted Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to become agriculture centres in five years and provide food, fruits and vegetables to the country.

"In the last four-five years, Modiji gave Rs 3.5 lakh crore to the 15 richest people. While an amount of Rs 35,000 crore is needed yearly to run the MGNREGA scheme in the country, he waived loans worth 10 times that amount of 15 select industrialists," he alleged.

"Modiji has given the keys to the treasury to 15 select people but the Congress wants the keys to be given to farmers, youth, poor, women and tribals," Gandhi said.

The 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will go to the polls in two phases -- on November 12 and 20.

The Madhya Pradesh assembly polls will be held on November 28.

The results will be announced on December 11.

-- PTI

A BJP MLA from the Taj Mahal city of Agra has demanded renaming it as Agravan, saying the name Agra has no meaning, days after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath rechristened Faizabad as Ayodhya and Allahabad as Prayagraj.

In a letter to Adityanath, BJP MLA from Agra North, Jagan Prasad Garg said there were many van (forests) and Agarwals (followers of Maharaja Agrasen) in Agra, and therefore, the citys name should be changed to Agravan.

The region was initially known as Agravan and finds such a mention in the Mahabharat. But in the course of time, the city was named as Akbarabad. Later, it became Agra, which has no specific meaning and thus its name should be revived to Agravan, said the MLA.

I will meet the CM and seek the change of name of Agra to Agravan, Garg said, adding that the population of the Vaish community, which follows Maharaja Agrasen in Agra, is about 10 lakh and the city has maximum Agarwals.

Situated about 200 km from Delhi, Agra is home to the famous Taj Mahal and a number of other Mughal-era monuments in Fathpur Sikri which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city was the capital of the Mughal rulers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Gargs demand is among several made by BJP and other right wing leaders to rename cities bearing connection to erstwhile Muslim rulers. The list includes Gujarats Ahmedabad, Telanganas Hyderabad, UPs Aligarh and Muzaffarnagar, and Maharashtras Aurangabad and Osmanabad.

Taking photographs and selfies and posting it on social media has become ubiquitous in the present day. But such activity, many times, has proved fatal.

A similar situation was seen on Signature Bridge, India's first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge, located in the capital. Scores of people were seen posing while clinging onto the window panes of cars and playing loud music. A couple of men were also snapped sitting on the suspension cables to get their pictures clicked.

Furthermore, due to the absence of police personnel, commuters were performing dangerous stunts on bikes, thus endangering their lives.

The whole bridge was found littered with waste. While some visitors threw plastic bottles, others discarded footwear on the newly- constructed bridge.

Constructed by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 1, 518.37 crore, the bridge is expected to reduce traffic in Northeast and North Delhi.

-- ANI

A Somali-born man who set fire to a truck laden with gas cylinders in the centre of Melbourne and fatally stabbed one person was inspired by Islamic State but did not have direct links with the group, Australian police said on Saturday.

Police identified the man responsible for Fridays attack as 30-year-old Hassan Khalif Shire Ali and said he was radicalised and inspired by the militant groups propaganda. He was shot by police and died in hospital.

Police said Shire Alis Australian passport was cancelled in 2015 after an intelligence report he planned to travel to Syria, but an assessment was made that while he had radical views, he posed no threat to national security.

Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack, which came two days before Remembrance Day, marking 100 years since the end of World War One, without providing any evidence.

I think it is fair to say he (Shire Ali) was inspired. He was radicalised, Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney told reporters in Melbourne.

Were not saying there was direct contact. Were saying it was more from an inspiration perspective.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the national terrorism advisory remained at probable, the midpoint of a five-tier system, and told reporters in Sydney that radical Islam was the issue.

Fridays attack began just before the evening rush hour and lasted only minutes. Shire Ali stabbed bystanders and attacked police while his utility truck carrying barbecue gas cylinders burned on busy Bourke Street.

12:15 BJP releases its manifesto for Chhattisgarh

BJP president Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh release manifesto for Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

Wildfires burned out of control on Friday across California, killing at least nine people in a mountain town and forcing residents to flee the upscale beach community of Malibu in the face of a monster fire storm.

All nine victims were found in and around the Northern California town of Paradise, where more than 6,700 homes and businesses were burned down by the Camp Fire, making it one of the most destructive in state history, according to California Department of Foretry and Fire protection data.

"This event was the worst-case scenario. It was the event we have feared for a long time," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at a Friday evening press conference. "Regrettably, not everybody made it out."

Thousands of residents packed the Pacific Coast Highway to head south or took refuge on beaches, along with their horses and other pets.

Among those force to flee the Woolsey Fire, which had charred some 35,000 acres (14,164 hectares) as of Friday afternoon, were celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian, who said on Twitter flames had damaged the home she shares in nearby Calabasas with Kanye West.

"Fire is now burning out of control and heading into populated areas of Malibu," the city said in a statement online. "All residents must evacuate immediately."

The Woolsey Fire broke out on Thursday and quickly jumped the 101 Freeway in several places. On Friday, it climbed over the Santa Monica Mountains toward Malibu.

India may have finalised its chief guest for the next Republic Day, two people familiar with the matter independently said, and it is most likely someone from Africa, perhaps South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The announcement will probably be made shortly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, and perhaps on Twitter, one of the people added, asking not to be identified.

There was a shortlist of four India was working on and that US President Donald Trump had never been on it, although verbal, informal invites were extended to him. The White House confirmed recently that US President Trump would not be making the trip to India for the January 26 Republic Day parade on account of other commitments.

The chief guest will be a leader of global stature and from an important partner country, a report in the Hindustan Times quoting a source said.

Ahead of their wedding, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh were spotted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday.

Twinning in white, the couple looked elated as they greeted fans and the media with a big smile.

Deepika looked stunning as she reached the airport donning a white oversized sweater and paired it with a side-slit skirt of the same colour.

Ranveer, who arrived in his car after his lady love, acknowledged the media and his fans but refrained from answering any questions about the destination of their wedding.

Reports suggest that the couple is getting married in Lake Como, Italy.

Last month, the duo had announced that they would tie the knot on November 14 and 15. -- ANI

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Friday left for Delhi from Mathura after visiting Vrindavan and Radhakund, sources close to the former Bihar minister said.

Yadav told a regional news channel earlier on Friday that he would not return home till his family backed his decision to divorce his wife Aishwarya Rai.

Rai is daughter of RJD MLA Chandrika Rai and grandchild of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai. They got married on May 12.

During the telephonic conversation with the channel, Yadav had said that he was in Haridwar.

However, the sources told PTI-Bhasha that he has spent the past two days in Mathura.

The RJD leader was last seen in Bodh Gaya on November 3 where he had checked-in to a hotel after meeting his ailing father at a hospital in Ranchi.

The sources said Yadav performed Govardhan Puja in Vrindavan and circumambulation of the Giriraj hillock in Govardhan town.

Yadav did not talk to media in Vrindavan, Radhakund or Govardhan, but he allowed people to take photographs.

The sources said Yadav left for Delhi to celebrate his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav's birthday. -- PTI

09:53 EC rejects reports of removal of Mizoram CEO

The Election Commission of India on Friday denied reports of Mizoram's Chief Electoral Officer S B Shashank's removal.

"We will be assessing Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain's report in the matter who went to the poll-bound state," the Election Commission said.

The poll body is likely to meet on Saturday to discuss Jain's report on demands of Shashank's removal.

It was earlier reported that the agitating Mizoram NGO Coordinating Committee (MNCC) said that the poll body has assured them to remove Shashank.

On November 5, amid protests in Mizoram demanding the removal of Shashank, the ECI had urged the Mizoram government to take all possible measures required to ensure peaceful polls in the state.

The ECI, in a letter to the Mizoram government, had also informed that the Principal Secretary (Home) L Chuaungo has been removed from his post after observing the sequence of past two months and his role in great detail.

Chuaungo's removal came after Shashank had earlier complained to the ECI about the interference of the state in the upcoming assembly elections.

He had also mentioned Chuaungo's alleged involvement in the revision of the electoral rolls and using the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

The people of Mizoram have been protesting against Shashank, alleging that he is biased in conducting the upcoming Mizoram assembly Elections.

In the complaint letter, Shashank had mentioned the alleged insensitivity regarding voting rights of the Bru community of Mizoram, who stay in relief camps in Tripura.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Shashank's removal.

On Wednesday, the ECI had constituted a high-level team, led by Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, to discuss various issues related to upcoming assembly polls in the state.Mizoram will go to polls on November 28, while the results will be declared on December 11.

It is the only state in the North-East where the Congress party is currently in power. -- ANI

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said the suggestion of his French counterpart Emanuel Macron that Europe should build its own army was 'very insulting', asserting that Europe should first pay its 'fair share' to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).

Trump slammed Macron in a tweet, moments after he landed in Paris for a weekend trip to commemorate Armistice Day and attend the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, which is being attended by several world leaders, including India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

"President Macron of France has just suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the US, China and Russia. Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the US subsidises greatly!" he said in a tweet.

Early this week, Macron had pushed for a 'true European Army' that would address the threat posed by countries like Russia and China.

"We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America," he told French Radio Station One.

"Who is the main victim? Europe and its security. I want to build a real security dialogue with Russia, which is a country I respect, a European country -- but we must have a Europe that can defend itself on its own without relying only on the United States," Macron said.

Trump's tweet just after landing in Paris that was highly critical of Macron is expected to strain the US-French relationship.

Early this year, Trump had hosted Macron on the first State Dinner of his Administration. Trump and Macron are schedule to have bilateral meeting during his stay in France.

Earlier leaving for Paris, the US President told reporters at the White House that it will be a 'great, really, commemorative service'.

"I think it's going to be something very special. I've seen what they have planned, and I think it's going to be something very, very special," he said. -- PTI

09:13

Various groups protesting against Tipu Jayanti celebrations in Madikeri detained by police in Karnataka.

"The government is wasting public money in the name of Tipu Jayanti. Tipu was not a warrior, he killed so many Hindus and attacked temples.

"Why are they glorifying a man like him? This is only vote bank politics. Everyone in Kodagu is opposing the celebrations," Sajjal Krishnan, BJP Kodagu secretary said. -- ANI

08:35 Karnataka to celebrate Tipu Jayanti today amid BJP protests

A day ahead of 'Tipu Jayanti', the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday staged protests against Karnataka government-sponsored celebrations for the birth anniversary of the 18th century ruler of erstwhile Mysore kingdom, Tipu Sultan.

The party, which has appealed to the government to drop the celebrations, staged demonstrations at several places including Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kodagu, in the state.

The Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government led by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, last week, had said Tipu Jayanti would be celebrated on November 10 in continuation of the previous Congress government's policy, prompting the BJP to announce protests.

However, Kumaraswamy is not scheduled to attend main function in Bengaluru to be inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

The Chief Minister's Office in a statement said Friday that Kumaraswamy would not take part in any official function for the next three days in view of 'doctors' advice'.

"On the advice of doctors, the chief minister will take three days rest till November 11. He will spend time with family on these days and there will be no official engagements on these days,' it said.

Minister for Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan said the chief minister had told officials before hand that he would be away for medical check-up and hence, his name should not be mentioned in the invitation.

Police said security has been tightened at sensitive places, including Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Kodagu.

An official said the function in Bengaluru would be held at the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature, as the original venue, in view of representations to the government from Mulsim community leaders.

Parameshwara, who also holds the Home portfolio, had on November 5 announced that the venue had been shifted to Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru on advice of the police department owing to security reasons.

He had said strict action would be taken against anyone causing riots or disturbing peace. Tipu Jayanti celebration events should be organised indoors and posters and banners would be allowed there only, he had said, adding that social media posts would also be monitored and action would be taken if they were derogatory.

The previous Congress government, led by Siddaramaiah, began celebrating 'Tipu Jayanti' on November 10 every year since 2015, amid stiff opposition by the BJP, several Hindu organisations and some individuals.

Widespread protests and violence had marred the celebrations during the first two years. BJP leaders, including former deputy chief minister R Ashok, B Y Raghavendra and MLC Ravi Kumar, took part in the agitation here and accused the state government of 'hurting' the sentiments of Hindus only to appease Muslims.

They said Tipu was accused of killing thousands of people in Kodagu and Mandyam Iyengars of Melukote near Mysuru.

"Tipu was a tyrant and a religious fanatic. Those who tried to exalt him suffered huge losses," BJP MP Pratap Simha claimed.

The BJP also took a dig at Kumaraswamy's absence in the event. Party spokesperson S Prakash quipped that the chief minister was avoiding taking part in Tipu Jayanti.

Tipu was a ruler of Mysore and considered an implacable enemy of the British East India Company. He was killed in May 1799 while defending his fort at Srirangapatna against the British forces. -- PTI

At least 15 newborns have died at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) in upper Assam between November 1 and 6, prompting the state health department to rush a team to investigate the matter, officials said on Friday.

The hospital authorities have also formed a committee to look into the matter, they said.

According to JMCH Superintendent Saurav Borkakoti, 15 newborns have died at the special care newborn unit of the hospital between November 1 and 6.

Borkakoti, however, claimed the deaths were not due to medical negligence or neglect of the hospital.

"Sometimes the number of patients coming to the hospital may be large and so the figure of death of newborns may also be large. It depends in what situation the patients have come to the hospital.

"They may have come with prolonged labour, with low birth weight. In such circumstances, those newborns may die," Borkakoti said.

He said ever since the civil hospital was converted into a full-fledged medical college and hospital, the number of patients have soared, exceeding the available 141 bed SNCU capacity.

This has forced the hospital to sometimes accommodate more babies, he said.

The hospital has formed a six-member committee to probe the deaths, Borkakoti said.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that a team of experts, including the director of medical education assisted by UNICEF and a paediatric doctor from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital along with another doctor of Assam Medical College and Hospial, Dibrugarh have proceeded to Jorhat to investigate the deaths. -- PTI

00:07 EC bans exit polls from Nov 12 to Dec 7

The Election Commission on Friday imposed a near month-long ban on holding exit polls beginning November 12 in the five poll-bound states.

A notification issued by the poll panel said between 7 am of November 12 and 5.30 pm of December 7, 'conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicising the result of exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or in any other manner shall be prohibited'.

While Chhattisgarh is going to polls in two phases on November 12 and 20, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have elections on November 28. Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls on December 7.

Using powers under the Representation of People Act, 1951, EC bans exit polls from the time the poll begins till half-an-hour after the polling ends.

The poll panel had proposed that there should be a prohibition on publication and broadcast of the results of opinion polls starting from the date of notification of elections till the completion of the last phase of polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The proposal is pending with the government. -- PTI

Three Dalits were allegedly thrashed by four men for objecting to their casteist slur in a village near Una town in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district, police said on Friday.

It comes over two years after the flogging of four Dalit youths by cow vigilantes in the same district triggered a national outcry.

The latest incident took place at Nandrakh village, about 400km from Ahmedabad, on Thursday. No arrests have been made yet, the police said.

The complaint was filed by one of the victims, Manu Solanki, 27, who has claimed that one of the accused, Ajit Gohil, was arrested for his involvement in the 2016 Una flogging case and is currently out on bail.

The three other accused are Mahendra Gohil, Kishor Gohil and Aniruddh Gohil, all belonging to an Other Backward Class (OBC) community, the police said.

According to the FIR lodged at the Una police station, the incident took place when Manu Solanki and his relative, Bharat Solanki, were returning to Nandrakh on foot.

When they entered the village, the four men, who according to Manu Solanki were drunk, suddenly started verbally abusing him and Bharat Solanki for being Dalits and hurled casteist slur at them.

When they protested, the four hit them with sticks. One of the accused even attacked Manu Solanki using a knife, which left a wound near his face, they said.

The accused also thrashed another relative of Manu Solanki, Ugabhai Solanki, who rushed to the spot to save the duo, the FIR stated.

When the injured were being taken to a hospital in an ambulance, the accused tried to block its way using their motorcycles, it added.

The three are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Junagadh town, the police said.

"The complainant has claimed that one of the accused was earlier arrested in the incident which took place at Mota Samadhiyala. We have not verified his claims yet. We will investigate it. As of now, no one has been arrested," said district Superintendent of Police Rahul Tripathi.

The four accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the SP added.

On July 11, 2016, four Dalit youths were beaten up, allegedly by cow vigilantes, near Mota Samadhiyala village of Junagadh district when they were skinning a dead cow. The attackers had claimed the victims had killed the cow.

Later, the accused took them to the nearby Una town and once again thrashed them with sticks and iron rods after tying them to a vehicle.

The Dalit men were also paraded half-naked on the road in full view of the public.

The flogging had caused nationwide outrage and triggered protests. -- PTI

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