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Mon, 26 November 2018
Army capable of taking action whenever told: Gen Rawat

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23:41   Army capable of taking action whenever told: Gen Rawat
The army is capable of taking action whenever told to do so, army chief General Bipin Rawat has said, asserting that there will never be a situation where it will not be able to tackle a big terror attack like 26/11.
 
Rawat said the army was now much more prepared to take action based on the directions given by the government.
"If we are told to take some action, we are capable and ready for it. So, there is never going to be a situation where you will not have options to tackle something like a big terrorist attack," Rawat told the India Today magazine in an interview.
He was responding to a question that if there was another attack like 26/11 today, what will be the army's response.
Asked about the recent beheadings in the valley, Rawat said in the last year-and-a-half, terrorists had targeted policemen, burnt the houses of panchayat members and school buildings.
"Now, they are targeting the unemployed, alleging that they are police informers. Locals now feel (militants) aren't acting in the best interests of the people of Kashmir. What we are seeing are acts of frustration in the final stages of an insurgency. It will lead to an uprising from the people who will then shun the militants," the army chief said.
Asked about his recent comments that attempts were being made through "external linkages" to "revive insurgency" in Punjab, Rawat said the statements were based on intelligence inputs.
"We saw a terrorist act in Pathankot in 2016. We have seen some movements by terrorists taking place in areas bordering Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, especially the northern parts of Punjab. I was only reading the writing on the wall and warning the Army to be alert, because there might be a possible terrorist attack on our cantonments in Punjab," he added. -- PTI
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23:13   Exercise restraint, set example with your conduct: Manmohan to Modi
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh had a word of advice for incumbent premier Narendra Modi on Monday, saying he should exercise restraint when he visits states not ruled by his party and set an example with his conduct which should be consistent with his obligations as the PM .
   
Singh was speaking at the launch of a book "Fables of Fractured Times" by former Union minister Manish Tewari where former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was also present.
 
"My advice to the prime minister is that he should exercise due restraint becoming of the office of the prime minister," Manmohan Singh said.
 
Asked about his advice to the prime minister at a time when the level of public discourse was falling, especially during elections, Singh said whenever he as prime minister used to go to BJP-ruled states, his relations with chief ministers were "very good".
 
He said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would certify his claim that during the UPA rule, BJP-ruled states were not discriminated against.
 
"The prime minister, when he goes to states which are ruled by parties other than to which he belongs, I think, has an obligation not to use language of the kind which has now become a common practice," he said.
"So what I would say is that the prime minister of the country must set an example... he is the prime minister for all citizens of our country and his conduct must be worthy and consistent with that obligation that he/she has as prime minister," he told the gathering.
 
Singh also recalled that he was asked earlier if he would again used the words against Modi that he had said in 2014, and added that he would "not repeat" them.  He had reportedly said that it would be a "disaster" for India if Modi became the prime minister.
 
The Congress has been questioning Modi over his aggressive campaigning during assembly elections where he has attacked state leadership of rival parties, saying such conduct does not behove a prime minister. But the BJP has dismissed the criticism, saying the country has got a "talking Prime Minister" and the opposition fears his popularity among the people. 
 
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had earlier said that Narendra Modi was "not prime ministerial" in his election campaign as he indulged in "falsification of history and abuse of political rivals". 
 
He said Modi should not demand respect but should command respect of people as prime minister.
 
"He is not prime ministerial in his campaign. After all Prime Minister is Prime Minister. Whoever the individual, the position of PM must be respected," Ramesh had said. -- PTI  
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22:58   Sunil Arora likely to be appointed as next CEC: Sources
Sunil Arora is learnt to have been appointed as the next chief election commissioner, highly-placed sources in the Law Ministry said Monday.
 
Though a formal notification announcing his appointment is yet to be issued, his name has been cleared by the Centre and sent to Rashtrapati Bhawan, the sources said. 
 
"Yes. His name has been cleared. He is the next CEC. A notification will follow," a senior functionary said. He will take over on December 2. The Election Commission will hold the 2019 general election under him.
 
Besides the Lok Sabha polls, assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are scheduled to be held next year.
 
A CEC of the Election Commission can have a tenure of six years or hold office till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The convention is to appoint the senior-most election commissioner as chief election commissioner.
 
A former bureaucrat, Arora was appointed as election commissioner on August 31, 2017. He succeeds Om Prakash Rawat who retired on Saturday.
 
Arora, 62, had been the information and broadcasting secretary, and the secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
 
A 1980-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, Arora has worked in ministries such as finance, textiles and the Planning Commission. -- PTI

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22:43   Nageshwara Rao Guntur appointed as AERB chief
Renowned scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur has been appointed as chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the personnel ministry said in an order issued Monday.
 
Guntur is the chairman, Project Design Safety Committee, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor and former distinguished scientist Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.
His appointment as the AERB chairperson will be for three years, the order said. -- PTI
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22:07   BJP believes a grand Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya: Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said on Monday his party believed that a grand Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya soon and accused the Congress of putting hurdles in its construction.
He said the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case is pending before the Supreme Court and it remains to be seen what happens there.
"All people wish that a Ram Temple should be build in Ayodhya soon. We also want that a grand Ram Temple should be build soon," Shah said.
The BJP chief was talking to reporters on the sidelines of his roadshow in Indore on the last day of campaigning for the November 28 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh.
He alleged that the Congress was putting hurdles in the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
To a query on whether the Centre plans to bring an ordinance or enact a law to clear the way for construction of the temple, Shah said, "The Supreme Court has posted the hearing on Ram temple to January. Let's see what happens."
The Supreme Court last month had said that an "appropriate bench" will decide in the first week of January the schedule of hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.
To another query, Shah expressed confidence the BJP would sweep the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls for the fourth consecutive time. -- PTI 
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21:50   BSF, Pak Rangers hold flag meeting at IB in Jammu
The Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers Monday held a commandant level flag meeting in Jammu along International Border and discussed various issues including firing on IB, a BSF officer said.
   
The two sides met on Sunday too, the officer said.
 
The Monday meeting was held in Ramgarh forward area from 1230 hours to 1300 hours on the request of Pakistan Rangers, he said.
BSF Commandant M K Yadav participated from the Indian side while Wing Commander Mehran led the Pakistan Rangers delegation, the officer said. 
"During the meeting, commanders of both the border guarding forces, inter alia, discussed various issues including firing on IB, presence of suspects in border areas and other routine issues related to border management," he said.
One such meeting was also held Sunday at Marh-Gajansu area on the same matters, he said.
 
Last Friday, the Indian and Pakistan armies also held a brigade commander level meeting at a border crossing in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector to adhere to ceasefire. -- PTI  
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21:49   Delhi's air quality slips to 'very poor', likely to deteriorate further
Delhi's air quality slipped back to 'very poor' category due to reduced wind speed as authorities warned of further deterioration in the next two days, officials said. 
The overall air quality index was recorded at 343 -- in the 'very poor' category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board.
Anand Vihar and Mundaka recorded 'severe' air quality. The AQI in 31 areas was registered in the 'very poor' category, the data said.
The level of PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 194, and the PM10 level was recorded at 354.
In the NCR region, Ghaziabad recorded the worst air quality with an AQI of 415 which falls in the 'severe' category. Faridabad and Noida's air quality was registered in the 'very poor' category. Gurgaon recorded 'poor' air quality, according to the CPCB data.
An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR), Delhi's air quality will remain in the 'very poor' category amid a gradual increase in the pollution level for the next two days.
"The increase can be attributed to decline in wind speed as compared to the past two days. Tomorrow sky is likely to be hazy/cloudy (not good for aq). All other meteorological factors are unfavourable and likely to remain so at least for the next 2 days. The contribution from stubble biomass has almost seized," the report said. -- PTI 
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21:47   Pak will never again fight 'imposed wars' on its territory: Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday termed the 'war on terror' as an "imposed war" on Pakistan and promised to never fight such a war inside his country, in a veiled attack on United States President Donald Trump who has repeatedly accused Islamabad of not helping America in its fight against terrorism.
"We have fought an imposed war inside our country as our war at a very heavy cost of sweat and blood and lose to our socio-economic fibreWe shall not fight any such war again inside Pakistan," Khan told tribal elders during his first visit to the newly-merged tribal districts of North Waziristan, once a stronghold of Taliban militants.
Khan, who was accompanied by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, hailed achievements of the army, other security forces and intelligence agencies for their successful operations against terrorists.
"No other country or their armed forces have done what Pakistan and its armed forces have done in the war against terrorism," Khan said, apparently referring to Trump who has accused Pakistan of not helping the US in its fight against terrorism.
Khan's remarks came days after Trump reiterated that the USD 1.3 billion in aid to Pakistan will remain suspended until the country acts against militant safe heavens inside its territory. 
The US, which is fighting the Taliban militants since 2001 in Afghanistan, continues to seek an exit strategy from the troubled country and in recent months Washington has held direct talks with the Taliban representatives to end the 17 year long war. 
During his visit to tribal areas, Khan was briefed in details about operations conducted, ongoing operations, rehabilitation of displaced people, socio-economic development projects and fencing along Pak-Afghanistan border, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations - the media wing of the army.
Khan promised to play role in peace and stability in Afghanistan.
"We are for peace beyond borders especially in Afghanistan. We shall play our role in Afghan peace process along with other stake holders as peace in Afghanistan is critical for achieving enduring peace in Pakistan," he said. -- PTI
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20:51   PM should resign if can not protect CM, says Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down if he can not ensure his safety, days after a man flung chilli powder at him inside the Delhi secretariat.
   
Speaking at the one-day special session of the Delhi assembly, Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was behind the Nov 20 attack as it was "baffled" by the "good work" done by his government in the national capital.
 
"Narendra Modi should resign if he can not protect Delhi's chief minister," Kejriwal said in the house which had met to discuss the attack on the Aam Aadmi Party chief and the alleged deletion of names from the voters' list.
 
Referring to a phone call from Union home minister Rajnath Singh after the incident outside his office, Kejriwal claimed, "I said either you are worthless or colluding".
Speaking on a government resolution to ensure the accountability of Delhi Police towards the elected city government, Kejriwal said 95 per cent policemen were good but "they are being made to do wrong things by the BJP".
 
"If Delhi Police comes under the elected government of Delhi, it will start working for the good of the people," he asserted.
 
The chief minister also advised his party MLAs to withdraw their proposal demanding the exclusion of Delhi Police from the government's compensation scheme.
Following the attack on Kejriwal, AAP legislators had urged Kejriwal to remove Delhi Police from the list of beneficiaries of the Delhi government's compensation scheme under which Rs one crore is given to the kin of slain security personnel.
 
The AAP MLAs argued that the city's police force had "betrayed" the people of the country. -- PTI 
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20:43   Campaigning ends as MP prepares for Nov 28 polls
Curtains came down Monday evening on the acrimonious campaigning for the high-stakes November 28 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, where star campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and other parties addressed a series of rallies and held roadshows to seek support for candidates.
   
Canvassing came to a formal end at 5 pm and voting to elect a new 230-member assembly will take place on Wednesday. As many as 2,907 candidates are in the fray.
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were the star campaigners for their respective parties and addressed a number of poll rallies across the state.
 
They freely exchanged barbs and traded charges, raising the political temperature in the central state.
 
National and state issues, including the Rafale deal, demonetisation, development, GST, corruption, dynastic politics and the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government's performance, among others, prominently figured in their speeches.
 
BJP president Amit Shah, too, campaigned in the state, where his party is seeking a fourth straight term in office.
 
A purported video of MP Congress chief Kamal Nath on Muslim votes went viral during the last leg of electioneering with the BJP accusing the main opposition party of dividing society for electoral gains.
 
Two hours before the electioneering drew to a close, BJP vice-presidents Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Prabhat Jha, addressing a press conference in Bhopal, exuded confidence about the saffron outfit retaining power.
 
Sahasrabuddhe said electioneering started with "development" and "politics of performance" being discussed, but the Congress stooped low by dragging Modi's parents into the campaigning.
 
Addressing a separate press meet in the afternoon, chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed his party was set to come back to power in the state after 15 years.
Surjewala targeted BJP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is seeking a fourth term of office, over the lack of development in his assembly constituency Budhni. -- PTI
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20:17   Maha govt to introduce Maratha quota bill on Nov 29
The Maharashtra government will introduce a bill on Thursday to provide reservations to the Maratha community in jobs and educational institutes under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class category, state revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said Monday.
 
He said meetings were being held by a cabinet sub-committee to ensure the law to provide reservations to Marathas is within the legal and constitutional framework.
Patil heads the sub-committee set up to take a decision on the recommendations of the State Backward Class Commission on Maratha reservation.
The state government received the SBCC's report on November 15 and it was placed before the cabinet on November 18, which approved it and formed a sub-committee to proceed further.
Its members are PWD minister Eknath Shinde, cooperation minister Subhash Deshmukh, water conservation minister Ram Shinde, energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, tribal affairs minister Vishnu Savara and secretary of the state's General Administration Department.
Patil said even after the quota law is passed, other facilities provided to the Maratha community for employment and educational purposes for the last two years would remain.
On whether the quota would be 16 per cent, as announced in 2014 by the previous Congress-NCP government, Patil said a figure was being worked out.
The Maratha quota issue has dominated the discussion in the state's Legislative Assembly and Council since the winter session began on November 19.
The community has been demanding quota for a long time and its agitation for the same in July and August this year had taken a violent turn. -- PTI 
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19:18   Accused in 2002 Akshardham temple attack in Gujarat arrested
Police on Monday arrested n accused in the 2002 Akshardham temple terror attack case, moments after he alighted from a flight in Ahmedabad.

Mohammed Farooq Shaikh was nabbed by the Crime Branch from Ahmedabad airport, soon after his arrival from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bhagrithsinh Gohil told PTI.

Two armed terrorists had attacked the temple in Gandhinagar, killing 30 people and injuring eight on September 24, 2002.

The attack followed the Godhra riots in the same year.

"Shaikh lived in Juhapura before he fled to Riyadh in 2002 after the temple attack," the police official said, adding Shaikh had arranged funds for the attack.  -- PTI
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18:46   Q2 GDP growth likely to slow down to 7.5-7.6%
The Gross Domestic Product growth in the September quarter is expected to decelerate to 7.5-7.6 per cent over the previous three-month period mainly due to slowdown in rural demand, an SBI research report said on Monday.

The GDP growth at constant prices (2011-12) was 8.2 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2018-19. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will be releasing the estimates for GDP growth for July-September on Friday.

The 'SBI Ecowrap' report said the SBI Composite Leading Indicator (CLI), a basket of 21 leading indicators for September quarter of the current fiscal, is showing a marginal declining trend.

Consequently, the headline second quarter Gross Value Added (GVA) growth could be 7.3-7.4 per cent, due to the slowing of rural demand, it said.

"We also believe that the growth numbers in the second quarter will be helped by a weak base in September quarter 2017-18.

"We estimate that the base impact on second quarter GVA growth is around 30 bps. Based on tax collections, we subsequently expect second quarter GDP growth at 7.5-7.6 per cent," said Ecowrap.

It further said commercial vehicle sales, domestic air passenger traffic and cement production have maintained double-digit growth during July-September quarter.

All these indicators pushed up GVA in the quarter.

The monthly data of various indicators for October 2018 however suggest the GVA growth is slowing down due to decline in demand, the report said.

"Of particular concern, is that non-food credit, bank deposits and sale of passenger and commercial vehicles have slowed down as compared to previous month," it said.

Also with a slowdown in government spending in the second quarter , the fiscal impulses to growth would now be clearly missing, the report added.  -- PTI
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18:07   Won't let those conspiring to destroy Constitution succeed: Rahul
Those conspiring to destroy the Constitution should know they neither have the capacity to do so nor will the Congress allow them to do anything, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Constitution Day on Monday.

The colours of the Constitution are 'engrained in every part of us', Gandhi said on Twitter.

'The Constitution of India is the hallmark of both our struggle and existence. It is our philosophy. It is our pride...

'Let those who conspire to annihilate it know that neither do they have the capacity to do so nor will the Congress party and I ever allow them...,' he said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party in the past of 'destroying' the Constitution, a charge denied by the ruling party. Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the Constitution being adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.

It came into effect on January 26, 1950.  -- PTI
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17:36   Looking for opportunity to bring 26/11 perpetrators to justice: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India will never forget the 26/11 attack or its perpetrators and is looking for an opportunity to bring them to justice.

Addressing an election rally in Bhilwara on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 terror strike when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai, killing 166 people over 60 hours, the prime minister assured the people that the law will take its own course.

"India will never forget 26/11 or its perpetrators. We are looking for an opportunity... the law will take its own course, I assure the people of the country," Modi said.

"Justice will surely be done," he added while expressing solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives.

He added that a grateful nation bowed to its brave police and security forces who had valiantly fought the terrorists during the Mumbai attacks. Rajaasthan goes to the polls on December 7.  -- PTI
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17:00   Mehbooba rules out going to court against Guv's decision
People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday ruled out approaching the court against Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's decision to dissolve the state assembly.

The assembly was abruptly dissolved on November 21, hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival National Conference and the Congress, followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 MLAs from other parties.

Mufti in a tweet said, 'Some sincere suggestions from well wishers for me to go to court against governor's dissolution of assembly. PDP, NC, INC had come together to safeguard state interests. It is my considered opinion that we must go to people's court which is superior to any other forum.'

The governor had justified the decision, saying it was necessary to stop the use of money and horse-trading in government formation.

The state was put under Governor's Rule on June 19 after the BJP withdrew from the coalition government with the PDP, but the governor decided to keep the the assembly in suspended animation.  -- PTI
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16:58   'BJP, Congress anti-Dalit, trying to abolish reservation system': Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati alleged on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress were anti-Dalit parties and were trying to 'abolish' the reservation system.

Mayawati made the remarks while addressing an election rally in support of a BSP candidate in the Amber constituency of Jaipur.

B R Ambedkar fought for reservation for the deprived section of society, but the BJP and the Congress are now working against it, she alleged.

"Both the parties disrespect Dalits, and they are now trying to abolish the reservation system," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged.

She claimed no government at the Centre accomplished anything 'remarkable' in terms of welfare of the poor, Dalits, religious minorities, tribal people since independence.

Mayawati said her party gave tickets to all sections of society proportionately for the December 7 assembly elections.

The BSP has fielded Navin Pilania, the sitting MLA, from the Amber constituency.

In the 2013 assembly elections, Pilania won the Amber seat on the ticket of the National People's Party. He joined the BSP recently.

The constituency is witnessing a triangular contest. Satish Poonia, who had lost the 2013 election to Pilani, is the BJP's nominee.

Prashant Sharma is the Congress candidate. Mayawati also addressed another meeting in the Surajgarh constituency of Jhunjhunu district in support of her party candidate Karanveer Yadav.  -- PTI
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16:50   SC refuses to entertain fresh plea against Article 370
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a fresh petition on Article 370, which gives special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, and said that the issues raised in it were already part of the pending pleas.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Ajay Rastogi asked the petitioner to file an application for impleadment in the pending matters.

During the brief hearing, the bench asked the petitioner as to why he wanted to increase the number of petitions on the issue.

"We have heard the petitioner. The issues raised in the petition are part of the petitions pending," said the bench.

The petition filed by advocate Vijay Mishra and Sandeep Lamba has sought a declaration that Article 370 of the Constitution had lapsed with the dissolution of constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir on January 26, 1957 and it cannot be treated as mandatory for exercise of powers of the President.

The plea has also sought that the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir be declared as 'arbitrary, unconstitutional and void', claiming that it was against the supremacy of the Indian Constitution and contrary to the dictum of 'One Nation, One Constitution, One National Anthem and One National Flag'.

It has sought declaring as arbitrary some provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution, which deals with permanent residency and flag of the valley among other issues, for being violative of the Preamble and the Indian Constitution.

The petition has said that continuance of two parallel constitutions, one for the Centre and other for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 'reeks of a weird dichotomy' as most of the provisions of the Indian Constitution has already been extended to the state.

It has alleged that due to vote bank politics, successive governments did nothing to repeal Article 370 and Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was adopted much after the Indian Constitution came into force.

It also added that the instrument of accession of October 26, 1947 does not talk about separate Constitution or constituent assembly for the state. -- PTI
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16:27   RBI may transfer Rs 1 trillion of excess reserves to govt
The Reserve Bank has 'more than adequate' reserves and that it can transfer over Rs 1 trillion to the government after a specially constituted panel identifies the 'excess capital', says a report.

An RBI board meeting had last Monday decided to form a committee, which is likely to be announced later this week.

"We expect the proposed committee on the RBI's economic capital framework (ECF) to identify Rs 1-3 trillion which is 0.5-1.6 per cent of GDP as excess capital," analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a note Monday.

The brokerage report said as per its stress tests, the central bank can transfer Rs 1 trillion to the government if the transfer is limited to passing excess contingency reserve and can go up to Rs 3 trillion if the total capital is included.

Giving a break-up, the report said Rs 1.05 trillion can be transferred if the contingency reserve is capped at 3.5 percent of the RBI book. It further said this level will be 75 percent higher than the average of BRICS economies, excluding India.

Additional forms of transfers can include Rs 1.16 trillion from the contingency reserves if one restricts to yield rise of 4.5 percent as against 9 percent at present.

Limiting the appreciation cover in RBI's currency and gold revaluation account to 25 percent (Rs 53.25 per US Dollar) will release about Rs 72,000 crore to the government, it said.

It also said capping the overall reserves at 20 percent of the RBI's book as against 28.3 percent now and higher than 18 percent recommended by the Usha Thorat panel will be able to release Rs 3.11 trillion.

The statutes do not prohibit transfer of excess capital to the government, it said, pointing out that the RBI Act places no bar as long as government maintains Rs 5 crore of reserve funds under Sec 46 of the RBI Act.

While Section 47 enjoins the RBI to credit its annual surplus to the national exchequer, after provisions, it does not place any restrictions on further transfers, it added.

The RBI's contingency reserves at 7 percent are higher than the BRICS (excluding India) average of 2 percent, it said, adding the revaluation reserves are also on the higher side relative to BRICS central banks.

As per a press statement after the nine-hour marathon board meeting, the government and RBI will be jointly deciding on the panel constitution and also its terms of reference.

Following widespread criticism from many quarters, finance minister Arun Jaitley had said over the weekend that government did not need any support from the RBI's reserves for the next six months.

However, multiple reports had claimed that the government is eyeing the extra cash which will help it in the run-up to the elections.

This comes amidst falling GST collections and little borrowing window left for the government, as it has already used up close to 96 per cent of borrowings as of end October.

By taking the money from the RBI, the government will only increase its fiscal deficit, as it will have to issue bonds to the central bank.

The government for the second year in a row has pegged fiscal deficit at 3.3 per cent of GDP this fiscal year.

Many analysts are expecting government to overshoot this by at least 20-30 bps by March.  -- PTI
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16:13   'Last Emperor' director Bernardo Bertolucci passes away
Bernardo Bertolucci, the award-winning Italian director of "Last Tango in Paris", has died aged 77 following a battle with cancer, Italian officials confirmed on Monday.

Bertolucci was perhaps best known for his erotic drama "Last Tango in Paris", starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. His film "The Last Emperor" also won all nine Academy Award categories it was nominated for in 1988.

The president of the Italian General Entertainment Association, Carlo Fontana, described Bertolucci as "one of the greatest authors, perhaps the last one, of the Italian Cinema."

Fontana said Bertolucci's films "have become part of the collective imagination of our culture, going beyond our national borders to become milestones of the world cinema."

Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi also tweeted condolences for Bertolucci -- who lived and died in the Italian capital.
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16:05   Centre issues guidelines to regulate weights of school bags
The ministry of human resource development has instructed all states and union territories to formulate guidelines to rationalise teaching of subjects to regulate the weight of school bags as per the instructions of the government of India.

Lakshadweep administration has already taken action by directing all schools not to assign any homework to the students of Class I and II. 

"Schools should not prescribe any other subjects except language and mathematics for class I and II and language, EVS and mathematics for class IV to V students, as prescribed by NCERT," read a circular of the administration's Directorate of Education.

In fact, a recent circular of the Directorate noted that students should not be asked to bring additional books or any other extra material to the school.

The circular instructed that school bags of students of classes I and II should not weigh more than 1.5 kilogram and in case of students of class III and IV, the weight of bag should not exceed 3 kilogram.

They also ordered schools not to exceed the weight of bags beyond 4 kilogram for students of class VI and VII, 4.5 kilogram for class VIII and IX students and 5 kilogram for class X students.

-- ANI
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15:41   Lawyers who defended Kasab in HC yet to get their fees
Two lawyers who defended Ajmal Kasab in the 2008 Mumbai attack case on the directions of the Bombay high court are yet to get their legal fees from the Maharashtra government.

While the state government says they have not submitted any bills, the lawyers say that state prosecutors are not supposed to.

The two lawyers -- Amin Solkar and Farhana Shah -- were tasked with defending Kasab, hanged to death on November 21, 2012 for killing over 166 people in Mumbai, by the Maharashtra State Legal Services Department after they were nominated by then acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court J N Patel.

A notification about their appointment was issued on June 8, 2010 after Kasab had expressed his desire to contest the verdict of the trial court sentencing him to death in the Bombay High Court. 

According to the notification, Solkar was to receive remuneration equivalent to what is sanctioned for a public prosecutor, who conducts a death confirmation appeal, and Shah was to receive fees on par with an assistant prosecutor.

Keeping in tradition with the fairness of the trial, the law allows for appointment of a lawyer from the legal services department if accused is unable to do so.

Solkar and Shah had argued for Kasab in the Bombay HC against his death sentence almost on a day-to-day basis for nearly nine months before it confirmed the death sentence on the lone gunman, who sprayed bullets barbarically on November 26, 2008. 

His conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court a year later and he was hanged to death in 2012 inside the Yerwada prison in Pune.

Both Solkar and Shah said they are yet to receive their fees.

Both the lawyers said they had given the case priority as the high court was hearing it on a day-to-day basis from 11 am to 5 pm. 

"I do not know why the state government has not made any efforts to pay us our fees. It has been seven years since the judgment was delivered by the high court. The Supreme Court confirmed the death penalty and Kasab is also dead. But we are still waiting (for the fees)," Solkar said.
He said he was contemplating legal action to get his dues cleared from the state government.
Shah, on the other hand, says she has given up hopes that she will get her remuneration for appearing in the case.

-- PTI
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15:30   26/11 attackers spared Muslims: Meghalaya Governor tweets then delete
The 10 Pakistani terrorists who laid siege to Mumbai this day ten years ago had spared Muslims during their attack.

This according to Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy (he later admitted that the statement was "factually" wrong). Roy was tweeting on the 10th anniversary of the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

"[Today is the] 10th anniversary of the Paki-sponsored slaughter of innocents (except Muslims) at Mumbai," Roy said in a tweet. "Does anyone remember why we didn't even downgrade our diplomatic relations with the Pakis (let alone break off such relations and go to war)?"

Moments after tweeting this, Roy took down his tweet and posted a clarification.

"I was misinformed of the Paki-sponsored killers of 26/11 having spared Muslims. In fact several Muslims were killed. It was a mistake of facts and I am sorry for the same. The relevant tweet has been deleted," Roy said in a new tweet.

However, for some inexplicable reason, Roy deleted this clarification as well and posted a new one.

The new clarification simply reads: "The tweet relating to 26/11 contained a factual mistake. It has been deleted with apologies."

"No further enquiries please," Roy also said.
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15:18   New York Review of Book on India's new curriculum under BJP
'The new textbooks promote the BJP's political program and ideology. They argue for the veracity of Vedic myths, glorify ancient and medieval Hindu rulers, recast the independence movement as a violent battle led largely by Hindu chauvinists, demand loyalty to the state, and praise the policies of the BJP prime minister, Narendra Modi.   

'Since the BJP came to power in 2014, it has stacked institutions with Hindu nationalist ideologues, presided over an increase in Hindu extremist vigilantism, and replaced Islamic place names with the names of Hindu nationalist heroes. The textbooks' promotion of an essentially Hindu history provides a foundation for slowly remaking India into an essentially Hindu country,' writes Alex Traub in The New York Review of Books, here
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15:01   Stupid to ask for proof from women who've come out, says Karan on #MeToo
Filmmaker Karan Johar says the stories which came out in the wake of the #MeToo movement were heartbreaking and believes it is "lame and stupid" for people to say "there's no proof" to support the claims of women.
  
Karan said women who have come out with their stories of harassment need to be applauded and believed. 

"Every woman, who has a voice, has to be respected, applauded for coming out there and it is essential to believe every given voice. You cannot say there's no proof. That is a lame, masculine, stupid thing to say. When a woman comes out, she expresses her heart out, she is right and you believe her," Karan said.

Karan said post the #MeToo movement, there is a "huge sense of accountability" that has set in.

"When I read so many of those narratives and stories, they broke my heart. It made me realise we cannot be complicit to this and you have to wake up, smell the coffee and be active about it," he added.

When asked if the heavyweights of the industry did not support the movement enough, the director said everyone did in their own capacity. 

"Not everyone has to go online and say it. A lot of people either work silently or out there. It's how you choose to take decisions. Some of our decisions will be made but we don't need to scream and shout about it. A lot of the more evolved minds have taken the required action," he added.

-- PTI
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14:37   CBI informs court it has procured sanction to prosecute Chidambaram
The CBI on Monday informed a Delhi court that it has procured the requisite sanction from the authorities concerned to prosecute former Union minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case.
  
The court however extended till December 18 the protection granted to Chidambaram and his son Karti from arrest after the CBI said it needed two weeks to get sanction against other accused in the case.
The CBI is probing alleged irregularities in grant of FIPB approval in Aircel-Maxis deal, while the ED is probing alleged money-laundering related to the deal.

-- PTI
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14:23   Centre's handling of J-K situation in experimental manner pushed state several years back: Omar
The NDA government's handling of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in an ad-hoc and experimental manner has pushed the state several years back, former chief minister Omar Abdullah claimed on Monday.
  
After a hectic political week, Omar feels the BJP is yet to answer many questions, including "why it entered an alliance with the PDP and why it withdrew all of a sudden?"

Another question which the people of the state will definitely be asking is why despite having 26 MLAs, the BJP decided to lend support to a two-member party (led by Sajad Lone), he said.

With his National Conference already into election mode, Omar criticised the BJP over its handling of the political turmoil in Kashmir. "Keeping in mind the 2019 elections, the BJP keeps changing its goalposts, confusing people. They have pushed the state several years back," he claimed.

Commenting on the alliance of 'conflicting and contrasting' ideologies, Omar told PTI, "When the BJP and the PDP united, it was stated that the north pole and the south pole had come together and an 'Agenda of Alliance' had been stitched. Has any of the promises been fulfilled by them? Now see what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir... Look at the present political crisis in the state."

"Forget about initiating talks with Pakistan, they refuse to hold a dialogue with separatists," he said.

About the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Omar said, "In 2011 or 2012, there was a talk about AFSPA's withdrawal from some areas, as peace had returned. But, can we say that today. The footprint of the Army and para-military forces has doubled from where we left in 2014, only because all types of experiments were carried out in Kashmir and all of them failed."

The vice president of the National Conference reiterated his views on the "unceremonious" dissolution of the state assembly by Governor Satya Pal Malik on November 21. 

-- PTI
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14:11   Wire.in hit with Rs 6000 cr civil suit by Anil Ambani group
M K Venu, founding editor of thewire.in, tweets:   

'The Wire just got a fresh Rs.6000 cr civil suit from ADAG group for doing a video discussion on Rafale, largely raising questions on govt non-transparency in the deal. We now have several civil/criminal suits from the likes of Adani & Anil Ambani on questions asked of the govt!'
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13:02   8 Naxals, 2 cops killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh
Eight Naxals and two police personnel were killed in an encounter between ultras and security men in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday, police said.
  
The gunbattle took place at a forest in Kistaram area bordering Telangana when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxal operation, said Sukma's Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena.

Eight bodies of Naxals have been found at the encounter spot, he said.

Two District Reserve Guard personnel were also killed in the exchange of fire, the SP said.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the spot, he said.

Further details were awaited as the encounter was still underway, he added.

-- PTI
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12:56   Govt to review airlines' decision to charge for all seats during web check-in
The government on Monday said it was reviewing airlines' decision to charge passengers for any of the seats selected at the time of web check-in to ascertain whether the move is in compliance with existing rules.
  
No-frills airline IndiGo, which has a domestic market share of nearly 43 per cent, has been levying charges for web check-in from November 14. Against the backdrop of questions being raised about IndiGo's move, especially on social media, the ministry of civil aviation has said it would review the decision.
The ministry has noted that airlines are now charging for web check-in for all seats. "We are reviewing this fees to see whether they fall within the unbundled pricing framework," it added.
It could not be immediately be ascertained whether other budget carriers have also revised their policies for web check-in.
Under IndiGo's revised policy, all seats are chargeable for web check-in. "Alternatively you may check-in at the airport for free. Seats will be assigned as per the availability," the airline had said.
By way of web check-in, passengers verify their presence on a flight online and seats can also be chosen.
Earlier, IndiGo passengers were able to choose certain seats, including aisle seats, free of cost while making the selection online. Now, the airline is charging for every seat selection made through the web.

Grappling with spiralling operational costs, airlines have been looking at ways to increase their revenues from ancillary services. In the latest September quarter, all the three listed carriers -- IndiGo, SpiceJet and Jet Airways -- were in the red. 
IndiGo reported a loss at Rs 651 crore in the three months ended September, mainly impacted by high fuel cost and rupee depreciation. 

-- PTI
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12:30   Cong in power when 26/11 took place, questions our surgical strikes in Pak: PM
The Congress was in power when the Mumbai attacks took place but questioned the BJP government's surgical strikes in Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a rally in Rajasthan's Bhilwara on Monday.
  
The prime minister was addressing an election rally on the tenth anniversary of the 26/11 terror strike when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai, killing 166 people over 60 hours.

Hitting out at the Congress, the prime minister said the party doubted his government's surgical strikes, conducted in September 2016. But will commandos carry cameras to provide proof, he asked.
Modi said his government had responded to terrorists and Naxals in their own language.
The prime minister added that the Congress calls Naxals revolutionaries and then issues them certificates. 
The Rajasthan elections will be held on December 7 and the votes counted on December 11.

-- PTI
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12:20   Man, 21, posts 'terrorist on flight' on social media, detained in Kolkata
A youth was deplaned and taken into custody by Central Industrial Security Force personnel at Kolkata airport on Monday morning after he allegedly uploaded a social media post from inside the aircraft that contained the word terrorist.

The young man later identified as Yog Vedan Poddar, said to be in his twenties, had covered his face with a handkerchief and taken a picture. He captioned the photograph, Terrorist on flight, I destroy womens hearts.

A co-passenger who saw his post, promptly informed the crew of the Kolkata-Mumbai flight that the youth made the post.

The incident triggered panic especially in view of the anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The pilot contacted the air traffic control and took the plane back to the tarmac.

The flight, 9W472 that was supposed to take off at 8:30 am, was delayed by an hour.

The youth was taken to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport police station for questioning.

Police officers at Kolkatas airport , speaking on conditions of anonymity, said, After the crew were alerted by the co-passenger, the youth Yog Vedan Poddar refused to show his mobile phone to the air hostess. Then, the CISF personnel found that he indeed made the post, where he took a selfie with his face covered and wrote those words. We are now checking his antecedents.

The youth lives in Beliaghata area of east Kolkata. He told the police officers that he was merely indulging in a prank with his friends.

He was indulging in a prank, said his father Nirmal Poddar, who rushed to the airport police station.
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11:50   Kerala Water Resources minister Mathew Thomas resigns
Kerala Water Resources Minister Mathew T Thomas, a nominee of the Janata Dal-Secular in the CPI-M-led LDF government, on Monday submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The move comes after the JD-S, a key partner in the LDF, on Friday decided to replace Thomas with Chittur MLA K Krishnankutty.

Thomas handed over the resignation letter to Vijayan at the latter's official residence, Cliff House, this morning.

"I have handed over my resignation letter to the chief minister. I am an MLA now," Thomas told reporters.

On his performance as a minister in the last two-and-a-half years, Thomas said he cannot say he was fully satisfied, but was happy as he could take up various activities during his tenure in the water resources department.

Asked if he would stake claim for the post of the state party chief, Thomas said he had not put forward any such demand and had not listed any conditions for his resignation.

Thomas said he had functioned as the state president of the party and had helped it to grow.

The party would not split and would remain in the LDF, he said.

-- PTI
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11:15   Punjab minister covers CM's name on Kartarpur corridor foundation stone with tape
The row over Kartarpur corridor refuses to die down even on the day of stone-laying. Hours ahead of the ceremony, Punjab minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa pasted black tape on his, chief minister Amarinder Singh and other Punjab ministers' names engraved on the foundation stone.

"I have done this to protest the inclusion of Parkash Singh Badal's and Sukhbir Singh Badal's names on the foundation stone. Why are their names here? They are not a part of the executive. It's not a BJP-Akali event," Randhawa said.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the construction of Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib road corridor up to international border with Pakistan in Mann village in Gurdaspur on Monday.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh will be present on the occasion. 

To mark Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th birth anniversary in 2019, the government had on November 22 decided to build the Kartarpur road corridor up to international border between India and Pakistan as an integrated development project.
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10:31   Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Ajmer dargah
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday paid obeisance at the 13th century dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer.
  
Gandhi was accompanied by Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot and former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot. 

The Gandhi family's traditional khadim (cleric) made him perform 'ziyarat' at the dargah.  

The Congress president will now go to Pushkar to offer prayers.  

Later, he will hold election rallies in western parts of the state including Pokaran in Jaisalmer district.

-- PTI
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10:19   Moshe's nanny wants 26/11 scars wiped from Nariman House
Sandra Samuel, the nanny who saved the life of two-year-old Moshe Holtzberg during the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, laments that the 'scars' of Chabad House have not been wiped out even 10 years later.

Samuel, 54, wonders why the terror attack 'scars' are still there in the five-storeyed Jewish centre in Colaba, now renamed as Nariman Light House.

Two Pakistani terrorists had laid siege on this building, killing nine, including Rabbi Gavriel and his pregnant wife Rivka. Their son Moshe was saved by Samuel, who visited Mumbai with Moshe, his grandparents and Israel's prime minister in January this year.

There were a lot of people around including the media and she did not notice things in detail then, but when she returned to the city in May, she felt things inside the House were "terrible".

"They have kept the fourth and fifth floor same and on the third floor they have broken every thing and made (it) into one big open space. The pillar and every thing has bullet marks. It is very terrible for me. It broke me, it shook me," Samuel said.

Recalling the "horrific ordeal" in the building 10 years ago, she said, "It was a miracle that we came out alive from there. I believe God has his own plans for everybody."

Samuel, who was granted honorary Israeli citizenship in 2010, says she does miss Mumbai and makes it a point to visit her sons Martin, 35, and Jackson, 28, every two years.

She works for disabled children at the Aleh Jerusalem Center since the last seven years. Every Saturday, she meets Moshe in Afula where he stays with Rabbi Shimon Rosengberg, his maternal grandfather.

-- PTI

Image: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flanked by Moshe Holtzberg and Sandra Samuel, the nanny who saved the then two year old from the 26/11 terrorists, at Chabad House, Mumbai, in January 2018. Photograph: Kind courtesy: Chabad House
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09:47   Paying tribute to fallen heroes
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and other cabinet ministers pay tribute at Martyrs' Memorial, Police Gymkhana at Marine Lines in south Mumbai on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks. 

Photograph: ANI/Twitter
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09:35   Kartarpur corridor: Harsimrat Kaur, who called Sidhu a 'gaddar', questioned over Pak visit
The attack by Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu over the latters visit to Pakistan in August for the swearing-in ceremony of cricket-turned-politician Imran Khan as the Prime Minister of the country is back to haunt her.

Pakistan to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor, the Punjab government has targeted the Union minister, asking as to what face she has to go to the neighbouring country.

Punjab minister Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa said, Harsimrat Kaur Badal had called Navjot Singh Sidhu a 'qaum ka gaddar'. Now she herself is going to Pakistan, with what face will she go?

The Punjab minister also attacked the Shiromani Akali Dal, alleging that they never took up the Kartarpur Corridor issue even once when they were in power.

Pakistan had extended an invitation to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, among others, to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor on Wednesday.

While the Punjab chief minister declined the invite, citing terrorism emanating from Pakistan and killing of Indian soldiers by their army, Sushma Swaraj too expressed her inability to attend the event, which is expected to be hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.

The external affairs minister, however, declared that two ministers, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri, would be going to Pakistan for the event as representative of the Indian government.
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09:17   VP Naidu to lay foundation for Kartarpur corridor today
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday will lay the foundation stone for the construction of Dera Baba Nanak-Karatarpur Sahib road corridor.

The corridor will reach up to the international border with Pakistan.

The foundation stone laying ceremony will be performed in the Mann village of Gurdaspur district in Punjab.

Vice President Naidu will be accompanied by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has also announced that the party leadership and workers would take part in the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed corridor to Shri Kartarpur Sahib on the Indian soil while singing hymns of Gurbani on November 26.

The decision to build the corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the International Border was taken on November 22 by the Union Cabinet.

On the same day Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, had announced that Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan would be breaking ground for the Kartarpur corridor on November 28.

The development of the corridor will facilitate lakhs of pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of river Ravi, in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years.

-- ANI
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08:34   India remains honour-bound to defeating terrorism: President Kovind on 26/11
Remembering those who lost their lives in the deadly terror attacks that shook Mumbai on November 26, 2008, President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said that India remains "honour-bound" to defeating terrorism.

"Ten years after the Mumbai terror attacks, thoughts with families and individuals who suffered. We salute those from the police and security forces who made the supreme sacrifice that day. India remains honour-bound to securing justice, and defeating terrorism #PresidentKovind," he tweeted.

India's financial capital came to a standstill on this very day a decade ago when 10 Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists who came to Mumbai via sea route from Pakistan carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across the city.

Attacks took place at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station, Cama Hospital, Nariman House business and residential complex, Leopold Cafe, Taj Mahal Hotel and Tower, and the Oberoi-Trident Hotel over a span of four days, killing 166 people and injuring over 300.

As India remembers the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks on its tenth anniversary, various events will be organised across the nation, especially in Mumbai, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the ghastly attacks. 

-- ANI
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07:58   US announces $5 million reward for information on 26/11 perpetrators
The United States on Monday announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual who committed, conspired, aided or abetted the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The Trump Administration announced this major reward (of more than Rs 35 crore) on the 10th anniversary of the terror attack in which 10-Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists went on a shooting rampage in India's financial hub killing 166 people, including six Americans.

The move comes less than a fortnight after Vice President Mike Pence had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Singapore, during which he is believed to have himself raised this issue and rued that even 10 years after the Mumbai terrorist attack its perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

State Department's Rewards for Justice Program on Monday said it is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual who committed, conspired to commit, or aided or abetted the execution of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

From November 26 to 29, 2008, 10 terrorist associated with the LeT carried out a series of coordinated assaults against multiple targets in Mumbai, it said. "The United States is committed to working with our international partners to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attack," it said. 

Today's announcement marks the third RFJ reward offer seeking information on the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.

 In April 2012, the Department of State announced reward offers for information that brings to justice LeT founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, another senior LeT leader.

In December 2001, the Department of State designated LeT as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.  This designation plays a critical role in the fight against terrorism and is an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to get out of the terrorism business, the State Department said. 

-- PTI

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