LIVE! Why buy only 36 Rafale when IAF required 126? asks Chidambaram

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Fri, 04 January 2019

Why buy only 36 Rafale when IAF required 126? asks Chidambaram

Timeline Refresh

23:44 Resolve Kashmir according to UN resolutions: Turkey

Turkey on Friday said the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the United Nations resolutions, after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Turkish stand appeared in a joint statement issued at the end of a two-day visit by Khan to Turkey on the invitation of Erdogan.

Khan's meeting with Erdogan was followed by delegation-level talks. The two leaders expressed a commitment to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields, according to the joint statement shared with the media by Khan's office in Islamabad.

The statement said the two countries "underscored the need for resolution of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir through a sustained dialogue process and in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions".

India has maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue with Pakistan and that third parties have no role in it.

Khan and Erdogan also "recognised Turkish support for Pakistan's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers' Group based on non-discriminatory criteria, and reaffirmed that Pakistan's adherence to the NSG guidelines and participation in the NSG would strengthen global non-proliferation objectives".

The two nations acknowledged that sustainable peace and stability in Afghanistan could be achieved through reconciliation of all segments of Afghan society with support of regional countries and the international community. -- PTI

Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday accused the government of comprising national security by buying only 36 Rafale aircraft when the Air Force required 126.

Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram said the Air Force wanted at least seven squadrons (126 aircraft) and this figure was recommended by the Defence Acquisition Council too.

"Did the Air Force or the DAC ever reduce the requirement to 36 aircraft," he asked.

He said if the price negotiated by the BJP government was cheaper by 9 to 20 per cent, "logically the government should buy more aircraft. Why is it buying less number of aircraft?"

"The BJP says it was an emergency purchase. The PM's statement in Paris was on 10-4-2015. Four years have passed, not one aircraft has arrived in India until this date. Some emergency purchase!

"We charge the BJP government of compromising national security by buying only 36 aircraft when the Air Force's requirement is 126 aircraft. Why did the government not enter into a contract to buy 126 aircraft," he said in a series of tweets.

"To the question why did you reduce the number of aircraft to be purchased from 126 to 36, the Defence Minister says that you would have got 18 aircraft in fly away condition but we will get 36 aircraft in fly away condition. Is that an answer to the question," he tweeted.

In a fiery "point-by-point" rebuttal to Congress's charges on the Rafale deal in Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday it was the Indian Air Force which suggested that the government buy two squadrons or 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition instead of 18, as was planned to be purchased under the Congress-led UPA government.

She accused the Congress of compromising with national security in the interest of the party's "treasury" while deciding on buying 126 fighter jets. -- PTI

The National Green Tribunal on Friday imposed a fine of whopping Rs 100 crore on the Meghalaya government for failing to curb illegal coal mining in the state.

A senior advocate, who is assisting the tribunal as an amicus curiae in the mining matter, said a report of a high-level committee was submitted on January 2 before a bench headed by NGT chairperson A K Goel.

The report stated that majority of the mines in the state were operating without a lease or licence.

The NGT imposed Rs 100 crore fine on the state government as a "deterrent" and for its "inaction" to curb illegal mining in the north eastern state.

The lawyer said during the hearing, the state government admitted that a large number of mines were operating illegally.

At least 15 miners are trapped in the 370 foot-deep illegal coal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya since December 13 and all efforts to pump the water out of flooded mine have been in vain.

The owner of the illegal rat-hole mine Krip Chullet was arrested on the evening of December 14.

The state government has spent roughly over Rs 50 lakh for hiring various utilities to rescue the trapped miners.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had expressed strong dissatisfaction over the rescue efforts to trace the miners and had asked the state government to bring them out dead or alive. -- PTI

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the "worst leader India has seen since Independence".

The stinging attack came a day after Modi's outburst against the Congress on loan waiver, 1984 riots and other issues.

Singh challenged the prime minister to cite "even one instance of a promise fulfilled by his government in the past five years".

"The 'jumlebaaz' prime minister has brought the nation to its nadir with his deceptions and fabrications, and was staring at his moment of judgement at the hands of the people, who are set to throw him out of power for good," he said while referring to Modi's Gurdaspur rally on Thursday.

"One wonders with what face Modi intends to go back to the people of India to seek re-election a few weeks from now," he quipped, dubbing the prime minister "the worst leader India has seen since independence".

The Punjab chief minister minced no words in taking on Modi over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots issue, questioning the PM's "studious silence on the BJP/RSS workers named in the Tilak Marg police station FIR related to the worst violence perpetrated against the Sikhs, while trying desperately to drag the Gandhi family into the matter even though no fingers had been pointed at them".

At the Gurdaspur rally, Modi had attacked the Congress on several issues. He had accused the Congress of protecting those involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The senior Congress leader also took a dig at the prime minister over the latter "taking credit" for the Kartarpur Corridor issue.

On the crop loan waiver issue, Singh said despite the fiscal mess inherited by his government from the previous SAD-BJP regime, Punjab had managed to waive Rs 3,417 crore of crop loans of 4,14,275 farmers in just one year. -- PTI

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said sensationalism of news is an insult to journalism and suggested that media men should refrain from it.

In his address at the Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awards ceremony, Singh said any criticism of an individual or government should be taken in a sporting way.

"I think media acts as mirror to the government. But that mirror should not be painted with any colour as it can pose a question mark on its credibility," he said.

Lauding the role of late Ramnath Goenka, founder of Indian Express newspaper, for his courageous journalism especially during the Emergency, Singh said "I believe that sensationalism of news is an insult to journalism. And I can say that Ramnath Goenka never allowed it while he was around."

He also advocated better relations between the media and the government.

"It's okay if there is no friendship between the media and the government, but there should be no discord between them," the home minister said.

He also asked journalists to be cautious on fake news or sponsored news as it may hit their credibility.

"Newspapers or media groups may have their ideology but it should not be reflected in a news item," he said.

On the growing landscape of social media, Singh said the conventional media will not lose its importance no matter how the new media grows.

However, he cautioned that this credibility can be maintained as long as the conventional media continues to report facts. -- PTI

National carrier Air India will start operating special flights between Allahabad and various cities for the Kumbh Mela.

Kumbh Mela would be from January 15 to March 31 at Allahabad, which has been renamed as Prayagraj.

The special flights would be operated between January 13 and March 30, Air India said in a release Friday. They would connect Allahabad with Delhi, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

The Delhi-Allahabad flight AI 403 would be operated on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Allahabad -Ahmedabad service would be on Wednesday and Saturday while the Allahabad-Kolkata flight would be on Friday and Sunday.

One of the largest religious gatherings in the world, the Kumbh Mela would be held at Triveni Sangam. -- PTI

United States Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said that he will not resign if asked to do so by President Donald Trump.

"No," Powell responded when asked by the moderator at the American Economic Association's annual meeting: "If the president asked you to resign, would you do it?"

Powell also said he had not received any direct communication from the White House about unhappiness with the central bank's rate policy, and no meeting with Trump has been scheduled.

Trump appointed Powell but has become severely critical of the Fed chairman.

The Travancore Devaswom Board on Friday decided to seek an explanation from the head priest of Sabarimala temple, for his decision to perform purification rituals after two women of menstrual age entered the shrine.

"We have decided to seek explanation from the Thanthri about the circumstances that led him to perform the rituals. His act was against the Supreme Court order," board president A Padmakumar said.

He also said once the explanation was sought, the Sabarimala Thanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru would have to file a reply within 15 days.

Two women of menstruating age group made history on January 2 when they stepped into the Sabarimala temple of Lord Ayyappa, breaking a centuries-old tradition defying dire threats from the Hindu right.

The development did not go down well with the temple authorities, with the head priest ordering devotees out of the premises and closing doors to the sanctum sanctorum.

He had performed a "purification" ritual for an hour before the doors were opened again.

The women -- Kanakadurga and Bindu -- aged 44 and 42, stepped into the hallowed precincts guarded by police three months after the Supreme Court's historic judgement lifting the ban on entry of girls and women between 10 and 50 years of age into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

The women, draped in black entered the temple at 3:38 am, a day after over 35 lakh women stood shoulder-to-shoulder across the national highways in Kerala, creating a 620 km-long human 'wall' from the northern end of Kasaragod to the southern tip in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the state-sponsored initiative to uphold gender equality.

The TDB manages the hill shrine. -- PTI

Central Bureau of Investigation joint director V Murugesan who was leading the investigations into serious corruption allegations against the agency's special director, Rakesh Asthana, has been shifted to probe coal scam cases, an internal order said Friday.

The order shows that Murugesan, who was deputed by director (in-charge) M Nageswara Rao to lead the investigation against Asthana, was transferred as part of efforts to give an "impetus to expeditious completion of coal scam cases".

The order also says that Murugesan was "bogged down" by additional charge of joint director AC(HQ)-I zone which being a "heavy zone" takes away much of his "time and attention".

Murugesan's charge has now been given to joint director G K Goswami, who in addition to his responsibility of the Lucknow zone will also look after AC (HQ)-I zone, where a case against Asthana is registered.

The order also states that another joint director Vineet Vinayak looking after anti-corruption wing, Delhi Zone, has been transferred. His charge has now been given to additional director Praveen Sinha.

The CBI had registered an FIR against Asthana on October 15, 2018 alleging serious corruption charges against him on the basis of a complaint from a businessman Sathish Babu Sana.

The businessman, who was being questioned by Asthana's special investigation team probing the Moin Qureshi case had alleged that a Dubai-based middleman had offered to use his purported links with the special director to manage relief for him in return for a bribe of Rs 2 crore.

Recently, the new investigation team had called Sana to again verify contents of his complaint in order find loopholes, if any, but sources claimed that he did not budge from his allegations.

Walls of hatred are being erected in the name of religion in India and those who stand against this "injustice" are being punished, actor Naseeruddin Shah on Friday claimed in video released by the Amnesty India against alleged government "crackdown" on NGOs.

In the 2.13-minute solidarity video for the human rights watchdog Amnesty, Shah said those who demand rights are being locked up.

"Artistes, actors, scholars, poets are all being stifled. Journalists too are being silenced," he said in the video message.

"In the name of religion, walls of hate are being erected. Innocents are being killed. The country is awash with horrific hatred and cruelty," he claimed.

He said that those who stand against this "injustice" are having their offices raided, licenses cancelled and bank accounts frozen to silence them so that they are deterred from speaking the truth.

"Is this where our country is headed? Had we dreamt of a country where there was no space for dissent, where only the rich and powerful are heard and where the poorest and most vulnerable are oppressed? Where there once was law, there is now only darkness," he said in the video in Urdu.

Under the hashtag of #AbkiBaarManavAdhikaar, the Amnesty claimed India has witnessed a massive crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights defenders.

"Let's stand up for our constitutional values this new year and tell the Indian government that its crackdown must end now," the Amnesty said.

Aakar Patel, a member of the Amnesty India, said it may seem that the odds are against human rights defenders and civil society in India at this moment, but human rights have always won and will this time also.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, as Dr Martin Luther King said, but it bends towards justice. The widespread crackdown on civil society organisations and human rights defenders by the government of India must end immediately," he said.

Shah stoked a controversy last month when he had said that the death of a cow had more significance than that of a police officer. -- PTI

Former Bangladesh minister and veteran Awami League leader Syed Ashraful Islam has died of lung cancer.

Islam, who was public administration minister in the previous Sheikh Hasina Cabinet, died at a hospital in Thailand.

The 68-year-old former Awami League general secretary had been suffering from advanced lung cancer.

The veteran politician passed away at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok on Thursday night, his cousin Kabir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune.

His body will be brought to Dhaka on Saturday.

Islam is survived by a daughter. He was undergoing treatment at the Bangkok hospital for the past few months.

Islam was the eldest son of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's close associate and national leader Syed Nazrul Islam who had served as the nation's acting president during the 1971 liberation war.

Even though he was absent during Sunday's general election, Islam had won the Kishoreganj-1 seat.

He had steered the Awami League when it was plunged into a crisis in 2007 during the regime of the military-controlled caretaker government.

Islam was elected MP from Kishoreganj-1 constituency five times - in 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014 and 2018. -- PTI

Union minister Smriti Irani blamed the Congress on Friday for "creating hurdles" in the judicial process in the Ram temple case through its lawyers and said 'Ram bhakts' should ask the party about it.

"The Congress should not do politics through its lawyers on the Ram temple issue, which is a matter of faith for people. Its leaders, as lawyers, are creating hurdles in the court. People and Ram bhakts should ask the party whether its leader wore 'janeu' (sacred thread) only for the polls in three states," she said.

Her reference was to senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal, who had urged the Supreme Court to defer the hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case until after the 2019 general election.

She made the comment hours after the apex court said an appropriate bench constituted by it will pass an order on January 10 to fix the date of hearing in the case.

Irani was visiting Amethi, about 140km from the state capital Lucknow, and said this when talking to reporters ahead of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's scheduled two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, which was later cancelled as he was in Lok Sabha for a debate on the Rafale fighter jet controversy.

The Union minister also criticised Gandhi for remaining "silent" when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had said people from UP and Bihar get employment in MP at the cost of the local population.

"Why was Rahul silent when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath spoke against people from UP and Bihar working in that state? How will he look into the eyes of people in Amethi today?" she said.

Irani had unsuccessfully contested against Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and they are likely to fight again from Amethi in the general election this year.

For Irani's visit, local BJP leaders had put up posters seeking an explanation from Gandhi on Kamal Nath's statement on workers from UP and Bihar. One of the posters carried a collage of newspaper clippings of his statement.

Soon after being sworn in as Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Kamal Nath had announced a new state government policy under which industries availing investment incentives will need to give 70 per cent employment to the local youth. -- PTI

18:16 No Indian citizen will be left out of NRC: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the people of Assam that no Indian citizen will be left out of the National Register of Citizen list. While addressing a rally Silchar on Friday, the Prime Minister acknowledged that several people faced difficulties and were worried during the process and said, "It is due to your sacrifices and devotion that this decision has seen the light of the day."

Prime Minister Modi also announced that the government is also working to get the Citizen Amendment Bill passed in the Parliament.

"Citizenship bill not for anyone's benefit, but a penance against the injustice done in past; hope it will be passed soon in Parliament," the Prime Minister asserted.

He further stated that the government has decided to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to safeguard the identity of the state.Stating that the government is committed to 'sabka saath sabka vikas', the Prime Minister said, "Assam is not just a state but is a vibrant society full of resources and prosperous culture. The government is working towards preserving the Assamese culture, language and its resources, therefore, Assamese rights."

"Government has decided to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord which had been hanging for 30-35 years. This is a step towards safeguarding the social, cultural and linguistic identity of the state," the Prime Minister stated.

The Prime Minister further said, "We want to build the legacy of infrastructure for a better present and glorious future of the country. Our effort is to make life of the people of the country easier, doing business-business is easy, be it any area or person, everyone has balanced development, better job creation."

He also said that the youth of Assam and the country want a corruption free and VIP culture free nation.

"We are determined to build a system where the common man has access to the government," Prime Minister Modi said.

Thanking the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, the Prime Minister said that it is his 16th visit to the state since the formation of the government.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several development projects in Manipur.

The Prime Minister unveiled the plaque to mark the inauguration of various projects including Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Moreh, the Dolaithabi Barrage project, FCI food storage godown at Sawombung, Eco-Tourism Complex at Thangal Surung and various water supply schemes.
-- ANI

BJP Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur today hit back at the Congress on Rafale issue, alleging that it was involved in corruption in various defence deals and has always kept the interest of "its family ahead of the country".

Participating in the discussion in Lok Sabha on the fighter jet deal with France, he said the Congress governments could not buy a single aircraft in 10 years and added that BJP had strength to buy 36 aircraft.

"We are looking into pricing... There is no commercial favouritism. I want to convey that the Modi government has taken a decision in the interest of the forces," he said.

Unlike under Congress rule, the decisions by the BJP government are taken in interest of the country, he said.

If the Congress, he said, had taken a decision on Rafale issue earlier during its tenure, then "we would have not done Rafale (deal)".

"Three thousand jeep scam was the first scam by the Congress party after independence. No defence deal was completed by the Congress without 'a deal'," Thakur alleged.

The Congresss party has always kept the interest of its family ahead of the country, he alleged.

He claimed that there was a long list of the scams which took place during Congress rule including Submarine scam, Bofors, AgustaWestland, 2G, National Herald and Coal.

"All these were used for your political funding," he alleged and added that the Congress should "stop the game of corruption".

Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia raised objection stating that the BJP member was making "unsubstantiated and defamatory statements" in the House.

Thakur said that the person who inititated the discussion on Rafale is "confused", "corrupt" and is out on bail. -- PTI

Tamil Nadu farmers leader Ayyakannu, who along with other farmers from the state shocked Delhi with their protests with dead rats in the mouth and other headline-grabbing gimmicks, was back in Delhi today.

Ayyakannu told Rediff.com, "Farmers of 29 states met in Delhi today to petition the central government to write off our loans and also give us remunerative prices for our products. If they don't do that, the least they can do is promise us that no farmer's land will be confiscated till the Lok Sabha elections and that no coercive action will be taken against any farmer."

They have also petitioned Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said. "We have told him that we will not accept partial write-offs of a lakh or two lakh rupees. We want a total write-off."

Their next plan of action is a daylong fast in Delhi at the end of this month.

"On that day 300 farmers from Tamil Nadu will stand with a noose around their neck. We call it the suicide protest," he said.

Apart from this they plan to visit every state to campaign against the ruling party during the Lok Sabha elections due in May this year.

-- A Ganesh Nadar

16:43 First reactions from the BJP

Arun Jaitley @arunjaitley Well done! Smt. Nirmala Sitharamanji, for an outstanding performance. You demolished the fake campaign. We are all proud of your performance.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha: Have you (Rahul Gandhi) apologised after having winked an eye at PM, after hugging the PM? This is not the way a House should run. I don't have a 'khandan' to boast on. PM also comes from a poor background. He has come here from hard work. I have my honour intact. PM has his honour intact. We have all come from normal backgrounds.

Nirmala Sitharaman speaks for close to 2.5 hours on the Rafale deal.

Now, Congress president Rahul Gandhi responds to the defence minister's statement on his meeting with former French president Francois Hollande, saying that one of them was not speaking the truth on the Rafale offset agreement with Anil Ambani.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said when he spoke to Hollande, the former French president had said that price is not part of the secrecy pact. He asked, "My question is Anil Ambani was brought in for the contract. Who was the one to decide on Anil Ambani?

Rahul said, "Defence Minister accepted that PM conducted a bypass surgery (on Rafale deal), that he changed the deal. You have defended a lie. Old contract was changed and new contract was made. How did Anil Ambani get the contract? Who gave him the contract.

You (Defence Minister) say neighborhood is dangerousIf neighborhood is dangerous then why did you reduce the number of jets to 36?" Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

Rahul tells Sitharaman, "You have done nothing wrong, other than defend a lie."

Back to the defence minister holding forth on the Rafale deal in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi has been given two minutes to respond to this statement by the defence minister.

"A Congress spokesperson had said that Congress will not discuss India's defence deals with a foreign head of state, this discussion the Govt has to do with France and not us.

"Rahul Gandhi on 20 July in Parliament said, "I asked the French Pres about this secrecy pact but he denied its existence. He also told me that he has no issues in making the cost public." Who is truthful? One of them is misleading the country. I want proof of this.

The Congress has invoked secrecy clause many times in past...Basic price of aircraft has been disclosed. Price of avionics and weapons cannot be disclosed. Today they are left without the fig leaf of MPs in the well who can give them cover. You can't hide anywhere. "

15:18

This PDA is all things cute. Anushka Sharma shared this image with her husband, Virat Kohli, tweeting, "You make me such a happy girl."

15:09 Congress is shedding crocodile tears for HAL: Nirmala

Defence Minister in Lok Sabha: When Rahul Gandhi held a meeting near HAL Bengaluru, he said, "Rafale is your right. You should have produced it."

I want to say to Khargeji, who is member of Standing Committee that looked into various issues related to Defence production, in a report stated "Standing Committee is disappointed to know that even after 3 decades HAL hasn't been able to develop the required aircraft." Congress is shedding crocodile tears for HAL. Congress govt gave 53 waivers to HAL. We have given contracts worth Rs 1 lakh crore.

Emergency purchases are always two squadrons. In 1982, when Pak was buying F-16s, Indian government then decided to buy 2 squadrons of MIG-23 MF from the erstwhile Soviet Union, in '85 again 2 squadrons of Mirage 2000 bought from France & in '87- 2 squadrons of MIG-29.

This campaign has been built on falsehoods. When we try to give a response, they are not even hearing the facts.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Rafale jet deal in the Lok Sabha. As she begins talking, Opposition members create a ruckus.

Sitharaman: Senior members of the Opposition don't want to hear my answers. It is very disheartening. This country needs to know that defence purchases are national security related and very important, whether they are in power or we are. We have had wars in northern and western frontiers. Timely purchase equipment should be the priority. We have to recognise the sense of urgency. China and Pakistan are building a bigger fleet.

The UPA government wanted only 18 flyaway fighter jets. UPA created a deadlock. We have facts to expose the Congress. The first aircraft will be delivered in September 2019 and 36 aircraft will be delivered in the year 2022. The process of negotiation was finished in 14 months.

UPA government created defence deadlock. There is a difference between defence dealings and dealing in defence. We don't do defence dealings. We deal in defence with national security as a priority. Congress was sleeping for eight years.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Palakkad town and Manjeswaram Taluk of Kasargod district in northern Kerala late Thursday night after widespread protest erupted over the entry of two women in their menstrual age in to Sabarimala temple.

Palakkad District Collector D Balamurali issued the order for Palakkad Town after considering the reports filed by various officials including the district police chief.

"Prohibitory order has been imposed till 6 pm today after considering the tense situation prevailing in the town. We have called for an all-party meeting at 4 pm. Further decisions will be taken after that meeting," Balamurali told PTI. Kasargod district Collector D Sajith Babu issued the prohibitory order at Manjeshwaram Taluk under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Prohibitory orders have been issued at 11 pm Thursday for 24 hours. -- PTI

The Centre Friday told the Supreme Court that they were facing difficulties in the operation to rescue 15 miners trapped in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya since December 13 as there was no blueprint of the 355-feet well.

The government told the apex court that the illegal mine was located near a river and seepage of water was hindering the rescue operation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, informed a bench of justices AK Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer about the steps taken for a swift rescue operation.

The bench directed the Centre and other authorities to file a status report on the steps taken and progress made in the rescue operation on January 7.

The apex court on Thursday had expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Meghalaya government to rescue 15 miners trapped in the illegal coal mine and had said "prompt, immediate and effective" operation was needed to rescue them as it was a matter of life and death. It had asked the Solicitor General to apprise it by Friday the steps which the government intends to take in the matter.

The rat-hole mine, atop a hillock fully covered with trees in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, was flooded when water from the nearby Lytein river gushed into it, trapping 15 miners. Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat holes" as each just about fits one person.

The Solicitor General had told the bench that several members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were working at the site and instead of the Army, the government has sent Navy personnel there as the mine was submerged in water. "72 members of NDRF are already there but still no result," the bench had observed, adding, "Why cannot you take help of the Army? He (petitioner) says that water pumps were sent to Thailand. Why cannot it (pumps) be used here also?". -- PTI

The government Friday indicated that printing of Rs 2,000 bank notes, introduced post-demonetisation in November 2016, has been stopped for now as there is enough stock in circulation.

In a tweet, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said printing of notes is planned as per the projected requirement. "We have more than adequate notes of Rs 2,000 in the system with over 35 per cent of notes by value in circulation being of Rs 2,000. "There has been no decision regarding 2,000 rupee note production recently," the Secretary said.

Soon after the sudden decision to ban old Rs 500/1,000 currency notes by the government, the Reserve Bank had come out with the 2,000 rupee note along with a new look 500 rupee note as part of its massive remonetisation exercise. The old 500/1,000 bank notes that were scrapped in November 2016 accounted for around 86 per cent of the total currency in circulation at that time. -- PTI

12:52 Vivek Oberoi to play PM Modi in biopic

Vivek Oberoi is all set to take the big screens by storm as the actor will be seen essaying the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a biopic.The biopic titled 'PM Narendra Modi' will be helmed by Omung Kumar, director of some critically acclaimed biopic films including 'Mary Kom' and 'Sarbjit'.

The biographical drama, based on the life of Prime Minister Modi, is being produced by Sandip Singh.

Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to his Twitter handle to share the news, writing, "IT'S OFFICIAL... Vivekanand Oberoi [Vivek Oberoi] to star in Narendra Modi biopic, titled #PMNarendraModi... Directed by Omung Kumar... Produced by Sandip Singh... First look poster will be launched on 7 Jan 2019... Filming starts mid-Jan 2019."

Reportedly, the film will be shot across Gujarat, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, among other locations in the country, over a period of a few months.Vivek, who had been missing from the acting scene lately, has done films like 'Krrish 3' (2013), 'Omkara' (2006), 'Company' (2002) and 'Saathiya' (2002). -- ANI

12:36 Congress now owns Twitter with this jibe

If ever there was a witty comeback, this is it.

The Congress has just tweeted to say: @INCIndia This looks very difficult to do, but when youre #Pliable its quite easy. Ask Modiji.
#RafaleGrandExpose #DoubleAA

With the word pliable trending on social media after Rahul Gandhi's comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's New Year interview by a "pliable journalist", the party has been censured by the Editor's Guild for casting aspersions on ANI editor Smita Prakash's credibilty and editorial independence. The Congress, clearly stands its ground, on its description of the Smita Prakash.

While attacking PM Modi on the Rafale jet deal at a press conference on Wednesday, the Congress president had referred to his exclusive interview to ANI editor Smita Prakash on January 1. "He (Modi) does not have the guts to come and sit in front of you. And I am coming here, you can ask me any question. You saw the prime minister's interview yesterday...matlab pliable journalist, she was asking questions and was even giving answers."

The AA in the picture, of course, refers to Rahul Gandhi's quip in Parliament, when he was rebuked by the Speaker for taking Anil Ambani's name as the recepient of govermental largesse in the Rafale deal. Rahul thereafter referred to the industrialist using his initials.

And then, there's the PM's peculiar bend. The Congress has very intelligently used Narendra Modi's morning exercise routine as part of a fitness challenge posed by Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, in June.

The PM's routine launched a thousand memes.

Good one, @INC.

11:54 Bon apptit

Thursday was about new year lunches in New Delhi. Union minister Piyush Goyal hosted one, attended mostly by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokespersons and journalists, while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel hosted another.

Patel's lunch turned out to be a gettogether of the leaders of the so-called mahagatbandhan, or grand alliance. Senior leaders of nearly all the Opposition parties attended it, both to show the political significance of their breaking bread together, and also for the spread.

Several were seen taking repeated helpings of Moradabadi dal. Those from the Opposition parties who attended were Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Ahmed Patel, Sitaram Yechury, Satish Chandra Mishra, Misa Bharati, Jaya Bachchan, Dinesh Trivedi and M K Kanimozhi.

-- Business Standard

11:53 Look before you meet

The 15th Finance Commission has begun to meet central ministries in the New Year. Since the meetings were happening after a gap of five years (the 14th FC was set up in 2013), some ministry officials were found desperately rummaging through old files to figure out how to interact with Commission representatives. Some assumed these meetings would be like an extension of the annual Budget meetings but had to be reminded by Commission members that the Commission had a different agenda and that they had to reorient their priorities accordingly.

-- Business Standard

The Supreme Court Friday directed the Centre to place on affidavit steps taken since September last year to set up a search committee for the Lokpal. The apex court asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to file the affidavit on the matter by January 17.

"You have to ensure on affidavit the steps taken on the issue of setting up of a search committee for the Lokpal," a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul said.

When the attorney general said that since the last order of September 2018, several steps have been taken, the bench asked him "what all have you done till date. So much time is being taken". When the attorney general reiterated that several steps have been taken, the bench shot back "bring everything on record what you have done since September 2018". -- PTI

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over a media report claiming that new investments in India had plunged to a 14-year-low, alleging that one is unable to handle the administration, while the other is unable to understand the economy.

In a Facebook post, Gandhi cited the report which claimed investments in the just-ended December quarter fell to a 14-year-low. The report cited fresh data from the project-tracking database of the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy.

"Both 'chowkidar' (watchman) and his loudmouth friend are unable to do their work. One is unable to handle the administration, the other is unable to understand the economy," the Congress president wrote in Hindi in a thinly veiled reference to Modi and Jaitley.

"One runs away fearing questions. The other comes and calls mangoes as tamarind," Gandhi said. "The country keeps suffering losses. But how does this matter to them?" he asked. Gandhi has been attacking the government over farmers' and economic issues. The government has rejected all assertions of the opposition party. -- PTI

Reporter Kavitha Jakkal tried and failed.
Activist Rehana Fatima tried and failed.
Activist Trupti Desai tried and failed.
After several women were prevented from entering the Sabarimala shrine after the Supreme Court verdict upheld their right to do so, Bindu and Kanakadurga managed the seemingly impossible.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com finds out how they did it. Read the report here.

In India, they tell us that women can be anything we wish. We can be fighter-jet pilots, corporate CEOs, paratroopers, athletes '" and, of course, prime minister. (We never get tired of reminding Americans of this, since the United States is still waiting for its first female head of state.)

But God forbid we dare to argue that, in 2019, menstruation should not bar us from praying at a temple. What sort of global power can the world's largest democracy aspire to be when our monthly period is still used to make women feel like polluted pariahs who must be kept at a distance? Is this not repugnant modern-day untouchability?

Barkha Dutt on Sabarimala and the institutional weaponization of bigotry against women. Read the column here.

11:11

Supreme Court also dismissed a PIL seeking to hear the Ayodhya matter on urgent and day to day basis. The PIL was filed by an advocate Harinath Ram in November 2018.

10:51 New bench to hear Ayodhya matter on Jan 10: SC

The Supreme Court hearing the Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case along with public interest litigation questioning delay in the adjudication of the matter, will now hear the matter on January 10. The CJI Ranjan Gogoi said the appropriate bench constituted to hear the matter will sit on January 10. A fresh bench will have to be constituted since former CJI Dipak Mishra has now retired. The fresh bench is expected to be constituted by Jan 6 or Jan 7. The CJI said the new bench will hear the matter and pass further orders. While the composition of the bench is not known yet, it is likely to be a three-judge bench.

On December 24, a Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India had decided on "fixing the date of hearing before the appropriate bench."

On the same day, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the central government wants the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit to be heard on day to day basis in the court. In an interview to ANI on earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that any decision on bringing an ordinance on Ram temple construction can be considered only after the end of the judicial process.

He had also suggested that the judicial process was being slowed down because Congress lawyers were creating "obstacles" in the Supreme Court.

10:32 Smriti heads to Amethi

Union textiles minister Smriti Irani tweets this picture with her colleague and party leader Sambit Patra: Both headed in same direction #ModiOnceMore @BJP4UP.

Ahead of the general elections, the Union Minister will be in Amethi today. Congress president Rahul Gandhi was supposed to be in Amethi as well, but has cancelled his visit over the Rafale debate in Parliament.

The two leaders had contested against each other in the last general elections but the BJP couldn't manage to win from Amethi or the Gandhi burrough despite the Modi wave.

A 23-year-old woman has alleged that she was raped by a man she befriended on Facebook and his brothers and later forced to marry him in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, police said on Friday.

According to the woman's complaint, she was kept at a hotel by the accused, Sonu, and raped by him and his brothers. The accused allegedly filmed the act and used it to blackmail her into marrying him, they said.

The woman also alleged that Sonu hid from from her that he was not a Hindu, they added. Based on the woman's complaint, Sonu and 10 of his family members have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code on the orders of Shamli Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey. -- PTI

And some more good news, at least for the moment... The rupee appreciated 34 paise to 69.86 against the US dollar in opening trade Friday amid weakening American currency and positive opening of the domestic equity market.

Forex traders said, the American currency lost some ground against major currencies overseas, while on the domestic front, the equity market staged a recovery and propped up the rupee.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex) market, the rupee opened higher at 69.95 and rose further to touch a high of 69.86 a dollar, showing a rise of 34 paise over it's previous close.

On Thursday, the rupee weakened for the second straight session and fell 2 paise to 70.20 against the dollar. Traders however said that significant foreign fund outflows and rising crude oil prices weighed on the domestic currency and capped the upmove. -- PTI

10:00 Happy new year! Sensex rebounds 200 points

The BSE benchmark Sensex Friday rebounded nearly 200 points and the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 10,700 mark, driven by recovery in auto, metal and banking stocks amid buying by domestic institutional investors.

The 30-share index, however, pared some early gains and was trading 103.90 points, or 0.29 per cent, higher at 35,617.61. Similarly, the NSE Nifty rose 37.15 points,or 0.35 per cent, to 10,709.40. On Thursday, the Sensex had tumbled 377.81 points, or 1.05 per cent, to end at 35,513.71; and the broader NSE Nifty plunged 120.25 points, or 1.11 per cent, to 10,672.25.

The biggest gainers in the Sensex pack include HDFC duo, ITC, Axis Bank, Infosys, Tata Motors, HUL, SBI and Bharti Airtel, rising up to 3 per cent. Among the losers were ICICI Bank, HCL Tech, TCS, RIL and Sun Pharma, slipping up to 1 per cent. -- PTI

09:54

ANI -- A tale of inadvertent errors and oversights. As ANI's Smita Prakash is being lauded and bullied in equal measure, Alt News on what the news agency is about. Do read

09:40 No state funeral for Achrekar, Raut asks Tendulkar to boycott govt programmes

Expressing distress overSachin Tendulkar's coach Ramakant Achrekar not being accorded a state funeral, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Friday asked the master blaster to boycott government programmes in future.

"Why wasn't Padma Shri and Dronacharya awardee Ramakant Acharekar given a state funeral and respect by the Maharshtra government? The government has shown complete disregard towards Ramakant Acharekar. Sachin Tendulkar should boycott government programmes henceforth," Raut tweeted.

Achrekar (87) died of age-related ailments Wednesday. A senior Maharashtra minister Thursday said Achrekar not being given a state funeral was due to a "communication gap" at the government level. Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, who represented the state government at the funeral of the celebrated cricket coach, said Achrekar not being given a state funeral was "sad and unfortunate". -- PTI

The Congress termed as "completely unacceptable" US President Donald Trump's 'library' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked the government to remind America of India's assistance to Afghanistan.

Trump took a jibe at Modi for funding a "library" in Afghanistan, saying it is of no use in the war-torn country. He also criticised India and others for not doing enough for the land-locked nation's security.

Reacting to Trump's jibe, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said: "Tenor and tone of the US president describing the Prime Minister of India is not in good taste and is completely unacceptable."

"Hope our government responds firmly and reminds America that since 2004, India has built extensive roads, dams in Afghanistan and pledged over $3 billion in assistance," he tweeted.

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said India does not need sermons from the US on Afghanistan.

"Dear Mr Trump, Stop mocking India's PM. India doesn't need sermons from the US on Afghanistan," he tweeted.

"Under Dr Manmohan Singh, India helped build Afghan National Assembly. Humanitarian needs to strategic economic partnership, we are one with our Afghani brothers & sisters," he said.

In his first Cabinet meeting of the year on Wednesday, US President Trump asked India, Russia, Pakistan and other neighbouring countries to take responsibility for the security of Afghanistan, where he has ordered a troop reduction on an unspecified timetable.

Trump in his comments to his Cabinet colleagues referred to Prime Minister Modi as an example of how world leaders are talking about their contributions that were nowhere near the "billions of dollars" the US was spending.

In his remarks, Trump said: "I could give you an example where I get along very well with India and Prime Minister Modi. But he is constantly telling me, he built a library in Afghanistan. Library! That's like five hours of what we spend (in Afghanistan)."

"And he (Modi) tells me. He is very smart. We are supposed to say, oh thank you for the library. Don't know who's using it (the library) in Afghanistan. But it's one of those things. I don't like being taken advantage of," he said.

"I say this, India. (I have) great relationship with Prime Minister Modi. He is a great gentleman and a great man and he's done a fantastic job. He has brought the country together," Trump said.

-- PTI

The Editors Guild of India said it believes journalists should claim no immunity from healthy and civilised criticism, but at the same time their labelling has emerged as a "favourite tactic" on the part of the establishment to discredit, delegitimise and intimidate them.

"We have seen our political class use this for some time now. In the recent past, top BJP leaders as well as those of Aam Aadmi Party have used unambiguously abusive expressions such as 'presstitute', news-traders, 'bazaaru' (saleable commodities) or 'dalals' (pimps) for journalists," the Guild said in a statement.

It said it has "noted with concern" the words used by Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his criticism of the journalist who interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.

The statement was issued after much debate among the Guild's executive committee members. Some of the members were opposed to the issuance of such a statement maintaining that Gandhi's remarks did not tantamount to attack on freedom of expression or a threat.

Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted: "The Grandson of the 'Emergency dictator' displays his real DNA -- attacks and intimidates an independent Editor."

"Why are the pseudo liberals silent? Waiting for the Editors guild's response," he said.

The Guild statement also talked about "reprehensible strategy to throttle media freedoms" through ploys such as boycotts, denial of access and lately government accreditation.

"This must be reversed. Journalists, we believe, will continue to deal with these with their usual thick skins and not let these tactics intimidate them. The Guild, as an apex, non-partisan institution, however, takes strong exception to this tendency and calls for its halt," it said.

-- PTI

08:44 Ajay Maken resigns as Delhi Congress president

Ajay Maken has resigned as chief of the Congress in Delhi, months before the national election due by May.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accepted his resignation, say sources. The 54-year-old took over as Delhi Congress president four years ago, after the party was decimated in state polls after three terms in power.

He is believed to have given health reasons for resigning. But sources say there is a possibility of Ajay Maken being given a new central role or even contesting the Lok Sabha election.

Maken met Rahul Gandhi last night before announcing his resignation.

Three months ago, the Congress had denied reports of Maken's resignation and had said he had "temporarily stepped down" because of a health problem.

Maken went for treatment abroad around the time. Congress leader PC Chacko "filled in" for him.

A two-time parliamentarian and former union minister, Maken replaced Arvinder Singh Lovely as Delhi Congress chief.

He had resigned once before in May 2017 when the party did not perform well in civic polls. But he took it back reportedly after Rahul Gandhi, then vice president, asked him to continue.

Maken was seen to have differences with the central leadership over the possibility of an understanding between the Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which ended the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government's 15-year run in 2013.

A 46-year-old Sri Lankan woman entered the Sabarimala temple late on Thursday night. However, she said she went up the holy steps, but was not allowed to go further.

She had reportedly informed the police that she had reached menopause and also presented a medical certificate.

On Thursday, Hindu traditionalists and activists clashed with the police and political rivals as they took to the streets of Kerala during a dawn-to-dusk shutdown strike to protest against the entry of two women in their 40s into the ancient Sabarimala temple, causing mayhem in several parts of the state and forcing normal life to a halt.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi deferred his tour timings for Amethi on Friday due to the ongoing Rafale discussion in the Parliament.

Gandhi will leave for Amethi after the Parliament session and reach Fursatganj in the evening, as opposed to the earlier schedule.

The political atmosphere in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul Gandhi, is expected to be surcharged today as the Congress president and Union Minister Smriti Irani are scheduled to visit the town at the same time.

During his visit, Rahul will meet the people of his constituency, attend public and party reception events, hold 'corner meetings' and attend a function of newly appointed party spokespersons. He will be travelling to Salon Nagar, Pardeshpur, Naseerabad, Paraiya Namaskar, and Gauriganj on January 4 before reaching Amethi in the night.

On January 5, after spending some time in Amethi, Rahul will travel to Musafirkhana tehsil, Jagdishpur and Tiloyi, where he will meet the family members of veteran Congress leader Shiv Pratap Singh, who died last week after a prolonged illness, before reaching Lucknow to catch a flight back to Delhi.

Irani, on the other hand, will be attending a programme organised by Raghav Sewa Sansthan, during which blankets and financial assistance will be distributed to poor persons and a foundation stone for a school will be laid.

The two leaders have been at loggerheads over the development of Amethi, with Irani maintaining that the constituency had suffered despite the Gandhi family representing it in the Lok Sabha for decades.

Rahul, a MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, had defeated Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Smriti Irani from this Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections. Irani is expected to contest from the Amethi seat once again in the 2019 polls for which she has been making frequent trips to muster support.

Though the two leaders have visited the area several times in the last five years, this is the first time they will be in Amethi together at the same time.

-- ANI

Six people were killed on Thursday after an LPG cylinder blast in a building in West Delhi's Sudarshan Park triggered its partial collapse, police said.

The fire department received a call about the collapse at around 8.48 pm and eight fire tenders, along with ambulances, were rushed to the spot, they said.

"The incident took place in West Delhi's Sudarshan Park area after an LPG cylinder blast. Six people have died while eight were rescued and sent to hospital. The building comprises ground and the first floors," Monika Bhardwaj, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said.

Search operation is underway and further details are awaited. -- PTI

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