Hardline Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani today expressed displeasure over the hoisting of the Islamic State flags in the Valley, saying "such instances provide a handle to defame the ongoing struggle in Kashmir".  

"Waving of ISIS flags during peaceful demonstrations is against the discipline and also negates our strategy. Such things provide a handle to India to defame our legitimatefreedom struggle," Geelani said in a statement.   

He said "New Delhi is using it as a tool at the global level to convey a message that the struggle in Kashmir is not for right of self-determination but a problem of terrorism and the world community should lend its support to the people o fKashmir."   

"The ISIS and other like-minded groups, whatever their agenda and strategy, have nothing to do with Kashmir. The people of Kashmir are fighting for their right of self-determination and not pursuing any international programme," Geelani said.   

Senior IAS officer Pradeep Kumar Sinha today took over as cabinet secretary succeeding Ajit Seth who retired after serving in the post for four years.

Sinha, an IAS officer of 1977 batch from Uttar Pradesh cadre, was power secretary before his new assignment. Earlier, he had served in different capacities at the Centre and in states. Seth, a 1974 batch officer, was given a warm send-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wished him all the best for his future.

"After a distinguished career spanning 4 decades, Cabinet Secretary Shri Ajit Seth retired today. Best wishes for the new phase in his life," Modi tweeted.

The mortal remains of Nek Chand, the creator of the iconic Rock Garden of Chandigarh, were consigned to flames with full state honours in Chandigarh this evening. People from all walks of life thronged the Rock Garden during the day to pay their last respects to the man behind the iconic creation who breathed his last yesterday.

The mortal remains of Chand were kept at the Rock Garden today for the public to pay their last respects. His funeral procession started from Rock Garden late in the afternoon and the convoy carrying the mortal remains of the legend passed through different sectors of Chandigarh enabling people along the way to pay their homage.

The convoy had a vehicle carrying iconic creations of the legend. The decorated convoy reached the cremation ground under police escort, even as people along the way showered flower petals.

Besides Nek Chand's family members, people from all walks of life accompanied the body during the funeral procession. The body was brought to the Sector 25 cremation ground in the evening and the funeral pyre was lit by his son Anuj Saini, amid gun salute from the police as a mark of respect to the legend.

In further trouble for former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, the Navi Mumbai police today filed an FIR against him in connection with a housing project, days after he was named in two corruption-related cases.

The FIR, filed at the Taloja police station in Navi Mumbai, names Bhujbal, his son Pankaj, and nephew Samir. They have been booked under IPC Sections related to cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and relevant provisions of Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, police said.

The case involves an amount of Rs 44 crore and concerns 2,300 people who had booked houses in the project promoted by a realty company owned by the Bhujbal family at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, they said.

A group of 25-30 people, waiting for the housing project to take off for four years, had approached the court over the delay in its construction. The builder, Devisha Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, told buyers that administrative delays have held up the project, 'Hex World'.

Drawing parallels between the economy and a train, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha today said the Modi government inherited a derailed passenger train, but has already converted it into a 'Rajdhani' and would soon make it a bullet train.

He also expressed confidence that the Indian economy would continue to grow at 7-9 per cent and double in size to USD 4-5 trillion in a decade. "The economy that the current government inherited had toxic macro-economic parameters and the present government has tried to change those parameters.

"The train of development which we inherited was a derailed one and we have put it back on track. We have made the passenger train into a Rajdhani train and in some time, we will convert it into a bullet train," the Minister said. "The Indian economy today is a US $2 trillion economy. All the actions that our government is taking will enable us to be able to get on the path of sustainable growth of 7 per cent, 8 per cent or 9 per cent," Sinha said at an event in Mumbai.

"And if we are able to sustain this growth rate... for a decade... our US $2 trillion economy will become US $4 trillion or 5 trillion economy, making us the third largest economy in absolute terms," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has advised BJP president Amit Shah to practice yoga regularly rather than do politics over it.

Kumar told reporters, "Has he seen his body whether it is suitable to do yoga? He should practise yoga silently at home everyday to stay fit. This will bring internal change in him too."

BJP has been pushing for more participation from schools and educational institutions on International Yoga Day on June 21.

Several leaders of hardline Hurriyat Conference including chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani were today put under house arrest by authorities to foil the plans of the amalgam to hold a controversial seminar tomorrow that was dubbed as 'ant-national'.

A posse of policemen has been deployed outside the residence of Geelani and no one is allowed to enter or leave the premises, a spokesman of the Hurriyat said.

The police action came even as Jammu and Kashmir government said it will not allow "anti-India" activities in the state. "No such rally or seminar will be allowed in the land of Jammu and Kashmir since we feel it will be anti-national activity," Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said.

"The law will take its own course," he said, adding," no anti-national activity can be allowed on any part of the country."

A Hurriyat spokesman said Muhammad Ashruf Sehrai, Ayaz Akbar and Raja Mehraj-ud-din were the others who were placed under house arrest on the eve of the planned seminar. Police officials refused to confirm or deny the house arrest of the separatist leaders.

Aftershocks and heavy rain today triggered a dry landslide near a forest in northeast Nepal, hours after a 5.2 magnitude tremor struck the region.

Panic gripped the local people of Tarebhir cliff, situated in the northeast of Kathmandu near Gokarna forest after a huge rock fell from a hill on the roadside near the human settlement.

Parliament member Rameshwor Fuyal has asked the government to relocate people in the area to a safer place. People fear that the broken rocks above the settlement area on the cliff might cause disaster in the area.

Nepal is still recovering from two major quakes and several aftershocks that have killed 8,800 people and left a trail of destruction.

Just in: The Delhi court has extended the police custody for AAP leader and ex-Delhi law minister by two days.  

Tomar, who has been arrested in the fake degree case, was produced in the Saket court today as  his four-day police custody ended. The police had sought a 11-day custody to further investigate the case. 

Latching on to the salary issue of sanitation workers, Rahul Gandhi today made a strong pro-poor pitch assuring them that he will give his "whole life to fight" for the rights of the under-privileged wherever they are being suppressed.   

"I am not talking about sanitation staff alone but wherever the poor people are being suppressed. Wherever people in suit-boot or whether they are from the Aam Aadmi (Party) are not doing their work, I will stand by them," Gandhi said after meeting the sanitation workers of East Delhi MCD office.   

The workers met Gandhi at his residence to thank him a day after he took on the Centre and Delhi government over their strike.   

The Congress vice president, who had joined the MCD workers on strike yesterday at East Delhi MCD office and expressed solidarity with them, said that while he spent only15 minutes with them then, he is ready to dedicate his whole life to fight for their cause.  

Update on Mumbai fire: According to CNN IBN, the fire has broken out at an oil company in Mumbai.  

Just in: A fire has broken out near the Mumbai Port Trust. According to ANI, the fire has broken out at the premises of a private company.

Around 15 to 20 fire engines have been rushed to the spot.

No causalities have been reported so far. 

All traffic bound to the Eastern Freeway has been restricted indefinitely, @MumTraffline tweets  

Details awaited.   

Photograph: @anwayg/Twitter 

BBC reports: The police headquarters in the United States city of Dallas, Texas, has come under attack by an unknown number of gunmen who opened fire on officers.

One suspect fled the scene in what was described as an armoured van and is involved in a standoff in a car park.

A number of bags were found outside the police HQ, at least one of which contained explosives including pipe bombs, police said on Twitter.The motive for the attack is not clear.

The Delhi police, which took Aam Aadmi Party leader and former law minister Jitendra Tomar to Faizabad and Ayodhya as part of its investigation, have found that his BSc degree is fake.

Delhi police sources said that Tomar had no knowledge about anything related to his educational qualification when questioned at the Faizabaad Awadh University and Ayodhaya Saket College. No such degree has been issued by the university or college in his name, said sources.

Meanwhile, the verification of Tomar's LLB degree is still underway. The investigating officers, however, found his name in the admission register of Vishwanath Singh Institute of legal Studies in Bihar's Munger.

Meanwhile, Tomar was produced in the Saket Court in Delhi as his four-day police custody ended today. The police have sought a 11-day custody of Tomar.

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah today held talks with Lok Janshakti Party head Ram Vilas Paswan as the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance today decided to jointly campaign in Bihar assembly polls, slated later this, to take on the Janata Parivar spearheaded by the Janata Dal-United-Rashtriya Janata Dal combine.

The BJP started discussions over seat-sharing with its allies and during the Shah-Paswan meeting, it was decided that all NDA allies will campaign jointly and a programme would be chalked out soon to hold public rallies in each commissionerate of Bihar.

However, declaration of candidates for various seats would be done only after the schedule of polls is declared. "We have decided to campaign jointly. The BJP, LJP and RLSP will campaign together and hold public rallies jointly and a date will be finalised soon on when to campaign in each of the commissionerates in Bihar," Paswan said after the meeting.

"We held discussions on how to strengthen the NDA. We will move jointly and campaign in each commissionerate in Bihar. We will expose the unholy alliance of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav which has cheated the people of Bihar and is trying to push the state into 'Jungle Raj' and will win with a three-fourth majority," he said.

Asked about the seat-sharing arrangement between the alliance partners, he said, there is no fight for the leader and this will be decided by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

Muslims have no problem with yoga provided certain modifications are made to it, prominent Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind leader Maulana Mahmood Madani has said. He, however, alleged that a concerted effort is being made to give a particular colour to yoga and "that is what is creating problems".

"We Muslims have no problem with yoga but there are certain words that need to be corrected. As a physical exercise and as a way of life, yoga has great benefits but it has been given a particular colour and that is not correct. Yoga should not be associated with any particular religion," he told Rajat Sharma on India TV's Aap Ki Adalat.

"If certain changes are made, then more and more people will start practicing yoga... and it may become a medium for uniting people in the country," he said according to a press release issued by the channel.

Elaborating his reservations concerning surya namaskar, Madani said, "Considering sun as god is against the basic tenets of Islam. It should not be made a part of government-organised functions."

The crackdown on Nestle over the Maggi controversy has put all packaged food items under the scanner.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, US food-safety inspectors have labelled hundreds of made-in-India snacks unfit for sale in America. The FDA website says Indian products have been found to contain high levels of pesticides, mold and bacteria. Most Indian snacks rejected by the FDA this year were from the Nagpur-based food company Haldiram's, CNN IBN reports.

The FDA reportedly found pesticides in Hadiram's products. The body also rejected some products from Britannia were also rejected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's estranged wife Jashodaben is likely to hold a press conference  in Ahmedabad tomorrow.

Details awaited.