US President Trump said that he thought that the former national security adviser Susan E. Rice may have committed a crime by seeking the identities of Trump associates who were swept up in the surveillance of foreign officials by American spy agencies and that other Obama administration officials may also have been involved.

Rain lashes parts of Delhi, bringing respite for residents from the scorching heat. 

Pakistan Is No Friend to America. Read

A tussle of power is underway in Puducherry between Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and the Congress Government headed by V. Narayanasamy over the transfer of a senior civil service official.


"Pondicherry being a union territory, the service matters are squarely within the domain of the Lieutenant Governor as administrator. I do transfers and postings all the time. But this is a unique thing. I was away for a short tour to Delhi when the Chief Secretary issued a transfer order of Municipal Commissioner Mr Chandresekharan," Bedi told ANI.


"When I found that he issued the order, I approached the Union Home Secretary Mr Rajiv Mehrishi and brought this order to his notice. Mr. Mehrishi immediately called the Chief Secretary and said why you have issued a transfer order without the file being produced before the Lieutenant Governor. I don't know what he said. The point is he committed a violation," she added.


Bedi further stated that she declared the order invalid after discussion with the Union Home Secretary."Whether the Chief Secretary is under pressure from the political masters, the question is whatever the pressure...file ought to have gone through me and particularly when I was available in next one-and-a-half day. So, I have asked for a departmental action to be taken against the Chief Secretary of Puducherry because he has committed a serious grave violation of rules and caused so much of disruption," she said.


Bedi also tweeted saying, "Unprofessional and irregular role played by Chief Secretary of Puducherry of hounding an officer despite directions and existing rules. The irresponsible and immature conduct of the Chief Secretary has brought huge anguish and rift in the Governance of Puducherry."


The Lieutenant Governor alleged that the Chief Secretary has played a very destructive and negative role, which is contrary to the professional norms.


A delegation of Congress leaders will be meeting President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to apprise them of the political situation arising out of rejection of transfer of a senior civil service official by Bedi.

The Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court that it has mooted a proposal to hike the compensation to the victims of rape, sexual assault and acid attacks from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.


Under the Manodhairya Yojana launched in October 2013, the state government had decided to give compensation of up to Rs 3 lakh to the victims of rape and other crimes against women.


Apart from the monetary compensation, the government provides counselling to the victim and vocational or educational training, if required.


The high court had earlier suggested the government to consider increasing the amount to Rs 10 lakh in some cases, looking at the gravity of the offence and the condition of the victims.


Following this, government lawyer Abhay Patki today told the court that the proposal to increase the compensation has been initiated and a final decision on the same would be taken within six weeks.


The court had earlier made the suggestion while hearing a petition filed by a 14-year-old girl, who claims to be a victim of rape, seeking compensation of Rs 3 lakh under the Manodhairya Yojana.


The girl was given a sum of Rs 2 lakh by the government after the petition was filed in October last year. The bench had then slammed the government for its insensitive approach and had said that the Manodhairya scheme was "insulting, inhuman and shameful."

Syed Zainul Abedin, the spiritual head of the Ajmer sufi shrine, was on Wednesday "sacked' by his brother for the "blasphemous' support to the ban on slaughter of "bovines' and selling beef in the country and declared a "non Muslim'.


Syed Alaudin Alimi claimed he had the support of the family in sacking Abedin and anointing himself as the new "deewan', spiritual chief, of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti mausoleum in Ajmer -- one of the most famous Muslim shrines visited by millions of devotees from across the sub-continent every year.


The post is hereditary and belongs to heirs of the 12th-13th century sufi priest. Deewan has no control over the management of the shrine but gets a monthly remuneration from the management committee, which is appointed by the government.


"I am the new deewan. I have the support of the entire (Chishti) clan," Alimi said, alleging that Abedin was an "apostate because he had spoken in violation of the Islamic law'.


"I am not interested in salary. He (Abedin) can have the money. Buy I won't allow him to enter the shrine now. Whatever he has said is blasphemous. I have spoken to muftis (Islamic scholars who interpret sharia) and we will be issuing a fatwa (decree) against him. He is no longer a Muslim."


Abedin has been the deewan of the shrine since after the Supreme Court 1987 order, ruling him as the most direct and eldest descendant of the sufi priest. He sparked a controversy on Monday by asking Muslims in India to stay away from slaughter of "bovine animals' and to stop consuming beef for communal harmony in the country.

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Centre to pay Rs 5,000, which was imposed as costs for the delay in filing its reply, to a retired army officer who alleged dumping of human excreta by aircraft over residential areas near the IGI Airport in New Delhi.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Environment Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to pay Rs 5,000 each to the petitioner within a week.

Pope Francis today condemned a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria that left more than 70 dead in a rebel-held town as an "unacceptable massacre".

"We watch horrified as the latest events in Syria unfold," Francis said at his midweek public audience in St Peter's square. "I completely deplore the unacceptable massacre that took place in Idlib province yesterday, where dozens of defenceless people, including many children, were killed."

The 80-year-old pontiff spoke out as Russia and Western powers disputed what happened at Khan Sheikhun, where at least 72 civilians, including 20 children, died.

National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that those who pelt stones are just fighting for the nation and have nothing to do with tourism.


"Our fight is against those people who want to divide us on the basis of religion. I want to tell Modi saheb that tourism is our life no doubt about that, but a stone pelter has nothing to do with tourism. They (stone pelters) will risk starvation, but will throw stones for the nation that's what we need to understand," Farooq Abdullah told the party workers in Srinagar.


He further said if India and Pakistan cannot resolve their issues, then America should come forward and facilitate as third party to resolve issues between the two countries.


The NC president said it is not a fight between parties like PDP and NC, it is a fight to defeat communal forces and to protect secularism.


Image: NC chief Farooq Abdullah at the press conference today. He also called for America's intervention in settling the dispute between India and Pakistan. Photograph: Umar Ganie

China warned today that it will take "necessary measures" to defend its territorial sovereignty and interests after India "obstinately" allowed the Dalai Lama to visit the "disputed" parts of Arunachal Pradesh causing "serious damage" to the bilateral ties.


China also lodged a protest with India's Ambassador in Beijing Vijay Gokhale over the Dalai Lama's visit.


"India in disregard to China's concerns obstinately arranged the Dalai Lama's visit to the disputed part of the eastern part of China-India border, causing serious damage to China's interests and China-India relations,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters.
China firmly opposes this move, she asserted.


"China's stand on the eastern part of the borders is consistent and clear. India is keenly aware of the role played by the 14th Dalai Lama.

"Arranging his visit to those sensitive and disputed areas not only runs counter to the Indian side's commitment to the issues related to Tibet but also escalates disputes over the border area," she said.


Hua stated that it goes against the momentum of the sound growth of bilateral relations and will not benefit India in anyway. "The visit will for sure trigger China's dissatisfaction. This will not bring any benefit to India," she said.


China will firmly take necessary measures to defend its territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests, Hua asserted. Asked what measures China would take, Hua did not elaborate. "I don't have much to add. I want to add the issues concerning Tibet has a bearing on China's core interests. India in disregard of China's concerns obstinately arranged the visit," she said. "We demand the Indian side immediately stop its actions using the Dalai Lama to undermine China's interests and not hype up sensitive issues between the two countries, not artificially damage the foundation of the talks between the two countries on the border issues and bilateral legislations and take concrete actions to safeguard the China-India relations," she said.


The 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader reached Bomdila in West Kameng district yesterday, starting his nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh as southern Tibet and had previously warned that if India allowed the visit of the Dalai Lama, whom it calls an "anti-China separatist", it would cause "serious damage" to ties.

National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that those who pelt stones are just fighting for the nation and have nothing to do with tourism.


"Our fight is against those people who want to divide us on the basis of religion. I want to tell Modi saheb that tourism is our life no doubt about that, but a stone pelter has nothing to do with tourism. They (stone pelters) will risk starvation, but will throw stones for the nation that's what we need to understand," Farooq Abdullah told the party workers in Srinagar.


He further said if India and Pakistan cannot resolve their issues, then America should come forward and facilitate as third party to resolve issues between the two countries.


The NC president said it is not a fight between parties like PDP and NC, it is a fight to defeat communal forces and to protect secularism.

A response to Nandan Nilekani on Aadhaar. Read

Doctors are calling it a miracle.

Central Reserve Police Force commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah, who was admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre in New Delhi two months ago after being shot nine times during an encounter in North Kashmir's Bandipora, is being discharged today.

Cheetah was critically wounded during a joint operation in the Hajin area of Bandipora district on February 14.

The 45-year-old, who commands the 45th Battalion of the force in the Kashmir valley, suffered injuries to his head, upper limbs, waist, and pelvic region, hands, right eye and went through a maxillofacial injury. He was in coma for weeks and his condition had been termed as extremely critical.

Cheetah was initially treated at the Army Base hospital before being airlifted to the AIIMS trauma centre, where he underwent brain surgery.

Army Chief Bipin Rawat visited Cheetah at the premier hospital following the encounter, where he spoke to doctors regarding his health. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju also visited the national capital to check up on the CRPF officer.

Cheetah underwent surgery at Jai Prakash Naryan Apex Trauma Centre in Srinagar to reduce intracranial pressure the pressure inside his skull on February 21.

AIIMS Spokesperson Amit Gupta said the officer, a resident of Kota in Rajasthan, had bilateral upper limbs fractures and has lost his right eye during the encounter.

The doctors said that his vitals are stable now. The soldier's wife, Uma Singh, also confirmed the development to ANI, and said he is "progressively improving" and feeling fine now. "I am very proud of what Chetan has done," she said. 


Image: CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah being wheeled out of AIIMS by his wife Uma Singh.

China on Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit: Our ties with India seriously damaged.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the state government will study the Uttar Pradesh model of farm loan waiver worth Rs 36,000 crore. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly here, where Shiv Sena and BJP members demanded that the state government announce a loan waiver for distressed farmers, Fadnavis said, "we will study how Uttar Pradesh will raise such a huge amount."


The CM said he has directed the State Finance Secretary to study how UP goes about with the promised debt waiver.


Referring to the High Court directive in Tamil Nadu asking the state government to waive farm loans following a peasant protest, Fadnavis said, "decision of waiving farm loan is the prerogative of the government."


Fadnavis also targeted the Opposition for staying away from the House proceedings saying they were roaming outside in name of 'Sangharsh Yatra'. "But the Sena and BJP members' sentiments regarding farm loan waiver are genuine and the state government is positive to it," the CM felt.

EAM Sushma Swaraj also told Parliament today that Indian diplomats posted in conflict zones abroad are being provided additional security, depending on the assessment of the local security situation. Swaraj said in Lok Sabha that the additional security to Indian diplomats conflict zones was based on the assessment of the security situation in different parts of the world, which is dynamic as the threat levels keep changing.

"At her last concert on March 26, she bowed down to the artistes and to the audience and said, 'Main chahti hoon ki baar baar koi na koi is stage mein bulayein aur main gaati rahoon'. But that was not to be."

Shobha Deepak Singh, whose association with the legendary Kishori Amonkar spanned 35 years, shares her memories -- and her exclusive photographs -- of the musical genius, with Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar. Read on


Image courtesy: Shobha Deepak Singh

External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj speaks in Parliament on the attacks on Africans in India. Denouncing the statement made by African envoys that India was xenophobic and racist, Swaraj said not all attacks are racial. "The Kenyan woman had lied. You cannot call all attacks racist," she said.

A Kenyan woman who claimed locals in Greater Noida assaulted her was depressed because of personal issues and fabricated the attack, an African student group has said, apologising for what they called a cooked-up story.

Swaraj said India's response (to stem the attacks) cannot be called inadequate. "The probe is fast and fair," she told the house. 

On Monday after African envoys rebuked India, describing the Greater Noida mob violence against Nigerians as "xenophobic and racial", and India tersely rejected the statement as unfortunate and unwarranted.

The African nations, who also called for a probe by the UN Human Rights Council, were scathing in their indictment of the government over incidents of race violence and said India had taken "no known, sufficient and visible deterring measures" to prevent violence against Africans.


Image: The Kenyan student who lied that she has been attacked.

In J&K: Unidentified gunmen barged into and ransacked the house of a former sarpanch in Shopian district last night. The gunmen fled after the family raised an alarm.

A surefire Republic Day bravery award winner.

A six-year-old girl at a remote village in Kendrapara district displayed exemplary courage to save her playful mate from the claws of death following attack by a furious estuarine crocodile. The survivor Basanti Dalai, a class I student of a government-run primary school in Bankuala village undergoing treatment at a government-run hospital recalled the harrowing experience and thanked schoolmate Tiki Dalai for surviving from crocodile attack. The victim sustained multiple wounds on her hand and thigh and is stated to be out of danger.

Both the girls were taking bath in the village pond yesterday when a crocodile leaped from the water and attacked Basanti all on a sudden. However, she survived as her schoolmate picking up a bamboo stick dealt a blow on animal's head. The reptile which had clung onto the victim was jolted by the sudden attack and left the girl to slip into the water.

"She deserves praise for the brave act," said a local resident Pradip Kumar Das. "The attack was so sudden that I had little time to react. The stick lying near the pond saved my friend," Tiki, who is also enrolled in the village school, narrated.

The state Forest department would bear the cost of treatment of the girl injured following crocodile attack. Besides the department would also award compensation sum to the injured person's family as per revised rules, said Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

Forest officials, however, are of the view that people are exposing themselves to crocodile attack by venturing into croc-infested water bodies.


Representational image.

Whoever handles the Mumbai police Whatsapp handle is doing a stellar job. This is a tweet on not using your mobile phone while driving.

@CPMumbaiPolice Like your life enough to save it with care #SafetyFirst.

The Dalai Lama in Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh doesn't mince words. Speaking to the media, the revered religious leader said he was a messenger of secularism and ancient Indian values. "I talk as the messenger of ancient Indian value; I follow Buddha Dharma. I am the messenger of ancient Indian thoughts.  Wherever I go I talk about spiritual and secular thoughts.

"I am India's longest standing guest. India has never used me against China. Tibet has no material development, but it is spiritually developed," he said.

On China objecting to his Arunachal Pradesh visit, the Dalai Lama said,  "No problem, even if some consider me as a demon."

Yesterday, amid persistent Chinese objections to the Dalai Lama's trip to Arunachal Pradesh, India said on that no "artificial controversy" should be created around the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit.

External affairs ministry also asserted that the government has clearly stated on several occasions that the Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected by the Indian people.

"No additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India," the ministry said in a release.

"India respects 'one-China' policy. We also expect China's reciprocal attitude," Rijiju said.

The government, therefore, urges that no "artificial controversy" should be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh, it said.

Rajasthan state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria defends the gau rakshaks who lynched to death one, and injured four cattle transporters in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

"The problem is from both the sides. People know cow-trafficking is illegal but they do it. Gau Bhakts try to stops those who are indulge in such crimes," the minister said. "However, taking law in one's hand is wrong. Police will act against both sides."

The police say they have made 10 arrests for murder, but their version also appears to support the self-appointed cow vigilantes.

"Police got information that some people are smuggling cows from Jaipur and are headed to Delhi. Behrod police caught some trucks and some trucks escaped, these trucks were forced stopped by public and the drivers were beaten by the public," a senior police officer, Paras Jain, told NDTV.


File pic of gau rakshaks out on a 'mission'

Update: 20 children among 72 dead in suspected Syria chemical attack.

A suspected chemical attack yesterday, in rebel-held northwestern Syria killed civilians including children and left many more sick and gasping, causing widespread outrage.

The attack on the town of Khan Sheikhun killed at least 72 civilians and saw dozens suffer respiratory problems and symptoms including vomiting, fainting and foaming at the mouth, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.

Syrias opposition blamed President Bashar al-Assads forces, saying the attack cast doubt on the future of peace talks.


Image: A man being given oxygen after the suspected gas attack which caused people to choke and foam at the mouth.

Tamil Nadu farmers continue their protests demanding drought relief fund at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

A day after the Yogi Adityanath government waived off farmers loan up to Rs 1 lakh, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi through a series of tweets termed the move as 'partial relief' for UP farmers.

The Amethi MP said, "A partial relief for UP farmers, but a step in the right direction. @INCIndia has always supported loan waivers for farmers in distress. I'm happy BJP has finally been forced to see reason. But let's not play politics with our farmers who are suffering across the country."

Gandhi, who had held a month long Kisan Yatra in UP seeking loan waiver for farmers, asked Centre to extend loan relief to farmers in other states as well.

"The Central Govt must have a national response to the widespread distress & not discriminate amongst states," Gandhi tweeted.

Reuters: Suicide bomber hits army vehicle in the Pakistani city of Lahore, four killed, 18 wounded. 

One man has died and four others severely injured after a mob of cow vigilantes or gau rakshaks brutally beat them up for transporting cows in Rajasthan's Alwar. Pehlu Khan, 55, a  resident of Haryana, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night, two days after the attack on Saturday.
Khan's companions are still in hospital.

A video which is being widely circulated shows the men being chased and beaten by a mob of gau rakshaks. One of the men lies slumped on the road, unconscious. The video is likely to have been taken by locals.  While the driver was let off, the mob set upon the five men.

10 people have been arrested, say the police.

Reports say that the men had produced documents to show that they had purchased the cows, but the gau rakshaks stopped the four vehicles, near Jaguwas crossing on National Highway 8, on Saturday evening, alleging that they were illegally transporting the animals.

These vehicles were coming from Jaipur, and were headed towards Nuh district in Haryana.

Last month, a mob attacked a hotel in Jaipur, alleging that it was selling beef. The staff was thrashed in the presence of policemen, who allegedly didn't stop them.

Also see: A day in the life of a gau rakshak

Image: A video grab of the attack.

India is using the Dalai Lama as a diplomatic leverage to challenge China's "bottom line", Chinese state media said today, threatening that New Delhi may have "underestimated" Beijing's determination to protect its core interests.

The Chinese reaction to the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh came in an article in the state-run Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party publications an is known for striking nationalistic postures.


"Beijing has voiced concerns over the issue, but New Delhi claimed that China shouldn't intervene in its 'internal affairs'," the article said, referring to Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju's comments yesterday.


"This is absurd," the article said. Rijiju has said India never interfered in Beijing's affairs, has respected the "One China" policy, and thus China should not interfere in India's internal affairs or object to the Dalai Lama's visit. "There is no political angle behind his holiness's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It is completely religious."

Separately, External Affairs Ministry has said that no "artificial controversy" should be created about the visit.

The BSE Sensex breached 30,000-mark and the NSE Nifty hit a lifetime high of 9,264.95 in opening trade today on sustained buying by retail investors amid increased foreign fund inflows and positive Asian cues.

However, the benchmark failed to sustain the 30,000 level and slipped into negative territory, ahead of RBI's Monetary Policy Committee meet later today.

The 30-share index crossed the 30,000-mark by surging 97.26 points, or 0.32 per cent, to trade at 30,007.48, a level last seen on March 4, 2015 when it hit an intra-day high of 30,024.74. Later, it fell to 29,817.69 as investors turned cautious.

The gauge had rallied by 289.72 points in previous sessions on Monday. Markets remained closed yesterday on account of "Ram Navami".

After Rajasthan, the Bengal government has reclassified 277.3km of state highways as "arterial roads" in a perceived attempt to help liquor shops and bars bypass a Supreme Court ban on alcohol sales within 500 metres of national and state highways. Officials said these stretches, formerly part of 19 state highways, pass through urban areas and are flanked by many liquor outlets. Read more

Just In: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Degwar sector of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.