United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said that border policies based on religion, ethnicity or race were 'against the fundamental principles and values on which our societies are based'.

According to the Guardian, Guterres, in a written statement, did not mention the United States or President Donald Trump but directly addressed the issue which was triggered by the President's executive order suspending entry for refugees and other visitors from a list of seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Guterres, who was formerly the UN high commissioner for refugees, also criticised other western countries for shunning increasing numbers of refugees seeking safe haven around the world.

He said the poorer countries, in comparison, have instead been hosting the burgeoning number of refugees.

'Countries have the right, even the obligation, to responsibly manage their borders to avoid infiltration by members of terrorist organisations,' Guterres said.

'But this cannot be based on any form of discrimination related to religion, ethnicity or nationality because that is against the fundamental principles and values on which our societies are based,' he added.

Guterres also said such a ban 'triggers widespread anxiety and anger that may facilitate the propaganda of the very terrorist organisations we all want to fight against' and that, 'blind measures, not based on solid intelligence, tend to be ineffective as they risk being bypassed by what are today sophisticated global terrorist movements'. -- ANI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today attacked the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party saying they are the 'birds of the same feather' and can 'go to any extent' to form the next government in the state.

Addressing a public meeting in Masuri town for Congress-Samajwadi Party candidate Dharmesh Tomar from Dhaulana constituency, which falls parts in Ghaziabad and parts in Hapur, he said BJP-BSP had formed coalition government in the past but shattered the alliance 'out of greed for power'.

He said the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will win at least 300 seats by defeating 'communal forces'.

He further said Mayawati had 'deliberately transferred' BSP's vote to the BJP during 2014 parliamentary elections.

He alleged that BSP is 'selling' tickets in 'several crores of rupees' that is why so many sitting MLAs and party workers left the party and joined SP-congress alliance.

He said people suffered badly due to demonetisation. Taking a jibe over the issue, he said money is not black but the transactions are black.

The Twitter account of Press Trust of India was hacked on Wednesday evening by a group which called itself 'Iran Crack Security team' but was restored within minutes. 

As much as 16.51 per cent cash deposits out of the total 1.09 crore deposits made across the country during the demonetisation period were now under the scanner of Income Tax department, officials said. 

Five police personnel were killed and 20 other policemen injured in a landmine blast near Sunki, Koraput district on Andhra Pradesh - Odisha border.   

Delhi court accepts CBI closure report in bribery case against ex-Defence Minister George Fernandes, ex-Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar in Rs 1,150 cr Barak missile deal.

An incident of "minor" fire was on Wednesday reported on board anti-submarine stealth corvette INS Kamorta while she was operating out at sea, the navy said.

Mumbai: CISF seizes 10 Kg Marijuana worth Rs 5 lakh at main Gate of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). 4 arrested & handed over to NCB officials.

Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, 7 others acquitted in murder case of RSS parcharak Sunil Joshi for lack of evidence by a court in Madhya Pradesh.

At least 7 labourers killed as under-construction building collapses in Kanpur's Jajmau area: Police

Turkish media reports say an armed man is holding a number of doctors and other staff hostage at a hospital in Istanbul. 

Pakistan officially ends ban on Indian movies. Raees, Kaabil may release soon in cinema theatres across the border.

Two days after Pakistan agreed to lift a ban on Indian films after months of suspension, Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued a gazette notification outlining the rules for import and screening of popular Bollywood films.

The gazette notification, issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and National Heritage on Tuesday, said that the importer has to inform the Information and Broadcasting Division of the name and cast of the Indian film to be imported, which request will be forwarded to the Commerce Ministry.

The importer has to submit the documents to the Censor Board, which has to give its nod before the film can be screened, it said.

On Sunday, Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement that the government has decided to maintain the present policy regarding import of Indian films.

She said the decision has been taken after reviewing the benefits Pakistani cinema trade can derive from exhibition of Indian films and to develop, strengthen and enhance the indigenous productions.

The Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan imposed a ban on the screening of Indian films in Pakistan in October last year in the wake of heightened tensions with India.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority also slapped a ban on Indian TV channels and entertainment programmes aired in Pakistan.

Later, a panel was formed by the Prime Minister which recommended that Indian films can be shown.

The ban on Bollywood films was lifted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Much of the revenue of Pakistani cinema theatres depends on the screening of Bollywood films, which are hugely popular there.

Miami real estate tycoon Jorge Perez said he declined an invitation by President Donald Trump to help build a wall along the US border with Mexico, describing the plan as "idiotic".


Perez, a billionaire who has built Trump-branded towers in South Florida, said the president e-mailed him after the inauguration with plans for the wall and asked if he'd be interested in working on it. In an interview at the offices of his company, Related Group, the Argentine-born developer said he politely declined and joked about which side of the barrier he would end up on.

Read more

Reacting to the Union Budget, RJD chief Lalu Prasad today, described Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president Donnald Trump as 'twin brothers'.

"Modi and Trump are like twin brothers. Nobody can say what Trump will do next in America and similarly it is difficult to say what step Modi will take in India," Lalu told newspersons in Patna.

Lalu said Trump and Modi's style of functioning were similar and compared the immigration clampdown and demonetisation.

"Trump has banned entry to the US from seven Muslim countries that provoked widespread criticism and opposition in America and outside.

"But Modi is silent on Trump's move to send back thousands of Indian youth. The move will increase the burden on the sluggish job scenario in the country," Lalu said.

Lalu said the Modi government was silent on how much employment it had provided and whether it had met its electoral promise of providing 2 crore jobs each year.

-- MI Khan in Patna/Rediff.com

Pakistan media has speculated that the house arrest of Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed was consequent to the warning issued by the United States.


A media report said that American officials warned Pakistan to rein in Saeed or risk sanctions.Saeed in a video released shortly after his detention claimed that Pakistan was obliged to act because of US.


President Donald Trump's warm relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.However, an article published in The Dawn speculated that if any external pressure compelled Pakistan to place Saeed under house arrest then it's more likely to have come from Beijing than Washington.


The article said that Trump has been in office for less than two weeks and beyond his rapid-fire issuance of executive orders, his presidency appears frenzied and disorganised-not to mention hamstrung by numerous unfilled senior diplomatic and national security posts.


And with this, the Trump administration has too much on its plate to be focusing laser-like on Pakistan.


The article said that in a telling yet under-reported development several weeks ago, China's former consul general in Kolkata published a blog post calling on Beijing to rethink its default policy of blocking Indian attempts to have Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar sanctioned by the United Nations.

The Viewers Gallery in Parliament House had a a young Sonali Jaitley watching her father finance minister Arun Jaitley deliver the Union Budget 2017 today.

There was another young visitor. A baby boy, who wasn't taken to the Viewers Gallery, but heard the proceedings from the Parliament lobby.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's grandson.

The baby boy was with his mother, RJD MP Misa Bharti, and it was his first visit to the illustrious Parliament House. As the boy's mother held him, MPs from across party lines came and cooed at him and posed for photographs in the Central Hall.


The baby is yet to be given a formal name, but his mother calls him Chhotu. Misa Bharti went inside the House to sign the attendance register and returned to the lobby stay with him.

Another RJD leader in the making?

Terming the Union Budget 2017 as "clueless and misleading", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed it has no road map and is full of jugglery of numbers and hollow words.


"A controversial #Budget2017 which is clueless, useless, baseless, missionless and actionless. Heartless No roadmap for the country or the future from a government that has lost all its credibility," Banerjee said on Twitter.


"Tax payers still have restrictions on withdrawals. Remove all restrictions immediately. And where are the figures for #DeMonetisation? Misleading. Full of jugglery of numbers and hollow words which mean nothing," she said.


Keeping up its protest against demonetisation, Trinamool Congress on Monday had decided not to attend Parliament on the first two days of the session which began yesterday with the President's address. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today presented the budget.


The ruling party in West Bengal has been at loggerheads with the Modi government over the issue of demonetisation and the arrest of its two MPs by CBI in connection with alleged chitfund scam.

Since it's the day to talk money, the first film of 2017 to enter the 100 crore club is 'Raees'. The Shah Rukh Khan starrer collected Rs 6 crore on Monday and Rs 5.25 crore on Tuesday in the domestic market, bringing its total earning to over Rs 103 crore, as reported by Box Office India.


The film has not only set the domestic markets ringing but also continues its march in the international markets.


'Raees', which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pakistani starlet Mahira Khan, has a worldwide collection of Rs 209 crore in its first week of release.

PM Narendra Modi on the Union Budget: "The FM has presented an 'Uttam' Budget, devoted to strengthening the hands of the poor. Har kisi ke sapne ko saakar karne ka thos kadam is budget mein saaf saaf nazar aata hai. Budget mein sabse zyada zor kisaan, gaaon, garib, Dalit, peedit, shoshit pe kendrit kiya gaya hai. The aim of the government is to double the income of farmers. The merger of the Railway Budget with the general budget will give an impetus to the transport sector's growth. An important link between all the steps taken in the last two-and-a-half years and the development in future that will follow."

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi: Sher o shayari ka budget hai, kisaano ke liye kuch nahi kia,yuvaon ke liye kuch nahi kiya. We were expecting fireworks, instead got a damp squib. Any step to clean political funding will be supported by us.


Manish Tewari, Congress: The budget is rhetorical, but in actually creating jobs there is precious little. Railways got a cursory mention. The budget numbers dont seem to add up, as there is huge expansion on Govt spending on schemes.


Former RBI governor C Rangarajan: It's 'a fairly routine' Budget.


Renuka Chowdhury, Congress: Nothing on defence spending; How are they fighting UP elections? Did they get donations in cheque or digital payment?


DS Rawat, Gen Secy ASSOCHAM: Consider it a mixed budget. Industry hoped lot more fr promotion of investment but I think the FM did whatever was possible.


Read:Union Budget 2017-18 highlights.

And the verdict from Arun Jaitley's daughter, Sonali: It's a very good budget with focus on skill development, it is women friendly. 

President Trump and his administration are reportedly considering a plan to deny would-be immigrants and deport legal immigrants living in the country who might need public assistance.


The Washington Post obtained two draft executive orders that tightly controls who enters the country and workforce in an attempt to reduce the burden on taxpayers.


It's currently unclear when and if the president will sign the orders but they would extend his limits on immigration following his chaotic executive order banning travel to and from seven majority Muslim countries. While the order was created to protect Americans from terror threats, despite around 1,000 State Department officials saying the ban doesn't make the country safer, the new orders have been drafted in the vein of protecting US workers.

Economics excites economists no end, and bores the rest to death. The Economic Survey is an ideal tome for the bedside, and a perfect cure for insomnia. Having realized this in his short tenure, the chief economic advisor last year brought out a colourful summary full of charts in which arrows told you what to look for.  Read more

Professor, novelist, short story writer, Bharati Mukherjee, passes away at 76. The Taraknath Das Foundation writes: The trustees of the Taraknath Das Foundation grieve at the loss of our longtime trustee and awardee, who died January 28 at the age of 76. A wonderfully talented American writer of South Asian descent, teacher, friend, generous spirit, she will be missed every day. Continue to read her books and learn of her vision of an inclusive America in her memory. 
--Leonard Gordon, Director.

Donald Trump fired Sally Yates after she refused to comply with his executive orders on immigration, making him only the second President in US history to dispense with his Attorney General. The other was Richard Nixon, eight months before he was impeached. Read more

Union Budget presentations can be notoriously long-winded and a tad dull. So, finance ministers have generally used poetry as props to liven up proceedings.


While former finance minister P Chidambaram has always quoted from his favourite poet Saint Tiruvalluvar, Arun Jaitley has peppered his speeches with a few couplets in each budget speech, which always took potshots at the Opposition.


In the 2015 budget Jaitley said:

Kuch to phool khilaye humne, aur kuch phool khilane hai;
Mushkil yeh hai bag me ab tak, kaante kai purane hai,

(We have grown some flowers, a lot of them need to grown even now; but the difficulty is that there are a lot of thorns in the garden). That was Jaitleys dig at Opposition parties.

In the 2016-17 Budget, Jaitley used a four-line verse.

Kashti Chalane Walon ne jab haar ke di patwaar hamein Leherlehar toofan mile aur maujmauj manjhdar hamein
Phir bhi dikhaya hai hamne aur phir ye dikha denge sabko
In Haalaat me aata hai, dariya karna paar hamein.

(When the boatman gave us the oar after getting defeated, we met the storm at every wave and midstream, yet we have shown and will show it to all again, we know how to cross the sea even in these circumstances).


Today, Jaitley urged the Opposition to rally with the government and take the country forward with these lines.  
Iss mod par na ghabra kar tham jaaiye aap,
Jo baat nayi hai usay apnaaiye aap,
Darte hain nayi raah pe kyun chalne se,
Hum aage aage chalte hain aaiye aap.

Let us not stop at this juncture,
Let us adopt what is new,
Why are you scared of walking on a new path,
We walk ahead, you follow.

Mumbai: Industrialists and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) members watching Budget 2017.

In other news, Indian-American lawmakers have slammed the US-based Republican Hindu Coalition for supporting President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration, which they alleged takes the country backwards "towards dark times".


"As the most senior Indian-American member of Congress, I believe that Donald Trump's executive order does not reflect who we are as Americans," Ami Bera, a three-time Congressman, said.


"The actions of the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) today do not reflect the breadth and diversity of the Indian-American community, or our diaspora," he said in a rare criticism of an Indian-American organisation related to the Republican party. Bera, along with three other Indian-American lawmakers, vented out his anger against the Coalition.


The Coalition has supported Trump's executive order on immigration and refugees. "We applaud the Trump administration for taking this decisive move to protect our citizens from Islamic terror," its chairman Shalabh Kumar said yesterday.


The executive order signed on Friday, indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the US, and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries - Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen - for 90 days.

In death, former Union Minister E Ahamed continues to make news.


Family of E Ahamed who died late last night, said they were denied access to see his body.


Ahamed, 78, died at around 2.15 am of a cardiac arrest, hours after he collapsed in parliament during President Pranab Mukherjee's speech.

The Congress has also alleged that even Ahamed's family was not allowed to see him at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. The party blamed the Intelligence Bureau, which has denied restricting access.

Ahamed family allegedly had an argument with the hospital authorities.

"I arrived three hours ago... They have no explanation as to why we cannot see him," Ahamed's son was quoted as telling news agency ANI.

"As a son I have the right to see him. We are shocked," he said.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders also arrived at the hospital to see Ahamed, who was Minister of State for External Affairs in Manmohan Singh's government.


Pic: E Ahamed's son said the family was shocked at being shut out of the hospital.

Follow our live updates on the Budget as it happens here.

Parliament will be adjourned tomorrow as a mark of respect for E Ahamed's demise. Mallikarjun Kharge suggests conspiracy saying Ahamed was dead on arrival in hospital. Speaker says she is not a doctor.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan says that the Budget will be presented today. "We are saddened by EA hamedji's demise but budget will be presented.
We have to keep in mind that budget is a constitutional obligation, will have to be presented."

Narendra Modi @narendramodi  Paid tributes to late Mr. E Ahamed.

With all eyes set on the presentation of the General Budget, the people across the country stressed on cleanliness in the Indian Railways and expressed hope that the government will come up with initiatives aimed at ensuring that the trains run on time.

The frequent users of Southern Railways in Hyderabad say that although ticket prices are reasonable, there is a need for compartments to be cleaned well. Additionally, the trains should be more viable for physically handicapped people to use them.

One of the locals in Andhra Pradesh's capital city Hyderabad said that adequate medical facilities need to be available with a medical practitioner on board at all times so that any medical emergency can be resolved at the earliest.

The locals in Bihar's Patna city echoed similar sentiments and stressed that the government must also keep in mind the women safety.

One of the daily passengers in Patna told ANI that the annual budget must take care of safety on trains so that women feel safe even while travelling alone.

The locals here also expressed their disappointment over the trains running late, thus causing inconvenience to travellers. This, according to them, is one of the key matters to be resolved.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Union Budget in Parliament today. There will be no separate Rail Budget from this year, as it has been merged with the General Budget.

CEA Arvind Subramanian gets a pat on the back from Niti Aayog chief Amitabh Kant. @amitabhk87 Just finished reading d Economic Survey. Fabulous document. Gr8 analysis. Extremely well written. Congratulations @arvindsubraman


Arvind Subramanian presented the Economic Survey yesterday, which precedes the presentation of the Union Budget.

As Arun Jaitley has confirmed the Budget is on course, hours earlier we spoke to Subhash C Kashyap, the Lok Sabha's former secretary general, who explained why the Budget will be presented in the House today. 

Read the interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com here.

FM Arun Jaitley and his team called on President Pranab Mukherjee this morning for the customary briefing on the Budget before presentation.


Arun Jaitley tweets: Watch me live presenting the Union Budget 2017 at 11 am, February 1, 2017 

Congress MP and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge says the government already knew that he (E Ahamed) had passed away, but they were trying to delay the announcement.

"In our opinion, including JDU leaders and former PM Deve Gowda, the budget should be postponed. It's not March 31, there is a lot of time to present budget. Govt can postpone it," he said. \

Subhash Kashyap, a Constitution expert told ANI that it is neither possible nor is it correct that the budget is postponed after budget copies have reach Parliament.

Even as Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other ministry officials reached the Parliament, speculations over presentation of the much-awaited Union Budget continue as former union minister and Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed passed away this morning.

Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar earlier in the day said that Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan would take a final call on whether the House will be adjourned or not. The decision is expected by 10 a.m.

"Due to the unfortunate passing away of a sitting MP, the Speaker will decide if the House will be adjourned or not. Normally, the House is adjourned on the death of a sitting MP. So, the chances are budget can be postponed for a day, but the Speaker will decide," Gangwar told ANI.

Jaitley will present the Union Budget in Parliament today. There will be no separate Rail Budget from this year, as it has been merged with the General Budget.

Condoling the demise of former union minister and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader E. Ahamed, President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said the former was a tireless campaigner for the welfare of underprivileged, adding that his services to the nation would be long remembered."Heartfelt condolences over sad demise of IUML President, former Minister and MP, #EAhamed, who was a friend and colleague of long years," President Mukherjee tweeted.

The Trinamool Congress, which is angry over the arrest of its two MPs by the CBI in connection with the chit fund scam, will not attend Parliament today. The party has said its absence its due to Saraswati Puja which falls today.  Trinamool also did not attend the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan yesterday evening ahead of the Budget session of Parliament.


"Trinamool will not attend Parliament on February 1 because of Saraswati Puja which is a big day in Bengal,' party leader and MP Derek O'Brien told PTI. He said that on Saraswati Puja, day, there is a custom of keeping away from work and not even touching the tool

The President gives his assent for allowing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to present the Budget 2017.

The Congress and Shiv Sena had asked for the Budget to be postponed.

Copies of the Budget arrive in Parliament.

There have been two precedents where the Budget has been read when a sitting MP passed away. In 1954, the rail budget, and in 1974, the union budget.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reaches Parliament with Budget papers after briefing President Pranab Mukherjee on Union Budget 2017.


The Budget is unlikely to be postponed despite speculation to the contrary as there has been a precedent where a Budget presentation went ahead after an obit reference.


Since alll Budget papers are printed with today's date, postponement will cause unnecessary hiccups.


The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat have not been informed of any postponement. The decision is likely to be announced on the floor of the House.


File pic

Updates at his hour...


Finance minister Arun Jaitley reaches Parliament

Shiv Sena calls for postponing the budget by a day.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan to visit E Ahamed's residence at 10 am today. 

The decision on whether the Budget will be held, and reports say it will not be postponed, rests with the Speaker.

India Today: Budget will be presented, obituary may happen before or after it.

Both Sensex and Nifty turned flat after opening marginally higher with shares of public sector banks advancing. Markets' expectations are riding high given that it is the first Budget after demonetisation. From income tax to corporate tax cuts to measures to support the economy to more funds for public sector banks, expectations galore from Budget 2017. Stocks markets have already rallied to pre-denomination levels in anticipation of big announcements from the finance minister.  Analysts say that any disappoint could trigger a big correction in stock markets.

This is the first time ever that the railway budget is being combined with the Union Budget. Confident that the Union and the Railway Budget 2017 will make the nation self-sufficient, the BJP has asserted that the government's decision to present both the Budgets together is astute.


Speaking to ANI, BJP Kolkata State chief Rahul Sinha pointed out some of the features to look out for in the upcoming Budget.


"The budget, which will focus on the needs of the common people, will help in the economic progression of the country", he said.


He added, "The Budget will also take forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fight against corruption and black money".


Further commenting on the TMC's boycott of Budget to attend 'Saraswati pooja', Sinha said the TMC has been most adversely-affected party from the demonetisation move and is mind-boggled right now.


Appealing to the TMC party to let go of this boycott, he said, "the 'Saraswati Pooja' reason is a mere excuse and the members should attend the Budget".

Budget will be presented, obituary may happen before or after it. The government has spoken to all parties and arrived at consensus, ANI said via a tweet quoting government sources. 

A sign of things to come? Budget 2017 copies reach Parliament. 

Speculation is rife that Budget will be delayed by a day after former Union minister E Ahamed died early this morning. 

FM Arun Jaitley arrives at the finance ministry. 

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi tweeted his condolences following the demise of former minister E Ahamed, "Deeply saddened by the demise of Shri E Ahamed. A veteran parliamentarian and a valued colleague, he served his country with honour and dedication."

Following the demise of former minister E Ahamed, who collapsed during the President's address in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his condolences via Twitter. 

Lok Sabha MP from Malappuram, Kerala E Ahamed, died early on Wednesday, due to a cardiac arrest. He collapsed during President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the joint session of Parliament. 

British lawmakers will hold a debate on whether it should downgrade President Donald Trump's visit to the United Kingdom after a petition opposing his trip gathered over 1.6 million signatures even as thousands marched in protest against the travel ban by America on seven Muslim countries.

The debate will be held in the House of Commons on February 20 and will also take in a second petition calling for the visit to go ahead, signed by more than 100,000 people.

Once a petition crosses 100,000 names, the Parliament's Petitions Committee is required to consider it for a debate in Parliament.

The petition titled 'Prevent Donald Trump from making State Visit to the United Kingdom' calls for the visit to be downgraded from a State Visit, which is hosted by Britain's Queen and includes a ceremonial welcome and a state banquet.

However, a rival petition titled 'Donald Trump should make a State Visit to the United Kingdom', has also gathered some attention since it was created in retaliation.

Downing Street has insisted the visit will go ahead. -- PTI

SC refuses to stay Tamil Nadu's new law on Jallikattu

Bathinda: Explosion in car kills 3, injures 12

Hisar village tense after attack on Dalits, 4 held

Malegaon blast: NIA doesn't have recording of 'conspiracy meeting'

India unimpressed by Saeed's detention, wants 'credible crackdown' on terror

Pak army says Saeed's detention in country's interest

Read yesterday's live commentary HERE