LIVE! Passengers know why trains getting delayed: Goyal

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Mon, 11 June 2018

Passengers know why trains getting delayed: Goyal

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23:53 Passengers know why trains getting delayed: Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said safety was the first priority of the national transporter and that passengers were well aware why trains were getting delayed.

At a press conference, highlighting the achievements of his ministry, Goyal said the railways had registered its best ever safety record in 2017-18 with consequential train accidents reduced to 62 per cent -- from 118 in 2013-14 to 73 in 2017-18.

"Maintenance of the tracks, which was due for decades, is causing train delays. The passengers are well aware why the trains are getting delayed and they know that the Indian Railways is getting future-ready. Everyone knows what we have received in inheritance," he said.

Lashing out at the previous United Progressive Alliance government, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said while former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had announced the Rail Safety Fund in 2003-04, it was not considered for 10 years, due to which an unsafe railways was passed on to the present government.

Stating that the average annual capital expenditure in the rail sector in the last four years was more than double the average of what it was during 2009-2014, he said there was a 59-per cent increase in the average pace of commissioning new lines -- from 4.1 km (2009-14) to 6.53 km per day (2014-18).

Goyal also pointed out that in 2017-18, about 5,000 km of railway tracks were renewed.

In six-seven years, the railways aimed at doubling its income to become 'self-reliant', he said, adding that the national transporter had provided free wi-fi services at over 675 stations and it planned to extend the service to over 6,000 more stations.

The minister also said the railways had embarked on transitioning to sustainable rail transportation with a six-time increase in electrification -- from 610 RKM in 2013-14 to 4,087 RKM in 2017-18.

It had recorded the highest ever freight-loading of 1,162 MT in 2017-18 and 1,107 MT in 2016-17 and the freight earnings had also shot up, with a 12-per cent increase expected over the previous year, projected to be around Rs. 1.17 lakh crore in 2017-18, Goyal said. -- PTI

Lt Governor Anil Baijal today slammed the sit-in by Arvind Kejriwal and his three cabinet colleagues at his office, calling it another 'dharna without reason', and alleged that he was 'threatened' by the chief minister to summon officers at the Raj Niwas and end their 'strike'.

In a statement, the L-G office said Baijal told Kejriwal during their meeting that there was 'no strike' by officers and advised the CM to build an 'atmosphere of trust' and address the genuine concerns of the bureaucracy, which has been been at loggerheads with the Kejriwal government since the alleged assault on Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash by Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in February.

Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and two ministers Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain met Baijal this evening and decided to stay put at his office till their three demands were accepted, including a direction to IAS officers to end their 'strike' and action against officers who have struck work for 'four months'.

Kejriwal tweeted at 6 pm from the waiting room of the LG office that a letter was handed over to Baijal but he refused to take action.

Later, Baijal left his office for a pre-scheduled appointment, even as th CM and his three ministers stayed in the waiting room of the L-G Secretariat.

The L-G office said that it is another protest by AAP in the sequence of 'dharna without reason'.

'In the meeting, the L-G was threatened by the CM who demanded that the officers should be immediately summoned at Raj Niwas and directions should be given to end the so-called 'strike',' the statement by L-G office said. -- PTI

22:46 CBI examining records of Mohalla Clinics

The Central Bureau of Investigation was examining records related to the Aam Aadmi Party government's ambitious Mohalla Clinics project based on a complaint of irregularities, in connection with which several doctors and mid-ranking officials of the Health Department have been questioned, officials said today.

The agency said the investigation was part of a preliminary enquiry registered by it on the charges of alleged irregularities in sanctioning of Mohalla Clinics (primary healthcare centres) in various colonies, they said.

The CBI has recently questioned a chief medical officer and some doctors who are in-charge of clinics, they said.

The preliminary enquiry was registered on the recommendation of former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, in 2016, they said.

The agency officials denied Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's claim that it had collected three lakh documents related to Mohalla Clinics. They said they were examining records and statement of suspects who were asked to join the probe.

The agency officials said it cannot force someone for questioning during the preliminary enquiry stage.

Kejriwal has alleged that the CBI had started investigating Mohalla Clinics, summoning various officials.

He also alleged that the Delhi government's officials were being 'harassed' and 'abused openly' for working in the Aam Aadmi Party government.

Kejriwal said the CBI and the Anti-Corruption Branch have registered 14 cases against AAP ministers and their relatives since the party assumed office in February 2015, but there hasn't been an arrest in even one case.

"Cases have been registered against me, (deputy chief minister) Manish Sisodia, (minister) Satyender Jain. I want to know what happened to all these cases.

"No one has been arrested in these cases. Why don't central agencies first arrest us in such cases? The only motive is to stall the AAP government's work," he told reporters at his residence in New Delhi.

He alleged that there was an attempt to 'defame' and implicate AAP leaders in the 'wrong cases'.

"... every day a new case is being registered against us," Kejriwal claimed. -- PTI

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will appear tomorrow in a magistrate court in Bhiwandi n Thane in a criminal defamation case filed against him for his alleged remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

According to Narayan Iyer, a criminal lawyer from Bhiwandi appearing for Rahul Gandhi, the court is likely to frame charges against the Congress chief in the 2014 case.

The defamation case arises out of Rahul Gandhi's alleged statement at an election rally on March 6, 2014, linking the RSS to Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

Last week, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam had said Rahul Gandhi would appear in the Bhiwandi court near here at around 11 am.

On May 2, the court had asked Gandhi to appear before it on June 12.

The court had that day heard arguments on Rahul Gandhi's application, seeking a detailed recording of evidence instead of a 'summary trial' (where only the summary of evidence is recorded by court).

Rajesh Kunte, a local worker of the RSS, had filed the case. -- PTI

Karnataka Higher Education Minister G T Deve Gowda, who is said to be miffed with Janata Dal-Secular leadership over the portfolio allocated to him, today claimed the chief minister and the party had agreed to change his department.

"...farmers and people from our region said if I take up (the ministry) I will not be able to address their issues, so they pressurised me to change (sic) the portfolio... I did not allow any protest to happen," Gowda said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "Last night when I spoke to Kumaranna (Chief Minister Kumaraswamy) he has agreed. Now national president (H D Deve Gowda) and Kumaranna and other leaders sat together, and have agreed to change the portfolio."

Deve Gowda, who emerged as a giant killer, defeating former chief minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru in the May 12 assembly polls, was said to be eyeing key portfolios, including transport.

Asked what portfolio he was expecting or asked for, Gowda said, leaders have told him that after discussing with other ministers they will allocate him a portfolio that had not been given yet, and was 'close' to farmers.

Maintaining that he had no demand, the minister said he was offered Excise department but he could not accept it as he wanted to be nearer to the farmers' cause.

"I believe that they will give a suitable portfolio," he said.

Unhappy over being given the higher education department, Deve Gowda had reportedly said he has studied just till class 8, reacting to which Kumaraswamy, who holds a BSc degree, had said, "What have I studied? I'm working as the chief minister."

The minister said it was not that he was not capable of handling higher education, but farmers and people wanted him to serve them first.

Sources said Gowda was now looking at key energy portfolio that the CM has retained with him.

Meanwhile, according to sources, Kumaraswamy has managed to pacify C S Puttaraju, who was disgruntled over Minor Irrigation department, by assuring him Mandya district in-charge minister post.

Soon after portfolio allocation June 8, supporters of both Deve Gowda and Puttaraju held protests in Mysuru and Mandya, the districts they hail from, demanding key portfolios for their leaders.

The development in the JD-S had come even as dissident activities of the MLAs intensified in the Congress over not getting ministerial berths. -- PTI

20:33

After Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reaches All India Institute of Medical Sciences to see former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. -- ANI

20:04 Many women delivered sons after eating mangoes from my orchard: Sambhaji Bhide

Controversial Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide has said that a number of couples were blessed with sons after eating mangoes from his orchard.

"Mangoes are powerful and nutritious. Some women who ate mangoes of my garden have given birth to sons," Bhide said addressing a gathering in Nashik last night.

During his speech, Bhide gave various references from the Ramayana and Mahabharata and attacked the current political and social system.

Bhide, a former Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activist who heads the Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan, is an accused in the January 1 Bhima-Koregaon caste violence case.

One person had died during the clashes between members of the Dalit and Maratha communities around Bhima-Koregaon village in Pune district during the bicentenary event of the Bhima-Koregaon battle in which British forces comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers had defeated the Peshwas, who represented the Maratha empire.

Dalits view the 1818 battle as the defeat of 'casteist' Peshwas, who were Brahmins.

Bhide was booked in the violence case along with another Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote.

However, unlike Ekbote he was never arrested in the case. His outfit enjoys a sizable clout in Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur districts of western Maharashtra.

Bhide was in Nashik to deliver a lecture on a movement launched by him for setting up a '32 maund' golden throne at historic Raigad fort, the erstwhile capital of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maratha kingdom.

The 'maund' or 'mann' is the anglicised name for a traditional unit of mass used in British India. One maund was considered equivalent to 37.32 kg. -- PTI

United States President Donald Trump will leave Singapore on Tuesday evening after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un since preparatory talks have moved "more quickly than expected", the White House said.

It said Trump would leave at 8:00pm local time Tuesday for the United States, a day earlier than expected.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Salman Khurshid has said the 2G spectrum case was not really a scam but a "fake perception" created by circumstances that included the Comptroller and Auditor General, national media and the Opposition.

Khurshid, who has written a book about the politics of 2G, said this while speaking at the Jaipur Literary Festival in London last evening.

His book, Spectrum Politics, came after a Delhi court acquitted former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi and other accused of corruption and money laundering charges in the 2G spectrum allocation cases.

"That 2G was not really a scam but a fake perception created by circumstances (that included the CAG, national media and the Opposition) is clearly established by the judgment of CBI Special Court Judge Saini," he said.

"Even the impropriety of first come first serve against auction was rejected by the constitutional bench of five judges. But no one has expressed remorse for destroying reputations, causing hardship, undermining government and virtually destroying the sunrise sector," he said.

Khurshid said he was persuaded to write 'Spectrum Politics' to put matters in the "right perspective" and put an end to "false notions of moral responsibility".

"Let truth prevail in all its colours so that democracy is not distorted," Khurshid said. -- PTI

ongress president Rahul Gandhi visited ailing former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

Vajpayee, who has been ailing for long, was today admitted for a routine check-up and investigations, the Bharatiya Janata Party said in a statement.

The 93-year-old leader will be under the supervision of AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, it said, adding that he has been admitted on doctors' advice.

The security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be strengthened in the wake of reports of an assassination plot against him by the Maoists, the home ministry said today.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today held a high-level meeting in which National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Director Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain were present to review the prime minister's security in the wake of inputs about threat to the PM's life.

The home minister directed that all necessary measures be taken in consultation with other agencies to suitably strengthen the security arrangements for the prime minister, an official statement said.

The home ministry is in receipt of a report from Maharashtra Police regarding certain communications amongst individuals having links to Maoists organisations containing references to targeting the prime minister, it said.

The police in Pune told a court on June 7 that they had seized a "letter" from the Delhi residence of one of the five people arrested for having alleged "links" with the banned CPI-Maoist.

The purported letter allegedly mentioned of a plan to "assassinate" Modi in "another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident", the police had told the court. -- PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation has asked the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against absconding billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi in the over USD 2 billion banking scam involving Punjab National Bank, officials said today.

The agency has written to the Interpol to issue the notice which would mean that the member countries of the Lyon-based international police cooperation agency can arrest and extradite Nirav Modi who fled the country in the first week of January, weeks before the bank filed a complaint with the CBI.

Nirav Modi was last publicly seen in a Press Information Bureau group photograph of CEOs and top brass of Indian corporate sector with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Davos, Switzerland.

A week later, the CBI registered an FIR against him on the basis of complaint against him and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

His brother and wife were also named as accused in the FIR.

His wife Ami, a US citizen, brother Nishal a Belgian, and uncle Choksi, Gitanjali group's promoter, had also fled the country in the first week of January.

The case pertains to allegedly cheating the state-run Punjab National Bank through fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertakings and Foreign Letters of Credit.

The agency recently chargesheeted both Nirav Modi and Choksi separately in the scam. It has now approached the Interpol for a Red Corner Notice aimed at bringing Nirav Modi back for facing trial in the cases against them, the sources said.

The CBI, in its chargesheets filed on May 14, had alleged that Nirav Modi, through his companies, siphoned off funds to the tune of Rs 6,498.20 crore using fraudulent LoUs issued from PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai. Choksi allegedly swindled Rs 7080.86 crore, making it possibly the biggest banking scam in the country, it alleged. -- PTI

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation could serve as a "great vehicle" to improve ties between India and Pakistan as the grouping provides a better platform and opportunities for building their bilateral relations, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has said.

The remarks by Wang, who has been appointed as the Special Representative of the India-China boundary talks, came as the SCO summit concluded at Qingdao yesterday, the first summit after the admission of India and Pakistan into the eight-member grouping last year.

"We know there are existing and historical, unresolved issues and conflicts between Pakistan and India. But I think after their joining of the SCO, maybe we can say that their relationship might be better as the grouping provides a better platform and opportunities for building the relations between them," Wang said in an interview to state-run CGTN.

"Because when joining the SCO, a series of agreements had to be signed and pledges had to be made. One of the key pillars (of joining the SCO) is to keep good and friendly relations and they should not see each other as opponents, much less enemies," said Wang, who was recently promoted as the State Councillor, a top diplomatic posting in China.

"Because they have signed these agreements, they shoulder a responsibility for implementing them. I feel that the SCO serves as a great vehicle for bettering the two nations' relations," he said, the first detailed comments on the entry of India, Pakistan into the grouping in which China plays an influential role.

"As a result, it will better safeguard the peace and stability of the region. We see although their relations have seen their ups and downs, if we look at the bigger picture, they are progressing nevertheless," Wang said.

At the end of the SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain exchanged pleasantries after a press conference by the leaders of the grouping.

Pakistan delegation had a low key presence at the meeting as country is poised for general elections on July 25. -- PTI

IMAGE: Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain shakes hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as China's President Xi Jinping walks behind them at a signing ceremony during Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China on Sunday. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters

"Coca-Cola wala America mein shikanji bechta tha', "McDonald's wala dhaba chalata tha', Congress president Rahul Gandhi today quipped as he addressed the OBC national convention of the party at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi.

Targetting the Narendra Modi government over a host of issues, Rahul said that there is no dearth of skilled people in the country but the issue is with the government that 'doesn't provide opportunity to our talented people'.

"India does not reward people who have the skills,' he said. "Coca-Cola ko kisne shuru kiya? Kaun tha ye, koi jaanta hai? Main aapko batata hoon, kaun tha. Coca-Cola company shuru karne wala ek shikanji (lemonade) bechne wala vyakti tha. Wo America mein shikanji bechta tha, paani mein cheeni milata tha. Uske experience ka aadar hua, hunar ka aadar hua, paisa mila aur company bani,' he said. (Who started Coca-Cola? Who was he, does anybody know? I will tell you who he was. The one who started Coca-Cola used to sell shikanji (lemonade), he used to mix sugar in water. His experience was appreciated, his talent was recognised, he got money and the company was set up)."

The Coca-Cola was founded by American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton. In May 1886, just two years before he died, John had developed an early version of a beverage that later became world-famous as Coca-Cola. He had, however, sold the rights to the drink before he passed away.

"McDonals's ka naam suna hoga'sab jagah dikhti hai company. Isko chalu kisne kiya? Kya karta tha wo, koi bata sakta hai mujhe? Dhaba chalata tha. Aap mujhe Hindustan mein wo dhaba wala dikha do, jisne Coca Cola company banaya,' he said. (You must have heard the name of McDonald's' the company is visible everywhere. Who started this? What did he do, can anybody tell me? He ran a dhaba. You show me one person who runs a dhaba, and set-up a Coca-Cola in India).

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asserted that the liquor ban would remain in force and he would want all kinds of intoxicants to be banned in the state, though his government was planning to amend the excise law in view of complaints about misuse of its stringent provisions.

Kumar said that the prohibition was part of a larger social reform which would include banning consumption of all forms of intoxicants including khaini, an unprocessed form of tobacco, which is immensely popular with a section of the masses here though care would be taken to protect the interests of those whose livelihood gets affected because of these drastic steps. -- PTI

17:40

Rahul Pandita'Verified account @rahulpandita 26m26 minutes agoMoreWhat misfortune for this country that its leaders cannot think beyond shikanji and pakora!

17:31 Trump, Kim Singapore meeting attracts 3,000 journalists

The strong personalities of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have drawn some 3,000 international journalists for their first-ever historic meeting to be held in Singapore tomorrow.

It is the largest journalist gathering ever seen in an Asian event, surpassing the April summit between the two Koreas.

"The two leaders are very interesting personalities and speak out what they like, which makes it very good for television coverage," said Peter Wang from Taiwan's Eastern Broadcasting Co Ltd. "The two leaders make it very interesting for TV news," he said at the International Media Centre hosting some 3,000 journalists from around the world.

The successful conclusion of tomorrow's summit will be good for the Pacific Region and could play a key role in defusing tensions between the two Koreas as well as between the US and North Korea, Wang said.

Kim has taken on a "soft image" and wants the US-imposed sanctions lifted with economic development support in exchange for denuclearisation, said Oliver Hotham, managing editor of the Seoul-headquartered N K News.
Kim has changed his hard and tough stance, he added. Trump, on the other hand, is looking for political and diplomatic victories from the summit by reaching out a peace pact with the North Koreans, he said.

The summit is likely to work towards a similar situation of the 1990s when Washington lifted trade sanctions on Vietnam, setting the pace of economic prosperity of the former foe, recalled Ngyuen Thi Thuc, journalist with Ho Chi Minh City-based Thanh Nien.

Likewise, it is time for Kim to open up his country for the economic development and the US to lift sanctions and support trade activities, she said. -- PTI

Image: Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today surprised Donald Trump with a big birthday cake, ahead of the US President's historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore tomorrow.

Trump celebrated his 72nd birthday during his lunch with Loong at the presidential palace Istana after their bilateral meeting during which the two leaders discussed everything from the summit preparations to the US' tariff threats. Trump turns 72 on June 14.

A picture of Trump smiling at the cake, decorated with fresh fruit, was shared on Twitter by Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan with the message saying "Celebrating birthday, a bit early".

Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly during the meeting.

The meeting was Trump's only scheduled public event today.

Earlier, Trump tweeted it was "great to be in Singapore, excitement is in the air". Trump's landmark meeting with Kim tomorrow will mark the first time a sitting US president meets with a North Korean leader. The summit will also mark a turnaround of relations between Trump and Kim after a long-running exchange of furious threats and insults.

The two leaders have had an extraordinary up-and-down relationship over the past 18 months. -- PTI

The picture was tweeted by Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan

17:03

Delhi Vidhan Sabha accepts the resolution on full statehood to Delhi.

17:01 People have begun reacting to tomorrow's Kim-Trump summit

A number of people took to social media to express their thoughts about the much awaited Kim-Trump summit that is to be held in Singapore tomorrow.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is also set to attend the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Rodman is believed to have struck up an unlikely friendship with the North Korean leader, as per CNN.

In this reference, American actor George Takei called Trump's idea of taking Rodman to the summit a joke.

"When I joked that Trump asked Kanye West to the North Korean summit because he'd heard Kim Jung Un loves American basketball, I didn't think Trump was actually going to send Dennis Rodman. Like, actually send him. Now, that's the real joke," Takei tweeted.

Another person hoped that Kim convinces Trump to give up nuclear weapons."hopefully Kim will be successful in asking America to be a peaceful nation and give up nuclear weapons #KimJongUn #kimtrumpsummit," a Twitterer said.

A political commentator and columnist Matthew Hooton tweeted, "Doesn't all the attention #KimJongUn is getting from @realDonaldTrump just tell other dictators to get nukes as soon as possible, to get their own version of the #KimTrumpSummit?," Hooton said.

In May, Trump cancelled the meeting with Kim, blaming hostility and anger displayed by North Korea regarding the US-South Korea 'Max Thunder' military drills.

The deadlock regarding the fate of the summit broke after Vice-Chairman of the North Korean ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, Kim Yong Chol visited the White House along with a letter written by Kim and met the US President. -- PTI

16:47 Bring Netaji's remains to India: Daughter

Freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's remains should be brought back to India from Japan so as to give a closure to the matter, his daughter Anita Bose Pfaff has said.

She was speaking inLondon at the launch of a book "Laid to Rest" by journalist Ashis Ray which collates the findings of 11 different investigations and concludes that he died on August 18, 1945 in a plane crash in Taipei.

Many have refused to believe that Bose died in the plane crash. Ray's book lays out his investigations into the incident.

Bose-Pfaff said she understood why so many people -- both relatives and admirers -- had been reluctant to accept this tragic account of events, pointing out that the difficulties in communicating internationally at the time meant nobody could be immediately certain of the facts.

"People like mysteries," she added, "and my father was a romantic and tragic hero and so somehow it was not so surprising".

"I hope that we get closure on this matter and that we get the remains returned and I hope we can do this without controversy because that would be the worst thing we could do for Netaji's memory," said Bose-Pfaff, an economist based in Germany.

Ray echoed her message about Bose's remains. "It's about time India did something to bring the ashes to India."

Bose-Pfaff also talked about the impact on her own life of being related to such a significant political figure, explaining that living outside India meant she did not feel the pressure experienced by the children of other leaders of the freedom movement to assume political responsibilities.

"I owe it to my mother that the legacy was not too difficult. She said, 'your father was a great man but that doesn't make you a great anything'. I tried to educate me to be humble," she added. -- PTI

Also read: Nephew reveals: Netaji died in 1945 aircrash

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to host an iftaar party in New Delhi on June 13 and the guest list, naturally, will be high-profile but some VVIPs are likely to be missing.

According to a report by Zee News, no invitation has been extended to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Vice President Hamid Ansari.

The iftaar party will be held at the Taj Palace hotel in New Delhi, and is being organised after a gap of almost two years.

That Pranab Mukherjee may not be invited to the party comes just days after he attended an event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Nagpur. The former president received sharp criticism from several senior leaders of the Congress party.

With three more arrests, the police have so far taken 19 persons in custody in connection with the lynching of two men in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, a police spokesman said today.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwala is monitoring the situation on the spot and also search operations by security forces, he said.

Besides the 19 in custody, 13 other persons have been arrested for posting hate messages and objectionable posts on social media in different districts of the state.

While two persons have been arrested in Bishwanath Chariali, three each have been arersted in Nagaon and Sonitpur districts, two in Darrang and one each in Dibrugarh, Kamrup (Metro), Dibrugarh, he said.

The DGP has appealed to the people not to get swayed by rumours on social media and immediately inform police if they come across such posts.

Two friends - Nilotpal Das and Abhijeet Nath - had gone to the picnic spot of Kangthilangso in Karbi Anglong on Friday and while returning, their vehicle was stopped at Panjuri in the night by a group of villagers who pulled them out and lynched them on the suspicion of being child lifters.

Both Das and Nath, according to a video circulated on social media, pleaded that they were not child lifters, but were Assamese visiting Karbi Anglong district. -- PTI

Image: Youths during a protest rally against unidentified people responsible for lynching two men in Central Assams Karbi Anglong district on suspicion of being 'child lifters', in Guwahati on Sunday, June 10. -- PTI Photo

14:54

Amul's tribute to celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain who committed suicide on Friday.

14:46 Atal stable

Update: Atal Bihari Vajpayee's condition is stable and a team of doctors under the supervision of Dr Randeep Guleria, Director AIIMS are conducting tests: All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that his government has ignored the interests of farmers but has helped a small group of industrialists by waiving loans amounting to nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Addressing workers of the party's OBC department in New Delhi, he said people who work hard behind the scene are "never benefited" and the fruits of their toil are enjoyed by others.

"People with skills are not rewarded in India ... farmers work hard but you don't see them in the office of Modi ji," he said. Rahul claimed that the non-performing assets of banks have gone up to Rs 1,000 crore.

"Rs 2.5 lakh crore were given to 15 industrialists. But the farmer got nothing...the loan waiver was for 15 people but not for the farmer who continues to commit suicide... his children keep crying," Gandhi said.

He also challenged the stand of the government that India lacks skills saying it was not true and the authorities have failed to recognise the fact. -- PTI

13:39 Atal Bihari Vajpayee hospitalised

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee admitted to the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, reports PTI. He has been hospitalised on the advice of doctors.

Vajpayee is under the supervision of Dr Randeep Guleria, a pulmonologist and currently director at AIIMS. Dr Guleria has served as personal physician to Vajpayee for over three decades.

Vajpayee, 93, was the first head of government from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term, as a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. A Padma Vibhushan awardee, he is also a recipient of India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, which was conferred on him in 2015.

Born in 1924, Vajpayee entered politics during the Quit India movement in 1942. He was also the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in the UN Assembly in Hindi.

13:31 Tonys 2018: Robert De Niro swears at Trump

Robert De Niro received a standing ovation at this year's Tony Awards for cursing US President Donald Trump on stage but the audience at home was unable to hear the expletive from the veteran actor as the CBS network beeped it out.

According to the channel, the 74-year-old actor, who took to the stage to introduce Bruce Springsteen's performance at Radio City Music Hall, went off script in his remarks. The masses could not hear De Niro shouting "F** Trump" as the CBS Program Practices executive monitoring the show used the discretion to push a delete button to drop audio entirely from the telecast, Variety reported.

The network also issued a statement acknowledging beeping out the Oscar-winning actor's remarks that read: "Mr De Niro's comments were unscripted and unexpected. The offensive language was deleted from the broadcast."

De Niro introduced Springsteen praised Springsteen's Broadway show and said, "Bruce, you can rock the house like nobody else and even more important in these perilous times, you rock the vote always fighting for truth, transparency, and integrity in government. Boy, do we need that now."

Springsteen, who was honoured with a special award for his blockbuster solo show 'Springsteen on Broadway' at the 2018 Tonys, made a rare live television appearance and performed the piano solo of "My Hometown". -- PTI

Image: A file pic of Robert de Niro with Anupam Kher.

A day after his brother was allegedly shot at by unidentified assailants, Dr Kafeel Khan, an accused in the BRD Medical Hospital case involving the death of 63 children, today said he was not going to bend.

His brother, Kashif Jameel, was operated on successfully and the bullets removed, Khan said.

"Allah rahem kare. M not going to bend," Khan, who was jailed last September and was released on bail in April this year, said on Twitter.

"Firstly, I would like to thank all of you, as the bullets have been removed from my brother Kashif's body, and the operation has been successful. He is currently in ICU. Three bullets were shot at him in order to kill him. Who has fired, we do not know. But it was 500 metres from Gorakhnath Temple, where the UP Chief Minister was staying," he said.

He added that two boys came on a scooty, fired at his brother and fled. "This is the state of law and order," Khan said, blaming the police for the delay in treatment.

Jameel, 34, was shot at allegedly by unidentified bike-borne assailants around 11 pm yesterday at the Humayunpur north area near the JP hospital.

He was rushed to a private nursing home where his condition was stated to be stable, the police said. Jameel sustained injuries on his right upper arm, neck and chin, Kotwali police station inspector Ghanshyam Tiwari said.

In September 2017, UP Police arrested Khan, who was the nodal officer of the 100-bed AES ward at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and was removed following the deaths of 30 children on August 10 and August 11.

In April this year, the Allahabad High Court granted him bail. He is one of the nine accused in the case, involving the death of 63 children, including infants, in August 2017 within four days due to disruption in the supply of oxygen. -- PTI

12:31 Tyres of Indian economy punctured: Chidambaram

Former finance minister P Chidambaram today said that the state of the economy was bad due to the wrong policies of the NDA government and tyres of three of the four wheels on which the economy rides were punctured.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, he said a flawed road to GST continues to haunt trade and business, and the adverse effect of demonetisation have been established 'beyond doubt'.

Chidambaram alleged that there was distress in various sections of society, including farmers, who were not getting remunerative prices of their produce, and the youth due to joblessness.

"The tyres of three of the four wheels on which the economy rides are punctured. Firstly exports: the growth rate in the last four years have been negative. Secondly, private investment: it is in the doldrums, if not dead. Gross fixed capital formation is stuck at 28.5 per cent for three years. Thirdly, private consumption: it was limping until a few months ago, there is a mild up-pick, and we keep our fingers crossed".

"The only tyre that seems to be inflated is government expenditure, but here too the government's options are getting limited because of the pressure on the current account deficit and the fiscal deficit," he said.

The Congress leader claimed that joblessness was rampant and there was a great ferment in campuses across the country because young men and women knew that there would be no job when they graduate. "So far nobody has bought the innovative idea that 'frying pakoras is also a job'," he quipped. -- PTI

Actor Arjun Kapoor has penned an emotional note for his step-sister Janhvi Kapoor, who is gearing up for the trailer launch of her maiden film "Dhadak" on Monday.

"Tomorrow you will be part of the audience forever Janhvi Kapoor cause your trailer comes out... Firstly, sorry I'm not there in Mumbai but I'm by your side, don't worry," Arjun tweeted on Sunday night.

"I just wanted you to know this profession is amazing if you work hard, be honest, learn to take the accolades with the brickbats, respect opinions, yet follow your own path and instinct. It's not gonna be easy, but I know you are ready for all the madness that will ensue," he added.

Arjun said that director Shashank Khaitan has presented Janhvi and Ishaan Khatter as the "modern Romeo and Juliet" in 'Dhadak'.Arjun is step-brother of Janhvi and her sister Khushi, daughters of his father Boney Kapoor with late actress Sridevi. -- ANI

Image: Janhvi Kapoor in Dhadak

Brother of suspended pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan, was shot at by unidentified miscreants near JP Hospital in Gorakhnath area in Gorakhpur on late Sunday night.

Kafeel's brother, Kashif Jameel has suffered bullet injuries on his arm, neck and chin. He is currently being treated in a local hospital.

"He is recovering now. A case has not been registered yet as police are waiting for his health to improve so he can tell what actually happened," Kafeel told ANI.

"He was shot just 500 meters away from Chief Minister's residence, last night," he added.

Meanwhile, Gorakhpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shalabh Mathur said, "He is recovering right now and we are waiting for a written complaint from the family".

Kafeel was suspended and arrested after the deaths of over 30 kids in the Baba Raghav Das Medical College/Hospital, allegedly due to oxygen shortage. -- ANI

Image: Dr Kafeel Khan (File pic)

12:07 Stone-pelters should be shot dead: BJP MP

Lieutenant General (Retd.) and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dr DP Vats on Monday said that the stone pelters in Jammu and Kashmir should be shot dead.

Dr Vats said on Saturday, "I read about the withdrawal of cases against stone-pelters but I think those pelting stones should be shot dead.

"On June 7, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation in the state announced that all stone-pelting cases against children in Jammu and Kashmir will be withdrawn.

Speaking at the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Conclave in Srinagar, Rajnath said, "When I was in Delhi, I met Afshan Ashiq (Kashmiri Footballer) and she told me that she had been a part of stone pelting incidents earlier, but ever since she got into sports, her life was turned around. Sports can bring a change in your lives. Children can be misguided easily but we know the truth that is why we have withdrawn all stone-pelting cases against them."

On a related note, the Jammu and Kashmir government had approved the withdrawal of cases against the first offenders of stone pelting in February this year.

State agricultural minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, while replying on behalf of Minister for Home informed: "that the government has approved the withdrawal of cases registered against first-time offenders during the period 2008-2017, on the basis of recommendations of the committee constituted by the government".

He said these include 61 FIRs involving 530 persons of Shopian.Hanjura also informed that 4,066 FIRs have been registered against 14,208 stone pelters during the last three years in the Kashmir Valley. -- ANI

The brother of Bollywood actor Nawazuddin was booked for allegedly posting an objectionable picture on a social media site and hurting religious sentiments, police said in Muzaffarnagar today.

A case has been registered against Ayazuddin in Budhan town last evening on the complaint of a Hindu activist for allegedly posting an objectionable picture on the social media site Facebook, Budhana Circle Officer Hariram Yadav said, adding investigations are on.

According to the complaint lodged by the Hindu Yuva Vahini activist Bharat Kumar, Ayazuddin has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by uploading an "objectionable" photo in his Facebook post.

Meanwhile, the Hindu Vahini activists also staged a protest in Budhana, demanding strict action against the accused.

About 10 per cent polling was recorded in Jayangar assembly segment till 9 am, poll officials said.

The Karnataka assembly election was held on May 12 but in Jayanagar the poll was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate B N Vijayakumar, who was holding the seat.

The BJP has named B N Prahlad, brother of Vijaykumar, as its candidate.

The Congress has fielded senior party leader and former minister Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy as its candidate.

Just days ahead of polls, the Janata Dal-Secular had on June 5 pulled out its candidate and extended the party's support to its ruling coalition partner, the Congress.

JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda had announced that his party candidate Kalegowda was "retiring" from the contest, and they would support Congress's Sowmya Reddy.

Both the Congress and JD-S had fielded candidates against each other, despite being coalition partners, in the recent election to the Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat in the city.

Congress candidate Munirathna had won the seat, relegating the JD-S candidate to a distant third.

-- PTI

Twitter has released various hashtags for the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

The two leaders are set to meet on Tuesday at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island.

Since the emoji looked like 'praying hands' and a 'hi5' both, many users were left dazed and confused. Some of them even accused Twitter of spreading a propaganda.

The meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un is being considered as a major step towards the denuclearisation of the so-called "nuke-bound" nation, North Korea.

Trump is expected to stay at the Shangri-La during his visit to Singapore.

10:14

JUST IN: Two youth arrested while they were escaping to Shopian after snatching weapons from security personnel at a shrine at Shahdara Sharif in Rajouri last night. One INSAS rifle recovered from them.

More details awaited.

09:54 Brother of doctor jailed over children's deaths in UP's Gorakhpur shot at

The brother of Dr Kafeel Khan, an accused in the BRD Medical College case involving the death of 63 children, was shot at allegedly by some unidentified bike-borne miscreants tonight.

Kashif Jameel, 34, was rushed to a private nursing home where his condition was stated to be stable, the police said.

Around 11 pm, in the Humayunpur north area near the JP hospital, some bike-borne miscreants shot at Kashif Jameel. He sustained injuries on his right upper arm, neck and chin," Kotwali police station Inspector Ghanshyam Tiwari said.

"He is undergoing treatment at a private hospital where his condition is stated to be stable. No complaint has been given so far," the officer said.

-- PTI

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that his party is ready to sacrifice a few seats to defeat the BJP in 2019 general elections and form a grand alliance.

Addressing a rally on Sunday, Akhilesh said, We are committed to the alliance with the BSP and will continue working with them, even if we have to sacrifice 2-4 seats, we are not going to stop. We will bring the BJP down.

Joint opposition candidates had emerged victorious in the recent Lok Sabha by-elections in Kairana, Gorakhpur and Phulpur. However, there have been questions about the sustainability of the grand alliance.

Akhilesh said the main motive is to defeat the BJP and parties will form an alliance to achieve that. They're wondering how we will stay in this alliance, but we will work together and together we will defeat them, he added.

The SP chief had earlier suggested that a joint candidate must be put against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi in 2019. The Congress, however, remained non-committal to the idea and said it is "too early" and it was up to political parties to decide.

Three persons, including Mohit Goel, a partner of Noida-based company Ringing Bells, which had announced Freedom 251 smartphones at a price of Rs 251, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly trying to extort money from a businessman to "settle a gang rape case", police said.

On March 6, a case was lodged in Alwar district of Rajasthan on the basis of a complaint from a woman, wherein she had alleged that she was raped by five businessmen.

The woman had alleged that she was called to attend an event at a hotel, where she was raped by the five. The police had subsequently arrested all the five accused.

"The police have arrested three members of a gang, who were trying to extort money to settle a rape case registered by one of them against the brother of the complainant and others in Rajasthan," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North West) Aslam Khan said.

She added that the names of the other arrested persons, apart from Goel, would be revealed after the role of each one of them was ascertained.

A complaint was received at the Netaji Subhash Place police station against a gang for allegedly extorting money. The gang had allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore from the businessman for settling the case.

On Sunday, the "rape victim", along with others, arrived at the businessman's office to take the money. They were nabbed from the spot.

Security has been further tightened in Singapore following the arrival of United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to participate in the 'historic summit' on June 12.

As reported by the Yonhap News agency, Singapore is witnessing stronger police presence, stringent security checks, and roadblocks are around the area where the two leaders are expected to meet. This area has been designated by Singaporean authorities as 'special event areas'.

The area includes the summit venue, Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island and the places around Shangri-La Hotel and the St Regis Hotel where Trump and Kim are expected to stay, respectively.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump's Air Force One landed at Paya Lebar Air Base in the central east of Singapore after undertaking a 17-hour long flight from Quebec Canada where he attended the G7 summit.

Later, Kim's plane landed at Changi airport.

Apart from the presence of the two global leaders in Singapore, the reason behind putting a heightened security in place is also that Kim faces a massive amount of global criticism due to his high-handed regime and records of human rights abuse.

The summit, which was on a brink of being canceled multiple times, may bring a certain amount of diplomatic and political benefits for both leaders.

Trump, who is going to face the elections in 2020, will be able to tout this summit as a big victory under his presidency.

On the other side, for Kim sharing a common platform with the US president is itself a landmark as previously the US leaders have avoided doing so.

-- ANI

Nirav Modi, the billionaire jeweller at the heart of a more than $2 billion fraud case, has fled to the United Kingdom, where he is claiming political asylum, the Financial Times reported, citing Indian and British officials.

Britain's Home Office said it does not provide information on individual cases.

Nirav Modi could not be contacted by Reuters for comment on the FT report.

Punjab National Bank said earlier in 2018 that two jewellery groups headed by Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi had defrauded it of about $2.2 billion by raising credit from overseas branches of other Indian banks using illegal guarantees issued by rogue PNB staff at a Mumbai branch over several years.

Nirav Modi is in London trying to claim asylum from what he calls "political persecution", the FT reported.

Ministry of external affairs reportedly told the FT the Indian government was waiting for the law enforcement agencies to approach them before pushing for an extradition, which had thus far not happened.

India is already seeking the extradition of Vijay Mallya, a liquor and aviation tycoon, over unpaid loans to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines after the businessman and co-owner of the Formula One Force India team moved to Britain in March last year.

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