LIVE! BJP has 'dog-like mentality': MP minister

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Mon, 15 July 2019

BJP has 'dog-like mentality': MP minister

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23:35 Is Guv a 'mere puppet'? Bihar PSC left red-faced by question in exam

The Bihar Public Service Commission was on Monday left red-faced as reports surfaced of a question asking candidates to elucidate whether they thought that the Governor of Bihar was a 'mere puppet', in one of its question papers.

An embarrassed BPSC promptly issued a release expressing regret over the 'inappropriate manner in which a question was asked about a constitutional office' and declared that the person who had set the paper has been 'issued a show cause and blacklisted for future'.

'Critically examine the role of Governor in state politics in India, particularly in Bihar. Is he a mere puppet?' - read the question in Paper II of General Studies in Civil Services (Mains). The examination was held on Sunday.

The bilingual paper used the Hindi word 'kathputili' in the question framed in that language -- a term often used by the opposition to criticise the actions of a person holding the gubernatorial position, the appointment to which is always made by the Centre.

Lalji Tandon is the current Governor of Bihar. -- PTI

23:16 BJP has 'dog-like mentality': MP minister

Hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party for the criticism of the Congress government over the transfer of sniffer dogs and their handlers, a Madhya Pradesh minister on Monday said the saffron party had a 'dog-like mentality'.

The controversial comment by PWD Minister Sajjan Singh Verma came three days after the opposition BJP alleged that the shifting of police dogs and their handlers was part of a 'flourishing transfer racket' in the Congress-ruled state.

"Can anyone harbour an enmity against an animal? BJP people said dogs have been transferred. It should have been better had they said that the dog squad has been transferred. This is their mentality, like a dog. So we can't help it," Verma said at a press conference in Jhabua.

Responding to the Verma's statement, state BJP chief spokesman Dipak Vijayvargiya told PTI from Bhopal that Chief Minister Kamal Nath should take a serious note of the 'undemocratic and unparliamentary' language used by his Cabinet colleague.

"This is unbecoming of a minister. They (Congress government) have gone so far in the transfer business that they don't know where to stop.

They have gone wild," he said.

In an order issued last Friday by the commandant of the 23rd Battalion of the Madhya Pradesh Police, 46 dogs and their handlers were transferred.

A sniffer dog from Chhindwara, named Duffy, was shifted to the CM's residence in Bhopal.

Two other sniffer dogs, Renu and Sikandar, were also transferred to the CM's house from Satna and Hoshangabad, respectively.

Following this, MLA and state BJP vice-president Rameshwar Sharma had tweeted, 'If in their control, the Congress can even transfer the land and sky.'

He later told PTI, "The Congress can do miracles. It transferred dogs. The Kamal Nath government transferred about 50,000 officials and employees in six months."

"Some of the officials were transferred three to four times in this period. A transfer racket is flourishing and posts in government offices are on the sale," he had said.

Another state BJP vice-president Vijesh Lunawat had tweeted, 'Wah, the transfer industry of the Kamal Nath government did not spare even dogs.'

Several other BJP leaders had too taken potshots at the Congress government over the issue. -- PTI

Troubled Bhatpara-Kankinara region in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district witnessed fresh violence on Monday when some bombs were exploded in the area, police said.

There were reports of sporadic explosion of bombs in the area since Saturday evening, they said, adding two persons have been arrested in connection with it.

50 crude bombs were recovered by the police Monday morning from an abandoned railway housing complex in the area, which had witnessed repeated clashes between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bhartiya Janata Party since the Lok Sabha election results in May.

Miscreants allegedly ransacked the Bhatpara Municipal Matri Sadan (maternity home) and hurled bombs in front of the hospital, creating panic among patients. They also hurled bombs at different places of Kankinara during the day.

Local residents put up a rail blockade at Kankinara station for about two hours to protest against the violence,leading to disruption of train services in Sealdah-Ranaghatdivision of the Eastern Railway.

Ajoy Thakur, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 1) of theBarrackpore Police Commissionerate said, "Some miscreantshurled bombs in three places on Monday, but now the situation is under control."

The police along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed in the area, with many shops, market places and business establishments downing their shutters, he said.

The police have also started conducting nakka checking, patrolling and raids at various places, Thakur said.

At least two persons had been killed and 11 others injured in violent clashes in the area since the Lok Sabha polls.

A TMC citadel for long, Bhatpara has been witnessing frequent post-poll violence between the rival parties. The fight has intensified ever since Arjun Singh crossed over from the TMC to the BJP and won the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat,under which Bhatpara and Kankinara fall.

In the by-election to the Bhatpara assembly seat that was held along with the Lok Sabha elections, Arjun Singh'sson, Pawan Singh, defeated TMC candidate and former state minister Madan Mitra. -- PTI

22:24 Chandrayaan 1 too faced glitch: Ex-ISRO chief

Hours after Chandrayaan 2 launch was called off because of a technical glitch, former Indian Space Research Organisation chief K Madhavan Nair recalled on Monday that India's first mission to the Moon too had experienced a similar problem shortly before the rocket could blast off.

But ISRO scientists found and rectified the error and the mission took off as planned, said Nair, the chairman of the space agency during Chandrayaan 1 launch in 2008.

Chandrayaan 1 made more than 3,400 orbits around the Moon during its operational life of 312 days and detected water in vapour form on the lunar surface.

The Chandrayaan 2 mission was aborted 56 minutes and 24 seconds before the lift-off early on Monday.

ISRO said a 'technical snag' was observed in the launch vehicle system and mission was called off for now.

It did not specify the nature of the problem. Recalling the 2008 incident, Nair told PTI, "There was a leakage in propellent that was detected two hours before the launch of Chandrayaan-1. It was corrected and the mission was launched on the same day."

Referring to Chandrayaan-2, the former ISRO chief said scientists apparently found leakage when pressurising one of the gas bottles.

"It has to be identified where exactly it is taking place and corrective action has to be taken. That process is on now," Nair said.

He added such glitches just before the launch are not 'uncommon'.

He stressed that a catastrophe was avoided as the anomaly was detected in time.

"The success rate of Moon missions is nearly 60 per cent. Unlike satellite launching, lunar missions are very complex in nature. However, with the accumulation of experience over the last six decades, the success rate is improving," Nair said.

Chandrayaan-2 was to attempt a soft land of a rover on the south pole of the Moon, making India the fourth country to do so after the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union and China. -- PTI

Over 20 pilots of various airlines have been temporarily taken off duty on the orders of the regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation so far in July, after a series of incidents, including the one at Mumbai airport involving a Spicejet plane, a senior official said on Monday.

These pilots have been barred from flying for a period ranging three to six months, the official added.

As many as five incidents of aircraft overshooting/ skidding off the runway had occurred in a short span of three days only in the month.

"This month, we have seen a series of incidents one after another in quick succession, leading to the grounding of these pilots. We have already temporarily grounded more than 20 pilots of domestic airlines so far, pending investigation," the official said.

The official said some of these incidents have been handed over to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, while others are being investigated by the DGCA itself.

All the accidents and serious incidents involving aircraft are probed by the AAIB, which is the apex aircraft accident investigation body under the aviation ministry and incidents, which are not classified as 'serious' are probed by the DGCA.

The number of such incidents prompted the DGCA to issue a circular detailing the air safety guidelines for airlines, and advise them to follow certain precautions while planning operations during the monsoon conditions. -- PTI

21:25 IOC threatens to cut fuel supply to Air India

State-owned Air India's flights services are likely to be hit partially as public sector oil marketing firm Indian Oil Corporation has threatened to cut fuel supply at some of the airports from Tuesday evening on non-payment of bills, according to a source.

The disinvestment-bound carrier, which is incurring Rs 15 crore loss per day, has huge dues towards oil companies and Airports Authority of India, among others.

"Indian Oil Corporation has threatened to stop fuel supply at certain airports such Patna, Pune, Chandigarh, Cochin, Visakhapatnam and Ranchi for non payment of dues from 4 pm Tuesday," the source said.

In the eventuality of the oil firm implementing its notice to Air India, there will not be fuel available to flights operating out of these airports and may impact operations as well, the source added.

In view of the IoC notice, the airline has asked its flight crew and dispatchers that they 'must carry fuel for next sector or alternative re-routing to be planned to maximise the payload, until situation is normalised', as per the source.

The national carrier is reportedly expected to post its highest-ever loss of over Rs 7,600 crore in the previous fiscal on account of low fleet utilisation and high fuel prices, among others. -- PTI

21:04 Snag forces IndiGo flight to return to Goa

An Ahmedabad-bound IndiGo flight carrying around 180 passengers returned to the Goa airport on Monday after taking-off as it developed a 'technical glitch', a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.

The flight landed safely at the Dabolim airport, around 40km from here, at around 4.45 pm, he said.

Airport director Gagan Malik told PTI that the IndiGo flight, which had taken off for Ahmedabad from the Dabolim airport, had to make a mid-air turn back due to a 'technical glitch'.

He said there were around 180 passengers on board the aircraft and all were safe.

The Indian Navy-run airport, Goa's only aerodrome, handles operations of both civilian and military aircraft. -- PTI

As many as 119 teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in flood-hit areas of the country, including Assam and Bihar, and a 24X7 control room has been set up in Delhi to closely monitor the situation in these regions.

As part of proactive measures, 119 teams of the NDRF have been deployed in various parts of the country keeping in view the disaster vulnerability and to keep extra vigil at locations where heavy rainfalls cause flood, an official statement said.

All NDRF teams, each comprising around 45 personnel, are equipped with boats, divers and other flood rescue-related equipment, and will be making the best use of their professionalism and technology in the discharge of their mandate, it said.

In Assam, 14 NDRF teams have been deployed in flood-affected districts of Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Biswanath Chariali, Cachar, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Guwahati, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia, where torrential rains and overflowing rivers and water bodies have worsened the flood situation, the statement said.

The NDRF teams are continuously engaged in assisting the local administration in rescue and relief work, it added.

The personnel were operational in the low-lying areas of districts Bishwanath, Golaghat, Morigaon and Tinsukia.

The NDRF evacuated 460 people and shifted them to safer places. So far, NDRF teams have evacuated more than 3,000 people in Assam, the release said.

In Bihar, heavy rainfall in the past few days has caused flood-like situation in low-lying areas and increased the water level of various rivers in several parts of the state.

To deal with the severity of the situation, 19 NDRF teams have been deployed in Araria, Bettiah, Darbhanga, Didarganj, Gopalganj, Katihar, Madhubani, Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Supaul districts, the statement said.

NDRF personnel carried out rescue operations in Araria, Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi and Supaul districts.

Besides, they are also assisting the state administration in distribution of relief materials, it added.

So far, NDRF teams have evacuated over 3,310 people to safer places in Bihar.

A 24X7 control room has been set up by in Delhi and it is closely monitoring the situation.

The NDRF is also in touch with other agencies for further deployment, the statement said, adding the director general of the force is personally monitoring the situation. -- PTI

IMAGE: A view of a flooded locality following incessant monsoon rains, at Aurai in Muzaffarpur district, on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo

The government has stopped the process of verification using Aadhhar for driving licence, Parliament was informed on Monday.

"The Ministry in compliance to the order of the Supreme Court dated September 26, 2018 ... stopped the process of verification using Aadhaar for the Driving Licences," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said as per the information provided by National Informatics Centre, the 'Aadhaar number obtained for Driving Licences are 1,57,93,259'.

Aadhar number obtained for vehicle registrations are 1.65 crore, the minister added.

"The process of collection of biometric at the RTOs has been discontinued," he said. -- PTI

About 50 students were injured on Monday when a high-tension wire fell into a primary school in Naya Nagar Vishnupur area in Balrampur, prompting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to order a probe into the incident.

The students are stated to be out of danger, officials said.

When the wire fell into the school, the students were at a distance but water had collected in the compound after rainfall due to which they came in contact with electricity,District Magistrate Karun Karunesh said.

50 students sustained injuries and they were shifted to nearby hospitals, he said.

Taking a serious note of the incident, the chief minister ordered the District Magistrate of Balrampur to provide medial aid to the affected children, while directing the Managing Director of Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam to probe the matter and take action against the guilty within 24 hours.

He also directed Principal Secretary Energy and MD, UP Power Corporation to run a campaign to safeguard people from high-tension wires and repair them wherever needed.

"Strict action will be initiated against those showing laxity in this regard," Adityanath said.

Meanwhile, two employees of the Power Department were suspended and a departmental inquiry was ordered against the junior engineer concerned.

Karunesh said the basic education officer and executive engineer of the Power Department were issued directions to conduct a survey of schools and remove any such wires passing over them. -- PTI

19:47 SC to examine Centre's order NRC tribunals

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to reply to a plea which has alleged that the Foreigners (Tribunals) Amendment Order 2019 procedures, dealing with the appeals of those who would be left out in Assam National Register of Citizens, are violative of the fundamental rights.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for All Assam Minorities Students Union (AAMSU), that the 2019 order was unfair to those who would be forced to challenge the non-inclusion in the Assam National Register of Citizens.

The top court is monitoring the exercise of finalisation of Assam NRC and has fixed the deadline of July 31 for it.

The right to appeal would be affected as the appeal of those left out in the NRC could be heard in their absence by the foreigners' tribunal, Sibal said, adding that a person can be arrested during the hearing of the appeal.

"Amendment Order, 2019 while providing for a procedure of appeal makes the same so unreasonable that it may virtual lead to denial of justice. The newly inserted Paragraph 3A ...lays out the procedure for Appeals," the AAMSU said.

"While the Tribunals have been entrusted with a very crucial task of being the final adjudicatory authority with respect to appeals arising out of rejection of claims by the NRC authorities, the purpose of setting up such Tribunals for identification of foreigners and determination of Indian citizenship will stand frustrated if unfairness, unreasonableness and arbitrariness is allowed to creep into the procedure and to thwart the entire gigantic exercise," the plea said. -- PTI

The much-awaited second Vande Bharat Express will be run on the high traffic Delhi-Katra route three days a week, likely from next month, sources said on Monday.

The Delhi-Katra route was chosen by the Railway Board in a bid to capitalise on the high traffic volume owing to the Vaishno Devi temple pilgrimage, they said.

The high-speed train will bring down the travel time between Delhi and Katra, the last station on the way to Vaishno Devi temple, to eight hours from 12 hours it takes currently.

The first Vande Bharat Express or Train 18 was launched on the Delhi-Varanasi route.

The second Vande Bharat Express is proposed to be run three days a week, which could be extended up to five, they said.

"The train will run every Monday, Thursday and Saturday for now. However, depending on the demand, we might extend it by two more days," said the source.

The train will leave from Delhi at 06:00 hours and reach Katra at 14:00 hours. On its return journey, it will leave Katra the same day at 15:00 hours and reach Delhi at 23.00 hours.

Running at a maximum speed of 130 kmph, the train will have around two-minute halts each at Ambala, Ludhiana, and Jammu Tawi, before Katra.

The train has undergone trials on the Delhi-Katra route, which was chosen among others such as Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Chandigarh that were also in the contention for the premium service.

Unlike its earlier version, which was criticised for lack of adequate space for pantry, the upgraded train has more space to store meals for passengers.

It has adjustable seats and improved washbasins, a sturdy aluminium-clad nose cover to avoid damage due to cattle run-over and special anti-spall film on windows to guard against stone pelting.

The first Train 18 was launched on February 15 on the Delhi-Varanasi route. It runs five days a week. Currently, the second train is undergoing additional trials. -- PTI

The total value of specified bank notes returned from circulation during 2016-'17 was Rs 15,310.73 billion, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Monday.

On November 8, 2016, the Centre had invalidated Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and introduced new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes in a bid to fight terror funding and money laundering.

Responding to another question on non-performing assets in percentage term and the total GDP at the end of demonetisation and till date, Thakur said: "Gross NPA of scheduled commercial banks to gross advances, as per the RBI data on global operations, was 9.20 per cent as on 31.12.2016 and 9.08 per cent as on 31.3.2019."

The minister said that the GDP at current market prices in the years 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 (provisional estimate) were Rs 1,53,62,386 crore, Rs 1,70,95,005 crore and Rs 1,90,10,164 crore, respectively.

-- ANI

Hours after Navjot Singh Sidhu sent his resignation from Punjab Cabinet to the chief minister, Amarinder Singh said if the cricketer-turned politician did not want to do his job, there was nothing he could do about it.

The minister, who was given the power department last month in a reshuffle of the state cabinet, should have accepted his new portfolio instead of shunning work in the middle of the crucial paddy season, Singh told reporters in Delhi.

There has to be some discipline in the government if it is to function effectively, the chief minister added.

Sidhu has announced his resignation as Punjab Cabinet minister, making public his June 10 resignation letter sent to then Congress president Rahul Gandhi. On Monday, a day after he went public with his decision, he sent the letter to Singh.

The former cricketer resigned in the wake of his continued run-ins with the chief minister, who had changed his portfolio from Local Government to Power.

Unhappy, Sidhu did not assume charge of the new department.

"If Sidhu doesn't want to do the job, there is nothing I can do about it," Singh said, questioning how a soldier can refuse a job assigned by the General.

"I thought power is an important thing for Punjab, one of our most important thing, so I gave it to Sidhu but he did not want it. I said once a decision has been taken, you can't say I will take this and I will not take that," the chief minister said.

He wondered why Sidhu was the only person unhappy over the change when other ministers have taken charge of their new departments.

-- PTI

18:14

7-year-old boy dies due to drowning after he fell into a drain at Rajiv Gandhi Colony, Dharavi in Mumbai

18:00 SP leader Neeraj Shekhar resigns as RS member, Naidu accepts resignation

Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar on Monday resigned as member of the Rajya Sabha and his resignation was accepted by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, sources said.

Shekhar, the son of former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, met Naidu and told him he is resigning voluntarily and not under any compulsion, the sources said.

Shekhar was a prominent leader of the Samajwadi Party and there is speculation that he might join the BJP. He first became a member of the Lok Sabha in 2008 in the by-elections for Ballia constituency. The following year, he won again from the same constituency.

He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh since November 26, 2014, and was due to retire on November 25, 2020.

-- PTI

17:44 Karnataka MLAs in Mumbai may skip trust vote

Karnataka MLAs camping at a hotel in Mumbai may skip the confidence motion moved by the southern state's Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on July 18, sources said.

The Karnataka rebel MLAs in Mumbai are unlikely to fly to Bengaluru on Thursday when the Congress-JD(S) government would face the floor test, a source involved in coordinating the stay of the legislators Mumbai said.

The MLAs staying at the Mumbai luxury hotel have submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker.

They do not see any reason to be present at the floor test as they are firm on their resignations, the source said. Three to four more Karnataka MLAs are likely to switch to BJP but won't be coming to Mumbai, the source said.

Meanwhile, the rebel Karnataka MLAs staying at the Mumbai hotel wrote to the city police chief, saying they don't want to meet Mallikarjun Kharge or any other Congress leader.

There were speculations that Kharge, some other senior Congress leaders and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy may visit the hotel in Powai where the rebel legislators are put up. In the letter to Mumbai police chief, the rebel MLAs said they have "absolutely no intention of meeting Mallikarjun Kharge or Ghulam Nabi Azad or any other Congress dignitary".

The MLAs said they feel threatened and requested the police to stop any Congress leader from meeting them. Fifteen rebel MLAs from Karnataka, including those of the Congress, JD(S) and Independents, are staying at the hotel. -- PTI

A petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking to shift hotelier P Rajagopal, who has been admitted to a government hospital here after he surrendered in a murder case, to a private hospital citing deterioration in his health condition.

When a special mention was made by his lawyer before a division bench of Justices MM Sundresh and M Nirmal Kumar, the additional public prosecutor said he would get instructions from the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday.

In a habeas corpus petition filed by Rajagopal's son it was stated that his condition worsened after he was admitted to Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai following his surrender.

The founder of popular South Indian food chain Saravana Bhavan had surrendered along with another accused before a sessions court here on July 9 to serve life term in a murder case, hours after the Supreme Court had rejected his plea seeking more time.

Rajagopal, who had moved the apex court citing health reasons, was brought to the premises of the trial court in an ambulance and sent to jail. However, he was taken to Stanley hospital for check-up and admitted to the "convict ward" as per the doctors' advice.

Rajagopal was to surrender on July 7 to serve life imprisonment in the murder of Prince Shantakumar in 2001. The motive for the killing was to marry Shantakumar's wife Jeevajothi, who was the daughter of a former employee -- an assistant manager -- in his hotel. PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the decision of UPA government to repeal POTA in 2004 was a mistake and was taken for the sake of "vote bank politics", which led to rise in the incidents of terrorism between 2004 and 2008.Intervening in the debate on the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Shah said that BJP government had no intention to misuse the amendments being proposed to strengthen the NIA.

"It (POTA) was repealed to save the vote bank politics. It was helpful in protecting the borders of the country," he said.He said that the decision to repeal the POTA, taken by the first UPA government in its first Cabinet meeting, was a "political decision".

Shah said the opposition members can do their politics but should not use the parliament for this.Home Minister Shah, who faced some interruptions from opposition members, said the decision to repeal POTA was wrong and the view was also shared by security agencies.

- ANI

16:32 Lok Sabha passes NIA Amendment Bill

Just in: Lok Sabha passes the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

The government asserted on Monday that a bill to broaden the NIA's investigating powers is part of its policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and is in national interest, as Lok Sabha took up a discussion on the proposed legislation.

While the Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy sought support of all parties for the passage of the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Manish Tewari of the Congress accused the government of trying to turn India into a "police state".

Reddy told the House that the new law will allow the NIA to probe cases of terrorism targeting Indians and Indian assets abroad, and also empower the agency to investigate cases of arms and human trafficking besides those linked to cyber terrorism.

16:03 Govt says NIA bill in national interest

While Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy sought support of all parties for the passage of the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Manish Tewari of the Congress accused the government of trying to turn India into a "police state".

"We want to fight terrorism with zero tolerance and have brought this bill in national interest. I pray to all of you for its passage," he said.

The NIA was set up in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack which had claimed 166 lives Tewari opposed the bill, saying probe agencies are misused for "political vendetta" and "inspired media leaks" from them have turned the maxim of "innocent until proven guilty" on its head.

He also claimed that the constitutional validity of the NIA Act, which led to the investigation agency's formation, is still not settled as pleas challenging its validity are pending in different courts.

Earlier, several opposition members, including N K Premachandran and Saugata Roy, questioned the government's decision to push for a discussion amid the ongoing budget- related debates but Speaker Om Birla ruled that a debate can start.

Reddy said the NIA has been doing a good work and secured conviction in over 90 per cent of cases. It has so far registered 272 cases out of which judgement has been delivered in 52, he added.

Appropriate punishment to the accused at times is not meted out to criminals involved in human trafficking, he said, pitching for the NIA to probe these cases. --PTI

Commercial surrogacy will soon be banned and only close relatives will be permitted to act as surrogates to infertile couples for "ethical altruistic" reasons.

On Monday, the government introduced the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha that also provides for constitution of surrogacy boards at national and state levels, as well as that the intending couples should not abandon such a child under any condition. Only Indian couples who have been legally married for at least five years would be allowed to opt for surrogacy, as per the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill, which was introduced by Health and Family Welfare minister Harsh Vardhan.

The bill seeks to "allow ethical altruistic surrogacy to the intending infertile Indian married couple between the age of 23-50 years and 26-55 years for female and male, respectively".

A woman should be allowed to act as a surrogate mother only once and should be a close relative of the intending couple and "should be an ever married woman having a child of her own and between the age of 25-35 years".

According to the statement, India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples from different countries for past few years.

"Due to lack of legislation to regulate surrogacy, the practice of surrogacy has been misused by surrogacy clinics, which leads to rampant commercial surrogacy and unethical practices...," it noted.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in December, 2018 but lapsed as it could not get nod from Parliament. -- PTI

Image: Karan Johar's twins Roohi and Yash conceived through surrogacy, seen here with their grandmother Hiroo Johar.

Commercial surrogacy will soon be banned and only close relatives will be permitted to act as surrogates to infertile couples for "ethical altruistic" reasons.

The bill seeks to "allow ethical altruistic surrogacy to the intending infertile Indian married couple between the age of 23-50 years and 26-55 years for female and male, respectively".

According to the statement, India has emerged as a surrogacy hub for couples from different countries for past few years.

"Due to lack of legislation to regulate surrogacy, the practice of surrogacy has been misused by surrogacy clinics, which leads to rampant commercial surrogacy and unethical practices...," it noted.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in December, 2018 but lapsed as it could not get nod from Parliament. -- PTI

Image: Karan Johar's twins Roohi and Yash conceived through surrogacy, seen here with their grandmother Hiroo Johar.

15:26 Assam floods: PM promises help

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday spoke to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and took stock of the flood situation in the state, where the deluge has claimed 11 lives this year while millions are affected, officials said.

During the telephonic conversation, the Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister about the current situation and informed him that 31 of the state's 33 districts were hit by the current spell of floods.

Modi assured Sonowal of all assistance from the central government in dealing with the situation, an official said.

On Saturday, the chief minister had briefed Home Minister Amit Shah about the flood situation in Assam. Shah directed the National Disaster Response Force and other agencies to provide all necessary help to the flood affected people.

The flood situation in Assam worsened on Sunday with the death toll rising to 11 and nearly 26.5 lakh people affected. Barpeta is the worst-hit district with 7.35 lakh people facing the flood fury, followed by Morigaon where 3.50 lakh people are hit. About 70 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park, the habitat of the Great Indian Rhino and a world heritage site, has been affected too.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre on a petition filed by three women seeking a direction to decriminalise abortion.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was hearing a plea by three women -- Swati Agarwal, Garima Sekseria, and Prachi Vats.

The top court agreed to hear the plea of women challenging the provisions of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.

The trio, in their petition, stated that the act allows abortion only to save the life of the mother. It submitted that the restrictions and exceptions in the act violate the women rights.

The issue of safe abortion and restriction on the reproductive choice of women and other incidental issues require consideration and urgent resolution by this Court since it severely, drastically and irreversibly affects all women of the country and is not a regional issue pertaining to any particular state, stated the plea.

The plea also asserted that section 3(2) (b) of the act is violative of Articles 21 of the Constitution.Section 3(2) (b) restricts the right to seek an abortion on the ground of risk to the life of pregnant woman, grave injury to her physical or mental health and substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities.

The Indian Penal Code was enacted including sections 312-316 which criminalized abortion unless it was for the purpose of saving the life of the woman, submitted the plea. -- ANI

The Calcutta High Court will hear former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's plea seeking protection from arrest in connection with the Saradha chit fund case on Wednesday.

A single judge bench of Justice Asha Arora said it would hear the matter at 12 pm on July 17.The court had earlier extended interim protection from arrest by the CBI to Kumar till July 22.

Kumar had moved the High Court seeking quashing of a CBI notice asking him to appear before the agency in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam.

A lower court in Kolkata had earlier turned down his anticipatory bail plea seeking an extension of protection from arrest and recommended he approach the Calcutta High Court or trial courts in Bengal to "seek appropriate remedy".

Kumar, who headed the state police's Special Investigation Team that probed the Saradha scam, is accused of tampering with evidence in the case.

An unprecedented chain of events had unfolded on February 3 when a CBI team reached Kumar's residence to question him. The team was detained, taken to a police station and was later released.West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also visited the officer's home. -- ANI

14:12 K'taka floor test on July 18: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka coalition to take floor test on Thursday, says Congress leader Siddaramaiah. "The discussion on the vote of confidence will be taken up on Thursday at 11 am in the Karnataka Assembly," says Siddaramaiah.

The BJP in Karnataka Monday sought to move a no-confidence motion against the Congress-JDS government, which is battling for survival after 16 lawmakers of the ruling coalition resigned from the assembly. T

he BJP has issued a notice to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar during the Business Advisory Committee meeting attended by party leader B S Yeddyurappa seeking to move the no confidence motion, party state general secretary C T Ravi told PTI.

"Yes, we have given a notice to move a no-confidence motion," he said.

As many as 16 MLAs -- 13 from the Congress and three from JD(S) -- have resigned from the assembly while two independent MLAs S Shankar and H Nagesh have withdrawn their support to the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.

The disgruntled MLAs, who have turned against the government, are camping in Mumbai. The Speaker is yet to accept their resignations as the matter is pending before the Supreme Court which will hear the case again on Tuesday.

The MLAs have not turned up for the assembly proceedings, which began on Friday last. The Apex Court Monday agreed to hear a plea of five more rebel Congress MLAs along with the pending petition of 10 legislators seeking a direction to the Karnataka Assembly speaker to accept their resignation.

With en masse resignations, the government has been pushed to the brink of collapse.

14:02 Gujarat, HP get new governors

Acharya Devvrat who was the Governor of Himachal Pradesh has been transferred and appointed as the Governor of Gujarat. Kalraj Mishra will be replacing him as the Himachal Pradesh governor.

13:05 WPI inflation eases to near 2-year low

Wholesale price-based inflation declined for the second consecutive month to its 23-month low of 2.02 per cent in June, helped by decline in prices of vegetables as well as fuel and power items, according to official data released Monday.

The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation was at 2.45 per cent in May. It was 5.68 per cent in June 2018. Inflation in food articles basket eased marginally to 6.98 per cent in June, from 6.99 per cent in May.

Vegetable inflation softened to 24.76 per cent in June, down from 33.15 per cent in the previous month. Inflation in potato was (-) 24.27 per cent, against (-) 23.36 per cent in May.

However, onion prices continued the rising trend with inflation at 16.63 per cent during the month, as against 15.89 per cent in May.

WPI inflation in June is the lowest in 23 months, since July 2017, when it was at 1.88 per cent. Inflation in 'fuel and power' category cooled substantially to (-)2.20 per cent, from 0.98 per cent last month. -- PTI

Image: Onion prices continued the rising trend with inflation at 16.63 per cent during the month.

Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday sent his resignation to Chief Minister of Punjab at his official residence, ending speculations that ensued through the weekend following the announcement of his exit from Captain Amarinder Singh's cabinet.

"Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence," Sidhu wrote on Twitter.

The cricketer-turned-politician had earlier submitted his resignation letter to Rahul Gandhi instead of Amarinder Singh. It had remained unclear as to why the resignation was not sent to Singh in the past one month.

Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads since his controversial visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan last year where he had hugged the Army Chief leading to a huge controversy back home.

The rift was further widened during the general elections when Sidhu and his wife accused Amarinder of having had a hand in the denial of ticket to her to from either Chandigarh or Amritsar.

12:30 Update on the BJP MLA's daughter

Update and a clarification from news agency ANI: Sakshi, the daughter of BJP MLA Rajesh Mishra and her husband Ajitesh were allegedly roughed up by some people at Allahabad High Court premises today where they had gone to seek protection.

However, reports that they had been abducted and later rescued is not true. ANI reports that a couple had indeed been kidnapped from the Allahabad High Court and later rescued, but it was not Sakshi and her husband.

A suspected Pakistani intruder was shot dead by BSF personnel while he was trying to cross the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, officials said.

The incident took place around 3 am when a man in his 60's was trying to sneak into the Indian territory near the SM Pura border post, they said.

The officials said the intruder was gunned down by the BSF men of 62 battalion near the fence after he ignored repeated warnings to surrender. The body was kept at S M Pura border post, they said, adding that a probe into the matter was underway. -- PTI

12:25 Centre OK for prosecution of 56 IAS officers

The Centre allowed prosecution under Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act against 56 Indian Administrative Service officers in the last 10 years spanning both Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi governments.

Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had granted 102 prosecution sanctions against these 56 IAS officers between January 1, 2010 and March 26, 2019.

In the same time period, DoPT also denied permission for prosecution in 21 other cases related to 20 IAS officers.

This information was provided by DoPT to Lucknow-based Right to Information Act activist Nutan Thakur on her application and in compliance of the Central Information Commission order.

Thakur had sought information regarding the sanction or denial of permission for prosecution of officers from 2010 to 2019.

Of 102 sanctions, 65 prosecution sanctions were given during the previous Manmohan Singh led United Progressive Alliance government, while 37 sanctions were granted under the Modi led National Democratic Alliance regime.

Of 21 cases of denial, 10 and 11 occurred during the UPA and NDA rules respectively.

-- Virendra Singh Rawat/Business Standard

A special judge holding trial in Babri Masjid demolition case, involving BJP veterans LK Advani, M M Joshi and others, Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking six more months to conclude the trial in the case.

The special judge, in a letter written in May, has informed the top court that he is due to superannuate on September 30, 2019.

The matter came up for hearing on Monday before a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, which asked the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise it by July 19 about a mechanism by which the tenure of the special judge could be extended till he delivers the verdict in the high profile case.

On April 19, 2017, the top court had ordered day-to-day trial to be concluded in two years in the politically sensitive 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case. While dubbing the demolition of the medieval era monument as a "crime" which shook the "secular fabric of the Constitution", it had allowed the CBI's plea on restoration of criminal conspiracy charge against the VVIP accused.

However, the top court had said Kalyan Singh, who is currently the Governor of Rajasthan and during whose tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh the disputed structure was razed, is entitled to immunity under Constitution as long as he remained in gubernatorial position.

The court had come down heavily on the CBI for the delay of 25 years in the trial and said, "The accused persons have not been brought to book largely because of the conduct of the CBI in not pursuing the prosecution of the aforesaid alleged offenders in a joint trial, and because of technical defects which were easily curable, but which were not cured by the State Government."

12:10 BJP MLA's daughter, husband to get security

The Allahabad High Court gives directions to the police for the protection of Sakshi Misra and her husband Ajitesh. Their lawyer says, "Only Ajitesh was beaten up. It's not known who were these people. But it proves that there is indeed a threat to their life for which they were seeking protection."

Sakshi, the daughter of an Uttar Pradesh BjP legislator, had alleged that her life was in danger from her father after she married a Dalit man and asked the police for security. Her father is the MLA from Bithari Chainpur in Bareilly district.

Earlier in the day, the couple had in fact been abducted from outside the court premises, but were rescued later.

Additional Director General of Prayagraj, SN Sabat, said the abductors were armed. The couple were rescued by the police in Fatehpur and the abductors were nabbed.

Image: The couple's lawyer confirmed that Ajitesh was beaten up this morning.

11:24 K'taka: BJP demands floor test, Cong MLAs meet

The Bharatiya Janata Party has reiterated its demand for floor test in Karnataka assembly while criticising the state Chief Minister and Assembly speaker for their "unacceptable" behaviour.

Speaking to ANI on Karnataka's political situation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said, "We stand by our demand (of floor test). The behaviour of Assembly speaker and Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is highly uncalled for and unacceptable."

The Union Minister also questioned the Speaker's stand of conducting an enquiry on the issue and said.

"When the MLAs have personally handed Speaker their resignations, what enquiry does he want?"

A meeting of the Congress Legislative Party began at the Taj Vivanta in Bengaluru, ahead of this week's Assembly session that begins today.

Meanwhile, BJP MLAs left their hotel in buses and small vehicles to reach the state assembly.

The party has demanded CM HD Kumaraswamy to prove the majority of Congress-JD(S) Government in the assembly today.

Kumaraswamy had on Friday told the Speaker that he was ready to seek a trust vote or face a no-confidence motion during the session which will go on July 26.

The 13-month-old coalition government in Karnataka slumped into crisis following the resignation of several Congress and JD(S) MLAs from the membership of the House.

The Congress party has been accusing the BJP of conspiring to topple the coalition government in Karnataka.

The ruling alliance is making all efforts to protect its government which seems to have fallen short of a majority.

In a twist to the political stalemate in Karnataka, the apex court had on July 12 ordered a status quo until July 16 on a plea filed by 10 dissident MLAs of Congress and JD(S) seeking a direction to the Assembly Speaker to accept their resignation and not proceed with the applications for their disqualification. -- ANI

11:03 Toll in Himachal building collapse climbs to 8

IN Solan, Himachal Pradesh, one more body retrieved from the site of building collapse in Kumarhatti. Death toll rises to 8. At least 6 still trapped in the debris. Around 17 Army personnel and 11 civilians rescued so far.

Rescuers pulled out the body of another Army jawan from the debris, officials said.

28 others were injured after the four-storey building, which housed a restaurant, collapsed on the Nahan-Kumarhatti Road on Sunday evening following heavy rains. The bodies of seven Army personnel and a civilian have been extricated so far from the debris, officials said.

Solan Sub Divisional Magistrate Rohit Rathore said at least seven persons are still feared trapped under the debris. However, the actual number of those trapped inside would be clear only after the rescue operation ends, which is expected to be over by this evening. -- PTI

However, ANI reports that Sakshi and her husband Ajitesh were allegedly roughed up by some people at Allahabad High Court premises where they went to seek protection, but not abducted. They are present in the court.

In a sensational turn of events, the couple from Bareilly, who have been making headlines since last week claiming to be under threat from a BJP MLA over their inter-caste marriage, was this morning kidnapped at gunpoint by armed men from outside the Allahabad High Court, where they had gone to seek protection, reports India Today.

The incident took place at 8.30 am, hours before the case of BJP MLA Rajesh Misra's daughter Sakshi Misra and her husband Ajitesh Kumar was to be taken up in the court.

According to eye-witnesses, the young couple was seen waiting outside the court gate number 3, early in the day when a black SUV came and pulled in the couple at gunpoint.

The SUV bore the registration number UP80 which belongs to Agra district. Sources said that 'Chairman' was written on the rear of the vehicle.

Police officials said that the CCTV footage was being scanned and checking of vehicles have begun.

The kidnapping came on the same day when one of their friend's, who helped them in eloping was arrested in connection with a case in 2018. This friend is also said to be a close aide of the BJP MLA father.

Read the background of the story here.

Image: Sakshi Misra with her husband in a video she uploaded on social media claiming they would be killed by her father for marrying a Dalit.

The rupee appreciated by 16 paise to 68.53 against the US dollar in opening trade Monday, driven by positive opening in domestic equities and easing crude oil prices.

The rupee opened strong at 68.59 at the interbank forex market then gained further ground to touch 68.53 per dollar, displaying gains of 16 paise over its previous close. On Friday, rupee had settled at 68.69 against the US dollar. Forex dealers said, easing crude oil prices and positive opening in domestic equities supported the rupee.

10:23 K'taka rebel MLAs write to Mumbai police again

Fourteen Karnataka rebel MLAs, who are staying at a hotel in Mumbai after resigning from the state assembly last week, have written to the Mumbai Police again to seek protection from senior Congress leaders who may try to meet them.

Congress's general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara are likely to visit the rebel MLAs at Renaissance Hotel in Powai for negotiations with the group that has endangered the survival of the year-old Congress-Janata Dal Secular coalition government in Karnataka.

In their letter, the rebel leaders have also named another senior Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

"We have absolutely no intentions in meeting Mallikarjun Kharge ji or Ghulam Nabi Azad ji or any Congress dignitaries or functionaries from Maharashtra and Karnataka Congress team leader or any other political leader... we anticipate serious threat from them," the letter reads.

The rebels may also approach the top court against the Congress leaders if they try to meet them, news agency ANI reported.

09:50 Trump under fire for racially-charged tweets

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday ratcheted up his verbal spat with liberal Democratic Congresswomen and stated that the "many terrible things they say about the US must not be allowed to go unchallenged."

While he continued to not name the representatives, the consecutive Twitter outbursts come shortly after Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley condemned the President's immigration policies, according to CNN.

The representatives, who are all women of colour, also criticised the conditions at border detention facilities.

His previous tweets, in which he asked the Congresswomen to go back to the countries they "originally" came from, have been criticised for being racist.

"So sad to see the Democrats sticking up for people who speak so badly of our Country and who, in addition, hate Israel with a true and unbridled passion. Whenever confronted, they call their adversaries, including Nancy Pelosi, RACIST," Trump's latest tweet read.

"Their disgusting language and the many terrible things they say about the United States must not be allowed to go unchallenged. If the Democrat Party wants to continue to condone such disgraceful behaviour, then we look even more forward to seeing you at the ballot box in 2020!" he added.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had strongly condemned Trump's previous tweets and backed the Democratic leaders while tweeting, "When @realDonaldTrump tells four American Congresswomen to go back to their countries, he reaffirms his plan to "Make America Great Again" has always been about making America white again. Our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power."

"I reject @realDonaldTrump's xenophobic comments meant to divide our nation. Rather than attack Members of Congress, he should work with us for a humane immigration policy that reflects American values. Stop the raids - #FamiliesBelongTogether!" she further said.

While Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Pressley are natural-born US citizens, Omar was born in Somalia. She had immigrated to the US when she was young and became a citizen in 2000, when she was 17-years-old, as per The New York Times.

The Democratic leaders in question also responded to Trump's rant, with Omar tweeting, "Mr President, As Members of Congress, the only country we swear an oath to is the United States. Which is why we are fighting to protect it from the worst, most corrupt and inept president we have ever seen."

Ocasio-Cortez also slammed Trump's statements, and tweeted, "Mr President, the country I "come from," & the country we all swear to, is the United States. But given how you've destroyed our border with inhumane camps, all at a benefit to you & the corps who profit off them, you are absolutely right about the corruption laid at your feet."

"You are angry because you don't believe in an America where I represent New York 14, where the good people of Minnesota elected @IlhanMN, where @RashidaTlaib fights for Michigan families, where @AyannaPressley champions little girls in Boston," she added.

"You are angry because you can't conceive of an America that includes us. You rely on a frightened America for your plunder. You won't accept a nation that sees healthcare as a right or education as a #1 priority, especially where we're the ones fighting for it. Yet here we are," the first-time Congresswoman said, tearing into Trump's policies. -- ANI

Enthusiasts of all ages who had gathered at Sriharikota on Monday to witness the launch of Chandrayaan-2 were left disheartened as India's second mission to Moon was called off due to a technical snag less than an hour before lift off.

The countdown to the launch of Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLVMkIII-M1-- scheduled for 2.51 am-- was stopped 56 minutes and 24 seconds before lift off at 1.55 am.

Confusion prevailed for several minutes before the Indian Space Research Organisation confirmed that the launch had been cancelled after a technical snag was detected in one of the launch systems of the GSLVMkIII-M1.

Despite the odd time, hordes of enthusiasts had reached the island, some of them travelling long distances on two wheelers, to witness the historic moment.

However, the anxious men, women and children who were waiting with bated breath at a special gallery recently set up by ISRO left the venue disappointed as the mission did not go as expected.

Chandrayaan-2 would have made India the fourth country to soft land a rover on the lunar surface after Russia, the United States and China.

The ISRO had set up the gallery -- inaugurated by chairman K Sivan a few months ago -- on the sprawling Sriharikota premises as the number of spectators turning up to witness the launches had been increasing over time.

The space agency had last week held registrations for people who wanted to witness the launch of Chandrayaan-2.

As President Ram Nath Kovind too was present at the venue, security was tightened at the spaceport and people were allowed to reach the gallery in an organised manner.

However, as the news about the launch being cancelled came in, they began leaving in small batches but not before clicking pictures with the huge rocket models displayed at the entrance of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Holding the tri-colour, a boy who had come with his family said he was disappointed as the mission was cancelled.

"We do not know what happened. But, we are disappointed. I hope they rectify whatever the issue is. We will come back again to witness the launch," he said.

Another member of the public said, it was good that scientists have called off the launch when the rocket was still on the ground.

"If it had gone into space and something had happened there, huge amount of money spent on the mission would have gone to waste," he said. -- PTI

Nearly 50 days after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as Congress president, taking moral responsibility for the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the grand old party is yet to finalise a new chief.

Gandhi, now an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, became the Congress president in 2017. He offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the party's drubbing in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.

In these 50 days that went by, not only has Gandhi made his resignation public but also removed the tag of "Congress President" from the bio of his official Twitter handle.

The Congress, who has presently become a "leaderless" party, has also been facing multiple shocks at the state levels.

Currently, the ongoing crisis in Karnataka has become a major cause of concern for the Congress, which is leaving no stone unturned to save its government in the state.

According to the Congress' constitution, the CWC has the right to elect Rahul Gandhi's successor as the new party president.

However, the senior leaders are yet to announce it.

As per sources, senior leaders of the party are squabbling over possible names.

In this regard, senior leaders convened two meetings in the Congress war room, but only Karnataka politics was discussed.

One of the possible reasons behind the delay in the selection of Congress president is that the party's general secretary KC Venugopal is currently busy in solving the ongoing Karnataka crisis and is camped in Bengaluru.

It is believed that the way to the CWC meeting will open only after a resolution to the Karnataka issue.

Despite offering his resignation, Gandhi has met the leaders of electoral states.

In Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the party's new state chief was also appointed. -- ANI

Three resident doctors of the civic-run Nair Hospital in central Mumbai were on Sunday attacked

by the relatives of a patient, police said.

The incident took place in the evening after the patient, Rajkishore Dixit, 50, who was critically ill, died during treatment, an official said.

"As the resident doctors declared the patient dead, 13 to 15 of his relatives stormed into the ward number 23 where he was admitted, and started abusing the doctors. They attacked the doctors and the security guard as well," he said.

The relatives also damaged the hospital property, he said.

The injured doctors and the staff then alerted their seniors about the incident, following which they approached Agripada police station.

Based on their complaint, an offence under section 353, 332, 504 , 34 of the IPC and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners' Act was registered against the attackers, he said adding probe is underway.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors condemned the attack.

In a statement, the MARD said, "We, the medical fraternity, are under tremendous mental stress due to the increasing assault and violence against us."

"We urge the deaf government to hear our plea and make a strict Central Protection Act for doctors. We demand that the state government makes necessary changes in the existing Doctors Protection Act and make solid norms against mob lynching," it added.

-- PTI

03:35 GFP withdraws support to BJP-led Goa govt

The GFP withdrew support to the BJP government in Goa by sending a communication to Governor Mridula Sinha.

The decision was taken after the Goa Foward Party held a meeting.

All three members of the GFP, including Vijai Sardesai who was deputy chief minister in the Pramod Sawant cabinet, were dropped and replaced by three of the 10 MLAs who last week switched over from the Congress to the BJP.

"The political affairs committee and the legislature party wing of Goa Forward Party met today and decided unanimously to withdraw support to the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Dr Pramod Sawant," the party's letter to the governor read.

The BJP currently has 27 MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly.

-- PTI

03:30 When ISRO stopped the countdown

Empty screen which initially showed countdown at the media centre in Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

03:11 Chandrayaan-2 launch called off due to glitch

India's second mission to Moon, Chandrayaan-2 onboard GSLVMkIII-M1 was called off due to a technical snag on Monday, the Indian Space Research Organisation said.

"A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at T-56 minute. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later," the ISRO tweeted.

The lift-off of the three-component spacecraft weighing 3,850 kg and comprising an orbiter, the lander and the rover was scheduled for 2.51 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here.

However, the countdown was held back with 56.24 minutes to go for the launch.

Monday's mission was to follow the successful maiden Lunar Mission Chandrayaan-1 launched in 2008. The rocket (Chandrayaan-1) which made more than 3,400 orbits around the moon, was operational for 312 days till August 29,2009.

The Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 onboard Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle GSLV-MkIII-M1 was scheduled to take 54 days to accomplish the task of landing on the Moon through meticulously planned orbital phases.

After a full dress rehearsal last week, the countdown for the mission commenced at 6.51 am on Sunday and scientists underwent various stages of propellant filling to power the rocket ahead of the launch.

-- PTI

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