LIVE! Democracy, honesty, people of K'taka lost: Rahul

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Tue, 23 July 2019

Democracy, honesty, people of K'taka lost: Rahul

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23:49 Democracy, honesty, people of K'taka lost: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi reacts on fall of the HD Kumaraswamy-led Karnataka govt.

"From its first day, the Cong-JDS alliance in Karnataka was a target for vested interests, both within & outside, who saw the alliance as a threat & an obstacle in their path to power," Gandhi tweeted.

"Their greed won today. Democracy, honesty & the people of Karnataka lost," he added.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah held consultation with party leaders amid indications that B S Yedyurappa may be its chief ministerial choice in Karnataka after the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government fell on Tuesday.

Asked about its choice for the top post in the state, a party leader said Yeddyurappa, who is seen as the spearhead behind the drive to topple the Congress-Janata Dal-Secular government, is an "obvious" contender but added that the top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, will take a call on the matter.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, who is from Karnataka, said Yeddyurappa is the BJP's natural choice for the job but the national leadership will take the final call.

The party will stake claim to form the next government, he added.

Reacting to fall of the Kumaraswamy government, senior BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar said, "At last truth has prevailed and Karnataka will have the popular BJP government. Power hungry Congress & JDS tried their best to hang on to power through all undemocratic means."

Today their ugly design has been defeated and truth has triumphed, he said, adding that it is a victory of the people of Karnataka, he said.

Earlier, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the exit of the "corrupt, illegitimate" coalition dispensation is good news for the state's people. -- PTI

Only three chief ministers -- all from the Congress -- have been able to complete their full five-year term in the history of Karnataka, which saw the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government losing the confidence motion in the assembly on Tuesday after just 14 months in power.

S Nijalingappa (1962-68), D Devaraja Urs (1972-77) and Siddaramaiah (2013-2018) were the chief ministers who had completed their full term.

No chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal-Secular could manage to complete the full term in Karnataka.

In fact, Kumaraswamy's first stint as chief minister in the BJP-led coalition government lasted less than two years from February 2006 to October 2007.

He had disagreement over power sharing with the BJP and refused to support the saffron party-led government in the state.

His second term as chief minister in the Congress-JDS government began in May 2018 after a hung verdict in the assembly election.

In case of the BJP, B S Yeddyurappa became chief minister for the first time in 2007 but remained in office for only seven days after the JD-S withdrew support and the President's rule was imposed in the state.

In May 2008, Yeddyurappa led the BJP to a historic victory in the state and became chief minister for a second time, but he had to quit in July 2011 due to alleged corruption.

His third stint as chief minister was for only six days from May 17 to May 23 in 2018 as he resigned citing lack of majority.

Since Karnataka was formed in 1956, it has seen 25 chief ministers and maximum of them were from the Congress. -- PTI

22:24 Prez does not make up things: Trump's advisor

United States President Donald Trump "does not make up things", a top presidential advisor said on Tuesday when asked about a question on his stunning claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue, remarks which has been strongly refuted by India.

It is "a very rude question," Trump's Chief Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow told reporters at the White House when a journalist following up on the president's remarks asked if it was made up.

"The president does not make anything up. That's a very rude question in my opinion. I am going to stay out of that. It's outside of my lane. It's for Mr (National Security Advisor John) Bolton, Mr (Secretary of State Mike) Pompeo and president, so I am not going to comment on that. The president does not make things up," Kudlow said.

However, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, who played a key role in India-US civil nuclear deal during the Bush Administration, said, "This is embarrassing, to say the least, for President Trump. His claim that PM Modi asked him to mediate the Kashmir conflict denied categorically by Delhi. This is what happens in diplomacy when you make things up."

A day earlier, Trump offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.

Trump, who is known to make inaccurate statements, claimed that Prime Minister Modi asked him to mediate on Kashmir when they met in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of the G20 Summit last month.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refuted that Prime Minister Modi ever made that request.

"I would like to categorically assure the House that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President. I repeat, no such request was made by the Prime Minister to the US President," he said in a statement to the Parliament. -- PTI

The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued a heavy rainfall warning for Mumbai stating that a cyclonic circulation would bring more showers to the city in the next two days.

Compared to Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra have been warned of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places on Wednesday and Thursday, an IMD official said.

"A cyclonic circulation is being developed near Mumbai, which will bring more showers to the city. The city has received hardly any showers in last 2-3 days but the situation is changing. There will be more showers in the

coming days, said the official. -- PTI

Viral Acharya ended his stint as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank on Tuesday, after last month's surprise resignation where the outspoken academic chose to cut short his time in office.

Forty-five-year old Acharya will be going back to teach at New York University's Stern School of Business.

Acharya was one of the youngest deputy governors in the central bank's history and was in charge of the critical monetary policy department which also made him a part of the rate-setting panel.

A Mumbai boy who was born and grew up in the financial capital, Acharya will be most remembered for speaking his mind on protecting the autonomy of the RBI.

His October 2018 speech, warning of the wrath of markets if the government tramples on it, amid concerns including reports of government eyeing the RBI's excess reserves, was the rare occasion when a top official chose to go public with the RBI's concerns.

"Governments that do not respect Central banks independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets, ignite economic fires, and come to rue the day they undermined an important regulatory institution; their wiser counterparts who invest in Central bank independence will enjoy lower costs of borrowing, the love of international investors, and longer life spans," he had said.

His then-boss, Governor Urjit Patel resigned on December 10, triggering speculation about Acharya following the suit, which was denied.

His work NPA problem wherein his work focused on getting the banks out of the legacy issues which is an ongoing work and a steadfast focus on inflation that earned him the sobriquet of being a policy hawk.

Some experts, however, also question the department under him getting inflation projections wrong, which may have had delayed the growth-propping rate cuts.

Acharya often resorted to poetry and the creative arts including Bollywood songs, to explain his state of mind on various subjects.

The most memorable would definitely be finding refuge in Ernest Hemingway's melancholic lines before going with the majority view of cutting the rates for the third time in the last meeting of the monetary policy committee he attended.

Quoting Santiago the old fisherman in the novel, Acharya expressed his melancholy in voting with the majority: "It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes, you are ready."

Quoting Bollywood numbers in speeches was another favourite for Acharya, a passionate singer himself.

In his last published speech, he praised S D Burman's minimalistic approach to music in the film Pyaasa to drive home the concern around excess government borrowing crowding out the private sector. -- PTI

Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati on Tuesday expelled lone party MLA N Mahesh in Karnataka for "violating" the party decision to vote infavour of the H D Kumaraswamy government that lost the

trust vote in the assembly.

"By violating the party high command order to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka, BSP legislator N Mahesh was absent during the trust vote today, which is indiscipline and the party has considered it seriously," the BSPsupremo said in a tweet in Hindi.

"Mahesh has been expelled from the party with immediate effect," she added.

Mayawati on Sunday had directed Mahesh to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government, after he had said that he would skip the trust vote in the absence of any clear instructions from the high command.

The BSP had contested the May 2018 assembly polls in a tie-up with JD-S, which in a post-election understanding joined hands with Congress to form the government following a fractured verdict.

Mahesh, the MLA from Kollegala, who was part of the Kumaraswamy cabinet as the Primary and Secondary Education Minister had in October 2018 quit his post citing personal reasons, but had said he would continue to support the ruling coalition. -- PTI

The rebel Congress-Janat Dal-Secular MLAs camping in Mumbai will leave for Bengaluru after Bharatiya Janata Party leader B S Yeddyurappa is sworn in as chief minister of the southern state, party sources said on Tuesday.

A BJP leader said the rebels, who have been staying at a luxury hotel since early this month are "very happy" after the Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government led by chief minister H D Kumaraswamy lost the trust vote.

"They (rebel MLAs) got what they wanted," the leader said, referring to the Kumaraswamy-led government losing the trust vote in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesday evening.

The MLAs will leave Mumbai after Yeddyurappa is sworn in as CM, he said.

The rebels had earlier denied any BJP role in their resignations and withdrawal of support to the government. -- PTI

21:02 Kumaraswamy submits resignation

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy submits resignation to the governor Vajubhai Vala after losing the trust vote in the assembly.

A day after the Lok Sabha passed amendments to the Right to Information Act, social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday accused the Union government of betraying Indian citizens through the move.

On Monday, the Lok Sabha amended the RTI Act that allowed the Centre to prescribe the term of office, salaries, allowances and other terms and conditions.

It also changes the status of the Information Commissioners, who were on a par with Election Commissioners as per the original RTI Act.

"India got the RTI Act in 2005 but with this amendment in the RTI Act, the government is betraying the people of the this country," he said.

Hazare, 82, said his health is not in a good condition but if people of the country take to the streets to safeguard the sanctity of the RTI Act, he would be ready to join them.

Hazare, whose movement prompted the then Maharashtra government to enact a revised Maharashtra Right to Information Act which was considered as the base document for the Right to Information Act 2005, was speaking to reporters at his village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district. -- PTI

Activists of Mumbai Youth Congress on Tuesday protested outside the five-star hotel in suburban Mumbai where rebel MLAs of Congress and JDS from Karnataka have been holed up after resigning from the assembly, triggering a political crisis in the southern state.

Police detained the workers who tried to go inside the hotel this evening to "meet" the legislators.

The MLAs have been staying at the hotel in Powai since early this month.

Mumbai Youth Congress vice president Suraj Singh Thakur said the hotel was a public place and the workers wanted to meet the Karnataka legislators.

"We are initially allowed to go inside the hotel. But as soon as we entered the hotel we were taken away by the police. The security at the hotel is more than the Arthur Road or Tihar Jail. Whose money is being used for their (MLAs') accommodation and food in a five-star luxury hotel?" he asked. -- PTI

20:20 It's a victory of democracy, says Yeddyurappa

Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa said that collapse of the Kumaraswamy government is the victory of democracy.

"It is victory of democracy. People were fed up with Kumaraswamy government. I want to assure people of Karnataka that a new era of development will start now," Yeddyurappa said after the Kumaraswamy government failed the floor test in the Karnatka assembly.

"We assure the farmers that we will give more importance to them in the coming days. We will take an appropriate decision at the soonest," he added.

20:17 Kumaraswamy to meet K'taka Guv

HD Kumaraswamy has sought an appointment of Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala after his government lost the trust vote in the assembly.

19:48 BJP on trust vote

Game Of Karma, BJP reacts to trust vote in Karnataka.

19:46 Kumaraswamy govt falls, loses trust vote

HD Kumaraswamy led Congress-JD(S) government loses the trust vote in the Karnataka assembly.

Speaker announces that the coalition government has lost the trust votes by 6 votes.

105 MLAs voted against the government while 99 MLAs favours the Kumaraswamy government.

19:39

Speaker announces that in case of a tie, his vote will be conducted.

19:39

Headcount of MLAs underway row-by-row as ordered by the speaker.

19:27 Trust vote begins in Karnataka assembly

Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar announces the floor test in the Karnataka assembly.

The speaker proposes voice vote while BJP MLA BS Yeddyurappa insists for a division of votes.

19:19 We will go for trust vote today: Kumaraswamy

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy continues his reply to motion of confidence in the state assembly:

"I am not going to run away after speech; we will go for vote and let the votes be counted. My government is not shameless, he said. -- PTI

19:12 Parliament approves Modi govt's FY20 Budget

Parliament on Tuesday gave its approval to Modi-2.0 government's maiden budget with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying tax proposals aim at redistribution of funds to bring more equitable development.

The Appropriation (No 2) Bill, 2019 and the Finance (No 2) Bill, 2019 -- cleared by Lok Sabha last week -- were returned by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after voice vote.

Replying to a four-hour debate on the two bills, Sitharaman justified raising tax on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each saying inflation was at rock bottom and the move would not add any significant burden on prices.

Almost the entire Opposition boycotted the debate, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement on United States President Donlad Trump's claim of him seeking mediation on Kashmir issue. -- PTI

19:09 Chandrayaan-2 moving in right direction: ISRO

A day after launching the country's second moon mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation on Tuesday said the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is in 'good health' and moving in the 'right direction'.

India had on Monday launched Chandrayaan-2 on-board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh with the aim of landing a rover in the unexplored lunar south pole.

The 3,850 kg Chandrayaan-2, a three-module spacecraft comprising orbiter, lander and rover, has been injected into the earth's orbit.

It will be subjected to a series of orbit manoeuvres in the coming weeks to take it to the vicinity of moon, with the rover soft landing planned on September 7.

"The Chandrayaan-2 is in good health. There is no doubt about it. It is moving in the right direction," an official of the Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO told PTI in Bengaluru.

He said at present, no updates on the mission have been made because there is no need for it at this juncture.

"However, there is a little milestone which we will not reveal now, but will update when the right time comes," the official said.

In a giant leap for the country's ambitious low-cost space programme, ISRO has undertaken the most complex and its prestigious mission ever aiming to land the rover on the moon.

If successful, it will make India the fourth country after Russia, the US and China to pull off a soft landing on the moon.

The ISRO is aiming for a soft landing of the lander (spacecraft) in the South Pole region of the moon where no country has gone so far.

Immediately after Chandrayaan-2's separation from the rocket, the solar array of the spacecraft automatically got deployed and the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru successfully took control of the spacecraft, the ISRO has said. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said he was ready to 'sacrifice' his post happily, as he replied to the confidence motion debate in the assembly.

"I am ready to happily sacrifice this position," Kumaraswamy said after the assembly debated the confidence motion for four days.

He also said he had no intention to drag the trust vote and added, "I apologise to the Speaker and the people of the state."

Kumaraswamy also said discussions were on why he had not resigned and was sticking to the chair.

He said when the 2018 assembly polls results were out, he had plans to quit politics.

"My political entry itself was all of a sudden and unexpected," he said. -- PTI

Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to topple the H D Kumaraswamy government and come to power through backdoor using bribery and 'wholesale' trade of MLAs.

Speaking during the debate on the confidence votion moved by Kumaraswamy in the assembly, Siddaramaiah alleged that 'Rs 20,25 and 30 crore' were offered to lure the MLAs and asked 'Where did this money come from?'

"It is a black mark on political history in the State," Siddaramaiah, who is the chairman of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition coordination committee and leader of Congress Legislature Party, said.

Siddaramaiah said, "Everyone... 99 per cent of the people know that BJP is behind this (toppling game). Say it openly."

"If you feel that you will come to power by murdering democracy, it will backfire on you. If at all Yeddyurappa forms the government, you will be there for six months or one year," Siddaramaiah told the BJP leader.

Stating that 15 MLAs resigning was nothing but 'wholesale trade', he said, 'no democratically elected government can survive with such wholesale trade'.

He said BJP with 105 MLAs should have worked as a strong opposition but by using wrong means was attempting to form the government through the backdoor.

"This is condemnable. Defection is a disease and it needs to be controlled."

"Any layman can draw the inference that BJP is behind the defections. People of the state will not forgive you.You will know in the next election," Siddaramaiah told the BJP. -- PTI

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar: Today and tomorrow we are imposing Section 144 across the city.

All pubs, wine shops will be closed till July 25.

"If anyone is found violating these rules, they will be punished," he said.

Earlier, Congress workers protested outside an apartment on Race Course road in Bengaluru alleging that independent MLAs have been lodged there. -- ANI

Pakistan Army fired at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir for a second consecutive day on Tuesday, officials said.

Cross-border firing continued in Poonch, Krishna Ghati, Mankote and Mendhar sectors, but there was no immediate report of any casualty on the Indian side, Jammu-based Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Army Lt Col Devender Anand said.

He said Pakistan initiated small arms firing in violation of the ceasefire agreement in Poonch sector around 1220 hours.

It was followed by shelling with mortars along the LoC in Krishna Ghati, Mankote and Mendhar sectors, he said, adding that the Indian Army was retaliating befittingly.

This is the third such violation in the past four days which left an Army jawan dead and a civilian injured, the officials said.

On Monday, Rifleman Mohammad Arif Shafi Alam Khan Pathan was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.

A civilian was injured in Pakistani firing in Balnoi village along the LoC in Mendhar sector of Poonch district on Saturday. -- PTI

17:34 Modi govt already spent Rs 8500 cr on defence

In the first 50 days of its second term in office, the Narendra Modi government has spent around Rs 8,500 crore on the acquisition of weapon systems including missiles and spares for the Indian Army and the Air Force.

According to Defence Ministry sources, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has spent around Rs 8,000 crore in procuring missiles such as the Spice-2000, Strum Ataka ATGMs and a large number of spares under the emergency procurement route.

The ministry sources said some of the projects were initiated before the 2019 elections have been concluded after the government was formed.

After the Pulwama attack, the Central government had given emergency powers to the three services to buy whatever equipment is required by them for safeguarding the borders with Pakistan.

Under the powers given, the security forces can buy the equipment of their choice within three months at the cost of up to Rs 300 crore per case.

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh will hold a session for the BJP MPs at Union Minister Jitendra Singh's residence on Thursday.

As many as 150 MPs are expected to attend the session which will be addressed by RSS Sah Sarkaryavah (Joint General Secretary) Krishna Gopal at 8 am on Thursday.

According to sources in the RSS, Gopal will deliver a speech on how to stick with the RSS ideology. The organisation believes that leaders associated with the RSS often forget their "duties" and get involved in unnecessary things when they enter the corridors of power in Delhi.

Gopal is expected to guide the MPs as to how to exert pressure on their own government to pass crucial bills related to Ram Temple, Article 370 and cow protection. Other issues like spreading awareness about water conservation are also likely to be discussed at the meet. -- ANI

17:25 Boris Johnson will be great: Trump

US President Donald Trump reacts to Boris Johnson's investiture as the UK PM: "Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He will be great!"

16:52 Boris Johnson is next UK PM

Boris Johnson is the new UK PM. He has been elected leader of the Conservatives, entering Downing Street as Theresa May's successor.

Johnson has won the UK's leadership election, by 92,153 votes to 46,656 against current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, becoming prime minister and leader of the ruling Conservative Party.

Johnson is set to take office at a time of political crisis over Brexit as he has promised to seek a new deal with the EU or leave without an agreement at the end of October.

However, parliament has rejected May's deal and refused to countenance a no-deal Brexit, while the EU has consistently said it will not reopen the agreement for further negotiations.

16:11 SC extends NRC deadline by 1 month

The Supreme Court has extended its July 31 deadline to August 31 for publication of the final Assam National Register of Citizens. This was based on the request by the State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela whose plea pointed out that the NRC process has hit a roadblock in view of the devastating floods that Assam is facing now.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday also directed the NRC coordinator to publish a public notice asking all stakeholders to appear before the top court on August 7 at 3 pm to raise their issues regarding the NRC. All petitioners, who had approached the court with their issues, will now be heard on August 7, the Supreme Court said.

The SC however rejected the pleas of the Centre and Assam seeking a 20 per cent sample verification to find out wrongful inclusions or exclusions in NRC. The plea was dismissed after NRC coordinator told the Supreme Court that there was no need for further re-verification as over 72 lakh people had been re-verified already to consider exclusion/inclusion of names in the list.

15:49

And the memes begin...

Krishna @Atheist_Krishna tweets: "Modi: Pehle Kashmir kahan hai sahi se dikha de, phir mediate karne ki baat karna..."

15:44

Here's the other picture of that the PM posted with the mystery baby on Instagram.

15:43 'A very special friend' meets PM in Parliament

As the opposition cried itself hoarse and led to the Rajya Sabha being adjourned today over demands of a statement by PM Narendra Modi in Parliament on US President Donald Trump's mediation comment, the PM posted two pictures on Instagram, an apparent indication of what he thought of the opposition's demand.

"A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today," the PM wrote, and posted this and another picture, without disclosing the identity of the baby.

Opposition leaders today staged a walk out in the Lok Sabha after they failed to get the Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond to the statement of US President Trump that Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue".

Raking up the issue, Congress and other opposition leaders demanded that Modi must make a statement and they were not satisfied with the government's plan to field Externa;l Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to make a statement on the issue.

Omar Abdullah gets it right when he reacted to the Instagram post, tweeting, "Cute pictures. While the oppostion parties yell themselves hoarse demanding the PM explain last night's mediation brouhaha he lets them know what he thinks of their demand by putting pictures like these on his Instagram feed."

Special Public Prosecutor Raja Thakre on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that the charge-sheet in Payal Tadvi suicide case would be filed either today or on Wednesday.

"We will file the charge-sheet either by the end of the day today or by tomorrow," said Thakre.

Justice DS Naidu was hearing the bail application moved by three doctors, who are accused of abetting suicide of their junior Payal Tadvi at a government hospital.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for the trio requested the court to release them on bail. A Sessions Court had earlier rejected the bail plea filed by the three accused.

Tadvi, who belonged to the Scheduled Tribe community, ended her life in her hostel room at BYL Nair Hospital here on May 22, allegedly after facing harassment from her seniors due to her caste.

The Forensic Department had recovered a suicide note left behind by Payal on her phone.

Gunaratna Sadavarte, the counsel for the deceased, said that the suicide note not only mentioned the casteist abuses, but also the names of three accused senior women doctors, who have been arrested in the case. The post-mortem examination report of Tadavi's death revealed the evidence of a ligature mark on her neck.

Her family alleged that three of her seniors ragged and hurled casteist abuses at her, forcing her to take the extreme step.

The trio -- Hema Ahuja, Ankita Khandelwal, and Bhakti Mehre -- were booked under the charges of abetment of suicide and various provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act in connection with this. -- ANI

14:07 ISI helped CIA track Osama in Pak: Imran

The ISI provided intelligence to the CIA which helped the US track down and kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday, in a significant revelation as Islamabad had so far denied having any knowledge of the dreaded al-Qaeda chief in the country until he was shot dead by US Navy Seals in 2011.

Khan, who is in Washington on his maiden official trip, revealed this during an interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump's favourite channel, when he was asked whether his government would release the jailed Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi who helped the CIA track down Osama in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

"It was the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that gave the information which led to the location of Osama bin Laden. If you ask the CIA it was the ISI which gave the initial location through the phone connection," Khan said.

Responding to questions, Khan was reluctant to give any commitment on the release of the Pakistani doctor Afridi. US President Trump is seeking his release. Khan said that the release of Afridi is an "emotive issue" for Pakistan as in the country he is considered a spy for the US.

"We in Pakistan always felt that we were an ally of the US and if we had been given the information about Osama, we should have taken him out," he said.

Khan said that Pakistan was fighting the war against terrorism for the US. The raid and killing of Osama, he said "hugely embarrassed Pakistan". "Here we were an ally of the US and the US did not trust us. And they actually came and bombed and killed a man in our territory,' Khan said.

When pointed out that Osama was not just a man, but a terrorist who killed more than 3,000 Americans, Khan said that Pakistan lost 70,000 people in this fight. "We were fighting this war for the US and we lost all these people fighting this war. So there was obviously a lot of anger about the way this whole thing was done. But you know, that's all in the past," Khan said.

When the interviewer asked, "You are the prime minister, you can make a decision," Khan said. "There's some decisions that are democracy which even a prime minister finds it difficult, because we do have an Opposition. But this is something that can be negotiated over time." Khan also said he would be willing to consider releasing Afridi in exchange for Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year US prison sentence after her 2010 conviction of shooting at FBI agents and soldiers.

"So, we could negotiate some sort of swap," Khan said, adding that this was not talked about during his meeting with President Trump in the White House on Monday. The negotiations for swap of Afridi and Siddiqui could take place in the future, he said. "We can negotiate. I mean, no negotiations have started," Khan confirmed. -- PTI

Rahul Gandhi reacts to the ongoing debate on whether PM Modi did in fact ask US President Donald Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

"President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India's interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement.

"A weak Foreign Ministry denial won't do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & @POTUS."

Rahul tweeted the statement since he was not present in Parliament today.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday following uproar by Opposition MPs demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response on US President Donald Trump's claim that India requested him to mediate in the Kashmir issue.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh adjourned the House after MPs raised slogans demanding a response from the Prime Minister.

The Opposition's parliamentarians were seeking a reply by Modi in Parliament over the issue as Trump claimed Modi had requested him to meditate on the long-pending issue during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.

The House was earlier adjourned till 12 pm following External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement on the US President's claim.

Jaishankar said, "I would like to categorically assure the House that no such request has been made by Prime Minister Modi."

12:19 Jawab do! Oppn demands PM's reply on Trump

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm, following uproars by Opposition MPs who have been raising slogans of "Pradhanmantri jawab do, jawab do, jawab do". They're seeking a reply from the PM in Parliament on the statement of US President that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in the Kashmir issue.

This morning, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no request to US President Donald Trump to mediate on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.

He said all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally.

"I would like to categorically state that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President," he said after Congress and other opposition parties raised the issue in the House. US President Donald Trump had on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Modi had asked him to play the role of a mediator on Kashmir. The minister said it has been the consistent position of India that all outstanding issues with Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally.

"Any engagement with Pakistan will require end to cross border terrorism," he said, adding Shimla and Lahore accords provide the basis for resolution of all issues bilaterally.

Opposition parties were, however, not satisfied by the statement of the External Affairs Minister and wanted the Prime Minister to come to the House and clarify. This led to heated exchange between opposition benches and the Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, who adjourned proceedings till 1200 hours. After the house reassembled, it was adjourned again till 2 pm.

A Delhi court has granted police time till September 18 to procure sanctions in the JNU sedition case to prosecute the varsity's former students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Khurana on Tuesday passed the order after Delhi police told the court that no sanction has been received from authorities to prosecute Kumar and others.

On January 14, police had filed a charge sheet in the court against Kumar and others, saying he was leading a procession and supported seditious slogans raised in the JNU campus during an event on February 9, 2016. PTI

12:04 No 3rd party can intervene in Kashmir: Azad

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress, in the Rajya Sabha: "No matter which govt was in power at the Centre in the past, our foreign policy has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no 3rd party can intervene and President Trump knows it. I don't think President Trump would tell Pakistan's PM that India's PM has asked the US to mediate.

"Captain Haneef-ud-din, pulling his sinewy body forward, crawled, rifle in hand, in the snow on 6 June 1999.

"He died on this craggy mountainside exactly two years after he had passed out of the IMA.

''He had gone to fight for the 11 Rajputana Rifles whose war cry is 'Raja Ram Chandra ki Jai."

A must-read excerpt from Rachna Bisht Rawat's new book Kargil-Untold Stories from the War.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement in the Rajya Sabha clarifying US President Donald Trump's claim that PM Narendra Modi had asked the US to mediate between India and Pakistan.

Jaishankar said, "I categorically assure the House that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President. It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross-border terrorism," the EAM said.

"The Shimla Agreement and the Lahore declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally," Jaishankar said and added, "I hope my categorical and specific denial leaves no confusion in anyone's mind."

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till noon following an uproar by the Opposition over the statement of US President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.

The Congress and the CPI-M had asked the PM to break his silence over US President Donald Trump's remarks.

File pic.

Monday's meeting between President Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was meant to prioritize Afghanistan and the ongoing U.S.-Taliban talks. Instead, Trump's clumsy handling of the meeting has ended up making it all about relations between India and Pakistan -- and left New Delhi with no option but to effectively say what many others have said before: that Trump is a liar.

Barkha Dutt's column for the Washington Post. Do read

10:59 Kerala: Red alert issued for Kannur, Kasaragod

Red alert has been issued for Kannur and Kasaragod districts of Kerala as India Meteorological Department has predicted "extremely heavy" rainfall at isolated places in the state today.

An orange alert has been issued for Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Wayanad. Moreover, a yellow alert has been issued for Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Idukki.

A holiday has been declared for schools in Kannur, Kasargod and Malappuram districts.

IMD has further stated that that rough to very rough sea conditions are expected to prevail along and off Goa-Karnataka-Kerala and south Tamil Nadu coasts and Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into these areas for the next few days. -- ANI

Image: A truck winds its way through flooded roads in Kerala during the floods in August last year.

10:31 Cong notice in LS over Trump's mediation claim

Congress MP K Suresh has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha over US President Donald Trump's claim that PM Narendra Modi asked Trump to mediate on Kashmir.

Hours after President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him for third-party mediation on Kashmir issue, US State Department on Monday said that the matter is a bilateral issue concerning Islamabad and New Delhi, however, Washington is "ready to assist".

Calling US President Donald Trump remarks on Kashmir issue "amateurish" and "delusional", Congressman Brad Sherman on Monday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would never ask Trump to act as a mediator.

"Everyone who knows anything about foreign policy in South Asia knows that #India consistently opposes third-party mediation re #Kashmir. Everyone knows PM Modi would never suggest such a thing. Trump's statement is amateurish and delusional. And embarrassing," tweeted Sherman.

Karnataka leader of the opposition, BS Yeddyurappa, and other BJP MLAs arrive at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. The HD Kumaraswamy government will face a floor test in the Assembly today.

The Karnataka assembly was adjourned till Tuesday without voting on the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy even after three days of debate, amid ruckus by Congress and JDS, which insisted voting can await the Supreme Court ruling.

As the House debated the motion with frequent pandemonium, Congress made its intentions clear right from the beginning that voting be deferred as the apex Court was seized of pleas by two Independent MLAs on the issue of trust vote.

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a fresh plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs, seeking holding of the floor test "forthwith" in the state Assembly on the trust motion.

The MLAs who withdrew support to the ruling coalition have sought a direction to the Kumaraswamy government to conduct the floor test on or before 5 pm on Monday.

Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House at 11.45 pm after repeatedly reminding the government it should honour its commitment to conclude the trust vote proceedings Monday itself, but an unrelenting Congress created a ruckus towards the end of the day's proceedings.

The family of Ayush Chaudhary, a sailor at a Dubai-based shipping company who went missing in Iran, has urged the Indian government to help bring him back.

Speaking to ANI, Chaudhary's brother Shubham said the family was informed on July 19 that the sailor was swept away by a wave.

He went on to claim that after 48 hours, the search operation conducted to locate Chaudhary was suspended.

"My brother was recruited through a company. We were in touch with him till July 13. On July 17, we got a call from the ship captain regarding Ayush. But the message was unclear since he was speaking in the local language," he said.

Shubham continued, "On July 19, they told us that he (Ayush) disappeared after a wave came and swept him away. The rescue operation was carried out only for 48 hours."

Shubham has sought the government's intervention in the matter.

"We request the Indian government to carry out an investigation with the help of Iran and look for him," he said. -- ANI

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in a statement has hit out at the Modi dispensation after the Lok Sabha on Monday passed Right to Information (Amendment) Bill.

In her statement, the senior Congress leader wrote, "It's clear that the present central government sees the RTI Act as a nuisance and wants to destroy the status and independence of the Central Information Commission which was put on par with the Central Election Commission and Central Vigilance Commission.

On Monday, the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed with 218 members voting in its favour and 79 against it.

Congress member Shashi Tharoor said the Right to Information Act 2005 was one of the most monumental accomplishments of the country's democratic governance in recent years.

Tharoor said he had warned that the bill was not just an RTI (Amendment) Bill but an RTI (Elimination) Bill.

He said the purpose of RTI was to make the government uncomfortable. "RTI is inevitably an instrument for keeping a check on the overweening power of the authorities," he said.

The Congress member accused the government of dismantling of architecture empowering the central government to unilaterally decide the tenure, salary, allowances and other terms of service of the Information Commissioners both at the Centre and the States.

The bill allows the Central government to notify the term of office for the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners.

With the Congress suffering a major leadership crisis after the resignation of Rahul Gandhi, party leader Shatrughan Sinha joined the chorus backing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the top post, calling her a booster for the party and a truly dedicated leader.

"Yesterday/day before the timely involvement by the most popular, bold, dynamic leader of Congress Priyanka Gandhi for Sonbhadra massacre was reminiscent of the late and great Madam Gandhi. During her Belchi days, she had travelled on an elephant," the actor-turned-politician wrote in a series of tweets.

"Priyanka broached everything with determination, commitment and courted arrest with a smile. Her being in custody was uncalled for. She displayed tremendous composure in those circumstances. It's my humble appeal that she would be apt as the party president to lead ahead," he added.

Sinha said the move will prove to be a booster for the Congress party in particular and political parties in general. She is a role model of a true dedicated leader. Other political parties should learn and follow her, he said.

After Rahul Gandhi's resignation as party chief, voices within have been growing in favour of Priyanka leading the party in the critical times. On Sunday, veteran Congress leader Natwar Singh had also endorsed Priyanka for the post of party president.

n an unending battle of nerves, the Karnataka assembly was adjourned till Tuesday without voting on the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy even after three days of debate, amid ruckus by Congress and Janata Dal-Secular, which insisted voting can await the Supreme Court ruling.

Amid the drama and chaos, 13 rebel MLAs have sought one month's time to meet the Speaker. As per one rebel MLA, "I need to consult my lawyer. Minimum disqualification time as per law is seven days."

On Monday, Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar had summoned the rebel legislators to meet him at his office at 11 am on Tuesday.

An influential Democratic Congressman on Tuesday apologised to India's US envoy for Donald Trump's "embarrassing" remarks on Kashmir, while several others came out in support of New Delhi's established stand against any third-party role on the issue.

"I just apologised to Indian Ambassador Harsh Shringla for Trump's amateurish and embarrassing mistake," Congressman Brad Sherman tweeted hours after Trump's stunning claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his mediation or arbitration efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue.

India quickly rejected his claims.

For the past 70 years, India has consistently resisted any third-party mediation proposal, and for over a decade now, the US has been reiterating that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.

"Everyone who knows anything about foreign policy in South Asia knows that #India consistently opposes third-party mediation re Kashmir. Everyone knows PM Modi would never suggest such a thing (sic)," tweeted Sherman, who has been closely following the development in South Asia for past few decades.

"Trump's statement is amateurish and delusional. And embarrassing, said Sherman who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Asia, the Pacific and Non-Proliferation.

Later in the evening, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Alice Wells in a tweet said that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. "While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist," she tweeted.

Congressman Eliot L Engel, the Chairman of the powerful House Committee on Foreign Affairs, spoke with Shringla after Trump's remarks.

"Engel reiterated his support for the longstanding US position on the Kashmir dispute, saying he supported dialogue between India and Pakistan, but reaffirmed that the dialogue's pace and scope can only be determined by India and Pakistan," said a statement issued by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

-- PTI

Taking exception to US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, the opposition demanded that the Modi government should clarify whether there has been a shift in India's position on third party involvement in the matter.

Trump on Monday offered to be the "mediator" between the two countries on the Kashmir issue as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House for the first time.

Trump said that he is ready to help, if the two countries ask.

However, India denied Trump's claim that Modi had asked him to mediate in resolving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, "We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President."

Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said India has never accepted third party mediation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"To ask a foreign power to mediate in J&K by PM Modi is a sacrilegious betrayal of country's interests. Let PM answer to the Nation!" he tweeted.

"I honestly don't think Trump has the slightest idea of what he's talking about. He has either not been briefed or not understood what (Prime Minister) Modi was saying or what India's position is on 3rd-party mediation. That said, MEA should clarify that Delhi has never sought his intercession," senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday wondered whether the Indian government will call the US president a liar or there has been a shift in India's position on third party involvement in dispute.

"Personally I think @realDonaldTrump is talking out of his hat when he says @PMOIndia asked for US involvement in solving the Kashmir issue but I'd like to see @MEAIndia call Trump out on his claim," Abdullah tweeted.

CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked whether "our twitter-friendly PM" has the courage to rebut the US President who has made a public statement.

Pakistan's Imran Khan welcomed Trump's remarks and said if the US agrees, prayers of more than a billion people will be with him.

-- PTI

00:16 Boycott 'pro-BJP' traders: UP MLA

In a queer appeal, Samajwadi Party's Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan has urged people of his assembly segment to boycott "pro-BJP" shopkeepers and buy goods of their daily needs from neighbouring Panipat in Haryana to make them "fall in line".

"My appeal to all the residents of Kairana is that you should stop purchasing goods, items and material from pro-BJP shopkeepers," Hasan is heard urging people in a video footage, which has gone viral on the social media.

"For next 10 days or for even a month, you go to the neighbouring Panipat (in Haryana) and face some hardships," Hasan is heard saying, oblivious of the losses that UP state exchequer may incur in the process.

"Their business runs only when we buy things from them. This will make pro-BJP shopkeepers to mend their ways and fall in line (tabiyat mein sudhaar aa jaayegaa)," the Kairana MLA is heard telling the people.

On being asked about the footage, Hasan promptly owned it up, saying it was indeed his message.

"The small traders both Hindus and Muslims are harassed by pro-BJP shopkeepers of the city, who want to uproot small traders from their traditional marketplace," he told PTI.

"Here we (Muslims) are more and you are earning money from us," said an unabashed Hasan, adding, "This is my personal opinion."

Reacting to Hasan's appeal in the video message, UP BJP spokesperson Chandramohan termed it as "abysmal" and "divisive."

"The statement made by the SP MLA is abysmal. One cannot expect such a divisive statement, dividing the society, from a public representative," said Chandramohan.

"This type of statement only reflects the SP leaders' mindset. From this statement, it is amply clear that it is these SP leaders who have been creating unrest in the western UP, riots in Muzaffarnagar and exodus of people from Kairana," said the BJP spokesperson. -- PTI

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