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Wed, 24 July 2019
Award wapsi gang active to defame PM: BJP MP
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23:25 BJP has Bakasur-like "greed for power": Maha Cong chief
Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat on Wednesday said the BJP's "greed for power" was like Bakasur, a demon in the Mahabharat who had a huge appetite, as he hit out at the saffron party over the fall of the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka.
He said the BJP is not content with ruling states where it has been voted to power.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Thorat said," The BJP's greed for power is like Bakasur. It is in power at the Centre and some states.
"But, it wants to take over states ruled by opposition parties as well. Is the BJP a political party or Bakasur."
The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka headed by H D Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to three-week long intense power struggle.
Asked about the possibility of alliance with Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi for the upcoming Maharashtra polls, Thorat said the Congress was of the view that "secular" parties should come together to take on communal forces.
"We are ready to forge an alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi," said Thorat, who recently took over as the Maharashtra Congress president. -- PTI
23:19 LS likely to take up triple talaq bill on Thursday
Lok Sabha is likely to take up the contentious triple talaq bill for consideration and passage on Thursday, official sources said.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.
The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.
Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. -- PTI
23:18 Award wapsi gang active to defame PM: BJP MP
Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday said 'award wapsi' gang has become active again to destabilise the Narendra Modi government after 49 eminent citizens wrote to the prime minister saying that 'Jai Shri Ram' has become a provocative war cry.
In an open letter, they also emphasised that there is "no democracy without dissent".
"Where were these people who are raising questions of mob lynching when Kairana (UP) MLA recently asked Muslims not to buy goods from shops of Hindus. Why they remained silent?," Singh, who is in charge of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, told reporters.
To queries about the letter, the senior BJP leader also said it seems the 'award wapsi' gang has become active.
He was referring to celebrities who had returned government awards during the previous term of the Modi regime to protest against alleged intolerance.
"The award wapsi gang has once again become active to destabilise and defame the Modi government," the minister said.
The 49 eminent citizens, in the letter dated July 23, said 'Jai Shri Ram' has become a provocative war cry with many lynchings taking place in its name.
The letter has been signed by film makers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Aparna Sen, vocalist Shubha Mudgal, historian Ramchandra Guha and sociologist Ashis Nandy, among others.
"We, as peace loving and proud Indians, are deeply concerned about a number of tragic events that have been happening in recent times in our beloved country," the letter said. -- PTI
23:16 Jonty Rhodes applies for India fielding coach's post
Former South African batsman Jonty Rhodes has thrown his hat for the India team's fielding coach's position, making him one of the most high profile candidate to have applied for the post.
"Yes, I have applied for the position of India's new fielding coach. My wife and I love the country, and it has already given us so much -- we have 2 children born in India," Rhodes told "CricketNext" website.
Rhodes is one of the exceptional fielders of his time and is best remembered for the flying 'run-out to dismiss former Pakistan skipper Inzamam Ul-Haq during the 1992 World Cup.
The 49-year-old South African was the fielding coach of Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians for a long time before parting ways with the franchise.
A frequent visitor of India, Rhodes had taken a fielding workshop for a T20 Mumbai League side at the Bandra Kurla complex on the behest of former Mumbai stumper Vinayak Samant.
The BCCI has invited applications for various coaches positions, including head coach, batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach and set July 30 as the deadline.
R Sridhar is the current fielding coach of India, whose contract was extended for 45 days till the end of the West Indies tour.
Sridhar along with head coach Ravi Shastri and rest of the support staff won't have to apply again as their their applications will be automatically considered. -- PTI
21:54 Navlakha was in contact with Hizbul: Police
Activist Gautam Navlakha and the Naxal groups he was associated with were in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen and Kashmiri separatist leaders, Pune Police claimed before the Bombay high court on Wednesday.
A division bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre, meanwhile, extended protection from arrested granted to Navlakha till further orders.
Navlakha, along with a few other activists, is facing a case for alleged links with Naxals. He moved the court seeking quashing of the FIR against him.
Aruna Pai, the counsel for Pune police, said some of the documents recovered from the laptops of co-accused Rona Wilson and Surendra Gadling showed that Navlakha and various Naxal groups he was associated with had conducted "bilateral talks" with Hizbul leaders.
"He (Navlakha) has been liaising with banned terrorist organisations including Hizbul Mujahideen since 2011," she claimed.
Pai further alleged that between 2011 and 2014, Navlakha was in touch with Kashmiri separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Shakil Bakshi.
Navlakha was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other offences. On July 5, the high court had granted him interim protection from arrest till July 23. On Wednesday, it was extended till further orders.
While Navlakha's lawyer Yug Chaudhary denied all the charges, Pai contended that protection from arrest was coming in the way of investigation.
According to Pune police, inflammatory speeches at Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, led to violence near the Bhima Koregaon war memorial in Pune district the next day, and the Parishad had been supported by Maoists.
The arguments would continue on Thursday. -- PTI
21:35 Surprised at political killings under Didi's rule: Sushma
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said it is "surprising" that political killings are taking place in West Bengal under the leadership of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee who herself has been a "victim of political violence".
She was speaking at an event titled 'People's Tribunal on Political Violence in Bengal' organised by Call For Justice and India Foundation.
At the event, families of the victims of alleged political violence in West Bengal narrated their ordeal.
"I am saddened that to gain power, win elections, or to punish those who vote for another party, someone can be so brutal that they take away someone's life by strangulating them, hanging them or setting them ablaze. It is unbelievable," Swaraj said.
"They (who died) were not at fault. They had not killed anybody. They had become members of a political outfit. They had adopted BJP due to its ideology. They were working for the party and they were punished for it," she said at the event.
The former external affairs minister said she was "astonished" that these incidents have happened during the tenure of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "who has herself been a victim of political violence for long".
"I have seen those times. I have known her for long. Initially, our relationship was only about exchanging pleasantries, but later it became stronger due to one such incident. When the CPI(M) government was there in West Bengal, everyday the issue (of political violence) was raised in Parliament," she recalled.
Swaraj said when she was the leader of opposition, Banerjee had told her about an incident where hands of some people had been severed because they voted for Trinamool Congress (TMC).
"She (Banerjee) told me legs of some people were also severed. She brought them to Delhi and requested me to talk to them. It was at the same venue (Constitution Club) where I had met them," Swaraj told the gathering.
Recalling another such incident, the senior BJP leader said she had gone to meet Banerjee after she was hospitalised for months due to a serious head injury.
"I am surprised... a victim of political violence after becoming the ruler should run the government in a democratic way and ensure that people are not scared to vote for another party. But how time changes... I had not thought about it," she lamented.
After hearing the accounts of some of the families, Swaraj said it was disappointing how some hangings had been billed as 'suicides' and how instead of registering FIRs, general diary entries had been filed by the police in the state.
"I do not know why she (Banerjee) is allowing this to happen. She is adopting the same tactics (like the earlier government) to safeguard her political existence. I had thought that she would run the temple of democracy in a democratic way, but it saddens me to hear the testimonies of people here. They won't get justice there and that is why they have come here," she said. -- PTI
21:32 Ajay Kumar Bhalla to be next union home secy
Power Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday was appointed Officer on Special Duty in the Home Ministry and he will take over as the new Union Home Secretary succeeding Rajiv Gauba when he retires on August 31.
According to an official order, Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will join the MHA with immediate effect and continue to function as OSD till Gauba retires for smooth transition of the charges.
Bhalla will have a fixed two-year tenure as union home secretary till August 2021.
The government also appointed Atanu Chakraborty, a 1985 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer, as the new Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs succeeding S C Garg, who will be the new Power Secretary. -- PTI
21:14 Kargil Vijay Diwas: Maha to hold spl shows of 'Uri' for free
Maharashtra will commemorate the 'Kargil Vijay Diwas' on July 26 by organising special shows of Bollywood blockbuster "Uri-The Surgical Strike" at more than 500 screens across the state with an objective to "propagate nationalism".
The decision to hold the special shows was taken in a meeting held between owners of the cinema theatres and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, an official said.
The meeting was also attended by Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar who holds the Ex-Servicemen Welfare portfolio.
Patil Nilangekar has directed district collectors to hold a meeting between local cinema theatre operators and principals of junior and senior colleges to coordinate for organising the show in their respective areas.
"The idea is to propagate the spirit of nationalism. Youths must know the valour of our Army and Air Force which had played a crucial role in the 1999 Kargil war," said the official.
The screening will be held free of cost at 10 am across all the theatres.
The idea of organising the movie shows was mooted by Fadnavis and all the screen operators voluntarily agreed, according to the official who also clarified that the government has not pressurised any theatre owner or operator to play the movie free of cost.
Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after the successful Operation Vijay, is celebrated in memory of Indian soldiers successfully taking command of the high outposts captured by Pakistan during the 1999 war. -- PTI
21:12 17th Mumbai Marathon scheduled to be held on Jan 19
The Tata Mumbai Marathon, in its 17th year, is scheduled to be held on January 19, 2020, the race organisers announced on Wednesday.
Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao signed up as the first participant for the marathon, which was first held in 2004 and since then has been an annual affair in the megacity.
Maharashtra ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar and Ashish Shelar were present on the occasion at the Raj Bhawan.
The registrations for the full marathon would open on July 26 and close on November 29, while registrations for the half marathon are to begin on August 1 and conclude on August 30, according to race organisers Procam International.
Rao, while making a mention of sprinter Hima Das who recently clinched five gold medals in various international meets, said that since coming to Maharashtra he has attended all editions of the Mumbai Marathon.
"The journey of Mumbai Marathon for the past 16 years has been truly spectacular. First and foremost, Mumbai Marathon has created health and fitness consciousness among the people. The Tata Mumbai Marathon has importantly created a level playing field for all," the governor said.
Shelar, on his part, said that people can see from the marathon that Mumbai actually runs, in reference to the popular saying that Mumbaikars are always on their toes.
Shelar, who recently took charge as the sports minister, assured that there will be more participants for the coming marathon.
The organisers are aiming to get 50,000 participants for the race. -- PTI
21:06 Modi congratulates Johnson
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on assuming office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I wish you success and look forward to working with you to further strengthen India-UK partnership in all spheres, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted with this picture.
21:01 Boris Johnson takes charge as UK's new PM
Boris Johnson officially became Britain's new Prime Minister on Wednesday, a day after his landslide victory in the Conservative Party leadership contest.
The 55-year-old former foreign secretary and London Mayor met Queen Elizabeth II, who asked him to form a new administration, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
A picture released by the palace showed Johnson shaking hands with the 93-year-old monarch and bowing.
Johnson will now lay out his vision as Prime Minister in his first speech on the steps of Downing Street.
"We are going to energise the country. We are going to get Brexit done on October 31 and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do," said Johnson, soon after being confirmed as the new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister-elect on Tuesday.
"The mantra is deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat [Labour leader] Jeremy Corbyn," he added.
Theresa May, who was forced to resign amid a mounting rebellion from within her party over her Brexit strategy that failed to clear the Parliament votes threshold three times, earlier in the day formally tendered her resignation to the Queen. -- PTI
Image: Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Boris Johnson during an audience in Buckingham Palace, where she officially recognises him as the new Prime Minister. Photograph: Victoria Jones/Pool via Reuters
20:49 LS passes bill to tackle illicit deposit schemes
Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved a bill to save gullible investors from ponzi schemes.
The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 was passed unanimously by a voice vote.
Once passed by Parliament, it will replace an Ordinance.
The bill seeks to help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard earned money. -- PTI
20:48 Shortage of over 9,000 officers in armed forces: Govt
There is an overall shortage of 9,427 officers in the armed forces, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Defence Sripad Yesso Naik said this in a written reply to a question on the total strength of the Navy, Army and the Air Force at present and details on the shortage of manpower in each force.
He also shared detail figures on the strength of officers in the three armed forces (excluding Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service).
The total authorised strength of Army officers as on January 1 this year is 50,312 and the 'held strength' is 42,913, thus a shortage of 7,399, according to data shared by the minister.
The total authorised strength of Navy officers as on June 1 this year is 11,557 and the 'held strength' is 10,012, thus a shortage of 1,545.
The total authorised strength of IAF officers as on June 1 this year is 12,625 and the 'held strength' is 12,142, thus a shortage of 483, according to data.
In response to another question on the total number of regiments existing in the Army along with the headquarters and their foundation days, Naik said, "Information cannot be divulged in the interest of national security."
The minister also shared details on the strength of Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR), airmen, sailors in armed forces.
In the Army, the authorised strength is 12,23,381 and shortage of 38,235 as on January 1 this year, data said.
In Navy, the authorised strength is 74,046 and shortage of 16,806 as on June 1 this year.
In IAF, the authorised strength is 1,42,917 and shortage of 13,823 as on January 1 this year. Additionally, 10,486 ab initio trainees are undergoing training at various training institutes, data said.
In response to another question, Naik said 232 Army personnel have been killed in various accidents in 2019 till date. PTI
20:24 Delhi should be spelt as 'Dilli': BJP MP
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Goel demanded on Wednesday that the name of the national capital be spelt 'Dilli' in English instead of 'Delhi'.
The Rajya Sabha MP was speaking during the question hour of the ongoing budget session.
In response to Goel, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said after receiving any such proposal, his ministry would forward it to the department concerned and a decision would be taken on the response received thereto.
He said though the etymology of Delhi is uncertain, popular beliefs point out that the name Delhi originated from Raja Dillu, a king of the Mauryan Dynasty who named the city after himself and ruled in the first century BC.
Some historians believe that the name Delhi is derived from the word 'Dehleej' as Delhi serves as the gateway to the great Indo-Gangetic Plain.
The leader said the name of the national capital should have its origin in the city's culture and history, and that the word Delhi does not carry any such character.
Many people are anyway confused about the name as some call Delhi, while some say it 'Dilli', he said.
Goel said demands for naming the city as Indraprastha or Hastinapura have been raised earlier and at this point of time he does not propose to name the city, but urged that at least the name Delhi should be correctly spelt.
He cited other instances where notable Indian cities were officially renamed by legislations, and said he would reach out to other parties as well to discuss the matter and thereafter would send a proposal in this regard to the home ministry. -- PTI
20:22 Unable to pay engineering fees, farmer's daughter kills self
Unable to pay Rs 1 lakh admission fee for the B.Tech course in time, a 17-year-old daughter of a farmer from Maharashtra allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday by consuming pesticide at her house in Solapur district, police said.
The deceased, Rupali Ramkrishna Pawar, was upset as her father could not raise the sum he was supposed to pay for her admission in a Jalandhar-based college for the first year B.Tech course, a police official said.
According to police, the farmer, Ramkrishna Pawar, had even decided to sell out his farm to raise the necessary amount, but was not getting the desired rate.
Frustrated over non-payment of fees before the July 20 deadline, Rupali had an argument with one of her family members on Tuesday night, the official said, adding that she consumed some pesticide at their house in Waluj Degaon village in Mohol taluka, around 400 kms from Mumbai, around 1.40 am on Wednesday.
"As Rupali started crying due to pains and vomited, her family members rushed her to hospital in Mohol. After initial treatment, she was shifted to civil hospital in Solapur where she was declared dead during treatment," he said.
Another official said Rupali was a bright student who had secured 89 per cent marks in the Common Entrance Test (CET).
"Rupali was supposed to pay total Rs 1.10 lakh as admission fee by July 20. She had paid the initial amount of Rs 10,000," he said.
A case of accidental death was registered at Mohol police station, he said.
Four years ago, Swati Pitale, a class 11 student from Latur district of the state, had committed suicide as she could not arrange Rs 260 for renewing her monthly bus pass. -- PTI
20:18 'Jaishankar Prasad' or 'S Jaishankar'
There was a slip of tounge by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha on Wednesday when he referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as "Jaishankar Prasad".
Jaishankar Prasad was an acclaimed Hindi writer,
He referred to S Jaishankar as "Jaishankar Prasad" on three occasions while making a statement on US President Donald Trump's claim that he was asked to mediate on the Kashmir issuer by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The external affairs minister was sitting on the right side of the defence minister in the front row of treasury benches.
Singh took the name of Jaishankar while refrring to his presence in the meeting between Modi and Trump in Osaka, Japan, in June and his statement in Parliament rejecting the US President's claim.
When Singh rose to speak, Congress, DMK and members of some other Opposition parties walked out of proceedings raising slogans. PTI
20:08 Theresa May submits resignation
British Prime Minister Theresa May tenders her resignation to Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace.
19:48 Museum for all ex-PMs to be built in Delhi: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that a grand museum dedicated to all his predecessors will be built in Delhi and took a dig at the Congress, saying attempt was made to erase their memories as part of a strategy.
"But now I have decided that a dedicated museum of all former prime ministers will be established in Delhi," he said while speaking at an event to release a book on former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, written by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh.
Modi urged family members of the former prime ministers to share all things related to them for this museum. -- PTI
19:25 Cabinet clears changes to Aadhaar Amendment Bill
The Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 that incorporates a clause to allow use of Aadhaar data for state schemes and subsidies.
The amendment to the Aadhaar Act entails use of India's national biometric ID by states governments for their schemes that are funded through the 'Consolidated Fund of the State'.
"The states had demanded (this). As per Supreme Court order, Aadhaar is allowed where the funds are going for beneficiary schemes coming straight from the central government. It will enable the use...the way subsidies to the central schemes are transferred from the central fund, Aadhaar can be used for transferring state subsidies," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters while briefing about the Cabinet decisions.
Earlier this month, Parliament had approved amendments to the Aadhaar and other laws to allow voluntary use of the 12-digit unique number as ID proof for obtaining mobile phone SIM cards and opening bank accounts. The government also inserted a new clause allowing the use of Aadhaar data by states for implementation of their schemes.
A government official, who did not wish to be named, explained that since the particular clause was included after the Bill was introduced in Parliament, the Cabinet nod is in the nature of a 'post facto' approval.
According to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 - posted by the Lok Sabha after its passage in the house - a new section 5A was inserted.
"In section 7 of the principal Act, after the words 'the Consolidated Fund of India', the words 'or the Consolidated Fund of State' shall be inserted," it had said.
Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act pertains to targeted delivery of financial and other subsidies, benefits and services funded from the Consolidated Fund of India. With the insertion of the Consolidated Fund of State, states can also use the Aadhaar database for better targeting of schemes.
Javadekar said there are about 128 crore Aadhar cards registered so far, and use of Aadhaar for transfer of state subsidies will enable weeding out of fake beneficiaries. -- PTI
19:24 Sidhu back in action; says not quitting Cong
After lying low for weeks following a change in his portfolio in the Punjab cabinet, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is meeting his supporters again, telling them he remains with the Congress.
Sidhu met supporters, including local municipal councillors, at his home in Amritsar on Tuesday.
"It was made clear at the meeting that he has resigned from the Punjab cabinet but certainly not from the party. He motivated everybody at the meeting to work hard for the party", said Monika Sharma, who was among the municipal councillors there.
The Congress MLA said he has no intention of quitting the party in the future as well, according to the local leader.
Sidhu was earlier with the BJP and joined the Congress just ahead of the Punjab assembly polls in 2017.
His relations with Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh were strained and he was stripped of his local government and tourism portfolios in a reshuffle on June 6.
Sidhu never took charge of his new Power portfolio and also kept away from the media.
The chief minister accepted his resignation from the state cabinet on Saturday.
Monika Sharma said Sidhu urged everyone to work for boosting development, particularly in his Amritsar East assembly constituency.
The MLA assured that he will meet the municipal councillors on a day-to-day basis on development projects and problems related to the constituency.
Sidhu also informed us that he would visit his constituency on a daily basis to learn the ground reality, besides interacting with the common voters to sort out their grievances," Sharma said.
18:40 In MP, 2 BJP MLAs vote for Congress govt's bill
Two Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs on Wednesday voted in favour of the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh, during voting on a bill.
The development came amid reports that after the success of "Operation Lotus" in Karnataka, the BJP may turn its guns on the central Indian state where it lost power to the Congrerss, which enjoys a slender majority in assembly.
Reacting to the voting, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said, "The BJP says daily that we are a minority government and one which could fall any day."
"However, during voting in the assembly on criminal law amendment bill, two BJP MLAs voted in favour of our government," Nath said. -- PTI
18:33 Lightning strikes claim 23 lives in Bihar, Jharkhand
At least 23 people were killed in lightning strikes in Bihar and Jharkhand, police said on Wednesday.
Thirteen people died in Aurangabad, East Champaran and Bhagalpur districts of Bihar, while in Jharkhand, 10 people lost their lives in Jamtara, Ramgarh and Pakur districts.
The deaths in lightning strikes occurred since Tuesday night, police said.
Bihar was also lashed by heavy rains. -- PTI
18:30 Was sexually molested when I was 13: TMC MP
Trinamool Congress member Derek O' Brien on Wednesday recalled his childhood trauma of being "molested" in a bus in Kolkata while speaking on a bill which provides for death penalty for aggravated sexual assaults on children.
While "happily and strongly" supporting the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in the Rajya Sabha, the former well known quizmaster also suggested more and more people in public life come out and speak about sexual abuses.
He said children should be encouraged to speak up and not hide incidents wherein they have been traumatised in this manner.
"With a lot of pride and sadness and hurt but I think India needs to know because my family knows, that on a bus in Kolkata as a 13-year-old after doing tennis practice, wearing short pants and a T-shirt, I got on to a crowded bus and I don't know who it was, but with my short pants and T-shirt I was sexually molested," he said.
The senior TMC member recalled that he did not speak about the incident for several years, and brought it up with his parents much later in the life.
Several other members too made case for creating awarness among children to report about "good touch and bad touch".
18:13 President's secretary gets 3 years' extension in post
The extension of tenure of Sanjay Kothari, secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind, was cleared by the government on Wednesday, according to an official order.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the extension of Kothari, a 1978-batch IAS officer from Haryana, "on co-terinus basis with the President or until further orders", it said.
Kothari, who had retired in 2016, was picked by the President and appointed as his secretary. He will now remain as his secretary till the completion of Kovind's tenure on July 25, 2022.
After his retirement from the service as Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, Kothari had been appointed as Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board.
His appointment as Secretary to the President was for a period of two years, which ended Wednesday. -- PTI
17:29 Dalits, minorities safe in India: Govt
Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi asserted on Wednesday that Dalits and minorities are safe in the country after a group of eminent citizens wrote to the prime minister expressing concern over lynching incidents, and said those "yet to recover from" the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls are trying to communalise "criminal incidents".
The letter, signed by 49 celebrities from various fields, including film-makers Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen, stated, "The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately."
Talking to PTI over the phone, Union Minority Affairs Minister Naqvi said, "No one should communalise criminal incidents. Dalits and minorities are safe in this country. Those who are yet to recover from the defeat of 2019 Lok Sabha polls are trying to do it. We have seen the same thing after 2014 (elections) in the name of 'award wapsi', this is just part two of that," the minister said, referring to the protest by writers against the government's alleged silence on violence and rising intolerance.
The July 23 letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stressed that there is "no democracy without dissent". The signatories said they regretted that "Jai Shri Ram" has been reduced to a "provocative war cry that leads to law and order problems, and many lynchings take place in its name". It is shocking, they said, that so much violence should be perpetrated in the name of religion. -- PTI
17:26 First earth bound orbit-raising maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 successfully performed
The first earth bound orbit-raising maneuver for Chandryaan-2 spacecraft has been performed successfully on Wednesday, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation.
The maneuver was performed at 2:52 pm as planned, using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 57 seconds.
The second orbit raising maneuver is scheduled on July 26 at 1:09 am, the space agency said.
A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, had lifted off at 2.43 pm on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
This came exactly a week after the mission was aborted following the detection of a technical glitch less than an hour before the launch.In the run-up to the launch, the ISRO, on its Twitter handle, put out regular updates about preparations.
Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover together referred to as "composite body".
The landing on the moon's south polar region is expected on September 6 this year.
The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon. - ANI
17:14 An apple a day gives you 100 million bacteria!:
An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Are you sure? According to a recent study, an apple carries about 100 million bacteria.
Besides extra fibre, flavonoids and flavor, you're also quaffing 10 times as many bacteria per fruit as your core-discarding counterparts, findings suggest. If this is good or bad for health depends on how they are grown.
Published in Frontiers in Microbiology, a new study shows that organic apples harbor a more diverse and balanced bacterial community - which could make them healthier and tastier than conventional apples, as well as better for the environment.
"The bacteria, fungi, and viruses in our food transiently colonize our gut. Cooking kills most of these, so raw fruit and veg are particularly important sources of gut microbes," says study senior author Professor Gabriele Berg.
The researchers compared the bacteria in conventional store-bought apples with those in visually matched fresh organic ones. Stem, peel, flesh, seeds, and calyx - the straggly bit at the bottom where the flower used to be - were analyzed separately.
Overall, organic and conventional apples were occupied by similar numbers of bacteria.
"Putting together the averages for each apple component, we estimate a typical 240g apple contains roughly 100 million bacteria," researchers reported.
The majority of the bacteria are in the seeds, with the flesh accounting for most of the remainder. So, if you discard the core - for shame! - your intake falls to nearer 10 million. The question is: are these bacteria good for you?When it comes to gut health, variety is the spice of life - and in this regard, organic apples seem to have the edge.
According to the findings, freshly harvested, organically managed apples harbour a significantly more diverse, more even and distinct bacterial community, compared to conventional ones.
This variety and balance would be expected to limit overgrowth of any one species, and previous studies have reported a negative correlation between human pathogen abundance and microbiome diversity of fresh produce. -- PTI
17:05 Move no-confidence motion, MP CM challenges BJP
A day after the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, Congress and BJP got into a scuffle in Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, after which Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that if needed, the opposition can move no confidence motion.
Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister, while pointing to his party MLAs, said, "None of the MLAs sitting here are for sale. Kamal Nath's government will run for five years in full force."
In reply, BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Gopal Bhargava said if directed by his party's top brass, the government won't last even for 24 hours. "Hamare oopar wale number 1 ya number 2 ka aadesh hua to 24 ghante bhi aapki sarkar nahi chalegi (If there will be an order from number 1 and number 2 above us, then you government won't even last for 24 hours)," he said.
"Your number 1 and number 2 are intelligent, that's why they are not giving an order. If you wish, you can move no confidence motion (Aapke oopar wale number 1 aur 2 samajhdar hain, isliye aadesh nahi de rahe hain. Aap chahen to avishwas prastaav le aayen," Nath retorted.
Backing his ally, BSP leader Rambai Govind Singh chipped in and said the Kamal Nath-led state government will be as stable as the foot of Angad from the epic Ramayana.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress-led coalition currently has 121 seats out of a total 230 with support from Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and four independent candidates. The halfway mark is 115.
On Tuesday, the confidence motion moved by outgoing Chief Minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy got 99 votes as against 105 of the Opposition leading to its defeat.
This brought an end to the 12-day high-voltage political drama which had begun in Karnataka with the resignation of over a dozen rebel MLAs to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar. -- ANI
16:58 Can personal info be made public under RTI after 20 years?
Can private information of officials held by the government be provided after 20 years as per the Right to Information statutes? The Central Information Commission has decided to constitute a full-bench to adjudicate the crucial matter on a petition of a convict in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case.
16:46 Imran Khan is a compulsive liar: Pak opposition
Prime Minister Imran Khan is a "compulsive liar" and an advocate of terrorists, Pakistan's Opposition parties said on Wednesday, asserting that he tried his best to mislead the international community during his visit to the US.
Reacting to Prime Minister Khan's address to the US think tanks, the Pakistan Peoples Party secretary general Nafisa Shah said in a statement that Khan was regarded as "Taliban Khan without beard" by the victims of terror activities.
"Selected PM Imran Khan is not only corrupt but also an advocate of terrorists," she said. "Imran Khan should be awarded Goebbels Award for the lies he told with confidence. Lying with confidence comes with practice and Imran Khan has been doing this for decades," she said.
Shah also said Khan tried to mislead the international community whereas the truth is that he has been a pawn in the conspiracies against democracy for the last over 20 years.
"Imran Khan has never been a democrat as he attacked Parliament from outside when he was in the opposition and now from inside when he is in government. Imran Khan lacks tolerance like Taliban. He cannot face any voice of dissent just like Taliban. In an effort to hide his incapacity he is victimising the Opposition," Shah said.
Another main Opposition party the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) president and opposition leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said Prime Minister Khan had exposed his "dictatorial mindset" by saying the media needed to be controlled in the country.
"In the US Imran Niazi exposed his dictatorial thinking by saying the media needs to be controlled. He is lying saying the media is free under his government while media is suffering from worst kind of censorship," Shehbaz said. He said Khan had wasted an important opportunity to send a message of unity in his speeches in America.
16:41 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed's judicial custody extended
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of 26/11 mastermind and UN-proscribed terrorist Hafiz Saeed until August 7.
Hafiz Saeed, the chief of terror outfit LeT, was arrested on last Wednesday over charges related to terror financing and was sent to seven days in judicial custody, which on Wednesday was extended by 14 days.
The Counter-Terrorism Department has been ordered by the court to present a complete chargesheet of the case against Hafiz by August 7, according to Geo News.
Hafiz was arrested exactly a week ago while he was on his way to an ATC in Gujranwala to seek bail.
His arrest came just two days after an ATC in Lahore granted interim bail to him and three of his aides until August 31 against surety bonds of PKR 50,000 each.
India has labelled Hafiz's latest arrest as mere "drama" and "cosmetic"."This has not been the first time that Hafiz Saeed has been arrested or detained. This drama has taken place at least eight times since 2001," said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar on Thursday."The question is whether this time it would be more than a cosmetic exercise and whether Saeed will be tried and sentenced for his terrorist activities," he added. -- ANI
16:22 Sensex drops 135 points, Nifty slips below 11,300
Extending losses for the fifth consecutive session, equity benchmark BSE Sensex lost 135 points while the NSE Nifty fell below the 11,300 mark on Wednesday after the IMF cut India's growth outlook.
After swinging 394 points, the 30-share Sensex ended 135.09 points or 0.36 per cent lower at 37,847.65. It hit an intra-day low of 37,708.41 and a high of 38,102.84. The broader NSE Nifty slipped 59.75 points or 0.53 per cent to close at 11,271.30.
During the day, the index hit a low of 11,229.80 and a high of 11,359.75. Top losers in the Sensex pack included IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, Axis Bank, M&M, Vedanta and Maruti, falling up to 3.50 per cent. -- PTI
16:04 Why was Trump in a hurry to please Imran?
"Trump's new discovery is that Pakistan and its army are virtually god's gift to mankind. They are required to facilitate a relatively orderly American exit from Afghanistan," points out Ambassador G Parthasarathy, who served as India's high commissioner to Pakistan. Read the column here
16:01 Meghalaya guv's Allahu Akbar quip to dissenters
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy weighs in on the letter written by 49 celebrities voicing concern over lynching and saying that Jai Shri Ram has been reduced to a provocative war cry.
Roy tweeted, "I have nothing against their holding such a view and petitioning the Prime Minister. All I ask is, have they said the same thing about 'Allahu Akbar'? I'm sure they haven't; and that is proof of their hypocrisy, their malafide intentions, their #DespicableDoubleStandards."
The letter, written by 49 eminent personalities, including filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Aparna Sen as well as vocalist Shubha Mudgal and historian Ramchandra Guha, also noted that Jai Shri Ram has been reduced to "provocative war cry".
"We, as peace loving and proud Indians, are deeply concerned about a number of tragic events that have been happening in recent times in our beloved country," the letter dated July 23 said.
"The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the NCRB that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits in the year 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions," it continued.
They also regretted that "Jai Shri Ram" has been reduced to a "provocative war cry" and alleged the prime minister's inaction on the issue. "Ram is sacred for the majority community, stop defiling the name of Ram," the letter read.
The signatories to the letter include Bengali cinema thespian Soumitro Chatterjee, southern filmmaker-actor Revathy, social activist Binayak Sen and sociologist Ashis Nandy.
Roy had stirred up a controversy in the wake of the Pulwama attack by endorsing a call to boycott "everything Kashmiri", including the Amarnath Yatra and purchasing products from the state.
15:37 I was told by party high command to abstain from voting: BSP MLA
The lone BSP MLA N Mahesh in Karnataka, who was expelled from the party for not voting in support of the on the trust motion in the Assembly, claimed on Wednesday that his party high command had asked him to abstain from voting and remain neutral.
He also said he will not support the BJP government and would remain neutral.
"I came to know about it today and that is why I have come here to clarify that. Our party in charge M P Ashok Siddharth told me to abstain from voting, keep neutral and don't support any party. That was the instruction given to me and accordingly, I got myself absent," he told ANI reacting to his expulsion from the party on Wednesday.
To a question on BSP supremo Mayawati expelling him from the party for not supporting the coalition government, Mahesh said, "I don't know that and today only I came to know about it. I have not violated any discipline or Behenji's (Mayawati's) order," he said.
When asked whether he was surprised by the expulsion, Mahesh said, "It is surprising for me as I have not violated anything." To a question, did you speak to Mayawati? he said, "No Today I came back. I was away from Bengaluru for nearly one week. I was in my constituency. So this morning I came to know that I am expelled. It may be a miscommunication. I have got all justice from my party. I will stay in BSP today and tomorrow," he added.
"I will not support the BJP. Let them form the government, I will keep neutral," he said when asked whether he will support the BJP to form the government in the state.
The 14-month-old Congress JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka fell on Tuesday after it was defeated on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly with about 20 MLAs of the ruling coalition defying their party whips and absenting from voting on the confidence motion.
The coalition got 99 votes as against 105 of the opposition.Ahead of the trust vote, Mayawati had on Sunday directed Mahesh to vote in support of the coalition. -- ANI
15:34 Water world
Just when we thought the rain gods had turned their backs on us given nearly 2-week-long dry spells in Mumbai, heavy rains lashed the city and neighbouring districts during the night and on Wednesday morning, causing flooding in some areas and slowing down local trains and road traffic movement.
This is what the low-lying central Mumbai area of Matunga looked like this morning. Pic: Sahil Salvi.
15:11 Super 30's Anand Kumar to coach Delhi schools
Continuing with its much-lauded initiatives in education, the Aam Aadmi Party announced today that Anand Kumar, the creator of the Super 30 programme that coaches underprivileged children for the IIT entrance exam, had agreed to conduct one class per month for students of the city's government schools.
Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted, "Am happy to share that Anand Kumar has agreed to conduct one class every month for Delhi Govt school students. This will be an online, virtual classroom for Class 11,12 students of our schools.
"My education also took place in a government school. Slowly the gap between a government school and private school is widening. Poor students are finding it difficult. But I am very happy today to see that government schools are becoming equal. It is nice to see smiles on the faces of the students and a desire to learn," Kumar said in a video posted on the Aam Aadmi Party's Twitter account.
Sisodia called Anand Kumar, 46, an inspiration to teachers and students and said "this is what it truly means to be a guru" and also said his government would provide "tax-free status" to Super 30, the Hindi movie based on Mr Kumar's life that stars Hrithik Roshan.
Image: Delhi dy CM Manish Sisodia with party leader Atishi and Super30 teacher, Anand Kumar.
15:03 Zero tolerance for incidents of communal violence: Govt
The Centre has "zero tolerance" towards incidents of communal violence and such incidents have shown a declining trend across the country, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said on Wednesday.
Replying to a query during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, the minister said incidents of communal violence have declined to 708 in 2018 from 823 in 2013, he said.
"The incidents of communal violence show a declining trend", he said. He said imposition of curfew used to be common earlier but now this is not the case. He said earlier the Intelligence Bureau of the Central government used to keep records of such incidents but it used to vary from state to state and hence the National Crime Record Bureau started keeping such records since 2014. Reddy said "public order" and "police" are state subjects as per provisions of the Constitution and the responsibility of maintaining law and order including dealing with communal violence and maintaining data rests with respective state governments. -- PTI
14:41 Hill collapse in Ghatkopar
Extremely heavy rain in Mumbai since last night. Mumbai's civic body has tweeted to say that there's been a hill collapse in Ghatkopar. "Some parts of a hill has collapsed on the vacated 8 to 10 huts at Valmiki Nagar Slum, Asalfa Village. The huts had been vacated for safety concerns by fire brigade, police & ward staff are on the spot. No injuries reported."
14:32 Can be anti-govt, but pro-India: TMC MP in LS
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday accused the Centre of "running a propaganda machinery" and using "troll army" to attack the Opposition which runs the risk of being labelled "anti-national".
"If the Centre wants to target someone, they will get them somehow with the help of some law... Opposition leaders, minorities, right activists and others if they disagree with the homogenous idea of India that this government is trying to thrust upon, Opposition runs the risk of being labelled as anti-national," she said participating in the debate on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019.
"Why do I feel a sense of menace. Why is the Opposition called anti-national every time we disagree with the government on issues of national security, policing etc?," Moitra further stated.
Seconds after Moitra's attack, BJP MP S S Ahluwalia intervened and raised a point of order that members of the House are not allowed to make an allegation against the government without substantiating it.
Meenakshi Lekhi (in the Chair) also read out the rule that no Parliamentarian can make allegations without substantiating it.
The Trinamool MP immediately responded that she can fight her case. "I will not take it back. There is a possibility that someone can be anti-government, but pro-India," Moitra said.
Speaking on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019, Moitra said this Bill seeks to designate individuals as terrorists without due process. She was also of the view that this Bill also takes away the powers of the State and also called it anti-federal, anti-constitutional and anti-people.
"The UAPA bill seeks to do two things: In Clause 5, Section 25, National Investigation Agency (NIA) can go into any state and search the properties of any individual without the permission of the state Police which questions the federal structure of the country. In Clause 5, Section 35, the amendment to the bill allows for individuals to be designated as terrorists without due process. This bill is anti-federalism, anti-constitutional and anti-people. So I urge the Home Minister to withdraw the bill," Moitra said.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, on July 8. The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. -- ANI
File pic of TMC MP Mohua Moitra in Parliament.
14:05 Rushdie, Atwood in 2019 Booker longlist
British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie's yet-to-be-published novel "Quichotte" has made it to the longlist of this year's Booker Prize. 72-year-old Rushdie has earlier won the Booker in 1981 for "Midnight's Children".
Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who had earlier bagged the award in 2000 for "Blind Assassins", is another former winner on the list. Her 2019 nominated work, "The Testaments", is a sequel to her acclaimed book "The Handmaid's Tale".
This year's list was chosen from 151 novels published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019, the five-member selection panel announced on Wednesday.
Other names on the longlist included Kevin Barry's "Night Boat to Tangier", Oyinkan Braithwaite's "My Sister, The Serial Killer", Lucy Ellmann's "Ducks, Newburyport", Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other", John Lanchester's "The Wall", Deborah Levy's "The Man Who Saw Everything", Valeria Luiselli's "Lost Children Archive", Chigozie Obioma's "An Orchestra of Minorities", Max Porter's "Lanny", Elif Shafak's "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" and Jeanette Winterson's "Frankissstein".
13:42 Awaiting instructions from central leadership on forming govt: Yeddy
Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa Wednesday said he was awaiting instructions from his party central leadership on staking claim to form an alternative government in the state.
The 14-month old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to three-week long intense power struggle.
"I'm awaiting instructions from Delhi. I can call legislature party meeting any time and go to Raj Bhavan (to stake claim). I'm waiting for it," Yeddyurappa told reporters after meeting RSS leaders at its state headquarters "Keshava Krupa" in Bengaluru.
Noting that it was because of the blessings and cooperation of the RSS that he has grown from taluka to state level to become Chief Minister, he said, "I have come here to take blessings from elders of Sangh Parivar before taking next step."
The BJP Parliamentary Board is expected to meet in Delhi today to give a go-ahead to Yeddyurappa regarding government formation.
13:33 Ex-CIA chief says Pak intel did not know about Osama's hideout
Former CIA Director General David Petraeus has said that he is "convinced" that the Pakistani intelligence agencies did not know Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan, countering Prime Minister Imran Khan's claims that the ISI provided a lead to the CIA that helped the US track down and kill the al-Qaeda chief in 2011.
Prime Minister Khan's statement on Osama during an interview with Fox News on Monday was significant as Pakistan had so far denied that it had any information about the hideout of the al-Qaeda chief before he was killed in a covert raid by a US Navy SEAL team in the garrison city of Abbottabad. Petraeus, during an interactive session at the Indian Consulate in New York on Tuesday following his address on the topic of the Indo-Pacific, however, asserted the US is convinced that the Pakistani intelligence was not aware that the terrorist leader was hiding in their country.
"We are quite convinced that the ISI, Pakistani intelligence, no one else knew that he (Osama) was there (in Pakistan). They were not harbouring him or hiding him or anything like that. We have very good insights on that. We probably differ with those who said that the Pakistanis were allowing him to live in that particular compound in Abbottabad," he said.
Petraeus said that during counter-insurgency campaigns, Pakistani authorities could never close in on North Wazirstan where terror outfits such as the Haqqani network, al-Qaeda and others had their headquarters and some of their forces. -- PTI
13:30 India still has people who haven't degenerated into pro or anti govt
The feisty Mahua Moitra, MP from the TMC speaks in the Lok Sabha: "This country still has people who have not degenerated into this mindless world of black and white, where either we can only be pro-govt or anti-country. All of India doesn't believe this."
She is the MP whose debut speech on fascism launched a million tweets. Read more about Ms Mitra here.
12:59 9 coal miners injured, 4 feared trapped in Odisha mine mishap
Nine coal miners were injured and four feared trapped after a dump slide at an opencast mine in Talcher coalfields, an official said on Wednesday. The coal miners were working at the mine of the Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd when the accident happened around 11.30 pm on Tuesday, trapping the 13 workers, he said.
A portion of earth broke loose due to a strata failure, an MCL spokesperson said. Fellow miners and rescue teams pulled out nine workers from the mine and shifted them to the company's hospital in Talcher, he said. Rescue operations were on to rescue the other four miners. -- PTI
12:56 Mr Khan and the first Mrs Trump
A throwback of picture of Imran Khan from the nineties with the first Mrs Trump, Ivana. Imran has also been married thrice. The picture was tweeted by ANI's Smita Prakash.
12:37 No question of mediation on Kashmir: Rajnath
There was no discussion on Kashmir in the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Japan recently and there is no question of any mediation on the issue, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
Making a statement in Lok Sabha, Singh said mediation on the Kashmir issue is ruled out as it is a question of national pride for India. "There was no discussion on Kashmir during the meeting between the Prime Minister and US President Trump in June. There is no question of any mediation on Kashmir issue," he said amid a walkout by the opposition which has been demanding a statement from Modi himself.
US President Donald Trump had on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Modi had asked him to play the role of a mediator on Kashmir. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said in Parliament on Tuesday that Prime Minister Modi had made no such request to the US President.-- PTI
12:29 Want to hear from horse's mouth: Cong on PM
The Congress on Wednesday continued to demand a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on US President Donald Trump's remarks on Kashmir mediation, with Lok Sabha witnessing ruckus for the second straight day. "We want to hear from horse's mouth, the Congress said asking the PM to respond on the Kashmir mediation issue in Lok Sabha.
Joined by members from some other Opposition parties, Congress members trooped into the Well soon after the Question Hour began and were engaged in sloganeering. More than 30 members, mainly from the Congress, were in the Well shouting slogans even as Speaker Om Birla went ahead with the Question Hour.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the prime minister is not talking on the issue.
On Monday, Trump claimed that Modi had asked him to play the role of a mediator on Kashmir but the government said the prime minister made no such request to Trump.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already clarified on the issue and wondered what was the problem now.
On Tuesday also, the Opposition had sought response from the prime minister on the issue. -- PTI
12:23 2 Ind K'taka MLAs seek to withdraw SC plea for 'forthwith' floor test
Two Karnataka Independent MLAs on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to allow them to withdraw their plea seeking its direction to the state assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar to conduct "forthwith" floor test on a trust motion moved by the H D Kumaraswamy government.
The Congress-JD(S) coalition government on Tuesday lost the trust vote after a three-week-long power struggle. The counsel for the lawmakers -- R Shankar and and H Nagesh -- told a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose that the MLAs wanted to withdraw the petition as the floor test has been conducted in the Karnataka Assembly.
"Where is Mukul Rohatgi (counsel for the lawmakers)? Where is A M Singhvi (counsel for the Speaker)?" the bench said. It said it will pass the order only in the presence of the senior counsel.
On Tuesday, Speaker Kumar had told the court that voting on the trust motion was likely to be concluded by the evening.
During voting that evening, the confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it a House with an effective strength of 205 members.
Twenty members, including the two Independent MLAs, skipped the proceedings. The Independent MLAs had moved the apex court, saying the state has plunged into a political crisis after they withdrew their support to the JD(S)-Congress government and 16 lawmakers of the ruling coalition tendered their resignations. -- PTI
12:21 49 celebrities write to PM on lynching
Eminent filmmakers and actors such as Adoor Gopalkrishnan, Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, Konkona Sensharma, Soumita Chatterjee have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over the growing the cases of lynching.
A total of 49 celebrities have signed the letter expressing regret that 'Jai Shree Ram' has become a war cry today.
The letter also states, "Ram is sacred for the majority community, stop defiling the name of Ram."
Talking about the number of lynching cases witnessed in the country, the celebrities have said, "Over 254 religious identity-based hate crimes. 840 incidents of atrocities against the Dalits. Dear Prime Minister, what action has been taken?"
The letter expresses deep concern over the growing trend of lynching by a mob in this country. They also demanded non-bailable, exemplary punishment for those found guilty of the crime.
People like Binayak Sen, director Anjan Dutta and Gautam Ghosh, who have signed the letter, also expressed the tendency of those in power of tagging someone an 'anti-national' or 'urban Naxal' whenever he or she tries to show dissent against the ruling government.
12:07 Dalrymple on Trump and Johnson
Writer William Dalrymple on the heads of state of the US and UK: He tweets, "Tweedledumb & Tweedledumb." Boris Johnson is the new prime minister of the UK, taking over from Theresa May.
The pictures of the girls are actually from the scare-fest, The Shining.
11:42 Heavy rain warning for Mumbai, roads flooded
Overnight rainfall in Mumbai inundated several areas across the city including Sion, Matunga, Mahim, Andheri, Malad and Dahisar causing huge traffic snarls at major junctions on Wednesday.
This comes a day after the India Meteorological Department issued a heavy rainfall warning for Mumbai stating that a cyclonic circulation would bring more rain showers to the city in the next two days.
Relentless rain caused submersion of railway tracks in Sion, a low-lying area and prone to flooding.
Central Railway Public Relations Officer said suburban train services are running on all four corridors of Central Railway. However, there is a delay of 10 to 15 minutes on the mainline between Kurla and Sion, due to waterlogging in low lying areas of this section, the official said.
Poor visibility led to the collision of three cars in the Andheri area of the city in the wee hours of Wednesday, leaving eight injured.
According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, in the last three hours between 2:30 am and 5:30 am today, Santa Cruz observatory recorded 51 mm of rain, with torrential downpour continuing through the morning in most parts of the city.
Schedules of flights arriving at and departing from Mumbai Airport were also hampered as visibility dropped to 300 metres. Due to heavy rains in Mumbai, flights to and from Mumbai may be impacted throughout the day, budget airline Vistara wrote on Twitter.
Image: A man wades through a waterlogged street in Sion this morning. Pic: ANI
11:22 Kargil@20: In their homes, martyrs never die
Captain Saurabh Kalia was captured, tortured and barbarically killed in the Kargil War.
For 20 years, his father has waged a war of his own to get justice for his son.
Captain Kalia is no more, but he lives on in the home he did not return to.
Archana Masih/Rediff.com reports how the martyr's family faces grief with grace. Do read
11:17 Sonia to hold Cong parl meet today
Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi arrives at the Parliament, she will hold a meeting of all Congress Lok Sabha MPs, today. In case you are wondering, why Rahul Gandhi is not at the helm of affairs, the former Congress president is in the US.
11:08 Chinese military can be deployed at Hong Kongs request: Beijing
Radical protesters are challenging mainland government's authority and principle of 'one country, two systems', defence spokesman says. Garrison law gives Hong Kong option of asking for PLA's help to maintain public order. Read the report here.
10:57 K'taka BJP to hold legislature party meet today
As the BJP is expected to stake claim to form the next government in Karnataka, its legislature party meeting is expected to be held today.
This comes a day after the Congress-JDS government in the state collapsed after it lost the confidence vote, garnering 99 votes against the 105 to the BJP in the assembly, ending the nearly three-week-long high political drama. The coalition needed 103 votes in its favour to win the motion as 20 MLAs -- Congress-JDS (17), BSP (1), Independents (2) -- skipped proceedings, reducing the effective strength of the House to 205.
"We will have the legislative party meeting today and will wait for the directions from the parliamentary board. It might have come... Next we will stake claim to form the government," BJP state general secretary C T Ravi told PTI.
According to party sources, the meeting is likely to begin at 11.30 am to decide the next step. The party may approach Governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday and stake claim to form the government, they said.
A large number of BJP leaders and workers thronged the party office as the lodestone of power shifted from the coalition partners -- Congress and JD(S), to BJP.
"We were all waiting for this glorious moment. The voters had BJP as their first choice. Now that the BJP is set to form the government, there is celebration all over the state," actor-turned-politician Tara told reporters outside the BJP office.
Meanwhile, the rebel MLAs have decided to not return to Bengaluru. "There are no immediate plans to return to Bengaluru. We will stay here for some more time," rebel JD(S) MLA from Hunsur A H Vishwanath told PTI.
Image: BS Yeddyurappa with BJP MLAs after winning the Trust Vote yesterday.
10:45 Govt passing bills with zero scrutiny: TMC
The TMC on Wednesday charged that the government was passing bills in Parliament without any "scrutiny" and said a united Opposition cannot be "steamrolled".
TMC MP and national spokesperson Derek O'Brien charged that the government used its "brute majority" in Lok Sabha to bulldoze the "faulty RTI Bill".
"Three Bills listed for passing today in Rajya Sabha. All with ZERO scrutiny. And the govt expects us to be what ? Mute spectators! Constructive Opposition (in) Parliament," he tweeted. He had earlier on Tuesday alleged that the government was trying to bulldoze the opposition.
"Will not be surprised if Govt lists RTI Bill for passing in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Be assured,we will do what it takes to preserve Parliamentary democracy.14 Bills already passed with ZERO scrutiny by Parliament committees. Constructive Opposition can't be steamrolled."
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 are listed for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Bill amending the Right To Information Act, amid objections by the Opposition which alleged that it was an attempt to undermine the law and make the transparency panel a "toothless tiger".
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to give the government powers to fix salaries, tenures and other terms and conditions of employment of information commissioners.-- PTI
10:39 Melania shares pic with Imran Khan
US First Lady Melania Trump shared pictures with the US President and Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the White House, saying, She tweeted pictures of the American first couple with the Pakistani premier, saying "Great to have Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI of Pakistan at the @WhiteHouse today!'.
Imran held a one-on-one meeting with the US president yesterday.
10:22 Rupee slips 16 paise to 69.10 vs USD in early trade
The rupee opened on a weak note and declined by 16 paise to 69.10 against the US dollar in opening trade on Wednesday, amid sustained foreign fund outflows and rising crude oil prices. Forex traders said, cautious opening in domestic equities and strengthening of the US dollar vis-a-vis against other currencies overseas kept pressure on the Indian rupee.
The rupee opened weak at 69.10 at the interbank forex market, down 16 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 68.94 against the US dollar on Tuesday. Forex traders said the rupee is expected to trade in a narrow range ahead of the much crucial European Central Bank policy statement to be released on Thursday. -- PTI
10:17 Intimate animal portraits that you must see!
Peruvian photographer Pedro Pedro Jarque Krebs images are unlike any you have ever seen. The images, which feature in his book Fragile (published by teNeues),aims to draw attention to the 'precarious situation' of the natural world. "My goal with these images is to raise our awareness of the beauty and diversity of the natural world, but -- even more importantly -- its dreadful fragility and endangerment."
10:13 40 militant groups operated in Pak: Imran
Addressing US lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan revealed that his country had 40 different militant groups operating within its borders.
"We were fighting the US war on terror. Pakistan has nothing to do with 9/11. Al-Qaeda was in Afghanistan. There were no militant Taliban in Pakistan. But we joined the US war. Unfortunately, when things went wrong, where I blame my government, we did not tell the US exactly the truth on the ground," Khan told lawmakers at the Capitol Hill.
"Part of the reason was, our governments were not in control. There were 40 different militant groups operating within Pakistan," he said.
"So Pakistan went through a period where people like us were worried about could we survive it. So while the US expected us to do more and help the US win the war, Pakistan at that time was fighting for its own existence," he added, in a video of the event shared by Radio Pakistan.
Both India and the US have repeatedly told Pakistan to crack down on terror infrastructure on its soil. The Ministry of External Affairs has time and again asked for "verifiable, credible and irreversible actions against terrorists and to disrupt and dismantle terror groups operating from their (Pakistan's) soil".
10:06 Transgender beaten to death on suspicion of being a child lifter
A transgender was beaten to death on suspicion of being a child lifter in Nagrakata in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Monday.
Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media.
"We managed to rescue the victim but the person died on the way to the hospital. No incident of child kidnapping has taken place. These are simply rumours spread by people," said Debasish Chakraborty, Sub-Divisional Police Officer.
Further investigation is underway. - ANI
10:02 Sensex falls over 100 pts after IMF cuts India's growth outlook
Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex dropped over 100 points in early trade on Wednesday as investor sentiment dampened further after IMF cut India's growth outlook.
Massive foreign fund outflow too hit market mood here, traders said. After swinging nearly 250 point in highly volatile opening session, the 30-share index was trading 104.13 points or 0.27 per cent lower at 37,878.61 at 0930 hours; and the broader Nifty also fell 38.30 points or 0.34 per cent to 11,292.75.
In the previous session, the 30-share index ended 48.39 points, or 0.13 per cent, lower at 37,982.74. The Nifty too slipped 15.15 points, or 0.13 per cent, to close at 11,331.05. -- PTI
10:01 Sonbhadra killings: UP probe team arrives
An investigation committee led by Uttar Pradesh Upper Chief Secretary will arrive in Sonbhadra today to probe the deaths of 10 people killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday met the family members of the people who were gunned down over a land dispute in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district.
Yogi flew to Sonbhadra from Lucknow and went by road to Umbha village to meet the families.
Ten persons from the Gond community were killed when the village headman and his associates allegedly opened fire at them over a land dispute on July 17.
Over 20 people sustained injuries in the incident. Several Samajwadi Party workers were detained by the police ahead of Adityanath's visit.
The chief minister had told a press conference on Friday that 29 people have been arrested and four officials have been suspended in connection with the incident.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh each has been paid to the families of the deceased by the state government.
Image: UP CM Yogi Adityanath met the tribals on Sunday in Sonbhadra.
09:53 What If this Is the Hindu Rashtra?
What do people mean when they say 'Hindu rashtra'? And what would it feel like to live under such a state?
People might imagine grandiose parades, banners, armbands or even official paramilitaries. They might perhaps expect the symbols of the state to change -- the anthem, the flag, the formal reverence to the constitution. Perhaps something resembling the symbology and aesthetics out of the dystopian world of Leila.
But what if we are already living and breathing in a de-facto Hindu rashtra, without so much as realising it?
09:42 Waterlogging between Kurla-Sion: CR
Central Railway Public Relations Officer: Suburban train services are running on all four corridors of the Central Railway. However, there's a delay of 10 to 15 minutes on the main line between Kurla and Sion, due to water logging in low lying areas of this section.
09:12 BJP may stake claim to form govt today in K'taka
The collapse of the coalition government in Karnataka on Tuesday sets the stage for the Bharatiya Janata Party to stake claim to power in the southern state and likely marks the return of 76-year-old Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa to the chief ministers chair for the fourth time.
All eyes are now on governor Vajubhai Vala, who accepted chief minister HD Kumaraswamys resignation late on Tuesday and asked him to lead a caretaker government.
In the 225-member assembly, the BJP is the single largest party with 105 legislators. Yeddyurappa said he will meet Vala to stake claim after consulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Senior BJP leader R Ashoka said the party is likely to meet the governor to form the next government on Wednesday.
Former Lok Sabha secretary general PDT Acharya said the BJP will have to prove its majority in the House. As of now, they dont have the majority, he said, pointing out that the party held only 105 seats and the majority mark in the full House was 113.
The fate of the 15 rebel legislators - 12 from the Congress and three from the Janata Dal-Secular -- also continues to be uncertain. Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar is yet to take a final call on accepting their resignation letters, and disqualification petitions pending against them.
The matter of the resignation of the rebel MLAs is also pending before the Supreme Court and both the Congress and JD-S legislature parties have impleaded themselves in the matter. The Supreme Court is also hearing the petition of the independents on Wednesday and all players in Karnataka will be keenly watching its outcome.
Image: BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa being congratulated by members after BJP won the trust vote at the Karnataka assembly in Bengaluru. Photograph: ANI Photo
08:33 Heavy rains in Mumbai; expect water-logging, chaos
Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Wednesday morning, bringing normal life to a grinding halt. Eight persons were injured after three cars collided with each other in Mumbai's Sion area due to low visibility following heavy rainfall.
The city will witness a high tide at 4.24 pm.
Rains have caused water-logging in Dadar, Kurla, Hindmata and Sion areas in Mumbai.
08:19 Yeddyurappa set to be Karnataka CM for 4th time
The exit of Congress-Janata-Dal-Secular coalition government in Karnataka has paved way for the Bharatiya Janata Party into power corridors of the state.
Following this win its state unit president BS Yeddyurappa is likely to stake claim to form the government, if accomplished, it would be his fourth stint as chief minister of the state.
76-year-old Yeddyurappa first took over as the chief minister of Karnataka in 2007, but could hold on to the post for mere seven days after the JD-S withdrew support and President's rule was imposed in the state.
He again made way to the coveted post in 2008 but again owing to corruption charges failed to complete a full term.
During his second term, he held the post from May 2008 to July 2011. He had to resign following the accusations of corruption charges in illegal land deregulation notification scam.
Thereafter in 2012, he formed a new party "Karnataka Praja Paksha" but rejoined the BJP before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in which he got elected from Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency.
In 2018, the BJP veteran again jostled his way to the top post in the state but could not rule the state more than a week as his party failed to garner majority.
Right after the defeat of the Congress-JD-S government in the trust vote in the Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy proceeded to the Raj Bhavan and submitted his resignation to the Governor Vajubhai Vala.
Vala accepted Kumaraswamy's resignation and asked him to continue as the caretaker chief minister till the new government takes over.
-- ANI
08:09 Trump doesn't make things up: Aide on Kashmir
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 US 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. President does not make things up," Kudlow said.
owever, 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.
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
00:12 We were pretty close to resolve Kashmir: Imran
India and Pakistan were "pretty close" to resolving the Kashmir issue, in phases, during the regime of then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday.
"They came pretty close on resolving the Kashmir issue, phased movement referendum during the time of Vajpayee," Khan said in response to a question during his appearance at the US Institute of Peace, a US-Congress funded think-tank.
He, however, refrained from elaborating on the solution, saying it's a sensitive issue. But he insisted that Kashmir is the "bone of contention" between India and Pakistan.
Khan said Pakistan's "top priority is to build good relationships with our neighbours" apart from putting an end to corruption and building strong institutions. "We must have stability in our region," he said.
He said that after coming to power, he first tried to reach out to India.
"India is a country which we've had turbulent relationship with. Unfortunately, because of one issue of Kashmir, whenever, we have tried, whenever relationship has started to move in the right direction with India, some incident happens and that's all related to Kashmir, and we go back to square one," he said.
Prime Minister Khan said that soon after assuming office, he reached out to his Indian counterpart and assured him that he will take two steps, if India takes one step, because the biggest problem India and Pakistan face is poverty.
"The best way we can reduce poverty is that we start trading with each other," Khan said.
Deflecting a question on Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, who was recently arrested for the seventh time, Khan said it is in the interest of Pakistan that "we do not allow any armed militant groups to operate" in our country.
The Pulwama attack, he claimed, was "an indigenous thing."
Pakistan, he said, came in picture, because a group (Jaish-e-Mohammed) based in his country and also in Kashmir claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The country has had enough of militant groups. Pakistan is now determined. We would not be disarming them if the security forces were not behind this decision," he said.
Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, met President Donald Trump - the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders - on Monday in the White House. He described the meeting as very successful, which has reset the bilateral relationship. -- PTI
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