LIVE! Stop taking 'cut money' or..: Mamata to partymen

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Fri, 21 June 2019

Stop taking 'cut money' or..: Mamata to partymen

Timeline Refresh

23:49 Class 10 girl found dead in Kolkata school

A class 10 student of a reputed girl's school in south Kolkata was found dead on Friday in a washroom of the institution with a plastic bag wrapped around her face and injury marks on her left wrist, police said.

The authorities of the school in Ranikuthi area informed the police about the girl, a topper of her class. She was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her "brought dead".

"There are also some marks of self-inflicting hesitating injuries on her left wrist. But doctors said those are not responsible for her death. The body has been sent for post mortem for a clear picture," a police officer said.

The police recovered a few pages of hand-written notes from near the girl's body.

Asked about the content of the notes, the officer said, "It was written that the girl was under such stress that she could not sleep properly in the last three months. We have spoken to her parents but they are also under such a trauma that we have limited our questioning."

"She was a very bright girl and was very keen to get through to the Indian Statistical Institute. Initial investigation reveal that she was under pressure for that," the officer said.

On whether it was a case of suicide or murder, the officer said, "At the moment it is under investigation. Our forensic experts are collecting evidence from the spot. We are also watching CCTV footage from the school."

When contacted, the school authorities refused to comment on the matter.

Incidentally, in December 2017, two physical training instructors of this school were arrested following allegations of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl inside its premises, which led to a massive agitation by the guardians. -- PTI

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee Friday warned party leaders that those involved in taking "cut money" from government schemes and other corrupt practices would be put behind bars.

The warning from the West Bengal chief minister came at an organisational meeting of Nadia district, where the TMC lost one of the two Lok Sabha seats to the BJP.

"Our party supremo has warned us against getting involved in corruption and told us to return cut money, if we had taken any from people. She has told us if anyone is found seeking cut money to provide benefits from government schemes, he or she will be arrested," a senior TMC leader from Nadia district said.

Banerjee's instructions to party leaders came in the wake of statewide protests outside residences of a number of TMC leaders by people, who sought the return of "cut money" taken by them in the area.

Mostly, elected representatives at the municipal and panchayat levels faced the public ire in the districts of Birbhum, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Burdwan, Malda, Purulia, Nadia, West Midnapore and Bankura.

At a recent meeting, Banerjee had said, "I do not want to keep thieves in my party. If I take action they will join some other party. Some leaders are claiming 25 per cent commission for providing housing grants to the poor. This should stop immediately. Return the money if any of you have taken it."

Her diktat did not go down well with the rank and file of the party as several councillors and party leaders are questioning the directive.

"It is a sort of insult. If we had taken any cut money then we had also given a major chunk of it to top party leaders. What about that? Will they also return that money," said a senior TMC leader from Nadia district.

Trinamool Congress MP Satabdi Roy said Banerjee should have initiated measures to stop the practice much earlier.

"A person who has taken cut money directly, is only the front man. There are others who are behind him. They have also taken their share, so the money has to be returned according to this chain," Roy said in New Delhi Thursday.

Meanwhile, during the Nadia district organisational meeting, Banerjee asked party leaders to refrain from infighting and work unitedly.

"Didi has asked us to work unitedly and has given us one-month time to bounce back in the district. During the meeting, she rebuked a few senior district leaders for being involved more in infighting than working for the party," a senior TMC MLA said. -- PTI

23:35 RS approves TDP MPs' move to join BJP

A day after they announced merging their Legislature Party in Rajya Sabha with the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Upper House Friday recognised four Telugu Desam Party MPs as BJP members, giving a boost to the saffron party's strength in the Upper House of Parliament.

The remaining five Telugu Desam Party MPs -- three from Lok Sabha and two from Rajya Sabha -- Friday met Rajya Saba chairman M Venkaiah Naidu demanding disqualification of the four members who joined the BJP.

Sources said the Rajya Sabha Chairman has taken cognisance of the developments relating to the legislature parties of the TDP and the BJP which happened under sections 4 of the Anti-Defection Law, which is a deemed provision.

They added that further to the chairman taking cognisance of this development, the Rajya Sabha secretariat has updated the position regarding the strength of the BJP and the TDP in the Upper House.

Their seats, however, are yet to be changed in the Rajya Sabha, as they continued to sit on their old seats on Friday.

The BJP now has a strength of 75 and the TDP two in the Rajya Sabha. The NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House.

Three TDP Lok Sabha MPs Jayadev Galla, Srinivas Kesineni and Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, and two Rajya Sabha MPs Ravindra Kumar Kanakamedala and Thota Seetharama Lakshmi said the chairman should disqualify the four RS TDP members.

The four TDP MPs in Rajya Sabha -- Y S Chowdary, C M Ramesh, Garikapoati Mohan Rao and T G Venkatesh -- met Naidu Thursday and handed him a letter seeking the merger of TDP Legislature Party with the BJP with immediate effect, under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

While Chowdary was the chairman of the TDP Legislature Party, Ramesh was his deputy.

This happened at a time when TDP supremo and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is away in Europe. He has sought to downplay the development saying his party will come back as such crises are not new to the party and have happened in the past too. -- PTI

IMage: 4 TDP Rajya Sabha MPs meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

23:26 More Cong, TDP leaders in touch, says BJP

A day after four TDP MPs joined BJP, the saffron party general secretary P Muralidhar Rao Friday claimed more leaders are in touch with the party and it will occupy the principal opposition space in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh within two years.

"In the coming days, there will be a lot of changes in Telangana's political scenario. In both the Telugu states - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, BJP is the only party which can fill the space of opposition in the next two years," he told a press conference in Hyderabad.

His comments come in the backdrop of four of the six TDP MPs in the Rajya Sabha joining the BJP Thursday and seeking merger of the TDP Legislature Party with it in the Upper House.

The Congress in Telangana has also been hit by desertions with 12 of its 18 MLAs in the state joining the ruling TRS.

Congress is a fast-disappearing party in Telangana. Day by day, hour by hour it is getting reduced. Many leaders in the Congress as well as TDP believe BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi alone can fight against the TRS," Rao said.

Many senior leaders were in touch with the BJP and "they want to join the party. We, in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, invite them to strengthen the party," he claimed.

Buoyed by its good showing in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, where it won four seats, BJP has set its eyes on further strengthening the party and is wooing leaders from other parties.

Senior TDP leader and former minister E Peddi Reddy has recently said he has plans to join BJP.

Congress MLA K Rajgopal Reddy has openly criticised the party and hailed the BJP, saying it alone can take on TRS, prompting the party to slap a show cause notice. -- PTI

Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad was detained along with his supporters from a village near Indirapuram and was later forced out of the district as police feared his presence could flare up communal tension in the area, a senior official said.

SP City Shlok Kumar said people belonging to a minority community had informed police that the Bhim Army chief might arrive in the area during Friday prayer and urged that political leaders be kept at bay.

There was tension in the area after a video went viral a few days ago in which it was claimed that Ghaziabad Development Authority in Makanpur area had demolished a religious structure, but it was later found that only a fence was removed.

A rifle was seized from the Bhim Army chief and an FIR has been registered against him under relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act, Kumar added. -- PTI

Andhra Pradesh government on Friday appointed former MP and YSRCP leader Y V Subba Reddy as chairman of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Trust Board that governs the shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala.

Other members of the board would be appointed shortly, special chief secretary (Revenue-Endowments) Manmohan Singh said in an order.

Reddy, a close relative of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, would take charge on Saturday.

TDP leader Putta Sudhakar Yadav submitted his resignation from the TTD chairmans post on Thursday.

Initially, Yadav was adamant on staying in the post despite the change in government.

After YSR Congress victory in the recent assembly elections, 10 members of the TTD board voluntarily quit their posts while another ceased to hold office as he lost the MLA election.

As such, only three members remained on the board, apart from three ex-officio members (government officials).

22:19 Sreedharan being used by BJP: AAP hits back

Aam Aadmi Party member Atishi on Friday hit out at 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan for calling the Delhi government's proposal of free rides to women in metro an "election gimmick", saying the Bharatiya Janata Party was using his shoulder to convey its message.

In a letter to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the former DMRC chief said free travel will "worsen overcrowding" and "lead to mishaps".

He alleged that the Delhi government's proposal of free travel for women is an "election gimmick" and urged the Kejriwal dispensation to "not destroy" the efficient and successful public transport system for electoral gains.

Hitting back, Atishi said the party is surprised that a respected person like him has written a "political letter" and the AAP feels like the BJP is using Sreedharan's shoulder for conveying its message.

"Sreedharan ji has said that the move would be a financial burden on DMRC. I want to ask when last year, the Centre proposed to make metro rides free for senior citizens and students, why did not he raise any objection?" she said.

"If you look at the central government's proposal, you will see that it was a model of cross subsidy, which means all other people would bear the subsidy of students and senior citizens. Why no objection on this?" the 37-year-old Oxford scholar said.

Secondly, in airport metro lines, several financial irregularities surfaced and the Delhi government gave a detailed report on it and a CBI inquiry was proposed, but it was stalled by the government, Atishi alleged.

"When this metro line was being made, Sreedharan ji was in-charge of Delhi metro, and if financial irregularities were taking place, why did not he raise his voice? Is the BJP protecting all the administrators by not conducting a CBI inquiry into the matter? Is this the reason the BJP is able to use Sreedharan ji for putting out their voice?" the AAP leader, who fought the Lok Sabha elections from the East Delhi seat, said.

"Third issue - he (Sreedharan) said (Sisiodia's) comment that DMRC is using 65 per cent of its capacity is wrong and he is lying on the DPR report... our question to you is that whether the DPR project report on the basis of which the state and Centre decide their share...is he implying that the figure of riders and the whole funding given on the basis of this report is wrong?" she said.

Quoting several international research studies on women's mobility and access to economic opportunities, Atishi said the Aam Aadmi Party has based its proposal on such studies.

"Women are a very small fraction of the country's workforce. Most women work in small and medium sized enterprises. They do not have the financial independence to travel freely and many a times have to ask their families for money to travel. When travel for women becomes free, it significantly increases their access to opportunities, as the World Bank and UNDP reports have suggested," she said. -- PTI

21:18 Fire on under-construction warship in Mumbai

A major fire broke out at an under-construction warship of the Navy at Mazgaon Dockyard in Mumbai on Friday evening and one person was suspected to be trapped inside, a senior city fire brigade official said.

"Under-construction warship 'Visakhapatnam' caught fire at 5.44 pm. The blaze erupted on the second deck of the ship," said P S Rahangdale, the chief of city fire brigade.

Eight fire-fighting engines, along with quick-response vehicle, have been pressed into service to extinguish the blaze, he said.

"Fire is confined to second and third deck of the warship. Fire-fighting operation is underway along with Dockyard fire-fighters. Smoke has spread in the warship. We suspect that one person is trapped inside," Rahangdale said.

"The cause of the fire will be ascertained after a proper inquiry, but the first priority is to douse the fire with a minimum loss," another fire brigade official said.

Mazgaon Dockyard is the only facility in India having capability to build sub-marines. Visakhapatnam, the largest warship of its class, was unveiled for construction in Mazgaon Docks in April 2015.

It is the first of the four stealth guided missile destroyers to be built under Project 15-B Class. -- PTI

20:51 Poll gimmick: Metro Man on AAP's free rides

'Metro Man' E Sreedharan has alleged that the Delhi government's proposal of free travel for women is an "election gimmick" and urged the Kejriwal dispensation to "not destroy" the efficient and successful public transport system for electoral gains.

In a letter to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the former Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief also said free travel will "worsen overcrowding" and "lead to mishaps".

There was no immediate reaction from the Delhi government or the AAP in this regard.

Sreedharan's letter to Sisodia, dated June 20, comes days after the AAP leader wrote to the former, expressing "surprise" over his opposition to the AAP government's scheme.

"I am not opposing Delhi government's proposal to bear the cost of free travel for women but objecting only to the concept of free travel in a metro. If we allow free travel for women, what about more deserving categories such as students, disabled persons and senior citizens?" he said in the letter.

Sreedharan, who is also the principal adviser to the DMRC, said "no metro" in the world has extended free travel facility to women exclusively.

He wrote that any compensation paid to the DMRC by the Delhi government, is tax-payers' money and a tax payer has the right to question why only women are being given free travel.

"Everybody knows this is an election gimmick to win votes of women in the next assembly election," Sreedharan alleged in the letter.

In his letter, he also pointed to the liability faced by the Delhi Metro and the implications the proposed scheme might have on it.

"My objection is to the very idea of allowing free travel to any section of the society, till such time loans taken by the DMRC (now outstanding about Rs 35,000 crore) is serviced and paid back," he wrote.

"I would, therefore appeal to your government not to destroy an efficient and successful public transport system such as Delhi Metro for electoral gains," Sreedharan said.

19:47 TMC to boycott all Centre-convened meetings

Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy on Friday said the West Bengal government will continue to boycott meetings called by the Centre till the Union home ministry stops sending advisory to the state under Article 355.

Speaking during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Roy said while the Centre seeks cooperation from states, it sends advisories to them under Article 355 twice a week.

Article 355 of Constitution pertains to duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance.

"My party (TMC) boycotted the meeting called by Centre on 'one nation, one election'... As long as the home ministry does not stop sending notices, we will not attend meetings called by the Centre," he asserted.

In the wake of violence in West Bengal post the general election results in May, the Home Ministry earlier this month issued an advisory to the state government seeking to know the measures taken by it to maintain law and order.

Ravneet Singh of Congress raised the issue of alleged police assault on a tempo driver and his minor son in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar and demanded an inquiry into the matter.

"(Home Minister) Amit Shah who talks about 1984 (anti- Sikh riots) did not speak on this issue," he said.

Kirit Solanki, who was in the Chair, remarked that the matter is a state issue.

To which, Singh replied that Delhi Police is under the Union Home Ministry and demanded that Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of IPC be imposed.

Mahua Moitra of TMC raised the issue of airing of Namo TV just before the general election which gave 'unfair' advantage to the ruling party.

The channel was withdrawn after the elections, she said, adding that an inquiry should be conducted into the matter.

Meanwhile, JD-S member from Karnataka Prajwal Revanna took oath of duty in the House. -- PTI

The all-powerful Goods and Services Tax Council on Friday extended the tenure of the anti-profiteering authority by two years and approved imposing a penalty of up to 10 per cent on entities not passing on benefits of GST rate cuts to consumers.

Briefing reporters after the 35th meeting of the Council, Revenue Secretary A B Pandey said it has been decided to allow the use of Aadhaar by businesses to register with GST-Network.

Also, it extended the date for filing annual returns under the GST regime by two months to August 30, he said, adding the one-form new GST return filing system will be applicable from January 1, 2020.

The Council, which is headed by the Union finance minister and comprises representatives of all states and UTs, also approved an electronic invoicing system and e-ticketing in multiplexes.

Pandey said the proposal to reduce GST rate on EVs to 5 per cent from the current 12 per cent and that on electric charger to 12 per cent from 18 per cent to the fitment committee for fine tuning.

The tenure of National Anti-Profiteering Authority has been extended by two years till November 30, 2021.

Soon after the GST was rolled out from July 1, 2017, the government had approved setting up the NAA for two years to deal with complaints by consumers against companies for not passing on GST rate cut benefits.

The NAA came into existence on November 30, 2017, after its Chairman B N Sharma assumed charge. So far, the NAA has passed 67 orders in various cases and complaints still keep coming in. -- PTI

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday courted controversy by tweeting pictures of the dog squad of Indian Army doing yoga and captioning it "New India", an apparent dig at the Narendra Modi dispensation.

The pictures in the tweet showed the Army dog unit and their trainers prostrating.

The BJP took a swipe at Gandhi saying for him life is only about a joke, as he keeps posting pictures about his pet dog.

It also said while a new India is emerging under Prime Minister Modi, a new Congress is coming up under Gandhi.

"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi there is a new india, and Gandhi's tweet reveals a new Congress under him.

"Perhaps for him, life is one continuing joke for him and looking for opportunities to post pictures that remind him of his favourite Pidi (his pet dog)," said BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli.

Gandhi was also trolled on Twitter, with a number of people posting pictures about the Congress while poking fun at him and the party. -- PTI

18:11 Water crisis: TN seeks Rs 1,000 cr from Centre

Amid a severe drinking water crisis in Tamil Nadu, state deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam on Friday sought from the Centre a special package of Rs 1,000 crore to augment irrigation structures in drought-hit areas.

Participating in the pre-budget consultation meeting with state finance ministers chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, Panneerselvam requested the Centre to release funds under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.

The special package assistance would be used to augment irrigation structures in drought-prone areas to address the agrarian distress and drinking water crisis, similar to the allocation made to Maharashtra, Panneerselvam said in the speech, a copy of which was shared with the media here.

Referring to the comments made by chief minister K Palaniswami at the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, Panneerselvam said he endorsed his (Palaniswami's) views and expressed hope that the budget would spell out appropriate strategies, supported with substantial increase in allocation of resources.

On the prevailing water crisis in Tamil Nadu, he said, while there were 'severe drought conditions' country-wide, its impact was significantly "more" in the state.

"The vagaries of the monsoon, climatic change, unending inter-state river water disputes and fast depleting ground water have all led to an unprecedented water crisis in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Requesting the Centre to consider launching a movement for water conservation, he said, there was a need to significantly augment irrigation structures through river system approach for a sustainable water management.

Panneerselvam said Tamil Nadu formulated a project at a cost of Rs 17,600 crore for modernising the Grand Anicut Canal system and has forwarded a detailed project report to the Centre seeking financial aid.

"I urge the Union government to make suitable allocation in the upcoming Union Budget for this project," he said.

Panneerselvam also thanked the central government for expressing its commitment to implement Godavari-Cauvery linkage project and requested the Centre to take up this project on a priority basis and provide "necessary budget allocations".

While calling for a higher investment in combined water supply schemes instead of individual power pump schemes, he said the allocation for the centrally sponsored National Rural Drinking Water Programme had been reduced drastically.

"The Union government may consider to enhance the allocation substantially to improve the drinking water supply on sustainable basis in rural areas," he said.

Panneerselvam reiterated his earlier demand from the Centre to provide an additional allocation of Rs 6,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) for construction of two lakh climate-resilient houses to those affected in the devastation caused by cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu last year. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said the Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition government in Karnataka will not last long and "some options" will emerge, but it does not see the possibility of mid-term polls.

BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, who is in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, said the coalition has lost the people's mandate, adding MLAs belonging to various parties in the southern state do not want mid-term polls.

Reacting to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's comments that there was no doubt that mid-term polls will be held in Karnataka, Rao said the JD-S supremo is "exceeding his limits" and "his party which has just 37 MLAs has no power to recommend the dissolution of the House".

"I do not see any mid-term election in Karnataka. The BJP does not recommend it. In my view, the present government has lost the mandate. People have outright rejected this alliance," he told reporters.

"Any further continuation (of the coalition) is creating pain and suffering for the people of Karnataka. This will not last for a long time and the BJP feels some options will emerge. MLAs belonging to all parties (in Karnataka) are not interested in going for fresh election. That desire is much more powerful than anything else," Rao said.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the JD-S managed to bag only one Lok Sabha seat each, while the BJP won 25 of the 28 seats in Karnataka.

Deve Gowda on Thursday said he told Congress president Rahul Gandhi that he has been hurt by the repeated public utterances of some leaders of the grand old party and the Janata Dal-Secular about the coalition government in Karnataka.

Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday alleged the BJP was continuing its efforts to "destabilise" the coalition government led by him, but asserted that it was stable and would complete its term. -- PTI

17:21 China still says no to India's NSG membership

China on Friday said that there would be no discussion on India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group before reaching a specific plan on non-NPT members' participation in the elite grouping, as it declined to give a timeline to reach a consensus among member states on this issue.

Ever since India applied for the membership of the NSG in May 2016, China has been insisting that only those countries which have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty should be allowed to enter the organisation.

The NSG is a 48-member grouping which regulates the global nuclear commerce.

India and Pakistan are not signatories of the NPT. After India's application, Pakistan too has applied for the NSG membership in 2016.

Answering a spate of questions whether any change of China's stand on India's entry into the NSG which is holding its plenary meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan on June 20-21, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing here that the group will not discuss the entry of countries who have not signed the NPT "before reaching a specific plan".

"So there is no discussion on India's participation," he said.

China while blocking India's entry into the NSG has called for a two-step plan that stipulates the need for the NSG members to arrive at a set of principles for the entry non-NPT states and then move forward discussions of specific cases.

Lu said that Beijing was not blocking New Delhi's entry and reiterated Beijing's stand that rules and procedures of the NSG should be followed.

"There is no blocking by certain members. Because there are procedures in the NSG and members make decisions according to the procedures and proceedings. As far as I know, this plenary meeting is being held and there will be discussions on the NPT non-parties participation and the political and legal issues concerning that," he said.

"Before reaching a specific plan, the NSG will not discuss on the participation of certain NPT non-party (countries who have not signed NPT). So there is no discussion on India's participation," he said.

"As far China's position is concerned, we respect the NSG rules and regulations and we will seek non-discriminatory solution that can be accepted by all," he said.

16:24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan from June 27-29: MEA

16:15 RS website shows 4 TDP MPs as belonging to BJP

While there has been no formal word from the Rajya Sabha secretariat on the fate of the four Telugu Desam Party members who had crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday, the Rajya Sabha website shows the four -- Y S Chowdary, C M Ramesh, G Mohan Rao and T G Venkatesh -- as members of the BJP.

So their defection has been accepted by the RS Chairman, M Venkaiah Naidu.

16:10 Triple Talaq bill is unconstitutional: Owaisi

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday claimed that the controversial Triple Talaq bill is unconstitutional, saying it would be a great injustice against Muslim women if the Bill became law.

"Triple Talaq Bill is unconstitutional. It is a violation of the Constitution's Article 14 and 15. We already have the Domestic Violence Act 2005, CrPC Section 125, Muslim Women Marriage Act. If Triple Talaq Bill becomes a law it will be even greater injustice against women," he told reporters outside the Parliament.

Voicing his opposal on the bill, Owaisi said, "If a man gets arrested how will he give allowance from jail? The government says if a Muslim man commits this crime the marriage will remain intact and he will be jailed for three years if punished by the court. He will be jailed for three years but marriage will be intact. What law is Mr (Narendra) Modi forming?"

"I would like to ask him (Modi) what kind of justice is this that if such law is implemented on a non-Muslim man then he goes to jail for one year and a Muslim man goes to jail for three years," he added.

The controversial Triple Talaq Bill was introduced on Friday in the Lok Sabha in the midst of stiff opposition from Opposition parties which are against criminalising the offence.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 seeks to replace an ordinance by the government in February and to make instant triple talaq a penal offence.

Last year, The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 was passed in Lok Sabha but it lapsed after the dissolution of previous Lok Sabha with the bill pending in Rajya Sabha.

-- ANI

Author Amish Tripathi has been named the director of London's Nehru Centre, which is under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, a senior ICCR official said

Author of best-selling books like the Secret of the Nagas and Sita - Warrior of Mithila, Tripathi will take over from diplomat Srinivas Gotru. Gotru's four-year tenure ended early this year.

Tripathi was appointed after he applied for the post followed by an interview with a selection panel, ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabudhe has said.

The Nehru Centre was founded in 1992 with Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its founder director. Playwright-actor Girish Karnad was among the prominent people to have helmed the centre.

-- PTI

The BJP on Friday accused the Bengal police administration of acting as "TMC cadres" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the firing incident at Bhatpara, which the party leaders said, left two dead and several

injured.

Clashes broke out between two groups, suspected to be affiliated to the TMC and the BJP, in the area on Thursday, with locals alleging that the deaths were because of police firing.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya held a meeting with state BJP leaders during the day to discuss the next course of action following the incident.

"Mamata Banerjee and her party goons along with police have turned Bengal into killing fields just because the BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"The kind of terror they have let loose in Bengal is unprecedented. They are trying to wipe out BJP cadres and voters from the Bhatpara area. But this will not yield any result," Vijayvargia said.

BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said, the saffron party would seek a CBI inquiry into the incident to bring out the truth.

"It has been decided by our party that we would seek CBI inquiry into the incident to bring out the truth. The police is claiming they have not opened fire.

"The TMC is claiming they are not involved in the incident. The locals are saying it was the police which opened fire and killed innocent civilians. So in order to bring out the truth, a CBI inquiry is needed," said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.

-- PTI

In a sign of growing tensions in the ruling alliance in Karnataka, former prime minister and JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda on Friday said there was no doubt there would be mid-term polls to the state assembly.

Gowda also said he did not know how long the Congress-JD-S government, headed by his son H D Kumaraswamy, would continue and it was in the hands of the senior coalition partner.

"There is no doubt that there will be mid-term polls. They (Congress) had said they will give support to us for five years. I am watching all the developments and their behaviour. Our people are intelligent enough. We need not have to teach them," he told reporters here.

Gowda's salvo came amid reports that Congress Legislature Party leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah had conveyed to party president Rahul Gandhi that the alliance was causing damage to the grand old party and it became clear in the recent Lok Sabha polls' outcome.

The BJP had crushed the Congress and JD-S, winning 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats and leaving only one seat each to the two alliance partners. The BJP-backed independent candidate had won the Mandya seat.

Gowda said he has started the exercise of strengthening the party by conducting various meetings with the leaders.

"We will continue doing our work... these programmes will go on. I don't know how long this government will stay. It is in the hands of Congress leaders and not Kumaraswamy," the JD-S supremo said.

He also reminded the Congress leaders again that it was they who had approached the JD-S to form the government with Kumaraswamy as the chief minister.

"I was not after the formation of the coalition government. It is they (Congress) who came to us. I don't know whether they agreed for it or the Delhi high command directed them to do so," he added.

As Gowda's remarks raised alarm bells within the coalition, Kumaraswamy went into a damage control mode and said his government was safe.

He asserted that his father has been misunderstood.

-- PTI

When the Indian Air Force sent its package of 12 Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft to attack the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Balakot on February 26, it code-named it 'Operation Bandar (Monkey)', to maintain secrecy.

"In order to maintain secrecy and ensure that the plans don't leak out, the Balakot operations were given the codename Operation Bandar," senior defence sources said.

Without detailing any specific reason behind the name, sources said monkeys have always held a special place in India's war culture as seen in the epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's lieutenant Lord Hanuman quietly sneaked into Lanka and destroyed the entire capital city of the demon Ravana.

On February 26, 12 Mirages having taken off from multiple air bases crossed over into the Pakistani air space and carried out missile attacks on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot town of Khyber Pakhtunwa province.

In ahe attacks carried out by the Indian Air Force, pilots had dropped five Spice 2000 bombs out of which four penetrated the rooftops of the building in which the terrorists were sleeping.

The attacks were carried out at am AM and within a few minutes after dropping the bombs on their designated targets, the Indian Air Force planes returned to their bases.

-- ANI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday urged his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan to extend cooperation to store water to the full level in the Mullaperiyar dam.

Welcoming Kerala's gesture to supply water to Tamil Nadu, the chief minister said the neighbouring state had only offered two MLD (million litre per day) for a day whereas every day supply would help.

"I thank the Kerala Chief Minister, but 2 MLD water will not be sufficient. We are everyday supplying 525 MLD water (in Chennai) and if 2 MLD water could be given everyday, it will be useful for the people," he said.

Poondi, Chembarambakkam, Sholavaram and Red Hills reservoirs here have dried up and despite that supplies were being made to the people, he said.

Pointing to the Supreme Court judgment on the Mullaiperiyar dam which had said that water could be stored to the full level of 152 ft after carrying out strengthening works, he alleged that Kerala, however, scuttled refurbishment works.

"We need every drop of water," he said addressing a press conference here adding people in five districts, including Theni and Ramanathapuram were dependent, on Mullaiperiyar water for their livelihood.

He appealed to Kerala to extend cooperation to store full water in the Mullaiperiyar dam.

Also, he appealed to the people to use water judiciously in view of the shortage situation.

-- PTI

Four elephants are to be moved by train from Assam's Tinsukia town on the east to Ahmedabad in the west, a distance of 3100 km, for a temple ritual.

'No date is set for their departure yet, but they are expected to reach Ahmedabad before 4 July to participate in the annual Rath Yatra (chariot procession) at the Jagannath temple. The train journey is expected to take three to four days,' reports Geeta Pandey in bbc.com.

'Activists and conservationists say the plan to move the elephants is "cruel and completely inhuman", especially since temperatures are more than 40C (104F) in many places along the northern Indian route these elephants are expected to take,' she writes, quoting a wildlife conservationist as saying, "The wagon in which the elephants will be transported is not climate-controlled. It will be hitched to a passenger train which will be travelling at a speed of 100km/h (62mph), so can you imagine the plight of the animals?"

According to the rules, no elephant can be made to walk for more than 30km (18 miles) at a stretch or transported for more than six hours in one go, Geeta Pandey reports, here.

14:01 Ram Madhav's Yoga Day shot at Rahul Gandhi

Alluding to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who courted controversy for browsing his mobile phone during the President's address, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Friday said there were "kids" in Parliament and yoga will help those with "kiddish temperament".

Inaugurating a programme organised by the BJP here to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, Madhav took the dig at Gandhi.

During President Ram Nath Kovind's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Thursday, Gandhi was seen scrolling through his mobile phone, kicking up a row.

"In the classroom, it might get difficult to focus on what the teacher is teaching. Its difficult to focus on our textbooks during examination. We fall asleep. But don't worry. There are kids in schools, there are kids in Parliament also," Madhav told the gathering, including school children.

"They can't even focus on the speech by our President. They have to go through their mobile phones, check their messages, or play video games. This kiddish temperament of unstable mind, if this needs to be controlled, you need yoga," the BJP leader said.

Following the row over Gandhi using his phone, the Congress objected to comments made by some BJP leaders and said the ruling party should not make such remarks.

Madhav also said that the country's "ancient wisdom" should have been given to the world when the country got independence.

"We should have gone out and told the world that more than non-alignment, more than many other things, it's yoga, ayurveda. It is the way of life that ancient Indian sages have developed that is what we have to offer to you," he added.

-- PTI

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to visit 'mohalla clinics and schools' in Delhi while asserting that his dispensation will examine whether the Centre's Ayushman Bharat programme can be integrated with the Delhi government's health scheme.

Kejriwal, who had skipped the all-party meeting called by the PM two days back, also assured full cooperation of his government to the Centre.

It was the first meeting between Kejriwal and Modi since the BJP-led NDA has formed government for second term following a thumping victory of the Bhartiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Ayushman Bharat was briefly discussed. Informed Hon'ble PM that Delhi Govt's Delhi Health scheme is much bigger and wider in scope.

"However, assured him to examine if Ayushman Bharat scheme cud also be integrated into our scheme (sic)," Kejriwal said in a series of tweets after the meeting.

Under the 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna, the government aims to provide health protection cover to 50 crore poor people. Under this, so far about 26 lakh poor patients have availed treatment in hospitals.

Earlier this month, Kejriwal had said his government's health scheme was "ten times bigger and comprehensive".

-- PTI

A fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, which has been listed in the Lok Sabha's agenda for Friday, will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government.

With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill, which proposes to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence, had faced objections from the opposition parties which claimed that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife was legally untenable.

As soon as the bill was introduced, Shashi Tharoor said that he is against instant Talaq but is opposed to making it a criminal offence. He adds that the scope of the bill should be extended to women of all communities and religion.

Following Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from Hyderabad, also opposed the bill. He also said it violates Article 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

He added that the government does not care about Muslim women and brought up the Sabrimala issue to question the government on women rights.

12:42 Shashi Tharoor objects to Triple Talaq bill

The Triple Talaq Bill has been introduced by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

However, Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, opposed the Triple Talaq bill as soon as it is introduced.

Tharoor said that he is against instant talaq but is opposed to making it a criminal offence. He adds that the scope of the bill should be extended to women of all communities and religion.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government. The bill had failed to clear the Rajya Sabha test earlier.

The bill provides for a three-year jail term for any Muslim man who divorces his wife instantly by uttering "talaq" thrice.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palanisami holds a high-level meeting with state ministers and officials over the water crisis in the state.

The meet comes at a time when Tamil Nadu is facing the worst-ever drought. Chennai has been facing an acute water shortage owing to the

depletion of ground water as the city had experienced a dry

spell of 190 days with no rains.

On Thursday, The Kerala government expressed willingness to provide 20 lakh litres drinking water to Tamil Nadu, but the latter declined it, saying there was "no need for the help at present."

Kerala was prepared to transport 20 lakh litres of drinking water from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai through train.

11:26 'Never wanted son to be CM of JDS-Cong govt'

Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Deve Gowda on Friday made a stunning claim by saying that he did not want his son HD Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister of Karnataka.

Deve Gowda also claimed that the coalition in Karnataka was formed due to pressure by the Congress.

"I was the glue for the coalition in Karnataka. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi sent Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot to Bangalore. While having a discussion, I told them the pain of the coalition I had experienced before. I told them I don't need it [coalition]," said Deve Gowda.

Deve Gowda also revealed that he had suggested Mallikarjun Kharge's name for the post of the chief minister.

He said he had asked Rahul Gandhi to make Mallikarjun Kharge the chief minister. Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, later told Deve Gowda the Congress top boss wanted HD Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister, a demand HD Deve Gowda had to agree with.

Kollam MP NK Premachandran is ready with a private member bill for the consideration of the Lok Sabha seeking a ban on the entry of women aged 10-40 years in the Sabarimala temple. Premachandran is likely to table this bill on Friday.

The Supreme Court, on September 28 last year, declared a Kerala government law barring women aged between 10 and 40 years from entering the Sabarimala temple unconstitutional. The Supreme Court judgment threw the Sabarimala temple open for women on all age groups.

The ban had been in place for decades in tune with the belief of the followers that entry of women aged 10-40 would disturb Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of the shrine. Lord Ayyappa is, the devotees believe, is Naishtika Brahmachari or perennial celibate and entry of women is not welcome in his shrine.

Following a long-drawn court battle and a sustained campaign by activists, the Supreme Court order was delivered last year. The Kerala government of the Left Democratic Front implemented the Supreme Court order to stiff resistance from the devotees, who called it an attack on their right to religious freedom.

On Wednesday, the CPI-M-led LDF government in Kerala demanded that the Centre should bring a legislation to protect the faith of Lord Ayyappa's devotees visiting the hill shrine in Sabarimala in accordance with the Supreme Court order. The state government's demand came in the backdrop of Premachandran's bill in the Lok Sabha.

Kerala had witnessed massive protests by various Hindu outfits and the BJP, which criticised the LDF government's "hasty decision" to implement the Supreme Court 28 verdict lifting the restriction on entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple.

10:41 Make yoga part of school curriculum, says VP

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today recommended making yoga part of school curriculum and said doing so is necessary in the wake of changing lifestyles and growing incidence of non-communicable diseases.

Naidu was speaking at an event to mark the International Day of Yoga organised by the Ministry of Ayush and Brahma Kumaris at the iconic Red Fort in New Delhi.

"At a time when people are encountering tremendous pressures in daily lives, there is a great need to introduce the subtle science of yoga, which everyone can use not just to achieve physical well-being, but also to lead a better life by making enlightened choices," he said.

"Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India possibly around the fifth century. We need to propagate and preserve this holistic practice by making it a part of the school curriculum as it not only ensures physical fitness and mental equilibrium but also inculcates discipline," he said.

The vice president said it's all the more necessary in the wake of changing lifestyles and growing incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country.

"The time has come that we must go back to the old ways of living. These lifestyle changes are damaging our younger generation. There's no physical activity, no spiritual activity. We are all craving for prosperity and temporary pleasure," he said.

Naidu also appealed to everyone to make yoga a people's movement and "to understand that it's not a programme of the government or (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi".

-- PTI

10:21 Encephalitis claims 136 lives in Bihar

Brain fever has afflicted more than 600 children across 16 districts of Bihar of which 136 have lost their lives since the beginning of this month, the state health department said.

According to statistics released by the department, the total number of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome cases registered across the state since June 1 was 626, and the total number of deaths caused by the same has mounted to 136.

Muzaffarpur district has bore the maximum brunt, accounting for 117 deaths so far. Besides, deaths have been reported from districts like Bhagalpur, East Champaran, Vaishali, Sitamarhi and Samastipur.

The department also said that among the various complications that are covered under the umbrella term AES, hypoglycemia or very low blood sugar level was the most prevalent as it has afflicted 520 children and accounted for 110 deaths.

Experts have blamed the high incidence of hypoglycemia on a toxin found in unripe litchi fruit, which is believed to be consumed by malnourished children from underprivileged backgrounds.

The Centre as well as the state government have taken a grim note of the alarming number of deaths caused this year, the highest since 2014.

-- PTI

PLEASE READ: Don't Blame Muzaffarpur Deaths on Litchi!

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday participated in a Yoga day function in Rohtak and said Yoga is showing the world the way towards a healthy life.

Shah participated in the Yoga day function along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar besides others.

"Yoga is the symbol of India's ancient history and diversity which is showing the world the way towards a healthy life," he tweeted after the event.

-- PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday morning paid homage to An-32 plane crash victims in New Delhi. The remains of 13 Indian Air Force personnel were retrieved yesterday from Arunachal Pradesh where the plane crashed earlier this month.

The IAF had recovered bodies of six men and mortal remains of seven other personnel who were onboard the An-32 jet which crashed in a remote location in Arunachal Pradesh. The bodies were retrieved 17 days after the plane went missing on June 3.

The rescue team of 17 IAF, Army SF and civilian members continued the operation to retrieve the bodies for days. The team also faced bad weather conditions which led to the suspension of the operations for days.

The Russian-origin aircraft went missing in the afternoon of June 3, around 33 minutes after taking off from Jorhat in Assam for Menchuka in Arunachal Pradesh.

After eight days of a massive search operation, the wreckage of the plane was spotted by an IAF chopper at a height of 12,000 feet near Gatte village on the border of Siang and Shi-Yomi districts.

The cause of the crash is still not known. The black box of the aircraft has also been damaged extensively during the crash. This may lead to delays in knowing the exact cause of the crash.

The remains will now be sent to the families for the last rites.

Metro train services on the Magenta Line were halted temporarily after a fire broke out at a furniture market near the Kalindi Kunj metro station in New Delhi on Friday morning.

"Train movement has been stopped temporarily between Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh and Kalindi Kunj due to smoke and fire from a fire underneath the section. We regret the inconvenience," a Delhi Metro statement said.

It added that short loops are being run between Janakpuri West and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh. and said there will be no service between Kalindi Kunj and Botanical Garden temporarily.

Meanwhile, 15 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot to douse the massive blaze.

"No injuries have been reported till now. Firefighting operation is underway," a fire department official said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

-- ANI

09:00 Fresh triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha today

A fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq will be introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.

The bill, which proposes to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence, had faced objections from the opposition parties which claimed that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife was legally untenable.

The new bill is a copy of the ordinance in force.

The government had promulgated the ordinance on triple talaq twice -- in September 2018 and in February 2019 -- as the contentious bill remained pending in the Rajya Sabha, though it was passed by the Lok Sabha.

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq is illegal, void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision for bail for the accused during trial.

-- PTI

08:30

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs Yoga at Rajpath in Delhi. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

08:15 Kerala offers 20 L litres water, TN rejects it

The Kerala government expressed willingness to provide 20 lakh litres

drinking water to Tamil Nadu, which is facing a water crisis, but the latter has declined it, saying there was "no need for the help at present."

"Since the major water bodies of Chennai has been facing acute water shortage, the Kerala government decided to extend an helping hand," a release issued from the Kerala Chief Minister's office said.

Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office contacted the Tamil Nadu CMO on the offer, the neighbouring state informed that "at present there is no need for the help, it said.

Kerala was prepared to transport 20 lakh litres of drinking water from Thiruvananthapuram to Chennai through train, the release added.

Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration minister S P Velumani told reporters in Coimbatore in that deficiencies in some ground water conservation projects were identified at various places, including Chennai, and were being attended to.

He said Tamil Nadu was facing the worst-ever drought.

Rains were expected in a few days, he said.

As far as Chennai was concerned, he said there was depletion of ground water as the city had witnessed rains 190 days ago.

Water was being supplied through lorries and borewells are being dug wherever the water problem prevails, he added.

The Tamil Nadu government has said it was largely dependent on ground water to meet requirements till the onset of north east monsoon in October.

-- PTI

08:03 Yoga for MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla along with parliamentarians and parliament staff perform Yoga.

Photograph: ANI/Twitter

A fire broke out in a furniture godown in Kalindi Kunj metro station in Delhi in the wee hours of Friday. Fifteen fire tenders have been rushed to the spot to douse the massive balze.

Fire-fighting operation is underway.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

No casualty or injury has been reported until now.

-- ANI

07:23 Yoga for peace, harmony, progress: PM Modi

On the fifth edition of International Yoga Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a grand event at Prabhat Tara ground in Ranchi on Friday and said it is time to take yoga to villages.

"Now, I have to take the journey of modern yoga from the cities to the villages, to the poor and tribal's house. I have to make yoga an integral part of the life of poor and tribal. Because it is poor who gets the most pain due to illness," he said while addressing an event here.

PM Modi extended good wishes to people, in India and across the globe on International Day of Yoga. "Today, lakhs of people have gathered in different parts of the world to celebrate Yoga Day. I thanked media to play an important role in promoting Yoga," he said.

"In today's changing times, our focus must be on Wellness as well as protection from Illness. That is the power we get with Yoga, that is the feeling of Yoga and the ancient Indian philosophy," he added.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and various other ministers were present in the event. Around 30,000 people participated in the event.

The Centre along with state governments has organised various yoga programmes across the country today.

-- ANI

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are officially splitting off from the charity they share with Prince William and Kate Middleton and will set up their own foundation, it was announced on Thursday, amidst reports of a rift between the two royal famlies.

Prince Harry and Meghan will break away from the Royal Foundation and hope to establish a new charity by the end of the year, the BBC quoted royal aides as saying.

The couples will continue to work together on initiatives such as the Heads Together mental health campaign.

The foundation said the royals were "incredibly proud" of their joint work.

In a statement, the charity - which will be renamed the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - said the decision was made after a review of its structure.

"These changes are designed to best complement the work and responsibilities of Their Royal Highnesses as they prepare for their future roles, and to better align their charitable activity with their new households," it added.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are incredibly proud of what they have achieved together through the Royal Foundation," it said.

The foundation, set up in 2009, focused on causes close to the princes' hearts, including the armed forces, conservation and mental health.

Kate joined after she became Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and Meghan joined shortly before she and Harry were married in May 2018.

The couples took to the stage together at the charity's first forum in London in February 2018. The charity's title was later officially changed to The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Thursday's move by the Sussexes is seen as the final step in the division of the couples' public duties.

Earlier this year the duke and duchess split from the household of Kensington Palace, where William and Kate live with their children.

Prince Harry and Meghan appointed a separate head of communications and set up their own Instagram account.

They also moved to Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, in April - shortly before Meghan gave birth to their son Archie.

The Telegraph, quoting royal sources, pointed towards the "divergent paths" of the two brothers, will one destined to become Prince of Wales and then King, while the other has more freedom to forge his own working life.

The funds currently raised for the Royal Foundation will remain within the organisation, the report said.

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