LIVE! IAF's Jaguar makes emergency landing in Ambala

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Thu, 27 June 2019

IAF's Jaguar makes emergency landing in Ambala

Timeline Refresh

23:13 Sisodia gives Rs 15 lakh to families of Ankit Saxena, Dhruv Tyagi

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday handed over cheques of Rs 15 lakh each to families of Ankit Saxena and Dhruv Tyagi.

Aam Aadmi Party's Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and Madipur MLA Girish Soni visited the residence of Saxena, 23, who was stabbed to death in West Delhi's Khyala area allegedly by family members of a woman with whom he was in a relationship.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier assured the family of financial and legal support after the incident.

Sisodia also visited the residence of Tyagi, 51, who was killed in Moti Nagar last month while defending his daughter from attempted harassment.

Both the killings had led to communal tensions in their respective areas.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Waqf Board chairman and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan also announced Rs 5 lakh and a job to the wife of Tabrez Ansari, 24, who was killed in alleged lynching in Jharkhand.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government of playing politics over religion.

'Ankit's (Saxena) family did not get a single rupee compensation and the family of Tabrez is getting Rs 5 lakh. People will teach @ArvindKejriwal a lesson for doing politics of religion,' Sirsa tweeted.

Saxena's parents, who broke down after receiving the compensation, were asked by Sisodia if the government could assist them in any other way, a statement said.

Yash Pal, Saxena's father said, "It is my wish that the road.. or the square where my son lost his life be named after him in his memory, if it is possible."

Sisodia immediately directed local MLA Girish Soni to send a representation to his office to this effect, and said, "Within the next 10 days, the government will call a meeting of the relevant road naming authority and carry out your wish."

Yash Pal was hailed last year for his role in maintaining calm in the area with the Delhi Police, preventing attempts to create a communal divide in the name of the killing.

Sisodia told Yash Pal, "I am amazed by the grace with which you have carried yourself despite going through such a tragic time. Your maturity and the sensitivity with which you responded to such a devastating incident has left a mark on all of us. We thank you for being a voice of reason." -- PTI

IMAGE: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia hands over a cehque of Rs 15 lakh to the parents of Dhruv Tyagi. Photograph: @AamAadmiParty/Twitter

22:58 IAF's Jaguar makes emergency landing in Ambala

A Jaguar fighter jet of the Indian Air Force on Thursday suffered an engine failure due to suspected bird hit, forcing its pilot to make an emergency landing at Ambala air base.

Acting promptly, the pilot jettisoned the plane's external fuel tanks and other loads and managed to land the aircraft safely, averting a major disaster, said IAF officials.

One of the fuel tanks landed in a residential area near Ambala air base but no one was injured, added district administration officials.

The aircraft took off from Ambala air base on a training mission at around 7.45 am. It, however, suffered an engine failure due a suspected bird hit immediately after the takeoff, said IAF officials.

"The pilot assessed the situation correctly and jettisoned external stores as per the standard operating procedures. The prompt and correct actions by the pilot enabled him to recover the crippled aircraft on single engine and carry out a safe landing at Air Force Station, Ambala," said IAF in a statement.

A court of inquiry has been ordered. An AN-32 transport aircraft crashed in Arunachal Pradesh killing 13 people on June 3.

As many as 33 IAF aircraft, including 19 fighter jets, met accidents since 2015-16, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

There were no casualties or reports of anyone sustaining any injury due to fall of fuel tank in the residential area, the officials added.

"Some objects (fuel tank) fell outside the Air Force station near a residential area in Ambala, but no one was injured, though panic gripped the area for a while," Ambala Superintendent of Police Mohit Handa said over phone.

Officials said an ambulance and a fire brigade were rushed to the spot, but luckily no had been injured. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

22:24 Rape case registered against Aditya Pancholi

Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi was on Thursday booked by Mumbai police on charges of raping a 36-year-old woman, who is also an actor.

Pancholi claimed he has been implicated in a false case, adding the law will take its course.

Suburban Versova police registered the case against Pancholi under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape), 323 (assault), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) and 384 (extortion), a senior official said.

According the complainant, the 54-year-old actor sexually assaulted her between 2004 and 2009, said police spokesperson DCP Manjunath Singte.

Pancholi also beat her up and confined her to his house whenever she tried to approach police during this period, the complaint said.

She also alleged that Pancholi demanded Rs 1 crore from her for not showing her private photographs to her family and friends, and claimed she paid him Rs 50 lakh.

Further probe is on and Pancholi has not been questioned yet, another police official said.

Reacting to the development, Pancholi, who starred in several Bollywood films in the 1990s, told PTI, "It is a false rape case that they were planning and now they have done it. I was anticipating this. This was pre-planned as I had filed a defamation case against them.

"It is not a small allegation, the law will take its course, I will fight out... the truth will come out." -- PTI

Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Thursday announced that he will launch 'Tej Sena', which he said is an online platform for change makers.

"Join Tej Sena for change, an online platform for change makers. Launching on 28th June," the mercurial Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA tweeted and also shared a picture of the proposed platform.

The picture carries an image of Tej Pratap Yadav, besides a small sketch of a lantern, the RJD's poll symbol.

The development comes less than a week after the maverick leader had called on Lalu Prasad, who is serving sentences in fodder scam cases, at a hospital in Ranchi and gifted him a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.

Tej Pratap Yadav, who had briefly served as Bihar Health minister while the RJD shared power with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United, drew praise from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"We congratulate Tej Pratap Yadav for his latest move. This shows he has the capacity to put up a fight. It has been more than a month since the RJD was obliterated in the Lok Sabha polls and Misa Bharti (eldest sister) and Tejashwi Yadav (younger brother) have gone into hiding. But Tej Pratap Yadav has shown perseverance in the face of defeat," state BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said in a statement in Patna.

"Tejashwi Yadav has been absconding ever since his inability to lead his own party and the Mahagathbandhan which the RJD leads was exposed. On the other hand, Tej Pratap keeps improvising despite having been sidelined by his party as well as his family," Anand alleged.

"Tej Pratap has demonstrated that he is a more deserving political heir to his father. Before Tejashwi arrived on the scene, Abdul Bari Siddiqui had made his mark as a much more competent Leader of the Opposition. RJD MLAs should think of replacing Tejashwi with Tej Pratap or any other leader of their choice," the BJP spokesperson added.

RJD sources said the BJP's praise is aimed at fishing in troubled waters.

"The NDA has been working towards driving a wedge between the two brothers since it knows that would finish off RJD. We just hope that Tej Pratap does not fall into the trap," the sources said.

In April, Tej Pratap Yadav had resigned as the mentor of the RJD's student wing and followed it up with floating of a parallel outfit 'Lalu-Rabri Morcha', claiming that it was intended to strengthen the party.

Some close associates of Tej Pratap Yadav also contested the Lok Sabha polls as rebel candidates which cost the party dearly, especially in closely-fought battles like Jehanabad, which the JD-U won by a slender margin of just over 1,000 votes.

The RJD drew a blank in the general elections, with the National Democratic Alliance comprising BJP, JD-U and Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party gaining 39 out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats, with the Congress, among opposition parties, winning just one seat. -- PTI

22:07 Govt to go ahead with Air India disinvestment

Continued support from the government has resulted in an improvement of the financial and operational performances of Air India and the Centre has decided to go ahead with the process of its disinvestment, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Thursday.

"In an AISAM (Air India Specific Alternative Mechanism) meeting held on 28th March 2018, it was decided that due to issues like volatile crude oil prices and adverse fluctuations in exchange rates, the atmosphere was not conducive for the disinvestment. But this was last year," the ministry said in a statement.

The AISAM, which is basically a Group of Ministers (GoM), has to be reconstituted as Arun Jaitley and Suresh Prabhu are no longer ministers in the second innings of the Narendra Modi government.

They will be replaced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is likely to continue in the panel.

"Continued support from the government has resulted in improvement of financial and operational performances of Air India. As per the recommendations of the AISAM, the government will now go ahead with the process of disinvestment of the company," the ministry said.

At a meeting on June 28, 2017, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had in-principle approved the consideration for strategic disinvestment of Air India and its five subsidiaries.

The AISAM was constituted by the CCEA for this purpose. -- PTI

In yet another incident of elected representatives or their kin interfering with the discharge of government officials' duty, the son of Bharatiya Janata Party's Kasganj MLA allegedly scolded a police post in-charge for not picking up his phone.

MLA Devendra Singh Rajput's son Jasveer allegedly reached the Kasganj's Soron Gate police outpost Wednesday night and threatened in-charge Satyendra Pal Singh to get him transferred for not picking up his call, said district Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar.

The MLA's son had dashed to the police post after one of his acquaintances, an ambulance driver who had entered into some altercation with another driver, was summoned to the police post on the complaint of the fellow driver, said the SP.

The first ambulance driver apparently alerted Jasveer about having been summoned by the police following which the MLA's son apparently called up the police post in-charge who failed to take up his call, said SP Kumar.

Jasveer subsequently reached the police post and asked its in-charge as to why did he not pick up his call, said Kumar, adding as the police officer asked him who he was, Jasveer threatened him that he would get him transferred.

A video of the heated exchange too has gone viral on various social networking platforms.

The SP said the city circle officer has been asked to enquire into the incident and submit him a detailed report.

No FIR has been lodged against anyone in the case as yet, he added.

The Uttar Pradesh incident came a day after Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Akash Vijayvargiya was arrested allegedly for interfering with the government officials' duty in Indore.

The son of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had allegedly attacked a civic body official in Indore with a cricket bat while opposing demolition of a dilapidated house.

MLA Rajput, however, Thursday defended his son, saying he gave no threat to the policeman.

He also accused the media of indulging in 'illegal activities'. -- PTI

Amid ruckus in the Lok Sabha over the issue of tax on disability pension for military personnel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said he will look into the matter and asserted that the interests of the armed forces personnel is the National Democratic Alliance government's topmost priority.

As soon as Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raised the issue during the Zero Hour of the Lok Sabha, Congress members rushed to the well and raised slogans, such as 'Sena ko nayay do' (give justice to army) and 'sena ke naam pe vote mangana bandh karo' (stop seeking votes in the name of army).

With Congress members creating ruckus in the House, Speaker Om Birla said they were disturbing new MPs which is not right.

Chowdhury said the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has come out with a circular which stated that disability pension for military personnel will be taxable.

This, he said, is very sad. In his response, Singh said, "I will look into the issue. The ministry is gathering information and will get back to the House with details. Defence preparedness and the interests of armed forces personnel are the top most priorities of the NDA government."

The CBDT, in its circular dated June 24, said disability pension will be taxable for military personnel who superannuated after completing the full term of their service.

The pension will be non-taxable only for those who have retired due to any kind of disability, they had said.

Citing a Finance Ministry circular, dated June 24, a source had said, "Tax exemption will be available to armed forces personnel who have been invalidated from the service on account of bodily disability attributable to or aggravated by such service and not to personnel who have been retired or superannuated or otherwise."

Armed forces personnel who suffer any kind of disability due to their service receive separate disability pension.

The amount depends on their rank and the kind of disability.

The defence minister also said in the last 40 years people were kept in the dark as far as 'One Rank One Pension' (OROP) is concerned and were misled, 'but our government brought it into force'. -- PTI

20:16 Court refuses to hear Vijayvargiya's bail plea

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, arrested for assaulting a municipal official, on Thursday failed to get relief from the sessions court in Indore which refused to hear his bail application saying it has no jurisdiction.

Judge B K Dwivedi said the sessions court was not empowered to hear the plea as the case falls under the jurisdiction of a special fast track court set up in Bhopal to hear cases against public representatives.

Akash, son of BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, assaulted municipal officer Dhirendrasingh Bias with a cricket bat in full public view Wednesday while opposing demolition of a dilapidated house.

He was arrested and a judicial magistrate court refused him bail Wednesday evening and sent him to judicial custody till July 11.

He moved the sessions court for bail.

On the direction of the Supreme Court, special courts had been set up for expeditious hearing of cases against MPs and MLAs.

Akash's case should therefore be heard by the special fast-track court in Bhopal, the lawyer of Bias said.

"We pleaded that the Indore sessions court was competent to grant bail and later it can transfer the case to Bhopal court," Akash's lawyer Pushyamitra Bhargava said.

But the court held in its order that it did not have the jurisdiction and therefore it was rejecting the bail plea without considering its merit. Akash, thus, will have to approach the Bhopal court. -- PTI

Money parked by Indian individuals and enterprises in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches, fell by nearly 6 per cent in 2018 to 955 million Swiss francs (about Rs 6,757 crore) to hit its second-lowest level in over two decades, Swiss National Bank data showed on Thursday.

Aggregate funds of all foreign clients of Swiss banks also fell by over 4 per cent to CHF 1.4 trillion (nearly Rs 99 lakh crore) in 2018, as per the annual banking statistics released by the Zurich-based central banking authority of Switzerland.

However, the 'locational banking statistics' of the Bank for International Settlement (BIS), which the Indian and Swiss governments had said last year was a more reliable measure for deposits by Indian individuals in Swiss banks, showed a greater fall of 11 per cent for 2018.

According to the SNB, its data for 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks towards Indian clients takes into account all kinds of funds of Indian customers at Swiss banks, including deposits from individuals, banks and enterprises. This includes data for branches of Swiss banks in India, as also non-deposit liabilities.

The funds, described by the SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures reported by the banks and do not indicate the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians there.

The official SNB figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

The SNB data had shown the total liabilities of Swiss banks towards Indian clients rising by over 50 per cent in 2017 to CHF 1.01 billion (Rs 7,000 crore), reversing a three-year downward trend. However, the quantum of such funds has fallen again in 2018 to CHF 954.71 million, which includes about CHF 15 million held through fiduciaries or wealth managers.

This is the second-lowest total since CHF 723 million recorded over two decades ago in 1995.

The lowest ever amount of CHF 675 million, ever since Switzerland began making the data public in 1987, was recorded in 2016.

As per the latest figures, the total customer deposits of Indian clients rose to CHF 572 million in 2018, but funds held through banks fell to CHF 104 million, while money parked through securities and other instruments and via fiduciaries also declined.

On the asset side, Swiss banks saw a marginal increase in the amount due from their Indian customers to CHF 212 million (from CHF 210 million in 2017).

In comparison, the BIS data showed that the total amount outstanding to non-bank or individual Indian clients of Swiss banks fell to $ 84.6 million at the end of 2018 (by 11 per cent from $ 94.8 million at the end of 2017).

The fall was much larger at 44 per cent during 2017.

The BIS publishes quarterly figures, which shows that these funds rose during the first quarter of 2018 (to $ 100.9 million), but declined in the three remaining quarters of the year.

The annual SNB data has shown a decline four times during the last five years.

The fall was the maximum at 45 per cent in 2016. The funds held by Indians through fiduciaries alone used to be in billions till 2007 but began falling after that amid fears of regulatory crackdown.

The total funds held by Indians with Swiss banks stood at a record high of CHF 6.5 billion (Rs 23,000 crore) at 2006-end, but came down to nearly one-tenth of that level in about a decade.

Since those record levels, there has been a rise only three times -- in 2011 (12 per cent), 2013 (43 per cent) and then in 2017.

A new framework has been put in place for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace with effect from January 1, 2018. -- PTI

As Rahul Gandhi is adamant on leaving the post of Congress president, a senior party leader in Telangana on Thursday urged him to let his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra take over the reins.

Four-time MLA Marri Shashidhar Reddy said the party cadre should respect Rahul Gandhi's stance that accountability for the Congress's setback in the recent Lok Sabha elections should start from the top, no matter how much immense faith they have in him and wish that he continues to be in the post.

Reddy, also the former vice-chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, said he has full faith in Rahul Gandhi's leadership but he respects his views that the party should find a new president.

"The party has to move on. The presence of Congress pan-India has to be effectively used to counter the BJP, though we did not win enough seats in the Lok Sabha elections," he told PTI.

"Respecting his (Rahul Gandhi's) views, I think a decision should be taken soon," he said, noting that the party has to gear up as assembly elections are due in some states later this year.

Reddy, son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister M Channa Reddy, noted Rahul Gandhi has also insisted that his replacement should not be from another member of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

A former minister in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy has always been maintaining that it has been possible to hold the party together only because of the

leadership given to it by the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Some may call it dynasty or whatever, it is the way the Congress has evolved over the years. Somehow it has been totally dependent on the pan-India appeal of the Gandhi family, he said.

"So, from that point of view, we will be happy if he (Rahul Gandhi) agrees to let Priyanka Gandhi take over," he said.

"As Mrs Sonia Gandhi relinquished (the post of Congress president) and paved the way for Rahul Gandhi's elevation, other option is Priyanka Gandhi," he said. -- PTI

An inmate of the Ludhiana Central Jail was killed and 35 injured when a clash broke between two groups of gangsters Thursday, prompting police to open fire to bring the situation under control.

A senior police officer was among those injured in the mayhem at the Punjab jail.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry by the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, an official release stated.

He has asked for a detailed probe to identify the instigators, making it clear that strict action would be taken against the culprits.

The trouble started soon after a jail inmate, undergoing a trial in a drug case, died at a Patiala hospital Thursday.

DCP Ashwani Kapoor said Sunny Sood was referred to a Patiala hospital due to illness Wednesday, where he died.

As the news reached in Ludhiana, his fellow gangsters started instigating other prisoners, the DCP said.

They also accused police of "murdering" Sood, he said.

Kapoor said the jail staff had to open fire to control the situation, which had turned serious.

"The jail police had to open fire when two group of gangsters started pelting each other with stones at the central jail here. One jail inmate was killed and 35 others, including a assistant commissioner of police (ACP), received injuries," DCP Ashwani Kapoor said.

The jail authorities said the ACP of the city police and some members of the jail staff received injuries due to fierce brick batting by the inmates.

They also set an official vehicle of the jail superintendent and a portion of the jail kitchen on fire with the help of an LPG cylinder, the authorities said.

The fire brigade and the jail authorities said the rioters, numbering around 300, also tried to break open the main gate of the jail.

DCP Ashwani Kapoor said huge police force was rushed to the jail to control the situation.

18:56 New roster in SC, top 5 judges to hear PILs

With the Supreme Court all set to work in its full strength of 31 judges from July 1 after summer vacation, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi has notified a new roster of work which said top five judges of the apex court will be hearing public interest litigation matters.

On May 24, when the Supreme Court was on vacation, four new judges were administered the oath of office by the CJI taking the overall number of judges to 31 -- the full sanctioned strength of the top court since 2008.

Earlier, fresh PIL matters were notified to be heard only by the CJI and the second senior-most judge after the CJI.

However, apex court lawyers said though the previous notification on roster stated that two senior-most judges would hear the PIL matters, it was also assigned to the benches headed by judges who were not within the seniority of five-senior most judges.

According to the fresh roster uploaded on the apex court website, the CJI will deal with the PIL matters and it would be his discretion to assign PIL cases to other top four judges -- S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and R F Nariman.

The bench headed by the Chief Justice will also hear petitions on letters received, matters related to social justice, elections, company law, monopoly and restricted trade practices, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Security Exchange Board of India, Insurance and Reserve Bank of India.

The CJI has also kept with himself matters concerning arbitration, habeas corpus, criminal cases, contempt of court and ordinary civil matters.

His bench will also deal with the issues relating to the appointment of constitutional functionaries, statutory appointments and appointment of other law officers.

Besides matters pertaining to judicial officers and commissions of enquiry, would also be allocated before the bench headed by the CJI.

A bench led by Justice Bobde will hear matters related to direct and indirect taxes, mercantile law, commercial transactions including banking, election, appeals against orders of statutory bodies, arbitration appeals, appointment of law officers, matters pertaining to employees of Supreme Court, high court, district courts and tribunals.

The Justice Bobde-led bench would also hear matters related to admissions to educational institutions other than medical and engineering colleges, leases, government contracts and contracts by local bodies.

Justice Ramana has been assigned matters related to compensation, arbitration appeals, criminal matters, ordinary civil matters, mercantile laws, commercial transactions including banking, judicial officers matters and matters related to armed forces and paramilitary forces, admirality and maritime laws.

He will also hear matters related to religious charitable endowments and eviction under the Public premises (eviction) Act. -- PTI

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday flayed the people of Badami, his assembly constituency, for voting for the Bharatiya Janata Partyin the Lok Sabha election and ignoring those who "believe in development".

Siddaramaiah said the Congress government carried out several development works in the constituency but the people still voted for the BJP.

Badami comes under the Bagalkot Lok Sabha constituency from where BJP's Gaddigoudar Parvatagouda Chandanagouda won defeating Congress candidate Veena Kashappanavar by a margin of over one lakh votes.

Addressing a gathering at Badami in Bagalkot district of North Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, "In this Badami region, the BJP gets 9,000 votes lead (in Lok Sabha election). I don't know what (good) they (BJP) have done that people vote for them. I can't understand."

"We built the panchayat building. We are the ones who gave rice and paddy, we waived the loans, we built tanks for agriculture, we offered Vidya Siri scheme," the Congress Legislature Party leader said.

"You don't vote for those who believe in development," Siddaramaiah added.

When a man stood up to reply, Siddaramaiah asked him whether he was from the BJP.

Some locals of Badami have reportedly launched a campaign -- 'Where is our MLA?' alleging that Siddaramaiah had neglected the constituency as he spends most of his time in Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The Congress leader's outburst comes a day after chief minister H D Kumaraswamy lost his cool and shouted at a group of workers of Yermarus Thermal Power Station in Raichur district when they approached him with a list of grievances.

"You voted for Narendra Modi and want me to get your works done! You want me to give you respect. Should I order a lathi-charge? Leave the place," Kumaraswamy told the YTPS employees, leaving onlookers shocked.

Later, Kumaraswamy told a television channel that he had sought 15 days time to address the workers' grievances but they blocked the road which made him angry.

Asked to comment on Kumaraswamy's outburst, Siddaramaiah said it was not correct to react without knowing the context of his statement.

The BJP, however, slammed the Congress and the JD-S, and said that their public show of displeasure was a result of their "desperation". -- PTI

The Odisha's Sambalpur district administration has felicitated a 20-year-old tribal girl for showing courage by refusing to marry a man who came for the marriage drunk.

Mamata Bhoi of Gobardhan Badmal village under the Jujumura Block had refused to tie nuptial knot with a man, who had come to marry her in an inebriated condition on May 12 this year.

The baarat had to go back when the girl refused to budge from her decision.

Because of her bold decision, Mamata was felicitated at an official program in the presence of Sambalpur district collector, Subham Saxena and Sambalpur Superintendent of Police, Sanjeev Arora on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Wednesday.

The program was organised by the district administration along with department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and department of Excise.

The district administration felicitated Mamata with a shawl, citation and Rs 10,000 cash.

Mamata said: "When I saw the man in an inebriated condition at the wedding mandap, I immediately took the decision not to marry him. The man was unable to even stand as he was heavily drunk. I realised that I cannot lead a happy life with him."

"I instantly took the decision not to marry him. I dont think that I have done anything wrong," she said.

Mamata hails from financially poor family and it was quite a tough call for her to send back the groom from the wedding mandap. But, she remained firm with her decision. Though her strong resolve left her family member astonished, they stood by her, said her aunt, Subasini Dharua.

However, marriage of Mamata has been fixed with a man of Brajarajnagar now," she said.

"By refusing to marry a drunkard, Mamata gave a message to all the girls that they should be very particular while selecting their spouse and she also gave the message to the all the girls that their life would be hell if they get married to drunkard, said Sambalpur SP, Sanjeev Arora. -- PTI

India and China have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question through negotiations, the government informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

In a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha, minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan said China disputes the international boundary between India and China.

"Indian territory under the occupation of China in Jammu & Kashmir is approximately 38,000 sq. km. In addition, under the so-called China-Pakistan 'boundary agreement' signed between China and Pakistan on 2 March 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq. km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China," the minister said.

India and China have each appointed a Special Representative to explore the framework for a boundary settlement from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship, he said.

The two sides have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question through dialogue and negotiations, he said. -- PTI

18:23

Mumbai Police files an FIR of rape against actor-producer Aditya Pancholi.

17:58 BJP can't construct Ram temple: Shankracharya

The Dwarka Peeth Sharkracharya on Thurdsay questioned the introduction of the triple talaq bill in Parliament, saying the only way to provide relief to Muslim women was to make the second marriage an offence till the first wife was alive.

"If the husband would be sent to the jail, from where his life partner would get the money to support herself," Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati said talking to reporters in Mathura on Thursday.

He said a similar law on the lines of the Hindu Code Bill should be made to prohibit the second marriage in the Muslim community until the first wife was alive.

He also accused the BJP of misguiding people on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"On the Ram temple, from the very beginning, the BJP has been misguiding people by creating an impression that it would be constructed by them only," he said.

"The BJP government at the Centre cannot construct the Ram temple as it would be against the oath of secularism taken by every member of Parliament," he said, claiming that only "dharmacharyas" would construct the temple after the apex court order.

The seer also claimed that since Babar had never visited Ayodhya so the construction of a mosque by him was out of question.

Unknowingly, the existing temple was demolished by activists of the RSS and the BJP in Ayodhya in 1992.

The shankaracharya also favoured a change in the anti-defection law, saying fresh mandate should be sought after a legislator defected to other party. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday the ties between India and Japan have become stronger from the time the two countries cooperated to make a car to coming together to manufacture the bullet trains.

Addressing the Indian community in this Japanese city, Prime Minister Modi said Japan has played an important role in India's economic development.

Modi said the bilateral ties are going to become more robust as India aims to become a USD 5 trillion economy in the next five years.

"There was a time when we were collaborating in building cars and today we are collaborating in building a bullet train," said Modi, who is in Kobe to attend the G20 Summit to be held in Osaka from Friday.

"Today there is no such part of India where Japan's projects or investments have not left its mark. Similarly talent and manpower of India are contributing to strengthen Japan," he told the enthusiastic Indian diaspora who gave a rousing welcome to the Prime Minister.

India is planning to run its first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with Japan's help. The first stretch of the ambitious project is expected to be completed by 2022.

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited is in the process of acquiring land for the 508-kilometer project. PTI

16:53 Nirav Modi to remain in jail till July 25

A UK court on Thursday extended till July 25 the remand of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, who is wanted in India in connection with the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud and money laundering case.

The 48-year-old, who fights his extradition from Britain to India has been behind bars at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest in March.

The UK High Court on June 12 rejected Modi's bail application, his fourth attempt to get bail. An arrest warrant was issued against him in May and then a second one in July last year, with an extradition request made to the UK authorities in August 2018.

Modi appeared via videolink from prison for a routine remand hearing before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday. Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers on an extradition warrant on March 19 and has been in prison since.

Under the UK law, Modi is expected to be produced before the court every four weeks, with another remand hearing expected before the July 29 case management hearing currently fixed in the court's calendar.

The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian government, has until July 11 to present an opening position statement laying out the prima facie case against Modi, with the next case management hearing set for July 29 - when a timeline for extradition trial is expected to be laid out. -- PTI

16:18 Maratha quota valid: HC

The Bombay High Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education. A division bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre, however, said the quota percentage should be reduced from 16 per cent to 12 to 13 per cent, as recommended by the State Backward Classes Commission.

"We hold and declare that the state government possesses legislative competence to create a separate category of the Socially and Educationally Backward Class and grant reservation," the court said.

"We, however, have held that the 16 per cent should be reduced to 12 to 13 per cent as recommended by the commission," the bench said. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging Maharashtra government's decision granting 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions.

On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill granting 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas, declared a socially and educationally backward class by the state government. The reservation will be in addition to the existing 52 per cent overall reservation in the state. With the 16 per cent reservation for Marathas, the reservation quantum in the state was expected to rise to 68 per cent.

Several petitions were filed in the court challenging the reservation, while a few others were filed in its support. The petitions challenging the quota decision had argued that it was violative of Supreme Court's orders which say that reservation in any state should not exceed more than 50 per cent. The government, while defending its decision, had said that it was meant to alleviate the Maratha community, which it said was socially and economically backward. -- PTI

16:04 Bombay HC upholds reduced Maratha quota

The Bombay high court has upheld the validity of Maratha community quota in government jobs and education.

Court says Maratha quota percentage should be reduced from 16 per cent to 12 or 13 per cent.

Details soon.

A Naxal, carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on his head, was killed by the District Reserve Guard in Sukma on Thursday.

The killed Naxal has been identified as Vanjam Budhu, Nilamadgu RPC (Revolutionary People's Committee) in-charge and Jan militia commander."

In the morning, we received the information regarding the presence of Naxals in the forests between Murliguda and Atkal in Sukma district. Immediately a team of DRG was sent to the area," said Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha."

At around 12.15 pm, Naxals opened fire on the DRG team. Our team also retaliated in self-defense. After 15-20 minutes, Naxals fled the location. The body of one Naxal was later recovered from the area," he added.

Police have recovered one weapon, a bag full of medicines, surgical items and other items of daily use from the spot. -- ANI

The Karnataka government is contemplating a five-year ban on construction of multi-storeyed residential buildings in view of the acute water crisis, deputy chief minister Dr GParameshwara said Thursday.

He also alleged failure of the builders to provide water to those dwelling in apartments. The builders sell the apartments to families without assuring them of water availability, he said. When the water sources go dry, the apartment dwellers depend on tankers, and the water supplied through the tankers allegedly cause water-borne and skin diseases, he said.

Due to water scarcity, deliberations were on to ban the construction of apartments in the city for the next five years, Parameshwara said. The government would soon convene a meeting of all the builders and developers to seek their opinion on the issue to take a final call, he said.

-- PTI

15:17 Bomb threat in A-I Mumbai-Newark flight

A US-bound Air India passenger plane made a "precautionary landing" in London today after a bomb threat.

The AI 191 Mumbai-Newark flight "made a precautionary landing at London Stansted Airport due to bomb threat," Air India tweeted.

Details awaited.

Representational image.

15:03 Comic book on GST

A book seeks to demystify the complex layers and rules of Goods and Services Tax (GST) through visual storytelling. In "Adventures of the GST Man", author Srinivas Kotni uses a fictional superhero to answer questions that one may have on this indirect tax levied by the government on all goods and services. Kotni says he wanted to simplify the understanding of GST and make it more exciting by using caricatures and cartoons.

"The idea of a comic book on GST and its various concepts as introduced in India thus germinated in my mind," he says. The GST Man, who is the superhero, holds the narrative in the entire book and seeks to impart knowledge on the tax structure in a creative and playful manner.

The book, published by Lexport, has a foreword by former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who says many concepts of GST have been "succinctly presented with a tinge of humour". -- PTI

The Centre on Monday clarified that disability pension of all armed forces irrespective of rank shall continue to be exempt from income tax.

The tax exemption will be only for personnel who have been invalided from naval, military or air force service on account of bodily disability attributable to or aggravated by such service and not to the personnel who have been retired on superannuation or otherwise, a circular issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes on June 24 clarified.

Moreover, the disability pension exempt under The Income-tax Act, 1961, will be the entire disability pension including service element and disability element. -- ANI

13:23 PNB fraud: Nirav Modi's bank accounts frozen

Four Swiss bank accounts of beleaguered diamantaire Nirav Modi, the main accused in the USD 2-billion PNB fraud case, and his sister have been "frozen" by authorities in Switzerland as part of the criminal money laundering probe being conducted against them in India, official sources said.

They said the accounts, at present, have deposits totalling Rs 283.16 crore and they have been frozen on the request of the Enforcement Directorate after it informed Switzerland authorities that the money kept in them are "proceeds of crime" of a bank fraud perpetrated by the duo.

The ED, they said, made the request to the Swiss authorities sometime back and sent an official request under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Official sources said while the accounts of Nirav Modi, the diamantaire under arrest in this case in London, have deposits of USD 3,74,11,596 while the accounts in the name of his sister Purvi Modi has deposits of GBP 27,38,136. This totals around Rs 283.16 crore, they said.

The central probe agency is expected to now make a move for the attachment of these bank accounts under the PMLA. The ED along with the CBI are investigating Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others for alleged money laundering and corruption to defraud the Brady House branch of the PNB in Mumbai to the tune of over Rs 13,000 crore.

The alleged scam was unearthed last year and Purvi Modi was also named as an accused by the ED in its chargesheet filed before a Mumbai court.

-- PTI

12:44 Nirmala meets Dr Singh ahead of Union Budget

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met former PM Dr Manmohan Singh at his residence. Dr Singh, a respected economist, was the union finance minister in the Narasimha Rao government in 1991 and spearheaded liberalisation in the country.

The National Democratic Alliance government will on July 5 unveil the Budget for 2019-2020. On February 1, the government had presented an Interim Budget to seek Parliament's nod for spending till the new government took charge after the Lok Sabha election.

12:08 Modi-Abe old friends, meeting was warm: FS

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on the meeting between PM Modi and Japan PM Shinzo Abe:

"It was a very warm meeting, both leaders are old friends. They had a very constructive and detailed discussion on the bilateral relationship.

"PM Abe referred specifically to PM Modi's initiative in earlier G20 meetings on the issue of fugitive economic offenders and he said that G20 should deal with this problem as part of its anti-corruption measures.

"Both PMs would meet again tomorrow for a trilateral meeting between Japan, India & US, there was a brief discussion on the Indo-Pacific initiative that all three countries are separately pursuing and discussing together," Vijay Gokhale said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held talks Thursday during which they discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, the first meeting between the two leaders since the start of Japan's Reiwa era.

The prime minster said that President Ram Nath Kovind will participate in the coronation ceremony of Emperor Naruhito in October.

Modi thanked Abe for his warm welcome to him and the Indian delegation visiting Japan for the G20 Summit. He also appreciated Japan's leadership as the G20 chairman.

"PM @narendramodi met Japanese PM @AbeShinzo ahead of the #G20Summit. Discussed broad range of topics of mutual interest. PM said that he was looking forward to visit of PM Abe to India later this year for the Annual Summit," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Prime Minister congratulated Abe and Japan's citizens for the start of the Reiwa era. The term for the new era is made up of the two characters Rei and Wa. Rei can mean "commands" or "order", as well as "auspicious" or "good".

Wa often means "harmony", and is also used in the Japanese word for "peace" - "hei-wa".

11:42 2 men beaten up by cow vigilantes

Two men were allegedly beaten up by cow vigilantes on suspicion of smuggling cow beef on Sohna road in Gurugram on Tuesday. An FIR has been filed against the two men for allegedly transporting beef in two mini-trucks by a cow vigilante.

The men were admitted to a civil government hospital in Gurugram and later referred to Rohtak Medical College.

Police on Tuesday seized two vehicles loaded with meat on Sohna Road between Rajiv Chawk and Subhash Chawk in the city on the complaint of the cow vigilantes.

A sample of the meat was sent to a forensic lab to ascertain whether it was beef, as claimed by the cow vigilantes. -- ANI

11:24 Veteran actress Vijaya Nirmala dead

Veteran Telugu actress and director G Vijaya Nirmala died at a private hospital in Hyderabad following a brief illness, hospital authorities said Thursday. She breathed her last at Continental Hospital in Gachibowli where she was undergoing treatment on Wednesday night, they said. She was 73.

Wife of veteran actor Krishna and step-mother of current Telugu star Mahesh Babu, Vijaya Nirmala entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the female director with most number of movies to her credit (44).

11:17 Modi meets Japan PM at G-20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

Abe congratulated PM Modi for winning the Lok Sabha elections saying, "Once again I would like to offer my hearty congratulations to you for an overwhelming win in elections. Also, next time it is my turn to visit India and I am looking forward to my visit."

Modi thanked Abe for his wishes saying, "You were the first friend of India who congratulated me on the phone. I also express my gratitude for the warm welcome you and Japan Government have accorded to us."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Osaka, Japan for the G20 Summit during which he will attend important meetings and meet with the world leaders including US President Donald Trump.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's sixth G20 Summit which is being held at Osaka on June 28-29.

In his departure statement, he said that issues such as women empowerment, artificial intelligence and common efforts to address challenges like terrorism will be high on his agenda.

11:10 HM meets J-K governor

In Srinagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik hold review meeting over security/law & order situation in the state.

10:52 Cong issues whip to MPs to be present in RS

The Congress on Thursday issued a three-line whip to its MPs to be present in Rajya Sabha.

The notification was issued to the Congress parliamentarians a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition for not holding discussions on key issues such as 'One Nation, One Election' concept and practising negativity in opposing every new idea.

"Congress has not been able to digest victory. They have not been able to accept the defeat. I do not consider this to be a healthy sign in a democracy. We are seeing this same attitude when it comes to discussing One Nation, One Election," he said while winding up the debate on the President's address in the Rajya Sabha.

The Prime Minister also snubbed the Opposition accusing it of crying foul over EVM "malfunction" and said their leaders were blocking every 'progressive' idea. He also urged them to come forward and have discussions on such issues.

"Those opposing EVMs are not only opposed to EVMs.They have problems with technology, digital transactions, Aadhaar, GST, Bhim App. Why such negativity? This negativity was one of the chief reasons why some parties have not been able to win people's trust," Modi said. -- ANI

10:43

Haryana: Congress leader Vikas Chaudhary shot at in Faridabad. More details awaited.

10:42 Amit Shah meets slain cop in Kashmir

Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived at the residence of Arshad Khan, SHO Anantnag, who lost his life in a terror attack on June 12, to meet his family members on Thursday.

The 40-year-old SHO was injured while carrying out a stand-off counter-attack on the terrorists at KP road in Anantnag at about 4:50 pm on June 12.

He was rushed to a local hospital and then shifted to AIIMS in Delhi where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Five other personnel too died in the Anantnag attack. Five CRPF personnel attained martyrdom and three others were injured in the attack.

A picture of Srinagar SSP Dr M Haseeb Mughal carrying Khan's son in his lap during his wreath-laying ceremony had gone viral on social media platforms.

Amit Shah is on a two-day official visit to the state first time after assuming the office.

On Wednesday, he conducted a review meeting of the security arrangements for Amarnath Yatra and directed all security agencies to take all preventive steps to ensure a violence-free Yatra. -- ANI

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday left the White House to attend the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan over the weekend to hold discussions on a host of bilateral and global issues with leaders of top 20 economies of the world.

"I'm heading to Japan, Osaka. And we are going to be meeting with (leaders from) a lot of different countries, many of whom have been taking advantage of the United States but not so much anymore, and soon not at all anymore," Trump told reporters in the South lawns of the White House before boarding Marine One which took him to Andrews Joint Air Force Base for Air Force One for travelling to Japan. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the US president will meet his Chinese and Russian counterparts Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit.

The White House said Trump and Modi would hold a bilateral meeting on June 28. This would be the third engagement of Trump on Friday, which would start with his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8.30 am local time. Thereafter, Modi would join Abe and Trump for a tri-lateral meeting at 9.15 am.

Before leaving for Japan, Trump tweeted, "I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the tariffs must be withdrawn!" -- PTI

Image: @realDonaldTrump tweeted last night: "Just departed for the #G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan!"

Fugitve diamantaire Nirav Modi is set to appear via videolink from prison for a routine remand hearing before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday.

The 48-year-old, who has been lodged at Wandsworth prison in south-west London since his arrest in March in connection with the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud and money laundering case, will be appearing for the first time since his bail appeal was rejected by the UK High Court earlier this month, his fourth attempt at bail.

In her judgment handed down at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Justice Ingrid Simler concluded there were 'substantial grounds' to believe that Modi would fail to surrender as he does possess the means to "abscond'.

Reiterating similar concerns as those previously raised by Westminster Magistrates' Court during earlier bail attempts, Judge Simler ruled that after considering all the material "carefully', she had found strong evidence to suggest there had been interference with witnesses and destruction of evidence in the case and concluded it can still occur.

"The applicant has access to considerable financial resources, supported by an increased (bail bond security) offer of 2 million pounds,' the judge noted.

The High Court judge stressed that while it was not for her to take a "definitive view" on the evidence, she had proceeded on the basis that the government of India has acted in good faith in what is "undoubtedly' a serious case and a "sophisticated international conspiracy' to defraud, together with money laundering.

Modi, who has remained in judicial custody since his arrest in March, had the automatic right to file an application in the higher court and did not require permission to appeal. -- PTI

10:01 Sensex rises over 100 pts ahead of G-20 Summit

Domestic equity benchmark BSE Sensex rose over 100 points in early trade Thursday tracking positive cues from global markets ahead of the G-20 summit.

The 30-share index was trading 88.07 points, or 0.22 per cent, higher at 39,680.15 at 0930 hours. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty was quoting 25.20 points, or 0.21 per cent, up at 11,872.75. In the previous session Wednesday, the BSE gauge finished 157.14 points, or 0.40 per cent, higher at 39,592.08, and the broader NSE Nifty jumped 51.10 points, or 0.43 per cent, to 11,847.55.

Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank, ONGC, Axis Bank, M&M, L&T, NTPC, Maruti and HUL, rising up to 1.43 per cent.

While, TechM, Sun Pharma, HCL Tech, PowerGrid, Bajaj Auto, RIL, HDFC Bank and Bharti Airtel fell up to 1.14 per cent. According to experts, equities are rallying globally as investors hope for progress in US-China trade talks at the G-20 summit scheduled to be held in Osaka, Japan, on June 28-29. -- PTI

File pic of PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping

09:45 India must withdraw tariffs: Trump

US President Donald Trump today termed India's imposition of retaliatory tariffs as "unacceptable" and said it must be withdrawn.

He said he is looking forward to his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan on Friday.

"I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the tariffs must be withdrawn!" Donald Trump tweeted.

India had imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US items earlier this month, after the Donald Trump administration ended trade concessions for India on June 1.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met PM Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Wednesday, defended his government's decision, stating that the US deserves greater market access.

PM Modi reached Japan early this morning for the G20 summit on the sidelines of which he will attend several key meetings with world leaders including the much-anticipated talks with Trump.

The PM Modi-Donald Trump meeting assumes significance in the wake of the strain that has emerged in the bilateral ties on trade and economic issues.

A minor girl in Assam's Darrang district committed suicide on Wednesday, with her relatives and members of a students' organisation linking the incident to the National Register of Citizens, which is being updated across the state.

Relatives of Noor Nahar Begum, 14, of Roumari chapori village said that she hanged herself with the dupatta she was wearing.

"Her name was not included in the draft NRC published by Assam government last year. However, she was sure that her name will appear in the final NRC. Today, when the Assam government published an additional draft list of exclusion, Noor and her family took it to be the final NRC. Noor took the extreme step after her father went to the NRC seva Kendra at Roumari and failed to find her name in the list and told her this over the phone," one of the relatives said.

The family said it was not aware that the list published on Wednesday was not the final NRC but a additional draft exclusion list and that non-inclusion of her name in the list enhances her chance of inclusion of her name in the final NRC to be published on July 31.

All Assam Minority Students' Union leader Abdul Hai visited the deceased's house and blamed the state government for the death.

"There is so much confusion over the NRC process and the government has failed to ensure proper publicity regarding the process, which has led to the incident," he alleged.

09:02 US body condemns lynching of man in Jharkhand

The US Commission for International Religious Freedom strongly condemned the lynching of a Muslim man in Jharkhand and called on the government to take concrete actions to prevent this kind of violence and intimidation.

Tabrez Ansari, 24, was allegedly tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand's Seraikela Kharsawan district last Wednesday on the suspicion of theft. The newly-married man was purportedly seen in a video being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman". He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

"We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal murder, in which the perpetrators reportedly forced Ansari to say Hindu chants as they beat him for hours," USCIRF chairman Tony Perkins said.

"We call on the Indian government to take concrete actions that will prevent this kind of violence and intimidation by a thorough investigation of Ansari's murder as well as the local police's handling of the case, he said, adding, "Lack of accountability will only encourage those who believe they can target religious minorities with impunity."

In its recent annual report, the USCIRF again placed India on its Tier 2 for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the "systematic, ongoing, egregious" standard used to designate "countries of particular concern", or CPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act.

The report details numerous concerns in Jharkhand, including its anti-conversion law and mob violence against religious minorities. In 2018, USCIRF released a special report on limitations on religious minorities in South Asia, including in India.

-- PTI

In yet another setback to the Telugu Desam Party, its spokesperson Lanka Dinakar has quit the party and joined the BJP.

In his resignation to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Dinakar said, I, Lanka Dinakar, herewith submitting my resignation for my position in the party as National Spokesperson and primary membership of the party after unanimous decision of my family members.

The move comes after four Rajya Sabha MPs of the party - YS Chowdary, CM Ramesh, TG Venkatesh and G Mohan Rao - joined the saffron party in the presence of its Woking President JP Nadda.

The TDP has been facing a crisis since its decimation in the Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, where it won just 23 seats. Jagan Mohan Reddys YSRCP swept the state by winning 151 of 175 seats. In the Lok Sabha, the party could win only three seats in the recent elections.

07:58 PM Modi arrives in Japan for G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Japan's Osaka for the G20 Summit during which he will attend important plurilateral meetings and meet with the world leaders including US President Donald Trump.

"Early morning arrival in Osaka. The #G20 Summit, bilateral and multilateral interactions await PM @narendramodi in the coming two days. He will elaborate on many issues of global importance and present India's viewpoint," the prime minister's office (PMO) tweeted.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's sixth G20 Summit which is being held at Osaka on June 28-29.

"PM @narendramodi arrives at Kansai International airport in #Osaka to attend the #G20summit . Over the next 3 days, PM has a range of bilateral and plurilateral engagements to articulate India's views on the global platform," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

In his departure statement, he said that issues such as women empowerment, artificial intelligence and common efforts to address challenges like terrorism will be high on his agenda.

"The summit will provide an important opportunity to reiterate and reinforce our strong support to reformed multilateralism, which is crucial for preserving rule-based international order in today's fast-changing world," Modi said.

On the sidelines, Modi said, he "looks forward to engaging with leaders of our major partner countries on important issues of bilateral and global importance.

"I also look forward to host the next Russia, India and China Informal Summit on the sidelines, and also to participate in the next informal meetings of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and JAI (Japan, America and India) leaders," he added.

Apart from Trump, Prime Minister Modi will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders during the G20 Summit.

-- PTI

00:11 Ruckus outside Indore jail over Akash's arrest

Security was beefed up outside the District Jail, Indore on Wednesday after supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Akash Vijayvargiya, who was arrested for thrashing a Municipal Corporation officer earlier in the day, created a ruckus.

Akash, son of senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, was brought to the jail after a court in Indore denied him bail.

A supporter of the leader even attempted to set himself on fire.

"We are ready to sacrifice ourselves for him. Akash Vijayvargiya didn't do anything wrong by beating up the official," the supporter told media in Indore before being taken into custody by police.

Madhya Pradesh Police had earlier today arrested Akash for thrashing a Municipal Corporation officer with a cricket bat.

A case has also been registered against 10 others in this regard. -- ANI

IMAGE: A supporter of Akash Vijayvargiya attempted to set himself on fire outside Indore jail. Photograph: ANI

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