LIVE! Treatment meted out to Advani 'shameful': Shatrughan

LIVE

Sun, 24 March 2019

Treatment meted out to Advani 'shameful': Shatrughan

Timeline Refresh

20:40 Treatment meted out to Advani 'shameful': Shatrughan

Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Patna Sahib who has been denied a ticket by the party this time, has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of treating party patriarch L K Advani in a "painful" and "shameful" manner.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Sinha claimed that the BJP's decision to not give ticket to Advani, the sitting MP from Gandhinagar, and to field party president Amit Shah from the seat "has not gone down well" with many people.

"Sirji... it is worrisome, painful and according to some even shameful... that which your people have done was the most expected and awaited... orchestrating the departure of a most respected friend, philosopher, guide, father figure and ultimate leader of the party, Shri L K Advani from the political arena/election," Sinha tweeted.

Advani, 91, has served as Union home minister and deputy prime minister. He was also the national president of the BJP more than once. He is often credited with helping the party create a national footprint within a decade of its formation through active participation in the Ayodhya movement.

In another tweet, Sinha deplored "the replacement of Mr Advani by none other than the man who is also the president of the party and whose image or personality is no match nor even a patch on him".

"This has been done intentionally and deliberately and not gone down well with the people of the country," the rebel BJP leader claimed.

"No one can approve of such a treatment to a father figure. What you and your people have done to me is still tolerable. I am able and capable of answering your people back in the same coin. Remember Newton's third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction," Sinha, who has been a vocal critic of the BJP, said.

Once considered a hardliner, Advani's decline began after he fell out of favour with the BJP's parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) following his appreciation of "secular" personality of Pakistan founder Mohd Ali Jinnah in 2005.

His standing within the party diminished further after he fell out with Modi, whom he had mentored. Advani had also backed Modi when the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wanted him gone as Gujarat chief minister in the aftermath of 2002 Godhra riots.

Sinha said the party's decision to deny ticket to Advani "smacks of ingratitude". -- PTI

20:14 Fire breaks out at AIIMS Trauma Centre

A fire broke out on the ground floor of the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi on Sunday near one of the operation theatres, the Delhi Fire Service said.

A call was received at 6.13 pm about the incident, following which 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, Chief Fire officer Atul Garg said.

The fire broke out on the ground floor of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences Trauma Centre, fire fighting operations are underway, he said.

Hospital sources said patients had to be shifted to another ward and others were evacuated since the smoke engulfed the ground floor of the building.

The electricity supply has been stopped in the building for now and short circuit is suspected to be the reason behind the incident, they said. -- PTI

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said "opposition parties offered biryani to terrorists" while the Modi government fed them bullets, and termed a rival candidate from the Saharanpur constituency "son-in-law of Azar Masood".

Addressing a rally in Saharanpur, he said the "son-in-law of (Jaish-e-Mohammed chief) Azhar Masood" has entered the constituency and he speaks the language of the terror mastermind.

Imran Masood is the Congress candidate from the constituency.

"You people have to ensure that the person who speaks the language of Azhar Masood is defeated in the Lok Sabha elections," he said, seeking votes for the BJP candidate from Saharanpur, Raghav Lakhanpal.

Adityanath said Azhar would meet the same fate as Osama bin Laden.

"You must have heard about Osama bin Laden. He was killed brutally. Azhar Masood will be killed in the same manner," he said.

The UP chief minister said the BJP is committed to nation building and will not allow "any traitor to dent India's integrity".

"Some parties offered biryani to terrorists, while the Modi government has only one medicine for terrorists - bullets and bombs," he said.

Taking a jibe at the SP-BSP alliance in the state, Adityanath said, "People who are contesting 37-38 seats are think of becoming prime minister." -- PTI

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's condition had deteriorated in jail due to a kidney disease, a day after his family met him and expressed concern over his health, Pakistan media reported on Sunday.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo's daughter Maryam Nawaz tweeted about his worsening health on Saturday after she along with his personal physician Adnan Khan visited Sharif at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore on receiving permission from the country's interior ministry, according to The Express Tribune newspaper.

Sharif, 69, is in jail since December last year, serving a 7-year imprisonment in the Al Azizia Steel Mills graft case.

After meeting her father, Maryam tweeted that his kidney disease had reached the third stage and he felt pain in his arm.

"The blood tests done yesterday reveal a further raise in his creatinine levels which means his kidney function has deteriorated. His kidney disease is already at stage 3. The pain in the flanks persists," Maryam tweeted.

She also said that a letter had been written to the additional chief secretary to request him for a medical specialist to be sent to jail to diagnose Nawaz's disease and treat the problem in the presence of his personal physician, the newspaper reported.

The duo met Sharif for two hours during which the leader informed them that his blood samples had been taken and he had been informed about the reports. He also told them about his kidney ailment. -- PTI

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav Sunday said the Congress might win an election in Pakistan if it contests from there as the opposition party is "banking on lies" and the neighbouring country.

He also claimed that the statements of the Congress leaders are retweeted more by the people of Pakistan than their counterparts in India.

"Their comments are more retweeted and publicised by the people of the neighbouring country than our own. The Congress might win an election in Pakistan if it contests from there. This is the condition of our main opposition party," the BJP leader told a press conference in Guwahati.

"The Congress does not have any issue to really take on our government, our leader and our party. It is banking on lies and Pakistan," the BJP leader said.

Pointing out that the Congress is fighting a "clueless battle", Madhav said "Nobody in the country is understanding what it wants to say and in which direction it wants to take the country. The people are also not understanding if the Congress is fighting for India or Pakistan."

Alleging that the Congress leaders are "doubting" the credentials of the Indian Army, the senior BJP leader said the opposition party was not only questioning the success of the BJP-led government, but also making "derogatory remarks" about the Army.

When asked about the allegation of former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa paying a bribe of Rs 1,800 crore to top BJP leaders, Madhav said, "It is bogus news...the Congress has no issue today to confront us and it is only banking on lies." -- PTI

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Sunday said the makers of the upcoming film "PM Narendra Modi" deliberately added her husband, lyricist Javed Akhtar's, in the credits to "mislead" the audience.

The 74-year-old writer's name was mentioned in the credits of the film's trailer alongside lyricists Prasoon Joshi, Sameer, Abhendra Kumar Upadhyay, Sardaraa, Parry G and Lavraj.

"It is quite clear this was done with deliberate intentions to mislead public into believing that @Javedakhtarjadu has written the songs for Mr PM Narendra Modi when the song 'Ishwar Allah tere jahaN mein' is from @IamDeepaMehta film '1947:Earth'," Azmi posted on Twitter.

On Friday, Akhtar had expressed shock over his name being mentioned in credits of the film.

"(I) am shocked to find my name on the poster of this film. Have not written any songs for it," he had written on the microblogging site.

Producer of the film, Sandip Ssingh had clarified that the team had used an old song penned by the veteran lyricist in the film and hence decided to give him the credit.

"Javed sahab is a senior writer in our country. We have grown up listening to his songs. We have used one of his old songs 'Ishwar Allah' from '1947:Earth' and gave him credit. T-series is our music partner.

"I did not get any call from him and so I also did not call him. He spoke about it on Twitter, so even I replied there. But he could have called us," Ssingh had told PTI.

The trailer of the Omung Kumar-directed film, featuring Vivek Oberoi in the lead, released on March 20.

The film, which also features Boman Irani, Manoj Joshi, Zarina Wahab and Prashant Narayanan, releases on April 5.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission has ordered 26 lakh indelible ink bottles worth Rs 33 crore.

The seven-phase election will begin on April 11 and conclude on May 19.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel had bought 21.5 lakh phials, 4.5 lakh less than this year.

Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, a government of Karnataka undertaking, is the only authorised manufacturer of indelible ink for the EC.

Managing Director, Mysore Paints, Chandrashekhar Doddamani told PTI that the company has received an order for 26 lakh phials of 10cc each from the EC.

"The expected turnover is approximately Rs 33 crore," he said.

The order, Doddamani said, is higher than the last general elections by 4.5 lakh phials. In this election, nearly 90 crore people are eligible to case their votes for which the EC will set up nearly 10 lakh polling stations across the country.

In 1962, the Election Commission, in collaboration with the law ministry, the National Physical Laboratory and the National Research Development Corporation, had made an agreement with Mysore Paints for supply of indelible ink for Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Since then, it has been supplying the ink for elections in India.

A bottle of indelible ink contains 10 cubic centimetres (cc). As per modern measurement methods, one cubic centimetre is equivalent to one millilitre.

Mysore Paints exports indelible ink to more than 30 countries across the globe.

Soon after the note ban, the company was asked to provide indelible ink to banks to mark customers exchanging defunct currency notes to check suspicious deposits.

Grappling with unending queues and frayed tempers in banks and to check operation of syndicates after the note ban, the government had introduced the system of marking customers exchanging defunct currency notes with indelible ink. -- PTI

Within hours of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar welcoming her into the party fold, Haryanavi singer-dancer Sapna Chaudhary on Sunday claimed that she has not joined the Congress and accused it of using her old pictures with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Babbar had Saturday night welcomed Chaudhary into the party and posted a picture on Twitter of the dancer with Congress general secretary in-charge of east Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

"I welcome Sapna Chaudhary ji in the Congress family," Babbar had tweeted.

Chaudhary also said she will not campaign for any political party in the Lok Sabha election.

"I have not joined the Congress party. My pictures with Priyanka Gandhi are old, as I have met her many times in the past. These pictures are old. The biggest issue is that I have not joined any party," she told reporters.

When confronted by reporters about her pictures filling up forms of Congress membership, Chaudhary said if her old interview can be aired, why cannot her pictures be passed of as new.

A close aide of Babbar, who was seen in the picture with Chaudhary Saturday evening, had nothing to say on the singer taking a U-turn. He also displayed the membership form she had apparently filled up on her joining the party.

Sources said Chaudhary was keen to contest from Mathura, where the BJP has fielded Bollywood actor Hema Malini.

However, the Congress declared Mahesh Pathak as the party candidate from Mathura in the eighth list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls released Saturday night. -- PTI

17:26 Karnataka govt lifts ban on Ola cabs

The Karnataka government on Sunday allowed cab aggregator Ola to resume its service which was suspended two days back for running bike taxis without permission.

"Olacabs will run their business as usual from today. However there is an urgent need for policies to catch-up with new technologies & also industries too should work closer with Govt to help evolve policies for innovations," Karnataka social welfare minister Priyank Kharge said in a tweet.

Matrix Partners India, an investor in Ola Cabs, appreciated quick resolution of the issue.

"This speed of resolution is much appreciated and augurs well for the new India! Great to see younger ministers shedding the ways of the older ones and promoting speed and innovation," Matrix Partners India Founder and Managing Director Avnish Bajaj said.

The Karnataka transport department had on Friday suspended the licence of taxi aggregator Ola for six months, saying it was running bike taxis without permission.

"As Ani Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ola Cabs), Bangalore, has violated the Karnataka On-demand Transport Technology Aggregators Rules, 2016, and in the backdrop of the report submitted by the Deputy Transport Commissioner and senior Regional Transport Officer, Bangalore (South), the aggregator licence issued to it till June 19, 2021 has been suspended for 6 months under the rules," the order dated March 18 had said.

Ola in response to the order had said it is a law-abiding company that has always worked with the government to develop livelihood, improve mobility, and enable a new technology industry.

Noting that the Karnataka On-demand TransportTechnology Aggregators Rules, 2016, has come into effect from April 2016, the department had said the licence issued to OlaCabs under rules was only for app-based taxi service (motor cabs), and not for bike taxi services. -- PTI

The Congress has declared its first list of nine candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh which includes party veteran Digvijaya Singh and Meenakshi Natarajan.

Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik released the list.

The state has 29 parliamentary seats.

As chief minister Kamal Nath had announced Saturday, Singh will be contesting from the state capital Bhopal, a BJP stronghold since 1989.

Meenakshi Natarajan, a close confidant of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, will again take on Sudhir Gupta, the sitting BJP MP, in Mandsaur.

Natarajan, former Mandsaur MP, had lost to Gupta by a huge margin in 2014.

The list has three other women candidates. Kavita Singh Natiraja will contest from Khajuraho, Kiran Ahirwar from Tikamgarh and Pramila Singh from Shahdol.

Shailendra Diwan will contest from Hoshangabad, former Union minister and sitting MP Kantilal Bhuria from Ratlam, Ramu Tekam from Betul and Madhu Bhagat will fight the election from Balaghat. -- PTI

16:03 Virtual SIMs used in Pulwama attack: Official

A request would be sent to the United States to seek details from a service provider of "virtual SIMs", which were used by the Jaish-e-Mohammed suicide bomber behind the Pulwama attack and his Pakistan and Kashmir-based handlers, officials said.

Piecing together probe from the site of the terror strike, searches carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police and central security agencies at an encounter site in Tral as well as other locations, it was found that the bomber, Adil Dar, was in constant touch with the JeM across the border, they said.

The main mastermind of the audacious attack, Mudassir Khan, was killed in the encounter in Tral.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed on February 14 when Dar rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a paramilitary force bus at Pulwama in South Kashmir. India retaliated after the strike by bombing the Jaish terror group's hideout in Balakot in Pakistan.

It was a fairly new modus operandi where terrorists across the border were using a "virtual SIM", generated by a service provider in the United States. In this technology, the computer generates a telephone number and the user downloads an application of the service provider on their smartphone.

The number is linked to social networking sites like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram or Twitter. The verification code generated by these networking sites is received on the smartphone and the user is ready.

In case of Pulwama, Dar was in constant touch with the Jaish handler as well as Mudassir Khan using the same technology, the officials said.

They said the numbers used were pre-fixed with "+1", the Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number number used for the United States.

The request to the US will include details of phone numbers that got in touch with the "Virtual SIM" and who had activated it, they said, adding that Internet Protocol addresses would also be sought.

While the security agencies would attempt to find who had paid for the virtual SIM, they were also aware that the terror groups used forged identities, as was done during the the Mumbai 26/11 terror strikes.

During investigation of the 26/11 attacks it was found that an amount of USD 229 was wired to Callphonex, via Western Union Money Transfer receipt number 8364307716-0, for activating the Voice Over Internet Protocol used during the strikes.

The money was received from 'Madina Trading' located in Brescia in Italy and sender was claimed to be Javed Iqbal, a resident of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.

However, after Italian police arrested two Pakistani nationals in 2009, it was alleged that the firm had made nearly 300 transfers in the name of Iqbal, who probably had never set his foot in Italy.

The Italian police, while concluding the probe, had said the Brescia-based company made several transfers using the identity of innocent, unsuspecting persons, whose identity cards or passports might have been stolen. -- PTI

Employment, employment, and employment -- will be the focus of the Congress's election campaign, party's manifesto committee member Sam Pitroda has said, asserting that the country was going through a jobs "crisis".

Pitroda, a long-time Gandhi family adviser and the chief of the Indian Overseas Congress, said "agrarian distress" is also a major issue facing the country and it needs to be addressed.

In an interview to PTI, he said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will make a "huge impact" in the general elections.

Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia took charge as AICC general secretary UP east and UP west respectively last month.

Asked what would be the key issues the Congress will focus on during the campaign that will strike a chord with the people, Pitroda said: "Employment, employment, employment."

"The country is going through a big employment crisis. We have not created new employment. We have in fact eaten into the employment base we already had. So, today the real challenge is how do we create new jobs," he said.

Pitroda said employment has been affected by factors such as demonetisation and the goods and services tax.

"If you don't focus on employment there will be a major crisis," the technocrat-turned-politician warned.

On whether the Congress has been able to take up the issue of employment in its campaign and narrative, Pitroda said: "You will see it in the manifesto." -- PTI

The Indian Air Force will induct the first four of its 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers on Monday in Chandigarh where these helicopters have been deployed.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa will induct the planes into the force, the IAF said.

Revealing features of the chopper, IAF posted on its official Twitter handle: "Chinook is a heavy lift, tandem rotor helicopter which serves armed forces of 19 countries. It is a multi-role platform and is used for the transport of troops and material among other roles. It will greatly enhance IAF's HADR capability."

India has paid close to USD 1.5 billion for 15 of these helicopters which would be also used for deploying troops and machinery at high altitude locations.

Chinook is one of the two helicopters other than the Apache attack choppers for which India had signed deals in 2015-16.

The supplies of Apaches will also start by September this year when they start arriving at the Pathankot airbase. -- ANI

Five Indian crew members of a cargo vessel arrived in Mumbai on Sunday after spending 13 months in a jail in Greece.

They were on board merchant cargo vessel `MV Andromeda' that had set sail from Cyprus to Libya in December 2017.

The ship anchored in Turkey for repairs and then proceeded to its destination. However, in January 2018, when it reached Greece, authorities detained the ship on charges of carrying explosive material.

Addressing the media in Mumbai, one of the five sailors said he had last seen his daughter when she was four months old.

"Now she is two years old and has started walking. And I was not there to see this," he said. -- PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party will contest the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and has fielded three candidates in each of the states, senior leader Sanjay Singh said on Sunday.

In Uttar Pradesh, the AAP has fielded Yogesh Dahiya from Saharanpur, Satish Chandra Sharma from Aligarh and Shweta Sharma from Gautam Budh Nagar for the polls, Singh said in a tweet.

The party is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from 25 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

For rest of the seats, the process to select candidates is in the final stage, Singh said.

In Bihar, Aleemuddin Ansari has been fielded from Kishanganj, Raghunath Kumar from Sitamarhi and Satyendra Kumar from Bhagalpur, he said in another tweet. -- PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government over unpaid dues of sugarcane farmers and alleged that 'chowkidars' (watchmen) were only working for the rich, not for the poor.

She shared a media report on Twitter that claimed the dues of sugarcane farmers had crossed Rs 10,000 crore in the state.

"The families of sugarcane farmers toil day and night but the Uttar Pradesh government does not even take the responsibility of paying their dues," Priyanka said.

"Rs 10,000 crore of farmers' dues means everything, including their children's education, food, health, and the next produce comes to a standstill. These chowkidars only work for the rich and do not care about the poor," she claimed.

Priyanka Gandhi was recently appointed the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has forgotten about his bonhomie with "chaiwalas", is now remembering "chowkidars", and will focus on somebody else the "next time" for political gains, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has said, taking a swipe at the PM's 'main bhi chowkidar' campaign.

The former Union minister also accused Modi of politicising the Balakot air strikes and asked whether the 'chowkidar' (watchman) was sleeping when terror attacks took place in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Uri, Baramulla, and Pulwama.

On the prime minister's 'main bhi chowkidar' campaign to counter the Congress' 'chowkidar chor hai' barb, Sibal said: "First of all he has forgotten about the chaiwalas (tea sellers). He now remembers the chowkidars (watchmen). Next time he will remember somebody else and forget the chowkidars."

"The sad part of it is that he was sleeping while we were attacked at Gurdaspur, at Pathankot, at Uri, at Baramulla, at Pulwama. What was the chowkidar doing, was he sleeping. What happened to the slogan 'main bhi chowkidar' at that point in time," the 70-year-old Rajya Sabha MP told PTI in an exclusive interview.

In the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP launched a massive election campaign highlighting Modi as a 'chaiwala' (tea-seller) to connect with the masses after Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar dubbed him a chaiwala'. Since then, Modi has often called himself a chaiwala.

The PM launched the 'mai bhi chowkidar' campaign after Congress president Rahul Gandhi relentlessly targeted the PM with the "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is a thief) jibe, while alleging corruption and favouritism in the Rafale fighter jet deal. The government rejected the charges.

Sibal also accused the BJP of trying to gain political mileage from the Balakot strikes.

"They (the BJP) were the first ones to politicise it (air strikes) by making public statements. He (Modi) has posters of the martyrs behind him as he is making his speeches. He is alluding to the air strikes by saying that the mood of the crowd is now different," Sibal said.

The former Union minister alleged all this shows that the government is least concerned about issues relating to life of the ordinary man such as farm distress, education, health, hunger, loss of credit facilities, and "destruction" of businesses. -- PTI

The Centre and the state governments are working together to make India TB-free by 2025, ahead of global target of achieving the goal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

In a series of tweets on the World Tuberculosis Day, he said, the government reaffirms its commitment towards ensuring a TB-free society.

"This would greatly benefit the poor. Correct and complete treatment is the key to winning the battle against TB. I also salute the people and organisations strengthening the TB-free movement," he wrote.

The Centre and various state governments are working hard to make India TB-free by 2025, 5 years before the global target of 2030, he asserted.

He said Centre's efforts such as the TB Free India campaign and Ayushman Bharat are improving health standards and providing assistance to TB patients. -- PTI

A day after the Grand Alliance allotted just one seat to the Left parties in Bihar, the Communist party of India on Saturday confirmed that it would field former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai in upcoming Lok Sabha election.

"The executive committee meeting has been called on Sunday to decide on the number of seats the party will contest but a final call on Kanhaiya has been taken," CPI Bihar secretary Satyanarayan Singh said.

The Grand Alliance in Bihar on Friday announced its seat sharing pact for 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.

According to the pact, Lalu Prasads Rashtriya Janata Dal will contest 20 seats, the Congress 9, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party 5 and Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular three seats. The Vikasheel Insaaf Party has got three seats and the CPI-ML Liberation one from the RJD quota.

Begusarai is likely to see a triangular contest with NDA's Giriraj Singh, CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar and RJD's Tanveer Hassan.

As part of its relief operations in cyclone-hit Mozambique, the Indian Navy has rescued more than 192 people and provided assistance to 1,381 people in medical camps set up by it, a statement said.

Cyclone Idai made landfall in East and Southern Africa around March 15 causing widespread destruction and loss of human lives in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

In response to a request from Mozambique, India immediately diverted three naval ships to the port city of Beira, a ministry of external affairs statement said.

Over the last several days, the three ships, INS Sujata, ICGS Sarathi and INS Shardul, are undertaking Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief in coordination with local authorities and the High Commission of India, Maputo.

"As of now, the Indian naval crew has rescued more than 192 people. Medical assistance has been provided to 1,381 persons in medical camps set up by the Indian Navy," the statement said.

India's Chetak helicopter undertook several sorties to facilitate aerial survey by disaster management officials of Mozambique to rescue people in coordination with local authorities and for dropping food and water packets in the cyclone-affected areas.

To sustain relief operations, another ship INS MAGAR, suitably loaded with relief materials is being sent to Mozambique, the MEA said.

The Indian Navy was the first responder in the evolving humanitarian crises in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai. Assistance is also being sent to Zimbabwe and Malawi, two other countries hit by the cyclone, it said. -- PTI

12:30 11 TN fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy

Eleven Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy near Neduntheevu for allegedly fishing in the island nation's waters, an official said.

The fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram, have been taken to Karainagar in Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu fisheries department assistant director Yuvaraj said.

Their two boats were also seized.

The Sri Lankan Navy personnel allegedly damaged over 50 fishing nets and seized GPS equipment from them.

The incident forced fishermen in more than 500 boats to return without fishing, the official said. -- PTI

Normal life was affected in Kashmir on Sunday due to a strike called by the Joint Resistance Leadership, an amalgam of separatist groups, to protest against the ban on Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front led by Yasin Malik, officials said.

Shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was off the roads in most parts of the Valley due to the strike called by the JRL, they said.

The officials, however, said the strike call evoked little response in some parts of the Valley as the weekly flea market, locally known as Sunday market, operated normally.

This is the second organisation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been banned this month. Earlier, the Centre had banned the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir.

The Yasin Malik-led JKLF was banned on Friday for a series of violent acts and being in the forefront of separatist activities in the militancy-hit state since 1988, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba had said.

Separatists on Saturday called for a strike against the Centre's decision to ban the JKLF, saying it was "undemocratic" and "political vendetta".

"The Government of India's decision of banning the JKLF for five years is highly authoritarian, autocratic and pure political vendetta," the JRL said in a statement.

"The way the Government of India is announcing bans and crackdowns on the organizations associated with the Kashmir struggle, arresting the leadership and slapping them with draconian PSA, killing youth in custody .... exposes their hollow claims of democracy," it added.

The JRL said by imposing ban on organisations and booking separatist leaders in "fake" cases , the government "cannot change the reality of the Kashmir issue". -- PTI

An army personnel was killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said.

They said the cross-border firing started in Shahpur and Kerni areas of Poonch around 5.30 pm on Saturday and it continued intermittently through the night.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly but the casualties suffered by Pakistan were not known immediately, the officials said, adding Pakistani troops used mortar and small arms to target forward posts and villages.

The soldier was critically injured around 4 am in the firing and was immediately evacuated to the military hospital, the officials said.

They said he succumbed to injuries, taking the number of army personnel killed in the last four days to two. -- PTI

11:54 Minor raped at gunpoint in UP's Shamli

A 16-year-old girl, who had gone out to relieve herself, was allegedly raped at gunpoint in Bhabisa village in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district.

The incident took place Saturday, they said.

The girl's father in his complaint alleged that the accused, identified as Kapil, took her into his house and raped her at gunpoint. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the matter, police said.

The girl was found in an unconscious state at the accused's house, they said.

Kandhla station house officer D K Tyagi said a case was registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and Sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The accused has gone absconding and efforts are on to nab him, the SHO said.

In another incident, a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped when she had gone out with her mother to a fair in Mirapur police station area in Muzaffranagar district Saturday.

According to the complaint lodged by the family, the girl had gone missing for some hours from near a temple where the fair was organised, SHO Santosh Kumar said.

She was allegedly raped and abandoned by the accused in a serious condition.

A case was registered against unidentified persons and the girl was shifted to hospital, the SHO said. -- PTI

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has sought details from the Indian envoy in Pakistan into the reported abduction of two Hindu teenaged girls and their forcible conversion to Islam on the eve of Holi in Sindh province.

In a tweet, Swaraj, while tagging a media report about the incident, said she has asked the Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan to send a report on the matter.

According to the media report, the incident took place in Dharki town of Ghotki district in Sindh province on the eve of Holi. It said the Hindu community in the area staged protests, demanding action against perpetrators of the alleged crime.

India has been raising the issue of plight of minorities, particularly the Hindu community in Pakistan. -- PTI

Samajwadi Party has released its list of star campaigners.

Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Azam Khan, Dimple Yadav and Jaya Bachchan included in the list; party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's name not there.

The party has also declared that Akhilesh Yadav will contest from Azamgarh, a seat currently held by Mulayam. -- ANI

Though Uttar Pradesh is her 'karm-bhoomi' for now, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's influence in the Congress is 'bound to grow' in the long term, party leader Shashi Tharoor said in Thiruvananthapuram.

Priyanka, 47, was appointed All India Congress Committee general secretary of Eastern Uttar Pradesh on January 23 this year, marking her formal entry into politics.

The party is hoping that the move will boost its prospects in the politically crucial state which sends 80 MPs to Lok Sabha.

"She (Priyanka) is a very impressive lady, who speaks well, speaks with confidence, idiomatic and fluent Hindi. She is very comfortable in public gaze and reminds a lot of people of her grandmother," Tharoor said when asked about Priyanka Gandhi's formal plunge into politics.

"That's on the very upbeat side. Perhaps more modestly one should say, she is at the moment general secretary for one-half of Uttar Pradesh. And that's going to be her karma-bhoomi.

"That's where she will be working in the immediate prospect. But in long term I think her influence in the party is bound to grow and her popularity among the people has already been established," Tharoor told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Priyanka recently launched the party's polls campaign in eastern UP with her three-day 'Ganga yatra' on boat, where she reached out to voters residing along the banks of the holy river. On the poll alliances of the Congress in various states, Tharoor said it varies from state to state.

"Each state has got a different logic. We have possible alliance with some parties in some states and are fighting against them in another state," he said.

There was nothing wrong in the adjustments made between the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist in West Bengal, he said.

While both the parties are engaged in a bitter fight in Kerala, the national leadership has agreed to some adjustments in West Bengal.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has been using this to accuse the two parties of 'double standards'.

"There is nothing wrong with that and it's not the first time. In 2016 Kerala Assembly election, they (state BJP) tried the same argument. But we had a bitter fight against them.

"In 2011 elections, that was not much an issue because the CPI-M and the Congress were fighting each other in Bengal also.

"But today, each state is reacting to its own political reality. And the political reality in Bengal is very much different from the political reality of Kerala," Tharoor said.

Tharoor, who has been fielded from Thiruvananthapuram again, said the post-poll scenario will be more interesting as there are parties who are running independently but after the polls they are far more likely to support the Congress than the BJP. -- PTI

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has called an emergency meeting of its working committee in Lucknow on Sunday morning to discuss the Ayodhya issue.

All the 51 members of the committee are expected to be present in the meeting which is likely to be joined by a representatives of the Sunni Central Waqf Board.

The Supreme Court-appointed mediation committee for resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute held its first sitting on March 13 and heard all parties who attended the proceedings.

The panel, headed by former apex court judge F M Ibrahim Kalifulla, had directed that there should not be any reporting of the mediation proceedings in the print or other media, pointing out the views expressed by the top court.

On March 8, the Supreme Court had referred the land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored mediation.

A five-judge Constitution bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, had said that the mediation proceedings will be held in Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh and the state government will provide the mediators with all facilities.

The bench was hearing appeals against the September 30, 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which ordered a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acres of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya between the Nirmohi Akhara sect, the Sunni Central Waqf Board, Uttar Pradesh and Ramlalla Virajman. -- ANI

Two employees of a restaurant in New Delhi died allegedly due to asphyxiation while cleaning its kitchen treatment plant on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred at 'Pirates of Grill' restaurant in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden, they said.

Housekeeping employees Rakesh, 45, and Ajay, 19, died while two of their colleagues -- Pankaj and Raju -- were hospitalised, the police said.

"The incident occurred between 1:30 and 2 pm... Prima facie, it seems they went into the kitchen waste treatment plant for cleaning purposes," Monika Bhardwaj, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), said.

They were rushed to two nearby hospitals. Rakesh and Ajay were declared brought dead at the hospitals. Pankaj and Raju were undergoing treatment.

Rakesh and Pankaj were taken to Kukreja Hospital, while Raju and Pankaj were rushed to Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, they said.

Rakesh and Ajay used to live in a rented accommodation at Tagore Garden. Pankaj and Raju used to stay in restaurant premises.

Rakesh, Ajay and Pankaj are from Uttar Pradesh (UP), while Raju was from Bihar, a senior police officer said.

Rakesh used to work as a supervisor and was working there for the past nine years, police said.

"A case has been registered against restaurant management at Rajouri Garden police station. Further investigation is going on," the DCP said, adding it will take time to ascertain that who was responsible for this.

In a statement, the Delhi Jal Board said, "It is a very tragic incident and we are very sad over it. However, DJB has nothing to do with it. Neither the said plant being cleaned is of DJB nor the workers belonged to DJB. They were hired privately by the owner."

"The restaurant had been issued health licence after checking its compliance with DPCC norms for operation of effluent treatment plant. So, there is no violation on that part. The licence is valid till March 31," a senior civic official claimed. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday dropped two of its four MPs, including former chief minister Shanta Kumar, from its list of candidates for all the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh.

The party re-nominated Anurag Thakur, the son of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, from Hamirpur and Ram Swaroop Sharma from Mandi.

The saffron party also replaced its Shimla candidate, Virender Kashyap, with Pachhad MLA Suresh Kashyap.

Shanta Kumar, 84, had told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday that he was unwilling to contest the parliamentary election. With this, the former chief minister has apparently retired from electoral politics.

The BJP, which had won all the four Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 election, fielded state minister and Dharamshala legislator Kishan Kapoor from Kangra in place of Shanta Kumar.

Kishan Kapoor, 68, is currently the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister in the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government.

Suresh Kashyap, 48, has worked in the Indian Air Force for more than 16 years.

Ram Swaroop Sharma was fielded from Mandi despite former telecom minister Sukh Ram's grandson, Aashray Sharma, being also a claimant.

The BJP also declared candidates for 15 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, dropping five sitting MPs, including Anoop Mishra, nephew of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mishra, MP from Morena, had lost the 2018 assembly polls from Bhitarwar seat. He has been replaced by Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, currently representing Gwalior Lok Sabha seat.

The other four MPs who have been dropped are Gyan Singh from Shahdol, Bhind's Bhagirath Prasad, Chintaman Malviya from Ujjain and Betul's Jyoti Dhurve.

The BJP has fielded Himadri Singh, a former Congress leader who recently joined the BJP and daughter of former Congress MP and ex-Union Minister Dalbir Singh, from Shahdol (ST) seat.

From Bhind (SC), the BJP has fielded Sandhya Rai replacing sitting MP, Bhagirath Prasad, a former IAS officer. From Ujjain (SC), Anil Firojiya has been given a ticket in place of sitting MP Chintaman Malviya.

Firojiya, had, incidentally, lost from Tarana in the 2018 assembly election. Dhruve has been replaced by Durgadas Uike in Betul (ST) seat.

Those who have been re-nominated are BJP state unit chief Rakesh Singh from Jabalpur, Union minister Virendra Kumar from Tikarmgarh, former Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste from Mandla, former state BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan from Khandwa, former Union minister Prahlad Patel from Damoh, Ganesh Singh from Satna, Janardan Mishra from Rewa, Riti Pathak from Sidhi, Uday Pratap Singh from Hoshangabad and Sudhir Gupta from Mandsaur. -- PTI

The Goa government has ordered an inquiry into reports that a 'purification ritual' was conducted on Saturday at the state-run Kala Academy in Panaji, where the body of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar was kept.

Art and Culture Minister Govind Gawade told PTI that he had ordered the inquiry after a section of the media reported that a purification ritual was carried out by some persons on the academy premises where Parrikar's mortal remains was kept on Monday before final rites.

"I have taken a strong note of these activities.... We cannot promote or patronise unscientific activities in government buildings," Gawade said.

Parrikar, 63, died on Sunday after battling a pancreatic ailment for a year. -- PTI

The Congress on Saturday fielded former chief minister Harish Rawat from Nainital and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader B C Khanduri's son, Manish Khanduri, from Garhwal in its list of candidates for all the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand.

It has fielded state Congress president Pritam Singh from Tehri Garhwal, Pradeep Tamta from Almora (SC) and Ambrish Kumar from Haridwar.

With Monday being the last date for filing nominations in Uttarakhand, all eyes were fixed on the Congress to announce its candidates for the five seats going to polls on April 11.

The BJP has already announced its candidates for the five seats on Thursday.

It will be a clash of heavyweights in Nainital with Harish Rawat taking on state BJP president Ajay Bhatt and Pritam Singh battling it out with sitting MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah in Tehri.

Though Harish Rawat had lost both the seats he had contested in the last assembly polls, he continues to be a seasoned and the most prominent Congress leader in the state, enjoying a connect with people at the grassroots.

Bhatt, on the other hand, is not only the state BJP president, but a former MLA from Ranikhet who was the Leader of Opposition in the assembly when Harish Rawat was chief minister.

Bhatt had also lost his seat in the last assembly polls.

Tehri will also witness a tough battle for Pritam Singh who will be up against Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah. Singh is credited with winning the Chakrata seat despite his party faring poorly in the last assembly election.

Though a sitting MP from the Tehri royal family which has a strong political hold in the constituency, Shah faces the challenge of overcoming an anti-incumbency factor and taking on a strong opponent in Singh.

Pauri will witness an interesting battle with Manish Khanduri, son of former chief minister B C Khanduri, up against Tirath Singh Rawat, the BJP veteran's political disciple.

Both the candidates will try to cash in on the popularity of Khanduri, who had opted not to contest this time.

Khanduri is the most formidable leader from the state with a strong support base in his constituency. -- PTI

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES