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Mon, 20 May 2019
Prince Charles to meet Trump
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23:52 Prince Charles to meet Trump
Britain's Prince Charles has agreed to meet with US President Donald Trump during his controversial state visit to the UK next month, CNN has learned, in a move that sets up the prospect of a diplomatically awkward exchange over climate change.
Trump and Charles, heir to the UK throne, are expected to meet for afternoon tea at Clarence House, the official residence of the Prince and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
While a state visit guarantees an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, visiting leaders don't automatically get a one-on-one with Charles.
The Prince's office declined to comment publicly on the meeting, or the agenda. But given Charles' passionate and lifelong environmentalism, and Trump's well-known climate-change skepticism, it seems inconceivable that the issue would not be discussed.
The most likely date for the Trump-Charles encounter is June 3, the first day of the US President's visit. According to tradition, a state banquet, hosted by Queen Elizabeth, will take place on the first evening.
23:39 Cyclone-ravaged Odisha seeks donation from foreigners, NRIs
Odisha government on Monday sought donations from foreign nationals and NRIs to rebuild the state after cyclone Fani ravaged its coastal districts, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 12,000 crore.
"#Odisha Chief Minister's Relief Fund now accepts donations from foreign nationals, Persons of Indian origin, overseas citizens of India and NRIs," the Chief Minister's Office tweeted.
Calling upon all to join hands to rebuild Odisha, the state government said, "Your contribution will heal many lives and also the state."
People can donate by visiting cmrfodisha.gov.in/donation/onlinedonation.php.
Separate phone lines have also been set up for donors from the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore and UAE, among others.
Though the state government has spent more than Rs 6,000 crore in relief and restoration works within a fortnight of the calamity, the Centre has released Rs 1,341 crore so far, an official said.
The state government has sought Rs 12,000 crore from the Centre for the restoration work.
The state has so far received donations of about Rs 200 crore from different agencies, organisations, individuals, industries and others in the aftermath of the cyclone that left at least 64 people dead and above 5 lakh houses damaged.
-- PTI
23:05 Pranab Mukherjee hails EC, says polls were conducted 'perfectly'
At a time when the Election Commission is under fire from opposition parties for being biased, former president Pranab Mukherjee on Monday lauded the role of the poll panel saying the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were conducted "perfectly".
Speaking at a book launch event, he said that right from the first election commissioner Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners, the institution is working very well.
He said all the three commissioners are appointed by the executive and they are doing their job well.
Mukherjee said, "you cannot criticise them, it was a perfect conduct of elections".
"If democracy has succeeded, it is largely due to perfect conduct of elections by election commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present election commissioners," Mukherjee said at the launch of the book 'Defining India: Through Their Eyes' by NDTV's Sonia Singh.
His remarks come a day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Election Commission's "capitulation" before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is obvious and the poll watchdog is not feared and respected anymore.
The EC has been criticised by the opposition parties for being allegedly biased towards the BJP.
The opposition stepped up its criticism of the poll panel after Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner stating he will be recusing himself from EC meetings as his dissent was not being recorded on clearances given by the poll panel to the PM and BJP chief Amit Shah over alleged poll code violations.
-- PTI
22:41 'Nautanki': Sharad Pawar's take on exit polls
Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party chief, is the latest to join the political leaders whose response to the exit poll predictions is utter disbelief. The exit polls that gave NCP-Congress alliance just 11 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra have been described by the leader as "nautanki" or drama.
"There is a strange atmosphere in the country today...After 6 pm yesterday, there was a sense of unease after seeing all TV channels and newspapers," he said at a function in Maharashtra.
"People have been calling me...I told them that an attempt is being made by those who control the electronic media to present a different view...The truth will come out after two days (on May 23)," he added.
He further said, "A drama is on since last evening. Whenever you get a chance to see drama, you must see."
The BJP will win almost as many seats as it did in 2014 and form a government comfortably, exit polls predicted on Sunday. The poll of polls, an aggregate of exit polls, gives the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance 302 of 543 seats and the Congress and its allies 122.
In Maharashtra, the poll of polls gave 36 seats to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, which is a five-seat drop from their 2014 tally of 41.
22:19 Apologise for what?: Vivek Oberoi on meme row
After sparking a row over a meme on actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, actor Vivek Oberoi has now said he has not done anything wrong. Earlier today, the actor got a women's commission notice for the meme that was deemed offensive by many including celebrities on Twitter.
"I have no problem in apologising, but tell me what wrong have I done? If I have done something wrong I will apologise, I don't think I have done anything wrong," the actor said.
The meme in question featured three pictures of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - one with actor Salman Khan, one with Vivek Oberoi and the last with her husband Abhishek Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya. The pictures were captioned opinion polls, exit polls and results respectively.
Within minutes, Twitter shredded the actor for the meme which he captioned, "Haha! creative! No politics here...just life."
Vivek Oberoi went on to say that people are making a "huge issue out of it" and said he just "laughed at the meme". He also said he was "appreciating the person for the creativity".
The actor also said, "Those in the meme don't have a problem, but everyone else has." Aishwarya Rai has not responded to the controversy yet.
Along with the National Commission for Women, the Maharashtra State Commission for Women also said they will issue a notice to the actor. Oberoi had a message for them too.
"I'd like to meet them, I'll also like to explain myself because I don't think I have done anything wrong," he said.
Many including actor Sonam Kapoor, sportsperson Jwala Gutta and various politicians shut down the actor.
actor also had some advice for Sonam Kapoor who called the meme "disgusting and classless".
"Stop overacting in your films and stop overreacting on social media. I've been working in women empowerment for 10 years now. I don't think this is hurting anyone's sentiments," Oberoi said.
21:53
Andhra Pradesh CM & TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, along with 21 opposition parties leaders, will meet Election Commission tomorrow at 3 pm
21:40 Black buck poaching case: Jodhpur HC issues fresh notices to actors Saif Ali, Sonali Bendre, Tabu
The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan high court on Monday issued fresh notices to film stars Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari on an appeal by the state government, challenging their acquittal by a trial court in a case of hunting two black bucks in 1998.
A notice was also issued to local Dushyant Singh who accompanied the actors when the poaching took place in Kankani village near Jodhpur in October 1998.
Bollywood actor Salman Khan is the sole accused who was convicted in the case. The trial court had sentenced him to five years in jail on April 5 last year, while acquitting the five other co-accused. Khan is presently out on bail.
A single judge bench of justice Manoj Kumar Garg issued notices to the respondents seeking their reply within eight weeks.
Earlier, the high court had on March 11 issued notices to the five respondents on the state government's appeal challenging their acquittal in the case.
"Of these, notices to Saif and Sonali could not be served. Considering this, the court issued fresh notices to them seeking reply in 8 weeks," said government counsel Mahipal Bishnoi.
After the five files their replies, the state's appeal would be sent back to the session court for further hearing as the first appeal to a magisterial court judgement lies in the sessions court, explained Bishnoi.
The state had come to the high court after the sessions court had taken objections to the late filing of the appeal by the state government, he said.
Salman Khan has already challenged his conviction before the sessions court, which is presently hearing the defence arguments in his appeal.
-- PTI
21:06 Eiffel Tower evacuated as man tries to climb it
The iconic Eiffel Tower was closed and people were evacuated as a man was spotted scaling the structure from its exterior by onlookers on Monday.
"The Eiffel Tower is currently closed until further notice. We kindly advise our visitors to postpone their visit," the tower's official Twitter account announced.
Police have reached the spot and are trying to negotiate with the man, who climbed undetected till the second floor of the tower, as per Sputnik.
-- ANI
20:45 Ecuador hands over Assange's belongings to US
Ecuador has begun giving the US some of Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange's possessions, including legal papers and electronic equipment, left behind by him after his seven-year stay in its London embassy, a media report said Monday.
The Latin American country's foreign minister Jose Valencia authorised the seizure of materials and equipment earlier this month.
Assange, 47, was arrested on April 11 after being handed over to British authorities by Ecuador. He is serving a 50-week sentence in Belmarsh prison for skipping his extradition order.
The Australian national's lawyer said the move was "completely unprecedented in the history of asylum".
"Ecuador is committing a flagrant violation of the most basic norms of the institution of asylum by handing over all the asylee's personal belongings indiscriminately to the country that he was being protected from," lawyer Aitor Martinez said.
The material that will be handed over to the US includes manuscripts, legal papers, medical records and electronic equipment, the BBC reported.
-- PTI
20:10 Kamal Nath says he's ready for floor test
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said on Monday that his government is ready for an assembly floor test. Kamal Nath also said that the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh proved majority at least four times in the last five months. He, however, said that his government is ready for a floor test in the Madhya Pradesh.
Kamal Nath's statement came hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh is in minority in the state. The BJP had also demanded the Kamal Nath government to prove majority in the assembly.
Accusing the BJP of making attempts to collapse the Madhya Pradesh government since the Congress came to power in the state, Kamal Nath said, "They [BJP] have been trying this since day one, [We] have proved majority at least four times in last five months. They want to do it again, we have no problem. They'll try their best to disturb present govt to save themselves from getting exposed."
Kamal Nath further said that the Madhya Pradesh government is ready for a floor test. "Government ready for a floor test," Kamal Nath said.
Earlier in the day, the BJP mounted an attack on Madhya Pradesh's Kamal Nath government demanding a special session of the assembly.
Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly Gopal Bhargava said he was writing a letter to the Governor to call a special session of the Assembly because people had lost confidence in the state's Kamal Nath government.
Bhargava said the exit polls had got it right in 2014 and that there would be an encore on May 23. Kamal Nath countered Bhargav's attack tweeting: "Congress seats will increase and realities of the BJP's slogans and jumlas will be laid bare (on May 23)." The Congress has 114 and the BJP 109 MLAs in the state assembly.
19:34 Naidu meets Mamata in Kolkata with his plan
N Chandrababu Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party boss who has taken on a lead role to unite opposition parties in case exit polls that predicted a comfortable majority for the NDA are wide off the mark, met Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on late Monday afternoon.
The CM, who is predicted to be struggling to retain power back home in Andhra Pradesh, has been flying between Delhi and Lucknow over the last few days to touch base with top opposition leaders. Naidu has already met Congress president Rahul Gandhi twice, once with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, as well as other leaders including Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, BSPs Mayawati and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.
Naidu landed in Kolkata at about 5 pm and had a detailed meeting with Bengal chief minister at her Kalighat residence soon after.
News agency PTI quoted TMC sources to stress that the two leaders decided to hold detailed discussion with other opposition leaders after the Lok Sabha poll results are declared on May 23.
Naidus proposal is that opposition parties should submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind declaring their intent to form a coalition government even before the votes are counted.
18:59 NaMo TV disappears from all platforms as Lok Sabha election ends
NaMo TV has vanished from viewers' set top boxes just as mysteriously as it had appeared. The timing of the channel's disappearance has raised many eyebrows.
NaMo TV had made its way on various service providers' platform just before the start of 2019 Lok Sabha elections on March 26.
Funded by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, it raked up a controversy with the opposition crying foul. Opposition leaders had called NaMo TV a 'propaganda machine' as it just aired PM Modi's interviews, rallies, and movies which showcased government schemes followed by interviews of other BJP leaders.
DTH operators such as Tata Sky, Videocon and Dish TV all aired NaMo TV as a free-to-air service, meaning subscribers did not have to pay to view the channel. The channel was available throughout the length and breadth of the country for the entire duration of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
When the issue was brought to the notice of the Election Commission, they sought clarification from the information and broadcast ministry.
The I&B ministry's response added fuel to fire. According to the ministry, NaMo TV was an advertisement based platform distributed by several Direct to Home operators, the expenses of which were borne by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The ministry had further clarified, by stating that NaMo TV wasn't a registered channel that needs permission to air.
In April, the Election Commission had directed that all recorded programmes displayed on the NaMo TV be pre-certified. Post the EC's direction, the Delhi chief electoral officer had directed the BJP not to air any content on NaMo TV without its certification.
The vanishing act of NaMo TV can be linked to the completion of the polls. Sources within the Election Commission say that the idea of NaMo TV was to garner eyeballs and to highlight the working of the government, which could possibly lead to more votes for the party. Now that the elections are over, recurring cost of running the platform will be futile.
18:35 Amit Shah to host dinner for NDA leaders tomorrow
Buoyed by the results of exit polls, which predicted a clean sweep for the Bharatiya Janata Party, party chief Amit Shah is all set to host dinner for NDA leaders on Tuesday. The Union council of ministers is also likely to meet the same day.
The development follows the outcome of exit polls on Sunday, which predicted that not only was there a Modi wave in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but this wave was bigger than the TsuNamo of 2014.
Narendra Modi is likely to beat all odds and create history by being the leader of the first non-Congress led alliance to return to power at the Centre, possibly by a bigger margin this time.
In such a scenario, the BJP would make attempts to keep its flock together, especially when parties such as the JD-U have reminded the party of its alliance dharma.
While the BJP has expressed confidence that it will exceed even the exit poll figure, the Congress has clarified that it will wait for May 23, the day results are announced.
18:04 Fadnavis calls meeting of Core Committee members
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called a meeting of the state Core Committee members at his residence in Mumbai on Monday evening.
The meeting has been called to review the Lok Sabha elections held in the state where 48 seats are stake. The polling took place in four phases.
The exit polls on television channels on Sunday projected BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to retain power at the Centre with most of the pollsters giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi a clear majority again in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
The counting of votes will take place on May 23. -- ANI
17:58 Pellet victims protest, demand ban on use of pellet guns
A group of pellet victims, who were injured during law and order situations in the Kashmir Valley over the past few years, Monday held a protest in Srinagar demanding a complete ban on the use of pellet guns by security forces.
The protestors, under the banner of Pellet Victims Welfare Trust, held the protest at Press Enclave here against continuous use of pellet guns in the valley by police and paramilitary forces.
The protesters demanded ban on pellet guns, saying their continued use could render more people blind. Among the protestors was the youngest pellet victim of Kashmir -- Hiba Nisar -- who was injured after getting hit by pellets inside her house in the Kapran area of Shopian district of south Kashmir in November last year. The two-year-old Hiba was accompanied by her mother. The trust appealed to the people of Kashmir to come in support of the pellet victims and contribute towards their medical needs.
Pellet guns are often used for crowd control during stone pelting incidents in the valley. -- PTI
17:51 Delhi BJP upbeat over exit polls prediction
A day after exit polls predicted a clean sweep for the BJP in all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, the AAP and the Congress questioned the veracity of such an exercise before counting of votes even as an elated Delhi unit of the saffron party hoped that the predictions will come true. Most exit polls predicted a sweep for the BJP with some predicting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP may draw a blank in Delhi in the Lok Sabha polls whose results will be declared on May 23. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh raised questions over the entire process.
"Is EVM the real game? Were the exit polls sponsored? BJP is winning in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karanataka, Delhi, Bengal, who will believe it? All the parties should demand cancellation of the elections on irregularities of VVPAT-EVM match," Singh said in a tweet.
However, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari thanked people of the national capital and hoped that the exit poll predictions will be replicated in the actual results.
"As per the exit polls, we are winning all the seven seats in Delhi. We thank the people of Delhi for this trend and believe that the predictions will be replicated in the results of Lok Sabha polls on May 23," Tiwari said. Some exit polls have projected that Congress may gain in Delhi by winning one seat. -- PTI
17:33 Amul hikes milk prices by Rs 2/ltr in Delhi & other major markets from tomorrow
Dairy major Amul said on Monday it will increase milk prices by Rs 2 per litre in Delhi NCR, Maharashtra and other states from Tuesday due to an increase in production cost.
Milk prices were last revised two years back in March 2017, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which sells milk and milk products under the Amul brand, said in a statement.
The new price will come into effect from May 21 onwards and on all six brands being sold in major markets of Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kolkata, Uttaranchal, Maharasthra and other states, the GCMMF said in a statement.
-- PTI
17:06 1000% confident TDP will win polls in AP: Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said he is "1000 per cent confident" that Telugu Desam Party will win the elections in the state.
"I am 1,000 per cent confident that TDP will win the elections. I do not have even 0.1 per cent doubt. We are going to win," he told a press conference.
Simultaneous elections to the 175-member strong assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats across Andhra Pradesh were held on April 11. Counting of votes will begin on May 23.
Reiterating his demand for counting of votes in 50 per cent of VVPATs, the TDP supremo said, "I have been fighting over this issue for the last ten years. VVPAT slips are the main issue for us. If we get a printout, we will believe. Now VVPATs will be counted in only five polling booths (per assembly segment)."
"The Election Commission is complicating the issue by saying that it will take six to seven days to count VVPATs. SY Qureshi (former Chief Election Commissioner) supported our arguments. Not only us, but even former EC officials are raising the matter," he said.
Claiming that the EC is "losing its credibility", Naidu said that VVPAT slips should be counted first and verified properly.
"There are many problems relating to the counting process. The EC should take steps to resolve them. There are many rumours including that printers may have been manipulated and control panels changed," he said.
Naidu also said, "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi tried till the last minute to influence voters. That is not correct."
-- ANI
16:41 EVMs have no role in exit polls: Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday expressed hope that the results of 2019 general election would be in consonance with the outcome of multiple exit polls, which has predicted a second term for the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
Most exit polls have forecast another term for Prime Minister Modi, with some of them projecting that BJP-led NDA will get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.
"Many of us may continue to squabble over correctness and accuracy of the Exit Polls. The hard reality is that when multiple Exit Polls convey the same message, the direction of the result broadly would be in consonance with the message," Jaitley said in a blogpost titled 'The Message of Exit Polls'.
Observing that EVMs play no role in exit polls, the minister said if the actual results of the general election are in the same direction as exit polls, "the opposition's fake issue of the EVMs would also lose its non-existent rationale".
"If the Exit Polls are read along with the 2014 election results, it would be clear that there is a huge maturing of Indian democracy taking place. The electorate keeps national interest paramount before exercising a choice on whom to vote for. When well-meaning people with similar ideas vote in the same direction, it leads to the making of a wave," he said.
Referring to the Congress, Jaitley said that the Gandhi family has become a liability for the grand-old party. "... in the Congress the first family is no longer an asset but an albatross around neck of the Party. Without the family, they don't get the crowd, with it they don't get the votes," he said.
He also said the personalised campaign against Prime Minister Modi did not cut much ice in 2014 and may not cut any ice in 2019. "Leaders are judged on merit and not on caste or family names. Thus, the Prime Minister's style of rising above caste and concentrating on performance related issues received far more acceptability with the electorate," Jaitley said.
He said the voters are no longer willing to trust 'Coalition of Rivals' as their alliances are untenable. The arithmetic of caste coalitions is no longer valid and has yielded place to national interest. "Fake issues only satisfy the 'manufacturers of fakery'. The voters don't buy them," Jaitley added. -- PTI
16:30 1000% confident TDP will win elections in AP: Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said he is "1000 per cent confident" that TDP will win the elections in the state.
"I am 1,000 per cent confident that TDP will win the elections. I do not have even 0.1 per cent doubt. We are going to win," he told a press conference.
Simultaneous elections to the 175-member strong Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats across Andhra Pradesh were held on April 11. Counting of votes will begin on May 23.
Reiterating his demand for counting of votes in 50 per cent of VVPATs, the TDP supremo said, "I have been fighting over this issue for the last ten years. VVPAT slips are the main issue for us. If we get a printout, we will believe. Now VVPATs will be counted in only five polling booths (per Assembly segment)."
"The Election Commission is complicating the issue by saying that it will take six to seven days to count VVPATs. SY Qureshi (former Chief Election Commissioner) supported our arguments. Not only us, but even former EC officials are raising the matter," he said.
Claiming that the EC is "losing its credibility", Naidu said that VVPAT slips should be counted first and verified properly."There are many problems relating to the counting process. The EC should take steps to resolve them. There are many rumours including that printers may have been manipulated and control panels changed," he said.
Naidu also said, "(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi tried till the last minute to influence voters. That is not correct." -- ANI
16:11 Sensex zooms past 39K, Nifty 11K on exit polls
Sensex skyrockets 1,421.90 points to close at 39,352.67; Nifty zooms 421.10 points to 11,828.25 as investors cheered exit poll results that showed a likely win for the ruling NDA in the general elections.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack include SBI, Yes Bank, Tata Motors, L&T, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, ONGC, Maruti, M&M, Axis Bank, RIL, Hero MotoCorp, HDFC, Vedanta, Asian Paints, Tata Steel and Bajaj Finance, rising over 7 per cent.
On the other hand, Bajaj Auto and Infosys slipped up to 1 per cent.
Most exit polls Sunday forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some of them projecting that BJP-led NDA will get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.
The results of the seven-phase polls will come out Thursday.
"If exit polls are right a BJP single party majority may result in an up-move of 5-10 per cent of the Nifty in the near term. However, a non NDA government may lead to a 10-15 per cent correction in Nifty, if we go by market reactions in 2004 and 2009 to big surprises," UBS Securities said in a research note. -- PTI
16:03 Cong's MP government will fall on its own: BJP
Chief Minister Kamal Nath led Congress government in the state will fall on its own, says BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Gopal Bhargava.
"You can yourself analyse the current situation. They have the support of one SP MLA, one MLA of BSP and four Independent MLAs. There is bickering within the party," he said while talking to ANI on Monday.
"This government will fall on its own. I don't believe in horse-trading but I feel the government's time has come. It will have to go soon," he said.
"For some, the Congress government is of two and a half CMs; for some of three CMs and for others of 3.5 CMs. There is widespread anarchy in the state under the current dispensation," said Bhargava.
He also spoke about the leadership crisis in the Congress. "You can see the Congress has a leadership crisis as well. This is the main reason for the Congress' decline. We are winning in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh just after six months that we lost in the Assembly polls, all because of the Congress' false promises and faulty policies," he said.
"We will write to the Governor in a few days, requesting her to call the session of Assembly keeping in the people's aspirations and other current issues," he said.
The 231-member MP Assembly has 113 Congress members and 109 BJP members. The ruling coalition is led by the Congress party, supported by two MLAs of SP-BSP, and four Independent MLAs. -- ANI
15:19 Madras HC grants pre-arrest bail to Kamal Haasan over Godse remark
The Madras High Court Monday granted anticipatory bail to actor-politician Kamal Haasan in a case filed against him over his controversial Hindu extremist remark.
Justice R Pugalendhi of the Madurai Bench directed the Makkal Needhi Maiam founder to appear before the judicial magistrate court in Aravakurichi and execute a bail bond for Rs 10,000 with two sureties each for a like sum.
-- PTI
14:50 Delhi poll result may be delayed by 5-6 hrs: CEC
Declaration of results for the Delhi Lok Sabha seats may get delayed by around five to six hours on May 23 as more time will be spent on counting VVPATs from each of the 70 Assembly segments of the national capital, Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh has said. He said after the Electronic Voting Machine counting is over, the voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPATs) will be counted as per the Supreme Court guidelines.
"From every assembly constituency, five (VVPATs) will be randomly selected and they will be counted for which there is a special VVPAT counting booth in every counting hall. It will take place in five rounds," Singh said.
Delhi has 70 assembly constituencies and in all 350 VVPATs will be counted. "Every assembly segment has 200 polling stations and five polling stations will be selected randomly. This will delay the formal results but trends will be already out. Formal declaration of results will be five to six hours delayed," Singh told PTI.
Delhi has seven parliamentary constituencies and there is one counting centre in each of them. Counting centres will have one counting hall for each of the 10 assembly segment, officials said.
In each counting hall, a maximum of 14 tables can be put and machines that would come in the first round, their results will be compiled and uploaded on the 'Suvidha' app.
The counting at 8 am will also commence with postal ballot counting. In the end, when two rounds of EVM counting will remain, the officials will have to ensure that the postal ballot counting is over. After the EVM counting is over, the VVPAT counting will commence. PTI
13:53 Blackbuck poaching case: Rajasthan HC issues fresh notices to Saif, Sonali, Neelam, Tabu
The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Monday issued fresh notices to actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam Kothari and Tabu in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.
A single judge bench of Justice Manoj Garg issued the notices to the actors following an appeal by the Rajasthan government against their acquittal by a Chief Judicial Magistrate's court on April 5 last year.
Notice was also issued to Dushyant Singh who was allegedly accompanying the actors when the poaching took place.
Justice Garg directed that the case be listed for hearing after eight weeks.
The high court had on March 11 issued notices to the five respondents on the state government's appeal challenging their acquittal in the case.
Bollywood star Salman Khan was, however, convicted under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act by the CJM's court and was awarded a five-year prison term along with a fine of Rs 10,000 after being found guilty of killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of his 1998 blockbuster 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
The appeal of Salman Khan, who is on bail, is pending before the high court.The trial court had acquitted his co-stars -- Saif, Sonali, Neelam and Tabu, besides Dushyant Singh due to lack of evidence. -- ANI
Image: A combination file pic of Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre in court in 2014
13:38 Oppn can daydream till May 23: Ram Madhav
With opposition parties citing the example of Australia federal elections in which exit polls predictions went wrong, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Monday mocked his rivals saying they were daydreaming.He asserted that such a situation will not arise in India and said that BJP will win a bigger mandate than what exit polls are showing.
"The Opposition can keep on dreaming day and night till May 23. By 12 pm on that day, their dream will not come true. We will wait for the exact results. But, I am confident that we will get a bigger mandate than what exit polls are showing," Madhav told ANI.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's centre-right Liberal-National Coalition won the May 18 federal elections, in contrast to exit polls, which had projected a victory for the Opposition centre-left Labour Party.
While the Coalition gained 77 seats and secured a majority, Labour finished a close second with 69 seats. -- PTI
File pic.
13:21
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav leaves after meeting BSP Chief Mayawati at her residence in Lucknow.
12:59 Shah's dinner for NDA netas day before results
BJP President Amit Shah is likely to host a dinner for NDA leaders on Tuesday.
According to sources, Shah has invited the key leaders of National Democratic Alliance and will be meeting them over dinner two nights before the day of counting of votes in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Union Council of Ministers is also expected to meet tomorrow, the sources said.
Exit polls telecast after the culmination of polls on Sunday projected the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to retain power at the Centre with most of the pollsters giving Prime Minister Modi a clear majority again in the 543-member Lok Sabha.
While the BJP and its coalition partners have said that the exit polls are showing the complete picture, the Opposition parties have termed the exit polls as wrong.Elections for 543 seats in the Lok Sabha were held between April 11 and May 19. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 23.
-- ANI
12:53 No guarantee of Oppn 'alliance' staying intact by May 23: Sena
The Shiv Sena on Monday hit out at the opposition parties for trying to come together to keep the BJP out of power after the Lok Sabha poll results, saying the country cannot afford to have a coalition government "crawling" with the support of several small outfits.
Taking a swipe at TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu's efforts to forge an alliance of opposition parties, it said he was unnecessarily exhausting himself by running from pillar to post as there was no guarantee of this "possible coalition" staying intact by the time results are out on May 23.
Elections to 542 seats of the 543-member Lok Sabha ended Sunday and the counting of votes is slated for Thursday. Most exit polls have forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some of them projecting that the BJP-led NDA would get over 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha. -- PTI
12:15 Saradha chit fund case: Rajeev Kumar moves SC
Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar approached the Supreme Court on Monday seeking an extension of the seven-day period that the apex court had granted him to approach a competent court after his protection from arrest was vacated.
Kumar has cited strike of lawyers in West Bengal as the reason behind seeking an extension of the time period.
The Supreme Court had last week vacated the interim protection from arrest to Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha chit fund scam case but granted him seven days time to approach a competent court to seek legal remedies.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna had said that the order should not be treated as a direction to the CBI for custodial interrogation and asked the investigating agency to act as per law.
The CBI, in its plea, had sought permission for custodial interrogation of Kumar, who earlier headed the West Bengal police special investigation team probing the chit fund scam, over his alleged role in destroying evidence in the case.
It had said that there was prima facie evidence against him of allegedly trying to "destroy or tamper with evidence and shield high and mighty" in the case. The agency had pleaded for withdrawal of the February 5 stay order. --
11:51 What UP was in 2014, Bengal will be in 2019: BJP
Ram Madhav, BJP National General Secretary on the exit poll results for West Bengal. "Bengal will surprise all the pollsters, we are hoping to do extremely well there. Everyone has seen the tremendous outpouring of support for PM Modi and BJP in Bengal. What Uttar Pradesh was in 2014, Bengal will be in 2019."
"The Mahagathbandhan had failed even before election began, many parties tried to create a mahagathbandhan but failed to do so in even a single state. Post polling, they tried again but what couldn't happen before the poll, I don't think will happen after the poll," Madhav said.
Here's what the exit polls predict for Bengal:
News18's IPSOS exit poll has predicted the TMC will continue its domination of Bengal, and improve its overall tally from present the 34 to 36-38 seats. The BJP is predicted to marginally increase its present tally of two seats to 3-5.
Today-Axis My India Exit Poll suggested a neck-and-neck fight between the TMC and BJP with 19-22 seats for Mamata Banerjee's party and 19-23 seats for the saffron side.
Exit polls by both Times Now-VMR and Republic CVoter also predicted that the Trinamool Congress will continue its domination, but gave 11 seats to the BJP. The Times Now VMR predicted 28 seats for the TMC, two for the Congress and one for others.
Republic C-Voter predicted 29 for the TMC and two for the Congress.
Republic-Jan Ki Baat Exit Poll predicted the BJP making massive inroads, with 18-26 seats, the Left decimated with zero seats and the Trinamool Congress reduced to 13-21 seats.
Reacting to the exit poll results, West Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said, "I don't trust Exit Poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all Opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together."
11:05 Twinkle Khanna's meditation retort
Twinkle Khanna takes a dig at PM Modi's Kedarnath medidation with this tweet yesterday. "Folks please sign up-After seeing so many spiritual images in the last few days -- I am now starting a series of workshops 'Meditation Photography-Poses and Angles' I have a feeling after wedding photography this is going to be the next big thing :) #AJokeADayMayKeepJillSane."
11:00 Yogi wants UP ally out
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday wrote to state governor Ram Naik requesting him to immediately dismisses OP Rajbhar from the state cabinet.
Rajbhar, a minister for backward class welfare and 'divyangjan' empowerment had earlier resigned from the cabinet but his resignation was not accepted.
Informing about the same, office of Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh tweeted, "Today UP CM Yogi Adityanath has written a letter to Governor and have requested him for immediate dismissal of Backward Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar from the cabinet."
Rajbhar who is also the chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party had on May 1 stated that he has resigned as a cabinet minister from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government over the seat-sharing agreement with the BJP.
"I had resigned on the night of April 13 from the post of state minister when they (BJP) said that you have to contest on our symbol. I told them I will contest from only one seat but from my own party. However, they did not agree to that either. Following which, I immediately resigned but they did not accept my resignation," said OP Rajbhar while speaking to media persons.
SBSP is an ally of the BJP since 2017. -- ANI
10:55 Entire Opposition in political ICU after exit polls: Giriraj Singh
Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Monday said that the entire Opposition leaders slipped into oblivion after the exit polls came out on Sunday.
His jibe at the Opposition came after exit polls on television channels on Sunday projected the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to retain power at the Centre with most of the pollsters giving Prime Minister Modi a clear majority again in the 543-member Lok Sabha.Singh's tweet in Hindi roughly translates as, "The entire Opposition, including Mamata Banerjee and N Chandrababu Naidu, has reached ICU politically after seeing exit polls. Now after 23rd, all these people should introspect for a better future."
However, the Opposition parties have termed the exit polls as wrong.
-- ANI
10:53 Scoot Airways flight makes emergency landing at Chennai airport
A Singapore-bound Scoot Airways flight made an emergency landing at the Chennai airport in the early hours of Monday after the pilot detected smoke in the aircraft cargo, authorities said.
"Singapore-bound Scoot Airways flight TR 567 flying from Trichy (Tamil Nadu) made an emergency landing at Chennai airport after the pilot detected smoke in the aircraft cargo at around 3:40 am today.
The pilot had requested an emergency landing, which was granted by the ATC," an airport official said.
A total of 161 passengers and crew members were on board when the incident took place. All of them are safe."
All passengers were later safely disembarked and the flight was grounded at Chennai airport," the official said.The flight is expected to fly back to Singapore today evening. -- ANI
10:51 Kumaraswamy slams media for 'belittling' politicians in satire
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy hit out at media organisations for "belittling" politicians on their satirical programmes, saying he was thinking of bringing a law to curb the practice.
"Whom are you (media) trying to help by misusing our name. I am thinking of bringing in a law. What have you thought of us politicians? Do you think we're jobless? You are belittling us. Do we look like cartoon characters to you? Who gave you the authority to show everything humorously?" Kumaraswamy said at a book launch on Sunday.
Accusing BJP of hatching a conspiracy to dislodge the Congress-JDS coalition government in the state, the Chief Minister said that his government will not fall "easily."
"This government will not go that easily. I heard that after election results are out on May 23, some BJP leaders said they will be ready for another election in the state. These people have been waiting for a month now to do so. But let me tell you that this government is not going to fall that easily," Kumaraswamy said.
Both Congress and JDS are in an uneasy coalition with differences within coming out in open often.
Earlier this month, BJP leader S Dattari had alleged that while Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is only concerned about the chief ministerial post, and Kumaraswamy is busy visiting temples to pray for his son Nikhil Gowda's victory in the Lok Sabha elections. -- ANI
10:29 Exit polls are all wrong: Tharoor
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday rejected the predictions of exit polls and said that he will wait till May 23 for the "real results"."I believe the exit polls are all wrong. In Australia last weekend, 56 different exit polls proved wrong.
In India many people don't tell pollsters the truth fearing they might be from the government. Will wait till 23rd for the real results," Tharoor tweeted.
In another tweet, Tharoor wrote, "Actually they CAN all be wrong, as Australia (a much smaller and less diverse country than India) showed us last weekend. But you're right that we are all better off waiting for the 23rd than wasting our time in empty debate about these imaginary numbers.
"Besides him, several other Opposition leaders have expressed disappointment over the exit polls."Every single exit poll can't be wrong! Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media & wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd," tweeted National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah.Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu too on Sunday said that Exit Polls have failed to catch the people's pulse.
"Time and again Exit Polls have failed to catch the people's pulse. Exit polls have proved to be incorrect and far from ground reality in many instances. While undoubtedly TDP government will be formed in AP, we are confident that non-BJP parties will form a non-BJP government at the Centre," tweeted Naidu.
Exit polls on television channels on Sunday projected the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance to retain power at the Centre with most of the pollsters giving Prime Minister Modi a clear majority again in the 543-member Lok Sabha. -- ANI
10:25
MJ Akbar arrives in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court for cross-examination in the defamation case he has filed against journalist Priya Ramani.
10:20 Rupee cheers exit polls, appreciates 79 paise
The rupee appreciated 79 paise to 69.44 against the US dollar in opening trade Monday after exit poll results suggested another term for the ruling NDA government, even as crude oil prices firmed up.
Forex traders said investors welcomed the exit poll results that predict a thumping majority for the current BJP-led government.
Sentiments were also buoyed by positive opening in domestic equities.
The rupee opened at 70.36 the interbank forex market, then gained further ground to touch 69.44 per dollar, displaying gains of 79 paise against the greenback. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 70.23 against the US dollar. Foreign funds pulled out Rs 1,057.82 crore in the capital markets on a net basis Thursday, provisional data showed.
-- PTI
09:56 Markets open higher as exit polls show NDA win
Domestic financial markets cheered exit poll results showed that ruling National Democratic Alliance is likely to will the general Lok Sabha elections on Monday, with the benchmark BSE Sensex skyrocketing over 900 points, and the rupee appreciating 79 paise against the US dollar.
After soaring over 962 in early session, the 30-share index pared some gains and was trading 687.63 points, or 1.81 per cent, higher at 38,618.40.
In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty was trading 203.05 points, or 1.78 per cent, up at 11,610.20.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack include Maruti, L&T, SBI, ICICI Bank, RIL, M&M, IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank and Vedanta, rising up to 4 per cent.
On the other hand, Bajaj Auto, Infosys and HCL Tech slipped up to 2 per cent.
Most exit polls Sunday forecast another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with some of them projecting that BJP-led NDA will get more than 300 seats to comfortably cross the majority mark of 272 in the Lok Sabha.
The results of the seven-phase polls will come out Thursday. -- PTI
09:53 Exit polls do not mean exact polls: VP
Vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday mocked at the exit polls, saying they were not exact polls.
"Exit polls do not mean exact polls. We have to understand that. Since 1999, most of the exit polls have gone wrong," the vice-president pointed out.
Naidu addressed an informal meeting of well-wishers, who felicitated him in Guntur.
Referring to the ongoing general elections, he said every party exuded confidence (over victory).
"Everyone exhibits his own confidence till the 23rd (day of counting). There will be no base for it. So we have to wait for 23rd," he remarked.
"Country and the state need an able leader and stable government, whoever it be. That's what is required. Thats all," Naidu observed.
The vice-president also said change in society should start with political parties.
"If democracy has to strengthen and something good has to happen to people elections, selections, candidates, parties all should discharge their duties responsibly and properly," he noted.
The vice-president lamented that civility has become a casulaty in the present political discourse. -- PTI
08:40 Exit polls: BJP says vote for PM, Oppn dismisses
The Bharatiya Janata Party reacted with jubilation at the exit polls, which forecast a return of the National Democratic Alliance government, saying that they show a huge positive vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but opposition parties rejected the forecast.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she does not trust "exit poll gossip" while the Congress dismissed the projections as ridiculous, claiming that silent voters will speak in the opposition's favour when votes are counted on May 23.
BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said people have rewarded Modi's good governance.
"The exit polls clearly show a huge positive vote for the leadership of Narendra Modi who has served the country with unmatched dedication. That people reward good performance has once again been proved by the overwhelming public mandate. This is a slap for the abusive opposition that made baseless charges and spoke lies," he said.
Shashi Tharoor of the Congress claimed that exit polls are all wrong and cited the Australian polls, where various surveys proved wrong, to make his point.
"I believe the exit polls are all wrong. In Australia last weekend, 56 different exit polls proved wrong. In India many people don't tell pollsters the truth fearing they might be from the Government. Will wait till 23rd for the real results," the Kerala MP tweeted.
Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee also rejected the exit polls.
"I don't trust exit poll gossip. The game plan is to manipulate or replace thousands of EVMs through this gossip. I appeal to all opposition parties to be united, strong and bold. We will fight this battle together," she tweeted.
Most exit polls have forecast a gain for the BJP in West Bengal, even though her party may still win more seats.
However, Congress ally and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said every exit poll cannot be wrong.
"Every single exit poll can't be wrong! Time to switch off the TV, log out of social media & wait to see if the world is still spinning on its axis on the 23rd," he said. -- PTI
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