LIVE! Will form govt in Maharashtra in 2-5 days: Raut

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Wed, 20 November 2019

Will form govt in Maharashtra in 2-5 days: Raut

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23:38 Rly official objects to Khushwant Singh's 'obscene' book at stall

A senior official of the Railways on Wednesday directed a book vendor at the city's railway station to stop selling renowned writer Khushwant Singh's novel Women, Sex, Love and Lust, saying that such "obscene"

literature may spoil the future generation.

He also directed officials to ensure "such obscene things" are not sold at book stalls at Bhopal station.

Ramesh Chandra Ratn, chairman of Railways' Passenger Services Committee, who was on an inspection drive at the station, spotted late Singh's novel and another book on preventive measures during pregnancy put on display for sale at a stall.

He immediately asked the vendor to take the books off the shelf.

Ratn also warned him that if such literature is kept on sale in the future, a fine would be imposed.

"This is a multi-purpose stall, so obscene things with such (covers) words should not be displayed. Officials have been cautioned and directed to ensure such obscene things are not sold at the vends," Ratn told reporters at the station.

On being asked that one of these books belonged to a renowned author, he said, "Look, whosoever may be the writer...I want to inform you all that, according to the by- laws, it is not permissible here. This is a stall of the

Railways which runs according to a system."

"We don't want to spoil the future generation. Chetan Bhagat, too, is a writer of national fame," he said.

Two months ago, during an inspection at the New Delhi station, the official had reportedly also objected to Bhagat's novel Half Girlfriend being kept for sale at a stall in the premises on similar grounds.

Ratn, who is responsible for overseeing passenger amenities at railway stations, said, "With the help of the media I want to send a message to people to stay away from such literature and pictures."

"It is offending to our sisters and daughters. There is a system in families. Cinema halls are place for it. Such things are banned in railway properties as there is a system," he added.

Ratn also expressed satisfaction over passenger facilities being provided at the Bhopal station. -- PTI

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that in the coming "2-5 days" the government will be formed in Maharashtra.

"When three parties form a government then the process is long. This process has started today. In the coming 2-5 days, when the process is completed, a government will be formed in Maharashtra," Raut told media in New Delhi.

On the question of chief minister's post, Raut said, "Shiv Sena ka mukhyamantri banna chahiye yeh Maharashtra ki janta ki ichha hai. Yeh rajya ki bhavna hai ki Uddhav Thackeray Ji netritv karen ( The people of Maharashtra wants that the chief minister should be from Shiv Sena). "

A meeting of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders was held at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in New Delhi today over the government formation in Maharashtra.

Leaders from both the parties were present including Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Sule among others. -- ANI

The Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval to the food ministry's recent decision to import 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions in a bid to improve the domestic availability of the key kitchen staple and check prices.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed about the decision at a media briefing after the Cabinet meeting.

On November 16, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan had announced that the government will import 1,00,000 tonnes of onions through state-run MMTC, which has already floated a tender for buying 4,000 tonnes of the commodity from the global market.

The government is also facilitating private imports and also relaxed phytosanitary and fumigation norms till December.

The move comes after the government's various efforts to boost the domestic availability failed to cool down the retail prices significantly. Retail prices of onions are continuing to rule above Rs 60/kg in the national capital and other consuming centres.

Onion prices have come under pressure due to 26 per cent fall in the production to 52.06 lakh tonnes during the kharif output late-kharif seasons of 2019-20.

The all-India average retail price of onion stood at Rs 60.38 per kg on November 15, compared with Rs 22.84 per kg on the same date last year.

Besides easing norms for onion import, the government has taken several measures including ban on exports, stock limits on traders and sale of the commodity stored as buffer, at a subsidised rate. -- PTI

The chief minister's post in Maharashtra is most likely to be on a rotational basis, with the first half to be given to the Shiv Sena and the latter half to the Nationalist Congress Party, sources from Sharad Pawar-led party said.

The Congress is likely to have the deputy chief minister's post for the full five-year term, they said. -- PTI

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Wednesday said he would be cautious about RCEP as the mega free trade agreement "does look like a trade arm" of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

After years of negotiations, India on November 4 pulled out of the China-backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) over unresolved "core concerns", with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying in Bangkok that the proposed deal would have adverse impact on the lives and livelihoods of all Indians.

"While I am all in favour of generous assistance to countries in difficulties, I am very wary of anything that might end up leaving vulnerable countries permanently indebted to another. So, I would be cautious about RCEP as it does look to me like a trade arm of the Belt and Road Initiative," Abbott told reporters in New Delhi.

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) seeks to build rail, maritime and road links from Asia to Europe and Africa in a revival of ancient Silk Road trading routes.

The issues related to BRI, earlier known as the One Belt One Road (OBOR), has been a major bone of contention between India and China as one portion of the corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. -- PTI

22:27 US approves billion dollar naval guns to India

The Trump Administration has notified to the United States Congress its determination to sell $1 billion worth of naval guns to India for use against warships, anti-aircraft and shore bombardment, in a move that would enhance the lethal capabilities of the Indian Navy.

The proposed foreign military sale of up to 13 MK-45 5inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) naval guns and related equipment is at an estimated cost of $1.0210 billion, Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its notification to the Congress on Tuesday.

To be manufactured by the BAE Systems Land and Armaments, the proposed sale will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats from enemy weapon systems, the notification said.

"The MK-45 Gun System will provide the capability to conduct anti-surface warfare and anti-air defence missions while enhancing interoperability with US and other allied forces," the notification said.

India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence, it said.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, it said. -- PTI

Photograph: Kind courtesy BAE Systems

22:00 Prithvi-2 successfully test-fired at night

India successfully testfired on Wednesday the indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-2 missile at night as part of a user trial by the army from a test range off Odisha coast, an official said.

Two Prithvi-2 missiles were test fired consecutively and both tests met all parameters, the official said from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur.

The trial of the surface-to-surface missile with a strike range of 350 km was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the ITR between 7 pm to 7.15 pm, he said.

It was a routine trial, he added.

The night time testfire of Prithvi-2 was conducted successfully from the ITR on February 21, 2018. -- PTI

Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander hard-landed as reduction in velocity during its descent was more than the designed parameters, the government said on Wednesday throwing more light on ISRO's dashed hopes of making a soft landing on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Jitendra Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, who looks after the department of space, said the first phase of descent was performed nominally from an altitude of 30 kms to 7.4 kms above the moon's surface and velocity was reduced from 1,683 metres per second to 146 metres per second.

"During the second phase of descent, the reduction in velocity was more than the designed value. Due to this deviation, the initial conditions at the start of the fine braking phase were beyond the designed parameters. As a result, Vikram hard-landed within 500 metres of the designated landing site," he said.

Singh, however, said most components of technology demonstration, including the launch, orbital critical maneuvers, lander separation, de-boost and rough braking phase were successfully accomplished.

With regards to the scientific objectives, all the eight state-of-the-art scientific instruments of the orbiter are performing according to the design and providing valuable scientific data. Due to the precise launch and orbital maneuvers, the mission life of the orbiter is increased to seven years, he said.

Data received from the orbiter is being provided continuously to the scientific community, he said, adding the same was recently reviewed in an all-India user meet organized in New Delhi. -- PTI

IndiGo and GoAir will have to replace 111 and 54 Pratt and Whitney engines respectively within the next 72 days in their A320neo planes, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.

Replying to a written question in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said IndiGo and GoAir were asked by aviation regulator DGCA earlier this month to replace 196 and 76 PW engines respectively with modified engines.

On November 1, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had told the airlines to replace the PW engines under both wings of 97 A320neo aircraft "at all costs" by January 31 or they would be grounded.

The aviation regulator had also said "desperate measures" were required to "put things in order".

The PW engine-powered A320 neo planes in the fleets of IndiGo and GoAir have been facing glitches both mid-air and on-ground since their induction way back in 2016, which has also led to grounding of some planes.

According to the data presented by Puri on Wednesday, 85 and 22 PW engines were replaced by IndiGo and GoAir respectively as yet. -- PTI

After another around of meeting over the government formation in Maharashtra, Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan said that some aspects of the alliance are still under discussion and the alliance will be able to give a stable government to Maharashtra very soon.

"The Congress-NCP has had long and positive discussions today. Discussions will continue. I am sure we will be able to give a stable government to Maharashtra very soon," Chavan told reporters after a meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in New Delhi.

Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Mallikarjun Kharge, Prithviraj Chavan, K C Venugopal and Balasaheb Thorat attended the meeting.

Those representing the NCP included Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Nawab Malik.

The Constitution accords equal importance to all the languages of the country and there is no proposal for "one nation, one language", the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy was replying to a written question in Rajya Sabha whether there is a proposal to have a single language for the country.

"There is no proposal for one nation-one language," Reddy said.

The minister's reply comes in the backdrop of protest by leaders of several non-Hindi speaking states and pro-Kannada organisations, who had taken to the streets in September after Union Home Minister Amit Shah propopsal spoke of 'One Nation, One Language'.

The minister further said that the "Constitution accords equal importance to all the languages of the country."

"Language matters are in the concurrent list of the Constitution of India and are within the executive spheres of the central government and the respective state governments," he said.

He added that grants are not released language-wise by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

In reply to an another question, the minister said the incidents of communal violence, in the last three years, have shown a "declining trend" in the country.

However, no data was furnished in the reply.

To another question on the number of sedition cases filed against persons who criticised and doubted surgical strikes conducted by the Army, Reddy said "no such data" is available with the National Crime Records Bureau as on date. -- PTI

19:50 3 Rafale jets handed over to India: Govt

Three Rafale fighter jets have been handed over to the Indian Air Force and are being used to train IAF pilots and technicians in France, the government said on Wednesday.

India and France signed an Euro 7.87 billion (Rs 59,000 crore approximately) deal in September 2016 for 36 Rafale jets.

While the first Rafale jet was handed over to India on October 8, the first batch of four Rafale jets will arrive in India by May 2020. -- PTI

The government has no proposal for linking Aadhaar with social media accounts of individuals, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

"There is no such proposal with the government for linking Aadhaar with social media accounts of individuals," Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

He was replying to a specific query on whether the government proposes to enact a law for linking Aadhaar with social media accounts of individuals.

Prasad said that as a matter of policy and by design, the Unique Identification Authority of India precludes itself from aggregating information arising from the use of Aadhaar, tracking and profiling individuals.

"...the system by intent is blind to the purpose for which Aadhaar may be used at the front end by the resident. Also, the core biometrics is encrypted at the time of enrolment/updation. It is never kept unencrypted and is never shared," he added.

Prasad said Aadhaar is based on three core principles of "minimal information, optimal ignorance and federated database".

"In its whole lifecycle, an Aadhaar database contains only the information that the resident provides at the time of enrolment or updation... The database may also have mobile and e-mail, if provided by the resident, during enrolment or updation," he said.

Aadhaar database contains name, address, gender, date of birth/age, photograph and core biometrics (10 fingerprints and 2 iris scans) of the enrolled resident.

In response to another query, Prasad said non-resident Indians are entitled to obtain Aadhaar number after arrival in India. -- PTI

"There's no shame in showing your tears," said Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday, recalling a time when he believed that crying makes a man weak, a belief he wants none to have now.

In an open letter to fellow men in the ongoing International Men's Week, the cricket icon said his tribe should never pretend to be tough when things are falling apart.

"There's no shame in showing your tears. So why hide a part of you that actually makes you stronger? Why hide your tears?" he asked in an emotional note.

"Because that's what we are brought up to believe that men are not supposed to cry. That crying makes a man weak.

"I grew up believing this. And the reason I'm writing to you today, is because I realised that I was wrong. My struggles and my pain made me who I am, shaping me into a better man," he added.

The 46-year-old, arguably the greatest batsman to have played cricket, said crying does not mean weakness.

"It takes a lot of courage to show your pain and your vulnerability. But just as sure as the morning, you'll emerge from it tougher and better. So I encourage you to move past these stereotypes and notions of what men can or cannot do. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I wish you this courage," he said.

Tendulkar said his tribe will face "fear, doubts and experience great tribulations" and it is fine if some of it leads to a breakdown.

"Undoubtedly, there will be times when you fail, and you will feel like crying and letting it all out. But sure enough, you'll hold back the tears and pretend to be tough. Because that's what men do," he wrote.

Recalling his last day in international cricket, when he broke down while delivering a farewell speech, Tendulkar said he embraced the flood of emotions that came with the occasion.

"I had thought about it for a long time but nothing could prepare me for that last walk back to the pavilion. With each step it started sinking in. I felt a lump in my throat, the fear of it all ending.

"There was so much going through my head in that moment. I just couldn't keep it in. And I didn't fight it. I let go in front of the world, and surprisingly, I felt a certain peace," he remembered.

"I felt stronger for putting myself out there and grateful for everything that I had received. I realised I was man enough," he said. -- PTI

A civil society group, which includes former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, will go on a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir on November 22 to assess the ground situation in the region after the central government nullified Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state special powers.

The members of the Concerned Citizens' Group plan to return on November 25 and will then release their report on the ground situation in the region, Sinha said.

He said the group had visited the Valley in September as well and though he was not allowed by authorities to leave Srinagar airport and forced to return to Delhi, its other members were allowed outside.

The group's other members are former bureaucrat Wajahat Habibullah, journalist Bharat Bhushan and civil society activists Kapil Kak and Sushobha Barve, the former BJP leader said.

The central government on August 5 announced its decision to nullify Article 370 and also brought in a law to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories.

Rajya Sabha gave its nod on the same day, while Lok Sabha followed suit the next day.

The government had imposed security and communication restrictions. Much of these measures have been relaxed since, though internet blockade remains in place. -- PTI

Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday named his elder brother and former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new prime minister after incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe announced his resignation from the post following the election debacle.

Mahinda, the current main opposition leader, will assume duties soon after incumbent Wickremesinghe steps down formally on Thursday.

Mahinda was appointed the Prime Minister on October 26, 2018 by the then President Maithripala Sirisena, who sacked Wickremesinghe in a controversial move that plunged the country into an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

He resigned in December as two crucial Supreme Court decisions made the former strongman's efforts to cling to premiership untenable.

The apex court later unanimously declared that the dissolution of Parliament by Sirisena was "illegal".

Mahinda won power in 2005 and went on to become South Asia's longest-serving leader. He became the country's youngest ever parliamentarian in 1970 at the age of 24.

The two brothers led a decisive campaign that helped end the island nation's three decade long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe announced his resignation, days after the ruling party's candidate lost the presidential election to Rajapaksa.

Rajapaksa defeated Wickremesinghe's deputy Sajith Premadasa. -- PTI

18:22 Maha govt formation: Cong, NCP meet in Delhi

Senior leaders of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party held talks in New Delhi on Wednesday with a focus on firming up the modalities for taking a shot at government formation in Maharashtra.

The meeting took place at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Mallikarjun Kharge, Prithviraj Chavan, K C Venugopal and Balasaheb Thorat attended the meeting.

Those representing the NCP included Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Nawab Malik. -- PTI

17:57 Sri Lanka PM to resign after election debacle

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will resign on Thursday, his office said on Wednesday, days after the ruling party's candidate lost the presidential election to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

"Wickremesinghe will resign from his position tomorrow," his office said.

He was under pressure to quit and handover the government to the opposite camp after Rajapaksa won the presidential election on Saturday.

Rajapaksa defeated Wickremesinghe's deputy Sajith Premadasa.

Sources said President Rajapaksa will appoint his elder brother and former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, the current main opposition leader, as the next prime minister.

Mahinda was appointed the Prime Minister on October 26, 2018 by the then President Maithripala Sirisena, in a controversial move that plunged the country into an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

He resigned in December as two crucial Supreme Court decisions made the embattled former strongman's efforts to cling to premiership untenable.

The apex court later unanimously declared that the dissolution of Parliament by Sirisena was "illegal".

Mahinda won power in 2005 and went on to become South Asia's longest-serving leader.

He became the country's youngest ever parliamentarian in 1970 at the age of 24.

The United National Party leader faced a revolt since Premadasa's defeat, a regular occurrence during the last 25 years whenever the UNP lost a major election.

Yet Wickremesinghe held on.

Harin Fernando, a minister from the party's younger brigade, told reporters that they want Wickremesinghe to quit the party leadership and name Premadasa his successor for both the party leadership and the post of the main opposition leader. -- PTI

Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that WhatsApp has informed that the full extent of targeting of mobile phone users, including 121 from India, using Israeli Pegasus spyware may never be known and the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a formal notice to the social media platform seeking submission of details and information.

In a written reply, Prasad said that attempts to malign the Government of India for the reported breach are completely misleading.He said the government has taken note of the fact that a "spyware/malware has affected some Whatsapp users".

The minister said according to WhatsApp, this spyware was developed by an Israel based company NSO Group and that it had developed and used Pegasus spyware to attempt to reach mobile phones of a possible number of 1400 users globally that includes 121 users from India.

He said there are adequate provisions in the Information Technology Act, 2000 to deal with hacking, spyware etc.The minister said that CERT-In published a vulnerability note on May 17, 2019, advising countermeasures to users regarding a vulnerability in WhatsApp.

"Subsequently, on May 20, 2019, WhatsApp reported an incident to the CERT-In stating that WhatsApp had identified and promptly fixed a vulnerability that could enable an attacker to insert and execute code on mobile devices and that the vulnerability can no longer be exploited to carry out attacks," the minister said.

"On September 5, 2019, WhatsApp wrote to CERT-In mentioning an update to the security incident reported in May 2019, that while the full extent of this attack may never be known, WhatsApp continued to review the available information. It also mentioned that WhatsApp believes it is likely that devices of approximately 121 users in India may have been attempted to be reached," he added.

He said CERT-In has issued a formal notice to WhatsApp seeking submission of relevant details and information based on media reports on October 31, 2019, about such targeting of mobile devices of Indian citizens through WhatsApp by spyware Pegasus.Referring to reports in a section of media, he said: "attempts to malign the Government of India for the reported breach are completely misleading".-- ANI

17:22 Sensex perches near all-time high

The BSE Sensex darted up 182 points to close just shy of its lifetime high on Wednesday, propelled by index heavyweight Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma and IndusInd Bank. After scaling a new intra-day record of 40,816.38, the 30-share index ended 181.94 points, or 0.45 per cent, higher at 40,651.64. It is just 2 points shy of its all-time closing high, hit on November 7, 2019. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty closed just below the crucial 12,000-mark, advancing 59 points, or 0.49 per cent, to end at 11,999.10.

Reliance Industries led the gains on the Sensex in value terms, settling 2.47 per cent higher after touching its lifetime high of Rs 1,571.85 (intra-day). The shares have gained after the company's telecom arm, Reliance Jio, announced it will increase mobile phone call and data charges in the next few weeks, following similar announcements by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

The market valuation of Reliance Industries, the country's most valued firm, is fast nearing the historic Rs 10 lakh crore mark. It ended Wednesday's session with a market capitalisation of Rs 9,80,699.59 crore. Among other gainers, Sun Pharma rallied 5.73 per cent, IndusInd Bank 5.50 per cent and Yes Bank jumped 2.65 per cent. L&T, Maruti, Tech Mahindra, ITC and PowerGrid too ended on a positive note. -- PTI

A Central team is coming to Maharashtra on a three-day visit beginning November 22 to assess the damage caused to crops in the unseasonal rains, a state official said on Wednesday.

The unseasonal showers and delayed retreat of monsoon had mainly affected farmers from Aurangabad, Amravati and Nashik divisions in October.

"The five-member team from the Centre is visiting Maharashtra for three days to assess the damage caused to crops in unseasonal rains. They will visit various areas, interact with farmers before submitting their reports to the Centre. The team will start its tour on November 22," a state disaster management department official said.

He said crops on estimated 94,53,139 hectares were damaged in rains while the number of the affected farmers is more than one crore. Aurangabad division is worst hit, he said, adding that soyabean and cotton are the worst hit. -- PTI

The government has taken note of the fact that a spyware/malware has affected some WhatsApp users in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

In a written reply, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology also said that it is working on the "Personal Data Protection Bill to safeguard the privacy of citizens, and it is proposed to table it in Parliament".

"The government has taken note of the fact that spyware/malware has affected some WhatsApp users. According to WhatsApp, this spyware was developed by an Israel based company NSO Group and that it had developed and used Pegasus spyware to reach mobile phones of a possible number of 1400 users globally that includes 121 users from India," the ministry said while replying to the question asked by Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel Syed.

The ministry said that the government is committed to protecting the fundamental rights of citizens including the right to privacy and refuted media reports in the matter.

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said that over 609 people are currently under detention in Jammu and Kashmir.The ministry, in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, said that in order to prevent offences involving a breach of peace, activities prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of the public order, as many as 5,161 preventive arrests were made in Kashmir valley since August 4.

Those arrested included stone-pelters, miscreants, over ground workers (OGWs), separatists and political workers."Out of these, 609 persons are presently under detention, out of which approximately 218 are stone pelters," the ministry in an official statement.

The central government had on August 5 earlier this year announced its decision to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. Following this, various mainstream political leaders and others were put under detention.

Earlier today, Union Minister Amit Shah said that the incidents of stone-pelting have witnessed a dip."In Jammu and Kashmir, the situation has become fully normal. There are various kinds of rumours in India and all over the world but I want to tell that not a single person has died in police firing after August 5," he clarified. -- ANI

Families of detained mainstream Kashmiri political leaders, who have been under custody for over three months now, on Wednesday rued the lack of basic amenities at the MLA Hostel in Sringar, where the detainees were moved from a hotel early this week.

The families, who were allowed to meet the leaders, claimed that the MLA Hostel did not have proper heating arrangements and the food being provided to the politicians was substandard.

With Srinagar reeling under harsh winter conditions, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday shifted 34 political prisoners to the MLA Hostel, which has been designated a sub-jail, from Centaur Hotel as it lacked heating arrangements.

"This is a defunct building which lacks basic facilities. There should be a hygienic place for these leaders. There are no heating arrangements, no proper lighting arrangements. We have to get these facilities ourselves rather than the government providing them," Shehriyar Khanum, daughter of former minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Naeem Akhtar, told reporters.

Tanveer Veeri, brother of National Conference leader and former MLC Bashir Veeri, said, "It would be better if they are shifted to the MLA Hostel in Jammu or even the Central Jail. There are no proper heating or lighting arrangements at MLA Hostel, Srinagar."

Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad, father of deputy mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation Sheikh Imran, said, "The food being served to them is not healthy. The rooms are not good. There is no proper matting. This is not the way to treat the elected representatives." Saqib Madni, son of another PDP leader Sartaj Madni, alleged that the family members of the leaders visiting the hostel were being harassed by police personnel.

"We are being unnecessarily harassed. They (politicians) are in jail and we accept it, but they are not allowing our vehicles inside. We are carrying certain items which these leaders need as there are no facilities. How will we shift these items like matting and heating appliances which we have to get ourselves?" he said.

Image: Snow-covered roads in Srinagar during winter last year

Measures like online registration of FIRs may have contributed to higher number of cases being filed by the Delhi Police but there has been a decline in the number of criminal cases like molestation of women reported in the national capital, the Union Home Ministry said on Wednesday.

"As reported by Delhi Police, a number of measures taken for facilitating reporting and registration of crime, including online registration of e-FIR for theft of motor vehicles and other properties, may have contributed to higher number of cases registered in the NCT of Delhi," Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

However, the total heinous crimes registered during 2019 (upto Septembr 15, 2019) is 3,838 as compared to 4,092 during the corresponding period in 2018, thus, there is a decline of 6.2 per cent of heinous crimes during the current year as compared to the last year, he said.

"During the above referred period, under non-heinous crimes also, there is decline in various crime heads namely, snatching, hurt, burglary, house theft, molestation of women, kidnapping, abduction and fatal and simple accidents," Reddy said.

He said, as reported by Delhi Police, regular review meetings at frequent intervals are convened at different levels to evaluate the crime pattern, progress in investigation, law and order situation and other matters related to policing. -- PTI

15:46 Rich Hyderabadis biggest allies of BJP: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee again made a veiled attack on the AIMIM on Wednesday saying, leaders visiting the state from Hyderabad with money bags and claiming to be sympathisers of Muslims are the "biggest allies" of the BJP.

Banerjee urged the Muslim community not to trust leaders visiting from outside and only repose faith on leaders from the state as they can only fight for the cause of the people of West Bengal.

"Don't trust leaders who come from outside and try to present themselves as your (minority) sympathisers. Only leaders from Bengal can fight for your cause. Those who are visiting from Hyderabad with money bags and claiming to be sympathizers of Muslims are biggest allies of BJP," Banerjee said while addressing a public meeting.

Marking a shift in her rhetoric on religious extremism, Banerjee had, at an event in Cooch Behar on Monday, asked people to refrain from listening to "minority extremists" who have their base in Hyderabad, apparently targeting Owaisi, a Lok Sabha MP from that city. The comment drew sharp reactions from AIMIM party chief Asaduddin Owaisi who hit back on Tuesday saying, Muslims in the TMC chief's state are ranked "worst" on development indicators. -- PTI

15:18 RS seat change bid to humiliate me: Raut

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut launched a strident attack on the BJP-led NDA and shot off a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Nadu saying moving him to the 5th row in Parliament is an attempt to humiliate him and the party.

Raut in the letter says, "I think that this decision was taken by someone deliberately to hurt the sentiments of Shiv Sena Party and to suppress our voice.

"I may remind you that even when NDA was in Opposition, I was allotted a 3rd row seat in the House in view of my seniority in Rajya Sabha, but now, what I feel, it is clearly shows that my seat has been allotted in the 5th row intentionally to humiliate me and my party's status in the House."

Raut has said he fails to understand the reason behing "this unwarranted step of re-allocation of seats since there is no formal announcement about the removal from NDA". The senior party leader and MP has further said that the move has hurt the dignity of the Parliament and has demanded that he be allotted a seat in any of the first three rows according to the decorum of the House.

One Army jawan died while another was injured on Tuesday in a tank-related incident during an exercise in the Jaisalmer sector. "The incident occurred during the movement of the T-90 tanks near the Phalsund town," a spokesperson of the Indian Army informed. The injured Jawan has been referred to the hospital. The Indian Army is conducting war exercises at several places in the desert area near Jaisalmer. -- PTI

A group of European parliamentarians who recently visited Kashmir were on a "private visit" to the country, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday.

"The government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that a group of 27 members of European Parliament (MEPs), who belonged to different political parties including ruling and opposition parties, paid a private visit to India from October 28, 2019 to November 1, 2019 at the invitation of International Institute for Nonaligned Studies, a Delhi based think tank," Union minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said in a written statement in Rajya Sabha.

He was responding to a set of questions that sought to know which institution organised and bore expenses of this Kashmir tour and whether the institution that organised it was working as a coordinating institution of the central government.

To another question whether the Union government has "distracted" from its policy of not allowing any external intervention on the Jammu-Kashmir issue, Reddy stated that India's consistent position has been that issues, if any, with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.

"There is no scope for any third party role or mediation," the minister said. In the first visit by a foreign delegation, a team of 23 MEPs travelled to Kashmir in October on a two-day visit to have a first-hand assessment of the situation after the state's special status was revoked in August by abrogating Article 370. Of the 27 MPs who came to India, 23 went to Kashmir. -- PTI

In a heart-warming gesture, Indian Super League (ISL) side Bengaluru FC on Wednesday decided to make the viewing experience of a mom-to-be all the more comfortable by giving her the chance to watch the match from the 'owner's box'.

A pregnant fan took to Twitter to ask the club to allow her to carry hot water in a reusable bottle as she is 33 weeks pregnant. "Hello @bengalurufc! Is there any possibility that I could permission to carry some hot water from home in a reusable bottle?? I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant & I need to stay hydrated also take my medication. It was terribly inconvenient when I came to watch previous matches," the fan tweeted.In response, the club decided to accommodate the mom-to-be in the owners' box where she would be able to get access to hot water and more facilities.

"Hey, Meghana. We love the fact that you're introducing your little one to the Fortress already! We would be more than happy to accommodate you in the Owner's Box for Saturday's game, where there's hot water and more. This one's on us. #FansFirst #BENKER," Bengaluru FC tweeted.

The fan was bowled over by the club's gesture and replied: "Never expected such a humble gesture!! Thank you so much @bengalurufc".

Bengaluru FC is scheduled to play against Kerela Blasters in the ongoing ISL on Saturday, November 23. The team is currently placed at the fifth position in the tournament standings with six points from four matches.

-- ANI

Image: Bengaluru FC fan Meghana had tweeted she was 33 weeks pregnant and needed to stay hydrated also take medication and asked permission for a hot water bottle. Pic: Twitter.

14:12 Power-puff girls

Diya Kumari, the BJP MP from Rajsamand poses with her mother and parliamentary colleagues, BJP's Hema Malini and Kirron Kher and NCP's Supriya Sule.

13:47 Meeting with PM only on farmers' issues: Pawar

The meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now concluded. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Pawar said the discussion was confined to farmers' issues in Maharashtra.

In a letter to the PM, Pawar said he had collected data on crop damage from two districts, but damage because of excessive rains extends to rest of Maharashtra, including Marathwada and Vidarbha. "I'm collecting details and information regarding the same, which should be sent to you at the earliest. Due to the prevalence of Presidential Rule in the state, your urgent intervention is highly necessitated. I shall be grateful, if you take immediate steps to initiate massive relief measures and ameliorate the miseries of the distressed farmers," the letter read.

13:24 HM reiterates: NRC will be done across India

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said in the Rajya Sabha that the process of National Register of Citizens will be carried out across the country. "No one, irrespective of religion should be worried, it is just a process to get everyone under the NRC. People whose name has not figured in the draft list have the right to go to the Tribunal. Tribunals will be constituted across Assam. If any person doesn't have the money to approach Tribunal, then Assam govt to bear the cost to hire a lawyer," the HM said.

Shah also said that the government will restore Internet connection in Kashmir as soon as the local administration feels it is fit to do so.

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi presided over a meeting of party's Lok Sabha MPs to discuss Parliament strategy.

The strategy has been made to counter the central government during the Winter Session of the Parliament over the economic slowdown, inflation, agrarian distress, Kashmir issue, detention of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir and unemployment among others.

Earlier, the party has decided to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 30 on the issue of economic slowdown.The Winter Session of Parliament began on November 18 and will continue till December 13. --ANI

Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha answers a question on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and internet restrictions. The question was asked by Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad.

-- The decision on resuming internet services can only be taken by the Jammu and Kashmir authorities. Safety of the country and people of Kashmir is of utmost priority.

-- There are activities by Pakistan too in Kashmir region, so keeping security in mind, whenever the local authority deems it fit, a decision will be taken on resuming internet services.

-- I can assure you that the situation in Kashmir is normal. There has been a significant dip in stone-pelting incidents:Since August 5, not a single person has died in police firing.

-- All newspapers are in circulation. All TV channels are running. All banks are operational. All govt offices & courts are functioning in the Valley.

-- Availability of medicines is adequate, there is no problem. Mobile medicine vans have also started. The administration has taken care of health services. Availability of petrol, diesel, kerosene, LPG and rice is adequate. 22 lakh metric ton apples are expected to be produced. All landlines are open.

--I challenge Ghulam Nabi Azad sahab to counter these facts which I presented, why don't you object to these figures on record? I am willing to discuss this issue for even an hour.

12:16 RIL m-cap inches closer to Rs 10 lakh cr mark

The market valuation of Reliance Industries, the country's most valued firm, is fast nearing the Rs 10 lakh crore mark helped by continuous rise in its share price.

The company's stock on Wednesday climbed 4.10 per cent to Rs 1,571.85 -- its record high -- on the BSE. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio on Tuesday said it will increase mobile phone call and data charges in the next few weeks in compliance with rules, as it followed similar announcements by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea on tariff hike.

Led by gains in its stock price, the company's market valuation rose to Rs 9,90,366.80 crore during the morning trade. Reliance Industries Ltd on Tuesday achieved another milestone, becoming the first Indian firm to hit a market valuation of Rs 9.5 lakh crore. -- PTI

12:04 Buoyed by RIL, Sensex hits lifetime high

Equity benchmark BSE Sensex rallied over 300 points to hit its lifetime high on Wednesday, enthused by gains in Reliance Industries which also scaled a fresh peak in morning session. After hitting a high of 40,816.38, the 30-share index was trading 321.20 points, or 0.79 per cent, higher at 40,790.90.

Similarly, the broader Nifty reclaimed the 12,000 mark. It was quoting at 87.25 points, or 0.73 per cent, up at 12,027.35. Shares of Reliance Industries rallied nearly 4 per cent to hit their lifetime high of Rs 1,571.85 (intra-day), inching closer to the Rs 10 lakh crore market-capitalisation level, after the company's telecom arm, Reliance Jio, announced tariff hikes in the next few weeks in compliance with rules, as it followed similar announcements by Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

Other gainers in the Sensex pack included IndusInd Bank, Sun Pharma, Bharti Airtel, L&T, Asian Paints, Yes Bank and Maruti. Meanwhile, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, NTPC, HCL Tech, SBI and Hero MotoCorp were trading in the negative terrain. -- PTI

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday demanded in Rajya Sabha restoration of the Special Protection Group cover to former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the Gandhi family. Raising the issue in the upper house, he said the cover should be "restored" going beyond "partisan politics." The party has been raising the issue in both the Houses. - PTI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate on a plea filed by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram seeking bail in the INX Media money-laundering case.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi issued a notice to ED on Chidambaram's appeal challenging the Delhi High Court's November 16 verdict dismissing his bail plea in the case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED, told the bench he would file a response by November 25.

The bench, comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, posted the matter for hearing on November 26. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Chidambaram, told the top court he should be granted bail as he is in custody for over three months. -- PTI

11:13 Sharad Pawar reaches Parliament

NCP chief and MP Sharad Pawar arrives in Parliament. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 12 pm today over the issue of Maharashtra farmers.

10:59 Amit Shah to address Rajya Sabha today

Union Home Minister & BJP President Amit Shah will speak in Rajya Sabha today.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha, over 'purchasing of paddy from Chhattisgarh in Central Pool.'

TMC has give Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "telecom blackout in Kashmir valley".

PDP MP Nazir Ahmed Laway gives Calling attention Notice in Rajya Sabha over "Present Political situation in Kashmir Valley".

The Jawaharlal Nehru University visually impaired students' forum has called for a demonstration on Wednesday in front of Delhi Police Headquarters against alleged lathi charge by police on the students of the University and to demand justice for persons with disabilities.

The demonstration is scheduled in the front of the Police Headquarter on Jaisingh Road near the Parliament.

"The JNU Visually Challenged Students' Forum calls for a demonstration against the brutal lathi charge of Delhi Police and demand for justice for persons with disabilities," Shaikh Mohammad Kaish, JNU Visually Challenged Students' Forum, said in a statement.On November 18, Delhi Police had denied allegations of lathi-charge levelled by some students during the protest organised to demand complete fee rollback.However, the Forum said that the lathi charge by police was a clear cut violation of the United Nation's Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006 and Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2016 act.

The forum demanded delegation-level talks with the Chief Commissioner of Delhi Police and full protection of persons with disabilities anywhere in the national capital with an immediate effect. -- ANI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hit out at the government over Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reported remarks that Air India and Bharat Petroleum Corporation could be sold by March, alleging the BJP is making India's best organisations hollow and then selling them.

Her attack comes days after Sitharaman reportedly said the government was looking to wrap up the sale of state-run Air India and oil refiner and marketer BPCL by March 2020. "Our organisations are our pride. These are our 'golden birds'," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The BJP had promised to build the country, but they are working to make India's best organisations hollow and sell them. Sad," the Congress general secretary said. -- PTI

With uncertainty looming large over who will form the government in Maharashtra, BJP leader Ram Kadam said that the Congress and NCP are trying to corner Shiv Sena. He also said that despite holding several meetings the three parties are nowhere close to forming a government in the state.

"Both Congress and NCP are trying to corner Shiv Sena," said Ram Kadam."It is unfortunate that for last 28 days all the three parties (Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena) are holding meetings after meetings without any conclusion. When will their meetings end?" asked Kadam.

"On one hand it is being shown that meetings are going on while on the other hand, senior leaders of NCP are issuing statements denying it," he said.

"They have no agenda, no plan. While one party admits having a common minimum programme, the other is out-right contradicting it. Their ideologies are entirely different and they cannot take Maharashtra forward," said the BJP leader. -- ANI

Update on the government formation in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut says the process to form the government will be completed in the next 5 to 6 days and a popular and strong government will be formed in Maharashtra before December. "The process is going on," Raut said.

Today, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament, over the issue of Maharashtra farmers at noon.

The Sonia Gandhi-led Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party are likely to meet today to hold discussion and take a final call on forming the government in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena.

Senior leaders of Congress and NCP are expected to hold a meeting on Wednesday to iron out differences in the common minimum programme.

The Congress and NCP have already deputed leaders for holding talks on the possible alliance. The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed to today at the request of the Congress given the prior commitment of party leaders on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary yesterday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore today and paid tributes to those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty during the Second World War.

Singh on Tuesday held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat with a focus on ramping up bilateral defence and security cooperation. Singh arrived in Singapore on Monday night on a two-day visit.

The defence minister expressed satisfaction over increasing engagement of the armed forces of India and Singapore, officials said, adding both leaders agreed to take the bilateral defence cooperation to greater heights.

In the meeting, Singh also referred to India's stand on the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region.

Ahead of a key meeting between the Congress and NCP on finalising the contours of a proposed alliance with the Shiv Sena for government formation in Maharashtra, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to discuss farmers issues.

Pawar and Modi will meet at 12.30 pm and later in the day, the NCP leader will lead a Maharashtra all-party delegation to meet the prime minister.

The move assumes significance in the backdrop of the power tussle in Maharashtra, which saw the BJP break up with the Shiv Sena, its ally of 30 years. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is at present working towards an understanding with the ideologically opposed Congress and NCP to form the government in the state. The parties are trying to cobble together an alliance on the basis of a common minimum programme, which has farmers interest at its core.

Interestingly, the meeting also comes days after PM Modi praised the NCP in the Rajya Sabha at the beginning of the Winter Session for strictly adhering to parliamentary norms. Today I want to appreciate two parties, NCP and BJD. These parties have strictly adhered to parliamentary norms." He said the other parties, including his own, should learn from them.

He also lauded the two parties for never entering Well of House to protest, saying that it has not affected their politics. "They have never gone into the well. Yet, they have raised their points very effectively. Other parties, including mine, can learn from them, Modi said while underlining that the fortunes of either party have not been affected due to their self-imposed discipline.

Meanwhile, NCP and Congress leaders are expected to discuss a myriad of issues -- from the name of their likely alliance if they join hands with the ideologically opposite Shiv Sena to the contours of their tie-up in the coming polls in their meeting scheduled for Wednesday, an NCP leader said on Tuesday.

The ruckus over the hostel fee hike at Jawaharlal Nehru University exploded after protests by students in the national capital turned violent, following which the Delhi Police personnel resorted to lathi-charge.

The protests for a complete rollback of fee hike entered its fourth week and the students of JNU today called for a complete shutdown of academic activities in the college.

Visuals of injured student protesters, bleeding from their head and admitted to hospitals, sitting battered on roadsides in the national capital was nothing but the stark reality of the brutal assault on student rights and freedom of speech, some said.

Injured students spoke at length about the clash that broke out between them and the police on Monday evening, which also included a visually-challenged student of the varsity being pushed around and beaten mercilessly by the police personnel.

A student, identified as Shashi Bhushan, said that the cops did not stop beating him even after him pleading that he was blind.

Despite repeatedly telling them that Im blind, the police did not stop, Shashi Bhushan said.

A parliamentary committee headed by the Congress's Shashi Tharoor will examine the WhatsApp snooping issue today, in which the 31 members would seek details from top government officials on the steps the Centre is taking to prevent such incidents.

Sources said the lawyers and officials of the messaging platform owned by Facebook have also been called to explain their side of story.

Earlier this month, WhatsApp revealed that more than 120 journalists and activists in India have been the target of surveillance by operators using the Israeli spyware Pegasus.

Facebook, which claimed the snooping took place in April ahead of the national elections, has sued NSO, the Israeli firm that made the software. The social media giant claimed that Pegasus was used to target users not just in India, but across 20 nations.

Facebook has said that it remains committed to protecting messages of its users.

According to an official, the government has asked WhatsApp to present an explanation on the breach of privacy and list out measures taken to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indians.

The committee will also discuss the cyberattack on the Kundankulam nuclear plant.

With NSO claiming that its software was only licensed to "vetted and legitimate government agencies", opposition parties accused the centre of "snooping" on journalists and activists.

Several activists and three opposition leaders -- Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Nationalist Congress Party's Praful Patel -- have alleged that their phones were tapped.

07:54 Amid Maha tussle, Cong-NCP meet likely today

Top Congress leaders are likely to meet their NCP counterparts on Wednesday to take forward the discussions regarding formation of a government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena.

From being reluctant to engage with the politically opposed Sena, the top Congress leadership has taken a step forward towards formation of a government, but decided not to rush and exercise extreme caution.

A day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, top Congress leaders -- Ahmed Patel, A K Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal -- tasked with working out the nitty gritty of the understanding with the Sena and negotiations with the NCP met her to discuss the baseline non-negotiables and assurances that it wants the Sena to give on shedding hardline Hindutva.

The Maharashtra leadership of the Congress, which is eager to have an understanding with the Sena for formation of a government, have reached Delhi. Sources said the Maharashtra leaders will meet central leaders and then sit across the table with the NCP.

Sources in the Congress and NCP said that the two parties have still not given a commitment to the Sena on giving it chief ministers post for a full five-year term.

Highlighting that over 100 days have passed since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav on Tuesday said he is in favour of the resumption of political engagement in the Union Territory "sooner than later".

Saying that "the sky is the limit" when it comes to demands from various quarters on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir, he emphasised that the demands should be within the ambit of the Constitution.

"I am personally in favour of, at least now that almost 100 days have passed since the decision was taken, some kind of a political engagement to start in the Valley," he said at an event in New Delhi.

"I am talking about it (beginning political engagement in the Valley) in my party also. Hopefully, we will be able to do something about it," said Madhav, the BJP's national general secretary, adding that normal political activities have been going on in Jammu.

To a question about what prevents the government from releasing political leaders in Kashmir from preventive custody, he said whether the government states its position or not, "there is no doubt" that the day these leaders are out they will certainly lead protests.

"We will also have to ensure that those protests need to be democratic and peaceful. That is expected. Nobody says there should not be any protest. It is a democracy, protests will be there," he said.

Refusing to speculate about what could be the plans of the security establishment in Delhi or in Srinagar in this regard, he said: "engagement at political levels needs to be resumed sooner than later".

Mainstream leaders in the Valley, including three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, were taken into preventive custody in the wake of the Centre's August 5 decision to revoke the special status of the state, now a union territory, under Article 370 of the Constitution.

While Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti remain under house arrest, Farooq Abdullah has been detained under the controversial Public Safety Act since September 17.

Madhav said the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone major transformation since the abrogation of Article 370.

"So new kind of political activities will resume whenever the first opportunity comes. I am very keen that opportunity should come as soon as possible," he said, addressing a discussion on 'Kashmir After 370' organised by think tank Observer Research Foundation.

He clarified that no new political class was being created from Delhi.

"Let me clarify on the question of new political class being nurtured or cultivated from Delhi. No such thing is happening from our side. We have huge respect for all the leaders of different political parties in the Valley. I said it earlier, that (at) earliest possible opportunity, they will resume their political activity," Madhav said. -- PTI

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