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Thu, 21 November 2019
Nithyananda has fled country: Gujarat police
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23:42 Nithyananda has fled country: Gujarat police
Self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda, booked in a criminal case related to his ashram in Ahmedabad, has fled the country, with the Gujarat police working to gather concrete evidence against him after taking two of his disciples in remand, officials said on Thursday.
An FIR was registered on Wednesday against the controversial guru on the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children to make them collect donations from followers to run his ashram here, Yogini Sarvagyapeetham.
Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police R V Asari said Nithyananda has fled abroad, and if required, the Gujarat police will seek his custody through proper channel.
Nithyananda has fled the country after a rape case was registered against him in Karnataka, and it will be a waste of time searching for him here.
"If required, we will go through proper channel to seek his custody from abroad. We will definitely arrest him if he comes back to India, Asari said.
Two of his disciples, Pranpriya and Priyatatva, arrested on Tuesday on kidnapping, illegal confinement and assault, among other charges, were sent to five days police remand by a rural court here on Wednesday evening and are being questioned by the police, Deputy SP (Ahmedabad rural), K T Kamariya said.
He said the police are also investigating the case of a woman missing from Nithyananda's ashram here after a complaint was registered by her father Janardhana Sharma at the Vivekanand police station.
23:40 First woman pilot of Indian Navy to join ops on Dec 2
First woman pilot of Indian Navy will join Naval operations in Kochi on December 2, two days ahead of Navy Day on December 4, a defence source said on Thursday.
The first woman pilot, Lieutenant Shivangi, will join naval operations on completion of operational training here on December 2.
"Shivangi will graduate to become the First female Pilot of Indian Navy. She hails from Muzzafarpur, Bihar and completed her schooling from DAV Public school, Muzzafarpur," the source said.
She was inducted into Indian Navy as SSC (Pilot) as part of 27 NOC course in Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala and got formally commissioned by Vice Admiral AK Chawla, in June last year.
The navy's aviation branch has had women officers operating as air traffic control officers and as 'observers' in the aircraft who are responsible for communication and weapons, the source said.
Shivangi, who had been undergoing training at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi, will get authorisation on December 2 to fly dornier aircrafts.
The navy will have its first woman pilot trained by it to make first cockpit entry on December 2, the source said without elaborating. -- PTI
23:02 Israeli PM Netanyahu charged in corruption cases
Israel's Attorney General on Thursday indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced that Netanyahu will be charged with criminal wrongdoing in three separate cases against him, including bribery in the far-reaching Bezeq corruption probe.
The prime minister has denied all the allegations, saying they are part of a politically orchestrated "witch-hunt" to oust him from office.
Israeli prime minister becomes the first sitting PM in Israel's history to be charged with bribery in a case involving quid pro quo with telecom tycoon.
Mendelblit's decision to indict came after agreeing with two police reports issued in 2018, which recommended that the prime minister be indicted in three affairs known as Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000.
"The attorney general's decision on the prime minister was taken after a thorough and thorough examination of the numerous allegations raised by the prime minister's lawyers during the four days of the hearing in early October 2019. All allegations were examined in-depth as part of a regular work process deployed over many hours in which the State Attorney's Office submitted in-depth reviews of hundreds of pages, relating to the allegations raised at the hearing," The Times of Israel quoted the statement. -- ANI
22:56 Received full understanding from US on Kashmir reorganisation: India
India said on Thursday it has received full understanding from across the political spectrum in the United States over its decision relating to withdrawal of special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India remained engaged with various stakeholders in the US, including the Trump administration, the Congress, civil society and others in addressing their questions on the issue.
In August, India announced withdrawing special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing the state into two union territories. -- PTI
22:47 PM unhappy on Mins' absence during Question Hour
Prime Minster Narendra Modi is learnt to have expressed displeasure over the absence of some Cabinet ministers during Question Hour, sources in the government said on Thursday.
The prime minister flagged the absence of some ministers during Question Hour in both Houses of Parliament after the meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday evening the sources said.
They said the prime minister was of the view that it is essential that ministers remain present in Parliament, especially during Question Hour.
He is learnt to have said that Question Hour is an important part of parliamentary proceedings as the government gets a chance to put across the various decisions taken by it in public interest.
During Question Hour, Cabinet ministers and ministers of state orally respond to the various supplementaries asked by members and give the government an opportunity to put forth its views on important various issues. -- PTI
21:46 Over 200 economists, academicians ask govt to release NSSO data, reports
More than 200 economists and academicians have asked the government to release data of all surveys and reports, including results of the Consumer Expenditure Survey 2017-18, completed by the National Sample Survey Office.
According to some media reports, the 2017-18 Consumer Expenditure Survey shows a sharp decline in average consumption and the survey results are not being released because they support other evidence that the economy is experiencing a downturn, they said in a statement.
"It should be noted that consumption surveys are known to give results that diverge from macroeconomic estimates of the National Accounts," they said.
Also, National Accounts estimates are based not only on administrative data but on a combination of sources including NSSO and other surveys. Several committees have looked into these discrepancies.
"In the interest of transparency and accountability, all data must be released without delay and irrespective of what the results are.
"The government may wish to defend itself against interpretations of the statistics that it disagrees with," the statement said.
But this is best-done through technical papers and seminars. To prevent release of data that are adverse, and diverge from its own understanding, is "neither transparent nor technically sound", it said.
"We therefore demand that the government should immediately release the report and unit-level data of the 75th Consumer Expenditure Survey. The government should also commit to release all other survey data after the usual processes to check for possible errors have been concluded," they said.
The economists and academicians who issued the statement, include A Vaidyanathan and Abhijit Sen (former members of erstwhile Planning Commission), Biswajit Dhar (JNU), Dilip Mookherjee (Boston University), Maitreesh Ghatak (LSE), Prabhat Patnaik (Emeritus Professor, JNU), and Thomas Piketty (Paris School of Economics). -- PTI
21:23 Corrupt politicians opposing electoral bonds: BJP
Hitting back at the Congress over the issue of electoral bonds, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Thursday "the alliance of the defeated and the dejected corrupt politicians" do not want clean, tax-paid transparent money to fund elections.
"Electoral bonds brought in honest money in electoral politics. People who are revolting against electoral bonds have grown used to black money and believe in its usage during elections," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
On the Election Commission's recommendation, the Narendra Modi government banned cash donations above Rs 2,000, he said.
21:15 Kerala govt bans single use plastic from Jan 1
The Kerala government on Thursday decided to ban single use plastic products from January 1.
A decision in this regard was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
After considering the environmental and health issues related to mounting plastic waste, the government decided to ban the single-use-plastic products in the state from January 1, 2020, a government press release said.
Plastic carry bags and sheets, cooling films, plastic plates, cups, thermocol and Styrofoam-based fancy items and others have been banned.
Single-use plastic can be used only once before it is either thrown away or recycled and is mainly used by the food processing and food delivery, retailers for packaging and selling finished goods, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
"Single-use plastic cups, plates, spoons, forks, straws, stirrers, bowls, plastic flags, water pouches, juice packs, pet bottles (under 300 ml), plastic garbage bags, PVC flex materials, plastic packets, among others have been banned," Vijayan said.
The government also decided to initiate legal action against those who defy the ban under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. -- PTI
21:13 Will not blindly oppose Cong-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra: IUML
The Indian Union Muslim League will not "blindly oppose" the Congress' move to form government with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, said its national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty on Thursday.
Talking to PTI, he said the Congress and the NCP wanted to join hands with the Hindutva party Shiv Sena, "out of political compulsion" just to prevent the BJP from coming back to power in Maharashtra.
"Straightaway opposing the move creates so many problems. We may not blindly oppose the Cong-SS alliance just for opposing it," Kunhalikutty said.
The IUML would wait for the common minimum programme of the three parties to react further, he added.
The IUML is the second largest party in the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.
The Lok Sabha member from Malappuram (Kerala) further said though the IUML and the Shiv Sena had different ideologies, a special type of situation had been created now forcing the Congress and the NCP to ally with the Sena to unite the opposition against the BJP.
"Because in this stage Cong and NCP have compulsions to join with SS. You have to consider that too", he said.
In a separate interview to PTI, IUML national president K M Kader Mohideen recalled the quote of the party's former leader late Quaide-E-Millath Muhammad Ismail - "you can even align with Satan (bad spirit) if there is a CMP".
20:57 Kohli to lead India's T20I, ODI squads vs WI
A fit-again Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Thursday made a comeback to the Indian teams for the upcoming ODI and T20 series against the West Indies while captain Virat Kohli returned after skipping the T20s against Bangladesh.
All-rounder Shivam Dube earned his maiden ODI call-up weeks after making his T20 debut against Bangladesh.
Ace seamer Mohammed Shami was also back in the T20 squad in place of left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, while Kuldeep Yadav came back in place of Krunal Pandya.
Pacer Bhuvneshwar has been nursing a hamstring and sides train since the team's tour of the West Indies in August.
The Indian team is scheduled to play three Twenty 20 Internationals against the West Indies with the series-opener in Mumbai on December 6 followed by matches in Thiruvananthapuram (December 8) and Hyderabad (December 11).
The three ODIs will be played in Chennai (December 15), Visakhapatnam (December 18) and Cuttack (December 22).
ODI Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
T20I Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar. -- PTI
19:58 It's politics: Priyanka on SPG cover removal
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday dubbed the removal of Special Protection Group cover from the Gandhi family part of politics which keeps happening.
Talking to reporters at the party headquarters in New Delhi, she also said the country's economy is in a "bad state" and there is a "severe slowdown", to which the Congress has been drawing the government's attention, and the Centre must do something about it.
To reporters' query on removal of SPG cover from the Gandhi family, the Congress leader simply replied, "It's politics and this keeps happening." PTI
19:53 Develop methods to check frauds in govt depts: PM to CAG
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked auditor Comptroller of Auditor General to develop technical tools to check frauds in government departments and play a role in making India a USD 5 trillion economy.
He was addressing a conclave of the CAG on transforming audit and assurance in a digital world.
"The CAG should look for innovative methods to deal with occupational fraud," he said adding that the auditor can play a role in improving governance and efficiency.
Modi said the government wants to move to evidence-backed policy making by 2022 and the CAG can play a role by becoming a think tank and focusing on big data analysis.
"Our target is to make evidence-based policy making a part of governance by 2022,"he said, while stressing that India ia gearing up to become a USD 5 trillion economy.
He asked the CAG to develop technical tools to root out frauds in departments. -- PTI
19:05 Complaint against Uddhav for 'cheating' voters
A complaint of "cheating" has been filed against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and two other leaders in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district for seeking votes in the name of Hindutva, but not forming government with
pre-poll ally Bharatiya Janata Party, an official said on Thursday.
A written application in this regard against Thackeray and two other party leaders was submitted at the Begumpura Police Station in Aurangabad district, around 325 km from Mumbai, by a BJP supporter, Ratnakar Choure, on Wednesday night, the official said.
"We received the application for the same and have forwarded it to special branch," he said.
According to the complainant, during the campaign for the October 21 assembly election, Thackeray, newly-elected Sena MLA Pradeep Jaiswal (Aurangabad Central) and the party's former MP Chandrakant Khaire sought votes for the Sena-BJP alliance in the name of protecting Hindutva.
On their appeal, the complainant said he and his family members, voters in the of Aurangabad Central constituency, cast their voters in favour of Jaiswal, the Sena -BJP alliance candidate from the seat.
With an aim to bring the Sena-BJP alliance to power in the state, BJP supporters of the constituency also voted for Jaiswal, following which he won, Choure said.
After the results, the Sena snapped ties with the BJP (following differences over power-sharing formula) and did not form government with its pre-poll ally, he said in the application.
The complainant said he felt "cheated" by the Sena's move as he and his family members had voted for the alliance candidate to protect Hindutva.
Choure then approached the Begumpura Police Station and submitted the application seeking registration of a case of "cheating" against Thackeray and the two other leaders.
18:23 Rs 255 cr spent on PM's chartered flights: MEA
An expenditure of over Rs 255 crore was incurred on chartered flights during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign engagements in the past three years, Rajya Sabha was told on Thursday.
In a written reply, minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan said in 2016-17 Rs 76.27 crore was spent on chartered flights while in 2017-18 Rs 99.32 crore was spent.
In 2018-19, Rs 79.91 crore was spent while bill for 2019-20 has not been received, he said. -- PTI
18:00 Govt refers surrogacy bill to select committee of Rajya Sabha
The government on Thursday referred the surrogacy bill to a select committee of the Rajya Sabha.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan moved a resolution in the upper house of Parliament referring the bill to a select committee.
Rajya Sabha members had on Wednesday sought amendments in certain provisions of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, that seeks to ban commercial surrogacy in India.
The bill only allows a close relative to act as a surrogate to couples who have been legally married for at least five years. -- PTI
17:53 Will work with India for peace: New Lankan PM to Modi
Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Mahinda Rajpaksa on Thursday said that he would work with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for peace and prosperity for both the countries and the region.
Thanking prime minister Modi for his congratulatory message, Rajpaksa, who was sworn in on Thursday as Sri Lankan premier by his younger brother and President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, said the two countries will continue to work closely to strengthen the bilateral ties.
"Thank you Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Let us continue to promote our shared partnership for peace and prosperity for both our countries and the region," he said in a tweet.
Earlier, Modi congratulated Rajpaksa on being sworn in as the new prime minister of Sri Lanka, saying he looks forward to work with him to further strengthen relations between the two nations.
"Congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. I look forward to working closely with him for further strengthening fraternal India-Sri Lanka ties," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.
In New Delhi, the ministry of external affairs on Thursday said it was ready to work very closely with the new government in Sri Lanka and expressed hope that it will fulfil aspirations of the minority Tamil community living in the island country.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs underlined India's willingness to work closely with the new government.
President Gotabhaya has accepted Prime minister Modi's invitation to visit India on November 29. -- PTI
17:26 PM should talk to experts, pol parties to tide over economic crisis: Mamata
Opposing the Centre's decision to hive off and disinvest shares in several PSUs, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should talk to experts and all political parties to tide over the economic crisis.
She asserted that shoring up funds by selling off government stake in central public sector firms could only provide temporary respite.
"The Centre should look for a permanent solution instead of advocating stopgap measures. Unless there is economic stability, such measures cannot be the solution," Banerjee told newspersons in Murshidabad.
While an elected government should be allowed to work independently, "it should also seek opinion of all other parties" on issues affecting the country, the Trinamool Congress supremo noted.
"I feel the prime minister should talk to experts in the country and hold an all-party meeting to overcome the crisis," she added.
In the biggest privatisation drive ever, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved sale of government's stake in blue-chip oil firm BPCL, shipping firm Shipping Corporation of India and cargo mover Concor, and decided to cut shareholding in select public sector firms below 51 per cent to boost revenue collections that have been hit by the slowing economy.
Banerjee said participation of private partners in PPP model could be allowed in specific areas as was done by her during her tenure as the railway minister.
Selling off companies owned by the central government was not a wise decision, she insisted.
"If the Centre sells off everything, what will be there with the government?" she asked.
Questioning the Centre's decision to amalgamate several PSU banks, the chief minister said the merger of United Bank of India with two other banks would pose problems for the state government.
"Several schemes of our government run through banks, so if UBI's headquarters is shifted out of the state, the future of these schemes might be in question," she said. -- PTI
17:14 'Will smash heads of whoever tries to poach Shiv Sena MLAs'
Congress and NCP's alliance partner in Maharashtra -- the Shiv Sena -- has always played hardball, to use an euphemism, in politics.
The party's leader Abdul Sattar today warned that if anyone tries to break away any party MLA, their heads will be smashed and legs will be broken.
"If anyone tries to break away any Shiv Sena MLA then I will smash their head. I will also break their leg," Sattar told ANI.
Sattar's comments came amid speculations that some Shiv Sena legislators have expressed displeasure with their party's attempts to stitch an alliance with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party ) for government formation in the state.
On Wednesday, senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde rebutted speculations about some newly elected legislators being unhappy and said that all lawmakers from the party are united under the leadership of party chief Uddhav Thackeray. -- ANI
Image: Shiv Sena supporters at a rally in 2014
16:42 Cong, NCP, Sena meet in Mumbai tomorrow
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan and NCP's Nawab Malik meet the press a day before leaders of both parties head to Mumbai. Chavan says that the Congress and NCP have completed discussions on all issues. "There is complete unanimity. Tomorrow in Mumbai, we will have a meeting with our other alliance parties. Later in the day, we will have discussion with Shiv Sena," Chavan said. The crucial meeting on power sharing and portfolios will be discussed at a meeting with all three parties -- Sena, Congress and NCP.
The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the October 21 Assembly elections together and won 105 and 56 seats respectively. The two parties, however, fell out after the Shiv Sena persisted with its demand of sharing the chief ministerial post for two-and-half years on a rotational basis. The NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats respectively.
16:17 Sensex ends 76 points lower; Nifty below 12K
Market benchmark Sensex settled 76 points lower on Thursday, tracking weak cues from global equities as US-China impasse continued to weigh on investor sentiment. After trading on a choppy note through the day, the 30-share index ended 76.47 points, or 0.19 per cent, lower at 40,575.17.
It hit an intra-day low of 40,534.12 and a high of 40,744.85. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty closed 30.70 points, or 0.26 per cent, down at 11,968.40. Tata Steel was the top loser in the Sensex pack, dropping 3.35 per cent, followed by Bharti Airtel down 2.52 per cent, Yes Bank 2.43 per cent, ONGC 1.98 per cent and ITC 1.96 per cent. On the other hand, HUL gained 1.15 per cent, L&T 0.89 per cent, Bajaj Auto 0.82 per cent and SBI 0.81 per cent. -- PTI
15:58 Dera violence: Court frames charges against Honeypreet, 39 others
A court in Panchkula framed charges against Honeypreet Insan, the adopted daughter of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, and 39 others in a 2017 violence case that had left 36 dead after the conviction of the godman in two rape cases. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Rohit Watts on Wednesday framed charges for rioting and unlawful assembly among other sections of the Indian Penal Code. Honeypreet, alias Priyanka Taneja, was present in the court when the charges were framed, a defence counsel said.
Earlier, Honeypreet was charged with criminal conspiracy and sedition in connection with the August 2017 violence in Haryana's Panchkula. The court, however, has dropped sedition charges against her. A fortnight ago, she was granted bail in the case. The Haryana Police had arrested 41 person while five, including key dera functionary Aditya Insan, were declared proclaimed offenders by the court in the case. -- PTI
15:44 ED to quiz Chidambaram in Tihar on Nov 22, 23
A Delhi court allowed the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday to interrogate former finance minister P Chidambaram in Tihar jail on November 22 and 23 in the INX Media money laundering case. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar passed the order on a plea filed by the agency. In its plea, the ED had sought permission to quiz Chidambaram, who is currently in Tihar jail, from 10 am to 1 pm and 2:30 pm to 4 pm on both days, saying that some documents have to be shown to him.
The court had earlier extended his judicial custody till November 27. The high court had dismissed the 74-year old senior Congress leader's bail plea in the ED case, saying prima facie allegations against him were serious and he played an "active and key role" in the offence. It had said that the entire community is aggrieved if offenders, who ruin the economy of the State, are not brought to books.
Chidambaram had sought bail in the high court, saying as the evidence is documentary and in the custody of probe agencies, he cannot tamper with it. The ED had opposed his plea on the ground that he has tried to influence and threaten witnesses. -- PTI
14:29 Restrictions in J-K temporary: Centre to SC
The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 are a "temporary measure" and was done keeping in mind the safety and security of people."
The entire situation [in Jammu and Kashmir] has been handled in a very beautiful manner. It is a temporary measure which was imposed and done in the interest of safety and security of all," Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana.
While justifying certain restrictions imposed in the region, Mehta said that authorities had applied their minds in imposing or lifting the curbs.He said that the Centre did not curtail the right of the citizens but at the same time also ensured that the sovereignty and integrity of the nation are not in jeopardy.
"Normalcy has been restored and yet, we did not lose a single life in police firing," Mehta added. Almost 10 lakh people have accessed the internet, he said, thereby, refuting the allegations levelled by the petitioners regarding the imposition of ban on its usage.
Mehta further contended that only landlines and public assembly were prohibited and not individual freedom.
"Landlines were periodically restored in Jammu and Kashmir. 100 per cent mobile connections have been restored there by September 29," he added. -- ANI
14:24 Shah kicks off Jharkhand poll campaign, promises development
BJP president Amit Shah kicked off his party's campaign for the Jharkhand assembly polls on Thursday with the promise of catapulting the state to the top position in terms of development. He lauded the Raghubar Das government for "freeing" the state of the Naxal menace in the last five years. "Atal ji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) created Jharkhand and Narendra Modi will embellish and spruce it up," he told an election rally in Manika.
"People kept dying, youth sacrificed their lives, but the dream of statehood remained unfulfilled under Congress rule," he said. Shah thanked the Jharkhand unit of the party for giving him the opportunity to launch the poll campaign from Latehar district, the land of legendary freedom fighter Birsa Munda. -- PTI
13:49 Mumbai's One-Rupee-Clinic helps woman deliver at rail station
An 18-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl at the 'One-Rupee Clinic' on suburban Panvel railway station in Maharashtra in the early hours of Thursday, an official said. This is 11th such instance where 'One-Rupee Clinics' have come to the rescue of women commuters of the railway network, Dr Rahul Ghule CEO of 'One-Rupee Clinic' said.
Manisha Kale, who was travelling from Nerul to Panvel on the Harbour Line, started experiencing labour pains during the commute, he said. "Our Panvel centre night in-charge Dr Vishal Vani got a call from the station manager, and Kale gave birth to a baby girl with the help of the doctor and railway staff," Dr Ghule said. -- PTI
13:36 Something is rotten: Tharoor on electoral bonds
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit out at the BJP government over the use of electoral bonds and sought an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.
Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, "It is a serious issue. When electoral bonds were introduced, many of us had raised serious objections about how it could easily become a way for rich corporations and individuals to influence improperly political parties, particularly the ruling party."
He continued, "But anyway it was introduced and passed by Parliament on the notification for Lok Sabha where it was apparently extended illegally to the state assembly elections. This is a very serious issue, and as I said on social media yesterday, I think Prime Minister owes an explanation to the country."
Seeking an explanation from the Prime Minister over the issue, Tharoor said, "They should give an explanation as to why when the notification was only issued for Lok Sabha then why these bonds were issued for state assembly election enabling the ruling party to soak up a large sum of money. If the money of common man is going in someone's else pocket and that person is giving it to the BJP then something is rotten in this state," he added. -- ANI
13:24 Going with Sena will bury Cong in Maha: Nirupam
At a time when Congress-NCP seems to move ahead towards forming the government with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam stoked a note of caution for his party saying that partnering at third position in a Shiv Sena-led government is like 'burying' Congress in the state.
To emphasise his point, Nirupam drew parallels with Congress forging an alliance with BSP in Uttar Pradesh years ago, pointing out that the "party has not been able to revive" after that.
"Years ago, Congress had committed a mistake in Uttar Pradesh by forging an alliance with BSP. After that, it was beaten in such manner that it has not been able to revive till date. We are repeating the same mistake in Maharashtra. Being at the third position in Shiv Sena's government is nothing short of burying Congress in the state. It would be better if Congress President doesn't come under any pressure," he tweeted.
"I would request the Congress MLAs of Maharashtra not to put pressure on the top leadership for forging an alliance with Shiv Sena and rather sit in Opposition. The government formed would be highly unstable with no future," said Nirupam while talking to ANI.
Congress Working Committee (CWC) met in the national capital on Thursday to discuss the issue of government formation in Maharashtra.A meeting of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders was also held at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence on Wednesday over the same.
Leaders from both the parties were present including Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and Supriya Sule among others.Maharashtra came under President's Rule after all the parties failed to form a government in the state. -- ANI
13:16 HC grants 30-day parole to Rajiv Gandhi killer Robert Payas
The Madras High Court on Thursday granted a 30-day parole to Robert Payas, one of the seven convicts serving a life term for assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
A division bench of justices MM Sundresh and RMT Teekaa Raaman gave the order on a plea by Payas seeking parole for making arrangements for his son's wedding. He has been given parole from November 25 till December 24.
The conditions of the parole include a bar on him interacting with the media, political parties or personalities and an undertaking to keep good conduct and not disrupt public peace.
The petitioner had in his plea in September, submitted that he has been in prison since August 16, 1991 and has completed actual imprisonment of more than 28 years.
During this period, he said, he had not utilised the emergency or ordinary leave provided to him under Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules, 1982 despite his good conduct in the prison. -- PTI
12:56 Electoral bonds made graft official: Cong in LS
The opposition Congress on Thursday raised in Lok Sabha the issue of electoral bonds, saying it has made corruption "official". Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Manish Tewari said despite reservations expressed by the Reserve Bank of India and the Election Commission, the government went ahead with the scheme. Congress members later walked out of proceedings. Under the electoral bonds scheme, the government has offered complete anonymity to those making donations. A donor could now anonymously buy a bond, and deposit it with the political party of his or her choice. PTI
12:52 BPCL, SCI shares hit 52-week high
Shares of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd, Shipping Corp of India and Container Corp of India showed mixed trend on Thursday after the Cabinet approved sale of government's stake in these companies.
BPCL which opened the day 0.92 per cent higher at Rs 549.70 -- its 52-week high -- later erased the gains and fell to a low of Rs 527.35, down 3.17 per cent over its previous close on BSE. Shares of Shipping Corp also rose 2.12 per cent to hit a one year high of Rs 69.80 in opening trade but later pared the gains. It declined to Rs 64.80, lower by 5.19 per cent over its last close.
However, Container Corp shares jumped 4.67 per cent to Rs 605. In the biggest privatisation drive ever, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved sale of government's stake in blue-chip oil firm BPCL, shipping firm SCI and cargo mover Concor as well as decided to cut shareholding in select public sector firms below 51 per cent to boost revenue collections that have been hit by slowing economy. -- PTI
12:48 Nawaz Sharif undergoes series of test, scans in London
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday (local time) underwent a series of scans and tests ahead of his medical treatment.Sharif, who arrived in London on Tuesday after Lahore High Court allowed him to travel without "condition", visited Guys' Hospital, an NHS hospital in central London, Dawn reported.
He went for a consultation with experts in haematology section of the hospital. Haematology is a specialty covering the diagnosis and treatment of blood disorders.
Sharif arrived in London via Doha in Qatar in an air ambulance equipped with an intensive care unit and an operation theatre with a team of doctors and paramedics on board.
The ailing leader was later taken to Avenfield House in London's Park Lane area. He was accompanied by his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif and personal physician Dr Adnan Khan. Close aides of Sharif and party workers greeted him upon his arrival at his residence.
The former prime minister's departure to the UK was delayed by over a week after his ticket was cancelled as the authorities did not remove his name from the Exit Control List. -- ANI
12:46 J-K: BSF sepoy injured in ceasefire violation by Pak
A Border Security Force sepoy has sustained injuries during unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan.Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing of small arms and shelling with mortars at around 4:45 pm on Wednesday along the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector of Mendhar sub-division in Jammu and Kashmir. The sepoy is currently undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be stable, according to the BSF.Indian Army retaliated befittingly. -- PTI
12:40 Stake sale in PSUs will bring investments: Ficci
Industry body Ficci on Thursday hailed the centre's go-ahead to the sale of its stake BPCL, SCI and Concor stating that the move would strengthen the performance of these companies and bring in fresh investments for both modernisation and expansion.
"It is encouraging to see the government take further steps to push the reforms agenda as well as address some of the critical pain points of industry. The decision to undertake strategic disinvestment and transfer management control in entities like Shipping Corporation of India, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Container Corporation of India (Concor) are welcome," Ficci President Sandip Somany said in a statement.
Further, the decision to give greater operational authority to the board of National Highways Authority of India and enabling it to securitise user fee receipts for raising long-term funds from banks is another major positive, Somany said.
The decision to set up a unified regulatory body to supervise the activities of financial services providers in the International Financial Services Centre will add to the ease of doing business for firms that set up a base in IFSC and Ficci welcomes this single window facilitation, he said.
Another notable decision of the government is the relief provided to the telecom sector by way of deferment of receipt of spectrum auction instalments due from telecom service providers for the year 2020-21 and 2021-22, the industry body said.
"This move should provide some headroom to the telecom sector in the country as it is seeing a lot of stress. We must ensure the viability of the sector and Ficci hopes that this is the first step in that direction with more support in the offing from the government," according to Somany. -- PTI
12:35 Oppn protests in LS over disinvestment of PSUs, electoral bond
The opposition Congress on Thursday staged protests in Lok Sabha against privatisation of a few PSUs, including Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), and issuance of electoral bonds, terming the move as "big scams".
However, Congress members returned to their seats after the protests and sloganeering in the Well of the House for about 15 minutes when Speaker Om Birla assured them that they will be allowed to raise issues during Zero Hour.
"This is a big scam. The country is being looted. Please allow us to speak," Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. However, Speaker Birla told members that the MPs should not lower the dignity of the House by coming into the Well.
"This is wrong. The House is discussing a very important issue on sports persons. No, no. Don't talk to the chair from the Well. It is the responsibility of every member to maintain decorum and dignity of the House," he said.
The Speaker said the Question Hour is very important and the MPs should not disrupt proceedings. "I am a new member. You are senior. Don't come to the Well. Maintain the convention," Birla said, adding he has not admitted the adjournment motion moved by the Congress but is ready to allow the party to speak during Zero Hour. With this the Congress MPs went to their seats. -- PTI
12:28 Jallianwala Bagh soil in Parliament
Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel reached the Parliament today with an urn carrying the soil of Jallianwala Bagh. He will handover the urn to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajya Sabha passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill on November 19th.
12:19 He smells really nice: Aus skipper Paine on Rizwan's arrival at crease
Australia's Tim Paine was impressed by the scent of Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan as the skipper feels that the batsman 'smells really nice' upon his arrival at the crease.
The incident happened when Rizwan came out to bat after the fall of Pakistan's fifth wicket in the ongoing first Test at The Gabba. As soon as he picked up the bat in his hand, Paine was seen making a cheeky remark from behind the stumps.Cricket.com.au's official handle tweeted a video of the incident and captioned the post as: "He smells very nice.
Tim Paine was impressed with Muhammad Rizwan's scent upon his arrival at the crease,#AUSvPAK".This is not the first time that Paine has made such a comment. During India's last tour to Australia, Paine and Rishabh Pant had engaged in a funny banter.
Paine had asked Rishabh to 'babysit for his child' when Dhoni makes a comeback in the ODI lineup, while Pant was regularly seen calling Paine 'a temporary captain'.
However after the tour ended, Pant actually did the babysitting duties.In the ongoing Test between Australia and Pakistan, the visitors won the toss and opted to bat first. Pakistan openers Shan Masood and Azhar Ali gave the side a solid start and saw off the first session to keep Australia bowlers at bay.
12:10 Focus on work, don't react to my statements: WB governor to ministers
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday asked state ministers to concentrate on their departments instead of reacting to his statements. Either Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should herself react or depute a specific minister to respond to "my statements", the governor said.
"I have heard junior Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya reacting to my comments. I would request her to concentrate on her department as all of us are aware of the real condition of the department.
"I think the chief minister should either react to my statements or else she should appoint a specific minister to react to my statements," Dhankhar told reporters. All the ministers should "stop reacting to my statements just to please their boss (Banerjee)," he said.
The governor was shown black flags allegedly by some Trinamool Congress workers on his way to Domkal in Murshidabad district to attend an event on Wednesday. He said he had sought a helicopter from the state government to travel to Murshidabad district but there was no communication from the other side in this regard.
"Actually the state government wants to control my movement. But let me make it very clear that whatever I am doing, it is well within my constitutional limits," Dhankhar had said.
Reacting to Dhankhar's statement, senior TMC leader and state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya had said that the governor should not exceed his brief. "He should ponder over what he has been doing since assuming charge as the governor. What he is doing doesn't behove the post of the governor. The people of the state are angry, so a few may have protested against him," she said.
The governor and the state government have been locked in a war of words on a number of issues ranging from Dhankhar's seating at the Durga Puja carnival to comments on his security since he rushed to Jadavpur University to "rescue" Union minister Babul Supriyo, who had been gheraoed by a section of students.
11:56 SC to hear plea on deportation of Rohingyas
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear after four weeks a PIL seeking identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants and infiltrators, including Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde took note of the submission of lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay that the illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants "were taking away bread and butter of citizens here".
"List it (PIL) for hearing after four weeks," the bench, which also included justices Sanjiv Khanna and Surya Kant, said. In his plea, Upadhyay has favoured the Centre's stand to identify and deport to Myanmar around 40,000 illegal Rohingya Muslims staying in India. The plea has sought a direction to the Centre and the state governments to identify, detain and deport all illegal immigrants and infiltrators. "The large-scale illegal migrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have not only threatened the demographic structure of bordering districts but have seriously impaired the security and national integration, particularly in the present circumstances," the plea stated. PTI
11:47 Kamal Haasan to undergo surgical procedure
Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan will undergo a surgical procedure in Chennai on Friday for the removal of an implant placed in his leg after he suffered a fracture in 2016, his party said on Thursday. Due to his busy schedule in politics and film commitments, there has been a postponement of the procedure for removal of the implant, MNM vice-president Dr R Mahendran said in a statement. "However, now upon his doctor's advice Kamal Haasan will be getting admitted in hospital for the surgical procedure on November 22 to remove the implant. Furthermore, he has been compelled to take a break for the next few weeks to physically recoup," he added. -- PTI
11:39 Eyes, eyes, baby...
A sweet-faced baby monkey gazes up at the photographer as if begging for forgiveness.
Photographers from around the globe were challenged to capture images which featured 'eyes' as part of the Agora Images contest called the World's Best Photos of #Eyes2019.
There were more than 23,660 submissions, and the photos featured below have all made the top 50 -- an incredible achievement.
11:27 Lack of job creation a epidemic under BJP rule: Priyanka
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday claimed that a lack of job creation has taken the form of an "epidemic" under the BJP rule at the Centre.
"Lack of job creation in the country is a sign of stopping of the wheel of development. This disease has taken the form of an epidemic in the BJP regime," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet. "About 35 lakh jobs have been lost in the construction sector. The big IT companies are about to end about 40 lakh jobs," she claimed. The Congress general secretary has been attacking the government over the state of the economy. -- PTI
11:14 TN fishermen attacked, chased away by SL Navy
More than 2,500 Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly chased away by the Sri Lankan Navy while they were fishing near Katchatheevu islet, a fishermen association leader said here on Thursday.
The fishermen from this island town had ventured into the sea on Wednesday evening in 497 boats and were fishing off Katchatheevu when the Lankan naval personnel came to the spot and attacked before driving them away, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President P Sesuraja alleged. Fishing nets of several boats were also cut, he said adding the fisherfolk were forced to return to the shore without a catch.
11:08 Techie commits suicide after company shortlists her for termination
A woman techie here allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her hostel room after her name was shortlisted for termination by the company where she was working.
According to Ravinder, Circle Inspector, Raidurgam Police Station, the victim, Harini (24), was residing in a hostel in Raidurgam area and was employed with a software firm for the last two years.
After the victim got news about her company shortlisting her for termination, she went into depression and discussed the matter with her brother. The victim then took the extreme step on Wednesday, police said.
"After receiving information, we reached the spot and found a suicide note on which she stated that her organs should be donated," Ravinder said.
A case has been registered and the victim's body has been shifted to a government facility for postmortem. Further investigation is on. -- ANI
10:55 Will form govt with Shiv Sena in Maha: CWC
Breaking news: The Congress Working Committee agrees to go ahead for government formation with the Shiv Sena. A decision on Maharashtra will be made tomorrow. The Congress and NCP will be meeting again tonight and there will be a final meeting with the Shiv Sena on Friday in Mumbai, Congress sources tells PTI after the CWC meeting.
An urgent meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held at party chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence in Delhi this morning.
Congress general secretary organisation KC Venugopal said the meeting was called at 9:15 am. The Maharashtra political situation along with other important developments were discussed.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday exuded confidence that NCP, Congress, and his party will form government in Maharashtra before December 1 and once again asserted that the chief minister will be from Sena.
He also informed that three parties will collectively decide about power-sharing in Mumbai.
"The time has come, before December 1 the process of formation of the government will be over and the Chief Minister will also be decided. Till yesterday, marathon meetings of Congress-NCP were held here at the NCP Chief Sharad Pawar's residence. In the next two days we will move ahead towards government formation," said Sanjay Raut.
10:25 Decision on Maharashtra tomorrow: Congress
The CWC meeting has ended. Mallikarjuna Kharge of the Congress said the Congress Working Committee today discussed and decided what steps need to be taken ahead for government formation in Maharashtra. "We will now take steps as decided in the meeting," Kharge said.
Congress leader KC Venugopal who was also at the meeting said, "We have apprised the CWC members of the latest political situation in Maharashtra. Today, Congress-NCP discussion will continue. I think, tomorrow, we will probably have a decision in Mumbai."
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said today that a final decision on the new government in Maharashtra will be taken in the next two days. He told reporters that there there are no plans of any meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray this week.
10:19 Sensex, Nifty start on a cautious note amid weak global cues
Domestic equity benchmarks opened on a tepid note on Thursday as fresh concerns over the US-China trade deal kept global investors on edge. After opening slightly higher, the 30-share index turned negative to trade 41.31 points, or 0.10 per cent, lower at 40,610.33.
Similarly, the broader Nifty slipped 17.75 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 11,981.35. Top losers in the Sensex pack included Bharti Airtel which fell up to 1.51 per cent, Axis Bank 1.12 per cent, Yes Bank 0.68 per cent, RIL 0.56 per cent and M&M 0.43 per cent. On the other hand, L&T rose up to 2.21 per cent, IndusInd Bank 1.54 per cent, HCL Tech 1.22 per cent and SBI 1.20 per cent. On Wednesday, the Sensex ended 181.94 points, or 0.45 per cent, higher at 40,651.64, while the Nifty closed a tad below the crucial 12,000-mark, advancing 59 points, or 0.49 per cent, to end at 11,999.10. -- PTI
Image: Top losers in the Sensex pack included Bharti Airtel which fell up to 1.51 per cent.
09:55 Mahinda Rajapaksa to be sworn in as Sri Lanka PM today
Sri Lanka's newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa will be sworn in as the new prime minister of the island nation on Wednesday.
Mahinda Rajapaksa has served as president from 2005 to 2015. The way for his accession was paved after Ranil Wickremesinghe announced his resignation to allow the new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form a caretaker government. Wickremesinghe took the decision after a special cabinet meeting on Wednesday a day after he met Gotabaya and discussed the matter.
The President has reportedly decided to appoint a caretaker cabinet with 15 members until the General Elections which can be held in March 2020 after dissolving the current parliament according to the constitution, Colombo Page reported.Leaders of the parties that backed Gotabaya during the presidential polls will be given preference in the Cabinet.
The Rajapaksa brothers are credited with crushing the Tamil Tigers a decade ago to end Sri Lanka's civil war, with the security services they controlled accused of war crimes and multiple human rights abuses.
09:45 CWC meeting begins at Sonia's residence
KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and other Congress leaders arrive at 10 Janpath for the Congress Working Committee meet. The meeting is being held at the residence of the party's interim president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.
The CWC meeting comes a day after multiple discussions took place between Congress and NCP leaders, following which Sonia Gandhi was also briefed on Wednesday night.
Congress leaders including Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Mallikarjun Kharge had briefed Sonia about their meeting with the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar regarding the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra.
The CWC meeting has been called ahead of Congress and NCP leaders which are likely to hold a meeting at 10 am today.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said that there will be a joint meeting of the two parties in the afternoon today.
"We have finished our discussions at the meeting. We resolved many issues and Shiv Sena leadership was in touch with us through the phone. We will continue tomorrow when Congress and NCP will sit separately tomorrow and then will hold a joint meeting in the afternoon following which we will proceed to Mumbai in the evening. Day after tomorrow Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP will sit together by the end of which there will be the announcement," Chavan told ANI.
After briefing Gandhi, the three Congress leaders again returned to NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence.
09:39 Britain's Prince Andrew quits from royal duties amidst Epstein backlash
Britain's Prince Andrew on Wednesday announced that he is quitting from the royal duties following controversy over his "ill-judged" association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (pictured).
The Duke of York is facing a lot of criticism after he failed to express sympathy for Epstein's victims in his open-ended interview with the BBC that aired on Saturday, Washington Post reported.
The impact of the interview is already visible as of some of the 200 charities he endorses had already begun to abandon him.
In a statement Wednesday, Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, said, "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work.
"I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure," he added.
In the interview, Andrew has claimed that "no recollection" of meeting Virginia Roberts, now Virginia Giuffre. Roberts had accused that she was groomed by Epstein to have sex with Andrew on three occasions. Andrew, however, denied the allegation.Andrew's 2010 meeting with Epstein at the latter's home in New York had also caused a public furore.
The matter was also highlighted this year after Epstein was arrested for two charges of felony prostitution in July and hanged himself in August. The prince has defended himself saying he went to break off the friendship, and Epstein's home was a "convenient place to stay."
After a photo of Andrew and Epstein strolling in Central Park provoked further controversy. Following which, Andrew had to quit as a trade envoy for the United Kingdom. -- ANI
09:35 In Mumbai, an auto with wash basin
Some feel-good news this morning coming from Mumbai: Satyawan Gite, an auto-rickshaw driver has equipped his auto with facilities ranging from a wash basin, mobile phone charging points, plants and a desktop monitor, in order to provide comfortable rides to passengers. "You can charge your phone in my auto, there is purified drinking water, there is wash basin. I also don't charge senior citizens for rides up to 1 km. The reason I did this is because I wanted to provide better services to passengers," Gite said.
09:06 Govt in Maharashtra very soon: Shiv Sena
Giving a strong indication of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP deal for Maharashtra being virtually sealed, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that he would consider it as 'pedhas' (sweets) being ordered.
He said that a three-party government comprising Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress will come to power soon in the state, and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will announce the "sweet news" soon.
A party leader said in Mumbai that "we are getting very positive vibes" from New Delhi after a marathon NCP-Congress meeting got over on Wednesday evening in the national capital.
08:21 Maha deal finalised; announcement likely on Fri
Three major political parties - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - have reportedly finalised a deal for the formation of a coalition government in Maharashtra, which is likely to end several days of political stalemate in the state soon.
According to reports, the three parties are likely to make a formal announcement in this regard on Friday, November 22 in a joint press conference.
However, the top leaders of Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress party will meet again on Thursday to hold last-minute parleys over the deal on government formation in Maharashtra.
'Congress and NCP leaders will meet tomorrow (Thursday). By evening, we will leave for Maharashtra. Day after tomorrow (Friday), all three parties (Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena) will meet again,'' Prithviraj Chavan, senior Congress leader. had told reporters on Maharashtra government formation late on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, Chavan said that his party is confident of providing a stable government in the state very soon.
It has been reported that the NCP and Shiv Sena have agreed to have a rotational chief minister among themselves for 2.5 years. But it is still unclear that which party will get the first shot at the top post.
According to sources, the NCP will first get a chance to occupy the chief minister's chair and either NCP supremo Sharad Pawar or his daughter Supriya Sule will become the first chief minister of Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance.
00:22 Centre-Delhi govt trade charges over water row
Amid a raging controversy over the quality of drinking water in the national capital, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday of spreading lies and misleading people on the issue by citing media reports that suggested irregularities in the process of water sample collection in Delhi.
Kejriwal's comments came days after Paswan released a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) report that said all water samples collected from the city failed a quality test.
Wading into the war of words between the Centre and the Delhi government over the issue, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan alleged that Kejriwal had been keeping his "eyes closed like Dhritarashtra (a character in the Mahabharata) and not trying to understand the pain of people".
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari shot off a letter to Kejriwal, claiming that people were "deeply scared" and "terrified" of drinking the "poisonous" water being supplied in the city.
Leading the counter attack, Kejriwal retweeted a television news clip, in which a person, whose address featured in the list of places from where the BIS collected the water samples, could be seen telling the media that there was no issue with the quality of drinking water and no sample was taken from his house.
The chief minister tweeted: "Sir (Paswan), you said a sample had been collected from this person's house and it failed (quality analysis), but this man says no specimen was taken from his residence. He is also saying he is satisfied with the water quality. Why did you lie... Why did you commit such a big fraud with people?"
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Burari Sanjeev Jha alleged that the BIS collected a sample from the house of one Puja Sharma, whose husband Manoj Sharma is the vice-president of Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party.
Reacting to it, Kejriwal said he was saddened to see such "misuse of power to spread fear among the residents of Delhi".
"You have taken a water sample from your own party official's house and spread fear among the residents of Delhi. Such an act does not suit a Union minister," the AAP supremo said in a tweet in Hindi.
A statement form the Delhi government said, "Various media reports showed that the first complainant, as per the Centre's report, neither complained about water quality nor the BIS collected a sample from his house."
Countering Kejriwal's allegation that the BIS report was "false and politically motivated", Vardhan said such reputed agencies did not look at the political affiliation of people while collecting samples. -- PTI
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