LIVE! Nuclear energy still challenge for India: Modi

LIVE

Wed, 25 September 2019

Nuclear energy still challenge for India: Modi

Timeline Refresh

23:04 Nuclear energy still challenge for India: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India not being a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group is hindering its ability to get necessary fuel supply for producing nuclear energy and if this problem is solved, the country could become a model for the rest of the world.

One challenge that still confronts us is nuclear energy, Modi said.

"We are not a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and due to this we don't really have the ability to get the necessary fuel supply for producing nuclear energy," Modi said during a Q&A session at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York.

He said if India gets a solution on this front, then the country could be a model in this area for the rest of the world.

China has repeatedly blocked India's entry into the 48-member grouping which regulates the global nuclear commerce.

Ever since India applied for the membership of the NSG in May 2016, China has been insisting that only those countries which have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be allowed to enter the organisation. India is not a signatory of the NPT. -- PTI

China has launched its first amphibious assault ship, which would enable ground forces to carry out attacks on enemy territory from sea.

The ship was launched in Shanghai on Wednesday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

With a strong capacity in amphibious operations and performing a variety of tasks, the ship is independently developed by China, the report said.

The ship will next undergo equipment debugging, mooring and navigational trials as planned, it said.

The ship will have a strong capability to carry out amphibious combat and other tasks, state-run China Daily said quoting a statement from the Chinese navy.

Observers familiar with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's hardware have pointed out that the new ship is the first in the Type 075 class of amphibious assault ship, which is also defined as a type of landing helicopter dock, the report said.

In a major rejig of its military doctrine, China since 2013 has stepped up the development of its navy, which included building several aircraft carriers besides submarines, frigates and assault ships as part of its efforts to expand its global influence.

While the PLA Navy has one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was commissioned in 2012, its second indigenously built aircraft carrier is currently undergoing trials and third one is being built at a feverish pace.

China plans to acquire about five to six aircraft carriers in the coming years, according to reports in the official media.

In May, the Chinese navy commissioned two more guided missile destroyers, taking the total of such ships to 20 with more in the pipeline.

China now has 20 Type 052Ds destroyers, either in active service or being fitted out for service soon, official media reports said.

Destroyers are fast, highly manoeuvrable long distance warships which are also used to accompany the aircraft carriers.

As part of the new military doctrine advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the 2.3 million Chinese military, the largest in the world, has cut down the size of its army by three lakhs in the last few years and expanded its navy and air force manifold to enhance its global influence.

The Chinese navy for the first time in its history has logistic bases in Djibouti in the Indian Ocean and developing Pakistan's Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea.

China also has acquired Sri Lanka's Hambantota port as a debt swap. -- PTI

21:57 IAF MiG trainer aircraft crashes near Gwalior

A MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near the Gwalior airbase on Wednesday, the IAF said.

Both pilots ejected safely, it said.

'An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Type-69 Trainer aircraft crashed near Gwalior at around 10 AM. The aircraft was on a routine mission and was airborne from Air Force Station Gwalior,' the IAF said in a statement.

According to police from the area, the trainer jet crashed in Choudhary-ka-Pura in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district. Bhind Collector Chote Singh said one of the pilots received injuries.

Both the pilots were admitted to hospital by the IAF rescue team, he added.

The IAF said aircraft crashed at approximate distance of 6 nautical mile while approaching for landing.

"Both the pilots ejected safely and were picked up by rescue helicopter. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident," it said.

"The two pilots ejected safely according to the information passed to us from the village head from the spot, some 60 km from the district headquarters," Bhind Superintendent of Police Rudolf Alvares told PTI.

"We informed the IAF officials in Gwalior about the incident," the SP added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a tweet, said he spoke to Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa regarding the crash and also enquired about the condition of both the pilots.

Earlier, Inspector General of Police, Chambal Range, D P Gupta said soon after the crash, the aircraft caught fire.

An IAF rescue team soon reached the spot with a helicopter and took the two pilots along with it after providing them first-aid, he said. -- PTI

Image only for representation.

21:29 Tharoor nominated to panel on external affairs

Speaker Om Birla has nominated Shashi Tharoor as a member of the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs, which the Congress MP had chaired in the previous Lok Sabha.

After he was not appointed the chairman of the panel, Tharoor claimed that the government had decided to end the tradition of an Opposition member heading the committee.

"The speaker has changed the nomination of Deepak Baij from Committee on External Affairs to Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers, and also nominated Dr Shashi Tharoor to the Committee on External Affairs," Lok Sabha secretariat said in a bulletin.

Under Tharoor's chairmanship the panel on external affairs had summoned then foreign secretary S Jaishankar over the issue of Doklam standoff between India and China.

Later the panel also called Jaishankar's successor Vijay Gokhale on the same issue. Jaishankar is now the External Affairs Minister.

Tharoor, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, is now chairing the panel on information and technology. -- PTI

A Delhi court on Wednesday directed technology company, Apple, to give location details of expelled Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on the day 17-year-old girl from Unnao was allegedly raped by him.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma, holding an in-chamber proceedings, directed the iPhone-maker to file the reply by September 28 when it will next hear the matter, a lawyer related to the case said.

The court, meanwhile, recorded the statement of a Central Industrial Security Force official in the case related to the murder of Unnao rape survivor's father.

The woman was allegedly raped by Sengar in 2017, when she was a minor.

The court had also framed charges against the MLA, representing Bangermau in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, in the rape case.

The rape survivor's father was arrested on April 3, 2018 in a case by the police under the Arms Act. He died in judicial custody six days later. -- PTI

20:56

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with top American business leaders in New York.

20:27 Did not attack Pak, but we may change: Rajnath

In a warning to Pakistan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said India took "great precaution" and did not attack Pakistan or its Army while carrying out strikes on a terror camp in Balakot, but things may change if the neighbouring country does not mend its ways.

Singh also said India's recognition of Pakistan's existence does not mean it has also accepted the country's "occupation" of parts of Kashmir.

"We took great precaution and did not attack Pakistan or its Army. We targeted only terror training camps in Balakot," he said while speaking at an event at a village near Jaipur.

"Par agar aage aisa hi chalta raha, toh kuch kaha nahi ja sakta (but if it continues like this, then things may change)," Singh said.

On Monday, Army Chief Bipin Rawat hinted that India may go beyond the Balakot strikes if Pakistan continues to push terrorists into India. The defence minister said Pakistan has been frequently using terrorism as a tool to destabilise India which was unacceptable. -- PTI

The Central Railway has collected a record Rs 100 crore as fine from ticketless travellers in the last six months, an official said on Wednesday. The CR collected this amount as part of its intensive campaign to stop the menace of ticketless travel, a senior official said.

"The CR has crossed the Rs 100 crore-mark in ticket checking earnings between April 1 and September 24 this year. The total revenue collected through this exercise stands at Rs 100.29 crore," CR chief spokesperson Shivaji Sutar said.

It is an increase of 14 per cent as compared to the earnings of Rs 87.98 crore registered during the corresponding period last year, he added.

The authorities are closely monitoring the revenue loss incurred due to ticketless travel and other such irregularities, Sutar said. The collection of over Rs 100 crore was made through 19.15 lakh cases of irregular travel during the last six months. During the corresponding period last year, 17.42 lakh such cases were found, he said. -- PTI

20:06 The IT notices on the Lavasas

Yogendra Yadav tweets: "Avny Lavasa (IAS) orders FIR against BJP leaders for distributing cash to media

Avny's father, EC Ashok Lavasa denies clean chits to Modi & Amit Shah on Model Code violation

Ashok's wife, sister and son get IT notices

Does BJP need to hack EVMs when it can hijack bureaucracy?"

In a major jolt to the Tripura Congress, nine leaders of the party, including its vice- president, put in their papers on Wednesday, a day after Pradyot Kishore Debbarman announced his resignation from the post of its state unit chief. TPCC General Secretary Sridam Debbarma, who is among the nine leaders, said the "royal scion has fallen victim to a conspiracy". "Maharaja Pradyot was forced to resign from the party as he sought the implementation of NRC exercise and refused to compromise with a section of corrupt leaders," he claimed.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today reached Srinagar to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. In Srinagar, the NSA will hold meetings with security forces and state government officials to review the situation following abrogation of Article 370.

This is Doval's second visit to Kashmir since the imposition of Article 370 last month.

Doval had spent 11 days in the Kashmir Valley in August to ensure smooth implementation of plans after the withdrawal of special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Doval took charge of security and development-related activities with a special focus on ensuring that there was no loss of life, the government had said.

Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said that the Centre has adequate stock of onion and is ready to provide it to states as per their requirements.

"Centre has adequate stock of onion and asked state govts to take as much onion they want. So far we have released 1850MT to Tripura, 2000MT to Haryana & 960MT to Andhra governments at the rate of 15.59 Rs./Kg. States will provide it to public @ max. Rs 23.90," he tweeted.

"Delhi govt has requested for 100MT onion/Day for 5 days from 28th of September. We will provide required quantity of onion to Delhi. Centre is ready to provide onion to all states as per their requirement @ 15.59 Rs./Kg," he tweeted.

The retail price of onion shot up to Rs 70 per kilogram in the national capital due to a reduced supply of the crop owing to incessant rains and floods in many parts of the country. -- ANI

19:25 My govt added $1 trillion to the economy: PM

Update: PM Modi at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York:

-- People of India are standing with a government that does not shy away from taking big decisions to make reforms.

-- If confidence of investors has been increasing in India, it's due to steps taken by the present government.

-- When we came into government in 2014, the country's economy was around $ 2 trillion. In the last five years, we added about one trillion dollars to it. And now we are working hard to achieve the goal of $ 5 trillion.

-- Our middle class is a huge segment of people that are aspirational and has a global outlook.

-- India's lifestyle is a great example for the world... We understand need, but there is no space for greed."

19:15 DK Shivakumar's bail plea dismissed

In a setback to Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar, arrested in a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate, a Delhi court Wednesday dismissed his bail plea saying his release at the crucial stage of investigation may hamper the investigation.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar declined to grant any relief to Shivakumar, currently lodged in Tihar jail, while noting that he is an influential person and may influence the witnesses or tamper with documents.

"The investigation in the present case is still at the initial stage. In the course of arguments, the ED has shown certain documents like the list of 317 bank accounts and other documents of properties etc which show that investigation is still at the crucial stage of examining the documents and their nexus with the assets of the applicant/accused," the judge said.

The applicant is an influential person and the apprehension that he may "influence the witnesses or have some tampering with documents", cannot be treated as unfounded, he said. -- PTI

Amid reports of drones being used to drop weapons from across the border, a top Army commander on Wednesday said Indian armed forces are capable of identifying such devices and any military drone venturing towards Indian side from Pakistan will be "shot down".

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a first-of-a-kind seminar on artificial intelligence, at Hisar Military Station, South Western Command chief Lt Gen Alok Singh Kler also said there was "nothing to worry" at the moment.

"At present, the drones that you see being demonstrated at the event here, their capacity for carriage is very low. And, what we are hearing, the reports coming about drone being used across the border, their capacity is (also) very small.

"So, there is no need to worry," he said when asked about the reports of drones being used across the border. Lt Gen Kler said the systems and radars of the Indian armed forces are in place.

"And any military use of any drone, which comes to our side will be shot down by the capabilities of the Indian Air Force and the Army," he said.

GPS-fitted drones capable of lifting up to 10 kg flew in from Pakistan seven to eight times to airdrop the cache of arms, ammunition and fake currency seized in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, according to a probe by Punjab Police. -- PTI

CPI general secretary D Raja on Wednesday said that the US President Donald Trump's statement calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "Father of India" was "hyperbole", mere "rhetoric" and should not be taken seriously.

Trump on Tuesday heaped praise on Modi in New York, saying "I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension, fighting and he brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the father of India".

"Mr Trump is known for making such hyperbolic statements and resorting to such rhetorics. Let us not take it so seriously. It is the people of this country who will decide who they want to respect and call Father of India. They have already bestowed this title on Mahatma Gandhi who is called the Father of the Nation," said Raja.

He also reacted to Union Minister Jitendra Singh's comment that those who do not feel proud of US President Trump's comment that PM Modi is the father of India, do not consider themselves Indians. "It is an absurd statement made by the minister. Who is Trump? He is only the President of the USA. Should he decide who the father of India is? Friendship is another thing, we don't care for that relationship. What we care about is the relationship between the two countries. Whether India gives up its sovereign policy to the US or can resist it, that is the concern," he said.

Reacting to Trump's comments, CPI leader Atul Kumar Anjan quipped," Thank god that Trump did not compare Modi to Martin Luther King". PTI

PM Narendra Modi delivers the keynote address at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum. Key points...

-- The Global Business Forum has given me a chance to speak of India's opportunities, possibilities, growth story and New York is the nerve centre of global business.

-- The 4 factors that makes India reliable for investors and makes India unique are -Democracy, Demography, Demand and Decisiveness.

-- In the coming years, we are going to spend around 1.3 Trillion dollars on modern infrastructure in India. Also, lakhs of crores of rupees are being spent on social infrastructure of the country.

-- We recently reduced the corporate tax in India and it has been appreciated by all the global leaders I met.

-- Today in India you are seeing a government which went to the people with its work for 5 years, and the people elected them again for 5 years.

-- If you want to invest in a market where the latest trends and features are appreciated, and where there is scale, come to India.

-- Today, there is a government in India that is working towards improving the business environment in the country.

-- Our people are defeating poverty rapidly and moving up the economic ladder.

18:22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins delivering the keynote address at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York.

18:22 Modi meets ex-New York mayor

USA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg in New York. Later, he will deliver keynote address at Bloomberg Global Business Forum.

18:07 Govt begins process to appoint next Army Chief

The Centre has initiated the process to appoint the next Army Chief after incumbent General Bipin Rawat steps down.General Rawat's three-year tenure will culminate on December 31 this year.

"The process to appoint the next Chief has been initiated and the names of senior-most Lieutenant Generals would be considered for the top post in the 1.2 million-strong force," government sources said.

Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen MM Narwane, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh and Southern Army Commander Lt Gen Satinder Kumar Saini are among the likely contenders for the top post, sources said.

Although the file for appointment to the top posts in the government is initiated by the Defence Ministry's Joint Secretary concerned, the final decision is however taken by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Home Minister Amit Shah is the only Minister in the Committee. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also plays a key role in the appointment of the members of his security team as they work together in implementing the security policy of the country. -- ANI

British parliamentarians returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court decreed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's controversial five-week suspension of Parliament was unlawful, CNN reported.

The landmark judgment by the nation's highest court was a massive blow to Johnson who now faces a flurry of calls to resign, with opposition MPs saying his position is untenable.

The unanimous decision, which upheld a ruling from Scotland's highest civil court, essentially ruled that Johnson lied to the Queen when he asked her to suspend or "prorogue" Parliament.

Announcing the findings, Supreme Court President Lady Hale had said Johnson's advice to the Queen "was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification". -- ANI

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday said India should consider making two-bucket system compulsory for garbage disposal, with one reserved for plastic waste.

Addressing a conclave on 'Circular Economy on Plastic Waste' organised by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Smriti Manch, the Union minister for Jal Shakti said proper segregation and recycling is the only solution to the environmental risk posed by plastic waste.

"The main challenge is segregation of plastic waste at source. Like Australia popularised the concept of the dual-flush system to conserve water, India should make the two-bucket system, with one bucket reserved for plastic waste, compulsory," Shekhawat said. "In the US, each person uses 120 kg of plastic every year. It is 68 kg in Europe and around 40 kg in China. In India, only 11 kg of plastic is used per person annually. Though our plastic 'consumption' is undoubtedly the lowest, our pollution (due to plastic) is the maximum," he said. Shekhawat said the reasons were that "we have a huge population and until now, we lacked ways to recycle plastic properly." -- PTI

Nearly two weeks after worst ever drone and missile attacks on its oil facilities, Saudi Arabia has said it will ramp up cooperation with India in combating terrorism, including by choking flow of funds to terror groups and boosting intelligence sharing.

Saudi Ambassador Dr Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati said India and Saudi Arabia are closely cooperating with each other in fighting terrorism and enhancing their level of engagement to deal with the menace.

A series of drone and missile attacks on the oil facilities of Saudi Aramco, the country's largest petroleum company, on September 14 knocked out half its daily oil production, severely impacting the global oil market and triggering fresh tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yemen's Houthi terror group has taken responsibility for the biggest-ever attacks on Saudi oil facilities. Saudi Arabia and its ally, the US, have blamed Iran for the attacks but Tehran has strongly denied the allegations. -- PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced an annual assistance of Rs 6,000 to the victims of triple talaq till their rehabilitation and said they will also get free legal aid from the state government. He said women who faced divorce through the outlawed practice of instant triple talaq should be given rights over waqf properties and also called for several welfare measures that should be undertaken for their rehabilitation. Around 300 women from across the state attended the event.

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday lashed out at US President Donald Trump for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "father of India".Terming Trump as a 'jahil' (illiterate), Owaisi said the US President was ignorant of the history of the country.

"Trump called Modi the Father of the Nation. He is 'jahil', he is ignorant and he does not know anything about Mahatma Gandhi. He has zero knowledge of India's great past. One should understand Modi cannot be the father of the nation because you cannot compare Gandhi and Modi. Gandhi made numerous sacrifices for this nation, he earned it," Owaisi told reporters.

Owaisi, however, said he agreed with Trump when he compared Modi to legendary American performer Elvis Presley. "However, I agree with Trump on the point that Modi is like Elvis Presley. As Elvis used to mesmerize people with his songs, Modi also does that when he delivers speeches. I do not want to demean my Prime Minister by saying that he is like Elvis Presley," he said.

Owaisi expressed disappointment on India being clubbed with Pakistan by Trump. "India is such a great nation but it is Prime Minister Modi's failure that India has been hyphenated with Pakistan. Trump has said twice now that he is ready to mediate between India and Pakistan," he said. -- PTI

17:21 No rule of democracy in J-K: Azad

Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in Jammu after his visit to Kashmir: "The amount of despair and distress that is present in Kashmir and among Kashmiris, the same is the situation in Jammu. Except 100-200 people of the ruling party, nobody is happy. Administration ka itna aatank maine duniya mein kahin nahi dekha. I have never seen such fear of the administration anywhere. Democracy naam ki state mein koi chiiz nahi hai.There is no rule of democracy in the state."

The senior Congress leader had moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to visit his home state to enquire about the well being of his family members. Several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, had sought to visit Jammu and Kashmir, but were not allowed to do so and were sent back from the airport itself.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury had moved the apex court to see his ailing party colleague Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, which allowed him to pay a visit but with certain conditions.

The top court had on September 5, allowed former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti's daughter Iltija to meet her in Kashmir, where she is under detention following the revocation of the state's special status.

17:11 Popular Telugu comedian Venu Madhav no more

Popular Telugu comedian Venu Madhav, known for his rib-tickling performances in films like 'Chatrapati' and 'Sye,' died in Hyderabad on Wednesday. He was 51. Venu Madhav, who has been suffering from multiple ailments, including chronic liver cirrhosis, breathed his last at 12.21 am at a private hospital here, hospital sources said. Madhav, also anacclaimed mimicry artist,made his debut in the movie 'Sampradayam.' -- PTI

A day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan quoted Congress while launching an attack on India over the Kashmir issue, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that it seems now that the grand old party has become a 'political tool' for Islamabad.

"It looks like Congress has become political tool for Pakistan. Can't understand whether Imran Khan is speaking Congress' language or Congress is speaking Imran Khan's language... Today, the youth of Kashmir is happy. Those reaping the benefits of separatism in Kashmir are having problems today," Singh told media when asked about Imran Khan's statement.

At a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly session on Tuesday , Imran Khan said, "For a start, they have to lift the curfew, that's the beginning. Even the Congress party in India has commented that poor people have been shut inside for 50 days. No one knows what's happening with the political prisoners... (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has boxed himself in a blind alley." -- ANI

The Asian Development Bank on Wednesday sharply lowered India's growth forecast from 7.2 per cent to 6.5 per cent for the current fiscal, though has it indicated that the country will grow faster than China.

The multi-lateral lending agency in its Asian Development Outlook Update for 2019 cut the growth projection for India, which recorded an over six-year low growth of 5 per cent in April-June quarter this fiscal.

"India's growth forecast for fiscal year 2019 is lowered to 6.5 per cent after growth slowed markedly to 5 per cent in the first quarter, April-June. Abrupt declines in manufacturing and investment reflect uncertainty ahead of general elections, subdued lending by banks and other financial institutions, stress in the rural economy, and a weakening external outlook," the agency said.

However, India is expected to rebound to 7.2 per cent growth in fiscal 2021 and join most other sub-regional countries in performing at or near their ADO 2019 growth forecasts for next year, it added. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a USD 150 million line of credit to the group of Pacific island nations for undertaking solar, renewable energy and climate related projects based on their requirement.

Modi, who attended the India-Pacific Islands Developing States Leaders' Meeting, also announced a total allocation of USD 12 million to the member states towards implementation of high impact developmental project in the area of their choice. The meeting was held on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

This is the first time he has met the leaders of the PSIDS on the margins of UNGA in a plurilateral format.

The meeting was attended by the Heads of delegation of Fiji, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Nauru, Republic of Palau, Independent State of Papua New Guinea, The Independent State of Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu and Republic of Vanuatu. -- PTI

16:52 NRC won't happen in Bengal : Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday allayed fears among the people that NRC exercise will be carried out in the state. Addressing an administrative meeting at Debra in West Midnapore district, Banerjee said it is shocking that people have commited suicide fearing that NRC would be implemented in the state.

"NRC will not happen in Bengal," she said. The chief minister had iterated on earlier occasions that NRC will not take place in West Bengal. Government sources had claimed on Tuesday that four persons have committed suicide in fear of NRC so far, while four others had died while waiting in queues to procure the requisite papers.

Banerjee said that the state government's programme to issue, replace and update digital ration cards, which was originally scheduled from September 9 to 27, will again commence from November 5 to November 30 "to help each and every citizen of the state."

The announcement comes at a time when large queues are seen outside the offices of BDOs and borough offices in different parts of Bengal, besides at the civic body offices in the city to procure requisite documents. There are apprehensions among a large section of the people that NRC will be carried out in the state in future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had repeatedly said during the campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections that NRC would be implemented in Bengal which has evidentally trigerred the fear. Banerjee said the state government will start the process of updating digital ration cards again after the festive season and there will be new ration cards in two colours.

There will be one set of digital ration cards for people who want to keep it for identity proof, while the second set of cards in a different colour will be for those who want to avail subsidised food items and also for identity proof, she said. -- PTI

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will visit the Enforcement Directorate office on September 27 in connection with a money laundering case filed against him by the agency.

Addressing the media in Mumbai, Pawar also questioned the timing of the ED move, which comes days before the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Pawar said he will visit the ED office at 2 pm on September 27 to submit "whatever information" sought in connection with the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank scam.

"I will be mostly out of Mumbai for Assembly poll campaigning. The agency officials shouldn't misunderstand that I am unavailable. I will go to them and give them whatever information they want," Pawar said.

Pawar said he believes in the Constitution of India. "Maharashtra follows the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We don't know bowing down before the Delhi takht (throne)," Pawar said. The ED filed the money laundering case against Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar and 70 others in the bank scam on the directions of the Bombay High Court. -- PTI

16:22 Mukesh Ambani richest Indian for 8th year

Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped the list of richest Indians for the eighth consecutive year, with a net worth of Rs 3,80,700 crore, according to the latest IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List. London-based SP Hinduja & family, with assets worth Rs 1,86,500 crore, retained the second rank in the list, followed by Wipro founder Azim Premji at the third place with a wealth of Rs 1,17,100 crore.

According to the latest IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List, the number of Indians having a net worth of more than Rs 1,000 crore has grown to 953 this year from 831 in 2018; while, the number of billionaires in terms of US dollar has reduced to 138 from 141. "The combined wealth of top 25 in the list equates to 10 per cent of India's GDP and that of 953 accounts for 27 per cent," it said.

LN Mittal, chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, was the 4th richest with a wealth of Rs 1,07,300 crore and Gautam Adani was placed on the 5th position with a net worth of Rs 94,500 crore. Others in the top 10 include Uday Kotak at the 6th place with a wealth of Rs 94,100 crore, Cyrus S Poonawalla at 7th position with Rs 88,800 crore assets, Cyrus Pallonji Mistry at 8th spot with a wealth of Rs 76,800 crore, Shapoor Pallonji at 9th position with a net worth of Rs 76,800 crore and Dilip Shanghvi at 10th slot with Rs 71,500-crore wealth. -- PTI

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya Wednesday said that NRC will be implemented in West Bengal and not a single Hindu will have to leave the country.

Without naming the TMC, Vijayvargiya, who is BJP's Bengal minder, said certain political parties and politicians are trying to instill fear among the general people over NRC by spreading canards.

"As the national general secretary of BJP I want to assure all of you that NRC will be implemented but not a single Hindu will have to leave the country. Each and every Hindu will be given citizenship," he said at a programme.

"There are certain people who are trying to spread canards and misguide the masses," he said hinting at the TMC.

Hundreds of people are queueing up at government and municipal offices here and across West Bengal to collect their birth certificates and necessary documents should the National Register of Citizens be implemented in the state despite assurances by the TMC government that it would not be allowed. -- PTI

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday said whether the Congress may agree or disagree with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies, it will always support the central government on all issues at international platforms. Baghel also said that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan should focus on his country, instead of speaking on India's internal matters. -- PTI

16:05 Sensex plunges 504 points

Equity benchmark BSE Sensex plummeted 504 points on Wednesday tracking heavy losses in banking and auto stocks as investors turned jittery over geopolitical uncertainties and global slowdown concerns.

After sinking 586 points during the day, the 30-share index ended 503.62 points, or 1.29 per cent, lower at 38,593.52. The broader NSE Nifty plunged 148 points, or 1.28 per cent, to 11,440.20.

Top laggards in the Sensex pack were SBI, Tata Motors, Maruti, Yes Bank, M&M, HDFC twins, ITC, Vedanta, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel and L&T, losing up to 7.37 per cent. On the other hand, PowerGrid, TCS, NTPC, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra and RIL rallied up to 4.39 per cent. According to traders, domestic investor sentiment took a beating as concerns over US political uncertainty, US-China trade war and a looming global economic slowdown spooked stock markets.

Amidst delay over announcing a seat-sharing deal with the Shiv Sena for the October assembly elections, the core committee of the Maharashtra BJP met on Tuesday night to assess the party's region-wise strength and to discuss the possible allocation of seats.

A senior BJP leader said on Wednesday that it was a routine meeting of the committee with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. "The assessment is necessary for planning the BJP's campaign because the party has increased its strength in rural as well as urban areas since the 2014 polls.

There are certain areas where the BJP needs to take extra efforts. A discussion was also needed on the pitfalls that the party has to avoid in case of rebellion by disgruntled ticket-seekers," he said.

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday clarified that the final seat-sharing deal between his party and the Sena will be announced by Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray who are discussing its contours with BJP chief Amit Shah. -- PTI

16:01 RBI rebuts rumours on closure of 9 banks

Rebutting social media rumours swiftly, the Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday said no commercial banks are going to be shut. Finance secretary Rajiv Kumar discribed such social media messages as "mischievous" saying the government was in process of strengthening public sector banks by infusing capital in them.

"Reports appearing in some sections of social media about the RBI closing down certain commercial banks are false," the central bank said in a statement.

Messages are circulating in various social media platforms that nine banks will be closed down permanently by the RBI and appeals being made to public to withdraw their money from them.

"No question of closing any #PSB, which are articles of faith. Rather Govt is strengthening PSBs with reforms and infusion of capital to better serve its customers," Kumar said in a tweet.

The messages are being circulated a day after the RBI placed restrictions on withdrawals in the crippled Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC), thus affecting lakhs of customers.

Most of the banks named in the messages are those that have been either merged with other banks or are in the process of being merged. Last month, the government had announced that 10 public sector banks would be merged into four.

Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will be merged with Punjab National Bank, while Syndicate Bank will become part of Canara Bank. Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be merged with Union Bank of India, and Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank.

The government has already merged Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda. Also, the IDBI Bank was taken over the public sector insurance behemoth LIC. Recently, the government announced to infuse capital into the IDBI Bank. -- PTI

The AIADMK on Wednesday announced its nominees for the October 21 Assembly bypolls to two seats in Tamil Nadu, which could well be a battle of pride for the ruling party.

AIADMK Coordinator O Pannneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami announced the candidature of M R Muthamilselvan and V Narayanan for Vikravandi and Nanguneri constituencies, respectively.

The top AIADMK leaders also announced the appointment of functionaries from its other district units for the two constiuencies as in-charge They said in a statement that a number of senior party functionaries including ministers will be joining the poll related work in the respective constituencies.

The bypoll comes close on the heels of the April 18 Lok Sabha elections which the DMK and its allies swept, winning 37 of the 38 seats in the hustings then. -- PTI

15:23 Forces prepared: Rajnath on Balakot activation

Two days after the Army Chief said that terror camps in Pakistan were being reactivated, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian security forces were fully prepared to meet the situation.

He was responding to a query on Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's statement on reactivation of terror camps in Balakot in neighbouring Pakistan. "Don't worry, our security forces are fully prepared," he told reporters.

Rawat had on Monday said that Pakistan has reactivated the Balakot terror camp very recently and about 500 infiltrators were waiting to sneak into India.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Responding to another query about Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh seeking the Home Ministry's help on incidents of Pakistan-origin drones dropping consignments of arms and ammunition, the Defense Minister said as far as the country's security was concerned, the armed forces have the capability to defeat any such challenges. -- PTI

Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday quoted a popular dialogue of Amitabh Bachchan's flick "Agneepath' to congratulate the veteran actor on being selected for prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award recently.

Extending his warm wishes to megastar Bachchan for being named for the prestigious honor, Tendulkar tweeted, "Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, Poora Naam. Baap Ka Naam Dinanath Chauhan, Maa Ka Naam Suhasini Chauhan. Gaon Mandwa. Umar 36..." a line that gives me goosebumps even today! May you continue to win hearts across the globe, Amitji. #DadaSahebPhalkeAward".

On Tuesday, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar took to Twitter and announced the news of Amitabh being selected for the coveted award.

"The legend Amitabh Bachchan who entertained and inspired for 2 generations has been selected unanimously for #DadaSahabPhalke award. The entire country and international community is happy. My heartiest Congratulations to him," Javadekar tweeted on Tuesday while tagging Bachchan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. - ANI

15:08 People moving around freely in J&K: Army chief

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reaffirmed on Monday that people were moving around freely in the Kashmir valley and those claiming that there was a shutdown were the ones whose survival depended on terrorism.

He was interacting with reporters after presenting President's colours to 29th and 30th battalions of the Punjab Regiment in Ramgarh, Jharkhand.

"Normal life in Jammu and Kashmir has not been affected. People are doing their necessary work, a clear sign that work has not been stopped and people are freely moving around. Those who feel that life has been affected are the ones whose survival depends on terrorism," he said.

Rawat said brick kilns were functioning normally, trucks were transporting sand and shops were open, reflecting that life was normal in the valley.

The army chief deflected a question about whether there was tension along the Line of Control, saying people were facing trouble because of Tuesday's earthquake in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

A powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake had hit PoK on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people and injuring over 300 others. -- PTI

The 23-year-old law student, who accused Bharatiya Janata Party leader Swami Chinmayanand of rape, was arrested after "enough" digital and forensic evidence were found and statements of people recorded, special investigation team chief Naveen Arora said on Wednesday.

"We have enough evidences that Rs 5 crore extortion money was demanded from Chinmayanand. Those arrested said that they sent messages to Chinmayanand on directions of the girl in panic as they were not getting money and were upset," Arora told reporters after the woman was formally arrested on Wednesday morning.

"A number of evidences, including pen drive and mobile, were sent for forensic examination. It was found that there was no addition, alteration, morphing, modification or editing in the video (of Chinmayanand taking a massage)," he said.

The mobile location and calls made by the student and others were also verified and a chart was made which showed that the four (law student and three already arrested) were together and in touch, Arora said.

Regarding the spectacles used for filming Chinmayanand, the officer said, "It was brought online in March by the girl. The girl said it was in her hostel room, which was opened in presence of a forensic team, principal, the girl and her father, but it was not found. We are yet to recover it."

He said the mobile messages deleted by Chinmayanand could not be retrieved by the FSL and it has been sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. -- PTI

It was the first incident reported in Punjab, in which drones were used to drop weapons and communication devices, among others, from across the border, an official said, adding that a half-burnt drone used in the operation was recovered from Tarn Taran.

The Punjab Police on Sunday claimed to have busted a terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force, backed by a group based in Pakistan and Germany.

It said the terror group was conspiring to unleash a series of strikes in Punjab and adjoining states.

Four members of the module -- Balwant Singh, alias Nihang, Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash Randhawa, Harbhajan Singh and Balbir Singh -- were arrested from the outskirts of Chohla Sahib village in Tarn Taran on the same day.

During questioning, the accused told investigators that GPS-fitted "big" drones were used to drop arms and ammunition from across the border in Tarn Taran district, an official of the Counter-Intelligence wing of the Punjab Police said on Wednesday.

"Drones were sent from across the border for seven to eight times to deliver arms and ammunition," the official said, adding that consignment of weapons was delivered this month.

One drone can lift up to 10 kg of weight, he added.

Five AK-47 rifles, 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition, four Chinese-made .30 bore pistols, along with eight magazines and 72 rounds of ammunition; nine hand grenades, five satellite phones with their ancillary equipment, two mobile phones, two wireless sets and fake currency with face value of Rs 10 lakh were seized.

Though investigations are underway, it is believed that the weapons meant were to be used to spread terror in Jammu and Kashmir. -- PTI

13:58 Will enjoy if I'm sent to jail: Sharad Pawar

Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate probe against him, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will "welcome" and "enjoy" the jail, if sent to, in the money laundering case.

"I have no problem if I am sent to jail. I will enjoy it instead as I have never experienced it. If someone is thinking to put me behind bars in this case, I will rather welcome it," Pawar told reporters.

Asked if he has been named in the money laundering case as he is vocal against the government on several issues, Pawar sarcastically said that he will have to contact Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to know the reason.

Pawar asserted that he will continue campaigning for the party in the assembly elections.

The NCP chief and his nephew Ajit Pawar and others were named in an Enforcement Case Information Report in connection with the Rs 5,000 crore Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank scam case.

Apart from Pawars, Diliprao Deshmukh, Isharlal Jain, Jayant Patil, Shivaji Rao Nalvade, Anand Rao Adsul, Rajendra Shingane, Madan Patil and some others have been named in the case.

The investigation has been initiated based on the FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police following directions from the Bombay high court, ED sources said.

A chemical leakage was reported from an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation plant in Uran, in Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday morning, setting off panic\in nearby villages.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot as a precautionary measure.

#ONGC Senior officers are present in the Uran plant. Interaction with the local villagers and administration is on to dispel the panic caused by hydrocarbon smell in the vicinity, which is spread due to heavy rains. @CMD_ONGC @pallab_ongc," ONGC tweeted.

Earlier, ONGC said on the social media platform that the smell of hydrocarbon spread early in the morning.

"At #ONGC Uran plant smell of hydrocarbon felt early Morning which was spread due to incessant rains. There is no leakage. All precautionary measures in place. The plant is running normal. There is nothing to panic. @CMD_ONGC @pallab_ongc," the organisation tweeted.

The police said that the situation is under control now.

-- ANI

12:57 Trump urges PM to better lives of Kashmiris

United States President Donald Trump "encouraged" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve relations with Pakistan and fulfill his promise to better the lives of the Kashmiri people, according to a readout issued by the White House of the bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, their fourth meeting since Modi came to power for a second term in May this year.

Their 40-minute discussion mainly focussed on the bilateral trade and issues related to terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

The President noted good progress on defence and security cooperation, the readout said.

"Additionally, the President encouraged Prime Minister Modi to improve relations with Pakistan and fulfill his promise to better the lives of the Kashmiri people," it added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

India's action evoked strong reactions from Pakistan which downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled the Indian Ambassador.

Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India has asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 was its "internal matter".

Both leaders also expressed concerns about the situation in Afghanistan and shared ideas about how to work together to promote security and prosperity in the country, it said. -- PTI

Two Dalit children were allegedly beaten to death by some people for defecating in front of a panchayat building in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place in Bhavkedhi village in the morning, Sirsod police station's inspector R S Dhakad said.

The two children, Roshani (12) and Avinash (10), suffered serious injuries in the incident and were rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared them dead, he said.

Efforts were on to arrest the culprits, he said. -- PTI

12:41 ICGS 'Varaha' commissioned by Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday formally commissioned the Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel 'Varaha' at the Chennai Port Trust in Chennai.

After unveiling a plaque commemorating the commissioning ceremony, Singh said the state-of-the-art ship was going to be a force multiplier for Indian Coast Guard, pointing it has capabilities to operate twin engine ALH Helicopters developed indigenously by HAL.

Singh, who arrived in Chennai on Tuesday on a two day visit, participated in the Investiture Ceremony of Coast Guard.

"It is indeed reassuring to witness the growing strength of Indian Coast Guard, the 'Sentinals of our seas' and capabilities of Larsen and Toubro Shipbuilding Ltd one of the strong supporting pillars for production and maintenance of surface assets of our maritime forces," he said.

He said the name 'Varaha' from puranas reminded of the principle of sacrifice and rescue at sea, saving mother Earth, restoring harmony and strength.

Singh congratulated the Indian Coast Guard and L&T shipyard for bringing Varaha back overseas.

The multitude challenges of drug trafficking oil spill incidents collision grounding and the growing threat of maritime terrorism calls for cooperative on regional arrangements with various Maritime Nations and Indian Coast

Guard over the years has built bonds of diplomacy, he noted.

Singh said the Coast Guard entered into a memorandum of understanding with 7 Maritime Nations for capacity building training collective and cooperative response to deal with Maritime threats.

India's engagement with the world has seen an exponential growth and today the coast guard is at the fulcrum operating 24x7x365 for safeguarding national interest in the maritime zones of India apart from building bridges of confidence at sea for the safety, security and growth in the Indian ocean region. -- PTI

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to Bharatiya Jana Sangh co-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyay on his 103rd birth anniversary and recalled his efforts to uplift the weaker sections of the society.

Naidu described Upadhyay as a visionary, a great intellectual and an inspiring personality who worked relentlessly for the upliftment of people at the grassroot level.

Modi said Upadhyay is one of the greatest icons of India.

"His life's message of serving the most downtrodden with compassion resonates far and wide," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

The prime minister also posted a short video of his speech on the Jan Sangh leader in which he described how upliftment of the poor was the focus of Upadhyay's philosophy.

Upadhyaya was born in 1916 in Mathura. -- PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday alleged that under the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh the issue of farmers interest was only limited to advertisements and billboards.

Her scathing criticism came over a media report that a farmer's son committed suicide in Saharanpur over alleged harassment by the electricity department and the police.

"The issue of farmers interest under the Uttar Pradesh BJP (government) has been limited only to advertisements and billboards," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The farmers are not getting their dues. They do not get proper electricity supply, but their electricity bills have been hiked. They have been cheated in the name of the loan waiver. And they are also being insulted," the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern UP alleged. -- PTI

India has no problem talking to Pakistan but it has a problem talking to "Terroristan", external affairs minister S Jaishankar said in New York, asserting that Islamabad has created an entire industry of terrorism to deal with the Kashmir issue.

Jaishankar, addressing a New York audience at cultural organization Asia Society Tuesday, said when India decided to revoke Article 370 and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, it drew a reaction from Pakistan and China.

Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and also expelled Indian high commissioner after New Delhi revoked the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

China had voiced "serious concern" over the situation in Kashmir, saying "the parties concerned should exercise restraint and act with caution, especially to avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and exacerbate tension."

Jaishankar emphasized that India has no problem talking to Pakistan.

"But we have a problem talking to Terroristan. And they have to be one and not be the other," he said.

Jaishankar underlined that revoking Article 370 has no implications for India's external boundaries.

"We are sort of reformatting this within our existing boundaries. It obviously drew a reaction from Pakistan, it drew a reaction from China. These are two very different reactions. I think, for Pakistan, it was a country which has really created an entire industry of terrorism to deal with the Kashmir issue. In my view, it's actually bigger than Kashmir, I think they have created it for India," Jaishankar said.

He added that in the aftermath of India's decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status, Pakistan now sees its "investment" of 70 years undercut if this policy succeeds.

"So theirs is today a reaction of anger, of frustration in many ways, because you have built an entire industry over a long period of time," he said. -- PTI

11:47 MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashes in Gwalior

A MiG-21 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed near the Gwalior airbase on Tuesday, official sources said.

Both pilots ejected safely, they said.

The aircraft was on a routine mission, and crashed around 10 am, the sources said.

The IAF has ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident, they said. -- PTI

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha's 530-page autobiography Relentless was launched at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in south Mumbai, by Bloomsbury India, on the rainy, wet evening of Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

Present for the launch were actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan, Rajya Sabha member and former editor Kumar Ketkar and former Union minister and businessman Kamal Morarka.

Shatrughan Sinha, while both humorously and glowingly paying tribute to the former finance minister, spoke about his courage and fearless mind.

Yashwant Sinha recalled his journey to write the book and the journey of his life, that began in a poor family in a small village in Bihar. He spoke strongly and intelligently about the importance of dissent and protest in the country and in a democracy.

Predictably the conversation turned to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, post the abrogation of Article 370 in August earlier this year. Yashwant Sinha spoke about his own attempts to reach Kashmir and the importance of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-style dialogue with all its stakeholders in the former state.

You can watch his remarks in these videos here, and here.

Photograph and videos: Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com.

The Indian Air Force has placed its airbases on orange alert based on intelligence inputs about a possible suicidal terror attack on them in and around Jammu and Kashmir.

According to top sources in the government, intelligence agencies have issued warning against a module of eight to 10 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who will possibly try to carry out a suicidal attack against air bases in and around Jammu and Kashmir.

An orange alert has been sounded for Srinagar, Avantipur, Jammu, Pathankot, Hindan airbases after the monitoring of the terrorists' movements by the intelligence agencies.

The orange alert is the second-highest level of alert after the Red alert which, if issued, would entail closing of schools and restriction on movements in airbases.

Senior officers are reviewing security arrangements round the clock to tackle the threat, sources said.

The alert came two days after Army chief General Bipin Rawat said Balakot terrorists' camp in Pakistan, which was destroyed by the IAF in February, had been reactivated to send terrorists across the border in India in the backdrop of heightened tension between India and Pakistan over the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month, the government sources said that Pakistan deployed its Special Service Group commandos along the Sir Creek area in Gujarat.

Security forces have eliminated several terrorists and foiled several infiltration bids over the past two months. -- ANI

10:22 Chinmayanand case: Rape victim arrested

The postgraduate student form Uttar Pradesh, who had levelled rape charges against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chinmayanand, has been arrested by the special investigation team for allegedly trying to extort money from him.

The arrest comes a day after a local court admitted the interim bail plea filed by the law student.

While the court had fixed Thursday for hearing her plea, which sought protection from arrest, the SIT arrested the law student on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old woman was had on Tuesday also faced questioning later by the SIT set up by the Uttar Pradesh police under the directions of the Supreme Court.

10:07 Sensex tanks over 300 pts

Equity benchmark BSE Sensex sank over 300 points in early session on Wednesday, dragged by losses in banking, IT and auto stocks amid negative global cues and foreign fund outflow.

The 30-share index was trading 303.70 points, or 0.78 per cent, lower at 38,793.44 at 0930 hours, while the broader Nifty fell 92.70 points, or 0.80 per cent, to 11,495.50.

In the previous session on Tuesday, the BSE barometer ended with a meagre gain of 7.11 points, or 0.02 per cent, at 39,097.14, while the Nifty settled 12 points, or 0.10 per cent, lower at 11,588.20.

Top laggards in the Sensex pack in early trade included Tata Motors, SBI, HDFC twins, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Kotak Bank, Axis Bank, Maruti, Infosys, ITC and ICICI Bank, shedding up to 3 per cent.

On the other hand, PowerGrid, RIL, NTPC, TCS, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra and Bharti Airtel rose up to 2 per cent.

According to traders, domestic equities opened on a weak note tracking negative news from global markets.

Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading significantly lower in their respective late morning sessions after US President Donald Trump put China on notice at the United Nations, declaring that the time of trade "abuses" by Beijing was "over" and calling on the country to protect Hong Kong's "democratic ways of life."

Global market sentiment also turned negative following top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi's announcement of the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, saying he betrayed his oath of office by seeking help from a foreign power to hurt his Democratic rival Joe Biden.

Shares on Wall Street ended in the red on Tuesday. -- PTI

Nine people on way back from a army recruitment rally were killed when their auto-rickshaw was hit by a truck in Haryana's Jind, police said on Wednesday.

The driver of the auto-rickshaw was also killed in the accident, while another man who was part of the group that took part in the recruitment drive was critically injured, they said.

The accident took place near a village on Jind-Hisar Road late Tuesday evening, police said.

Those killed are in the age group of 20-22 years, they said.

A case has been registered in connection with the incident, said an official of the Jind-Sadar police station. -- PTI

09:46 Humbled by generosity: Big B on Phalke award

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday said he was short of words to express his gratitude after he was named Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient for 2018.

The 76-year actor, who completes 50 years in cinema, took to Twitter to share his response with fans.

"There is a paucity of words searching a response .. for the generosity of words that pour in.. I am but deeply grateful and most humbled .. my sincerest gratitude," Bachchan wrote.

On Tuesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar announced the award for the Bollywood veteran.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest recognition in Indian cinema.

It was conferred upon late actor Vinod Khanna in 2017. PTI

A Hindu lawmaker from Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party has written a letter to United States President Donald Trump and asked him to take back his comments about "Islamic terrorism", saying terrorism has no religion and attributing it to any faith is very regrettable.

Trump while addressing a gathering of Indian-Americans in Houston along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to protect innocent civilians from the threat of radical Islamic terrorism and said border security is vital to both America and India as he emphasised on bolstering further the Indo-US security relationship.

Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said that the Trump's statement is very worrisome for every human being who believes in interfaith harmony, serving humanity and respect of all religions.

He said that terrorism has no religion, and attributing such a curse to the religion is in fact very regrettable.

"I am deeply shocked by the news reports in which you tried to link terrorism with Islam, and the purpose of writing this letter is to record my protest in this regard," Vankwani, also the patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council, wrote in the letter.

Trump's statement also resulted into hurting sentiments of billions of people, belonging to all religions who resides across the globe, Vankwani said.

"It is worth to note that all religions, either Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism or any other, forbid killing of innocent people, and urge strict punishment against culprits," he said.

"Therefore, being Pakistani citizen, I believe that your statement is very painful for entire Pakistani nation," he said.

"Being the country head of only Super Power, heavy responsibilities lie on your shoulders to resolve conflicts for the sake of world peace," Vankwani said.

"It is therefore my sincere request to kindly take your words back and play your neutral role to resolve all worldly conflicts peacefully without any bias or prejudice. Otherwise I am afraid that your statement would actually empower some extremist elements to carry on their agenda of hatred and violence against innocent people in the name of religion," Vankwani concluded. -- PTI

09:00 Daya Nayak transferred to ATS

'Encounter' fame police officer Daya Nayak was on Tuesday transferred to the Anti Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police, an official said.

Nayak, who holds the rank of police inspector, was attached to the Amboli police station in the city. -- PTI

United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday announced the launch of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump after a controversy erupted between him and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Today I am announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry. I am directing our six committees to proceed with their investigations under that umbrella of an impeachment inquiry. The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law," Pelosi said.

According to Sputnik, the move came after US media reported last week that a government whistleblower filed a complaint after Trump during a July phone call pressed Zelensky to investigate the son of former Vice President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, for possible corruption, ahead of the 2020 US presidential election.

Pelosi's announcement did not go down well with Trump, who termed it a "total witch hunt" and "presidential harassment".

Training his guns at the Democrats, Trump said in a series of tweets, "Such an important day at the United Nations, so much work and so much success, and the Democrats purposely had to ruin and demean it with more breaking news Witch Hunt garbage. So bad for our Country! Pelosi, Nadler, Schiff and, of course, Maxine Waters! Can you believe this?"

"They never even saw the transcript of the call. A total Witch Hunt!" he said, before writing, "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" in his last tweet. -- ANI

07:47 Modi once again invites Trump to India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reminded US President Donald Trump of his invitation to him to visit India along with his family.

Modi on Sunday extended an invitation to Trump to visit India with his family as he addressed over 50,000 Indian-Americans at the 'Howdy, Modi' event at the NRG stadium in Houston. Trump had joined Modi at the event.

"We want you to come to India with your family, and give us the privilege of welcoming you. Our friendship, and the Indian-American shared dream...we will give it a new future," Modi had said.

Modi on Tuesday again reminded President Trump of the invitation and left it to him to decide the time for the visit, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

00:16

Catch all of yesterday's big news right HERE

00:15 Terrible if Johnson Brexit plan blocked: Trump

US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind Boris Johnson's plan to exit the European Union as the British leader suffered a major setback in court.

"They have to get it done," Trump said of Johnson's Brexit plan, as the pair met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

"It would be a terrible thing to do it any other way."

Johnson on Tuesday vowed to press ahead with his plan for Brexit on October 31, despite a momentous Supreme Court ruling that found his decision to suspend parliament unlawful.

"It takes a man like this to get it done," Trump said of Johnson, adding: "I think he is going to get it done."

The American president told reporters that he had "no reaction" when he heard that Britain's highest court had ruled against Johnson.

"He's a professional. It's just another day in the office," Trump said of his British counterpart.

Timeline Refresh

TOP STORIES