LIVE! Modi-Biden meet 'productive', not 'adversarial': US

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Mon, 11 April 2022

Modi-Biden meet 'productive', not 'adversarial': US

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23:42 Modi-Biden meet 'productive', not 'adversarial': US

United States President Joe Biden on Monday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it was not in India's interest to "accelerate or increase" its oil purchase from Russia and was willing to help New Delhi further diversify its energy imports, the White House said.

Biden made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Modi, which was "constructive" and "productive" and their interaction was "not adversarial," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

The virtual meeting between the two leaders came in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil. The Modi-Biden virtual meeting lasted for about an hour.

"This was a constructive call. It was a productive call. It is a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the President. I would not see it as an adversarial call," Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference soon after the conclusion of the Modi-Biden virtual bilateral.

While the two leaders have met virtually multiple times and also in personal settings, this was for the first time that Biden and Modi had a virtual bilateral.

During the meeting, Biden said that it is not in India's interest to accelerate or increase its oil imports from Russia. As of now, India imports between one and two per cent of its oil needs from Russia as compared to 10 per cent from the US.

The United States, Psaki said, is willing to help India further diversify its energy resources. India buying oil and gas from Russia, she insisted, is not in violation of any sanctions. "But I will let them speak for themselves, she said.

Responding to a question, Psaki said that no decision has been taken on CAATSA sanctions on India, which is going ahead with its decision to purchase the S-400 missile system from Russia.

23:18 Rajnath, Jaishankar meet US Prez Biden

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with United States President Joe Biden during the India-US virtual summit, in Washington, DC.

The United States has not asked India to do anything in particular on the issue of oil import from Russia during a virtual summit between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House said on Monday, underling that New Delhi will make its own decisions with regard to various issues related to Russia and Ukraine.

The virtual meeting between the two leaders came in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil.

"The two leaders covered the whole range of issues related to Russia and Ukraine. It was a very candid conversation. I think you will have seen even Prime Minister Modi's remarks at the top he talks about it as well. There were very direct conversations," a senior administration official told reporters after the virtual meeting.

"On the energy issues, of course, it was a subject of discussion. We're aware of what India we haven't asked India to do anything in particular. We are having a very open conversation. We know that not all countries will be able to do what we've done, the official said.

"We know that India is not a major consumer of Russian oil. Its current imports are about one to 2% of its total energy import. As of now, our energy payments are exempt from current sanctions. We have been very clear that we've been able to ban oil and LNG imports from Russia. But other countries have to make their own choices. That said, we don't think India should accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and the US is ready to have conversations with India about diversification," said the official.

The Modi-Biden virtual meeting lasted for about an hour. During the course of the meeting, the official said the two leaders had "a very candid conversation" and they discussed a range of bilateral and global issues.

"The meeting was warm and productive. They covered a lot of ground. The leaders were able to talk about joint global efforts in the COVID-19 pandemic. They talked about the climate. They talked about strengthening the global economy and they talked about upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific, including developing the Indo-Pacific economic framework and infrastructure, the official said.

Biden also took the opportunity to continue the close consultations that the US is having with India at a number of different levels of government and also Russia's brutal war against Ukraine and how the two countries are partnering and mitigating the destabilising impacts on global food supply and other commodities markets.

Responding to a question, the official said that both Prime Minister Modi and President Biden shared their views on Ukraine.

"You will have seen in recent days that India made some pretty strong statements in New York, condemning the killing of civilians, and supporting calls for an independent investigation. India is also providing humanitarian relief materials to Ukraine, including medicine and other supplies. There were close consultations in early days about the Indian students that were needed to be evacuated from Ukraine," the official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Pakistani prime minister and said India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror.

"Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan," Modi tweeted.

"India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people," the prime minister said.

Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the prime minister of Pakistan on Monday, bringing to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the country since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8. -- PTI

22:39 Jaishankar meets Blinken

Ahead of the '2+2' dialogue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"Began the day with a breakfast meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Wide-ranging exchange of views on global situation, regional hotspots bilateral cooperation. Took place with comfort & openness of true strategic partners," Jaishankar tweeted.

22:35 Shehbaz Sharif sworn-in as new Pak PM

Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday, bringing to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped the country since a no-confidence motion was introduced against his predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered oath of office to 70-year-old Shehbaz in President Dr Arif Alvi's absence, who went on 'sick' leave ahead of the PML-N leader's inauguration.

Earlier, Pakistan Parliament elected unopposed Shehbaz who was the only candidate left in the race after former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will boycott the voting and staged a walkout.

"Sharif has secured 174 votes and has been declared as prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan," according to the formal result announced by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who presided over the National Assembly session after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri said his conscience did not allow him to conduct the session.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his two deputies called on President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Monday.

This is the chief minister's and his two deputies' -- Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak - first meeting with the prime minister and the president after the BJP emerged victorious in the recent Uttar Pradesh polls.

The state government described the separate meetings as courtesy calls.

It also shared pictures of the meetings in which the state leaders were seen handing over souveniers to the president and the prime minister. -- PTI

Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday condemned the clashes between students at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University and said there should not be any conflict over consumption of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and people should respect each others sentiments.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, Athawale also condemned the "attack" on NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence in Mumbai by a group of striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation on Friday last.

"The JNU is a big and reputed university. I think such conflicts between students belonging to different ideologies should not happen. In fact, all the ideologies should work towards strengthening the unity of India. I think whatever happened in the JNU, should not have happened and it should be probed," said Athawale.

The minister said it was not wrong if some students took the decision to not consume non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami.

Two groups had clashed at the JNU's Kaveri Hostel in New Delhi on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food in the mess on Ram Navami.

RSS-affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad alleged students from Left-backed outfits wanted to disrupt a Ram Navami puja, and are using diversionary tactics by raising the issue of serving of non-vegetarian food. However, the Left-led JNU Students Union has accused the ABVP of "orchestrating the incident and unleashing violence in the name of food".

"There should not be any conflict over consumption of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and everyone should respect each other," added Athawale, an ally of the BJP.

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment also criticized MNS president Raj Thackeray for demanding removal of loudspeakers atop mosques.

"It is a wrong stand to counter 'azaan' (Muslim call for prayer) from loudspeakers atop mosques with Hanuman Chalisa. There are temples too where loudspeakers are fitted. So opposition for the sake of opposition is not good," he added. -- PTI

In a virtual meeting with United States President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday night hoped that the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine will pave the way for peace in the conflict-torn country.

In his opening remarks, Modi described the recent reports of the killing of innocent civilians in Bucha city as "very worrying" and said India immediately condemned it and demanded a fair investigation.

The prime minister referred to his phone conversation with the Presidents of both Ukraine and Russia.

"I suggested President Putin have direct talks with the President of Ukraine," Modi said.

"As the world's two largest and oldest democracies, we are natural partners," Modi said on ties with the US, adding, "Our talks today are taking place at a time when the situation in Ukraine remains very worrying."

On his part, Biden welcomed India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine.

The US President said US and India are going to continue their close consultation on how to manage and stabilise the effects of this Russian war.

He also referred to the strong and growing defence partnership between India and the US.

The Modi-Biden meeting took place ahead of the fourth India-US '2+2' dialogue in Washington which will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side and their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken.

The virtual meeting comes in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Joe Biden held a virtual meeting today to further deepen ties between two contires.

Ahead of the meet, Biden said he was looking forward to a virtual meeting with Modi.

It is the first of its kind interaction between the two leaders that would coincide with the maiden India-US 2+2 dialogue under the Biden administration.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Monday complained of "discomfort", hours before he was scheduled to administer oath to Prime Minister-designate Shehbaz Sharif.

"President Dr. Arif Alvi has complained of discomfort. The physician has examined him thoroughly and has advised him rest for a few days," said a brief statement issued on the official Twitter handle of the 72-year-old President, who was a member of the ousted prime minister Imran Khan's party.

It was not immediately clear when the oath ceremony will take place.

Earlier, the National Assembly elected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan after his rival candidate from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of Khan boycotted the voting to elect a new premier.

The process of electing the new leader of the house began on Sunday after Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

Pakistan has struggled with political instability since its formation in 1947 with multiple regime changes and military coups. No prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term.

President Alvi, who dissolved the National Assembly on advise of then prime minister Khan, had decided not to resign after consultation with the leadership of PTI.

The president was advised to continue discharging his constitutional duties.

Alvi assumed office as the 13th President of Pakistan in September 2018. -- PTI

Referring to itself as 'Bhishma Pitamaha' of Mahabharat, the Bombay high court on Monday said it cannot use its powers everywhere.

It made the observation while refusing to hear a plea seeking for members of Internal Complaints Committee set up under Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act in private companies to be treated as public functionaries and be provided with certain safeguards.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M G Sewlikar asked the petitioner Janaki Chaudhary to approach the Supreme Court or competent authority.

"Have you read or seen Mahabharat? In that Bhishma Pitamaha had several powers...but when Draupadi de-robing incident happened, he could not use any of his powers. We are like Bhishma Pitamaha...cannot use our powers everywhere. We are also subordinate to someone," Chief Justice Datta said.

Following this, Chaudhry's advocate Abha Singh withdrew the petition and said she would approach the apex court or authority.

On the previous hearing too the court had said it cannot pass directions to the Centre to legislate as it would amount to interference.

The petition had claimed members of such committees of private firms are not provided with any safeguard so as to enable them to act without fear and favour.

"Members are tasked with the statutory duty of adjudicating sexual harassment complaints while being on the payroll of the company and can be terminated. This creates a serious conflict of interest and constrains the member from taking free, fair and impartial decisions," it said.

If the member takes a decision that goes against the will of the senior management then they are susceptible to victimisation and targeting, the petition added. -- PTI

The government on Monday designated as terrorist Pakistani national Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir who was involved in the terror attack on a CRPF bus in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

Forty Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed in the February 14, 2019 attack. About a fortnight later, India had carried out an air strike on terrorist camps inside Pakistan in response.

In a notification, the Union Home Ministry said Alamgir, who used aliases Maktab Ameer, Mujahid Bhai and Muhammad Bhai, has been involved in the attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama.

He has been involved in anti-India terror activities on behalf of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and looks after the outfit's fund collection activities from Pakistani nationals and routing the fund to Kashmir.

Alamgir has been involved in facilitating infiltration of Afghan cadres and coordinating terror attacks on Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

The ministry said taking into account all his activities, Alamgir has been notified as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. -- PTI

After five years of efforts, India and the United States will finally sign the Space Situational Awareness memorandum of understanding, which will help in the exchange of data on the threat posed to the satellites and other assets of the two countries.

The MoU will be signed between the diplomatic and defence leadership of India and the US during the 2+2 Ministerial dialogue on Monday between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the Indian side, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin representing the US.

Through the SSA agreement, India will receive data from the US about space debris and other objects in space and the potential threat they may pose to the safety and security of the new launches as well as the existing satellites and other space assets.

In addition, the SSA framework will ensure the sharing of data and services to make certain, the long-term sustainability of outer space activities of the two countries, which will protect the two countries' satellites from man-made or natural threats.

Space cooperation has repeatedly been reflected during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meetings with the American leadership. During PM's visit to Washington in September last year, the Indian leader had discussed India-US bilateral cooperation in the space sector with US Vice President Kamala Harris, who heads the National Space Council of America.

Indian Space Research Organisation has been working on the orbital debris tracking capability by deploying new radars and optical telescopes under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) project, a dedicated control centre for SSA activities set up in Bengaluru.

NETRA is expected to become involved in various international collaborations on SSA. -- ANI

United States President Joe Biden on Monday said that he was looking forward to a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further deepen ties with India.

It is the first of its kind interaction between the two leaders that would coincide with the maiden India-US 2+2 dialogue under the Biden administration.

"This morning, I'm meeting virtually with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. I look forward to further deepening ties between our governments, economies, and people," Biden said in a tweet.

On Sunday, the White House said that President Biden and Prime Minister Modi would meet virtually on Monday.

The two leaders will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. -- PTI

19:46 Rajnath Singh-Lloyd Austin hold talks

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III hold delegation-level talks at the Pentagon, Washington, DC, on Monday ahead of India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue today.

Soon after he was elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif in his inaugural speech on Monday raised the issue of abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir and alleged that the people in the Valley were "bleeding" and Pakistan will provide them with "diplomatic and moral support" besides raising the matter at every international fora.

The 70-year-old leader, who replaced Imran Khan after a high voltage political tussle, said he wanted good relations with India, but it cannot be achieved without the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

He said that neighbours are not a matter of choice, it is something we have to live with and unfortunately Pakistan's ties with India were never not good since its inception.

He attacked Khan for not making "serious and diplomatic efforts" when India abrogated the Article 370 in August 2019.

"When the forceful encroachment was done in August 2019 and Article 370 was abrogated, what serious efforts did we make...what serious diplomacy did we try...Kashmiris' blood is flowing on roads of Kashmir and the Kashmir Valley is red with their blood," said Shehbaz, the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He expressed a desire for better ties but with India linked it with the Kashmir issue.

"We want good ties with India but durable peace is not possible until the Kashmir dispute is resolved," he said, adding that Pakistan would continue to provide political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir.

"We will raise voice for Kashmiris brothers and sisters at every forum, diplomatic efforts will be made, they will be provided diplomatic support, we will give them moral support," he added.

Shehbaz also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward to address the Kashmir issue so that the two countries could concentrate on tackling poverty, unemployment, shortage of medicines and other issues on the two sides of the border.

Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

Democracy is gaining roots in Pakistan and political stability in the neighbourhood "is good for us", PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said here on Monday.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said Pakistan should decide whether it wants a new government or to hold fresh elections so that democracy flourishes there.

"(Former Pakistan prime minister Zulfikar Ali) Bhutto used to say that India is alive because of the hustle-bustle of its democracy. Today, we are also seeing the hustle-bustle of democracy in Pakistan and the democracy in that country is gaining roots," she told reporters outside her party office in Srinagar.

"It is our neighbour and we want it to be a stable country. They should take a decision soon whether have a new government or fresh elections, whatever they want -- so that the democracy flourishes there in the same way as it is in our country. Stability in our neighbourhood is good for us," she said.

Asked about the seizing of properties of those charged with harbouring militants, Mehbooba Mufti said that it was "wrong".

She also called for dialogue and reconciliation with the people of Kashmir.

"They (police) are punishing the whole population. If your fight is against a militant, you arrest him, fight him, but what have common people done? A Kashmiri Pandit brother was attacked (in Shopian) and they have arrested 100-150 youths. They also arrested several for the Jamia Masjid (sloganeering) incident," she said.

"Democracy is a battle of ideas. You can jail a person, but not his thoughts. Till there is no reconciliation and dialogue with the people and the youths here, nothing will be achieved by this policy of arresting people. Rather, the people of J-K will be further alienated," the PDP chief said. -- PTI

19:22 Rajnath arrives in Pentagon ahead of 2+2 talks

India and the US kicked off their high-level engagement in Washington, DC, on Monday, with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III welcoming Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in an enhanced honour cordon ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, DC.

The two sides are set to hold the 2+2 ministerial meeting in Washington with the Indian side led by Defence Minister Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the American side led by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Austin on Monday.

Jaishankar and Singh arrived in Washington on Sunday for the fourth edition of the annual dialogue between India's external affairs and defence ministers and their US counterparts.

The 2+2 comes amidst heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine and incidentally, the United Nations Security Council will also be holding a meeting on Ukraine today.

According to the schedule released by US state department, Blinken will meet with Jaishankar at the department of state at 9:00 am (local time). Post that Blinken, Austin, Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh will participate in the US-India 2+2 ministerial dialogue at the department of state.

Following that Blinken, Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh will attend a signing ceremony of Space Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding, which refers to the knowledge of the space environment, including location and function of space objects and space weather phenomena.

Later, Blinken will hold a joint press availability with Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh. Moreover, Blinken will host a working dinner with Austin, Jaishankar, and Rajnath Singh at the department of state.

The last 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the two countries was held in October 2020 in New Delhi.

India and the United States held a bilateral 2+2 inter-sessional meeting in September last year in Washington and exchanged assessments on developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and the Western Indian Ocean.

19:19 Hate, violence weakening country: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged all citizens to stand together to secure a just and inclusive India, saying hate and violence are weakening the country.

His remarks came a day after communal violence was reported in some states during Ram Navami processions, leaving one person dead, and clashes broke out on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus allegedly over the serving of non-vegetarian food in a hostel during the festival.

"Hate, violence and exclusion are weakening our beloved country. The path to progress is paved with the bricks of brotherhood, peace and harmony. Let's stand together to secure a just, inclusive India," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that during the BJP rule, festivals are being used as events of hatred and violence.

"Once upon a time, during festivals in India, people would wish peace prosperity and abundance. Now under the BJP rule, festivals have become events of hatred and violence. On the assassination of Gandhi and now on the murder of his values, only two words are relevant - 'Hey Ram'," Kharge said on Twitter.

Another Congress leader Manickam Tagore slammed the JNU incident.

"It's New India of Modi sahib..For eating in hostel mess chicken and egg students beaten up by RSS arm ABVP in JNUChoice of food..what our children will eat now will be decided by Sanghis now ..Condemn it," Tagore said in a tweet, using the hashtag "JNUAttack".

On Sunday, two groups of students clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel allegedly over serving non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess.

At least 20 people were injured in the violence, according to police. -- PTI

Producer Guneet Monga on Monday announced her engagement to fashion entrepreneur Sunny Kapoor.

The producer took to Instagram and shared pictures from the engagement ceremony, held in a heritage hotel in Delhi.

"'Sometimes the wrong train leads you to the right station'. And that's where I found Sunny, my companion on our journey ahead for life.

"Feel Mom and Dad's blessings wearing this saree that Mom wore on her engagement day. #Engaged #GunSung," the 38-year-old producer wrote.

Through her production company Sikhya Entertainment, Monga has backed critically-acclaimed films like the Gangs of Wasseypur series, Shahid, Masaan, The Lunchbox and last year's Netflix comedy drama Pagglait.

Monga also served as an executive producer on the documentary Period. End of Sentence, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2019. -- PTI

The country's largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services on Monday opened the fourth-quarter earnings season with a stellar set of numbers, crossing the Rs 50,000 crore revenue mark for the first time and earning a net income of Rs 9,926 crore, registering a growth of 7.4 per cent year-on-year.

The company said its revenue jumped 15.8 per cent to Rs 50,591 crore in the reporting quarter on an annualised basis.

Many analysts were expecting the Tata group flagship to report over Rs 10,000 crore of net income and revenue to cross the Rs 50,000 crore mark this quarter.

The net profit would have crossed the five-digits-mark for the first time, had it not been for a trimmed margin that slipped by 1.89 per cent to 25 per cent, the company said.

TCS closed fiscal 2022 with a bang, crossing for the first time USD 25 billion annual revenue of Rs 1,91,754 crore, up 16.8 per cent, driven by the highest-ever incremental revenue of USD 3.533 billion and an all-time high order book.

Its annual profit jumped 14.8 per cent to Rs 38,327 crore.

On a sequential basis, the revenue grew 3.2 per cent in constant currency terms. -- PTI

A court in Mumbai on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya in a case pertaining to alleged misappropriation of over Rs 57 crore funds collected to save aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Kirit Somaiya, a former MP from Mumbai, and his son Neil have been booked in the case.

Fearing arrest in the case, the duo had sought anticipatory bail from additional sessions judge R N Rokade.

The judge, while refusing pre-arrest bail to Kirit Somaiya, said there were pictures to show he collected money in the name of saving the decommissioned aircraft carrier from getting dismantled, but the same was not deposited with the state governor's office.

The court will give its ruling on Neil Somaiya's anticipatory bail application on Tuesday.

The case against the father-son duo has been filed based on a complaint lodged by a 53-year-old former Army man at the Trombay police station in suburban Mankhurd.

Commissioned in 1961, INS Vikrant, a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, had played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

It was decommissioned in 1997.

In January 2014, the ship was sold through an online auction and scrapped in November that year.

The complainant said that Kirit Somaiya had started a campaign to raise funds for INS Vikrant.

He had said he had given donations to the former Lok Sabha MP for saving the warship and the BJP leader had collected more than Rs 57 crore for the purpose.

However, instead of depositing the amount to the Maharashtra governor's secretary's office, he misappropriated the funds, the complainant alleged.

Kirit Somaiya has rejected the allegation. -- PTI

Oscar-winning musician AR Rahman has rued the "north-south" divide in the country and called for unity for the nation to be more powerful.

Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's "Hindi should be alternative to English" remark, he said, "Tamil is the link language."

In his address at a CII event in Chennai, Rahman reminisced his encounter with a Chinese man seven years ago and said the latter was all praise for north Indians and about their "charming movies."

He wondered if the man had watched south Indian movies, Rahman said, adding he was "deeply disturbed" over the remarks.

"South India-north India -- I think India is India. For me, it doesn't matter. Somebody does good here, north Indians benefit, somebody does good there, we benefit, the borders are broken. It is very easy to divide people through art, movies. This is the time to unite, celebrate differences...this is the time to show more unity so that we can be more powerful and we can lead the world," he said.

Later, when asked about a "Central Minister's" remarks that "Hindi should be the link language," apparently referring to those of Shah, Rahman said "Tamil is the link language."

Shah had last week said Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages.

Presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, Shah had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that the medium of running the government is the official language and this will definitely increase the importance of Hindi.

Incidentally, an image posted Rahman on Tamil language then on Twitter in the wake of Shah's comments had triggered an animated debate in the social media on languages.

An artistic depiction of a white saree-clad woman in the centre, against a background of red was seen as a subtle reference to mother Tamil and opposition to imposition of Hindi, with voices coming for and against the composer.

18:04 Shehbaz Sharif elected as new PM of Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president, was elected unopposed as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan by Parliament on Monday after rival candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will boycott the voting and staged a walkout.

Shehbaz, 70, was the only candidate left in the race after Qureshi's boycott of the election in the National Assembly.

In the House of 342, the winning candidate should get support of at least 172 lawmakers.

Shehbaz, the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, received 174 votes - two more than the simple majority of 172.

He is the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.

He has served as chief minister of the country's most populous and politically crucial Punjab province thrice.

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Asif Ali Zardari had proposed Shehbaz's name for prime minister's position in a joint opposition's meeting to replace Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion.

The process of electing the new leader of the House began on Sunday after prime minister Imran Khan was removed from office through the no-confidence vote, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House.

17:32 JNU clash: Police book unknown ABVP members

A day after Jawaharlal Nehru University students clashed allegedly over the serving of non-vegetarian food in a varsity mess on Ram Navami, Delhi Police on Monday booked unknown Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members and the institute's administration stepped in to curtail the tension by warning students against disrupting peace and harmony.

Two groups clashed at the Jawaharlal Nehru University's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday, with police saying six students were injured in the violence.

While security inside the campus is being taken care of by the university's guards, Delhi Police has deployed its personnel outside.

Several purported videos of the violence surfaced on social media, with one of them showing a student, Akhtarista Ansari, bleeding from the head.

Officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.

RSS-affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Monday alleged that students from Left-backed outfits wanted to disrupt a Ram Navami puja, and are using diversionary tactics by raising the issue of serving of non-vegetarian food.

However, the Left-led Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union has accused the ABVP of "orchestrating the incident and unleashing violence in the name of food".

Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain termed the incident as "unfortunate" while CPI MP Binoy Viswam said that what has happened is an attempt to "sabotage" the unique character of the institute.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said that police early Monday morning received a complaint against unknown ABVP members from a group of students who are part of the JNUSU, the Students' Federation of India, the Democratic Students Federation and the All India Students Association.

"Accordingly, we have registered an FIR under (Indian Penal Code) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention)," he said.

Manoj said that further investigation is on to collect factual or scientific evidence, and identify the culprits.

A staffer of Kotak Mahindra Bank was arrested by Pune rural police in connection with a case filed by a Lonavala-based hotelier accusing the private lender of charging higher than the promised rate interest on a loan he had taken in 2013, an official said on Monday.

While hotelier Ashok Purohit has named seven people, including Kotak Mahindra CEO Uday Kotak, in his complaint, Inspector Sitaram Dubal of Lonavala police station said the latter had no role to play in the case.

"The complainant had obtained a loan of over 62 lakh from the bank in 2013. He claims he was promised an interest rate at 10.30 per cent but the bank charged him 12 per cent, which led to him being allegedly duped to the tune of Rs 20-25 lakh," Dubal said.

The case was registered on March 8 under IPC sections 420 (cheating ), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), he said.

One Alankar Khere from the bank's loan department was arrested on Saturday and further investigation was underway, he added.

Refuting the allegations, the bank's spokesperson Rohit Rao issued a statement saying, "A borrower at our Lonavala Branch has filed an FIR naming Kotak Mahindra Bank officials at the Lonavala Police Station wherein he has made false allegations in the context of his borrowing transactions. The bank acted in accordance with the prevailing law and processes at all times. We are cooperating with the local authorities."

A local court on Monday extended the police remand of Gorakhnath temple attack accused Murtaza Abbasi till April 16.

Abbasi was presented before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate and the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad along with Shahpur police urged the court to extend his police remand.

His week-long remand ended on Monday.

"ATS and Shahpur police jointly appealed the court for the extension of police remand of Murtaza Abbasi. The ACJM court extended the remand for five more days, stating that it is necessary for investigation.

"The magistrate has extended the remand till April 16," senior lawyer PK Dubey told reporters here.

On April 3 evening, Abbasi, an IIT graduate, attacked two policemen with a sharp-edged weapon at a gate of the famed Gorakhnath temple here and tried to barge into the premises before being overpowered.

The attack occurred at the temple which is under high security as it is frequently visited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is the head seer.

Abbasi was arrested and remanded in police custody for two weeks, police had said and alleged that he tried to forcibly enter the temple while raising a religious slogan.

His father Munir Abbasi said Murtaza belonged to the 2015 batch of IIT-Mumbai and was a chemical engineer.

In an earlier statement issued, the UP Home Department had said, "The attack on police jawans at Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur is a part of deep conspiracy and, based on the available facts, it can be said that it was a terror incident." -- PTI

17:03 Laggards and gainers as Sensex sheds 482 pts

On Monday the Sensex tanked 482.61 points or 0.81 per cent to settle at 58,964.57. During the day, it tumbled 552.78 points or 0.92 per cent to 58,894.40.

The 50-issue Nifty declined by 109.40 points or 0.62 per cent to finish at 17,674.95 as 29 of its stocks declined.

From the Sensex pack, Larsen & Toubro, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Wipro, Asian Paints, HDFC, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank were the major laggards.

In contrast, ICICI Bank, NTPC, Kotak Mahindra Bank, TCS and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's prime minister candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi announces boycott of voting to elect new premier in Parliament.

16:12 Pak Parliament session begins to elect new PM

Pakistan National Assembly's crucial session began on Monday to elect a new prime minister, amid uncertainty over the status of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers who have started resigning from the House ahead of the voting to elect a new premier.

Opposition candidate and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are in the race to become the new premier.

The Opposition had mustered 174 votes to oust Khan.

If they can repeat it on Monday, 70-year-old Shehbaz will be the next prime minister of Pakistan.

Minutes before the start of the session, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said all PTI lawmakers will resign from the National Assembly and not become part of any government which was being formed under a 'foreign agenda' -- a reference to an allegation by Khan that the US was involved in a conspiracy to topple his government.

He said that the decision was taken in a meeting of the lawmakers of the party ahead of prime minister's elections for which the party has nominated Qureshi as its candidate.

Qureshi apparently has little chance to succeed as his party has been depleted by the defections.

In the House of 342, the winning candidate should get support of at least 172 lawmakers.

The combined opposition that is supporting Shehbaz has shown the requisite numbers in the no-trust vote.

Meanwhile, the cabinet division on Sunday de-notified 52 members of the federal cabinet after the historic vote of no-confidence by the joint Opposition.

The nomination papers of Shehbaz were accepted by the National Assembly Secretariat after objections raised by the PTI were rejected.

Qureshi's nomination papers were also accepted.

According to the National Assembly agenda issued by the house's secretariat for Monday, the prime minister's election is the only item on the agenda. -- PTI

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday joined the protest held by the Telangana leaders in New Delhi against the Centre's paddy procurement policy and said that there is a need for another protest in the country.

Tikait also added that the farmer umbrella body Samyukt Kisan Morcha will back every chief minister who fights for the farmers' issues.

Addressing the event, the BKU leader said, "There is a need for another protest. This is not a political platform, Chief Minister KCR is a farmer and he is not asking for votes here. The chief minister who fights for farmers' issues, Samyukt Kisan Morcha will be with them."

"If farmers speak about the issues then ED is sent. Where to complain? But the farmer is not weak and will fight for the rights. We demanded the law on MSP guarantee but the Centre says it is a state matter," Tikait added.

Tikait also expressed his gratitude to the Telangana government for extending support to the farmers' protest on the Delhi borders.

"Big thanks to the Telangana government for supporting us in the battle which we fought for 13 months. Grateful that you have come to Delhi to protest for the farmers' issues. The central government in 13 months didn't understand the farmer issue," he said.

He further questioned the Centre on not providing free electricity to the farmers across the country.

"Telangana government gives free electricity to farmers in the state, then why this policy is not provided in the entire country?" Tikait said.

Earlier, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao issued a warning to the Centre over its paddy procurement policy and said that they would 'go after the government' if crops are not 'procured uniformly' in the next 24 hours.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti MPs, MLCs, MLAs and other elected representatives are taking part in the dharna while raising claims that the 'Centre's policy is discriminatory towards Telangana farmers'.

Recently, the TRS workers had blocked four National Highways in Telangana to press their demand for a 'uniform' procurement policy in the country.

The party decided to protest in Delhi in their bid to raise the issue at the national level.

Earlier on Sunday, addressing the media, Kavitha said that the food security of the country will be endangered if there is no 'uniform procurement' policy by the Centre. -- ANI

IMAGE: Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao with Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait during a sit-in protest against Centre's paddy procurement policy, in New Delhi, on Monday, April 11, 2022. Photograph: Atul Yadav/PTI Photo

All lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will resign from the National Assembly ahead of the voting to elect a new prime minister, Imran Khan's close aide Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday.

Chaudhry, the former information minister, also said that the PTI has refused to be a part of the so-called election for which the party has nominated ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary committee has decided to resign from the National Assembly. Today, all members of the Assembly are submitting their resignations to the speaker... We will fight for freedom," Chaudhry tweeted.

Meanwhile, GEO TV quoted sources as saying that Imran Khan has also decided to quit as a member of the National Assembly.

"We will not sit in this Assembly under any circumstances," sources privy to the matter quoted Khan as saying. He said that PTI will not sit in the Assembly with the people who have robbed Pakistan and who have been "imported by foreign forces".

"We have made this decision to keep the institutions under pressure who want this government to run the country [...] we will not let them continue."

However, sources said that most of the party members opposed Khan's decision to tender resignations, and instead, advised that they should face the Opposition strongly at every front. Khan responded, saying, "I will resign even if I am left alone."

Opposition candidate and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are in the race to become the new premier.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Monday announced the setting up of a five-member fact-finding panel in connection with the violence at Khargone during Ram Navami a day earlier.

The panel comprises former minister and MLA Sajjna Singh Verma as chairperson, and former ministers Mukesh Nayak and Bala Bachchan, ex-MP Gajendra Singh Rajukhedi and the party's minority cell chief Sheikh Aleem as members,

It will submit its report to MP Congress chief Kamal Nath, a party leader informed.

Curfew was clamped in Khargone city after stones were pelted on a Ram Navami procession on Sunday, leading to arson that gutted some vehicles and houses.

The police had to fire teargas to bring the situation under control, with collector Anugrah P stating that curfew has been clamped in entire Khargone town.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration on Monday said that no violence will be tolerated on campus and warned the students from getting involved in any incident which disturbs peace and harmony on campus.

The warning by JNU came a day after two groups of students clashed at the varsity's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess, with police saying six students were injured in the violence.

'Taking serious note of the incident, the Vice Chancellor, rector and other officials visited the hostel and met the students. The VC conveyed that no violence will be tolerated on campus and appealed the students to maintain peace and harmony,' the Registrar said in an official appeal to the students. "JNU administration reiterates its resolve for zero tolerance towards any form of violence on campus.

'The students are also warned to refrain from involving in such incidents which disturb the peace and harmony on campus. If anyone is found indulging in such acts, they will be liable for disciplinary action as per university rules,' he added.

According to police, security has been tightened at the JNU to maintain peace and ensure no untoward incident takes place again. -- PTI

IMAGE: ABVP students interact with media after yesterday's clash between students of left-wing and ABVP over non-veg food during Navratri, outside JNU campus, in New Delhi, on Monday, April 11, 2022. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo

Representational image. Pic: Reuters

14:37 Dead tiger found in Pench, 5th tiger death in a fortnight

A tiger was found dead at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district, with officials suspecting that it was killed by another feline during a territorial fight.

This is the fifth tiger death in the state in a fortnight.

A forest patrolling team on Sunday spotted the carcass of the tiger, around two years old, in Kurai range, PTR's deputy director Rajneesh Kumar Singh said.

Following an inspection of the spot, it appears the tiger was killed in a fight with another adult tiger. The attacking carnivore ate most of the carcass and blood stains were found nearby, he said.

The dead tiger's front legs and teeth were intact, while its tail and hind legs along with nails were found nearby, he said.

A thorough investigation was conducted with the help of a dog squad and there was no evidence of any suspicious activity at the spot, the official said.

On April 9, a patrolling team had spotted the presence of an adult big cat in the area and it is suspected that the tiger was killed by the same feline, he said.

The carcass was disposed of as per guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the viscera was sent to a laboratory for examination, the official said.

Since January this year, as many as four tigers have died so far in Seoni district, including one on March 29.

On April 3, a tiger was found dead in Lalbarra area of Balaghat district.

Besides, a tiger cub and an adult feline were found dead in Satpura Tiger Reserve of Narmadapuram district on April 2 and April 3.

As per the All India Tiger Estimation Report-2018, Madhya Pradesh was home to 526 tigers, the highest for any state in the country.

MP has many tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.

14:05 Covid variants will come, don't panic: Expert

New Covid-19 variants will keep coming, however, the new variants aren't causing severe diseases or increasing the number of cases, said chairman of the COVID-19 working group of India, National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), Dr NK Arora.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Arora said, "Variants will keep coming but at the moment these aren't causing severe disease or increase in the number of cases."

"So, I would like to tell people that these variants will keep on occurring. There is nothing to panic about. Because none of the variants is causing severe disease at the moment as per the facts and figures by the Indian data. Second is that whether any of these patients or their contacts had more severe disease, that is also not true," he added.

On XE variant cases reported in Maharashtra and Gujarat Dr Arora said, "Currently whatever has been described from India XE variant, it is only by the first layer of testing. So, one is having less confidence whether it is XE or whether it is anything else in the initial XE variant which was described from one of the states. Subsequently, it was found that it is either XM or XJ, not XE. So, it just shows that these variants with just one test it's very difficult and particularly when new variants are coming."

Dr Arora further explained that three layers of testing are required and INSACOG is closely monitoring the situation, "So, what is happening in India wherever XE has been reported after first testing, whether it is Gujarat or Maharashtra, the local testing has not shown any undue increase in the number of cases in those areas or in the contacts of the people where this virus was circulated. So, the first concern that if a new sub-variant of Omicron is described, whether it is growing more rapidly, we are very closely following and INSACOG have so far not found anything which is of concern."

-- ANI

A court in Chennai on Monday dismissed expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's plea against her removal in a party general council in 2017.

The court dismissed her plea following an interlocutory application from AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator K Palaniswami, the party's legal wing joint secretary A M Babu Murugavel said.

Sasikala had moved the city civil court earlier contending that the AIADMK general council held in 2017, which expelled her as general secretary, was not valid.

The general council was held in the wake of the merger of the then separate factions headed by Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.

The Mumbai police on Monday registered an FIR against more than 40 unidentified people for allegedly vandalising 20 to 25 vehicles, including cars and auto-rickshaws, in Mankhurd area in the north-central suburbs, an official said.

One person was also injured in the incident that took place late Sunday night, he said.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil and other senior officials visited the spot on Monday morning.

Over 40 people, suspected to be residents of a nearby locality, reached the MHADA colony in Mankhurd on Sunday night and allegedly attacked parked vehicles -- private cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers with swords and bamboo sticks, the official from Mankhurd police station said.

A person, identified as Abdullah Yakub Sheikh (32), was also injured in the incident, he said.

After being alerted, the police reached the spot and detained a few persons, the official said.

The situation in the area became tense after the incident, but the police brought it under control and urged people not to believe in rumours and fake videos being circulated on social media, he said.

An eyewitness, Anis Pasha, said, "The attackers were carrying swords and most of them were drunk. They severely thrashed a local resident. My three vehicles were also damaged in the incident."

On the basis of primary information, the Mankhurd police registered an FIR against unidentified persons under relevant provisions for rioting and sections of the Arms Act, the official said.

The names of six key aides of ousted prime minister Imran Khan have been put on a stop list by Pakistan's top investigation agency to prevent them from leaving the country, according to a media report on Monday.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) placed the names of the six on the stop list' on Sunday after Khan's ouster as prime minister by the joint Opposition through a no-confidence vote, Geo News reported, citing sources.

Being on the list bars them from travelling abroad without permission.

Khan's former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant on political communication Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser on interior and accountability Shahzad Akbar, Director-General Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan's names have been added to the list, the report said.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's head of social media Arsalan Khalid's name has also been added to the list.

The FIA introduced a system of stop list' in 2003 to stop unwanted people from trying to leave the country in the shortest possible time as placing someone's name on the Exit Control List (ECL) takes a long time.

The people on the ECL are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.

Despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the Prime Minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

Khan, 69, became the first premier in the country's history to be sent home after losing the trust of the House. -- PTI

The ED on Monday examined senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case, officials said.

The 79-year-old Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was summoned to appear before the federal agency with regard to the probe, they said.

His statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as the agency wants to understand some issues in the investigation, officials said.

Pic: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

12:21 Rift being created between Hindus-Muslims: Pawar

Targeting the Narendra Modi government over The Kashmir Files, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said it is unfortunate that people in power promoted the film.

Addressing NCP workers in Amravati on Sunday, the former Union minister claimed that efforts are being made to create a rift in society on religious lines.

The NCP chief also claimed that when fuel hike and inflation are assuming serious proportions, efforts are being made to divert the people's attention from "just and legitimate issues".

"The film showed how Hindus were tortured...whenever a small community faces a problem how a majority community attacks them. If the majority community is Muslim then a sense of insecurity is experienced in the Hindu community. A planned conspiracy is taking place today to create this insecurity. Unfortunately, those who are in power in the country appealed to the people to watch this movie," Pawar said.

He also expressed concerns over the communal situation in the country.

"The BJP can't run away from the responsibility for attacks on Kashmiri Pandits. A rift between Hindus and Muslims is being created which is a very worrying thing. Hence, those who believe in protecting the interests of all the sections of society should come together," Pawar said.

Shehbaz Sharif. Pic: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

11:53 It's Shehbaz vs Qureshi for Pakistan PM today

The nomination papers of Pakistan joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been approved for the prime minister's election slated to take place today.

Sharif is most likely to become the next prime minister of the country.

According to sources, the PML-N has collected more than one nomination paper for the election from the NA secretariat.

The nomination papers will go under scrutiny at 3 pm after which a list of approved candidates will be put up.

The National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2 pm today, contrary to a previous schedule of 11 am.

Security measures ahead of the prime minister's election are set in place, with strict security in place around the D-chowk.

Furthermore, roads leading to the parliament will be opened after the election of the new premier, as per news channels.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174 members have recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted the Imran Khan.

Eight persons, including two government officials, have been arrested for the illegal dismantling of a 60-feet-long iron bridge in Bihar, which made headlines, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

According to Rohtas Superintendent of Police, those arrested for the 'stealth' of the metal bridge over a canal in the district include a sub-divisional officer and an official of the weather department.

"During investigations, we learnt that weather department official Arvind Kumar had led the group, armed with gas cutters and other equipment, which dismantled the structure a few days ago," the SP said.

Villagers, who expressed curiosity were told, falsely, by Kumar and his associates that they were acting as per orders of the government.

Since the steel structure was in a state of disuse, nobody complained.

"We caught hold of Kumar and came to know that the area's SDO, Radhe Shyam Singh, was the mastermind. The SDO has been arrested along with six other accomplices," he said.

The JCB machine and the pick-up van, besides gas cutters used in the illegal operation, have also been seized, the SP said, adding, further investigation is underway. -- PTI

Gotabaya Rajapaksa

11:31 Stalemate at meeting between Gotabaya and Sirisena

The meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and former president Maithripala Sirisena-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party to discuss the political and economic crisis affecting the country ended without any conclusion on Sunday, reported local media.

"The main objective of the meeting is to coerce President Rajapaksa to form an interim administration under an all-party cabinet sans Rajapaksas with the least number of portfolios," Srisena had said addressing the media at the party office prior to the meeting.

However, the two sides did not reach any conclusion on the formation of an interim government and agreed to have another round of discussions after the New Year holiday, reported Daily Mirror.

Notably, the SLFP group led by former President Maithripala Sirisena called on the president for the second time and the meeting centred on the points contemplated in the letter sent to the president by the SLFP, the independent group of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the 11 party alliance.

However, President Rajapaksa told SLFP that he would agree to implement only the points acceptable in terms of the constitution and ruled out the possibility to set up a national executive council since there were no constitutional provisions for it, reported the media outlet citing informed sources.

A total of 9,674 precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the 18-59 years age-group on the first day on Sunday taking the cumulative doses given in the country to 185.74 crore, the Union health ministry said.

India on Sunday began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.

All those above the age of 18 who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose are eligible for the precaution dose.

So far more than 2.22 crore (2,22,67,519) children in the age-group of 12-14 years have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the ministry said on Monday.

The Centre on Saturday told all states and UTs that the precaution dose will be of the same Covid vaccine which has been used for administration of first and second dose and that private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge over and above the cost of the vaccine.

States and UTs on Saturday were also informed that no fresh registrations would be required for precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on CoWIN.

It was emphasised that all vaccinations must mandatorily be recorded of CoWIN platform and both the options of 'Online appointment' and 'Walk-in' registration and vaccination will be available at private Covid vaccination centres (CVCs).

The Private CVCs will maintain the vaccination sites as per the guidelines issued earlier by the ministry of health.

"They can charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of vaccine," Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said.

"Administration of precaution dose will be homologous i.e. same vaccine type will be used for precaution dose which was used for vaccination of first and second dose," he had stated.

Healthcare workers, frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years and above, shall continue to receive precaution dose vaccination at any vaccination centres, including free of charge vaccination at Government Vaccination Centers, Bhushan had underlined.

The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.

Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2 last year.

The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced on March 1 last year for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.

India launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1 last year. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 years of age to be inoculated against the viral disease from May 1 last year.

The next phase of vaccination commenced from January 3 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.

India began administering precaution doses of vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10.

The country began inoculating children aged 12-14 from March 16. -- PTI

10:38 Jersey release put off to next weekend

Movie analyst Taran Adarsh tweets: 'Breaking News ... #Jersey postponed by one week... Will arrive in cinemas on 22 April 2022... The stakeholders arrived at the decision late last night.'

Jersey, a remake of the Telugu hit of the same name, stars Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur.

Jersey was originally slated to release on December 31, 2021, but the Covid 3rd wave leading to curbs in cinema attendance put paid to that.

It was now to go head-to-head with the Kannada superhit sequel KGF2 releasing this weekend, but clearly the makers thought it prudent to avoid a clash at the box office.

Pic: Mark Brake/Getty Images

10:29 Tesla CEO Elon Musk not to join Twitter board

Microblogging site Twitter on Monday announced that Tesla CEO Elon Musk will not be joining the company's board of directors. The announcement was made by Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal.

"Elon has decided not to join our board. I sent a brief note to the company, sharing with you all here," tweeted Agrawal sharing the note.

According to the note, Musk who was to officially join Twitter's board on April 9, shared the same morning that he will no longer be joining the board.

"The board and I had many discussions about Elon joining the board, and with Elon directly. We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks. We also believed that having Elon as a fiduciary of the company where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interests of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward. The board offered him a seat," read the note.

"We announced on Tuesday that Elon would be appointed to the board contingent on a background check and formal acceptance. Elon's appointment to the board was to become officially effective 4/9, but Elon shared that same morning that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best," it added.

The note further said that Twitter will still remain open to the inputs from the Tesla CEO, who is also a shareholder of the social media platform.

"We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input," it said.

Earlier last week, Musk had disclosed that he had taken a nine per cent stake in the social media platform. Following this, Twitter said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it plans to appoint the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to its board for a term that ends in 2024.

As part of the deal, Musk has agreed not to acquire more than 14.9 per cent of the company's shares while he remains on the board, CNN reported.

France's Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron maintains his lead in the first round of the presidential election after over 95 per cent of the ballots were processed, according to interim results published by the Interior Ministry.

Macron currently has 27.41 per cent of the votes, while far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is second with 24.03 per cent.

Jean-Luc Melenchon is third with 21.57 per cent, and Eric Zemmour is fourth with 6.97 per cent.

The second round of the presidential election will be held in France on April 24.

Earlier, President Emmanuel Macron thanked the leftist and conservative camps for backing his reelection bid after the first round of voting showed him tied with right-winger Marine Le Pen.

"I thank [Socialist] Anne Hidalgo, [conservative] Valerie Pecresse, and [Communist] Fabien Roussel for lending me their support tonight," he said in a post-vote speech.

The first official results put Macron in second place with 26.67%.

With 50% of the ballots counted, Le Pen is leading the race with 27.53% of the vote.

Le Pen, who has been backed by right-wing Eric Zemmour and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, said she would be the president of all the French if she won the runoff on April 24. -- ANI/Sputnik

09:43 Pakistan's President Arif Alvi not to resign

Pakistan President Arif Alvi has decided against resigning from his office, media reports said on Sunday, days after the Supreme Court restored the National Assembly which was dissolved by him on the advise of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Alvi decided not to resign after consultation with the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The president, a member of Khan's PTI, was advised to continue discharging his constitutional duties, the report said.

If the new federal government led by the Opposition takes the constitutional route to oust the president, then the party will make a decision based on the circumstances, the report said.

There is a possibility that Alvi might remain in office under Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, who is expected to be elected as the new prime minister on Monday, it added.

Alvi, 72, assumed office as the 13th President of Pakistan in September 2018. -- PTI

09:08 'Chowkidar chor hai' slogan raised in Pakistan

'Chowkidar chor hai', a slogan first raised in India by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was heard at a rally addressed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Punjab province against Imran Khan's ouster as the Prime Minister.

Thousands of people gathered at Lal Haveli in Pakistan's Punjab province against Imran Khan's ouster.

During the protest, the crowds referred to the Army as 'Chowkidar' and called them 'thieves' which was 'stealing' Imran Khan's mandate.

However, in a viral video, Sheikh Rashid, the former interior minister was seen trying to stop the protestors from raising the slogan against the country's Army.

"Don't raise slogans... we will fight with peace," he said.

In India, 'chowkidar chor hai' slogan was used extensively by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to target Modi during the poll campaigning for the 2019 general elections.

Highlighting the National Assembly's mid-night decision, Sheikh Rashid said: "If you want to save your country then don't take a decision in the dark of night but in daylight."

"On 29/4 there will be Eid. Be ready we will take the jail bharo movement from Lal Haveli daily. I myself will take it from Karachi," he said, adding that he 'will tell all the Sindhis that they (then opposition) are thieves, docents and robbers'.

The voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led PTI government began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174 members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted the Imran Khan.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday took out rallies in several cities of the country to protest against party chairman Imran Khan's ouster as the prime minister through a vote of no-confidence.

The National Assembly session to elect the new premier will now be held at 2.00 pm on Monday, contrary to a previous schedule of 11.00 am.

Nomination papers of Pakistan joint opposition candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi have been approved for the Prime Minister's election.

Shehbaz Sharif is most likely to become the next Prime Minister of the country. -- ANI

IMAGE: Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan chant slogans as they protest after he lost the no-confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament, in Islamabad, on April 10, 2022. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Pakistan's Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, who is expected to become the next prime minister, on Sunday met former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Peopel's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to discuss the current political situation in the country, on the eve of a crucial session of Parliament which will elect the new premier.

The meeting between the three top Opposition leaders took place at the Bilawal House in Islamabad, hours after they ousted Imran Khan as the prime minister after the cricketer-turned-politician lost the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.

During the meeting, the PPP leadership congratulated Sharif, president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and thanked him for his efforts in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition to ensure the success of the no-confidence motion against Khan, head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The two sides discussed electoral reforms and pledged to work together in the public interest, Geo News reported.

Sharif is likely to form a coalition government and give some of the key ministries to PPP, ARY TV reported.

Earlier on Sunday, Sharif, who is the joint Opposition candidate, submitted his nomination papers at the National Assembly Secretariat to contest the re-election for the slot of the prime minister.

PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former foreign minister, also submitted his papers for the same post.

The National Assembly Secretariat announced that the nomination papers of both candidates were scrutinised, after which they were accepted.

Babar Awan, a senior PTI leader challenged Sharif's candidature saying that the PML-N faced several court cases, SAMMA TV reported.

As the scrutiny of nomination papers was being carried out, both Awan and Qureshi ran into a heated exchange with the NA secretary over Sharif's nomination and when the official tried to explain a rule Qureshi repeatedly shouted, This is not your job!

Awan said the Constitution requires a candidate to be honest, but Sharid faced several cases.

PML-N's Shahid Khaqan said that the secretary had allowed extra time to enable the PTI leaders to challenge the nomination. He also said that only the speaker could hear the objections.

Qureshi reacted by saying that PML-N had resorted to rigging though it was yet to take power.

The National Assembly session to elect the new leader of the House will convene on Monday. -- PTI

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