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Mon, 01 August 2022
Cong plans to gherao PM house against price rise
Timeline Refresh
Yogi Adityanath
23:59 SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav meets UP CM Adityanath
Samajwadi Party's general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday and discussed the plight of backward communities and Muslims in the state.
The meeting was held at the chief minister's official residence in Lucknow, sources said.
"Today, the chief national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, Professor Ram Gopal Yadav, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. Talks were held in the context of persecution of backwards and Muslims across the state by filing false cases unilaterally. The government should take back the fake cases," the SP said in a tweet.
Ram Gopal Yadav (76), a Rajya Sabha MP, is the uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. -- PTI
Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis
23:41 Maha CM, Dy CM meet RSS chief
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday evening met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat in Mumbai.
It was probably the first meeting of Shinde with Bhagwat after becoming state CM.
Bhagwat gifted some books on the RSS to Shinde and Fadnavis, sources said. -- PTI
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23:22 Cong plans to gherao PM house against price rise
The Congress has planned a mass protest against price rise, unemployment and the GST hike on essential items on August 5, wherein it will take out a march to the Rashtrapati Bhawan and gherao the prime minister's residence.
Congress leaders held a meeting here on Monday to chalk out the strategy for the protest.
"Chaired a meeting of senior leaders and functionaries of Delhi PCC to plan strategies for Congress's mass protest, Rashtrapati Bhavan March and PM House Gherao protest in Delhi on 5th August, against price rise, unemployment and higher GST imposition on essential items," said AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.
The Congress has been complaining against the price rise and the hike in the Goods and Services Tax.
The opposition party has also been demanding a discussion in both houses of Parliament on these issues.
Congress MPs have been staging protests both inside and outside Parliament on these issues. -- PTI
22:50 Indian stealth frigate carries out military drills with French warships
Indian stealth frigate INS Tarkash conducted a maritime partnership exercise with French warships in the North Atlantic Ocean last week, Indian Navy officials said on Monday.
INS Tarkash is on a long-range overseas deployment.
The ship was engaged in a maritime partnership exercise with French naval ships on July 29 and 30.
The officials said INS Tarkash carried out various drills with French fleet tanker FS Somme, followed by joint air operations with maritime surveillance aircraft Falcon 50.
"The successful conduct of these surface and aerial exercises symbolises the high degree of professionalism and interoperability that exists between the two navies," said one of the officials.
The maritime cooperation between India and France has witnessed a major expansion in the last few years.
In March, the Indian and French navies carried out a five-day mega wargame in the Arabian Sea, involving frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter aircraft and helicopters.
The two navies had carried out a mega wargame in the Arabian Sea in April last year as well.
The French Navy had deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its entire carrier strike group in that exercise, reflecting the growing congruence in naval ties. -- PTI
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22:32 Don't avoid beef on biryani festivals: TN SC/ST panel
Amid the row over the ban on beef biryani at Ambur Biryani Festival, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on Monday said there is should not be any restrictions and discrimination towards beef biryani during district level biryani festivals.
A controversy was sparked over the ban on the sale of beef biryani at the Ambur Biryani Festival in Tirupathur.
Later to avoid escalation of problems, the Tirupathur district administration postponed the festival scheduled to be held between May 13-15, citing the reason as rain forecast.
In its statement, the state commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes said, "We are accepting what Tirupathur collector has said over beef briyani controversy that district administration did not do anything to discriminate people on caste base. In the coming days there should not be any restrictions and discrimination towards beef biryani on district-level biryani festivals. Also, beef biryani should not be avoided on biryani festivals which were conducted by district administration."
Earlier, Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes sought an explanation from the district collector of Thirupathur for disallowing beef from biryani in the Ambur Biryani festival organised by the district administration. -- ANI
22:14 Yasin Malik ends 10-day hunger strike in Tihar
Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, who was on hunger strike in Tihar Jail for the last 10 days, discontinued his fasting on Monday evening after he was informed that his demands have been conveyed to the authorities concerned, prison officials said.
Malik began an indefinite hunger strike on July 22 after the Centre did not respond to his plea that he be allowed to physically appear in a Jammu court hearing the Rubaiya Sayeed abduction case in which he is an accused.
The 56-year-old chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front is serving a life sentence in a terror-funding case.
He has deferred his hunger strike for two months at the request of the director general of Delhi prisons Sandeep Goel, the officials said.
The DG has conveyed to Malik that the demands raised by him have been sent to the authorities concerned and he will be informed of the decision on the same, said a senior jail official.
"On my request, convict Yasin Malik, who was on hunger strike in Tihar Jail since July 22 has today (Monday) evening, discontinued his fasting," Goel said.
Malik was admitted to the RML hospital here last month following a fluctuation in blood pressure, and after returning to the prison, he refused to eat anything. -- PTI
Rahul Gandhi
22:04 Rahul Gandhi slams Sanjay Raut's arrest
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday came out in support of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and said the message from the "king" is clear that anyone speaking against him would suffer.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Sanjay Raut late on Sunday night in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'.
"The message of 'king' is clear -- anyone who speaks against me will suffer. Efforts are on to break the morale of the opponents and silence the voice of the truth by misusing the government agencies," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"But the dictator should listen - in the end, the 'truth' will win and arrogance will lose," he said, citing reports that Sanjay Raut was in the ED net and was questioned for 16 hours before being arrested by the probe agency.
The Opposition has been accusing the Modi government of misusing the ED and other agencies to target its political opponents.
Top opposition politicians, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with P Chidambaram and his son and MP Karti, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, also a TMC MP, and Delhi minister Satyendar Jain are among those under the ED's lens for alleged money laundering. -- PTI
Rahul Gandhi
22:04 Rahul Gandhi slams Sanjay Raut's arrest
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday came out in support of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate and said the message from the "king" is clear that anyone speaking against him would suffer.
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Sanjay Raut late on Sunday night in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'.
"The message of 'king' is clear -- anyone who speaks against me will suffer. Efforts are on to break the morale of the opponents and silence the voice of the truth by misusing the government agencies," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"But the dictator should listen - in the end, the 'truth' will win and arrogance will lose," he said, citing reports that Sanjay Raut was in the ED net and was questioned for 16 hours before being arrested by the probe agency.
The Opposition has been accusing the Modi government of misusing the ED and other agencies to target its political opponents.
Top opposition politicians, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi along with P Chidambaram and his son and MP Karti, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, also a TMC MP, and Delhi minister Satyendar Jain are among those under the ED's lens for alleged money laundering. -- PTI
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21:28 Nigerian national is Delhi's 2nd monkeypox case
A 35-year-old Nigerian man, living in Delhi and having no recent history of foreign travel, has tested positive for monkeypox, taking the total number of infected people in the country to six, official sources said on Monday.
He is the second person in Delhi to test positive for the infection.
He has no recent history of foreign or local travel, sources told PTI.
The Nigerian national is admitted to the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital, the nodal hospital for treatment of the infection.
He has blisters and fever for the last five days. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
The report which arrived Monday evening showed he was positive, an official source said.
Two suspected patients of monkeypox, who are of African origin, have also been admitted to the LNJP Hospital, sources added. -- PTI
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21:11 No consensus on Par-Tapi-Narmada river linking project: Govt
There was no consensus on the Par-Tapi-Narmada river linking project, the government stated in Parliament on Monday as the reason behind its cancellation.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said under the National Perspective Plan, the National Water Development Agency under the ministry of jal shakti has identified 30 links (16 under the peninsular component and 14 under the Himalayan component) for the preparation of feasibility reports.
Par-Tapi-Narmada is one of the links identified under the peninsular component of the NPP, the minister added.
On the reason behind the cancellation of the Par-Tapi-Narmada river linking project, he said the Interlinking of Rivers programme is being pursued by the government in a consultative manner, building consensus amongst the party states on water sharing, and "there is no consensus on the Par Tapi Narmada link".
Tribals from the region have been protesting against the project, fearing that it will be implemented and cause a large-scale displacement in the affected districts.
According to the India Water Resources Information System, the project had proposed to transfer water from the water-surplus regions of the Western Ghats to the deficit regions of Saurashtra and Kutch, involving seven reservoirs proposed in north Maharashtra and south Gujarat. -- PTI
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20:55 Rajasthan reports first suspected monkeypox case
Rajasthan has reported its first suspected case of monkeypox.
A 20-year-old, exhibiting symptoms of the disease, has been admitted to a government hospital in Jaipur and his samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, Dr Ajit Singh, Superintendent of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, said on Sunday.
The youth was referred from Kishangarh late on Sunday.
He has been kept under observation in the special ward created for monkeypox cases, he said.
The youth is suffering from fever for the last four days and has rashes on his body, Dr Singh added. -- PTI
20:25 No chance of recession/stagflation in India: FM
India is facing no risk of recession or stagflation as macroeconomic fundamentals of the economy are strong, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.
Replying to a debate on price rise in the Lok Sabha, she said the GST collection and Purchasing Managers' Index are indicating that the Indian economy is getting more robust.
The GST collection rose 28 per cent to touch the second-highest level of Rs 1.49 lakh crore in July.
GST, introduced in July 2017, touched a record high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April 2022.
This is the sixth time that the monthly GST collection crossed the Rs 1.40-lakh-crore mark since the inception of Goods and Services Tax and the fifth month at a stretch since March 2022, she said.
She also said that the banking sector in the country is also healthy compared to other countries.
Gross NPAs of scheduled commercial banks have reached a six-year low of 5.9 per cent, she said, adding that government debt to GDP ratio has come down to 56.29 per cent in FY22.
Efforts are being made to bring down retail inflation below 7 per cent, the minister said.
Prices of edible oils have corrected sharply following steps taken by the government, she added. Not happy with the reply of the finance minister on the price rise, Congress members walked out of the House. -- PTI
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20:09 Missing Mumbai woman traced to Pak after 20 years, courtesy social media
A woman from Mumbai who went missing 20 years ago after travelling abroad for work has been traced to Pakistan with the help of social media.
Hamida Bano (70), who lives in Hyderabad city of Pakistan, managed to get in touch with her family in suburban Kurla recently after having left the city in 2002 to work as a house help in Dubai.
According to the woman's family, Waliullah Maroof, an activist in Pakistan, met Bano who told him how an agent in Mumbai cheated her with a promise of work in Dubai 20 years ago and she had landed in the neighbouring country instead.
Bano started living in Hyderabad, a major city in Sindh province of Pakistan, and subsequently got married to a local man, with whom she had a child.
But her husband later died, they said.
On hearing her story and yearning to go back home, Maroof uploaded Bano's video on his YouTube channel and looked for a social activist in Mumbai who could help him, and eventually found one Khaflan Shaikh.
Shaikh then circulated the video in his local group and tracked down Bano's daughter Yasmeen Bashir Shaikh, who lives in Kasaiwada area of Kurla.
"My mother left India in 2002 for Dubai for work through an agent. However, because of the agent's negligence, she landed in Pakistan. We were unaware of her whereabouts and could get in touch with her only once through the same agent," Yasmeen said.
In the past, Bano had travelled to Qatar, too, to work as a house help, she said.
"We are happy that our mother is alive and safe. We now want the Indian government to help us bring her back,'' Yasmeen said. -- PTI
Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari
19:56 Maha governor apologises for Mumbai remark
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, facing flak over his "Mumbai will have no money if the Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were to leave remarks, on Monday apologised for the same.
Koshyari made the controversial comments during a function to name a chowk (intersection) in suburban Andheri on Friday evening.
''I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially from Mumbai and Thane, you will be left with no money and Mumbai will not be a financial capital,'' he had said.
A statement issued by Raj Bhavan on Monday evening quoted Koshyari as saying that he is confident that people of Maharashtra will display their large heart and forgive him for his recent remarks.
Koshyari said he may have committed a mistake while speaking about the contribution of some members of society, during his Andheri speech. -- PTI
19:03 Irani, daughter not owners of Goa cafe, notes HC
The Delhi high court has said that Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Netta D'Souza along with others conspired to 'launch a tirade of false scathing and belligerent personal attacks' on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani and her daughter, who are neither owners of the restaurant in Goa nor have they ever applied for the licence for food and beverages at the eatery, as alleged.
The high court said the statement made by three Congress leaders are in the nature of 'slander and seem to be bogus with malicious intent', to intentionally subject Irani to a 'great public ridicule' and 'to injure the moral character and public image' of the BJP leader and her daughter.
The remarks were made by the high court while perusing the documents placed before it in a civil defamation suit filed by Irani, the Minister for Women and Child Development, against the three Congress leaders.
The high court's order, in which it had on July 29 issued summonses to three Congress leaders on the civil defamation suit, was uploaded on the court's website on Monday.
The high court has also asked them to take down tweets and other social media posts on allegations levelled against the union minister and her daughter.
"I have perused the various documents on record, particularly, the show cause notice dated July 21, 2022, issued by the Government of Goa, office of Commissioner of Excise, which has been addressed to one Anthony Dgama, and not to the plaintiff (Irani) or her family members. Considering the documents on record it is clearly seen that there was no license which was ever issued in favour of the plaintiff or her daughter. The plaintiff or her daughter are not the owners of the restaurant. It has also been established by the plaintiff prima facie that the plaintiff or her daughter never applied for license.
"Neither the restaurant nor the land on which the restaurant exists is owned by the plaintiff or her daughter even the show cause notice issued by the Government of Goa is not in the name of the plaintiff or her daughter. All these facts have also been affirmed in the affidavit by the plaintiff," Justice Mini Pushkarna said in her 14-page order.
Irani has filed a defamation suit against the Congress leaders for allegedly making baseless and false accusations against her and her 18-year-old daughter.
The high court said since the plaintiff commands an esteemed position as a minister in the Government of India and considering the nature of her public office, there is immense public glare and scrutiny of any information about her in the public domain.
Defendant nos.1 to 3 (Congress leaders) have conspired with each other and other individuals and organisations to launch a tirade of false, scathing, and belligerent personal attacks on the plaintiff and her daughter with a common motive to malign, defame and injure the reputation, moral character and public image of the plaintiff and her daughter, it said.
The high court said it was of the considered view that the statements made by the Congress leaders are in the nature of slander and seem to be bogus with malicious intent, only to garner the highest amount of viewership thereby intentionally subjecting the plaintiff to a great public ridicule.
It added that 'Plaintiff (Irani) has made out a prima facie case and balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants'.
The high court has also passed an interim injunction directing the Congress leaders to remove from social media the allegations made against Irani and her daughter.
The court said in case the defendants fail to comply with its directions to remove tweets, retweets, posts, videos, and photos from social media concerning the allegations made against Irani, and her daughter within 24 hours, social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube shall take down the material.
Irani's action came after the Congress leaders alleged that her daughter Zoish Irani ran a bar illegally in Goa and also targeted the minister over this, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack her from his Cabinet.
"After seeing the documents placed on record and the excerpts of the press conference, I am of the prima facie view that slanderous and libelous allegations have been made against the plaintiff without verifying actual facts. Great injury has been caused to the reputation of the plaintiff and her family in view of the various tweets and re-tweets which have been followed the press conference carried out by the defendants," the judge said.
The high court said there is an imperative need to protect the reputation of an individual, least to say, that of the plaintiff who is a respected member of the society and esteemed member of the Union Ministry.
The judge further said, "I deem it expedient to pass an ad-interim injunction directing defendants 1-3 (Congress leaders) to delete and remove the allegations, video of impugned press conference dated July 23, 2022, and the contents linked to the same , published against the plaintiff from all the social media platforms, namely, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter."
The matter has now been listed for further hearing before the court and registrar on November 15 and August 18, respectively. -- PTI
18:28 FM's reply to price rise debate in Parl at 7pm
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reply in the Lok Sabha on discussion over rising prices at 7 pm today. -- ANI
Uma Maheshwari
17:41 NT Rama Rao's daughter found hanging
TDP founder and former Andhra Pradesh CM NT Rama Rao's daughter, Uma Maheshwari, has been found hanging at her residence in Hyderabad.
Police moved the body to a local govt hospital for postmortem.
A case is being registered U/s 174 CrPC (Police to enquire and report on suicide), further probe is on.
17:30 Top gainers today
Auto stocks hogged the limelight in Monday's session as companies reported strong sales data for July. Mahindra & Mahindra topped the Sensex gainers' chart, soaring 6.15 per cent after the auto major posted a 33 per cent increase in domestic passenger vehicles sales in the previous month. Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel climbed as much as 2.64 per cent following the culmination of India's biggest ever auction of airwaves, with spectrum worth Rs 1,50,173 crore being sold.
PM Modi's mother and family watch his swearing-in in 2014
17:27 PM's brother to begin dharna in Delhi tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother Prahlad Modi, who is also the vice president of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation, will stage a dharna in Delhi on Tuesday with various demands of the organisation.
He will sit for the dharna at the Jantar Mantar with other members of the AIFPSDF. The dharna will be followed by submitting a memorandum addressed to the prime minister, the AIFPSDF said in a statement, adding the members also plan to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Wednesday.
The AIFPSDF has nine demands including the one on compensation for loss on rice, wheat and sugar, and also for edible oil and pulses to be supplied through Fair Price Shops.
They have also demanded that the 'West Bengal Ration Model' of free distribution be implemented across the country. "We demand all due margins for all the states including Jammu and Kashmir should be reimbursed immediately," the AIFPSDF statement said. PTI
17:19 Sensex advances for 4th day, reclaims 58,000-mark
Equity indices darted up for the fourth straight session on Monday to close at over three-month highs, boosted by robust buying in market heavyweight Reliance Industries and auto stocks amid firm global trends.
Strong macroeconomic data and a sustained recovery in the rupee on the back of foreign fund inflows also buoyed sentiments, traders said.
The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 545.25 points or 0.95 per cent to finish at 58,115.50. The benchmark closed above the 58,000-level for the first time after April 13 this year.
Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 181.80 points or 1.06 per cent to settle at 17,340.05. Auto stocks hogged the limelight in Monday's session as companies reported strong sales data for July.
Mahindra & Mahindra topped the Sensex gainers' chart, soaring 6.15 per cent after the auto major posted a 33 per cent increase in domestic passenger vehicles sales in the previous month.
Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel climbed as much as 2.64 per cent following the culmination of India's biggest ever auction of airwaves, with spectrum worth Rs 1,50,173 crore being sold. Maruti Suzuki, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NTPC, PowerGrid and UltraTech Cement were among the other prominent gainers. However, Sun Pharma, Hindustan Unilever, IndusInd Bank, Nestle India, Asian Paints and TCS closed with losses of up to 2.65 per cent.
A video grab showing smoke bellowing out of the hospital building
16:55 4 dead, 9 injured in Jabalpur hospital fire
At least four people were killed and nine injured in a fire at a private hospital in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
The fire occurred at New Life Multi-speciality Hospital near Damoh Naka area of Jabalpur in the afternoon.
"Four people have died and three are severely injured. It was a massive fire, and our teams rescued all the people trapped inside the hospital," Akhilesh Gaur, Jabalpur's Chief Superintendent of police said.
16:33 July rains in Rajasthan highest in 70 years
Rajasthan received 270 mm of rainfall in July, the highest precipitation for the month in nearly seven decades, according to official data.
The meteorological department has predicted a fresh round of rains starting this week.
According to the data provided by the meteorological centre in Jaipur, the state recorded a rainfall of 270 mm in July -- 67 per cent more than the average of 161.4 mm for the month and the highest in nearly seven decades.
In 1956 the state had recorded 308.7 mm of rainfall in the month of July. In July last year Rajasthan received 130.8 mm of rain. The July rainfall in the state stood at 288 mm in 1908; 281.6 mm in 1943; 270 mm in 2022; 262.3 mm in 2015; and 252.3 mm in 2017.
The lowest July rainfall of 7.2 mm was recorded in 2002. During the entire monsoon season that year, the state had only recorded 175.6 mm rain, which is the lowest rainfall recorded till date. Most of the southwest monsoon rains in Rajasthan occur in the months of July and August.
16:24 OPPOSITION-RAUT-BJP Law will take its own course: Goyal on Oppn protests against Raut arrest
With the Opposition targeting the government in the Rajya Sabha over the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the ruling BJP said Monday the government does not interfere in the work of enforcement agencies and that law will take its own course.
"We are law-makers, not law-breakers," the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal told reporters amid disruption in the House caused by the Opposition's protests over Raut's arrest and other issues.
Parliamentarians are meant to legislate and the agencies assigned to enforce laws are doing their work, he said. Taking a swipe at Opposition parties, Goyal said they might have interfered in the functioning of law-enforcement agencies when they were in power.
This is not the case with BJP governments either at the Centre or in states, he claimed. The Opposition has accused the government of using the Enforcement Directorate to target its leaders. Raut was arrested by the ED shortly after Sunday midnight after the agency conducted a search at his residence in a money laundering case related to the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai.
Goyal also accused the Opposition of running away from a debate on price rise in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha by taking up new issues after an agreement was reached between it and the government on discussing the issue of inflation in the Lower House on Monday and in the Upper House the next day. -- PTI
16:05 Sanjay Raut sent to ED custody till August 4
Special Court in Mumbai sends Sanjay Raut to ED custody till August 4 in connection with the Patra Chawl case.
Raut's lawyer, Advocate Ashok Mundargi tells the court, "Sanjay Raut's arrest is politically motivated. He is a patient with a heart-related ailment. He had also undergone surgery. Papers related to this have been presented before the court."
Uddhav Thackeray with Sanjay Raut's mother
15:46 I'm proud of Sanjay Raut, says Uddhav
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray slams vendetta politics, says he is proud of party MP Sanjay Raut, arrested by ED.
"I am proud of Sanjay Raut. There's a dialogue in the film, 'Pushpa' - "jhukega nahi". But the real Shiv Sainik who won't bend is Sanjay Raut. Those who used to say they won't bend are all on that side today. That's not the direction shown by Balasaheb. Raut is true Shiv Sainik," Uddhav Thackeray said.
Thackeray on Monday met with family members of party leader Sanjay Raut, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, in suburban Mumbai.
Thackeray visited Raut's residence in Bhandup along with party MP Arvind Sawant, MLA Ravindra Waikar and Sena leader Milind Narvekar. Raut and Thackeray are known to share a close bond.
At Raut's residence, Thackeray met with his elderly mother, wife, daughters and other family members. Raut's mother and wife had turned emotional while he was being taken away by the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday.
15:39 Two months of rain across India looks like this
Deficit rainfall continues in parts of UP, Bihar and Jharkhand.
15:27 GST collection rises 28 pc to Rs 1.49 lakh cr; 2nd highest ever
GST collection rose 28 per cent to touch the second-highest level of Rs 1.49 lakh crore in July on the back of economic recovery and steps taken to curb tax evasion, the government said on Monday.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection stood at Rs 1,16,393 crore in the same month a year ago. GST, introduced in July 2017, touched a record high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April, 2022.
15:23 Don't play with Sainiks' feelings: Sena to Shinde
The Shiv Sena's newly appointed deputy leader Anita Birje on Monday asked leaders from the rival Eknath Shinde group to not play with the sentiments of Shiv Sainiks.
Birje was talking to the media after paying respects to Sena stalwart the late Anand Dighe at Anand Ashram in Maharashtra's Thane city, where hundreds of Shiv Sainiks had gathered to show support.
Birje, who was a close associate of the late Dighe and headed the Sena's women's wing, was on Sunday appointed as the deputy leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, while Anand Dighe's nephew Kedar was appointed as the party's Thane district unit chief.
Shiv Sainiks were confused following the rebellion in the party, but after the announcements about the newly appointed leaders, they have come out in the open determined to work for citizens in the district and state, Birje said.
"We will follow the path set by late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, with 80 per cent social work and 20 per cent politics," she said.
The party leader said that leaders from the rival group should not play with the sentiments of Shiv Sainiks, who will rise to the occasion if anyone tries to do so. Kedar Dighe and Thane MP Rajan Vichare were also present on the occasion.
Sanjay Raut with his brother
15:04 ED produces Sanjay Raut before PMLA court
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday produced Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut before a special sessions court after his arrest in Mumbai early this morning in connection with a money laundering case linked to irregularities involving the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai.
Raut was taken for a medical test at the JJ hospital before being produced before the court.
ED officials raided the Shiv Sena leader's home on Sunday, and after detaining and questioning him for several hours, arrested him in the early hours today.
Raut is a close aide of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Prior to his arrest, Sanjay Raut's brother said yesterday: "Sanjay Raut has been arrested. BJP is afraid of him and got him arrested. They haven't given us any document (regarding his arrest). He has been framed."
Panchayat members discuss the situation
14:59 20 people quarantined after Monkeypox death
Twenty people were quarantined in Kerala's Thrissur, following the death of one person with Monkeypox-like symptoms in the state, officials said on Monday.
The officials also confirmed that the deceased had come in contact with "only 10 people" including family members and friends.
"The situation is well under control, there's no panic here as of now. The person had direct contact with only 10 people including family members and a few friends. 20 people quarantined so far," said Renjini, Member, Education and Health standing committee.
The panchayat members of Punnayur village in Thrissur also held a meeting to discuss the situation in the aftermath of the death and the subsequent measures to be taken. -- ANI
14:31 5G spectrum auction ends; provisional sale amount at Rs 1.5 lakh cr
India's biggest ever auction of airwaves ended on Monday, with spectrum worth Rs 1,50,173 crore being sold, sources said. The auction that stretched into seven days ended this afternoon, the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The provisional figure for the sale proceeds is Rs 1,50,173 crore and the final numbers are being tallied, they added. PTI
14:29 Suspension of 4 Cong MPs removed: Speaker
Motion to remove the suspension of four Congress MPs passed in the Lok Sabha. Suspension has been revoked. Deadlock ends in Lok Sabha. Discussion on Price rise begins in the House.
"I'll request all the parties in the house that placards should not be brought inside the house. If at all placards are brought by MPs, then I'll listen neither to the govt nor to the Opposition and will surely take action. I'm giving last chance to them," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla says.
14:10 Aaditya: Shinde govt will collapse because...
Maharashtra never tolerates treachery and the Eknath Shinde-led government will collapse for sure, Yuva Sena chief and former minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Monday.
Addressing Shiv Sena workers during his tour of the Konkan region, he said the Shinde government's focus is on "dirty politics" and not the welfare of the people.
"This entire political drama is of the one-and-half months. The government will collapse for sure. Maharashtra never tolerates treachery," said Aaditya, son of Shiv Sena chief and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Attacking the Shinde government in which Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the deputy chief minister, Aaditya said the current government's focus is on "dirty politics" and not the welfare of Maharashtra and the people.
"The state witnessed incessant rains and floods, but the government is not bothered," he alleged.
The rebellion by Shinde and 40 MLAs of Shiv Sena led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last month. PTI
14:07 India's manufacturing activity touches 8-month high
India's manufacturing sector activity hit the highest level in eight months in July, driven by a significant rise in business orders, a monthly survey said on Monday.
The seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose from 53.9 in June to 56.4 in July, reflecting the strongest improvement in the health of the sector in eight months.
The July PMI data pointed to an improvement in overall operating conditions for the 13th straight month. In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion while a score below 50 denotes contraction.
Kinsmen: Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut
13:53 Uddhav meets Sanjay Raut's family
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday met with family members of party leader Sanjay Raut, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, in suburban Mumbai.
Thackeray went to Raut's residence in suburban Bhandup in a car. Raut and Thackeray are known to share a close bond. The ED is expected to produce Raut in court shortly. PTI
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut
13:19 ED to produce Sanjay Raut in court today
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday will produce Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut before a special session court after his arrest early this morning in connection with a money laundering case linked to irregularities involving the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai.
Raut was brought to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a medical checkup, earlier today.
ED officials raided the Shiv Sena leader's home on Sunday and after detaining and questioning him for several hours arrested him in the early hours today. Raut will be taken for medical tests and later produced before a Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Raut is a close aide of Shiv Sena President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. -- ANI
13:11 Bengal Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announces a Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday. She says there will be around five new faces.
"We don't have plan to dissolve the whole ministry and form a new one. Yes, there will be a reshuffle. We lost ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Sadhan Pande. Partha is in jail so all their work has to be done. Not possible for me to handle alone," says Mamata Banerjee.
"Earlier there were 23 districts in Bengal now it has been increased to 30. The 7 new districts include - Sunderban, Ichhemati, Ranaghat, Bishnupur, Jangipur, Behrampur and one more district will be named in Basirhat."
A truck loaded with wheat in Kharkiv
13:02 1st ship carrying Ukrainian grain leaves the port of Odesa
The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain has set off from the port of Odesa, Turkey's defense ministry said Monday. The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship, Razoni left the port of Odesa for Lebanon, the ministry said.
A statement from the United Nations said the Razoni is carrying over 26,000 tonnes of corn. Data from the Razoni's Automatic Identification System, a safety tracker for ships at sea, showed the vessel slowly coming out from its berth at Odesa port Monday morning alongside a tug boat.
The ship is expected to reach Istanbul on Tuesday, where it will be inspected, before being allowed to proceed, the ministry said. The corn will head to Lebanon, a tiny Mideast nation in the grips of what the World Bank has described as one of the world's worst financial crises in more than 150 years.
BS Koshyari
12:34 'Raut arrested to divert attention from Koshyari'
The arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is an attempt to divert the anger brewing against Maharashtra Governor B S Koshyari's remarks on Mumbai, party leader Arvind Sawant claimed on Monday.
He said protests will be held in the state spontaneously against the arrest of Raut, a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Centre.
"The Enforcement Directorate's action is to divert the anger brewing after the comments made by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari against Maharashtra. We are not fools who do not understand this diversionary action," said Sawant, the Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai South.
Sanjay Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate probing a money laundering case after Sunday midnight.
Koshyari had triggered a row with his remarks that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are moved out of Maharashtra, especially from Mumbai and Thane, "you will be left with no money and Mumbai will not remain a financial capital". He later clarified that his remarks were misconstrued. PTI
12:01 Man who hunted Veerappan is now Delhi top cop
Sanjay Arora, a senior IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, took charge as the commissioner of Delhi Police on Monday, officials said. Arora was accorded the ceremonial guard of honour by the police force upon his arrival at the Delhi Police Headquarters at Jai Singh Marg in Delhi.
The 57-year-old officer, who headed the paramilitary force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), was once part of the Tamil Nadu Police's special task force which later hunted down forest brigand Veerappan.
He will succeed Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, who retired on Sunday after nearly 38 years in service.
11:31 Field Notes: No questions allowed
"You are a different journalist,' said Ajay Kumar, a senior superintendent of police in Uttar Pradesh, implying bias after I persisted with questions about social activist Javed Mohammad, jailed by the Uttar Pradesh police after a protest in a Muslim neighbourhood of Prayagraj turned violent on 10 June.
My questions were about the claims that even though he and his daughter Afreen Fatima were critics of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mohammad was a bridge between the Muslim community and the local administration. And Mohammad had asked people not to gather for the protest against the derogatory remarks made by a BJP spokesperson against the Prophet Mohammad.
Read the report here.
11:23 Bidding begins for 5G spectrum auction on day 7
India's first-ever auction for 5G spectrum entered the seventh day on Monday with players including Jio and Airtel being locked in an intense bidding for coveted 1800 Mhz frequencies mainly for the UP East circle.
The cumulative spectrum sale crossed the Rs 1.50 lakh crore milestone on the sixth day of bidding on Sunday. The bidding price and demand for spectrum in the UP East circle flared up once again on Sunday, after the situation eased a bit on the previous day. So far, in the six days of auction of the 5G spectrum capable of offering ultra-high-speed internet, bids worth Rs 1,50,130 crore have been received.
Seven new rounds of bidding held on Sunday `dialled in' an incremental Rs 163 crore. Monday marks the seventh day of auction, and the 38th round of bidding is currently underway.
Sources said that after a relative easing of demand on Saturday, the UP East circle., which includes Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur, saw bidding action picking up once again for 1800 MHz, a band primarily used by telcos for 4G services.
UP East - which has over 10 crore mobile subscribers - accounted for all of the incremental spectrum sales on Sunday, amid a pitched battle for radiowaves among players such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
11:18 100 people rescued in Lahaul-Spiti
105 people rescued from Chattru in a joint rescue operation by Police & Civil admin after they were stranded due to a blocked highway amid flash floods in Chhattru area of Lahaul-Spiti district.
Gyanvapi mosque
10:56 Gyanvapi: Lawyer from masjid committee dies
Lawyer representing the masjid committee in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex case case died due to cardiac arrest, family sources said.
He was 62.
Abhay Nath Yadav died on Sunday night and will be cremated on Monday, they said. Yadav was a prominent lawyer representing the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee in the case.
The Allahabad High Court had last week adjourned the hearing of the case till August 3 challenging the maintainability of a 1991 suit seeking right to worship by Hindu petitioners. PTI
10:52 Zubair: A Muslim man asking for accountability is not a crime
The making of Alt News co-founder, India's most prominent fact-checker, who just spent three weeks in jail for the work he does. Read more here.
11 people were electrocuted in temple chariot blaze in April
10:43 10 dead after van gets electrocuted in Bengal
At least 10 people died and 14 others were injured in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, after a pickup van carrying passengers en route to neighbouring Jalpaiguri got electrocuted, police said on Monday.
The incident took place late on Sunday, when the vehicle with around 37 passengers onboard, was travelling towards Maynaguri area in Jalpaiguri district, they said.
"The pickup van was electrocuted possibly due to the wiring system of the generator being exposed to heavy rainfall," a senior police officer said. The injured have been admitted to hospital, he said, adding, the passengers were mostly from Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar district. Further investigation is underway, the officer added. PTI
10:22 AAP Councillor shot dead inside gym in Punjab
An Aam Aadmi Party's Municipal Councillor was shot dead by two unidentified persons when he was in a gym on Sunday in Punjab's Malerkotla district.
The police believe that it is a case of some personal enmity. AAP Councillor Akbar Bholi was shot dead by two unknown assailants while he was in the gym, one of his close family member's said.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Malerkotla, Avneet Kaur said, "So far we think that it is a case of some personal enmity but there is no clarity on it yet. An investigation is underway, we will inform the media if and when some progress in the case is made". -- ANI
Representational image
10:19 Cradle. Snatched
A year since an Indian couple in Berlin had their child taken away by German protection services. The Telegraph talks to them and other parents about a disturbing First World trend. Read the report here.
10:16 Sensex, Nifty open on positive note on firm global trends
BSE benchmark indices Sensex, Nifty opened on a positive note on Monday tracking firm global trends and fresh foreign fund inflows.
The 30-share BSE benchmark climbed 274.02 points to 57,844.27 and the broader NSE Nifty advanced 86.55 points to 17,244.80 in initial deals.
Among the Sensex constituents, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki India, Reliance Industries, Power Grid, UltraTech Cement, Dr Reddy's, Wipro and Bharti Airtel were among the lead gainers. Sun Pharma, IndusInd Bank, Hindustan Unilever and Bajaj Finserv were among the laggards.
10:10 Salman gets arms licence after death threats
Actor Salman Khan has been issued an Arms license after he applied for a weapon license for self-protection in the backdrop of threat letters that he received recently: Mumbai Police.
The actor and his father got a death threat in early June, just days after singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead near Punjab's Mansa on May 29.
The licence issuing authority had started the necessary investigation after Khan met the Mumbai Police Commissioner last month.
10:08 Indian forms Monkeypox taskforce after patient's death
A task force on monkeypox has been constituted to closely monitor the emerging situation in the country and decide on response initiatives to tackle the spread of the disease, official sources said on Monday.
It will also provide guidance to the government on expansion of diagnostic facilities in the country and explore emerging trends related to vaccination for the disease, the sources told PTI.
A 22-year-old man, who recently returned to Kerala from the UAE, allegedly died due to monkeypox on Saturday. India has reported a total of four cases of the disease so far.
The decision to constitute the task force was taken at a high-level meeting held on July 26 at the level of the principal secretary to the prime minister to review the ongoing public health preparedness in the country.
The task force will be headed by Dr V K Paul, NITI Aayog member (health). The National Aids Control Organisation and the Directorate General of Health Services in the Health Ministry have been asked to work on a targeted communication strategy to promote timely reporting, detection of cases and management of cases, an official source said. Instructions were given to operationalise the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) network of labs and make arrangements for requisite diagnostics of monkeypox disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared monkeypox a global public health emergency of international concern. Globally, over 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 75 countries.
The Union Health Ministry has undertaken a number of initiatives which includes strengthening of health screening at Points of Entry and operationalisation of 15 laboratories under the ICMR to undertake testing for monkeypox disease.
It also issued comprehensive guidelines on the disease covering both public health as well as clinical management aspects and regular interaction with states were held virtually as well as Central multidisciplinary teams were deployed to affected states. According to the WHO, monkeypox is a viral zoonosis -- a virus transmitted to humans from animals -- with symptoms similar to smallpox although clinically less severe. -- PTI
10:04 What lies ahead in Parliament
Monsoon session of Parliament: CPI (M) Rajya Sabha MP Dr V Sivadasan gives suspension of business notice under rule 267 to discuss 'reduced work allocation under MGNREGS this year despite high demand for work'.
Congress MP Suresh Kodikunnil gives adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on alleged attempts of BJP to "topple" government in Jharkhand.
Congress MP Amar Singh gives zero-hour notice in Lok Sabha on unemployment, inflation, fuel price & RRB waiting list.
10:00 Kejriwal on Guj visit, to address public rally in Veraval today
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will address a public rally at Veraval and offer prayers at a temple in Rajkot in Gujarat's Saurashtra region on Monday, a party official said.
This will be Kejriwal's second visit to Rajkot in a week and fourth to the poll-bound state in a month.
The Aam Aadmi Party national convener will address a public meeting in the Saurashtra region and make an important announcement regarding the upcoming Assembly election, Gujarat AAP's general secretary Manoj Sorathiya said.
"Kejriwal will arrive at Porbandar airport at 1 pm. From there, he will leave for Veraval in Gir Somnath district," he said.
The Aam Aadmi Party chief will address a public meeting at KCC Ground (Railway Colony) at 3 pm in Veraval.
After the rally, Kejriwal will travel to Rajkot, where he will take part in the Maha Aarti at a temple built on the grounds of Sanjay Rajguru College, and then leave for Delhi, Sorathiya said. -- PTI
Raut brothers
09:51 Shiv Sena, Uddhav firmly behind us: Raut's brother
Shiv Sena workers will stage protests against the arrest of the party MP Sanjay Raut by the Enforcement Directorate, his MLA brother Sunil Raut said on Monday.
He said Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena stands firmly behind the Raut family.
"The Shiv Sena and Uddhav ji stand solidly behind us. Our legal fight (over Sanjay Raut's arrest) has begun," the Shiv Sena MLA from Vikhroli told PTI.
09:22 'Divine punishment': BJP on Raut's arrest
After the ED arrested Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Kadam on Monday took a dig at him, saying it was "divine punishment".
Ram Kadam tweeted, "Ukhar Diya, Batao, Ye Kisne Kisko Kaha Tha? Isliye Kahawat Hain. Chingari Khel Bada Bura Hota Hain....Auro Ke Gharo mein Aag Lagane Ka Sapna...Khud Ke Hi Ghar Mein Khada Hota Hain.. Ye Ishwariya Dand Hain....Naye Badle Huye Bharat ke Kanoon Tatha Shashakt Loktantra Ke Takaat hain. (Now Tell, Who told this to whom, That's why they say, It not good to play with fire, Those who dream to set other people's house on fire, finds himself standing in his own house. This is divine punishment...This is New India's New Law...The power of democracy)."
Raut, 60, was arrested after over six hours of questioning at the ED's zonal office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate.
The Rajya Sabha MP of the Shiv Sena led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, will be produced before a special PMLA court in Mumbai later in the day, where the ED will seek his custody.
08:42 Founder of Kannada daily 'Udayavani' T Mohandas Pai passes away
T Mohandas M Pai, founder of popular Kannada daily Udayavani, died at a hospital near here following prolonged illness, according to hospital sources.
Pai passed away on Sunday, the sources said.
He was the eldest son of Dr T M A Pai, the founder of the Manipal group of institutions. He was also the president of the Dr T M A Pai Foundation and Manipal Media Network, which runs Udayavani.
Pai was a law graduate and is regarded as the architect of modern Manipal. He also headed ICDS Limited.
A lover of art and culture, he set up Rashtrakavi Govindapai Research Centre, Regional Resources Centre for Folk Performing Arts and MGM Yakshagana Kendra.
Pai's mortal remains will be kept for public viewing at MGM College's Ravindra Mantapa from 9 am to 11 am on Monday.
He is survived by four brothers and sisters.
Taking to Twitter, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressed grief over Pai's death and described him as a "guiding figure".
Several cabinet ministers and former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy also condoled Pai's demise. -- PTI
08:22 FIR against Sanjay Raut on complaint by woman witness
The Mumbai police on Sunday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on the charge of insulting the modesty of woman on the complaint lodged by a witness in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate claiming she was threatened.
The complaint was lodged at Vakola police station by the witness, Swapna Patkar, a police official said on Sunday night.
Patkar had approached the police recently claiming she was given rape and murder threat in a typed paper, which was inserted in a newspaper delivered to her on July 15, he said.
Recently, an audio clip in which a male voice can be heard threatening a woman using foul language went viral.
On Saturday, a non-cognisable (NC) case was registered under section 507 (Criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code, which was converted into an FIR on Sunday, the official said.
Police have invoked sections 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), and 509 (intending to insult the modesty of a woman) if the IPC against Raut.
Meanwhile, Patkar on Sunday registered her statement with the police, the official said, adding that she was provided security as requested by her.
Earlier in the day, the ED conducted a search at the residence of Raut in connection with the money laundering case linked to the Patra chawl land 'scam' and he was taken to the ED office in south Mumbai. -- PTI
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