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Fri, 18 August 2023
Govt, ULFA hold talks to end insurgency in Assam
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ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa/Facebook
23:41 Govt, ULFA hold talks to end insurgency in Assam
The pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom, led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa, on Friday held peace talks with the Centre's representatives in an effort to find an amicable solution to the decades-old insurgency problem in Assam, sources said.
A delegation of the United Liberation Front of Asom, comprising Rajkhowa, 'general secretary' Anup Chetia, leaders Raju Baruah and Sasha Choudhury, held the dialogue with senior officers of the Union home ministry and the Intelligence Bureau.
The talks were held for two consecutive days on Thursday and Friday where all the demands of ULFA were discussed threadbare, sources said.
The negotiations were on the 12-point charter of demands which the group had submitted to the Centre's interlocutors long ago.
Key issues arising on political safeguard to the indigenous people and control on economic resources of Assam were discussed at the talks, the sources said.
The Rajkhowa-led ULFA faction had begun unconditional talks with the central government in 2011, despite strong opposition from hardline wing led by Paresh Baruah, who is believed to be along the China-Myanmar border.
Among other issues, ULFA's charter of demands include recognition of six communities in Assam -- Moran, Muttock, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi, Sootea and Tea Tribes as Scheduled Tribes.
"All these communities are now OBC and as such there is no opposition from any quarter to their inclusion in the ST list. But the government will have to take approval of the Parliament through a Constitution amendment bill," a source said.
The home ministry is believed to be in touch with the National Commission of Scheduled Tribes and the Tribal Affairs Ministry on the issue.
If the tribal status is granted to these six communities, it will lead to 50 per cent population of Assam becoming tribal or Assam turning into a tribal-dominated state. -- PTI
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23:17 After Rs 3.65 cr buy, Singhania rests Maserati in garage fearing for life
In late-2021, Maserati brought its latest supercar, the MC20, to the country, offering Indians to own the mean machine that can do over 325 kmph.
Industrialist Gautam Singhania has been one of the buyers, but instead of revving on the city roads, notorious for potholes and humps, the car has been cooling-off in the garage of his home in a tony south Mumbai locality.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a company event, Singhania, a car enthusiast, called it the "worst' car he has ever driven in his life and cautioned anybody thinking of driving it, calling it as dangerous.
"Frankly speaking, I paid for a Maserati but I got a lemon instead," Singhania said, adding the company blamed the Indian road conditions for the football-like bouncing he has faced while on the wheels.
Singhania has taken to the microblogging website X to vent his ire two days ago, and has asked the company to appoint an independent test driver to check on the safety of the model.
However, the industrialist claimed that the Franco-Italian-American auto major Stellantis that owns the Maserati is refusing to even acknowledge the shortcomings.
"I genuinely believe the Maserati MC20 is a dangerous car and somebody might kill himself in it," Singhania has tweeted, asking the Indian authorities and consumer courts to look into it.
Earlier in the day, he tweeted an independent opinion on the car which shows how bad the model is, and added that the company refused because it is "scared of the result'. -- PTI
22:59 Man sexually assaults minor nail artist on pretext of shooting Instagram reel
A 17-year-old nail artist was allegedly sexually assaulted in Gurugram by a man on the pretext of shooting an Instagram reel for her, the police said on Friday.
According to a complaint filed by the victim's sister, the minor got in touch with accused Neeraj alias Neer Adhana on Instagram.
He asked the girl to come to a farmhouse in Gurugram, promising to shoot a video for her.
On Wednesday, the victim went to the farmhouse where Neeraj offered her a drink laced with sedatives. Soon after drinking it, the minor got dizzy and the accused sexually assaulted her, the sister said in her complaint.
"When my sister fainted, Neeraj called me and told me that he was sending my sister home in a taxi, but I reached the farmhouse as soon as possible and found my sister in a bad condition," she alleged.
She rushed her sister to the civil hospital in Sector 10 and the accused fled from the spot taking advantage of the situation, police said.
An FIR was registered against Neeraj, a resident of Gurugram's Sector 56, under sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the IPC and section 7 of the POCSO Act at DLF phase 1 police station on Thursday, they said. -- PTI
22:38 Modi to visit South Africa, Greece next week
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit South Africa's Johannesburg from August 22-24 to attend the 15th BRICS Summit at the invitation of South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa.
After his visit to South Africa, he will travel to Greece for an official visit at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
During his visit to South Africa, Modi will also participate in a special event 'BRICS - Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue' being organised after the BRICS Summit, which will include other nations invited by South Africa, the ministry of external affairs announced in a press release.
He will also hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg.
Ministry of external affairs in a press release said, "This will be the first in-person BRICS Summit since 2019. The Summit will provide an opportunity to review progress of the initiatives launched by the grouping, and identify future areas of activity."
South Africa is set to host the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from August 22-24.
The alliance comprises five nations -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa became Chair of BRICS on January 1 under the theme: "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism."
Following his visit to South Africa, Modi will travel to Greece on August 25.
During his visit, he will hold a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discuss ways to further deepen the ties between the two nations.
He will also interact with business leaders from both countries. He will also have an interaction with the Indian community in Greece. -- PTI
22:11 New IPC, CrPC bills sent to standing committee
Just In: Rajya Sabha chairman has referred the three bills to replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act to the standing committee on home affairs, seeks report within three months.
21:56 3 killed as suspicious object explodes in Kargil
Three people were killed while 10 sustained injuries in an explosion inside a scrap dealer's shop in Kargil district of Ladakh on Friday, officials said.
A "suspicious" object exploded in the shop located in Kabadi Nallah area of Drass, they said.
Three people, including a non-local, were killed, while the injured were taken to a hospital, they said.
The police have registered a case.
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21:50 Stray dog found eating newborn girl's body in Haryana's Ambala
The body of a newborn girl was found in a drain here on Friday after people noticed a stray dog eating the mortal remains of the baby, the police said.
According to police, the infant's umbilical cord was also attached to it, which indicated that she was thrown into the drain soon after birth.
However, a post-mortem report is awaited to ascertain whether the baby was stillborn or she died after being thrown into the drain, the police said.
The matter came to the fore when some shopkeepers near a government college in Ambala Cantt noticed that a stray dog pulled the child's body out of a drain, brought it to the road and started eating it, they said.
They alerted local police and medical authorities.
The police soon reached the spot and took the body into its custody and sent it to civil hospital for post-mortem, they said.
CCTV footage of the nearby shops close to the drain was being collected for investigation, the police said. -- PTI
Zakir Hussain
21:25 Maestro Zubin Mehta's baton, Zakir Hussain's tabla set to go under the hammer
An autographed baton of conductor Zubin Mehta, a tabla set signed by Zakir Hussain and a self-portrait of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha will be among the rare items at an auction by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai on Saturday.
The proceeds of the auction, "An Evening with the Maestro", by NCPA will go towards education of "the promising and the underserved", as well as procuring musical instruments for the Symphony Orchestra of India.
The auction will feature among other items a cricket bat signed by the Indian team that toured South Africa in 2015, a French parasol frame bearing the insignia of Dr Bhabha, and a portrait of Dr CV Raman painted by Bhabha.
The starting bid for Zubin Mehta's baton, Zakir Hussain's tabla set and the cricket bat has been placed at Rs 10 lakh each.
The French parasol frame and and Dr Bhabha's Montblanc Meisterstck 149 will be up for auction at a starting bid of Rs 1 lakh each.
Testament to the versatility of Dr Bhabha, his 1928 oil on canvas self-portrait and a pastel and granite on paper portrait of Dr Raman will go under the hammer at the starting price of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, respectively.
KN Suntook, chairman NCPA, said that the auction will help NCPA support its efforts towards performing arts in India.
"To maintain an organisation like the NCPA, which presents five major genres and all at peak levels, is expensive but if artistic values are respected, the bill is quite substantial and certainly not made up through box office," Suntook said.
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20:59 Floods, landslides claim 2038 lives since Apr 1: Govt
As many as 2,038 people lost their lives due to floods, lightning and landslides this monsoon, with Bihar reporting the highest casualty figure of 518 and Himachal Pradesh 330.
According to the data prepared by the Union home ministry, 101 people went missing and 1,584 received injuries during the rains and floods from April 1 to August 17.
As many as 335 districts were affected by the rains, landslides and lightning - 40 of them in Madhya Pradesh, 30 in Assam and 27 in Uttar Pradesh.
Twelve districts in Himachal Pradesh and seven districts in Uttarakhand were also hit by the monsoon floods and landslides.
Altogether 892 people drowned due to floods, 506 died due to lightning and 186 lost their lives due to landslides during this period, according to the home ministry data.
A total of 454 people also died due to various other reasons during the monsoon.
Besides Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, 165 people died due to rains, floods, landslides and lightning in Gujarat, 138 in Madhya Pradesh, 107 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, 90 in Chhattisgarh and 75 in Uttarakhand. -- PTI
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20:31 Music festival Lollapalooza set for India return in January 2024
Multi-genre music festival Lollapalooza will return to India with its second edition, set to be held in January 2024, the organisers announced Friday.
The music festival will take place on January 27 and 28 at the Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai, a press release stated.
"Building upon the immense support and appreciation received during its debut, Lollapalooza India 2024 promises to deliver an unparalleled celebration of music, art, food, activities and culture.
"Featuring four stages with piping energy and over 20 hours of live music performed by some of the biggest names globally and locally, the festival is truly an experience of a lifetime with innovative culinary selections, art, fashion and much more," the organisers said.
BookMyShow Live, the live entertainment experiential division of BookMyShow, will spearhead Lollapalooza India as the promoter and co-producer for the festival's Indian edition along with global producers, Perry Farrell and C3 Presents. -- PTI
19:56 Maha's Yavatmal sees 5 farmer suicides in 3 days
Five farmers ended their lives on account of crop failure or agriculture-related financial issues in Yavatmal district of eastern Maharashtra from August 13 to 15, an activist claimed on Friday.
A local official confirmed the incidents but said the causes of these suicides were yet to be ascertained.
As many as 1,565 farmer suicides have taken place in Vidarbha (eastern Maharashtra) so far this year, claimed activist Kishore Tiwari, a former chairman of the state government's Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlambi Mission for farmers' welfare.
A farmer named Manoj Rathod (35), resident of village Yerad in Yavatmal district, hanged himself due to financial crisis on August 15, he said.
Tribal farmer Karnu Kinake (51) of village Tembhi killed himself on August 14 due to financial issues.
On the same day Shalu Pawar (42) of village Umar Vihir committed suicide, Tiwari said, adding that both these men had suffered losses as their crops were damaged by wild animals.
On August 13, Namdeo Waghmare (45), a farmer from village Tivrang, and Ramrao Rathod (42) of village Lohara committed suicide due to financial stress, the activist claimed.
A farmer also ended his life at village Shirala in Amravati district due to huge debt and crop failure in the last few days, Tiwari said.
"The main cash crop of cotton which is facing a very low demand has brought the economy to a standstill. The input cost has increased suddenly and the very low credit provided by PSU banks has added fuel to the crisis," he said. -- PTI
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19:53 PM Modi speaks to Iranian Prez Raisi, discusses bilateral matters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and discussed matters of bilateral and regional importance, according to a statement.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, including realising the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub.
Modi highlighted that the India-Iran relationship is underpinned by close historic and civilisational connections, including strong people-to-people contact.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation at multilateral forums, including expansion of BRICS, and looked forward to their meeting on the margins of the forthcoming BRICS summit in South Africa. -- PTI
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19:49 PM Modi speaks to Iranian Prez Raisi, discusses bilateral matters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and discussed matters of bilateral and regional importance, according to a statement.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, including realising the full potential of Chabahar Port as a connectivity hub.
Modi highlighted that the India-Iran relationship is underpinned by close historic and civilisational connections, including strong people-to-people contact.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation at multilateral forums, including expansion of BRICS, and looked forward to their meeting on the margins of the forthcoming BRICS summit in South Africa. -- PTI
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19:06 Batla House encounter: HC reserves verdict on confirmation of death to Ariz Khan
The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its verdict on confirmation of death penalty awarded to Ariz Khan following his conviction in the sensational 2008 Batla House encounter case in which decorated Delhi police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life.
"Arguments have been heard. Judgement reserved," said a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma after the lawyers for the convict and the State concluded their submissions.
Advocate MS Khan argued that there was nothing to suggest that Ariz Khan can't be reformed.
"If there is a probability, not possibility, that the convict can be reformed, life sentence is the rule. There is a probability of transformation and reformation," he submitted.
Special public prosecutor Rajesh Mahajan, representing the government of NCT of Delhi, said killing a uniformed police officer was a "rarest of rare" case which justified the death sentence.
He also placed before the court Ariz Khan's social investigation report and psychological analysis report, and submitted he has "adequate intellectual and cognitive functioning" and his conduct in jail was "unsatisfactory". inspector Sharma of the Delhi police's special cell was killed during the encounter between the police and terrorists in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi on September 19, 2008.
Two terrorists were also killed in the encounter which took place days after five synchronised bomb explosions rocked the national capital, killing 39 people and wounding 159.
Sharma had raided the place while looking for the terrorists responsible for the blasts. -- PTI
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18:49 Govt to sell tomatoes at Rs 40 per kg from Sunday
Cooperatives National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd will start selling tomatoes at a reduced rate of Rs 40 per kilogram from August 20 amid declining price of the kitchen staple in wholesale and retail markets.
Since last month, the NCCF and NAFED have been selling tomatoes at a discounted rate on behalf of the consumer affairs ministry to contain the price rise.
Initially, the subsidised rate was fixed at Rs 90 per kilogram which had been successively reduced in line with the decline in prices in order to ensure benefits to the consumers.
"The last downward revision of the retail price to Rs 50/- per kg was on August 15, which now stands further reduced to Rs 40 per kg w.e.f. August 20," an official statement said on Friday.
Till date, over 15 lakh kilogram of tomatoes have been procured by the two agencies and are being sold to retail consumers in major consumption centres in the country, it said.
These locations include Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan (Jaipur, Kota), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj) and Bihar (Patna, Muzaffarpur, Arrah, Buxar). NCCF and NAFED are procuring tomatoes from mandis in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. -- PTI
18:18 Kejriwal, Mann to address AAP event in Raipur tomorrow
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal will be on a daylong visit to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Saturday, his third trip to the poll-bound state in the past five months.
Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and the duo will address an Aam Aadmi Party workers' convention in Raipur at Jainam Manas Bhavan opposite Raipur airport at noon, AAP's state unit chief Komal Hupendi told reporters on Friday.
Kejriwal will also release guarantee cards for the people of Chhattisgarh on what his party will implement if voted to power in the state, he said.
Assembly elections in Congress-governed Chhattisgarh will likely be held in a few months.
Hupendi said the visit of the party's top leadership and their interaction with AAP workers will strengthen their preparations for the assembly elections.
Kejriwal addressed a public rally in Bilaspur last month. In March, he had attended an AAP workers' convention in Raipur.
The AAP tried its luck for the first time in assembly elections in Chhattisgarh in 2018 and fielded candidates in 85 of 90 seats but failed to achieve success.
Meanwhile, eyeing a comeback, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday released its first list of candidates, including Durg MP Vijay Baghel, for 21 seats where it had faced defeat last time. -- PTI
17:55 Rahul to fight LS polls from Amethi: UP Cong chief
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai on Friday claimed that party leader Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"Rahul Gandhi will contest from Amethi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Aajy Rai said.
On speculations of Priyanka Gandhi contesting in the 2024 election, Rai said that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from wherever she wants to.
"If Priyanka Gandhi wishes to contest from Varanasi, every worker would strive to make her win," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge appointed Ajay Rai as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect.
"Congress President has appointed Ajay Rai, ex MLA as the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," the release of All India Congress Committee stated.
Ajay Rai was the Congress candidate in Varanasi both in 2014 and 2019 and lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -- ANI
17:49 Lashkar terror module busted in Baramulla, 8 arrested
Security forces have busted a Lashkar-e-Tayiba terror module in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district by arresting eight militant-associates involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of their Pakistani handlers, the police said on Friday.
A terrorist module has been busted in Uri in Baramulla and eight LeT terrorist-associates have been arrested, senior superintendent of police Amod Nagpure told reporters in Baramulla.
Nagpure said arms and ammunition have been recovered and cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act & Arms Act have been registered.
Giving details, the SSP said that during patrolling and area domination at Churunda in Uri area of the north Kashmir district on August 8, security forces noticed a suspected person who was roaming in the area.
He tried to flee while noticing the patrolling party, but was apprehended tactfully, the officer said. During his personal search, two grenades were recovered and he was taken into custody immediately, the SSP said.
He identified him as Showkat Ali Awan, a resident of Churunda Uri. During further questioning, Awan revealed the names of his accomplices --Ahmad Din and Mohammad Sadeeq Khatana -- both of whom are residents of Churunda, Nagpure said. -- PTI
17:27 HP floods: After 250+ dead, CM changes rules
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said that proper drainage and cross-drainage system would be made mandatory for all roads in the state.
The chief minister added that a high-level committee and monitoring teams would soon be constituted to look into the same.
He said that water seepage and cracks appearing in the roads caused huge damage in the absence of proper drainage and cross drainage system, adding, henceforth the new road constructions without proper drainage systems will not be approved or passed, a statement issued here said.
Asserting that scientific management would be ensured to prevent soil erosion and landslides on the river banks in Kullu district, Sukhu said that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the public works department have been asked to take long-term measures in this regard.
The chief minister said that the Chhattisgarh government has provided Rs 11 crore towards the disaster relief fund and expressed gratitude to his counterpart Bhupesh Baghel. Sukhu said that assistance would make a substantial impact in providing relief to the disaster-hit families in this hour of calamity.
He added that there has been a loss of Rs 10,000 crore in the state due to heavy rains. The chief further said that the state government has undertaken relief and rehabilitation works on a large scale, and was committed to provide relief to the affected people.
Gauri Lankesh
17:12 SC asks CBI: Link in Lankesh, Dabholkar murders?
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the CBI whether there was any "common thread" in the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, CPI leader Govind Pansare, activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh and scholar M M Kalburgi.
Dabholkar, who fought against superstition, was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants during his morning walk in Pune on August 20, 2013. Pansare was murdered on February 20, 2015, while Lankesh was killed on September 5, 2017. Kalburgi was shot dead on August 30, 2015.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia posed this query to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while hearing a plea by Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of Narendra Dabholkar, challenging the April 18 this year order of the Bombay High Court refusing to continue monitoring the investigation in the killing of her father. Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for Mukta Dabholkar, told the bench there was a larger conspiracy behind the four killings. He said the available evidence indicated that these cases may be connected and Mukta Dabholkar had raised this issue before the high court.
"The accused who are facing a trial (in Dabholkar case), according to you, there is no common thread in those four murders? Right? That is what you are saying?" Justice Dhulia asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, who was appearing for the CBI.
"That is what we want to know," Justice Kaul said, and asked the CBI to "Please look into it". As soon as Grover began arguing about the issues involved in the matter, the bench told him the high court has said the trial in the Dabholkar murder case is going on and some witnesses have already been examined. "... so therefore we (high court) don't want to monitor it any further. What is wrong with such an observation?" the bench asked him.
Grover said though the trial is going on, two of the accused are absconding and have not been arrested yet. Giving the status of the Dabholkar murder case, Bhati told the bench that 20 witnesses have so far been examined during the trial.
The bench told Bhati the petitioner has also alleged a larger spread of the conspiracy. The bench noted the petitioner's counsel has submitted that they need two weeks to place some documents along with translation of the relevant portions which will help the ASG in examining the issue of the larger conspiracy involved in these killings. --PTI
KBK Infographics
17:01 Sensex falls below 65k
Equity benchmark index Sensex buckled under selling pressure for the second straight session to close below the 65k mark on Friday, as investors offloaded IT, teck and metal energy stocks amid a bearish global trend.
Besides, fresh foreign fund outflows also hit investor sentiments, traders said. In a volatile trade, the 30-share BSE Sensex declined 202.36 points or 0.31 per cent to settle at 64,948.66. During the day, it fell by 396.3 points or 0.60 per cent to 64,754.72. The NSE Nifty dipped 55.10 points or 0.28 per cent to end at 19,310.15.
16:28 Chandrayaan-3: Lander Module health normal
ISRO on Friday said that Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module has successfully undergone a deboosting (slowing down) operation taking it closer to the Moon, and that its health is normal.
The Lander Module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan), will undergo the second deboosting operation on August 20, to be lowered to an orbit that takes it much closer to the Moon's surface. The soft landing on the Lunar south pole is scheduled on August 23.
"The Lander Module (LM) health is normal. LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs. IST," ISRO said in a post on X.
The Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 had successfully separated from the Propulsion Module on Thursday, 35 days after the satellite was launched on July 14. PTI
16:20 Ghoomer Review: Engaging
Despite Ghoomer's predictability, it goes beyond the standard sports drama template to give us a genuinely moving tale of relationships, observes Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.
The Moon as captured by the Lander Imager Camera
16:14 First look: The moon from Chandrayaan-3 Lander
ISRO on Friday released a set of visuals of the Moon captured by cameras positioned on the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
The images, captured after the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module of the spacecraft on Thursday, showed the craters on the Moon's surface that were marked on the photographs released by ISRO as 'Fabry', 'Giordano Bruno' and 'Harkhebi J'.
The country's space agency shared on X (formerly Twitter) the images captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) on August 15, and visuals from the Lander Imager (LI) Camera-1 on August 17 -- just after the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module.
The Lander Module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan) will on Friday be lowered to an orbit that takes it closer to the Moon's surface for the soft landing on the Lunar south pole on August 23. -- PTI
16:00 Adhir's version on suspension to be heard on Aug 30
The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha on Friday decided to ask Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to appear before it at its next meeting to hear his side on his suspension from the House for "misconduct".
The committee, chaired by BJP member Sunil Kumar Singh, also appeared to favour recommending to Speaker Om Birla to revoke Chowdhury's suspension after formally hearing his side at its meeting on August 30, Parliament sources said.
Chowdhury was named by Speaker Om Birla for "unruly conduct" on August 11, the last day of the Monsoon session and was suspended from the membership of Lok Sabha pending a report from the Privileges Committee.
At the meeting on Friday, several members were of the view that Chowdhury has been punished for his conduct by Lok Sabha and there was no further need to examine his behaviour by a parliamentary panel.
"A person cannot be punished twice for the same offence," a committee member said, adding that even BJP members took a "soft view" of the issue and were in favour of revocation of Chowdhury's suspension.
Besides Singh, BJP members Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Raju Bista, Ganesh Singh, Janardan Sigriwal, Dilip Ghosh, DMK member T R Baalu, Congress member K Suresh and Trinamool member Kalyan Banerjee attended the meeting on Friday.
"As a process of natural justice, the committee has decided to hear Chowdhury's version at its next meeting on August 30," a committee member said. PTI
15:20 Umar Khalid's bail plea to be heard after 2 weeks
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of the bail plea filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the North-East Delhi riots in February 2020.
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi adjourned the matter for two weeks.
"This has to go to a non-miscellaneous day. List it after two weeks on a non-miscellaneous day," the bench said.
Khalid had approached the top court challenging an October 2022 Delhi High Court verdict that had denied bail to him.
Khalid, arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020, in the High Court had sought bail on grounds that he neither had any "criminal role" in the violence in the city's North-East area nor any "conspiratorial connect" with any other accused in the case.
The Delhi police had opposed the bail plea of Khalid.
He had then approached the High Court challenging the dismissal of his bail application by the trial court in March 2022.He was charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly as well as several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). -- ANI
15:00 Felt really sad, says Nitish on journalist's murder
A journalist was shot dead by unidentified people in Araria district of Bihar early on Friday, police said. Vimal Kumar Yadav (35), who worked for a Hindi daily, was killed at his residence in Premnagar village.
"The assailants knocked at the gates of Yadav's house around 5.30 am and opened fire as soon as he opened the gates," the Bihar Police tweeted. Yadav died on the spot, where the district police chief and the SHO of Raniganj, the police station concerned, rushed upon hearing the news.
"The body has been sent for post-mortem examination. An investigation is underway. Forensic experts and the dog squad have been called in. The deceased was said to be involved in an old dispute with a neighbour. All angles are being probed into," said Ashok Kumar Singh, the Superintendent of Police for Araria.
When journalists approached Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna with queries about the incident, he said, "I felt really sad and immediately asked officials concerned to look into the incident. The matter is being probed and the culprits will be brought to book."
However, the opposition lashed out at the government and claimed the incident showed "democracy is in danger in Bihar". "Criminals are roaming freely while innocent citizens, including journalists, and even police personnel are being killed in Bihar," alleged state BJP president Samrat Choudhary.
"What has happened in Araria is, indeed, tragic. But such incidents have become the norm since the 'ghamandia' (arrogant) Mahagathbandhan led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad formed the government in the state," said the BJP leader whose party shared power in the stage till a year ago.
Former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan, who has realigned with the BJP-led NDA, said, "Nitish Kumar and his allies keep shouting that democracy is under attack in Bihar. But they are unable to protect the fourth estate."
Referring to the killing of a police officer recently in Samastipur, Paswan said, "The common Bihari gave up all hopes from Nitish Kumar long back. But his government cannot protect even the police and the press." PTI
14:42 COVID-19 still a global health threat: WHO chief
Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on Friday said though COVID-19 is no longer a health emergency for the world, it is still a global health threat' and a new variant of coronavirus is already under the scanner.
The chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting at Mahatma Mandir Convention centre in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar.
Although COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, it remains a global health threat. WHO has recently classified a new variant with a large number of mutations.
BA.2.86 variant is under monitoring at present, highlighting once again the need for all countries to maintain surveillance, he said. On the occasion, he urged all the countries to speed up the process of finalising the Pandemic Accord' so that it can be adopted in the World Health Assembly scheduled to be held next year. COVID-19 has taught us all an important lesson that when health is at risk everything is at risk.
The world is learning the painful lessons of the pandemic, said Dr Ghebreyesus in his address to the G20 member countries. Beginning with the presidency of Saudi Arabia, he said, discussions led to the establishment of a joint Finance Health Task Force under the interim presidency supported by Indonesia and now India under their respective presidencies. -- PTI
14:30 On EMIs of personal loans, RBI tells banks ...
The Reserve Bank on Friday asked banks and other lenders to provide individual borrowers an option of switching over to a fixed rate at the time of reset of interest rates.
In a notification, it said in respect of EMI-based floating rate personal loans, in the wake of rising interest rates, several consumer grievances related to elongation of loan tenure and/or increase in EMI amount, without proper communication with and/or consent of borrowers have been received.
In order to address these concerns, RBI asked entities regulated by it to put in place an appropriate policy framework.
"At the time of sanction, REs shall clearly communicate to the borrowers about the possible impact of change in benchmark interest rate on the loan leading to changes in EMI and/or tenor or both. Subsequently, any increase in the EMI/ tenor or both on account of the above shall be communicated to the borrower immediately through appropriate channels," RBI said.
It further said that at the time of reset of interest rates, Regulated Entities (REs) should provide an option to borrowers to switch over to a fixed rate as per their board-approved policy.
The policy, RBI added should specify the number of times a borrower will be allowed to switch during the tenor of the loan. Borrowers should also be given a choice to opt for enhancement in EMI or elongation of tenor or for a combination of both options. They should also be given an option to prepay, either in part or in full, at any point during the tenor of the loan. PTI
14:19 Cong demands white paper from govt over Chinese man duping people
The Congress on Friday targeted the BJP-led Centre over an alleged scam involving a Chinese national and demanded the government come out with a white paper on the allegations that he "duped" 1,200 people in Gujarat of Rs 1,400 crore using a betting app.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged the government is using probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to target Opposition leaders but not against Chinese scamsters who "loot" Indians and flee the country.
He claimed Woo Uyanbe used the football betting app to dupe 1,200 people in Gujarat of a whopping Rs 1,400 crore in just nine days and fled the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah could not stop him, he said. Khera also claimed the police in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh "promoted" the 'Dani Data App', thereby helping it earn the trust of common people before it was realised the app was a scam.
He displayed some pictures available on social media where the Uttar Pradesh Police is purportedly seen posing with the 'Dani Data App'-sponsored 'Love Donation' banners. Khera claimed the Chinese techie stayed in India in 2020-22 and created the fake football betting app using which he swindled crores from the ordinary people of Gujarat -- mostly from Banaskantha and Patan -- and parts of Uttar Pradesh before escaping from India.
"Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are using the ED, CBI, SFIO etc to target Opposition leaders, but not Chinese scamsters who loot Indians and flee the country," he told reporters at a press conference.
"We demand that the government come out with a white paper to bring out the truth and ascertain how many people have been duped and who is the scamster linked to," Khera said.
The Congress leader also alleged that successive escapes of Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and now the Chinese national prove duped "the Modi government is not a guardian of 'public money' but a 'travel agency' facilitating 'fraud, fleece and fly to foreign shores'."
13:54 Now, designer Tarun Tahiliani slams 'Made in Heaven' for not giving credit
Designer Tarun Tahliani has criticised the makers of series Made in Heaven for falsely attributing his creations to a 'fictitious designer' in an episode of the show's second season.
Tahliani took to his Instagram Stories on Thursday and said his eponymous label had provided clothes for the second episode of the season two that featured actor Mrunal Thakur.
'It is most unfortunate when a popular OTT series violates the understanding behind the provision of clothing in the first place. Case in point: Significant portions of the second episode of Made in Heaven, were styled using clothes provided by the Tarun Tahiliani studio in good faith to the stylist.
'This is a shocking breach of faith. Unfortunately, a fictitious designer (actor) representing a fictitious label presented our garments!' Tahliani wrote.
The designer said the production house should have engaged a 'costume designer, had costumes designed, and proceeded' if their intentions were not to give credit to him.
'Let's hope that this scenario does not repeat itself with other designers who have graciously lent their work for OTT productions. Furthermore, it is our hope that such actions will never be considered acceptable in the future,' Tahliani added.
The clothes for second season of Made in Heaven have been styled by Bhawna Sharma.
The Prime Video show is created by filmmaker duo Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti.
The makers are yet to respond to Tahliani's claims.
Tahliani's criticism comes days after author Yashica Dutt expressed disappointment that the makers appropriated her life story and work as a Dalit activist in the series 'without permission or credit'.
On Thursday, Akhtar and Kagti, along with directors Alankrita Shrivastava and Neeraj Ghaywan, released a statement and categorically denied Dutt's claims. -- PTI
CJI D Y Chandrachud
13:28 Tech glitch during virtual hearing in CJI's court
The court of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday faced audio disruptions during virtual hearing of cases, Supreme Court sources said.
The issue was later resolved by the technical team of the Supreme Court, they said.
Due to the disruptions, several lawyers, litigants and journalists were briefly unable to appear or witness the judicial proceedings before the CJI's court.
Besides physical hearings, the top court has allowed lawyers and others to take part in court proceedings through videoconferencing.
13:14 'Gadar 2' BO collection reaches close to Rs 300 crore
With'Gadar 2', Sunny Deol's "dhai kilo ka haath" is undoubtedly shattering box office records in a historic way.
The sequel, which was released on August 11, has minted Rs 284.63 crores in India in just seven days.
On Friday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the film's first-week box office collection.
He tweeted, "H-I-S-T-O-R-I-C' #Gadar2 puts up a SENSATIONAL TOTAL in Week 1' Will hit Rs 300 cr TODAY [second Fri]' Fri 40.10 cr, Sat 43.08 cr, Sun 51.70 cr, Mon 38.70 cr, Tue 55.40 cr, Wed 32.37 cr, Thu 23.28 cr. Total: Rs 284.63 cr. #India biz."
He added, "The #BO performance of #Gadar2 is a REVELATION in mass pockets' The craze for this film is UNPARALLELED' In fact, after a very, very long time, the multiplexes as well as single screens at mass sectors are experiencing this kind of HYSTERIA. #Boxoffice.
"The film is running to packed hours across the country and has been creating history at the box office with each passing day despite facing a clash with Akshay Kumar's 'OMG 2'"-- NIL
Tahawwur Rana
13:01 Will 26/11 accused be extradited before polls?
Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, says the possible extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the case, is now a question of a few months.
Nikam's statement came on the heels of US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel's remarks to call for those involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to be brought to justice.
Patel, however, said that the extradition process of Tahawwur Rana is a "pending matter'.
A US court on Thursday denied the writ of habeas corpus filed by Tahawwur Rana, paving the way for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to issue a certification for him to be extradited to India, where he is facing charges of his involvement in 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
On the US court denying the writ of habeas corpus, Ujjwal Nikam said, "Indeed it's a great success for India and I have no hesitation to say that because of the good relations between the US government and Indian government, the US administration had correctly declared that in any case whosoever the offender in the 26/11 terror attack case on Mumbai they should be punished according to law.
"It would all depend now on the US administration as to when Tahawwur Rana is to be sent back to India for trial. The moot question is where he will be tried, whether in the NIA court at Delhi or elsewhere, those questions will be decided by the investigating agency," the special public prosecutor of the 26/11 case added.
Tahawwur Rana is not the first person who is currently serving time in a US jail after being accused of being part of the 26/11 attack conspiracy. Before Rana, David Coleman Headley was also arrested by the US.
Headley struck a plea bargain with the US government to avoid being extradited to India. His statement was however recorded by Nikam who had cross-examined him in an open court through a virtual conference. -- ANI
12:39 'Situation in Manipur dangerous, sack CM'
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday demanded the sacking of Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh as the four-member party delegation left for the state.
Yechury-led delegation is on a three-day visit to Manipur from August 18 to 20.
"We are going to express solidarity with the people of Manipur and tell them that India is with you. Manipur CM should be sacked. We will do whatever is necessary to restore peace. The situation in the state is dangerous and it is necessary to control it for the unity of the country," Yechury told ANI.
Earlier a 21-member delegation from Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) visited the violence-hit Manipur from July 29-30.
The delegation met the Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey and visited the relief camps set up in the state. A five-member delegation was also sent to Manipur by Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The delegation comprised Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen and Sushmita Dev and Lok Sabha MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Kalyan Banerjee. -- ANI
12:20 Bomb threat on Vistara's Delhi-Pune flight
A bomb threat was received for Vistara's flight from the national capital to Pune when boarding was in progress on Friday morning, according to sources.
The sources said the bomb threat was received at around 0730 am at the Delhi airport and search operations are going on. -- PTI
11:40 Three killed in Manipur in renewed violence
In a fresh round of violence in ethnic strife-torn Manipur, mutilated bodies of three youths were found following heavy gunfire at Kuki Thowai village in Ukhrul district on Friday, officials said.
Sounds of heavy gunfire were heard from the village, which falls under Litan police station, early in the morning, they said.
Officials said the bodies of the three youths aged between 24 years and 35 years were found after police carried out a thorough search in the surrounding villages and forest areas.
Bodies of the three persons bore injury marks apparently made using sharp knives and their limbs were also chopped off, officials said.
The ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. -- PTI
11:15 22 student suicides in Kota; these fans may stop it
Spring-loaded fans are being installed in all hostels and paying guest accommodations in Kota to stem suicide cases among students.
A student in Rajasthan's Kota died by suicide on Tuesday night. This becomes fourth suicide this month and 22th case this year, once again bringing the student deaths in the entrance coaching hub to the spotlight.
The 18-year-old boy, identified as Valmiki Jangid from Bihar's Gaya, was studying in a coaching institute for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main examination for admission into Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).This is reportedly the 22nd such suicide in Kota in 2023 -- and the fourth just in the month of August.
10:54 Shimla landslide search ops done manually: NDRF
NDRF teams continue search and rescue operations at the landslide-affected area of Shimla.
"This is the 5th day of rescue operations. NDRF, an army team, and SDRF are involved in the operations. We have searched 80% of the area. Machines can't reach interior parts, so we have to do the operations manually," says NDRF inspector Naseef Khan.
The death toll from the rains in Himachal Pradesh climbed to 74 on Thursday, as rescue workers pulled out another body from the rubble of a Shiva temple in Shimla while two more were killed in Chamba.
Twenty-one people died in three major landslides in Shimla, including the one at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill.
The state has been hit by 113 landslides in the 55 days since the monsoon began, causing losses of 2,491 crore to the Public Works Department and 1,000 crore to the National Highways Authority of India
10:35 30 people injured after private bus overturns in Thrissur
More than thirty people were injured after a private bus overturned near Kanimangalam in Kerala's Thrissur district on Friday. "More than thirty people have been injured after a private bus overturned in Thrissur. Injured persons have been shifted to two private hospitals and Thrissur Taluk government hospitals," State Revenue Minister K Rajan said.
The minister also visited the injured in the hospital. The reason of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
10:20 U'khand on alert, Pranmati river swells
The water level in the Pranmati river in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand has increased to a great extent following incessant rainfall in the state, which has been witnessed massive flooding and landslides.
Authorities have alerted the locals in the area to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents, officials said on Friday.
According to Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana, River Pranmati has swollen due to heavy downpours.
The district magistrate said that no damage has been reported from the area and that locals were alerted about the rise in the river beforehand to ensure their safety.
"There has been no cloudburst in Chamoli's Tharali, but the water in the Pranmati River has increased to a great extent. The administration had already issued an alert in the area, so there is no information about any kind of damage," District Magistrate Khurana said. Meanwhile, excessive water entered into houses in Kaluwala in Dehradun due to the heavy rainfall.
SDRF personnel immediately reached the spot and are engaged in efforts to help the affected locals and carried out rescue operations on Thursday night.
Due to rain-triggered landslides, the road between Maithana and Pursadi on the Badrinath National Highway sank, as per Chamoli Police. Authorities have restricted vehicular movements at Ram Jhula bridge in Rishikesh after a supportive wire broke following heavy rainfall.
According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), a person was found dead after a house collapsed in Helang village on the Badrinath highway between Pipalkoti and Joshimath in Chamoli district on Tuesday evening. -- ANI
KBK Graphics
09:55 Constable rapes woman in Raj, cops let him go
A police constable was tied to a cot and thrashed by locals after he allegedly raped a woman in Rajasthan's Dausa district, officials said on Friday.
However, Constable Mahesh Kumar Gurjar was let go by police personnel from the local police station after they took him for a medical examination, they said.
Gurjar, who is on the run, and the station house officer (SHO) of Baswa police station were suspended on Thursday after the woman lodged a complaint in the matter, according to the officials.
"Constable Mahesh Kumar Gurjar went to the house of the 30-year-old woman when she was alone on Tuesday night and allegedly raped her. When she raised an alarm, the woman's neighbours caught him.
Meanwhile, her family members also came back and thrashed him," Circle Officer (CO) Bandikui Ishwar Singh said. The constable was tied to a cot, he said. After receiving information about the incident, a team from Baswa police station reached the spot and took Gurjar for a medical examination.
Later, they let him go, Singh said. The matter came to light on Thursday after the woman lodged a police complaint. Later, the station house officer (SHO) of Baswa police station was suspended for not informing senior officials about the incident on Tuesday itself. Gurjar, who was posted at a different police station, was also suspended, the CO said.
"The accused constable is on the run and efforts are being made to nab him," Singh said. PTI
09:30 Yasin Malik's wife included in Pakistan cabinet
Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has included Mishaal Hussain Malik, wife of jailed terrorist and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, in his cabinet.
Malik was convicted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in terror funding cases and sentenced to life imprisonment on May 25, 2022.Mishaal Hussain Malik has been appointed as Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Reuters reported.
Pakistan's former central bank chief Shamshad Akhtar has been appointed Finance Minister in the interim cabinet.
Former provincial minister Sarfaraz Bugti has been named Interior Minister.
Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Thursday administered oath to members of newly appointed caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar's cabinet.
Sixteen federal ministers took oath and Pakistan's interim PM has also appointed three advisers, Dawn reported citing a list of cabinet members issued by the Presidency.
It said the other federal ministers are -- Jalil Abbas Jilani, Lt General (r) Anwar Ali Hyder, Murtaza Solangi Sami Saeed, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Ahmad Irfan Aslam, Muhammad Ali, Gohar Ejaz, Umar Saif, Nadeem Jan, Khalil George, Aneeq Ahmad, Jamal Shah and Madad Ali Sindhi.
Advisors to Pakistan Caretaker PM include Air Marshal (r) Farhat Hussain Khan, Ahad Khan Cheema and Waqar Masood Khan, the report said.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, a Senator and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader, was sworn in as Pakistan's interim PM on August 14.
The Pakistan President administered the oath to the leader in the presence of outgoing Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and his former cabinet ministers.
JKLF was banned in 2019. On July 15 this year, Rubaiya Sayeed, the sister of People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed identified Malik in connection with her kidnapping on December 8, 1989. -- ANI
Image only for representation
09:27 Sikh man charged with stabbing 2 people at community event in UK
A 25-year-old Sikh man has been charged in connection with the stabbing of two people during a community event in Southall, west London, the Metropolitan Police said.
Gurpreet Singh, 25, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, London, and was charged with a series of offences, it said.
The charges included one count of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, two counts of GBH with intent, one count of affray, one count of threats with a bladed article, and two counts of possession of a bladed article, the police said on Thursday.
Singh has been remanded to custody and asked to appear at Isleworth Crown Court in London on September 14.
The incident reportedly occurred during an Indian Independence Day-related community event in Southall on Tuesday night, with videos circulating on social media showing a clash involving some pro-Khalistani extremists and police officers chasing suspects.
"I recognise the enormous concern this incident will have caused, both in Southall and in the Sikh communities around London and further afield, in what was an otherwise largely peaceful and celebratory event," said Metropolitan Police Superintendent Sean Lynch, responsible for neighbourhood policing in Ealing, west London.
"Our urgent investigation continues. We are aware of footage circulating on social media, with people also commenting on what they think happened. We would urge people to avoid echoing or adding to speculation. Fortunately, none of those injured were seriously hurt and there were no fatalities," he said.
Another man in his 20s was also arrested at the scene but has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
The police said a female officer involved in detaining one of those arrested sustained a small cut in her hand, but did not require hospital treatment.
The investigation into the incident is being led by Met Police detectives from West Area CID.
A Section 35 Dispersal Order authorised to disperse crowds in the area has since been lifted. -- PTI
08:43 Misunderstanding, says BJP MP on spat with Rivaba
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Poonamben Maadam on Thursday said that it was mere a 'misunderstanding' that led to a verbal spat between party MLA Rivaba Jadeja at a public event after they exchanged barbs over the 'use of slippers' while paying tributes to the bravehearts.
"There was definitely some misunderstanding and its reaction was visible in the viral video," Maadam said.
She further said that the BJP, however, is like her family.
"And as I said, the party is like a family, everyone in it is the strength of each other," Maadam said.
Notably, Gujarat's Jamnagar North MLA Rivaba Jadeja and MP from Jamnagar Lok Sabha constituency Poonamben Maadam on Thursday entered into a verbal spat at a public event after they exchanged barbs over the 'use of slippers' while paying tributes to the bravehearts.
According to the MLA Jadeja, MP Poonamben allegedly taunted her and called her 'over smart' for taking off her slippers while she was paying tribute.
"MP Poonamben Maadam paid tribute to the bravehearts by wearing slippers and I took off the slippers. She said in a loud voice that even the PM and the President do not remove slippers in such programs but some ignorant people become over-smart. I did not like his comment, so I spoke out of self-respect...Did I make a mistake by taking off my slippers?" Rivaba Jadeja said.
Rivaba is the wife of Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, in 2019 she joined BJP and last year she became an MLA from Gujarat's Jamnagar North.
Maadam is an MP from Jamnagar's seat since 2014. -- ANI
00:29 'Made in Heaven' creators reject Dalit writer's credit claim
The team Prime Video series Made in Heaven on Thursday categorically denied appropriating author Yashica Dutt's life story for one of the episodes of the show's second season.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Dutt had spoken about how she felt heartbroken to see her life story and work as a Dalit activist being used in the series "without permission or credit".
Show creators Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti as well as season two co-directors Alankrita Shrivastava and Neeraj Ghaywan issued a joint statement to dismiss reports that the episode, featuring Radhika Apte, was inspired by Dutt's life.
"We are deeply disturbed with the misleading reports and comments in context of author Yashica Dutt claiming formal credit for her 'contribution' to Made in Heaven, a show set around wedding planners and remarkable brides who challenge prejudices deeply ingrained in our society," they said.
The second season's fifth episode, titled The heart skipped a beat, features Apte as Pallavi Menke, an outspoken Dalit personality, hailing from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, who studied law at Columbia. Menke is an academic who teaches at Columbia and is likely to be tenured as a professor.
The episode has been directed by Masaan helmer Ghaywan and received praise for the portrayal of a Dalit character who is confident in asserting her identity.
"The central conflict of the episode is whether Pallavi should fight to have the wedding rituals that are a signifier of her identity, or not. None of the above is drawn from Yashica Dutt's life or her book - Coming Out As Dalit.
"We categorically deny any claim that Ms. Dutt's life or work was appropriated by us," the statement read.
In the episode, Pallavi, like Dutt, is shown to be an author of a fictional book called Denied.
The makers said the mention of the fictional book in the series is a "hat-tip" to several such books, including Dutt's Coming Out As Dalit as well as Ants Among Elephants by Sujatha Gidla, Caste Matters by Suraj Yengde, and the Tarshi article by Sumit Baudh.
"We have immense respect for them and their experiences and their work that has admirably shed light on caste based discrimination. Through his previous work and this episode, Neeraj Ghaywan has added to the discourse.
"We made this show with sincerity, passion and a beating heart and are overwhelmed with the love we have received. We will continue to platform stories and voices that are truly bigger than us," the statement read.
In her Instagram post, Dutt praised Dalit filmmakers like Ghaywan for revolutionising "our cinematic language" by "showcasing unapologetic Dalits in Bollywood".
"It was surreal to see a version of my life on screen that wasn't but yet was still me. But soon the heartbreak set in. They were my words but my name was nowhere. What could have been a celebration of our collective ideas was now tinged with sadness.
"The ideas I cultivated, that are my life's work, that I continue to receive immense hate still for just speaking, were taken without permission or credit," she had said.
Dutt also wrote that Dalits and Dalit women have a "long history of being taken from, erased, ignored, obliterated from our own stories". -- PTI
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