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Tue, 27 June 2023
Al-Badr terrorist killed in Kulgam encounter
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23:58 Al-Badr terrorist killed in Kulgam encounter
Al-Badr terrorist identified as Adil Majeed Lone was neutralised by security forces in an encounter on Tuesday in the village Hawoora area of Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir.
After receiving intelligence inputs, the area was cordoned off and the terrorist was eliminated in a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and CRPF, the official release said.
In the ensuing encounter, a local terrorist linked with the proscribed terrorist outfit Al-Badr was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter.
He has been identified as Adil Majeed Lone son of Abdul Majeed Lone resident of Akbarabad Hawoora, Kulgam, it added.
During the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, one J-K police personnel got injured in the indiscriminate firing by the terrorists hiding there.
He was subsequently shifted to the hospital for treatment.
The police and army gave the hiding terrorist an opportunity to surrender, however, he kept on firing at the joint forces.
After which, the firing was effectively retaliated, leading to an encounter.
Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including one Pistol with live ammunition and a Grenade were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the official release said.
In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigation is in progress.
The police and the army have requested the people to cooperate with the Police till the area at of encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all possibly present explosive materials. -- ANI
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23:38 Maoist, wanted in 15 cases, killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh
A hardcore Maoist, wanted in more than a dozen incidents of Maoist violence, was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Tuesday, police said.
Two to three other Maoists also sustained injuries in the exchange of fire, he added.
A firearm, an improvised explosive device and materials used in making explosives were recovered from the encounter site, located about 350 km from state capital Raipur, he said.
The gunfight took place in a forest near Bodgubli village when a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Maoist operation, a senior official said.
Acting on specific inputs about presence of Maoists Vetti Bhima, Mangdu, Kosi, Sodi Dula and other cadres belonging to the Konta area committee of Maoists in Errabor and Bheji police station areas, the joint squad of the District Reserve Guard, the Central Reserve Police Force and the district force launched the operation, he said.
After the exchange of fire stopped, the body of a Maoist identified as Sodi Dula along with a muzzle loading gun, an IED, gelatine rod, cordex wire and electric detonators were recovered from the spot, the official said. -- PTI
23:19 Modi calls on President Murmu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday evening.
It was not immediately known what transpired during the meeting which comes days after the prime minster returned from his first State visits to the US and Egypt.
"Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the President's office tweeted with their photo.
The meeting also comes in the backdrop of ethnic violence in Manipur. Prime minister on Monday chaired a meeting on the situation in the northeastern state after his return from the visit. -- PTI
22:48 Modi's wife Jashodaben visits Puri temple ahead of return Rath Yatra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wife Jashodaben on Tuesday visited Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri, where the idols of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings were brought last week as part of the Rath Yatra festival.
Accompanied by her brother Ashok Modi and others, Jashodaben was at the temple during the andhya Darshan' of the deities, held a day before the return car festival, during which the sibling deities will go back to the Jagannath temple.
Meanwhile, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration along with the Puri district administration has started preparation for the return car festival of Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath to be held on Wednesday.
The SJTA is expecting a congregation of about five lakh people on the occasion, an official said.
The deities will be taken to their respective chariots -- parked in front of Gundicha Temple -- between 12 noon to 2.30 pm.
The chariot pulling will start at 4 pm, an official said. -- PTI
22:29 Jharkhand court convicts 10 in Tabrez lynching case
A local court in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharswan district on Tuesday convicted ten persons in connection with the 2019 Tabrez Ansari lynching case.
The quantum of punishment will be announced on July 5, public prosecutor Ashok Kumar Rai said.
One of the accused, Kushal Mahali, had died during the course of trial, he said, adding two were acquitted for lack of evidence.
The convicted persons -- Bhim Singh Munda, Kamal Mahato, Madan Nayak, Atul Mahali, Sunamo Pradhan, Vikram Mandal, Chamu Nayak, Prem Chand Mahali, Mahesh Mahali -- were taken into custody soon after they were convicted by the court of additional district judge-I Amit Shekhar.
The prime accused, Prakash Mandal alias Pappu Mandal, is already in judicial custody.
Ansari, who was beaten up with rods over alleged theft, was lynched in Dhatkidih village under Seraikela police station limits on June 17, 2019. -- PTI
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22:08 Orange alert issued for Maha's Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Pune
The India meteorological department issued an orange alert for heavy rains in Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Nashik, Pune and Satara on Tuesday.
Earlier on June 25, the IMD issued an Orange alert for Raigad and Ratnagiri as heavy rainfall lashed parts of Maharashtra.
The IMD also stated that the southwest monsoon advanced over Mumbai and Delhi.
The weather department also issued a 'yellow alert' for Palghar, Mumbai, Thane, and Sindhudurg.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai city received 104 mm of rain and eastern suburbs and western suburbs received 123 mm and 139 mm of rain.
Earlier this month, the Andheri subway in Mumbai was closed for vehicular movements after waterlogging was triggered by heavy rainfall.
The traffic was diverted towards the Swami Vivekananda road.
The IMD had issued a 'yellow alert' for Mumbai and predicted heavy rainfall.
"Rainfall intensity to gradually increase over parts of Maharashtra during next 4-5 days. Indication of expected severe weather in the next 5 days, " said Regional Meteorological Centre on Sunday.
Notably, the monsoon hit several parts of the country a few days back, giving people relief from the scorching heat. -- ANI
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21:32 Censor certificate denied for '72 Hoorain' trailer?
Ashoke Pandit, co-producer of the National Award-winning film 72 Hoorain, on Tuesday said the censor board has refused to give a certificate to the trailer of the movie set for release on July 7.
Directed by Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, the film stars Pavan Malhotra and Aamir Bashir in the lead and focuses on the consequences of violent extremism.
In a video message, Pandit also appealed to Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur and Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Prasoon Joshi to pull up the people in the censor body who are trying "to snatch away our creative independence and freedom of expression".
"We, the makers, of the film 72 Hoorain are quite shocked and surprised because the censor board today refused to give us a certificate for our trailer. It's quite funny and sad that a film which has won a National Award, a film which has won an award at IFFI (International Film Festival of India), the visuals are the same as what were then in the film, what is there in the trailer. So on one side, you have given a National Award to the film, and on the other side, you are refusing a certificate to the trailer of the film," the producer said in the 1.30-minute video. -- PTI
Sharad Pawar
21:18 Mumbai court grants bail to man accused of issuing death threat to NCP chief
A court in Mumbai on Tuesday granted bail to a Pune resident arrested for allegedly issuing a death threat to Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on social media.
Additional chief metropolitan magistrate (Esplanade court) L S Padhen allowed the bail plea of the accused Sagar Barve, who works in the data feeding and analytics section of a private firm.
The detailed order was not available yet.
According to the complainant, he came across a post on social media on June 9, which threatened the NCP patriarch with a fate similar to anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, the prosecution said.
The post was on a page called "Rajkaran Maharashtra che' and the message was written by a profile name "Narmadabai Patwardhan'.
Assuming that the message was a death threat for Pawar, the complainant approached the police and an FIR was registered, it stated.
The crime branch, which was probing the case, later arrested the accused for his alleged involvement in issuing death threats, the prosecution said. -- PTI
20:55 Rahul Gandhi to visit Manipur on June 29-30
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit violence-hit Manipur from June 29-30 and meet people in relief camps and interact with civil society members, party general secretary KC Venugopal said on Tuesday.
This is the first visit of the Congress leader to the northeastern state embroiled in ethnic violence since May 3.
"Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Manipur on 29-30 June. He will visit relief camps and interact with civil society representatives in Imphal and Churachandpur during his visit," AICC general secretary (organisation) Venugopal tweeted.
Manipur has been burning for nearly two months, and desperately needs a healing touch so that the society can move from conflict to peace, he said.
"This is a humanitarian tragedy and it is our responsibility to be a force of love, not hate," Venugopal added.
The Congress has blamed the BJP and its "divisive politics" for the present situation in the state which seen over 100 deaths in the violence. -- PTI
20:49 Ratan Tata says 'have no associations with cryptocurrency of any form'
Veteran industrialist and former Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata on Tuesday said he has no associations with cryptocurrency of any form.
Strongly refuting reports of his investments in cryptocurrency, in a tweet, Tata said, "I request netizens to please stay aware. I have no associations with cryptocurrency of any form."
Sharing a screenshot of an article that stated his "recent investment had experts in disbelief and major banks concerned" as an example, he wrote, "If you see any articles or ads mentioning my association with cryptocurrency, they are absolutely untrue and meant to scam citizens."
In 2021, Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra also denied investing in cryptocurrency, dubbing reports that claimed that he had done so as "completely fabricated & fraudulent" and asserted he had "not invested a single rupee in cryptos". -- PTI
Jyotiraditya Scindia
20:25 Scindia supporter quits BJP, returns to Congress in Madhya Pradesh
Bharatiya Janata Party's Shivpuri district vice-president Rakesh Gupta, considered close to Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, has joined the Congress along with his supporters, marking his return to the Opposition party ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.
Gupta had switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Congress in early 2020 when there was a change of government in the state following the collapse of the 15-month-old Kamal Nath regime.
Scindia had also joined the saffron party in 2020 after quitting the Congress.
Gupta, along with his hundreds of supporters, joined the Congress in the presence of MPCC president Kamal Nath on Monday in Bhopal, a party release said.
Besides the BJP functionary, nearly 500 others took membership of the Congress in the presence of Nath, it added.
Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are due by the year-end. -- PTI
20:03 BSE, NSE, money markets to remain shut on Jun 29 on account of Bakrid
Leading bourses BSE and National Stock Exchange and money markets will remain closed on Thursday on account of Eid al-Adha also known as Bakrid.
Earlier, the holiday was scheduled for June 28.
The markets are now open on Wednesday.
The change came after the Maharashtra government declared June 29 a public holiday as the festival of Bakrid falls on this day instead of June 28 declared earlier.
Both the stock exchanges have notified the new holiday date (June 29).
Bakrid is an Islamic festival celebrated by Muslims across the world.
According to a Reserve Bank circular, there will be no transactions and settlements in Government securities, foreign exchange, money markets and rupee interest rate derivatives on June 29, 2023. -- PTI
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Agaldare joins Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde/Eknath Shinde/Twitter
19:48 Another Uddhav camp leader joins Shinde's Sena
Shiv Sena-UBT leader and former corporator Sanjay Agaldare joined the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday.
Nearly a dozen former corporators from Shiv Sena-UBT have joined the Shinde-led Sena in the last year since a rebellion split the party.
Before the term of the corporators ended early last year, Agaldare represented Ward No. 99 - Khar Danda - of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Speaking on the occasion, according to a statement by his office, Shinde said that the speed with which the Shiv Sena-BJP government is working in the state for the last 11 months has made the Opposition worried about its future.
"Since our government came to power, we have taken several decisions for the welfare of the public and in a short span of time we have expedited developmental works that had come to a halt under the previous government. Those who ruled the BMC for 15 years didn't do anything for the city," said Shinde.
The Opposition is scared thinking about the work the government will do in the next 1.5 years, he said.
"Mumbaikars trust us and so corporators continue to join us," said Shinde. -- PTI
19:03 Elgar Parishad case: NIA opposes accused Mahesh Raut's bail plea
The National Investigation Agency has opposed the bail plea of Mahesh Raut, an activist arrested in the Elgar Parishad Maoist links case, alleging that he acted against the interests of the state and society.
The probe agency in an affidavit filed in response to Raut's bail petition said it was not justifiable for an accused, booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, to seek bail on constitutional grounds. Raut had in his plea had said that his custody was unwarranted and that it was against Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
"It is not justifiable for an accused of such offence to seek relief on constitutional grounds when his acts are itself against the interest of the State and society," the affidavit said.
The agency claimed that the alleged acts committed by Raut had a direct impact on the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India. It further said that the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, which has plagued this country, has caused destruction of lives of people, police, etc.
The NIA said this insurgency was spearheaded by the Communist Party of India-Maoist, of which Raut was a member. -- PTI
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18:42 Govt to release critical minerals list on Wednesday
The government on Wednesday will release a list of 'critical minerals of India' for the first time, an official statement said.
The list will be released by Union Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, it said.
"The ministry of mines is all set to unveil for the first time the list of critical minerals for India to ensure reduced import dependencies, enhance supply chain resilience and support the country's net zero objectives," the coal ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The release of the 'critical minerals list' will mark a milestone in India's pursuit of self-reliance and security in the domain of mineral resources.
This list is designed to identify and prioritize minerals that are essential for various industrial sectors such as high-tech electronics, telecommunications, transport and defence.
The list will serve as a guiding framework for policy formulation, strategic planning and investment decisions in the mining sector. -- PTI
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18:20 Mamata hurt as chopper makes emergency landing
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured when the helicopter in which she was flying made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri in the northern part of the state due to bad weather on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Banerjee was reportedly injured on her waist and legs when the chopper was shaking terribly after running into heavy rain while flying over the Baikunthapur forest.
She was going to Bagdogra Airport from Jalpaiguri to take a flight to Kolkata.
After her return to the metropolis, doctors at the state-run SSKM Hospital attended to her.
"It was raining very heavily and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing after the helicopter started shaking terribly when it ran into bad weather on the way to Bagdogra airport," an official said. -- PTI
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18:09 Court summons Uddhav, Raut in defamation case
A magistrate's court in Mumbai has issued a summons to Shiv Sena-UBT leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut over alleged defamatory articles carried by the party mouthpiece Saamana against Rahul Shewale, a leader of the rival Sena faction.
Metropolitan Magistrate (Sewree court) SB Kale issued the summons on Monday in response to a complaint filed by Shewale, MP from the Mumbai South-Central constituency.
Thackeray, a former Maharashtra chief minister, and Rajya Sabha MP Raut have been directed to appear before the court on July 14.
Shewale, who belongs to the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, has sought action against the two leaders under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (punishment for defamation) and 501 (printing or engraving matter knowing it to be defamatory) for publishing `defamatory articles' against him in the Marathi and Hindi editions of Saamana.
While Thackeray is the chief editor of Saamana, Raut is its executive editor.
In the complaint, filed through advocate Chitra Salunke, Shewale took objection to the articles with the headline `Rahul Shewale has hotel, real estate business in Karachi' published on December 29, 2022. -- PTI
18:05 Chinese billionaire Jack Ma arrives in Kathmandu
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma arrived in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon, confirmed officials.
The co-founder of the Chinese online trade platform, Alibaba, landed at Tribhuwan International Airport at around 2 pm (local time) today in his private Boeing 747 Max aircraft.
"He landed in Kathmandu today in his private plane. He said that he flew from China to Nepal in the immigration form," chief of Nepal's immigration department Jhalakram Adhikari told ANI over phone.
The Chinese billionaire who arrived with a seven-member team is staying at a hotel in Kathmandu. According to Adhikari, the director general of the department of immigration, Jack Ma has been granted 15 days tourist visa and is scheduled to call on Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
No official announcement has been made about the Chinese entrepreneur's arrival in Kathmandu and he hasn't demanded any security during his stay in the country.
The reasons for his visit to Nepal also haven't been made public. -- ANI
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17:43 Tomato prices touch Rs 120 per kg in Delhi
Vegetable vendors and wholesalers have blamed rains for disruption in tomato supply, leading to the price of the kitchen staple skyrocketing in retail markets of the national capital.
Local vendors are selling tomatoes in the price range of Rs 80 to Rs 120 per kg, depending on the quality and the localities.
Anil Malhotra, a member of the Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee, said tomato prices shoot up every monsoon but it was never this high.
"Prices go up every year during monsoon but the cost of tomatoes never went up this high. There is a major dip in supply due to the rains. Around half of our stock, which we got from Himachal Pradesh, got damaged," Malhotra said.
The national capital region gets tomato supply from neighbouring states such as Haryana and Punjab and the hill states.
Bhagwan, a grocer in south Delhi's Kailash Hills area, said tomato prices have shot up.
"We are getting tomatoes from wholesale markets at a higher price and selling at Rs 100-120 per kg," he said.
A vegetable vendor in Lajpat Nagar said people are reluctant to buy tomatoes due to the sudden price rise.
"The current market rate is Rs 80 per kg. We get the supply from mandis where the wholesale price is around Rs 60 per kg. The price has shot up in the past two to three days due to rainfall," he said. -- PTI
17:29 7 arrested in Delhi tunnel robbery case
Seven people have been arrested in connection with the gunpoint robbery of a delivery agent and his associate inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel in New Delhi, the police said on Tuesday.
The accused robbed them of about Rs 2 lakh on Saturday when they were on their way in a taxi to Gurugram to deliver the money.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused carried out recces on Thursday and Friday, and were on the look out.
On Saturday, they executed the robbery, a senior police officer said.
CCTV camera footage received by the Delhi police showed four motorcycle-borne men intercepted the car and robbed the delivery agent of Omiya Enterprises, Chandni Chowk, and his associate.
The arrested are Usman, his cousin Irfan, Anuj Mishra, Kuldeep, Sumit, Pradeep and Bala, the police said.
They were following the taxi and chose to stop it inside the tunnel as they had a higher chance of success to execute the robbery.
People usually do not stop in tunnels and drive through them at speed, according to the police. -- PTI
17:19 PM speech shows worry over oppn unity: Nitish aide
A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Bhopal betrayed worry in the BJP camp following the supreme success of the opposition meeting in Patna last week.
State minister and senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also alleged that by touching upon the uniform civil code(UCC), Modi was aiming at communal polarisation.
"Earlier, people in the BJP used to say that opposition leaders will never agree to even sit together because of mutual differences. The June 23 meeting in Patna refuted their claim. The way the PM spoke about opposition unity shows his worry and bears testimony to the supreme success of our opposition unity drive," said the JD(U) leader.
Nitish Kumar, JD(U)'s supreme leader, had snapped ties with the BJP last year, vowing to defeat the saffron party in next year's Lok Sabha polls by uniting all parties opposed to it. Last week, leaders of over a dozen parties, some of them from far-off regions like Jammu and Kashmir and Tamil Nadu, and some others bitter rivals like the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress, and the Left, attended the conclave hosted by Kumar and agreed to build on the momentum at the next meeting proposed in Shimla in July.
Chaudhary also asserted that there was "nothing new" in the PM's fulminations against corruption and nepotism, pointing out that the BJP has often ended up having a truck with those it accused of graft.
"Also, it has become common knowledge that parties and coalitions opposed to the BJP, like the Mahagathbandhan that rules Bihar, are being selectively targeted by central agencies. The people are watching," alleged the Bihar minister. -- ANI
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16:49 Kerala govt announces Rs 10L aid to the family of boy killed by dogs
The Kerala government on Tuesday granted Rs 10 lakh as financial aid to the family of a differently-abled boy who was attacked and killed by a pack of stray dogs at Muzhappilangad in northern Kannur district earlier this month.
Nihal, hailing from Kettinakam, was found grievously injured around 300 metres away from his house on June 11 and died at a hospital later. His family would get a financial aid of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Ministers' Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), a CMO statement said. -- ANI
Modi said corrupt politicians came together at the Patna meet
16:41 Will take every scamster to task: PM reacts to...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on opposition party leaders, asserting that he will not "spare anyone involved in corruption" while pledging "to take every scamster to task".
"I will take every scamster to task," PM Modi said, without taking any names. His scathing remarks came days after an opposition party meeting in Patna earlier this month pledged to take on the BJP in the next year's elections.
While addressing party booth workers in Madhya Pradesh where elections are due later this year, PM Modi said," All the corrupt politicians joined their hands in Patna's meeting. Opposition is trying to escape the anti-scam crackdown. The corrupt leaders are trying to save each other."
Lashing out at the mega meeting held in Patna on June 23, which saw participation by leaders from over 15 Opposition parties, the PM said all corrupt leaders had joined their hands in Patna.
"The party booth workers will expose their corruption at a village level. They will let people know about their (opposition) real faces. People of this country have an awareness of what was the real agenda behind opposition leaders in getting together at a platform," the PM said.
Pressing his attack, the Prime Minister said that the term "guarantee" was in vogue these days."Nowadays a new word is being heard, 'guarantee', PM said, apparently hinting at Congress's poll guarantees during the recent Karnataka elections.
"But what is the guarantee all about? The guarantee is for corruption. The guarantee is about scams worth lakhs of crores. The identity of such opposition leaders is to guarantee a scam worth Rs 20 lakh crore," the PM said.
16:25 MCD school principals to undergo training at IIMs: Atishi
Principals of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools will undergo leadership and management training at IIMs to "revolutionise" primary education in the city, Delhi Education Minister Atishi announced on Tuesday.
She told a press conference that the first batch of 50 principals will be sent to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad on June 29 for a week-long training programme. There are around 1,700 MCD-run primary schools. On the tenure of the BJP in the MCD, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said primary education in MCD schools was deplorable, and this impacted higher education of students.
"We have decided to transform the education system by introducing the training at IIMs for principals of MCD schools," said Atishi, whose party won the last year poll to the civic body, wresting control from the BJP after 15 years.
"We have given world-class training to principals of Delhi government schools. We have also started a series of world-class training. The best of the best education needs good leadership and management," she said.
The training at IIMs, the minister said, will bring a "revolutionise in education in MCD schools". Mayor Shelly Oberoi at the press conference said the AAP government wants to bring a change in the education system of MCD schools.
16:04 Hand over law and order to us: Kejriwal to LG
Reacting to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena calling a meeting with the police on the law and order situation in New Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that calling a meeting is a formality and the Center does have any plan to fix the law and order situation in the national capital.
Referring to the Pragati Maidan tunnel robbery case, CM Kejriwal said, "It seems that the Center does not have a plan to fix the law and order situation in Delhi. Calling a meeting is a formality. The robbers looted the money by stopping the vehicle at Pragati Maidan where the G-20 meeting is scheduled to be held. There is jungle raj in Delhi. No one is safe here."
CM further added, "In the morning I read that somewhere in the market there was a robbery by breaking the lock. This is because the Center and the LG are venting all energy into stopping the work of Delhi. They are engaged in how to stop the work of Mohalla Clinic. I request that let us do our work, and you do your work. If you cannot handle law and order, then give it to us. We will show how to make Delhi the safest city."
On Saturday, a delivery agent and his associate were allegedly robbed of Rs 2 lakh at gunpoint by four unidentified men inside the Pragati Maidan tunnel on Saturday when the victims were going towards Gurugram in a cab to deliver the money.
Two men were apprehended in connection with the robbery incident by Monday night, and the other suspects were successfully identified. Raids and random inspections were being conducted to apprehend them, the police had said on Monday night.
A 28-year-old woman was attacked with a sharp object on her face in Delhi's Kalkaji, police said on Sunday.
A 19-year-old youth was stabbed, and his cousin sustained injuries allegedly after being attacked by a man in Delhi's Brijpuri area last Friday.
15:50 Kerala has received 65% deficit rainfall so far during monsoon: IMD
Kerala, the gateway of the monsoon into the mainland of the country, has received deficient rainfall so far, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 8, nearly a week after its normal onset date of June 1. Compared to the normal south-west monsoon rainfall for the corresponding period, Kerala had a deficit of 65 per cent from the normal rainfall. The regional meteorological department, Kerala, however, said that the south-westerly winds are getting stronger, and more rainfall is expected in the coming days.
"We have received only minus 65 per cent rainfall in Kerala. All the districts in Kerala have received below-normal rainfall this season so far," Dr V K Mini, director in charge, IMD, Kerala, told PTI.
She said due to various factors, like the cyclones that formed over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, the south-west monsoon had a slow pick-up and slow progression. "The pick-up started only last week. Now we are witnessing a faster progression. So we expect more rain in the coming days," she said.
15:48 CAG to audit reconstruction of Kejriwal's house
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India will conduct a special audit into alleged "irregularities and violations" in the "reconstruction" of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, Raj Niwas officials said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had recommended the special CAG audit after taking note of a letter it received on May 24, officials at Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's office said.
The letter was received from the LG office and it pointed out "gross and prima facie financial irregularities" in the "reconstruction" of the chief minister's official residence, they claimed. No immediate reaction was available from the CM's office or the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. PTI
15:07 BJP won't adopt path of appeasement: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided it would not adopt the path of appeasement and vote bank politics.
"The policy of appeasement practised by some is "disastrous" for the country," Modi said during his visit to Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, where the Assembly polls are due this year-end.
"Even the Supreme Court has advocated for the Uniform Civil Code, but those practising vote bank politics are opposing it," he said addressing BJP workers selected from across the country who have made effective contributions in empowering their booths under the party's 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' campaign.
"The Indian Constitution also talks about uniform rights for the people of the country, he said. Modi said the BJP follows the path of santushtikaran (satisfaction), instead of "tushtikaran" (appeasement).
"The BJP has decided that it won't adopt the path of appeasement and vote bank," Modi said.
He also said that Pasmanda Muslims, who are backward, are not even treated as equal because of the vote bank politics. 'Pasmanda', a term for backward classes among Muslims, often finds a mention in Prime Minister Modi's speeches, at party forum as well as government events, and how the government has worked for the deprived without any discrimination.
The BJP believes it is in a position to make inroads among them in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a view emboldened by its win in the last year's Lok Sabha bypolls in Muslim-dominated seats of Azamgarh and Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
Modi said that in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, South India, especially in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, and a number of other states, many castes were left behind from development because of the policy of appeasement. Talking about the Uniform Civil Code, the prime minister said Indian Muslims have to understand which political parties are taking advantage of them by provoking them.
15:03 Mamata's chopper makes emergency landing
Due to low visibility, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's helicopter made an emergency landing at Sevoke Airbase. She was going to Bagdogra after addressing a public gathering at Krinti, Jalpaiguri. TMC leader Rajib Banerjee confirmed that she was safe.
"Due to low visibility, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's helicopter made an emergency landing at Sevoke Airbase. She was going to Bagdogra after addressing a public gathering at Krinti, Jalpaiguri. She is safe," TMC leader Rajib Banerjee said.
"CM West Bengal was on board EC-145 helicopter of Heligo Charters pvt ltd from Maal Bazaar to Bagdogra. Diverted to Sevok road (army helicopter base) due to heavy rains and low clouds at Bagdogra. All ok on ground at sevok road. Helicopter awaiting weather to clear. It was a precautionary landing," stated the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Earlier, CM Banerjee addressed a public gathering at Krinti, Jalpaiguri.
Manipur has been hit by violence for over 50 days
14:18 Army finds weapons, explosives heading to Manipur
Assam Rifles and Kohima Police foiled a smuggling bid and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition heading to strife-torn Manipur in a joint special operation in the Kohima City of Nagaland, stated a release from the Defence PRO on Tuesday.
The recovered items include two pistols and other ammunition. "Two pistols, four Magazines, ammunition, explosives and other war-like stores were recovered," the PRO statement added.
The PRO statement said forces received information that miscreants were attempting to smuggle weapons to strife-torn Manipur via Nagaland. Acting on the tip-off, a joint operation was launched by the Assam Rifles and the Kohima police at 2 AM on June 26.
"Assam Rifles spotted a passenger vehicle and kept it under surveillance. At 6 AM, the teams jointly searched the vehicle," the statement further added.
"A total of 11,00 arms, 13,702 ammunitions and 250 bombs of different kinds have been recovered so far. Flag marches, area domination, cordon and search operations are continuing in various parts of the state," a Manipur police statement said on Monday.
Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence for over 52 days. Over 100 people have been killed so far, as per officials. An all-party meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah was held on Sunday to take steps to restore peace back in the BJP-ruled state.
14:00 PM pitches for uniform civil code, India can't....
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, while addressing party workers under the party's "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, questioned if 'triple talaq' was inalienable from Islam, why it isn't practised in Muslim-majority countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Batting for the Uniform Civil Code, he said it doesn't work to have "different set of rules for different members of a family" and a country can't run on two laws.
Egypt, whose 90 per cent population is Sunni Muslims, abolished triple talaq 80 to 90 years ago, he pointed out. "Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights, the Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," the PM said.
13:44 Chandigarh-Manali highway reopens after 24 hrs
The Chandigarh-Manali national highway was restored for traffic on Monday night after remaining closed for almost 24 hours owing to landslides and flash floods, officials said.
Hundreds of commuters, including tourists, were stranded in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district as the highway was blocked since Sunday evening.
The 70-km Mandi-Pandoh-Kullu stretch of the highway was blocked at Khotinallah near Aut, about 40 km from Mandi town, following flash floods while the Mandi-Pandoh stretch was blocked near 6 miles after a landslide.
Light to moderate rains continued to lash several parts of Himachal Pradesh and the MeT office has issued a warning of heavy rainfall, thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places on June 28 and 29 and thunderstorm and lightning on June 30 and July 1.
Bertin in Bilaspur received 66.2 mm of rains followed by Mashobra (46.5 mm ), Nahan and Gohar (28.4 mm each), Kasauli (24 mm), Shimla and Poanta sahib (23 mm each).
A total of 116 roads were closed in the state following heavy rains, while 70 water supply schemes and 106 power transformers were disrupted.
Principal Secretary (Revenue), Onkar Chand Sharma said tourists have been advised to avoid venturing into rivers and drains and download the Indian Meteorological department (IMD) app on their mobiles to get area specific information and follow the guidelines.
Nine people have been killed in rain-related incidents, including landslides, and drowning, in the state so far while 14 sustained injuries, according to the data shared by the state emergency operation centre The state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 102 crore in rain-related incidents.
The Jal Shakti Vibhag suffered maximum damage of Rs 73.68 crore followed by the Public Works department (PWD) which suffered a loss of Rs 27.79 crore, according to the data. -- PTI
IMAGE: Vehicles stuck as the Chandigarh-Manali Highway was closed due to landslide, in Mandi on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo
13:07 PM tells BJP workers: We don't sit in AC rooms
Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly election to be held later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) booth workers are its biggest power as they make sure to reach out to the people at the grassroots level in order to make the party the biggest in the country.
"BJP's biggest power is its workers. They have made the party the largest in the country. I thank JP Nadda for organising this event today through which I am able to virtually address around 10 lakh booth workers of the BJP virtually. No such virtual programme has ever taken place in the history of any political party," PM Modi said while interacting with BJP booth workers in Bhopal.
These workers have been selected from all the states through a process defined by the party president JP Nadda via the Namo App.
For 10 days, these workers will interact with boot-level BJP workers in election-bound states and share their experiences and best practices.
The exercise is being done to activate the party workers at the lower level five months before the upcoming assembly elections.
Modi further said that Madhya Pradesh played a significant role in making the BJP the biggest party in the world.
"We are not the workers who sit in the air-conditioned rooms and issue fatwas. We go to the people and remain determined round the clock," Modi added. -- ANI
13:00 ODI World Cup: Check out India's full schedule
The wait is over as the ICC has announced the schedule for the upcoming edition of the ODI World Cup. With exactly 100 days to go for the coveted tournament, set to be hosted in India, the ICC announced the fixture with the opener being held on October 5. Checkout the full schedule here.
12:56 Lalu Yadav is right. Rahul Gandhi should get married
Opposition unity is a doomed project without a clear Prime Ministerial candidate, writes Shivam Vij. Read the column here.
12:46 Coochbehar violence: BJP blames Bangladeshis
Reacting to the clash between two groups in West Bengal's Cooch Behar on Tuesday, a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader claimed that the people who created the ruckus came from neighbouring Bangladesh.
Local BJP leader Ajay Roy said, "Those who have created the ruckus and the person who died came from Bangladesh. There was a scuffle between them regarding the exchange of money and no politics was involved." Meanwhile, a local TMC leader alleged that BJP workers attacked people belonging to his party at midnight leading to the clash.
TMC leader Anarul Haque said, "TMC workers were sleeping at midnight and suddenly few BJP supporters entered their home, fired bullets at six persons, and mercilessly killed one person."
One person was killed and four persons sustained bullet injuries in a clash between two groups in Gitaldaha village, Dinhata subdivision of the West Bengal's Cooch Behar district on Tuesday morning. The injured were taken to hospital for treatment.
Sumit Kumar SP, Cooch Behar said, "A clash broke out between two groups in Gitaldaha, Cooch Behar this morning. As per info, five people have received bullet injuries, of which one Babu Hoque has died. The situation is peaceful. Police present on the spot."
Local BJP leader Ajay Roy said, "Those who have created the ruckus and the person who has died belonged from Bangladesh. There was a scuffle between them regarding the exchange of money and no politics was involved."
12:10 World Cup schedule out: India vs Pak on Oct 15
The 2023 World Cup will kick-off on October 5 as defending champions England take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in repeat of the final of the 2019 edition.
Hosts India begin their campaign against five-time World Cup winners Australia in Chennai on October 8.
The high-profile India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for October 15 in Ahmedabad.
A total of 10 teams will participate at the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.
Sabrina Siddiqui asked Modi a question on minority rights
11:47 US slams trolling of scribe who questioned PM
The White House has condemned as "totally unacceptable" the harassment of a US journalist on social media for asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question at his joint press conference in Washington with President Joe Biden.
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reporter Sabrina Siddiqui asked Prime Minister Modi about the rights of minorities in India and what steps his government was willing to take to improve them and also uphold free speech.
A day after the joint press conference, the reporter faced online abuse for questioning the prime minister, with some alleging that her question was "motivated" and calling her a "Pakistani Islamist".
"We're aware of the reports of that harassment. It's unacceptable. And we absolutely condemn any harassment of journalists anywhere under any circumstances. That's completely unacceptable. And it's antithetical to the very principles of democracy that were on display last week during the state visit," National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters on Monday in response to a question.
In response to Siddiqui's question, Prime Minister Modi had strongly defended India's record on democracy and his government's performance and human rights, saying that the basic foundation stone of his government has been 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas', which means together for everyone's growth, with everyone's trust.
"India is a democracy. And as President Biden said democracy is in the DNA of both India and America. Democracy is in our spirit. Democracy flows in our veins. We live democracy. Our forefathers moulded it in words, which we call the Constitution," he said.
"Our government runs on the fundamental principles of this Constitution. We have proved that democracy can deliver. When I say deliver it means there is no place for discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed, gender, religion," Modi said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "At the White House, under this administration, we are committed to the freedom of the press, which is why we had the press conference last week."
"We certainly condemn any efforts of intimidation or harassment of a journalist or any journalist that is just trying to do their job. And so, I just want to be very clear about that," she said.
In response to a question on whether Prime Minister Modi and President Biden had discussions on issues such as press freedom and human rights, Jean-Pierre said President Biden will "never shy away" from having those conversations with a world leader or a head of state when it comes to human rights.
"He has done that throughout the past two years and through his career as a vice president and certainly as a senator. I'm not going to get into private conversations, but I think we have made ourselves very clear here on our view. And I'll just leave it there," she said. -- PTI
11:26 AI says poo passenger's behaviour 'repulsive'
Air India on Tuesday said a passenger behaved in a repulsive manner onboard an Air India flight from Mumbai to the national capital on June 24 and was handed over to the security personnel after the plane landed at Delhi airport.
A police complaint has been registered and the incident has also been reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). According to police, a man has been held here for allegedly defecating and urinating on the floor of the flight.
Ram Singh defecated, urinated, and spat in row nine of the aircraft.
Upon observing the "misconduct", the cabin crew warned the passenger and secluded him from the others, as per the FIR.
In recent times, there have been rising incidents of unruly behaviour of passengers onboard flights.
"A passenger on our flight AI866 operating Mumbai-Delhi on June 24 behaved in a repulsive manner, causing discomfort to the co-passengers. In doing their best to manage the situation in the circumstance, the crew immediately secluded the passenger for the rest of the flight and issued a warning," an airline spokesperson said in a statement. The airline said the passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing in Delhi and a police complaint (FIR) was registered subsequently, as was the matter reported to the regulator. Upon arrival, the head of Air India security escorted the passenger to the local police station, it said, adding that a case under IPC sections 294 (obscene acts) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) has been registered," police said.
"Air India follows a zero tolerance policy for such unruly and unacceptable behaviour. We are extending all cooperation to the ongoing investigations," the spokesperson said. PTI
11:24 World Bank approves USD 391 mn for Assam, Tripura
The World Bank on Monday approved USD 391 million in financing to improve access to high-quality healthcare services and to economic opportunities for people in Assam and Tripura.
The Assam State Secondary Healthcare Initiative for Service Delivery Transformation (ASSIST) Project, for which USD 251 million was approved, will improve access to high-quality secondary healthcare services in Assam and directly serve at least 1.8 million people, World Bank said in a release.
The global financial institution said the project will increase access to comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services and improve treatment and management of non-communicable diseases. The project will also upgrade up to 10 lower-level facilities to district hospitals in essential districts and strengthen the capacity of nurses and healthcare managers for better service delivery.
"Assam has made strides in increasing access to essential healthcare services, with 87 per cent of women giving birth in a facility today compared to just 24 per cent in 2005. "But the rise in non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes poses a double burden on the state's healthcare system," said team leaders Amith Nagaraj and Elina Pradhan.
"This project will enhance the quality and efficiency of health care in the state and can potentially serve as a model for healthcare innovations for India's Northeast region and beyond."
For Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project, USD 140 million has been approved, intending to promote socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life of 142,000 households in select tribal blocks, territories where tribal communities live and work.
More than 400 kilometres of rural roads will be upgraded to all-weather roads, providing farmers and communities living in hilly and forested areas with greater access to markets. World Bank said around 75,000 households will have improved livelihoods from climate-smart agriculture that will help to produce fruits and vegetables. The project will also invest in learning outcomes for secondary school students by increasing enrollments for boys and skilling up teachers. -- PTI
Women demonstrate over violence in Manipur's Kanto Sabal
11:09 No work, no pay for govt staff in Manipur
The Manipur government has decided to invoke "no work, no pay" rule for its employees who are not attending office.
The General Administration Department (GAD) has been asked to furnish details of employees who are not able to attend their official work due to the prevailing situation in the state.
A circular issued on Monday night by GAD Secretary Michael Achom said: "In pursuance of the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on June 12 and decision taken at para 5-(12) of the proceedings, all employees drawing their salaries from General Administration Department, Manipur Secretariat are informed that no work, no pay may be invoked to all those employees who do not attend their official duty without authorised leave."
Manipur government has one lakh employees. The circular also asked for all administrative secretaries to "furnish details of those employees who could not attend their official duty due to prevailing situation in the state indicating the details of employees such as designation, name, EIN, present address, to the General Administration Department and to the Personnel department, latest by June 28 so as to take appropriate necessary action."
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far. Clashes first broke out 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 another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts. PTI
11:00 PM flags off 5 Vande Bharat trains from MP
PM Narendra Modi flags off five Vande Bharat trains to boost connectivity in MP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar and Jharkhand.
At around 10:30 am, Modi reached Rani Kamalapati Railway Station. He flagged off five Vande Bharat Express trains which are: Rani Kamalapati-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express; Khajuraho-Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat Express; Madgaon (Goa)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express; Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express; and Hatia-Patna Vande Bharat Express.
A fraction of the populace have taken their booster shots
10:38 India's Covid cases lowest since March 2020
India has recorded 33 fresh coronavirus infections, the lowest number of cases since March 2020, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The active cases have been recorded at 1,606 while the death toll was recorded at 5,31,903, the data updated at 8 am stated. The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.49 crore (4,49,94,032)
The national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,44,60,523 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. PTI
10:26 Gangster Atiq's sister moves SC for probe into deaths
Aisha Noori, the sister of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed, who were shot dead in police custody in Uttar Pradesh on April 15, has moved the Supreme Court seeking a comprehensive probe headed by a retired judge or by an independent agency into alleged 'extrajudicial killings' carried out by the UP government. Aisha Noori also sought an investigation into the encounter killing of her nephew and Atiq Ahmed's son.
10:24 Tomatoes sell at Rs 100 a kilo after rains
Tomato prices soar. In in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, tomatoes, a staple in most hopes are selling for Rs 100 a kilo. "We are selling tomatoes at Rs 100 kg. Due to rain, the prices have increased," says a tomato seller. .
"The rate has suddenly shot up in the past two-three days. This sudden increase in price is due to heavy rainfall. Rain has destroyed tomatoes," says Mohammad Raju, a resident of Delhi.
10:21 Boulder crashes on bypass road in Thane; traffic affected
A boulder crashed on the Mumbra bypass road in Maharashtra's Thane district, affecting vehicular movement on the route, a civic official said on Tuesday.
No one was injured in the incident which took place at around 11.30 pm on Monday when the boulder crashed near a temple on the bypass, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.
Traffic on the Mumbra bypass was affected till Tuesday morning.
Local firemen and disaster management team rushed to the spot after being alerted and worked through the night to remove the boulder and stones fallen on the road, the official said. After hectic efforts, the blockade was cleared by 9 am on Tuesday and traffic movement was restored, he said. The district has been receiving heavy rains since the past few days. PTI
Aarti Holla-Maini
09:49 Indian-origin expert heads UN Outer Space Affairs
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Indian-origin satellite industry expert Aarti Holla-Maini as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna.
Holla-Maini of the United Kingdom will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy. UNOOSA works to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space and in the utilisation of space science and technology for sustainable economic and social development.
Holla-Maini brings to this position over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including in managerial and advocacy functions. Most recently, she has held the role of Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space. Prior to that, she spent over 18 years as the Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association, in a statement said on Monday.
Holla-Maini's experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the cole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Advisor to Forum Europe and as Expert Advisor on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023. She was also one of the chief architects of the Crisis Connectivity Charter established in 2015 for emergency telecommunications via satellite with the UN World Food Program's Emergency Telecommunications Cluster.
Holla-Maini holds a bachelor's degree in law with German law from Kings College London, UK, and a master's degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France. She is also an alumna of the International Space University and speaks English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch. PTI
09:41 When Tharoor met Rawalpindi Express
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shares this image saying, "On my way back to Delhi via Dubai, was pleasantly surprised when @shoaib100mph said hello. What a smart & engaging young man the tearaway fast bowler is! He has plenty of fans on our side of the border: all the Indians who came up to greet me wanted selfies with him too. Had a good conversation about (inevitably) India, Pakistan & cricket."
09:17 PM to flag off 5 Vande Bharat trains today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday visit Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, where he will flag off five Vande Bharat trains, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said.
After arriving here, Modi will head to Rani Kamalapati railway station from where he will physically and virtually flag off a set of five Vande Bharat Express trains connecting important cities in different parts of the country.
This is for the first time so many Vande Bharat trains will be launched in one day.
Two of them will be for Madhya Pradesh, where the assembly polls are due by the year-end.
'These trains will improve connectivity in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Bihar and Jharkhand,' Modi said in a tweet on Monday.
These semi high-speed trains are: Rani Kamalapati (Bhopal)-Jabalpur Vande Bharat Express, Khajuraho-Bhopal-Indore Vande Bharat Express, Madgaon (Goa)-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express, Dharwad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, and Hatia-Patna Vande Bharat Express, an official statement said.
At the second function in the state capital, Modi will address 3,000 Bharatiya Janata Party workers selected from across the country who have made effective contributions in empowering their booths under the party's Mera Booth Sabse Majboot campaign, state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma said.
On the occasion, the PM will interact with 10 lakh booth-level BJP workers virtually, Sharma said.
'I will get an opportunity to interact with lakhs of dedicated workers under 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme. This opportunity will further empower their resolve for a developed India,' Modi tweeted.
Modi's visit to Shahdol district of MP on Tuesday has been put off in view of heavy rain warning, CM Chouhan said.
The prime minister has postponed his visit to the tribal-dominated district because of warning of heavy rains and keeping in mind inconvenience downpour may cause to people coming to attend the event, the chief minister said in a statement.
A new date for his visit will be announced soon, he added.
The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert, warning of heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Madhya Pradesh till Tuesday morning.
A proposed road show of Modi in Bhopal has also been cancelled because of the weather conditions, a party leader earlier said. -- PTI
08:57 Passenger duped by fake customs officers at New Delhi airport
A passenger coming from Saudi Arabia was duped of Riyal 19,000 (Rs 4.15 lakh) and his belongings by two people who posed as fake customs officers at the Indira Gandhi International Airport of New Delhi.
The accused took the passenger from the airport in their car by posing as fake customs officers and then after threatening him on the way, they fled with the victim's 19,000 riyals and his belongings.
According to the FIR lodged at Delhi's IGI Airport, the victim Mohammad Suleman told that he had been living in Saudi Arabia for the last two years and was working as a labourer.
Suleman came to Delhi on Sunday on Flynas Airlines from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The flight landed at around 3.30 am on Monday. When came out of the airport at around 4 am, he took a lift to reach the departure area. As soon as he got out of the lift, two people came there and told him to come down from the lift claiming that they are from the customs department and senior officers had summoned him.
Then both of them took his passport. They took him towards the parking lot and where a driver was already present. The victim alleged they took him to Mahipalpur village in Delhi.
The victim said that he asked several times about the department to which they belonged and where they were taking him forcefully.
In the FIR, the victim alleged that they stopped the vehicle at an isolated place and started checking his mobile phone.
They searched the luggage and also took away 19,000 riyals and Rs 2,000.
The victim had two mobile phones. The fraudsters said that all his belongings will be deposited in the government account. Finally, they dropped him on an empty road and said that they will return there with their senior.
At present, the Delhi Police has registered a case under Section 420 at IGI Airport police station on the complaint of the victim and the matter is being investigated. -- ANI
08:42 Terrorist killed in encounter in Kulgam
An unidentified terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said.
They said one security personnel was injured in the operation.
'01 local #terrorist neutralised. Identification and affiliation being ascertained. Incriminating material including arms and ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow,' the Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet. -- PTI
08:29 Manipur women interfering in ops, says Army
Noting several incidents in past of women-led mob interfering in operations of security forces in Manipur, the Indian Army has said that 'blocking' movement of security personnel is not only unlawful but also detrimental to their efforts towards restoring law and order.
In a tweet on Monday, the Spear Corps of the Indian Army posted a video, showing several incidents of women activists 'deliberately' interfering in the operations of the security forces, ranging from 'blocking' their route to 'accompanying armed rioters'.
'Women activists in #Manipur are deliberately blocking routes and interfering in Operations of Security Forces. Such unwarranted interference is detrimental to the timely response by Security Forces during critical situations to save lives and property. Indian Army appeals to all sections of the population to support our endeavours in restoring peace,' Spear Corps of the Indian Army said in a tweet.
A recent such instance happened last week when security forces had to 'release' 12 cadres of the proscribed extremist outfit, including self-styled Lt Col Moirangthem Tamba, who is the mastermind of the 6 Dogra ambush case of 2015, which had killed 18 army personnel.
On June 24 operation, 12 cadres of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) were apprehended along with arms, ammunition and war like stores.
The army said that the officer on the ground made a considerate decision to hand over all 12 cadres to the local leader, after a mob of approximately 1,200-1,500, led by women and the local leader immediately surrounded the target area and prevented Security Forces from continuing with the operation, which was launched in Village Itham (06 km East of Andro) in Imphal East district. -- ANI
08:16 Man defecates on floor of AI flight mid-air, held
A man was held in New Delhi for allegedly defecating and urinating on the floor of a Mumbai-Delhi Air India flight mid-air, police said on Monday.
The incident took place onboard flight AIC 866 on June 24, police said.
According to the FIR, Ram Singh, a passenger on seat number 17F, defecated, urinated, and spat in row 9 of the aircraft.
Upon observing the 'misconduct', the cabin crew gave a verbal warning to the passenger he was secluded from the others, it said.
The pilot-in-command was also informed of the situation. A message was sent to the company immediately seeking security on arrival to escort the passenger. The act left several of the passengers agitated, the FIR stated.
On arrival, the head of Air India security attended and escorted the passenger to the local police station, it said.
A case under Sections 294 (obscene acts) and 510 (misconduct in public by a drunken person) of the Indian Penal Code was registered, it added.
On November 26, 2022, a man, who was in an inebriated condition, allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger onboard an Air India flight from New York to Delhi.
Ten days later, another episode of a 'drunk' male passenger allegedly 'urinating' on a blanket of a female passenger was reported on a Paris-New Delhi Air India flight on December 6. -- PTI
01:05 HC to hear pleas against Adipurush today
The Allahabad high court is set to hear pleas against Adipurush film on Tuesday.
The Lucknow bench of the high court on Monday allowed an amendment application of the petitioner who has raised objections to the movie on different counts.
The bench will hear the petitioner's application to implead dialogue writer of the movie, Manoj Muntashir, as a party in the petition. Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Shree Prakash Singh passed the order on the PIL filed before the release of the movie.
While hearing the PIL on January 10, the bench had issued a notice to the Central Board of Film Certification.
Meanwhile, another PIL has been filed seeking a ban on the movie.
The plea by Naveen Dhawan is also listed on Tuesday for hearing. Adipurush, a retelling of the epic Ramayana, has come under attack over its dialogue, colloquial language and representation of some characters. -- PTI
00:59 SC sets up fresh 5-judge Constitution bench to hear 4 cases
The Supreme Court on Monday set up a fresh five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to hear four cases from July 12.
The top court will reopen on July 3 after the summer vacation that had begun on May 22.
Besides the CJI, the Constitution bench would include Justices Hrishikesh Roy, P S Narasimha, Pankaj Mithal and Manoj Misra, the apex court said in a notice issued by the assistant registrar (listing).
The first of the four cases that will come up for consideration before the Constitution bench on July 12 is titled as "Tej Prakash and others versus Rajasthan high court".
The apex court is expected to deal with a legal question -- whether the state instrumentalities can change eligibility rules after a selection process for a public employment has begun.
Earlier, the matter was listed before a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee and after her retirement, a fresh bench was set up.
Three other matters will also be taken up by the newly set up Constitution bench subsequently. -- PTI
00:17 BJP leader's son held in Rs 70 cr drug bust in MP?
A 25-year-old man was arrested on Monday for his alleged involvement in a 2021 case in which drugs worth Rs 70 crore were seized in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said.
Deputy commissioner of police Nimish Agrawal told reporters Bilal Khan was held from Chhoti Gwaltoli area in Gwalior after being on the run for two years.
Khan allegedly has links to the local network of an inter-state MDMA smuggling racket and a reward of Rs 4,000 was declared for his arrest earlier, the DCP said.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal local convener Tannu Sharma said his outfit had sought the arrest of Khan during its protest in Indore against the drug mafia on June 15.
Sharma claimed Khan was the son of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who was also a former state minorities commission member.
As per police, on January 5, 2021, a consignment of 70 kg of MDMA, popularly known as ecstacy, worth Rs 70 crore was seized in Indore. -- PTI
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