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Tue, 30 May 2023
SKM joins wrestlers' stir, calls protest on June 1
Timeline Refresh
Imran Khan
23:58 Imran Khan will be tried in military court, says Pakistan's interior minister
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said that Imran Khan will be tried in a military court as the former prime minister was the "architect" of the May 9 incidents in which military and state installations were attacked by his party workers following his arrest in a corruption case.
Appearing on a Dawn News show, Sanaullah also accused the 70-year-old chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of personally carrying out the planning of the attacks on military installations before his arrest on the day.
There was evidence to prove the claim as well, the minister added.
When asked if Khan would be tried in the military court, he said: "Absolutely, why shouldn't it? The programme that he made to target the military installations and then had it executed, in my understanding it absolutely is a case of a military court."
The minister accused Khan of personally orchestrating the May 9 riots.
"His supporters chanted a slogan that 'Imran Khan is our red line', and the planning and preparation were done on Imran Khan's initiative and instigation. He carried it all out. He is the architect of all this discord," he said.
"(The evidence) is documented, it is in tweets and his messages," he added. -- PTI
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23:49 Gurugram man detained for drinking, doing push-ups on top of moving car
A man was detained for being involved in an incident where four persons were seen drinking, dancing and doing push-ups on top of a moving car in the city, officials said.
Two videos of the incident surfaced online, following which city police slapped a fine of Rs 6,500 on the owner of the car.
"A challan for amount Rs 6,500 has been issued against the violator. We request all road users not to put their own and others' lives in danger by violating traffic rules," city traffic police said.
The police recovered a car, which was allegedly used for the violation.
An accused, identified as Lokesh, has also been detained, the police said.
Two undated videos of the incident were shared on Twitter on Tuesday morning by a user.
In one of the clips, a man is purportedly consuming liquor on top of a car amidst traffic.
Two of his friends later stick their upper bodies out of the car while the car is in motion.
The man sitting on the vehicle's roof is seen holding a bottle, which seemingly contains some beverage.
Another video of the same incident shows a man doing push-ups on the roof of the moving car. Later, three other men are seen sticking their heads out through the car windows. -- PTI
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23:19 Cruise bribery: Accused D'Souza's pre-arrest bail plea likely to be heard tomorrow
Sanville alias Sam D'Souza, an accused in a case related to allegedly seeking a Rs 25 crore bribe from Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for not implicating his son Aryan in the 2021 Cordelia cruise drug bust, on Tuesday moved an anticipatory bail application before a special court in Mumbai.
His plea is likely to be heard by the special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Wednesday.
Former Narcotics Control Bureau Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who supervised the raid on the Goa-bound Cordelia ship off the city coast, is one of the accused in the bribery case.
D'Souza sought anticipatory bail days after the Bombay high court refused to grant him interim protection from any coercive action like arrest while hearing his petition for quashing the FIR (first information report) against him.
A vacation bench of the HC, while refusing to provide any relief, had told the accused he can approach a sessions court for advance bail.
Following this, D'Souza withdrew his petition from the high court. -- PTI
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23:10 SKM joins wrestlers' stir, calls protest on June 1
Farmers' outfit Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Tuesday called for nationwide demonstrations on June 1 in support of wrestlers who have been demanding the arrest of BJP MP and WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women grapplers.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, in a statement, said it has given the call for the nationwide agitation "to secure the democratic right to protest by the Indian wrestlers" and all other sections of society and to "demand the arrest of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh".
The Morcha will coordinate with platforms of trade unions, women, youth, students and all other sections, including intellectuals, to stage demonstrations across India, it said.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha will also hold demonstrations and burn effigies of the Wrestling Federation of India chief on June 5, the day a group of seers in Ayodhya has planned a rally in support of Singh.
The morcha also strongly condemned the action on wrestlers on May 28, the day women wrestlers had called 'Mahila Samman Mahapanchayat'. -- PTI
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22:53 Rain lashes parts of Thane; 10 hurt, several houses damaged
Scores of houses were damaged and at least ten persons were injured in Bhiwandi tehsil of Thane district as heavy rains accompanied by strong winds lashed the area on Tuesday, an official said.
Bhiwandi tehsildar Adik Patil that many kutcha houses were damaged in Padgha, Rahur, Angaon, Bafle and Dalepada areas.
Ten persons received minor injuries, he added.
Spot inspection of the damage was being undertaken after which the families will be given compensation, the official said. -- PTI
22:29 India to host SCO summit in virtual format on July 4
India will host the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the virtual format on July 4, the ministry of external affairs announced on Tuesday.
However, it did not cite reasons for holding the summit in the virtual mode.
People familiar with the matter said the option of holding the summit in the virtual format was on the table considering various aspects and a final decision on it was taken following consultations with the member states.
Last year, the in-person SCO summit took place in the Uzbek city of Samarkand that was attended by all top leaders of the grouping including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
In September, India will host the G20 summit for which it is going to invite Xi and Putin besides other leaders of the bloc.
India assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit on September 16 last year.
"Under India's first-ever chairmanship, the 22nd summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in the virtual format on July 4, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the MEA said in a statement.
India hosted the foreign ministers of the SCO at a two-day conclave in Goa earlier this month. The MEA said all the SCO member states -- China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- have been invited to attend the summit. -- PTI
22:17 Go First cancels all flights till June 4
As uncertainties continue over its future course, crisis-hit Go First on Tuesday announced extending cancellation of flights till June 4.
Go First stopped flying on May 3 and the latest announcement means that the budget carrier will remain grounded for one month.
This is the eighth time that the carrier has extended the cancellation of flights since the first announcement was made on May 2 when the services were cancelled for three days till May 5.
"We regret to inform that due to operational reasons, Go First flights scheduled till 04th June 2023 have been cancelled," the airline said in a tweet.
According to the tweet, a full refund will be issued to the original mode of payment shortly.
"As you are aware, the company has filed an application for immediate resolution and revival of operations.
"We will be able to resume bookings shortly," it added.
The carrier is undergoing insolvency resolution process and last week, aviation regulator DGCA asked it to submit a revival plan within 30 days.
On Monday, senior executives of the airline held discussions with senior DGCA officials on the revival plan.
The budget carrier filed a petition for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings on May 2, citing its inability to carry out operations due to the non-delivery of engines by the US engine maker Pratt & Whitney.
The plea was admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 10.
Shilpa Shetty with Raj Kundra
21:53 Shilpa Shetty-Kundra invests in farm-to-fork startup
'Farm-to-fork' start-up Kisankonnect on Tuesday said Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty-Kundra has invested an undisclosed amount in the company.
Founded in 2020, Kisankonnect directly sources farm fresh vegetables, fruits, village staples, millets and home-made food from its network of 5,000 members through its village-level collection centres and delivers to doorsteps in Mumbai and Pune.
"We had started as a farmer's producer company. Our integrated model right from soil testing, plant biologicals based on 'regenerative agriculture' are helping thousands of our farmer members to nurture an active and healthy soil," Kisankonnect founder Vivek Nirmal said in a statement.
Kisankonnect is at Rs 120 crore ARR (annualised revenue runrate) as of now and services over one lakh consumers in Pune and Mumbai, he added.
Accused Sahil (left)
21:33 SC panel seeks report on Delhi teen girl's murder
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has sought a report from the Delhi government and the city police over the horrific killing of a teenage girl in the northwest part of the national capital.
Sakshi (16) was stabbed over 20 times and bludgeoned to death on Sunday evening allegedly by Sahil in a busy bylane of the Shahbad Dairy area as passers-by looked on in fear and disbelief.
According to the police, Sakshi was found to have 34 wounds on her body and her skull was ruptured.
The panel in its letter to the Delhi chief secretary, the secretary of the department for the welfare of SC/ST/OBC, the Delhi government, the city police chief, his deputy and the district magistrate sought a detailed report on the matter from them while saying that it has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident based on newspaper reports.
"Whereas suo motu cognizance has been taken by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on a news item published in a daily newspaper on 29.05.2023... the commission has decided to investigate into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India," it said. -- PTI
21:23 Rahul Gandhi arrives in US for 10-day visit
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has arrived in San Francisco, USA.
He is on a 10-day visit to the United States.
Rahul is slated to address public meetings and interact with university students during the visit.
The visit is also aimed at promoting shared values and vision of "real democracy".
21:11 Will do a film when emotionally ready: Aamir Khan
Hindi cinema superstar Aamir Khan on Tuesday said he is enjoying spending time with his family right now and will decide to do a film when he is "emotionally ready".
Months after his last film Laal Singh Chaddha opened to mixed reviews and poor box office collections, the actor had in November 2022 said he was taking some time off, maybe "a year and a half", to prioritise family over career.
At the trailer launch event of Punjabi film Carry On Jatta 3, Aamir was asked why he didn't announce a new film after Laal Singh Chaddha.
He was last seen in a cameo in the Kajol-starrer Salaam Venky.
In his response, the actor said he is "feeling good" about spending time with family at the moment.
"Today, we should ideally only talk about Carry On Jatta, but since you all must be curious, let me quickly give you an answer. I haven't decided to do any film as of now. I want to spend time with my family right now. I'm feeling good about it because that's what I want to do right now. I'll do a film when I'm emotionally ready, for sure," Aamir told reporters in Mumbai. -- PTI
20:54 Amit Shah gives Manipur security forces a free hand
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government's top priority is peace and prosperity in Manipur and he has instructed security officials to strictly deal with any activities that disturb peace.
Shah said this after a review meeting with senior officials of Manipur police, Central Armed Police Forces and the Indian Army in Imphal.
"Reviewed the security situation in Manipur in a meeting with senior officials of the Manipur police, CAPFs and the Indian Army in Imphal. Peace and prosperity of Manipur is our top priority, instructed them to strictly deal with any activities disturbing the peace," he tweeted.
The home minister is currently visiting Manipur as part of efforts to bring back peace in the ethnic violence-hit state. -- PTI
20:35 Malayalam actor Harish Pengan of 'Maheshinte Prathikaram' fame dies at 48
Malayalam film actor Harish Pengan, known for his roles in movies like Maheshinte Prathikaram and Shefeekkinte Santhosham, died at a private hospital in Kochi on Tuesday, film industry sources said.
The 48-year-old actor breathed his last at 3.14 pm while he was undergoing treatment for liver-related ailments at the hospital, they said.
Pengan was diagnosed with liver disease when he was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain last month.
His end came while his family and friends were in the process of raising funds for his liver transplant.
Pengan, who hailed from a village near Aluva in Ernakulam district, has also played notable roles in films including Jan E Man, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hai, and Minnal Murali.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the FEFKA (Film Employees Federation of Kerala) Directors Union condoled his demise. -- PTI
20:08 Wrestlers hand over medals to BKU's Naresh Tikait
Bharatiya Kisan Union national president Naresh Tikait on Tuesday arrived in Haridwar, where wrestlers have gathered to immerse their medals in river Ganga as a mark of protest against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
Tikait took medals from the wrestlers and sought a five-day time from them.
Olympic medalist wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik alongwith Vinesh Phogat, who have accused the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and are demanding his arrest, reached Uttarakhand's Haridwar to immerse their all medals including Olympic medals in the river Ganga on Tuesday evening, as a mark of their protest.
A sizable crowd is present as the wrestlers were seen huddled together to immerse their medals which they have achieved after much hard work. -- ANI
19:54 Three held in Haryana's Gurugram for betting on IPL final
Three bookies were nabbed for allegedly betting on the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, the police said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided a house in Sector 38 on Monday night when the three were found betting on the match.
The police nabbed all three accused, identified as Rajkumar, Sajjan and Pramod.
"The accused were betting on an ongoing IPL cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans," Varun Dahiya, ACP, crime said.
An FIR has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Public Gambling Act at Sector 10A police station, the police officer said. -- PTI
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19:09 Reopening of schools in Puducherry postponed to June 7 due to heat wave
Puducherry education minister A Namassivayam on Tuesday said that all schools will reopen on June 7 and not on June 1 as announced earlier.
Addressing mediapersons here, he said that the unabated hot spell was the reason for extending summer vacation for schools in the Union Territory.
The minister said that CBSE syllabus would be introduced in government schools.
Also, books for the schools adopting the CBSE syllabus after shifting from state board curriculum were being distributed, he added. -- PTI
Accused Sahil/ANI
18:52 Delhi murder: Accused sent to 2-day police custody
A court in Delhi on Tuesday permitted the Delhi police to interrogate Sahil, accused of stabbing a 16-year-old girl over 20 times and bludgeoning her to death with a concrete block, in its custody for two days .
Sahil, 20, was produced before duty metropolitan magistrate Jyoti Nain who took note of the plea of the interrogators and sent him to two-day police custody during which he is likely to be interrogated about the offence, the motive and ensuring recovery of weapon of offence, sources said.
The accused was produced before a magisterial court before the usual court timings due to security reasons, they said.
The victim, Sakshi, was brutally killed in public view on Sunday evening in Shahbad area of northwest Delhi.
She had 34 injury marks on her body and her skull was smashed, the police had said.
The Delhi police sought the custody of Sahil on the grounds that he frequently changed his statements and that the weapon used for committing the offence was yet to be recovered, the sources added. -- PTI
A view of Rajasthan high court/ANI on Twitter
18:29 Justice Augustine George Masih sworn in as Chief Justice of Rajasthan HC
Justice Augustine George Masih was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Rajasthan high court on Tuesday.
Governor Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office to Masih at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Jaipur.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, assembly speaker CP Joshi, state ministers, and chief secretary Usha Sharma, among others, were present at the ceremony.
The post of chief justice fell vacant after Justice Pankaj Mithal was appointed as the Supreme Court judge in February this year, after which Justice MM Srivastava was working as the acting chief justice of the high court.
Born on March 12, 1963 at Ropar in Punjab, Masih graduated in BSc (honours) and then did LLB (honours) from the Aligarh Muslim University.
He enrolled as an advocate on the rolls of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana Bar Council on June 6, 1987.
Masih held the posts of assistant advocate general, deputy advocate general, and additional advocate general in the office of advocate general, Punjab.
He was sworn in as additional judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court on July 10, 2008 and as a permanent judge on January 14, 2011. -- PTI
Wrestlers in Haridwar to immerse their medals in Ganga/ANI
18:20 Wrestlers reach Haridwar to immerse medals
India's top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, who were detained by the Delhi police and removed from their Jantar Mantar protest site, reached Haridwar on Tuesday to immerse their hard-earned medals into River Ganga followed by a hunger strike "until death" at India Gate.
The wrestlers broke into tears clinching their Olympic and World Championship medals ahead of immersing them into river Ganga and were consoled by their family members.
On Sunday, the Delhi police detained Malik along with World Championships bronze winner Vinesh Phogat and another Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and later filed FIRs against them for violation of law and order, as dramatic scenes unfolded at the protest site at Jantar Mantar.
Unprecedented scenes of police dragging the Olympic and world championships medal-winning players were witnessed when the wrestlers and their supporters breached the security cordon ahead of their march towards the new Parliament building for the planned women's 'Mahapanchayat'.
The wrestlers had been camping in New Delhi since April 23 demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has denied any wrongdoing.
Singh has been stripped of his administrative powers but the wrestlers are seeking his arrest over allegations of sexual harassment against female wrestlers.
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17:47 Army, IAF hold joint exercise along western border in Punjab
A major fortnight-long training exercise was conducted in Punjab by various units and formations of Army's Ambala-based Kharga Corps, an official statement said in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
The units successfully went under training exercises for latest operational concepts such as deployment of attack helicopters in support of ground forces, conducting operations deep across adversary's obstacle systems, use of hi-tech drones as force multipliers, fighting in obstacle-ridden terrain, sustained operations deep inside enemy territory by forces, and heliborne operations, it said.
The exercise, held from May 11 to 27, also incorporated aspects of joint training with the Indian Air Force for operations in the enemy territory across western borders, special forces drops behind enemy lines, and simulated battlefield air strikes by IAF.
"The exercise was successful in validating many important operational aspects and brought out valuable lessons as also reinforced a high degree of operation preparedness for our forces on western front. -- PTI
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17:15 Chargesheet names friend for IIT student's suicide
The police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against a fellow student in the case related to the alleged suicide of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay student Darshan Solanki.
The charge sheet was filed against Arman Khatri in a special court for cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Mumbai, a prosecution source said.
Khatri is now out on bail.
Solanki, a first-year student of B Tech (Chemical) course hailing from Ahmedabad, allegedly jumped to death from the seventh floor of a hostel building on IIT Bombay campus in suburban Powai on February 12, 2023, a day after the semester exams ended.
Three weeks later, a special investigation team of the Mumbai police found a one-line note from Solanki's room saying "Arman has killed me."
The police had said that Khatri allegedly threatened to kill Darshan with a paper cutter after the latter had spoken `offensively' about religion.
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16:57 Modi to address rally in Ajmer, first mega event to mark BJP's 9 yrs in power
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Wednesday address a rally in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, the first major event in a month-long outreach campaign by the Bharatiya Janata Party to mark its nine years in power at the Centre.
Rajasthan, where the ruling Congress is caught in a leadership tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, goes to the polls this year-end.
Modi will travel by helicopter from Kishangarh airport to the holy town of Pushkar, where he will offer prayers at the Brahma temple and visit the ghats, according to party leaders.
He will then travel by helicopter to Kayad Vishram Sthali on the Jaipur road to address the rally.
Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary, and other BJP leaders from Rajasthan will attend the meeting.
Ajmer North MLA Vasudev Devnani said BJP workers from 45 assembly and eight Lok Sabha constituencies are being mobilised for the rally.
The constituencies fall in the districts of Ajmer, Nagaur, Tonk, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Jaipur and Pali.
Of these 45 assembly seats, 21 are held by the Congress, 19 by the BJP, three by independents and two by the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. -- PTI
16:31 Mamata seeks Centre's permission to visit Manipur
Expressing her wish to stand by the people of the violence-hit state of Manipur, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Centre seeking permission to visit the northeastern state, a senior official said on Tuesday.
"The CM has written to the central government seeking permission to visit Manipur. She wants to stand by the victims of violence there," the official told PTI. According to the official, the Trinamool Congress supremo has been closely monitoring the situation in Manipur. Banerjee, last week had accused the BJP of trying to create "Manipur-like conflicts" in West Bengal.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in strife-torn Manipur on Monday night to try to restore peace by hammering out a solution between the warring communities.
Manipur, afflicted by ethnic conflict for nearly a month witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and firing between militants and security forces on Sunday, after a relative lull for several weeks. PTI
16:19 Pro-Imran Khan Pak journalist returns home after being abducted
A prominent Pakistani television journalist who went missing last week, apparently because of his support to former prime minister Imran Khan, returned home on Tuesday, his family said.
Sami Abrahim's daughter, Zainab Sami, tweeted the great news her family received and shared that her father reached home safely.
Zainab thanked everyone who helped spread the news and made Abrahim's return possible. Abrahim went missing last Thursday, when eight people in four vehicles intercepted his car on his way back home from work in Islamabad, according to his family and BOL TV, where he works.
No one has claimed responsibility for Abrahim's abduction, but it is widely believed that he was abducted by the country's security agencies for supporting Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Khan is demanding early general elections in Pakistan and his arrest in connection with a corruption case led to unprecedented violence on May 9.
16:15 The ball is in Rahul Gandhis court for 2024 polls
As Karnataka Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar were flying to Delhi for negotiations over who gets to be chief minister, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were already in Shimla. Rahul Gandhi was in Delhi.
The negotiations were held with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi, and Gandhi's powerful aide KC Venugopal, who is Congress general secretary (organisation).
Rahul Gandhi may not have any post in the party, and is no longer even a member of parliament, but the symbolism of his mother and sister not being in Delhi at a critical time makes it clear who the boss is. Read more here.
16:07 Go First cancels all scheduled flights till June 4
Crisis-hit Go First Airlines on Tuesday informed that its scheduled flight operations will remain cancelled till June 4, adding that a full refund will be issued to the passengers.
Earlier flight operations were cancelled till May 30. The airline operator had recently filed for voluntary insolvency.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) last week advised Go First Airlines to submit a comprehensive restructuring plan for a sustainable revival of operations.
A senior DGCA official earlier said that Go First has submitted their response to a show cause notice, issued on May 8, wherein they have requested that they may be allowed to use the moratorium period to prepare a comprehensive restructuring plan for restarting operations and present the same to DGCA for the requisite regulatory approvals before restarting operations.
Accordingly, DGCA had advised the airline to submit a comprehensive restructuring/revival plan for a sustainable revival of operations, within a period of 30 days. The revival plan once submitted by Go First shall be reviewed by DGCA for further appropriate action in the matter.
15:58 Patience, patience ... Gehlot tells Raj Cong
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday expressed the hope that he and his bete noire Sachin Pilot would work together and win the assembly polls in the state later this year, and called upon Congress workers and leaders to exercise "patience" and wait for their opportunity to serve in some capacity.
His statement comes a day after the two Rajasthan bigwigs met the Congress leadership here and the party projected unity among them to take on the BJP in the state elections later this year.
"I remember the words of Sonia Gandhi who at the Congress convention had asked party workers to have patience and they would get to serve the party in some way. I keep this in my heart and tell partymen to have patience. They would get the opportunity to serve the party in some way. So I call for patience, patience, patience" he said.
He expressed confidence he and Pilot would work together after they agreed on a truce before the party high command.
"If he (Sachin Pilot) is in the party then why won't he do this," Gehlot told reporters when asked if he expects Pilot to work with him now. "It is for the high command to decide what role one plays. It is not up to us, it is up to the high command to give the role".
"For me, any position is not important. I have been a chief minister thrice in Rajasthan and as many times a central minister. It matters being three times chief minister and three times central minister. Today, it is my duty to do what the high command wants me to -- and that is to win the election," the chief minister said.
He was speaking to the media a day after the Congress leadership led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former chief Rahul Gandhi held long deliberations with both the leaders in Rajasthan to put an end to the infghting in the state unit. Gehlot said that after the Congress came to power in Rajasthan he worked for the welfare of the people of the state.
"The entire Rajasthan knows. what kind of governance we have provided in the last five years after our victory and I have done what I could."
The chief minister said he has worked towards resolving problems of all sections of society be it farmers, youth, women, labourers, SC/ST/OBC or minorities. "I feel I have succeeded this time and I feel our government will be repeated. But, the public is the king as it is the people who will decide and it is acceptable to me. There is a lot of enthusiasm among people and I feel that when I meet people," he said. Gehlot alleged the BJP may spend a lot of money in "spreading falsehood" "but, I feel there is nothing for them to speak against our government this time."
Amid a festering leadership tussle in the Congress' Rajasthan unit, the party Monday said Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have agreed to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and have left all issues to be resolved by the party high command. PTI
15:36 Congrats Dhoni, for us fight still on: Sakshi Malik
Wrestler Sakshi Malik, who is on protest, tweets, "Congratulations MS Dhoniji and CSK. We are happy that at least some sportspersons are getting respect and love they deserve. For us, the fight for justice is still on."
In the thrilling IPL 2023 final in Ahmedabad, which ended early on Tuesday, May 30, Chennai Super Kings emerged victorious against the Gujarat Titans.
The ongoing wrestlers' protest in the national capital has taken a new toll as India's star grapplers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat have declared to throw their medals in River Ganga in Haridwar on Tuesday evening.
The wrestlers took to Twitter and shared a post about the chain of events that have unfolded in recent days and the way authorities handled the situation.
The protesting wrestlers said that they will visit Haridwar and throw their medals in the Ganga at 6 pm on Tuesday. They said they will sit on hunger strike at India Gate after throwing their medals. In their post, the wrestlers said, "You saw everything that happened on May 28, how police treated us and the way they arrested us. We were protesting peacefully, our place has been taken away and the next day serious cases and FIR were filed against us. Have the wrestlers committed any crime by demanding justice for the sexual harassment that happened to them? The police and the system are treating us like criminals, while the oppressor is taking jibe moving freely. He is even openly talking about changing the POSCO Act."
Several ace grapplers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have been protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment and demanding his arrest. They also went on to question the fact that how the women wrestlers had to hide for the entire day.
"Yesterday, many of our women wrestlers were hiding in the fields. The system should arrest the oppressor but it is engaged in breaking and intimidating the victim women to end their protest," the grapplers said.
They further said that these medals are left with no meaning.
15:09 Air India passenger abuses, assaults crew
Another unruly passenger aboard Air India. The statement from Air India says, "A passenger on our flight AI882 on May 29 behaved in an unruly manner. The said passenger verbally abused the crew members and then went on to physically assault one of them on board. On landing at Delhi airport, the passenger continued with the unprovoked, aggressive behaviour and was handed over to the security personnel. We have also reported the incident to the regulator."
Details awaited.
Yash Birla. File pic
15:02 Industrialist Yash Birla gets HC nod to travel to UK, Egypt
The Bombay High Court has permitted industrialist Yashovardhan Birla, who is facing several cases of fraud and money laundering, to travel to the United Kingdom and Egypt till July 1, noting that he was not a flight risk or likely to abscond.
A vacation bench of Justices Abhay Ahuja and Milind Sathaye on May 26 suspended the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against Birla till July 1 and directed the immigration authorities to permit him to pass through immigration and board his flight.
The court, while granting Birla permission to travel only to Egypt and UK, noted that he has travelled and returned to India on many occasions and has complied with all the conditions imposed on him.
The applicant (Birla) has abided by the terms and conditions imposed on him during earlier travels abroad and has his family in India, the court said.
14:48 Want India where Parl has no religious ritual: Sibal
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP over the new Parliament building's inauguration, saying he wants his India neither new nor old but one where Parliament is without religious rituals, law treats everyone equally and citizens are not killed for religious beliefs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described the inauguration of the new Parliament building as an "immortalised" moment in the country's development journey.
In a speech delivered from the new Lok Sabha hall, Modi had said the new building reflected the aspirations and resolve of the "new India" to set and work towards achieving greater heights.
In a tweet, Sibal said, "The government and the BJP say: A new Parliament for a new India. I say: I want my India Neither new nor old. Where: 1) Parliament without religious rituals 2) Law treats all equally 3) Citizens not killed for religious beliefs and trade 4) If young marry for love; no fear of Bajrang Dal 5) Agencies not politicised 6) Media is fair."
Sibal on Monday had also taken a dig at Prime Minister Modi over his remarks at the new Parliament building inauguration, saying freedom of thought with the aspirational underpinnings of 1.4 billion minds and not bricks and mortar will make his "new India".
Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support.
He recently floated the non-electoral platform 'Insaaf', aimed at fighting injustice. At the new Parliament building's inauguration, amid Vedic chants by priests from Karnataka's Shringeri Math, the prime minister performed "Ganapati Homam" to invoke the gods to bless the building. The prime minister prostrated before the Sengol and sought blessings from high priests of various 'adheenams' in Tamil Nadu with the sceptre in hand.
14:34 Call to his father helped police nab Sahil
The accused Sahil involved in the horrific murder of a minor girl in New Delhi's Shahbad Dairy area was arrested after he made a phone call to his father, police said on Monday.
Police, while revealing the details of how the accused was arrested, said that the accused went into hiding after switching off the phone. Police said that technical surveillance was put on him after the accused had called his father.
"After the incident, the accused had fled and went to his relative in Bulandshahr to hide. However, after reaching there, he called his father and after that, the police arrested him through technical surveillance," police sources said.
Police also said that the accused Sahil had switched off his mobile after committing the murder.
"The accused Sahil had switched off his mobile after committing the murder after which he went to his aunt's house in Bulandshahr by bus," police sources said.
According to police, the initial reports suggest that the girl's head was attacked with a blunt object, which caused the skull to rupture.
"The minor was allegedly killed after being stabbed multiple times and her head being crushed with a boulder in New Delhi's Shahbad Dairy area," the police said.
The preliminary post-mortem report of the minor girl revealed that her skull was crushed with a boulder after being stabbed 16 times by the accused Sahil in the Shahbad Dairy area of Delhi on Sunday night, police said on Monday.
13:39 CPI-M nod to Kejriwal on Centre's ordinance
CPI(M) has decided to extend support to the Delhi government against the Centre's ordinance, says Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
"We have condemned the ordinance brought by the Centre. It is unconstitutional. It is also contempt of court. We appeal to the biggest opposition party Congress to come forward to save our Constitution," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury says.
As part of his ongoing drive to reach out to opposition parties to garner support against the Centre's ordinance on control of services, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has sought time to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi. There has been no positive response to date as a result of stiff resistance from party leadership.
13:12 Will throw medals into Ganga at 6pm: Wrestlers
"We will throw our medals in river Ganga in Haridwar today at 6pm," say the wrestlers protesting against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
Several wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, marching towards the new Parliament building, were detained by Delhi police on Sunday, in pictures that should have shamed a government. Launching a crackdown on the protesters, the police removed the tents from Jantar Mantar and cleared the protest site.
The Delhi Police yesterday aid the protesters broke the law despite repeated requests, which is why their protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Delhi's designated protest site, was stopped. The sit-in protest by the elite grapplers was going on smoothly so far, they said. The wrestlers have refuted the charge that they were rioting, or indulged in any violence.
The victim's parents want the death penalty for Sahil
12:37 Delhi street murder: Sahil bought knife 15 days ago
A day after a 16-year-old girl was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in the Shahbad Dairy area of the national capital, sources in Delhi Police said that the murder could have be premeditated as Sahil, the 20-year-old accused, had purchased the knife used in the murder a fortnight ago.
"During questioning, Sahil said that he had bought the knife used in the murder about 15 days ago from a weekly market," police sources said.
The accused has not however, disclosed the location from which he bought the knife and police are investigating, the sources said.
Police are also investigating whether or not the murder was a "crime of passion" or done on a sudden provocation, the sources said.
Sources that Sahil fled the city after the murder and switched off his phone. He reached Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh after changing two buses. Arrested on Monday from Bulandshahr by Delhi Police, Sahil was today produced before court and sent to police remand for two days.
According to police sources, after committing the murder, Sahil dumped his weapon in Rithala before fleeing to Bulandshahr.
A CCTV grab of the incident shows Sahil purportedly stabbing the girl multiple times with a knife. He continued to stab her even when she slumped to the ground. He kicked her and then took a concrete slab lying nearby and bludgeoned her head. All this while the footage showed people watching the events unfold and walking past without intervening. At one point a dog is seen approaching the spot.
The police reached the crime spot after the local beat officer was informed by the locals about the incident about 10 minutes after the incident. An initial police investigation concluded that at the time of the incident, the victim did not have a mobile phone.
As per the police, the accused was in a relationship with the minor, but they had a quarrel on Sunday night after which he killed her with multiple assaults. The police said that it had registered FIR in the matter under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Shahbad Dairy Police Station.
Bayron Biswas (right) with TMC's Abhishek Banerjee
12:31 Poaching strengthens BJP: Cong slams TMC
A day after its lone MLA in West Bengal joined the TMC, the Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee-led party, saying such "poaching" is not designed to strengthen Opposition unity and only serves the BJP's objectives.
The Congress lost its lone MLA in the state assembly, Bayron Biswas, as he crossed over to the ruling TMC on Monday, joining the party in the presence of its general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
In a sharp attack on the TMC, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Three months after he was elected as a Congress MLA in a historic victory, Bayron Biswas has been lured away by the TMC in West Bengal.
" This is a complete betrayal of the mandate of the people of the Sagardighi Assembly constituency," Ramesh said on Twitter.
"Such poaching which has happened earlier in Goa, Meghalaya, Tripura and other states is not designed to strengthen Opposition unity and only serves the BJP's objectives," he said.
The crossing over of the Congress' MLA to TMC and Ramesh's remarks slamming the Mamata Banrjee-led party assumes significance as these come at a time when efforts are on to forge Opposition unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 general election.
At the function to join the ruling party in Ghatal in Medinipur, Bayron claimed the Congress played no role in his victory, and he won because of "my goodwill".
Bayron, a local 'bidi' magnate, had won the Sagardighi seat earlier this year in a by-election, beating his TMC rival, much to the consternation of the ruling camp. PTI
12:17 Can Indo-Pak nuclear deterrence hold?
The nuclearisation of South Asia can be analysed from different angles. Read the column here.
12:12 Cong submits 12 demands on Manipur to Prez
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with a delegation of party leaders, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi today. "Today we submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu regarding the situation in Manipur. We have put forth 12 demands, including setting up of a high-level inquiry commission headed by a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court," the Congress said.
12:01 Unsuspecting victims lose life savings to social media scams
"In the next 24 hours, she sent in 90,000 rupees, until she had nothing left in her account. But her manager continued asking for more money if she wanted to get her cash back.
That was when she realised that she had been conned of all her savings.
She isn't alone."
Scammers are also using social media platforms to convince victims of their legitimacy and such crimes are often difficult to detect, say experts.
Read the report here.
11:38 India's growth to be sustained this fiscal: RBI
On the back of sound macroeconomic policies and softer commodity prices, India's growth momentum is likely to be sustained in 2023-24 in an atmosphere of easing inflationary pressures, said the Reserve Bank's annual report released on Tuesday.
It, however, added that slowing global growth, protracted geopolitical tensions and a possible upsurge in financial market volatility following new stress events in the global financial system could pose downside risks to growth.
"On the back of sound macroeconomic policies, softer commodity prices, a robust financial sector, a healthy corporate sector, continued fiscal policy thrust on quality of government expenditure, and new growth opportunities stemming from global realignment of supply chains, India's growth momentum is likely to be sustained in 2023-24 in an atmosphere of easing inflationary pressures," it said.
The RBI's Annual Report for 2022-23, a statutory report of its Central Board of Directors, further said its monetary policy remains focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that inflation progressively aligns with the target, while supporting growth.
"With a stable exchange rate and a normal monsoon -- unless an El Nino event strikes -- the inflation trajectory is expected to move down over 2023-24, with headline inflation edging down to 5.2 per cent from the average level of 6.7 per cent recorded last year," the report said.
In the external sector, it said the current account deficit (CAD) is expected to remain moderate, drawing strength from robust services exports and the salubrious impact of moderation in commodity prices of imports. "With global uncertainties persisting, foreign portfolio investment (FPI) flows may remain volatile," the RBI said.
During the current fiscal, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it aims at expanding the ongoing pilots in the CBDC (central bank digital currency) -Retail and CBDC-Wholesale by incorporating various use cases and features.
The pilot in CBDC-Retail is proposed to be expanded to more locations and to include more participating banks, it added. PTI
11:01 HC: Sisodia may influence witnesses, no bail
Delhi High Court denies bail to AAP leader Manish Sisodia in CBI's case related to excise policy scam. HC says allegations against Sisodia very serious, possibility of witnesses being influenced can't be ruled out. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma pronounced the order.
On May 6, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court was apprised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that a proceed of the crime of around 622 crore has been generated due to the alleged activities of the present accused Manish Sisodia.
ED apprised the court that the hard copy of the supplementary charge sheet has been filed. On May 4 this year, the federal agency filed a supplementary charge sheet against Manish Sisodia in the Delhi Excise policy case.
Accused Sahil
10:42 Concrete slab murder: Accused switched off phone
A day after the horrific murder of a 16-year-old in Delhi's Shahbad Dairy area, Delhi Police sources on Tuesday revealed that Sahil, the 20-year-old accused, had after committing the gruesome killing switched off his mobile phone and changed two buses to reach Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
Sahil was arrested from Bulandhshahr by Delhi Police on Monday and will be taken on remand for questioning, sources added. "After murdering the girl, accused Sahil went to Rithala, dumped the weapon and changed two buses to reach Bulandshahr," police sources said.
In a CCTV grab of the incident, Sahil can be purportedly seen stabbing the girl multiple times with a knife and continued to stab her even when she slumped to the ground. He kicked her and then took a concrete slab lying nearby and bludgeoned her head.
All this while the footage showed people watching the events unfold and walking past without intervening. An initial police investigation concluded that at the time of the incident, the victim did not have a mobile phone.
Around 10 minutes after the incident, locals informed the beat police officer about the incident and police arrived at the spot. As per the police sources, the accused has not been able to give satisfactory answers during questioning and he attempted to mislead the police.
As per the police, the accused was in a relationship with the minor, but they had a quarrel on Sunday night after which he killed her with multiple assaults.
The police said that it had registered FIR in the matter under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Shahbad Dairy Police Station. Also, the National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi to conduct a fair and time-bound investigation into the matter and to arrest the accused at the earliest. The Commission has formed a three-member team headed by Member Delina Khongdup to look into the matter.
10:19 Chalo Dilli! It's a cool 20C with thunderstorms
Delhiites woke up to a pleasant morning on Tuesday as the minimum temperature settled at 20.7 degrees Celsius, six notches below normal, even as the weather office has forecast thunderstorm with rain later in the day.
The city recorded 1 mm of rainfall during 8.30 am on Monday and 8:30 am on Tuesday. On Monday, the maximum temperature had settled at 35 degrees Celsius, five notches below normal.
The city registered a relative humidity of 77 per cent in the morning. The minimum temperature on Tuesday settled at 20.7 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said, and forecast thunderstorm with rain later in the day. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 34 degrees Celsius. The 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) was in the 'moderate' category with a reading of 114 at 9 am. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. PTI
09:53 I am filled with humility and gratitude: Modi
PM Narendra Modi tweets on the 9th anniversary of the BJP government at the Centre. "Today, as we complete 9 years in service to the nation, I am filled with humility and gratitude. Every decision made, every action taken, has been guided by the desire to improve the lives of people. We will keep working even harder to build a developed India. #9YearsOfSeva," Modi says.
Attacking the Modi government which completed nine years in office last week, the Congress on Monday accused it of "looting' people's earnings through "deadly inflation' while making "arrogant claims' about controlling rising prices.
The Opposition party also said the next few days "ministers and drum-beaters' would harp on the so-called "grand achievements' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure despite the life and livelihood of those living on the edge of poverty not changing for the better.
09:41 Chidambaram: PM candidate against BJP possible
When asked about the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress MP P Chidambaram says, "...In my view, if the non-BJP Opposition parties get together, it is possible that in 450 seats we can field one common candidate against the BJP. But that is an aspiration. Parties are meeting in Patna on June 12. It is a work in progress. It will happen but it will take some time."
The much-awaited meeting of parties opposed to the BJP is to be held in Patna on June 12, according to hints that have emanated from a meeting of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD (U).
The idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by WB CM Mamata Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata last month.
After the Congress' massive victory in the Karnataka polls earlier this month, Banerjee had said that the TMC would support the grand old party in states, where it is strong, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
09:32 7 Vaishno Devi pilgrims dead as bus falls into gorge
At least seven people were killed, while several others were injured after a bus they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said on Tuesday morning.
According to officials, the bus was on its way to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra from Amritsar when the incident took place near Jhajjar Kotli - about 15km from Katra in Jammu district.
"7 people are dead, and 4 others are seriously injured. The bus was going from Amritsar to Katra when it fell into a deep gorge near Jhajjar Kotli," Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jammu Avny Lavasa told ANI.
09:24 I-T Dept to monitor advance tax payments by companies
In a move to ensure companies do not defer their tax liabilities for the financial year, the income-tax department has decided to keep a close watch on advance tax payments by analysing India Inc's annual and quarterly balance sheets, as well as sectoral growth trends.
According to the I-T department's central action plan for 2023-2024, financial statements of top 100 listed companies in their last published annual reports, and quarterly reports through the year, will be analysed. Based on this study, senior officials will monitor advance tax collections of their charges. The officials have also been asked to focus on "notes' and observations on financial accounts, if any.
The tax department, according to sources, will also review growth trends in some sectors like real estate, pharmaceuticals, steel, mining, financial institutions, and gems & jewellery.
"It is pertinent to study the balance sheets of companies in each sector to know whether the payment made by them is in sync with their earnings outlook," said a tax official who did not wish to be named.
Companies would pay the first advance tax instalment on June 15. A strategy has also been made to focus on quality scrutiny of accounts before raising tax demand, and to pay special attention to the recovery of arrears. The idea is to both widen and deepen tax bases, according to two official in the know.
The action plan, with a greater emphasis on enhancing tax collected at source and utilising the enforcement mechanism to detect tax evasion, is expected to increase the taxpayer base by 10 per cent in 2023-24.
Every person (individual, firm or company) whose estimated tax liability for the year is Rs 10,000 or more, after tax deducted at source (TDS), shall pay tax in advance during the same financial year. Advance tax is to be paid in instalments -- 15 per cent on or before June 15 of the financial year, 30 per cent each by September 15 and December 15, and the remaining by March 15.
According to the central action plan, direct tax collections (actuals) for 2022-23 stood at Rs 16.26 trillion, compared with the revised estimate of Rs 16.5 trillion.
Of this, corporation tax was Rs 8.2 trillion, personal income tax Rs 7.68 trillion, and securities transaction tax Rs 29,700 crore. For the current financial year, overall direct tax collections are estimated to grow 9.6 per cent to Rs 18.2 trillion.
Notably, during the September-December quarter of 2022-2023, the tax department had directed a review of the instalment paid by top advance tax payers for the quarter. Sources said the department wanted to ensure that companies knew their advance tax liability on the basis of their profits and income. Since the payments for the January-March quarter were not up to the mark, the review this year was to be started in the first quarter itself, said the official quoted above.
-- Shrimi Choudhary/Business Standard
Representational image
09:12 Assam Zoo gets two zebras and a giraffe
Two zebras were released at the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden after 30 years along with a giraffe by Environment and Forest Department Chandra Mohan Patowary.
The two zebras, one male and a female, have been brought from Mysore Zoo in Karnataka and they are one and three years old respectively.
The forest minister on Monday named the zebras Joy and Joya. The female giraffe, aged five years, has been brought from Patna Zoo in Bihar and it will be in addition to the male giraffe already in the zoo. The duo has been named as Bijoy and Bijaya Patowary hoped that the zoo authorities would be able to take good care of the animals and increase their population.
Various steps have been taken to develop the infrastructure of the zoo and project reports are being prepared for reconstruction of the facility, he said.
09:00 Rahul shares 'truck yatra' video, drivers say...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has shared a video of his overnight "yatra" with truck drivers and the conversations he had with them while travelling on the Delhi-Chandigarh Highway.
Gandhi undertook the journey last Monday from Delhi to Chandigarh to listen to the problems faced by truck drivers. Donning his trademark white T-shirt, Gandhi, in the video, is seen sitting inside a truck, travelling with a driver and speaking to other drivers at a dhaba. "Interesting conversation with truck drivers in six-hour Delhi-Chandigarh journey! Spending 24 hours on the road, they unite every corner of India," he said in a tweet in Hindi while sharing a 35-second video of him during the journey.
Gandhi also shared the link of the complete video of his journey on his YouTube page. Continuing his interaction with people just like during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader met and spoke with a group of truck drivers at a dhaba in Murthal on NH-44, and travelled on a truck from there to Chandigarh, while on his way to Shimla, the party said.
During the conversation with the drivers, he decided to accompany Prem Rajpoot from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh in his truck. Gandhi had a wonderful conversation with Rajpoot and his companion Rakesh that made the six hours pass in no time, a statement from the party said. The complete video narrates a story that 3 crore Indians are directly employed in the truck industry and reports suggest that every year there is a demand for 9 lakh new truck drivers.
However, according to an independent study, about 98 per cent of truck drivers like Prem Rajpoot, from Lodhi community in Uttar Pradesh, do not want their family members to join their profession.
The same report also suggests most of them complained of harassment by police, and low and irregular income, the video stated. The story that these figures reflect is the same story that was retold by the truck drivers to Gandhi, who assured them that the next Congress government will do its best to improve their plight, the party said. Gandhi has been meeting people and listening to the voice of common Indians on a regular basis.
08:48 He should be ashamed, Sitharaman says of...
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday launched a fresh attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for criticising Indian government policies on China, and said that he should be ashamed of his remarks. Sitharaman was speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Monday.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) should be ashamed while taunting the government of India on China issue. He is briefed by the Chinese Ambassador but he doesn't listen to what our External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says on the topic," she said.
Sitharaman's statement came weeks after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's response in whcih he referred to Rahul Gandhi's meeting with the Chinese ambassador to India during the Doklam crisis.
Congress leader had attacked the government, suggesting that new territory had been lost to China's salami slicing.
"I would have offered to take classes on China from Rahul Gandhi but I discovered he was taking classes on China from the Chinese ambassador," Jaishankar had said while responding to the Congress leader's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's handling of relations with China. -- PTI
08:23 Lone Cong MP from Maharashtra passes away
The Congress' lone Lok Sabha member from Maharashtra, Balu Dhanorkar, died at a private hospital in Delhi Tuesday early morning, a party leader said.
He was 48 years old and is survived by wife Pratibha Dhanorkar, an MLA, and two sons.
"He was admitted to a Nagpur-based hospital last week for the treatment of kidney stones. He was later shifted to New Delhi...," Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said.
Dhanokar started his political career in the Balasaheb Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in Chandrapur district and won the assembly election in 2014. However, he was keen on contesting the Lok Sabha election from the Chandrapur seat, which was traditionally contested by the BJP's Hansraj Ahir.
Dhanorkar joined the Congress and defeated Ahir. His wife won from the Warora-Bhadrawati assembly seat in 2019. -- PTI
08:04 8 killed, 20 injured as bus falls off bridge in Jammu
Eight persons were killed and 20 injured when a bus skidded off a bridge and fell into a gorge in Jammu district, officials said Tuesday.
The bus, which was on its way to Katra, met with the accident in Jajjar Kotli area, they said.
The bus was reported to have been carrying pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
"Eight people have fatal casualties and 20 others are injured. Rescue operation is on," Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kohli told PTI.
Local residents and police rushed to the spot and launched the rescue operation.
The injured were taken to the GMC Hospital in Jammu. -- PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
01:00 Rajnath Singh attends swearing-in ceremony of Nigerian President
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday represented India at the swearing-in ceremony of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu, 71, was sworn in as Nigeria's president in Abuja, the capital city, in the presence of thousands of Nigerians and several heads of government.
He succeeded Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu, a former governor of the country's commercial capital, Lagos, was declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election on March 1.
"India was among the select non-African nations that were represented in the swearing-in ceremony' at the ministerial level, reflecting the high priority and strength of our bilateral relations with Nigeria," the defence ministry in New Delhi said in a statement.
Singh arrived Abuja on Sunday on a three-day visit, marking the first-ever visit of an Indian defence minister to the African country.
In addition to senior officials of the ministry of defence, Singh's delegation to Nigeria included top executives of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Goa Shipyard Limited.
These executives held a series of meetings with the Nigerian military and government representatives for identifying their requirements which can be fulfilled by the Indian defence companies.
Business-to-business meetings were held with Nigerian companies for enhancing cooperation, the statement said. -- PTI
File image
00:28 Fadnavis meets MNS chief Raj Thackeray
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray at the latter's residence on Monday evening.
The interaction between the two leaders took place after a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party here with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in attendance.
Incidentally, Thackeray has criticised the BJP post the party's defeat in the recent Karnataka elections by saying those who think no one can defeat them can learn from the setback. -- PTI
00:09 Civilian worker shot dead in J-K's Anantnag
A non-Muslim worker was shot dead by Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists on Monday when he had gone to a market for purchasing milk in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.
The worker, identified as Deepu from Udhampur district of Jammu region, was working in a circus that was camping at Janglaat Mandi area which was provided security, they said.
"The circus people had their own security as well. The victim had gone to a nearby market to purchase milk when two motorcycle-borne youths fired three bullets at him from a close range at 8.30 pm," the police said.
The worker was taken to the hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said.
ADGP Vijay Kumar was closely monitoring the situation and directed the district police to intensify their search to nab the killers at the earliest.
A little known outfit, Kashmir Freedom Fighter, believed to be a shadow outfit of banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba, has claimed responsibility for the killing.
"Terrorists fired upon one civilian namely Deepu R/O Udhampur working at private circus mela at amusement park near Janglaat Mandi in #Anantnag. He was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," the Kashmir zone police tweeted. -- PTI
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