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Mon, 04 September 2023
HC reserves order on PIL to remove Mathura masjid
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23:44 Odisha train accident: Bodies of 28 passengers yet to be claimed
Bodies of 23 passengers remain unclaimed and unidentified though three months have elapsed since the tragic triple train disaster near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha, an official said in Bhubaneswar on Monday.
The bodies have been kept in special freezers at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar and can be preserved for more time, the medical superintendent of the hospital, Dilip Parida said.
"We think no more claimants will come forward as no one has arrived in the last 10 days," Parida said.
The bodies will be handed over to CBI after getting instruction from the higher authorities as it has taken over the case, the official said. AIIMS, Bhubaneswar received 162 bodies in two phases.
Of them 28 bodies have remained unidentified as no claimant has come forward, the official said.
"We handed the bodies to the claimants after cross-matching DNA at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Delhi. Now 28 bodies are still with us. We are waiting for instruction from the railway ministry for further processing of the unclaimed bodies," Parida said.
More than 100 DNA samples were sent for genetic tests to identify the victims till now. -- PTI
23:39 HC reserves order on PIL to remove Mathura masjid
The Allahabad high court on Monday reserved its judgment on a PIL seeking "removal" of Mathura's Shahi Idgah mosque which the petitioner claimed was built on the Krishna Janmabhoomi or the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava reserved judgment after hearing the PIL filed by Mahek Maheshwari.
The high court on August 23 had adjourned hearing in the case till September 4.
The PIL has sought the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque, alleging it was built on the site of the birthplace of Krishna.
The petitioner has asked for the land to be "handed over to the Hindus and a proper trust be formed to build a temple on the Krishna Janmabhoomi land'.
In an interim plea, the petitioner also sought permission for Hindus to worship at the mosque on certain days of the week and during the festival of Janmashtami (Lord Krishna's birth anniversary celebrations), till the disposal of the petition.
Lord Krishna was born in karagar (prison) of king Kans and the place of his birth lies beneath the present structure raised by the Shahi Idgah Trust, the petitioner alleged. -- PTI
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
23:20 Ahead of key assembly polls, Cong chief Kharge constitutes central poll panel
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday constituted the party's central election committee with 16 members including himself and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The development comes ahead of key assembly elections in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The panel discusses and finalises the list of candidates for any parliamentary or state elections, including bypolls.
The other members of the election committee include leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, and veteran party leaders Ambika Soni and Madhusudan Mistry.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo, former Union minister Salman Khurshid and Lok Sabha MP from Telangana Uttam Kumar Reddy, besides Karnataka minister K J George, are also members of the key panel.
Former Uttarakhand Congress chief Pritam Singh, Bihar MP Mohammed Jawed and Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yajnik, besides former MP P L Punia and Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Omkar Markam, have also been included as members of the all-important panel. -- PTI
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23:16 Swaminarayan sect to drop Lord Hanuman murals
A Swaminarayan sect on Monday said it will remove controversial wall murals installed on the pedestal of a giant statue of Lord Hanuman at a temple in Salangpur town of Gujarat's Botad district.
In some of the murals at the famous Hanuman temple in Botad, the revered God is shown as a devotee of Sahjanand Swami.
Notably, the Swaminarayan sect, which is divided in several factions, refers to Sahajanand Swami (1781-1830) as Lord Swaminarayan. The sect developed around him.
The Hanuman temple in Salangpur is managed by the sect's Vadtal Gadi faction having its headquarter in Vadtal village in Kheda district.
A few months ago, the temple management installed a 54-feet statue of Lord Hanuman on the premises.
The wall of its pedestal is covered with murals.
In one mural, Lord Hanuman is shown kneeling before Sahajanand Swami. In another mural, the deity can be seen standing with folded hands before the parents of Sahjanand Swami.
Hindu religious leaders have been demanding the removal of these murals for over a week and some had threatened action if it was not done quickly.
On Monday, sources said some key leaders of the sect met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to resolve the issue.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad organised a meeting on Monday evening at Shivananda Ashram, which was attended by various Hindu seers and key leaders of the sect, including Chaitanya Shambhu Maharaj. -- PTI
22:35 IPS officer, DSP of Assam police among nine arrested in extortion case
An IPS officer and a DSP were arrested on Monday in connection with an extortion case in Assam's Bajali district, taking the total number of apprehended people to nine, an official said.
Director general of police GP Singh had, on September 1, written on X, formerly Twitter, that the case was registered after receiving a complaint of "demand for money by some personnel of Bajali" district in the first week of August.
The then-superintendent of police of Bajali was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department, which is probing the case, while a search operation was also conducted in his residence on Sunday night, the official said.
The deputy superintendent of police, who was named in the original FIR lodged by the CID last week, was also arrested.
With the latest arrests, the number of accused persons held in the case has gone to nine, he said.
Among those already in custody are an additional superintendent of police, her husband, and four other policemen, all posted in Bajali district.
One civilian was also held in the case. Those arrested in the extortion case were being interrogated by the top police officers, the official said.
The arrests were made in connection with the CID case registered on August 31 initially against seven police personnel of Bajali, including the DSP and two sub-inspectors. -- PTI
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22:01 10th std student jumps off school terrace in Kolkata
A class 10 student allegedly jumped to death from the terrace of his school in south Kolkata's Kasba area on Monday, the police said.
When taken to a nearby hospital, the 16-year-old boy was declared brought dead, they said.
His parents alleged that he was scolded by two teachers of the school for failing to complete a project.
They alleged that the school was trying to hide something from them.
"It is alleged that he felt humiliated and insulted following the scolding, and went to the terrace and jumped from there," a police officer said.
"The doctors noted that the boy had suffered injuries after falling from a height. There was bleeding from his ear, nose and mouth, and no vitals were recorded when he was taken to the hospital," he said.
In a statement, the English-medium school said that an investigation into the incident is underway.
"No school will ever target children and harass them. We are a child-friendly school and no teacher will react like the way it is being alleged," it said.
INDIA bloc leaders during meeting in Mumbai, September 1, 2023/ANI
21:45 INDIA bloc likely to meet in poll-bound MP
The next meeting of the INDIA bloc may be held at Bhopal in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh along with the first joint public rally of leaders of various opposition parties, sources said on Monday.
They said the option of holding the next meeting was discussed at the just-concluded meeting of opposition parties in Mumbai and there was a broad consensus on holding the meeting in Bhopal, but no date was finalised and its modalities had not been worked out.
The next meeting of the opposition alliance, which plans to take on the ruling NDA jointly in next general elections, could be held as early as October, the sources said.
Delhi was also considered as one of the options by opposition leaders. However, there was no confirmation on the date.
The opposition leaders have been working in cohesion to take on the NDA which was also reflected during the Parliament sessions.
The INDIA bloc has already held three meetings in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai and now they plan to hold joint rallies against the NDA at various places as elections draw near. -- PTI
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21:19 3 held for cultivating cannabis inside two rented flats at Guj housing society
Three persons have been arrested for allegedly cultivating ganja (cannabis) using the hydroponic technique in two rented flats in a housing society on the outskirts of Gujarat's Ahmedabad city, the police said on Monday.
The trio had set up two hi-tech greenhouses with temperature and humidity control inside two apartments on the 15th floor of a residential building to cultivate cannabis, an official said.
The accused Raviprakash Murarka, Viren Modi, and Ritika Prasad, all residents of Jharkhand, were living in flats 1501 and 1504 in D2 block of Orchid Legacy building on SP Ring Road of the city, assistant commissioner of police, SD Patel said.
"Based on a tip-off, the police on Sunday raided the two flats in Orchid Legacy Society and found greenhouses set up in the rooms for the cultivation of ganja using hydroponic method. While walls were covered using silver sheets, water and other nutrients, including amino acids, were being administered through drip irrigation," the official said.
The trio were booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act by Sarkhej police of Ahmedabad, he said. -- PTI
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21:12 UGC team visits Jadavpur University, takes stock of measures taken to prevent ragging
A team of the UGC visited the Jadavpur University in Kolkata on Monday to take stock of the steps taken to prevent ragging on campus, weeks after a student died at its hostel.
The four-member team of the University Grants Commission will oversee the infrastructure available on the campus to avert incidents like ragging, and hold talks with varsity officials and other stakeholders, JU's officiating vice-chancellor Buddhadeb Sau said.
The team will also visit the main boys' hostel where the first-year undergraduate student was allegedly ragged, and he eventually died on August 10.
Sau said that the UGC had made certain queries about whether the anti-ragging guidelines are being followed by the varsity, and an exhaustive reply would be sent to it as soon as possible.
"CCTV cameras are already there on the campus, and some more will be installed at strategic points. The work order has already been issued," he told reporters, adding that the details will be shared with the UGC team.
In the team were National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration vice-chancellor Shashikala Wanjari, VC of Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Motihari Sanjay Srivastava, associate professor of NIT-Durgapur Joydeep Banerjee, and joint secretary in UGC Vipin Kaushal. -- PTI
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
21:00 BJP lost 2004 LS elections because ...: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party had made the mistake of coining the 'India Shining' slogan and lost the 2004 elections as he predicted the same fate for the opposition INDIA bloc in 2024.
Addressing a public meeting before flagging off BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Neemuch, Singh said Congress should either snap ties with its ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments on Sanatan dharma or apologise to people for his remark.
He also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the south pole of the Moon, but "Rahulyaan" could neither be launched nor landed.
"After 28 parties joined and formed an alliance called INDIA, 38 parties have come with BJP due to its charisma. Do you all like India or Bharat?" he asked the audience.
"We, during the prime ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had made a mistake by coining the 'India Shining' slogan but lost the (2004) polls. We realised our mistake. The INDIA bloc would meet the same fate....It will be demolished in (general) elections (in 2024), the veteran BJP leader said. -- PTI
20:46 HC asks bizman Kanoria to deposit Rs 100-cr bank guarantee for US travel
The Delhi high court Monday permitted Anant Raj Kanoria, the son of one of the promoters of SREI Infrastructure against whom a look out circular has been issued by the Enforcement Directorate, to travel to the US for medical treatment on the condition that he will have to deposit a bank guarantee of Rs 100 crore with the court.
The high court also said he shall furnish two sureties of Rs 100 crore each of persons living in India. It permitted Kanoria to travel to Boston to be treated for epilepsy from September 6 to 18.
"At this juncture, while considering the present application for permitting the petitioner (Kanoria) to go abroad, this court does not want to make any observations on the merits of the case as it can prejudice both the parties. The petitioner has not been named in the FIR or in ECIR nor has any complaint registered against him," Justice Subramonium Prasad said.
The high court noted the material on record indicated that the petitioner has been called for investigation on eight dates and he has appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on all the dates.
"Considering the fact that the petitioner wants to go abroad for the purpose of his medical treatment and material on record does suggest that the petitioner is a patient of epilepsy and is being treated by a doctor in Boston, USA from 2010, this court is inclined to permit the petitioner to go to Boston, USA only for the purpose of medical treatment from September 6 to 18'," it said. -- PTI
Tahir Hussain
20:05 AAP's Tahir Hussain gets bail in Delhi riots case
A court in Delhi has granted bail to former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain in a case of alleged criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly and attempt to murder related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
The court said after Hussain's bail plea in the case was rejected in November last year, there had been a "change in material circumstances".
Hussain, however, will continue to remain incarcerated as he is accused in other rioting cases, including one lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act related to the alleged conspiracy behind the communal riots.
Additional sessions judge Pulastya Pramachala, in an order passed on Saturday, noted that the Delhi high court granted bail to Hussain in five rioting cases on July 12.
"It is a matter of record and undisputed fact that the incidents probed in FIR numbers 91/2020, 92/2020 and 88/2020 (this case) took place at proximate times and places," the judge said. In all three FIRs, however, charges were not framed for offences under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) and 153A (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national interest), he added. This was because of the "proximate times and places of incidents in the FIRs", the judge said. -- PTI
UP minister Satish Sharma
19:54 UP Minister faces all-round flak over shivling gaffe, called 'adharmi' by Oppn
UP minister Satish Sharma faced flak from the opposition Monday after a video surfaced online showing him washing his hands at a shivling in the Lodheshwar Mahadev temple in Barabanki.
The video clip showed the minister of state for food and civil supplies washing his hand in the 'argha,' or the base, of the Shivling with the help of a priest.
Congress and Samajwadi Party took exception to the act and demanded resignation of the minister for "insulting the Sanatan dharma."
Minister Sharma countered the allegations saying he did nothing wrong, if he had, the priest would have stopped him.
The priest of the temple said that as the minister's had 'prasad' in his hand, he helped him wash them in the argha of the Shivling and there is nothing wrong in this.
The incident happened on August 27, when Sharma visited the temple with public works minister Jitin Prasad.
Sharma and district in-charge minister Jitin Prasad had gone to Hetmapur village of Ramnagar tehsil to distribute relief material to the flood victims and both of them had stopped to pray at the temple.
UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, "The minister should know what he is doing. Will we wash our hands when we offer water and pay our respects? The minister has insulted Sanatan Dharma." -- PTI
19:42 G20 logo and theme
The G20 logo draws inspiration from the vibrant colours of India's national flag.
19:16 Will repeat it again and again: Udhay on Sanatan
Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday held on to his critical remarks on Sanatan Dharma made on Saturday.
Addressing the media on Monday, Stalin Jr said, "Day before yesterday I spoke at a function about it (Sanatana Dharma). Whatever I said, I'll repeat the same thing again and again... I included all the religions and not just Hindus... I spoke condemning the caste differences, that's all...'
18:52 Rupee falls 11 paise to close at 82.73 against US dollar
The rupee depreciated by 11 paise to close at 82.73 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, weighed down by a surge in crude oil prices and strength of the American currency in the overseas market.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 82.71 against the US dollar and moved in a range of 82.67 to 82.77 in the day trade.
The rupee finally settled at 82.73 (provisional) against the US dollar, down 11 paise from its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had settled at 82.62 against the dollar. -- PTI
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18:32 Terrorist killed in encounter in J-K's Reasi, cop hurt
A terrorist was killed and a policeman sustained injuries in an ongoing encounter in a remote area of Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Monday, a senior official said.
Additional director general of police, Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh said the encounter broke out during a search and cordon operation and two terrorists are believed to be trapped in the besieged Gali Sohab village in Tuli area.
The search operation was launched in the afternoon after police received specific information about the presence of two terrorists in the area, he said.
The ADGP said one terrorist has been killed so far, while efforts are on to neutralise the other.
A policeman was injured in the gunbattle and was hospitalised, the officer said. -- PTI
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18:20 Pak Navy helicopter crashes in Balochistan; three navy personnel killed
A Pakistan Navy helicopter crashed during a routine training flight in the country's restive Balochistan province on Monday, killing three people, including two officers, a navy spokesperson said.
The crash happened in the province's port city of Gwadar when the helicopter developed a technical problem, killing two Navy officers and a sailor of the Pakistan Navy, The News International newspaper reported.
"The helicopter crashed during the training flight due to a possible technical fault. Three Navymen-- two officers and one sailor -- died in the crash," a spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.
The spokesperson added that an investigation had been launched into the accident.
Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the helicopter crash and prayed for the bereaved.
Last year in September, six Pakistan Army officials, including two majors, were killed when their helicopter crashed in Balochistan province. -- PTI
17:34 Prashant Kishor: 1 nation, 1 poll good only if...
As the country is heading towards General elections next year, political analyst Prashant Kishor on Monday said that if 'One Nation, One Election' is done with the correct intentions then it is in the interest of the country.
"If this is done with the correct intentions and there is a transition phase of 4-5 years, then it is in the interest of the country. This was once in effect in the country for 17-18 years. This was once in effect in the country for 17-18 years," Kishor said.
"Secondly, in a country as large as India, around 25 per cent of the country votes every year. So, the people running the government remain busy in this circle of election. If this is limited to 1-2 times, it will be better. This will cut down expenses and people will have to make a decision only once," he added.
He further said that if the government tries to attempt an overnight transition then there will be issues. "If you attempt an overnight transition, there will be issues. The government is perhaps bringing a Bill. Let it come. If the government has good intentions, then it should happen and it will be good for the country...But it depends on the intentions with which the government is bringing it," he added.
17:09 YS Sharmila may merge her party with Congress
Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's daughter Y S Sharmila may join the Congress and merge her YSR Telangana Party with it soon, sources said in New Delhi on Monday.
Sharmila, the sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is likely to be present at the Congress' mega rally near Hyderabad on September 17, they said.
She had on Thursday met top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the national capital. When asked about it at a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress general secretary K C Vengopal said, "Sharmila ji met Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi and (former AICC chief) Rahul Gandhi. It was a very cordial meeting, very good meeting that I think she herself explained to the media. Rest of the things you wait and see."
At the presser, Venugopal announced that on September 17 evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a "mega rally" near Hyderabad where it will announce five guarantees for Telangana, which is scheduled to go to polls later this year.
The sources said Sharmila is likely to be present at the meeting and a merger of her party with the Congress could take place in the near future. They said she may join the Congress and merge her party which would come as a boost for the grand old party ahead of the Telangana Assembly polls.
Speculation about Sharmila growing closer to the Congress has been doing the rounds for quite some time after she had met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru in May to congratulate him on the party's victory in the neighbouring state.
16:40 Sensex, Nifty rise for 2nd day
Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty rallied for the second straight session on Monday following encouraging domestic macroeconomic data amid a firm trend in global markets.
Fresh foreign fund inflows and intense buying in IT and commodity stocks also bolstered sentiment, traders said. The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 240.98 points or 0.37 per cent to settle at 65,628.14. During the day, it jumped 296.75 points or 0.45 per cent to 65,683.91. The Nifty rose 93.50 points or 0.48 per cent to end at 19,528.80.
16:35 BJP has assets of Rs 6,046 cr, Cong Rs 805 cr
The total assets declared by eight national parties in 2021-22 was Rs 8,829.16 crore, up from Rs 7,297.62 crore during 2020-21, poll rights body ADR said in its report.
The Association for Democratic Reforms, an electoral reform advocacy group, in its report analysed the assets and liabilities declared by the BJP, INC, NCP, BSP, CPI, CPI(M), AITC and NPEP the eight national parties for FY 2020-21 and 2021-22.
In financial year 2020-21, the BJP declared assets worth Rs 4,990 crore, up by 21.17 per cent to Rs 6,046.81 crore in 2021-22. According to the ADR, in 2020-21, the declared assets of Congress was Rs 691.11 crore, which shot up by 16.58 per cent to Rs 805.68 crore in 2021-22. The BSP was the only national party to show a decrease in its annual declared assets, its report said. The total assets of BSP between 2020-21 and 2021-22 decreased by 5.74 per cent from Rs 732.79 crore to Rs 690.71 crore. The total assets of TMC increased from Rs 182.001 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 458.10 crore, an increase of 151.70 per cent, the ADR said.
The total liabilities for FY 2020-21 declared by the national parties was Rs 103.55 crore. The Congress declared liabilities of Rs 71.58 crore, the highest, followed by CPI(M) with Rs 16.109 crore, the ADR said. For FY 2021-22, the Congress again was at top with liabilities of Rs 41.95 crore, followed by CPI (M) and BJP, which declared liabilities worth Rs 12.21 crore and Rs 5.17 crore.
Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, five parties declared a decrease in liabilities. INC declared a decrease in its liabilities by Rs 29.63 crore, BJP by Rs 6.03 crore, CPI(M) by Rs 3.89 crore, AITC by Rs 1.30 crore, and NCP by Rs 1 lakh.
15:40 President Murmu unveils 12-foot statue of Gandhi at Rajghat
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday unveiled a 12-foot statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi. She also inaugurated a Gandhi Vatika where statues of Mahatma Gandhi in different poses have been installed.
At the event, the president said Mahatma Gandhi is an invaluable gift for the world community and his values and ideals gave a new direction to the world.
"From South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela to Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. to US' former president Barack Obama accepted that Mahatma Gandhi's path of non-violence is the path of global development," she said addressing a gathering. -- PTI
15:38 Bitterness of INDIA bloc on display: Goa CM on sanatan dharma jibe
The bitterness of INDIA alliance is on display with the highly condemnable statement made by Udhayanidhi Stalin about Sanatan Dharma, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday.
DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has drawn the Bharatiya Janata Party's ire with his allegation that Sanatan Dharma is against social justice, and it should be eradicated.
Following Udhayanidhi's statement, the BJP targeted the opposition alliance INDIA and Tamil Nadu's ruling party over the issue. Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused INDIA bloc parties of "insulting" Sanatan Dharma for vote bank and appeasement politics, while the saffron party's president J P Nadda appealed to people to reject the opposition grouping, which is spreading "hatred, poison and attacking the country's culture and tradition".
Reacting to the DMK leader's remark, the Goa chief minister tweeted, "The cat has come out of the bag! The bitterness of the I.N.D.I.A alliance is on display with the highly condemnable statement by Udhayanidhi Stalin. Sanatan Dharma reflects the spirit of imbibing 'Nitya Nutan' and changing according to the time, allowing everyone to walk on his own path for the search of truth," he said on the micro-blogging site X.
15:34 G20: No online delivery except medicines in Delhi
All online delivery services, except medicines, will be barred in the New Delhi district during the G20 Summit, the Delhi Police said on Monday. Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) SS Yadav said during a press conference that there are no changes in the traffic advisory issued by the police on August 25.
"Essential services such as postal and medical services, sample collections by path labs will be allowed throughout Delhi. In the New Delhi area, commercial activities will not be allowed. Online delivery services will not be allowed but medicine delivery will be allowed," he said. Valid permissions granted for essential services will be "honoured", he added.
The senior officer also shared that barring at the Supreme Court station, metro services will not be affected. "There might be closure of gates for 10-15 minutes at stations due to VIP movement and security restrictions. But apart from at Pragati Maidan (Supreme Court), metro services will not be affected at other stations," he added.
Yadav said people with hotel bookings in the New Delhi district and travelling from the airport or railway station will be allowed entry, subject to the production of boarding passes and booking documents.
"There might be 10-15-minute delays due to security restrictions at that point but they will be allowed entry," he added. The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to be held from September 9-10 at the newly built international convention and exhibition centre -- Bharat Mandapam -- at Pragati Maidan. PTIs.
14:56 INDIA bloc must apologise: Rajnath on sanatan jibe
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hit out at the opposition over DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments on Sanatan Dharma, asking why Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot are "silent" on the issue.
Addressing a public meeting in Jaisalmer on the launch of the third round of the BJP's Parivartan Yatra in Rajasthan, he also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, saying Chandrayaan successfully landed on the south pole of the Moon but "Rahulyaan" could neither be launched nor landed.
On Udhayanidhi Stalin's comments, Singh said, "I want to ask (Rajasthan Chief Minister) Ashok Gehlot why he does not speak, why Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, (Congress president Mallikarjun) Kharge do not say what is their thinking on Sanatan Dharma."
INDIA bloc members should apologise for the insult to Sanatan Dharma or the country won't forgive them, the defence minister said. Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and that it should be eradicated. Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, also likened Sanatan Dharma to coronavirus, malaria, and dengue fever and said such things should not be opposed but destroyed. PTI
14:22 Vikram Lander has been put to sleep: ISRO
ISRO tweets to say that Vikram Lander has been set into sleep mode around 08:00 Hrs. IST today.
"Prior to that, in-situ experiments by ChaSTE, RAMBHA-LP and ILSA payloads are performed at the new location. The data collected is received at the Earth. Payloads are now switched off. Lander receivers are kept ON. Vikram will fall asleep next to Pragyan once the solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. Hoping for their awakening, around September 22, 2023," ISRO said.
Earlier today, ISRO said the Vikram lander successfully underwent a hop test when it made the soft-landing again on the lunar surface.
On command it (Vikram lander) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 to 40 cm away, ISRO said in an update on 'X'.
Noting that the Vikram lander exceeded its mission objectives, ISRO said the importance of the exercise was that this 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human mission.
The victim was a trainee with Air India
14:12 Stewardess found with throat slit in Mumbai
A 24-year-old woman flight attendant has been found dead with her throat slit in an apartment in Mumbai following which police have registered a case of murder and detained one person, an official said on Monday.
The deceased, identified as Rupal Ogrey, hailed from Chhattisgarh and came to Mumbai in April for training with Air India, the official said. She was found dead late Sunday night in a flat at N G Complex on Krishanlal Marwah Marg in Marol area of suburban Andheri, he said.
The Powai police have registered a murder case and detained one person in this connection, the official said.
During the probe, the police found the woman resided in the flat along with her sister and the latter's boyfriend, but the duo left for their native place eight days back. The police have now informed them about the incident, the official said. After the woman did not pick up calls from her family members, they rang up their local friends in Mumbai and asked them to go to her flat.
When the family's local friends went there, they found the flat locked from inside and there was no response to the doorbell. Later, they contacted the Powai police and with their help opened the flat using a duplicate key, the official said. The woman was found lying with her throat slit. She was immediately she rushed to Rajawadi Hospital where she was declared dead before admission, he said. -- PTI
14:06 India records 46 new Covid cases, active caseload at 491
India recorded a single-day rise of 46 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload declined to 491, according to Union Health Ministry data. The death toll was recorded at 5,32,023 (5.32 lakh), the data updated at 8 am on Monday showed.
The country's Covid case tally is at 4,49,97,372 (4.49 crore). -- PTI
13:39 Don't allow...: Raj Thackeray to Maratha protesters
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday met the people agitating in Jalna for the Maratha quota and said they should not allow those who ordered lathi-charge on the protesters to enter Marathwada.
Thackeray reached Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna and met Manoj Jarange, who has been staging a hunger strike since a week demanding reservation for the Maratha community.
The agitation turned violent on Friday after the authorities tried to shift Jarange to a hospital.
As violence broke out, police baton-charged the protesters and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze.
More than 360 people have been booked in connection with the violence, police earlier said.
Thackeray said, "Leaders seek your votes and leave you. The agitators should not allow entry into Marathwada of those leaders who ordered the attack with lathis and to hold the agitators at gun-point. This should go on until the leaders apologise."
While on way to Antarwali Sarathi village, the MNS leader interacted with the agitators at Jamkhed Phata.
"Earlier, politicians promised a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea (off Mumbai coast) and took your votes. But after taking your votes, your issues are ignored," he said.
State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the opposition should not do politics over the issue, Thackeray mentioned.
"But, Fadnavis would have done the same thing if he would have been in the opposition," he claimed.
Manipur CM N Biren Singh
13:09 Manipur govt files FIR against Ed Guild for clashes
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday said that his government has filed an FIR against the president and three members of the Editors Guild of India, and accused them of trying to create more clashes in the state which is rocked by ethnic strife for nearly four months.
The Editors Guild recently claimed that the media's reports on the ethnic violence in Manipur were one-sided and accused the state leadership of being partisan.
The state government has filed an FIR against the members of the Editors Guild who are trying to create more clashes in the state of Manipur, Singh said.
Those booked are the President of the Editors Guild Seema Mustafa, and three members - Seema Guha, Bharat Bhushan and Sanjay Kapoor. Guha, Bhushan and Kapoor visited the state last month to study media reportage of the ethnic violence. The chief minister also said that they should have met the representatives of all communities and not some sections only before coming to a conclusion. PTI
Xi Jinping at the Bali G20 last year
12:53 It's official: Xi Jinping will NOT attend Delhi G20
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi this week and the delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang, the foreign ministry announced in Beijing on Monday.
At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said in a brief statement. PTI
12:39 Maybe they're nervous: Uma Bharti on being sidelined
Firebrand BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti has hit out at the saffron party after not being invited to the Jan Ashirwad Yatra flagged off by party president J P Nadda, reported NDTV.
"May be they (the BJP leaders) are nervous that if I'm there, then entire public attention will be on me," she said, adding "If Jyotiraditya Scindia helped them form the government (in 2020), even even I helped them form a bigger majority government (in 2003)".
Bharti, who was once known to be close to L K Advani, continued, "He (Scindia) is loved by me as a nephew, but at least I was worthy of being invited to the Yatra launch, even though I wouldn't have gone there. But I'll still campaign for the BJP and solicit votes for the party in the coming polls."
The Congress took the chance to highlight how Bharti, once among the leaders of the Ram Temple movement that brought BJP to the limelight, is now being sidelined.
"The party sidelined former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, retired Murli Manohar Joshi our culture, even God does not forgive the one who does not respect elders," Congress's Randeep Surjewala said adding that the BJP "insults its leaders".
12:06 Sonia calls Cong Parl Strategy group meet tomorrow
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the party's Parliamentary Strategy group on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming special session of Parliament, party sources said.
Sonia Gandhi was discharged from the hospital on Monday. She was admitted to Delhi's Sir Gangaram Hospital with symptoms of mild fever on Sunday. As per the information, there would be a discussion on party's plan to tackle questions and issues likely to be raised in the Parliament Session.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also called a meeting of MPs of the INDIA alliance to discuss the strategy for the special parliamentary session.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18-22. The agenda for the special session, however, was not revealed yet.
12:01 Welcome to the world, Angad Jasprit Bumrah!
Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah and his wife Sanjana Ganesan are blessed with a baby boy.
"Our little family has grown & our hearts are fuller than we could ever imagine! This morning we welcomed our little boy, Angad Jasprit Bumrah into the world. We are over the moon and can't wait for everything this new chapter of our lives brings with it - Jasprit and Sanjana," posted Bumrah on his official X handle, previously known as Twitter.
The speedster left for Mumbai amid the ongoing Asia Cup due to personal reasons.
KBK Infographic
11:14 ISRO: Vikram soft-lands on moon again!
Update from the Chandrayaan 3 mission. ISRO tweets, "Vikram soft-landed on moon, again! Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives. It successfully underwent a hop experiment. On command, it fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 -- 40 cm away.
"Importance?: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions! All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment."
11:02 WFH for Delhi-NCR offices during G20 weekend
Offices in Delhi and adjoining areas of Noida and Gurugram have facilitated work-from-home arrangements for their employees during the G20 weekend. India is hosting the G20 Summit and the main event will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.
The summit is likely to be attended by 29 heads of states as well as top officials of the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.
All private and government offices in Delhi will remain closed on September 8-10, while banks and commercial establishments, including markets, in the New Delhi district will be shut during these three days. Accordingly, companies have announced flexible work measures during the G20 weekend.
"In view of the Delhi government's traffic advisory around the G20 summit from 8th to 10th September, we understand the potential challenges our Delhi-based employees might face in their daily commute. "Considering the same, we have already announced the flexibility to work from home during the period," Noida-based NIIT Limited HR Head Mita Brahma said.
Gurugram-based ecommerce platform Shiprocket's SVP & Head of HR Saumya Khati said the company is fully aligned with the government's efforts to ensure a smooth and efficient execution of the summit.
"In response to the government's guidance during this event, we have taken proactive steps to provide flexible work-from-home arrangements for our employees in Delhi and for the people travelling from Delhi to our HQ (headquarter) in Gurugram," Brahma said. The HR heads unanimously echoed their commitment to support the Indian government in the smooth organisation of the summit, adding that it is a moment of pride for all Indians.
10:54 Mentorship programme for emerging S Asian writers opens
Write Beyond Borders is a six-month project that brings together established and emerging authors of South-Asian origin from the UK and South Asia, offering an opportunity for literature-based knowledge exchange, skills development and creative collaboration, beyond borders.
The project aims to create connections between writing communities in the UK and South Asia; combat the under-representation of writers of South Asian origin in mainstream literary culture; offer emerging writers the opportunity to develop their skills; and boost the skills and profile of emerging writing talent at local, national and international levels.
Emerging writers receive support and guidance from mentor authors in the form of one-to-one mentoring sessions.
Project leaders and mentor authors will deliver a series of masterclasses on the elements of craft and publication, also made available to a wider audience.
Write Beyond Borders 2023-24 is funded by the AHRC-funded Diverse Capacities project based at the University of Southampton and an Arts Council England Project Grant called Bridges not Borders that will celebrate South Asian art and culture in the Solent region of the UK.
The deadline for applications is at 11:59 GMT on 11 September 2023. For more information click here. You can get in touch via email: write.beyond.borders@gmail.com and connect via Twitter: @WriteBBorders and Instagram: @write.beyond.borders
KBK Infographics
10:31 Hate in India has gone beyond control. Even Modi, RSS cant stop it
Every Muslim-hater is not a supporter who is acting on orders from Nagpur, writes Vir Sanghvi. Read the column here.
PM Modi and US Prez Biden at the G20 at Bali last year
10:27 G20: PM to hold bilateral meet with Biden on Friday
Voicing disappointment over his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping not attending the G20 summit in New Delhi, US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that he was looking forward to his trip to India this week.
President Biden will arrive in India next week to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8, on the sidelines of the summit, the White House recently announced.
To a question from a reporter if he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam, Biden replied, "Yes, I am." During the summit in the national capital on September 9 and 10, Biden will commend PM Modi for his leadership of the G20, the White House said earlier this week.
"The President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the White House said in its week-ahead schedule of the President released on September 7.
Even as Washington seeks to repair relations with Beijing, President Biden, earlier on Monday, expressed disappointment over Chinese Premier Xi Jinping not attending the two-day G20 summit in India on September 9 and 10. -- ANI
10:21 The voice of Chandrayaan 3 falls silent
Former ISRO director Dr. P V Venkitakrishnan pays homage to a woman Indian knew from her voice. "The voice of Valarmathi Madam will not be there for the countdowns of future missions of ISRO from Sriharikotta. Chandrayan 3 was her final countdown announcement. An unexpected demise . Feel so sad.Pranams!," Dr Venkitakrishnan said.
10:18 4 months since violence, Manipur forgotten: Cong
The Congress on Monday attacked the Centre over its handling of the situation in Manipur, alleging that four months after ethnic violence broke out, the state lies "forgotten" by the Modi government.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that in the last four months, the world has witnessed "how the prime minister (Narendra Modi) has failed Manipur during its worst crisis".
In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that "while the prime minister and his drum-beaters are obsessed with G20, four months after ethnic violence broke out on May 3rd, Manipur lies forgotten by the Modi government. The chief minister (N Biren Singh) has ensured that the Manipuri society is more divided today than ever before," he said.
"The Union home minister (Amit Shah) has failed to put an end to the violence and ensure the recovery of arms and ammunition. Instead, many more armed groups have entered the conflict," Ramesh said.
The prime minister "refuses" to visit Manipur, or lead an all-party delegation, or initiate any credible peace process, he said. "Has he even met his own colleague from Manipur in the cabinet," the Congress general secretary asked. "In the midst of a humanitarian tragedy, there is a complete and total breakdown of the Constitutional machinery and trust between communities in Manipur," he alleged.
His remarks come after the Manipur government shifted the last of 10 Kuki families comprising 24 members from Imphal's New Lambulane area where they had been living for decades and did not move elsewhere even after the ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state four months ago. These families were taken to the Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district on the northern side of the Imphal Valley early on Saturday, as they had become "vulnerable targets", an official said.
The Kuki families alleged that they were forcibly evicted from their residences in the New Lambulane area to Motbung.
More than 160 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur in early May after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
09:56 Teacher transferred for asking students to go to Pak
A teacher at an Urdu Government School has been transferred for allegedly asking students to go to Pakistan for making noise in the classroom.
According to sources in the Education department, the incident occurred on August 30.
The sources also said the teacher was upset with the noise in the class. In a fit of rage, she scolded the children and asked them to go to Pakistan if they did not want to study.
A few children then reported the matter to their parents who took strong objection to it, according to sources.
As the matter reached the higher-ups, they ordered a departmental inquiry against the teacher and transferred her to Hassan, sources said. -- PTI
09:38 Car catches fire in Thane; 7 of family escape unhurt
Seven members of a family had a narrow escape when a car in which they were travelling caught fire in Maharashtra's Thane district, civic officials said on Monday.
The car was completely charred following the incident which took place at around 10 pm on Mumbra bypass when the family members were on way towards Thane city, local civic body's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.
The car suddenly caught fire following which its occupants - two women, as many men and three children- immediately got out of the vehicle, he said.
Local firemen and disaster management cell team members rushed to the spot after being alerted and put out the blaze in about half-an- hour, but the car was completely charred, the official said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, he added. -- PTI
Representative image
09:25 Italian DJ arrested in Goa for possessing drugs worth Rs 55 lakh
Police have arrested an Italian disc jockey (DJ) staying at Assagao village in North Goa district after drugs worth Rs 55 lakh were recovered from his rented room, an official said.
Michael Lawrence Steffenoni, known by his stage name as DJ Bobblehead, was arrested on Sunday along with another man Neil Walter, Superintendent of Police (Anti-Narcotics Cell) Bossuet Silva said.
Steffenoni performs in different nightclubs in the coastal belt of North Goa.
"Police seized drugs worth Rs 55 lakh, including LSD and charas, from the room occupied by the DJ," the official said.
Steffenoni was scheduled to perform at two high-profile shows at Anjuna and Vagator on September 2 and September 3, he added.
As per preliminary investigation, the DJ was to peddle the drugs at these two events, the police said.
"The DJ was supposed to perform in two parties. A strong signal to all such elements who break Indian Law. Well Done ANC," Goa's Director General of Police Jaspal Singh said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. -- PTI
09:08 Disappointed, but...: Biden on Xi skipping G20 meet
United States President Joe Biden has said that he is looking forward to his trip to India this week but is disappointed that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will not attend the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the historic meeting, the White House announced on Friday.
In its capacity as the current president of G20, India is hosting the annual summit of the influential grouping in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.
Ahead of his trip, reporters asked Biden on Sunday whether he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam.
"Yes, I am," Biden replied.
He expressed his disappointment over President Xi of China not attending the summit in New Delhi.
"I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him," Biden said in response to a question.
Biden, along with more than two dozen world leaders, is scheduled to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi that is being hosted by Prime Minister Modi.
According to recent media reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi are not likely to attend the summit.
India is awaiting a written confirmation from China on President Xi's participation in the G20 Leaders Summit, Muktesh Pardeshi, Special Secretary for G20, said on Friday.
"We have seen some reports in the newspapers. But, we go by written confirmation. And we have not seen (a written confirmation). Unless we see that I am not in a position to say either way," Pardeshi told PTI when asked about reports of Xi skipping the G20 meeting and deputing Prime Minister Li Qiang for the event.
08:34 J-K reinstates lecturer suspended over Art 370 case
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday revoked the suspension of a lecturer who was removed from his post days after he appeared in the Supreme Court as a party against the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
A political science teacher at Government Higher Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar, Zahoor Ahmed Bhat was suspended on August 25 and attached to the office of Director School Education in Jammu"for violation of provisions of J&K CSR, Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules 1971, J&K Leave Rules".
This came a day after he argued before the top court as petitioner in-person in a matter related to the abrogation of Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
"Consequent on withdrawal of order number 251-JK (Edu) of August 25 (Order of suspension and subsequent attachment to Jammu), Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, senior lecturer, political science, is hereby relieved from the office today," said Vikas Dhar Bhagati, Personnel Officer, Directorate of School Education, Jammu in an official order.
The order directed Bhat to report to his original place of posting for further duties.
On August 28, the Supreme Court had asked Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to look into the issue of Bhat's suspension.
As soon as the court resumed its hearing, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan told the five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that Bhat was suspended from his job by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after having argued before the top court.
"This should not happen. Someone arguing before this court gets suspended...," the bench had said. -- PTI
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