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Wed, 20 September 2023
Lok Sabha used voting slips, not digital system
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Voting in progress
23:49 Voting on women's quota bill was done with slips because...
The Lok Sabha secretariat had to use the old system of slips to register votes of members during the passage of the key women's reservation bill on Wednesday.
Sources said the digital voting system of registering the votes during division could not be used as some parties are yet to send division number of members for the new Lok Sabha chamber.
Parliamentary proceedings shifted to the new building on Tuesday.
Since it was a Constitution amendment bill, special voting procedure was used to see how many members were in favour or against the measure.
Simple bills are usually passed by a voice vote. But in bills involving constitutional amendment, voting takes place through division.
The digital voting system requires members to press buttons on their desk to support, oppose or abstain during the exercise vote. This system is much faster.
When slips are distributed, members sign on green or red side of the slip to register their vote. The slips are then counted by the table office to arrive at results.
Each clause of the bill is put to vote in bills which seek to amend the Constitution.
The women's reservation bill was passed this evening with 454 members supporting it and two opposing it.
23:33 Rajya Sabha lauds scientists for Chandrayaan-3
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution lauding the scientists for the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The members endorsed the motion by thumping of desks after a discussion on 'India's glorious space journey marked by successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3".
"This House recognises and appreciates the scientists, including the women scientists, for achieving this arduous feat with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the unconquered south pole of the Moon.
"This accomplishment, along with the other space missions, will usher in long-lasting economic and social upliftment," Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said.
During the discussion, both BJP and Congress members highlighted steps taken during their rule to make Chandrayaan missions successful. Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh accused the previous Congress governments of "regimenting" the space department and debarring the common man and industry from it.
He stressed that the Modi government has created an enabling atmosphere for the success of the country's space programme.
Participating in the debate, he said there are 150 startups in the space sector today. Before 2014, the number was just four which was "embarrassing", the minister said.
He also said that the space budget in the last nine years has increased to 142 per cent.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused the government of attempting to "airbrush" the milestones achieved in the space sector since the 1960s, and said the Indian space programme should be looked as an instrument of development and "not an instrument of muscular nationalism".
While lauding the Chandrayaan-3 mission, he said there was a need to remind the House of the people who have contributed so far to it, rather than fall victim to this new impression that has been created that this entire accomplishment is the result of only one individual.
He said its success is based on the competencies, capabilities and capacities that have been created over 60 years.
"We need to give our scientific and technological institutions full freedom. We need to give our scientific and technological institutions full independence and professionalism and we need to free our scientific and technological institutions of any political patronage and political interference and intervention," Ramesh said.
He called for acknowledging the glorious space journey that started in the early 1960s and the important milestones achieved so far.
On August 23, India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land on the uncharted south pole of the Moon. The soft-landing on moon propelled India into an elite group of nations.
23:10 Onion prices could rise as Nashik traders strike
Onion traders on Wednesday said they suspended auctions in all agriculture produce market committees in Nashik district of Maharashtra and the protest will continue indefinitely, a development raising the fear of shortage of the kitchen staple in retail markets and hike in prices.
An office-bearer of the Nashik District Onion Traders Association said they are protesting against the Union government's recent move to increase export duty on onions up to 40 per cent, which will remain in force till December 31.
Taking serious cognisance, the district sub-registrar, co-operative societies, on Wednesday night issued an order directing all APMCs to suspend or cancel the licences of the striking traders and submit the action taken report on September 21.
"In protest against the export duty hike decision, we have decided to shut the auction of onions in all APMCs in the district indefinitely. This (export duty hike) decision of the Centre will not only make export of onions difficult but it will also affect the onions in transit, causing huge loss to farmers," the office-bearer said.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra marketing minister Abdul Sattar had said that observing a bandh (shutting auctions of onions) is not right.
"Secretaries in the departments of cooperation and marketing will discuss the action to be taken as per rules and Nashik district collector will take the necessary action," he said on the sidelines of an event. -- PTI
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22:52 Electrician dies on set of TV serial in Mumbai
A 29-year-old electrician died of electrocution on the sets of a television serial at Film City in Mumbai, the police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when some electrical work was underway, an official said.
A case of accidental death was registered at the Aarey sub-police station and the investigation is underway.
22:41 Modi 'delighted' at passage of women's quota bill
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed delight at the passage of the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha and thanked MPs from across party lines for support.
The historic support of all parties to the proposed law will prove to be a milestone in the realisation of the resolve for making a developed and self-reliant India, he said.
"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a historic legislation which will further boost women empowerment and will enable even greater participation of women in our political process," he said on X.
Soon after the bill was passed by the Lok Sabha almost unanimously, Modi said, "Delighted at the passage of The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha with such phenomenal support. I thank MPs across party lines who voted in support of this Bill."
The bill's passage marks a glorious beginning of the new Parliament building, and it will provide unprecedented pace to women-led development, he said.
After a spirited eight-hour debate in which 60 members participated, the Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, with 454 members voting in favour and two against it.
Modi, a member of the House, was present during the voting on the bill.
22:27 HC orders CBI probe into UP assembly recruitment
The Allahabad high court has raised doubts over the fairness of examinations conducted to recruit staff for the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly and council and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct a probe.
Passing the order on Monday, a Lucknow bench of Justice AR Masoodi and Justice OP Shukla asked the CBI to conduct a preliminary enquiry to primarily find out as to whether there was any foul play in the recruitment process and submit its report by the first week of November.
The bench was hearing one special appeal and a writ petition which pertained to the challenge of the recruitment of staff in 2022-23 in the two legislative bodies.
The court was concerned as to why the recruitment agency was changed in 2019 before recruiting staff in 2022-23, when the UP Public Service Commission and UP Subordinate Services Selection Commission were already available or if they had refused to conduct the recruitment process.
The bench also held up certain original records pertaining to the said recruitment and asked its senior registrar to supply photocopy of the records to the CBI in order to facilitate it in the preliminary enquiry. -- PTI
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22:12 Chouhan to unveil 108 feet tall statue of Adi Shankaracharya tomorrow
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will on Thursday unveil a grand statue of Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya in Omkareshwar, a temple town which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva.
A day before unveiling the 108 feet tall structure named Ekatmata Ki Pratima (Statue of Oneness), Chouhan on Wednesday said it will be a historic occasion and pointed out that though Adi Shankaracharya was born in present-day Kerala, he attained enlightenment at Omkareshwar while traveling through forests and mountains.
After gaining knowledge at the temple town in present-day Khandwa district, the 8th century philosopher travelled to Kashi, the CM said.
The multi-metal towering structure is perched atop the picturesque Mandhata hill on the banks of the Narmada river in Omkareshwar.
A large number of Hindu priests and saints have already gathered in the temple town during the past few days and are carrying out religious rituals, including 'yajnas'.
Besides participating in various rituals, Chouhan will also release religious books on the occasion.
The CM was supposed to unveil the grand statue on September 18, but because of heavy rains in the region, the programme was rescheduled for September 21.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh had earlier given its approval for a Rs 2,141.85-crore project under which the statue of Adi Shankaracharya was to be built along with a museum in Omkareshwar. -- PTI
21:45 EC ropes in Chacha Chaudhary to educate, motivate young voters
The Election Commission on Wednesday launched a special comic book having iconic comic book characters Chacha Chaudhary, Sabu and team to educate, inspire and motivate youths to participate in the voting process.
The comic book titled Chacha Chaudhary aur Chunavi Dangal is a joint initiative of the EC and Pran Comics and was released by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel.
The primary focus of the book is to encourage young eligible voters to register themselves, ensuring their active participation in forthcoming elections.
"Comic as an outreach medium is irreplaceable and relevant even in today's digital age," Kumar said.
In the comic, Chacha Chaudhary also plays a pivotal role in introducing readers to various apps developed by the EC. Furthermore, it strongly emphasises the significance of women's participation in the electoral process.
21:34 No coercive action against Aaj Tak editor till Oct 3: HC
The Karnataka high court on Wednesday directed the police not to take precipitative action against Aaj Tak news channel's consulting editor Sudhir Chaudhary till October 3.
The high court had earlier on September 15 directed the police not to take coercive action against him till Wednesday in the FIR filed against him at the Seshadripuram police station in Bengaluru.
The petition by Chaudhary was listed before the single judge bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar at 4 pm.
However due to paucity of time, the court was unable to hear the arguments. Shivakumar S, the assistant administrative officer of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation Limited, had lodged the complaint in which it was alleged that Chaudhary spread misinformation through a news programme on Aaj Tak channel alleging the government was indulging in minority appeasement.
He was booked under Section 153A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
It is alleged that Chaudhary conspired to disrupt communal harmony by spreading misinformation on his channel about the Karnataka government's 'Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme' which provides 50 per cent subsidy on bank loans obtained by religious minorities for purchase of commercial transport vehicles up to three lakh rupees. -- PTI
21:14 Shinde visits Raj Thackeray's home to pay obeisance to Lord Ganesh
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the residence of MNS president Raj Thackeray here on Wednesday to pay obeisance to Lord Ganesh.
The 10-day Ganesh festival is being celebrated across Maharashtra and other parts of the country from Tuesday.
In a post on his 'X' account, CM Shinde said he visited 'Shivtirth', the residence of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray at Dadar in central Mumbai, and paid obeisance to Lord Ganesh installed there.
The chief minister was welcomed by Thackeray, his family members and some leaders of his party.
Since Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of his party joined the Shinde-led government on July 2, Thackeray has been critical of the dispensation wherein the Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the NCP now share power. -- PTI
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21:02 Maha's Yavatmal sees 15 farmer suicides in Sept
Fifteen farmers have ended their lives in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra so far this month, an official said on Wednesday.
However, the reasons behind the farmers' death are being probed, he said.
Yavatmal district is located in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra.
A senior official from Yavatmal district collectorate said, "Fifteen farmers have committed suicide in Yavatmal in September. The police and the revenue department are conducting a probe to know whether they took the extreme step due to farm-distress or any other reason like family disputes."
Meanwhile, activist Kishore Tiwari, former chairman of the Maharashtra government's Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavlambi Mission for farmers' welfare, said in a statement that six farmers killed themselves in parts of Yavatmal district between September 17 and 19. -- PTI
20:45 First C-295 aircraft lands in Vadodara
The first C-295 medium tactical transport aircraft landed in Vadodara on Wednesday, days after it was handed over to the Indian Air Force in the southern Spanish city of Seville.
The aircraft would be formally inducted into the IAF at a ceremony in Hindon near Delhi on September 25.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on September 13 received the first of the 56 C295 transport aircraft two years after India sealed a Rs 21,935-crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure the jets to replace its ageing Avro--748 fleet.
"The IAF's first C-295 MW aircraft landed in Vadodara today. The aircraft would be handed over to the #IAF in a formal ceremony on 25 Sep 23 at AF Stn Hindon by the Honourable Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh," the IAF tweeted.
Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville by 2025 and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
The production of components of these aircraft has already started in the Main Constituent Assembly facility in Hyderabad. -- PTI
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20:25 107-kg silver Ganesh idol draws crowds in Maha's Jalna
People in Jalna city of Maharashtra are flocking to a pandal to take darshan of Lord Ganesh's idol which is made up of 107 kg silver.
The idol, installed at a public pandal near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, is crafted in pure silver and stands five-and-a-half feet tall, an office-bearer of the organiser mandal said, adding that it costs Rs 90 lakh.
The casting of this idol began nearly six months ago, said Yogesh Mandhani. -- PTI
Donald Trump Sr is hale and hearty
20:12 Donald Trump Jr's X account hacked, announces father's death
The account of Donald Trump Jr. on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, was briefly hacked early on Wednesday, sending a series of offensive tweets, including one falsely announcing the death of his father, former president Donald Trump.
I'm sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024, read the first message from Donald Trump Jr's account at 8:25 a.m.
Proving he was still alive, the 77-year-old former president sent an unrelated message on his own X rival, Truth Social at 8:46 a.m. -- more than 20 minutes after the fake death announcement, the New York Post reported.
A series of obviously hacked messages quickly followed on Donald Jr's account, including an inflammatory one saying that North Korea is about to get smoked, and another pretending to show Donald Jr saying he had some interesting messages with Jeffrey Epstein, more than four years after the paedophile died in his Manhattan lockup.
Other tweets on his account read 'Fk Joe Biden', calling him a stupid ass n-word, and another claiming crypto personality Richard Heart, who was accused of stealing USD 12 million from investors, is innocent.
The tweets have now been deleted and the account restored.
The Trump Organisation did not immediately respond to a request for comment early on Wednesday, the report said.
19:58 LS passes women's quota bill by 454 vs 2 votes
Just in: Lok Sabha passed Women's Reservation Bill granting 33 per cent seats to women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
As many as 454 MPs voted in favour of the bill, while 2 MPs vote against the bill.
Details soon.
19:47 Two Indians sentenced to 41 months in prison in robocall scam
Two Indian nationals have been sentenced to 41 months in prison for their role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud by accepting illegally obtained $1.2 million in wire transfers from victims across the United States, a US attorney said.
Arushobike Mitra (29) and Garbita Mitra (25) had previously pleaded guilty before US District Judge Esther Salas to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, attorney Philip R Sellinger announced on Tuesday.
"These defendants and their conspirators preyed upon some of our most vulnerable citizens, using trickery and threats to coerce them into sending money," Sellinger said.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court as part of an international fraud scheme, criminal India-based call centres utilised automated robocalls to contact victims across the country with the intent of defrauding US residents, particularly the elderly.
After establishing contact with victims through these automated calls, other members of the conspiracy would coerce or trick the victims into sending large sums of cash through physical shipments or wire transfers to other members of the conspiracy, including the Mitras, a media release said. -- PTI
19:40 Women's quota bill will be a reality after 2029: Shah
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the opposition for the unanimous passage of the women's reservation bill and said shortcomings, if any, can be rectified at a later date.
Brushing aside apprehensions of a delay in the bill's implementation, Shah said the next government will conduct the census and the delimitation exercise immediately after the elections and set in motion the process to make reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies a reality.
Intervening in the debate on the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, Shah indicated that women's reservation will become a reality after 2029.
He said the passage of the women's reservation bill will mark the start of a new era, and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented the vision of women-led development at the recent G20 Summit.
The Modi government has been pushing for empowerment of women since the day it assumed office, he said.
Women's security, respect and equal participation have been life force of the government, he said.
Shah said this was the fifth attempt to push a bill for women's reservation. -- PTI
Nishikant Dubey
19:27 CWC member picks holes in women's quota bill
'Nishikant Dubey confirms our worst fears.
'Women Reservation to shift beyond 2034 Lok Sabha election.
'If LS elections happen as per normal schedule, women reservation will come in 2039.
'Nishikant Dubey links the delimitation for women reservation to Article 81(3) and 82.
'As per these articles, the delimitation will happen after 2031 census. It will take over two years to publish final report of Census 2031. Then Delimitation Commission will be formed, which will take another couple of years. By then, even 2034 Lok Sabha elections will be over!!,' points out CWC member Gurdeep Singh Sappal on X, here, along with a link to the video of Dubey's address in Parliament on the women's quota bill.
Pic: NH7/X
19:07 Pune's NH7 Weekender to feature 45 artistes
The 2023 Bacardi NH7 Weekender will be held from December 1 to 3 at Pune's Teerth Fields, the organisers announced on Wednesday.
The 14th edition of the event, billed as India's multi-genre music, comedy, and gaming extravaganza, will pay an ode to the "spirit of community, discovery, and celebration, living up to its legacy of being more than a music festival", the organisers said in a press release.
The 2023 gala will witness "not just a more prominent global line-up but also the inclusion of Gen Z talents on the line up," it added.
"Bacardi NH7 Weekender 2023 will host over 45 homegrown and international artistes over three days, with an eclectic assortment of genres such as metal, rock, pop, hip hop, electronic, funk, Punjabi & more spanning across four stages," the release said.
The festival will also include an array of well-crafted and immersive attractions for people such as ferris wheel rides, curated culinary delights, a flea market, art installations, and a gaming area.
18:51 Modi invites Biden to 2024 R-Day celebrations
US President Joe Biden has been invited to India's January 26 Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi in the national capital, ambassador of US to India Eric Garcetti revealed on Wednesday.
Garcetti said the invitation was extended to Biden by PM Modi on the sidelines of the bilateral that took place between the two leaders at the recently concluded G20 Summit.
During this, India and the US also settled the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation dispute.
Notably, the six previous disputes were resolved during PM Modi's state visit to the US.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to India today, reaffirming the close and enduring partnership between India and the United States. The leaders expressed their appreciation for the substantial progress underway to implement the ground breaking achievements of Prime Minister Modi's historic, June 2023, visit to Washington," the India-US joint statement read.
The two leaders called on their governments to continue the work of transforming the India-US strategic partnership across all dimensions of our multifaceted global agenda, based on trust and mutual understanding. -- ANI
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18:36 Four-storey building collapses in Mumbai, no casualties
Portions of a four-storey residential building located in Mumbai's Girgaum area collapsed on Wednesday afternoon, civic officials said.
No casualties were reported in the incident, they said.
"Portions of the weather sheds of the 2nd and 3rd floors of Bansi Bhavan in Khetwadi collapsed at around 2:45 pm while some parts are hanging precariously," an official said.
He said some people were trapped on the upper floors of the building but they were rescued by Fire Brigade personnel through the staircase.
The hanging portion was removed and the area has been cordoned off, the official added.
Former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar (left)
18:27 Sajjan Kumar acquitted in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case
A Delhi court Wednesday acquitted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the killing of a person during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, giving him the "benefit of doubt'.
Special judge Geetanjli Goel also acquitted two other accused -- Ved Prakash Pial and Brahmanand Gupta -- holding that the prosecution failed to prove the case of murder and rioting against them.
A Sikh man Surjit Singh was killed during the incident in Sultanpuri.
"The accused Sajjan Kumar is given benefit of doubt and acquitted for the offence" the judge said.
Kumar was accused of various offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code including promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc. (Section 153A), abetment of any offence (Section 109), murder (Section 302) and rioting (147).
The riots had broken out after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
Kumar is currently lodged in Tihar jail after conviction in another case related to the riots. -- PTI
Pic: V_Senthilbalaji/X
17:57 Sessions court rejects Senthil Balaji's bail plea
A sessions court in Chennai on Wednesday dismissed the bail petition filed by DMK minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case.
Principal sessions judge S Alli dismissed Balaji's plea for relief.
Balaji was arrested in June this year by the central agency in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the transport minister in an earlier AIADMK regime. Currently he is a minister without portfolio.
17:38 Gainers and losers in the Sensex pack
Falling for the second day running, the 30-share BSE Sensex on Wednesday tumbled 796 points or 1.18 per cent to settle at 66,800.84. During the day, it tanked 868.7 points or 1.28 per cent to 66,728.14.
The NSE Nifty declined 231.90 points or 1.15 per cent to end below the 20,000 mark at 19,901.40.
Among the Sensex firms, HDFC Bank emerged as the biggest loser, falling 4 per cent. JSW Steel, Reliance Industries, UltraTech Cement, Maruti, Tata Steel, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Bharti Airtel and Larsen & Toubro were the other major laggards.
Power Grid, Asian Paints, Sun Pharma, Axis Bank, NTPC, ITC and Infosys were among the gainers.
NCP leader Supriya Sule
17:31 Discuss India-Canada diplomatic row in Parl: NCP
Amid deteriorating diplomatic ties between India and Canada, Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday asked the government to hold a discussion on the matter during the ongoing special session of Parliament.
India on Tuesday had rejected as "absurd" and "motivated" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June and kicked out a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
Sule raised the issue while speaking on the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha.
"I stand on behalf of NCP in full support of this bill... There is another piece of information in today's newspaper which is about the incidents that happened in Canada."
"Since this is a special session only for five days, I request the government to debate a few topics which is equally relevant as today's. One is the Canada issue, the second is Maharashtra, Maratha, Dhangar, Lingayat and Muslim reservation," Sule said. -- PTI
17:21 Jairam Ramesh's applause-worthy RS speech on India's space mission
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday accused the government of attempting to "airbrush" the milestones achieved in the space sector since the 1960s, and said the Indian space programme should be looked as an instrument of development and "not an instrument of muscular nationalism".
While lauding the Chandrayaan-3 mission, he said there was a need to remind the House of the people who have contributed so far to it, rather than fall victim to this new impression that has been created that this entire accomplishment is the result of only one individual.
Participating in a discussion on 'India's Glorious Space Journey Marked By Successful Soft Landing of Chandrayaan-3" in the Rajya Sabha, he said its success is based on the competencies, capabilities and capacities that have been created over 60 years.
"...we need to give our scientific and technological institutions full freedom. We need to give our scientific and technological institutions full independence and professionalism and we need to free our scientific and technological institutions of any political patronage and political interference and intervention," Ramesh said.
He called for acknowledging the glorious space journey that started in the early 1960s and the important milestones achieved so far.
"Even though the prime minister and the Leader of the House may choose to airbrush them away from history, they are a fact of life. They cannot be erased from history. They are very much part of our space journey," he said.
"I thought that it is important for me to remind the House where we have come from, the journey that we have taken, the achievements that we have had, the people who have contributed, rather than fall victim to this new impression that has been created that this entire accomplishment of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya is the result of only one individual," he added.
If you intend to pass a resolution on Chandrayaan-3, please acknowledge that the capabilities, competencies and capacities that have resulted in its success are the results of investments made over the last 60 years. These are based on the contribution of successive prime ministers. These are based on contribution of a large number of Indian scientists and technologists, many of whom we don't even know of, many of whom we don't even acknowledge, the Congress leader added.
Ramesh has also posted a link to the video of his speech, one that TMC's Derek O'Brien endorsed as one of the finest speeches he's heard in Parliament. You can see it here.
16:49 HC rejects pre-arrest bail plea of woman booked for abetting suicide of ex-corporator
The Bombay high court on Wednesday rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of Nilima Chavan, a lawyer and a member of Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, booked for allegedly abetting the suicide of Shiv Sena-UBT former corporator Sudhir More.
Chavan (53) had approached the high court after the sessions court on September 16 rejected her pre-arrest bail petition observing that "prima facie' there is sufficient material against the lawyer.
More (62) died allegedly by suicide near Ghatkopar railway station on September 1.
Based on a complaint filed by his son, an FIR (first information report) was registered against the accused lawyer under Indian Penal Code Section 306 (abetment of suicide) at the Kurla police station.
A single bench of Justice N J Jamadar perused the chats and phone recordings of More and Chavan submitted by the prosecution and said there was "something that needs to be probed'.
The bench rejected Chavan's anticipatory bail plea.
The police have claimed that on the day of the suicide, More and the accused made 56 phone calls, and WhatsApp and video calls to each other.
The police said that as per the phone call recordings, Chavan had been harassing and blackmailing More claiming that she would kill herself if he did not talk to her.
The calls revealed that there was an ongoing argument between the duo over the past few days and More had spoken to the accused for two hours before he died by suicide. -- PTI
16:41 SC to re-examine verdict on immunity of MPs/MLAs
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to re-examine its 1998 judgment granting MPs and MLAs immunity from prosecution for taking bribe to make a speech or vote in Parliament or state legislatures.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said it will set up a 7-judge bench to examine the matter afresh.
In 2019, a bench headed by then chief justice Ranjan Gogoi had referred to a 5-judge bench the crucial question, noting it had "wide ramification" and was of "substantial public importance".
The three-judge bench had then said it will revisit its verdict in the sensational Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery case on an appeal filed by Sita Soren, JMM MLA from Jama constituency in Jharkhand.
The top court's five-judge bench had in its 1998 verdict in the PV Narasimha Rao versus CBI case held that parliamentarians had immunity under the Constitution against criminal prosecution for any speech made and vote cast inside the House. -- PTI
16:11 Imphal valley shut on 2nd day of Manipur bandh
Normal life was hit across Manipur's Imphal valley districts on Wednesday, the second day of the 48-hour statewide shutdown called by Meira Paibis, a collective of Meitei women, and five local clubs, demanding unconditional release of five "village defence volunteers" arrested by the police, officials said.
For the second day, educational institutions, markets, banks and commercial establishments remained closed, while attendance in government offices was negligible and a few vehicles plied on the roads, they said.
Across all the five districts of Imphal valley, women in large numbers blocked roads and raised slogans demanding the release of the youths.
Protesters blamed the state government and the police for failing to tackle the law and order in the hill areas.
S Sakhi, a protester at Wangkhei in Imphal East district said, "Police continues to arrest, detain and fire tear gas shells on unarmed civilians across the five districts of Imphal valley while doing hardly anything against the armed gunmen openly taking out processions in Kuki-dominated areas of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts."
"The village volunteers' job is to protect Meitei villages in the periphery of the hill and valley areas from attacks by Kuki Zo militants," protester S Bebisana at Naoremthong in Imphal West district said.
On Saturday, the police arrested five youths for carrying sophisticated weapons and donning camouflage uniforms.
In a statement, the police said the five had been produced before the judicial magistrate and remanded to police custody.
On September 16, protesters tried to storm the Porompat police station, demanding the release of the five youths, prompting security forces to fire several rounds of teargas shells. A few protesters and an RAF personnel received minor injuries during the stand-off.
15:43 SRK's 'Jawan' crosses Rs 900 crore-mark at global BO
Jawan, headlined by Shah Rukh Khan, has amassed Rs 907.54 crore at the global box office in 13 days of its release.
Production house Red Chillies Entertainment on Wednesday shared the latest gross worldwide box office collection of the Atlee directorial on its official X page.
"And this is how the King ruled the box office!" the banner captioned the post.
Jawan hit the screens on September 7 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Billed as an high-octane action thriller that outlines "the emotional journey of a man who is set to rectify the wrongs in the society", the film stars Shah Rukh in the dual role of Vikram Rathore and his son Azad.
It also stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi with Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt in special appearances.
Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, Aaliyah Qureshi, Ridhi Dogra, Sunil Grover and Mukesh Chhabra round out the cast of the movie.
A Red Chillies Entertainment presentation, Jawan is produced by Gauri Khan and co-produced by Gaurav Verma.
Representational image. Pic: Chris Wattie/Reuters
15:23 Govt cautions Indians travelling to Canada
The ministry of external affairs has advised Indian nationals in Canada and those contemplating travel there to exercise the utmost caution.
Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant, the MEA said on Wednesday.
This followed the Canadian government on Tuesday issuing a travel advisory for India, asking its citizens to 'exercise a high degree of caution'.
The two countries have been involved in a faceoff over the killing of Khalistani supporter Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, in which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement agencies associated with the Indian government.
Pic: Vivek Prakash/Reuters
15:02 Passenger on IndiGo fight tries to open emergency door cover
A male passenger onboard an IndiGo flight from the national capital to Chennai tried to open the cover of the emergency exit door prior to take-off on Tuesday night.
In a statement on Wednesday, the airline said that as per the standard operating procedure, the passenger was declared unruly by the crew and handed over to the local authorities on arrival at Chennai.
The incident happened onboard flight 6E 6341 from Delhi to Chennai.
The passenger tried to open the emergency exit door cover prior to take-off. At no point was the safety of the flight compromised, the statement said.
Further details could not be immediately ascertained.
14:47 Delink women's quota bill from census, delimitation: Mayawati
BSP leader Mayawati on Wednesday urged the government to delink the women's reservation bill from the census and delimitation exercises that would delay its implementation for years, and ensure that the quota can come into being immediately.
She said certain provisions of the bill have been framed in such a manner that the benefit of the reservation would not reach women for the next 15 or 16 years, or several elections later.
The Centre on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment bill to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, reviving a bill pending for nearly three decades because of lack of consensus among parties.
"The provisions which need to be mentioned here are that after the passage of the bill a census will be carried out in the country followed by the delimitation for Lok Sabha and state assembly constituencies," the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo, who has already extended support to the bill, said.
"This means it will not be implemented immediately," she told reporters.
14:33 BookMyShow cancels Punjabi-Canadian singer Shubh's India tour
BookMyShow on Wednesday cancelled Punjabi- Canadian singer Shubhneet Singh's India tour after the ticket booking app faced a boycott call on social media for hosting a singer who is allegedly a Khalistani sympathiser.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, BookMyShow said it will do a complete refund of the tickets within 7-10 days.
"Singer Shubhneet Singh's Still Rollin Tour for India stands cancelled. To that end, BookMyShow has initiated a complete refund of the ticket amount for all consumers who had purchased tickets for the show. The refund will be reflected within 7-10 working days in the customer's source account of the original transaction," it said.
Earlier in the day, a #UninstallBookMyShow was trending on X with some calling Shubh, as the singer is popularly known, a 'Khalistani' and supporter of separatist leaders.
This followed a diplomatic row between India and Canada that saw each expelling a senior diplomat.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged New Delhi's hand in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, in British Columbia in June this year.
India quickly dismissed Canada's assertion as absurd.
The row has worsened the already poor relations between the two countries and thrown cold water on trade talks, which have been paused.
Shubh is an upcoming Punjabi rapper who rose to fame due to the large number of streams on Instagram reels of his song 'Still Rollin'. He released his first breakout single 'We Rollin' in 2021 and as of 2023, it has reached more than 201 million views on YouTube.
He recently released his debut album 'Still Rollin' and announced his first-ever India tour starring in 10 different cities and a cruise this year. BookMyShow was a sponsor of the Indian tour.
The Ram mandir in Ayodhya
14:09 Bareilly pre-teen questioned after Ram mandir bomb threat
A 12-year-old boy from Bareilly in UP was held for questioning after he made a police call saying the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya would be hit by a bomb, an officer said on Wednesday.
According to the police, on Tuesday, a call was received on the 112 emergency hotline with the caller saying that the Ram Mandir would be bombed on September 21, Thursday.
The call was traced to a boy from a village under Fatehganj (East) police station. The minor had made the call from his father's phone.
Superintendent of Police (rural) Mukesh Chandra Mishra said the boy and his father were brought to the police station for questioning.
"The boy said that he had seen a video on a social media channel that the Ram temple would be blown up with a bomb on September 21. He said he called 112 only to inform them about it and not to threaten the police," the SP said.
The boy and his father were sent back home after questioning, he said.
13:53 No impact on military ties with Canada, says Army
The Indian Army on Wednesday said tensions in India-Canada relations 'don't impact us' and that India's 'diplomatic approach, military records with Canada continue'.
While addressing the curtain raiser event on the scheduled Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs conference, Indian Army's Additional Director General (Strategic Planning) Major General Abhinaya Rai said Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) General Wayne Eyre will be visiting India for the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference to be held at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment from September 26-27.
The conference that is being held to ascertain multilateral security partnerships in the region, takes place regularly to thrash out differences, build trust and better communication among professional armies for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Chief-of-Staff of the US Army, General James C McConville, along with his delegation, will also be present for the three events that he will co-host along with Chief of Indian Army Staff General Manoj Pande.
Indo-Canadian relations dipped after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar a designated terrorist in India.
The allegations were rejected by India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which dubbed them 'absurd 'and 'motivated'. -- ANI
13:17 Have every right to speak up, says Manipuri actress facing ban
Manipuri actor Soma Laishram, who was recently barred from acting in films and attending public events by an Imphal-based organisation following her participation in a beauty pageant, has strongly opposed the move, asserting that she had done nothing against her state.
The ban was imposed on her by civil society group Kangleipak Kanba Lup for taking part in the event held in Delhi, amid the ongoing violence in Manipur.
Laishram, in a video posted on social media, said she was shocked and disheartened over the development.
"I strongly oppose this (directive); as an artist and a social influencer, I have every right to speak up wherever I want to and whenever it is needed... I have not done anything against my state and my motherland," said Laishram, who has acted in over 100 Manipuri films.
"When I was called to represent Manipur in the Northeast festival as a show stopper, I only went with the intention of supporting my state, and spreading awareness (about the reason behind the violence) among the thousands of people present there," the 31-year-old actor said.
The ban on Laishram has drawn widespread condemnation from the public and film associations.
When contacted, a top functionary of the Film Forum Manipur asserted that such interference is unfortunate and uncalled for.
12:57 Jhakaas! Delhi HC protects Anil Kapoor's rights
The Delhi high court on Wednesday restrained the misuse of the name, image, voice and other attributes of persona, including the "jhakaas" catchphrase of actor Anil Kapoor for commercial gain.
Justice Prathiba M Singh passed the ex-parte interim order against several websites and platforms on a lawsuit by the actor, alleging unauthorised exploitation of his personality and celebrity rights for commercial use.
Advocate Pravin Anand, appearing for Kapoor, said several websites and platforms have been misusing the personality rights of the plaintiff through various activities.
Kapoor's counsel pointed to the unauthorised sale of merchandise, collection of fees by using his photograph as a motivational speaker, morphing his image in a derogatory manner, and selling pictures with forged autographs and the "jhakaas" catchphrase, among others.
The lawsuit sought to protect Kapoor's personality rights with respect to his name, voice, image, likeness, manner of speaking and gestures, among others.
Representational image
12:55 CRPF jawan injured in IED blast in Chhattsigarh
A Central Reserve Police Force jawan was on Wednesday injured when an improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Naxalites, exploded in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district, a senior police official said.
The incident took place at around 7.30 am near Kamarguda police camp under the Jagargunda police station area when a squad of CRPF's 231st battalion was out on a search operation, he said.
The IED exploded around a kilometre away from the camp on Sukma-Dantewada inter-district border, resulting in minor splinter injuries on the legs of assistant sub-inspector Sagar Singh Tomar, he said.
The jawan was administered first aid at the camp and was being shifted to a local hospital in Dantewada, the official said.
The blast took place on the strategically important Aranpur (Dantewada)-Jagargunda (Sukma) road, construction of which was recently completed.
Pic: Screen grab from Kamal Nath/X
12:22 Video shows BJP youth wing leader beating tribal with slippers
The opposition Congress accused the ruling regime in Madhya Pradesh of failing to check atrocities against tribals after a video purportedly showing a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader beating a man with slippers in Anuppur district went viral.
MP Congress chief Kamal Nath alleged the ruling BJP is becoming a party of tribal atrocities.
BJYM is the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against the accused BJYM leader, who was also expelled by the party.
Sub divisional officer of police Sumit Kerketta said that one Hirwa Singh Gond (57) and Bhoma Singh (60) were travelling on a motorcycle from Rajendra Nagar to Anuppur when their two-wheeler collided with a pick-up vehicle on Monday.
Bhoma Singh died on the spot following which a large number of people gathered at the spot, the official said.
However, two persons beat up Gond, who was riding the motorcycle, he said. A video of the assault of the tribal man later went viral.
The two accused, identified as Jitendra Kushwaha and Ganesh Dixit, were booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said.
A probe has been started and further legal steps are being taken, he said.
BJP district president Ramdas Puri said Dixit, who was BJYM Mandal president (rural), has been expelled from the organisation. The BJP believes in social service and there is no place for violence in the party, he said.
Representational image
12:00 Delhi: E-scooter battery explodes while charging
The battery of an e-scooter exploded at a shop in south Delhi's CR Park area, the police said on Wednesday.
No one was injured in the incident, they said.
The police said the shop owner was charging the two-wheeler battery when it exploded around 11.45 pm on Tuesday.
They said the shop is owned by Raju Sahu, a resident of Kalkaji.
11:46 Implement women's quota bill immediately, says Sonia in LS
Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday extended her party's support for the women's reservation bill and demanded its immediate implementation along with the provision for the representation of SCs, STs and OBCs.
Initiating the debate from the opposition's side in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said, "I stand here in support of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam."
She said any delay in implementing women's reservation bill will be a gross injustice to Indian women.
"The immediate implementation of the women's reservation bill by removing all obstacles not only necessary but also possible," Gandhi said.
11:34 Minister Meghwal moves women's quota bill in LS
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday moved the women's reservation bill for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha, saying it is a step towards women empowerment.
It is an important bill and it will be good if unanimity emerges for its passage, he said.
Meghwal said an attempt to pass the bill during the UPA rule failed as the legislation lapsed due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Perhaps the UPA government was more concerned about remaining in power than passing the important bill, the minister added.
The Constitution amendment bill was introduced on Tuesday.
10:59 Anil Kapoor moves HC over voice, name infringement
Actor Anil Kapoor has moved a suit in the Delhi high court, seeking a permanent injunction restraining the infringement of his publicity/personality rights.
The suit enforces his right against people at large and social media channels, websites, mobile apps for using his name, voice, signature, image or any other attribute which is exclusively identifiable with him for any commercial and/or personal gain without his consent.
The bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh is to hear the matter shortly.
10:21 Crucial meeting on Cauvery row begins in Delhi
A meeting chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Union Ministers and all-party MPs to discuss the Cauvery water-sharing dispute has begun in the national capital today.
The crucial meeting is being attended by deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, Union Ministers Prahlada Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje, Bhagwant Khooba, Narayanaswamy, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and other Supreme Court lawyers.
State Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, Cauvery belt representing MLAs, ministers and legal team are part of the meeting.
During the meeting, measures and decisions that are to be taken to protect the interest of the state in order to effectively manage the difficult situation faced in the issue of Cauvery River water sharing will be discussed.
The conference came after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) asked Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs of Cauvery Water till September 26.
Karnataka has started the release of the water but continues to challenge CWMA to reduce the required water, citing severe drought in parts of the state. -- ANI
10:04 Erdogan raises Kashmir during UNGA address
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the issue of Kashmir during his address to world leaders at the high-level 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly session.\
"Another development that will pave the way for regional peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia will be the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Kashmir through dialogue and cooperation between India and Pakistan," Erdogan said in his address to the General Debate Tuesday.
"As Turkiye, we will continue to support the steps to be taken in this direction," he said.
His comment comes weeks after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi during which both the leaders discussed strengthening trade and infrastructure relations.
Erdogan said it was a matter of pride that India was playing a role at the United Nations Security Council.
He said he favoured making five permanent and 15 'temporary' members as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
"Those 20 (5+15) should be permanent members of the UNSC in rotation. But as you know, the world is bigger than five. When we say the world is larger than five, what we mean is that it's not only about the US, UK, France, China and Russia," he said.
In recent years, the Turkish leader has referred to the issue of Kashmir in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly session.
09:50 Allow states to decide on quantum of reservation: Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has opposed limiting reservation to 50 per cent in employment and education and demanded that respective states be allowed to decide on the quantum of quota.
Tamil Nadu, for instance, had a maximum of 69 per cent reservation and it should not be capped at 50 per cent, the Chief Minister said on Tuesday while virtually addressing the second conference of All India Federation for Social Justice, New Delhi.
Hence, based on the population of the deserving sections, the states should be allowed to decide on the quantum of quota, the president of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu said.
He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of not properly implementing the reservation policy.
Power to grant reservation by apportioning it on the basis of population proportionate to the respective states, should rest with the state governments, the chief minister argued.
"Therefore, it is not correct to say that the reservation should not go beyond 50 per cent. Providing reservation is the right of the states and the power should be devolved so that the respective states can give due reservation to their people," Stalin said.
Taking a dig at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat for expressing his support for reservation, Stalin sought to know where the same RSS was when the V P Singh regime that provided social justice to the BC was toppled.
"Was it not the same RSS? Now Mohan Bhagwat is talking about reservation to deceive the marginalised sections as Lok Sabha election is approaching," he said.
If the BJP was really interested in social justice, then it would have implemented the 27 per cent reservation policy during its 9 years of rule, Stain said and added that the BJP does not want the poor, BC, SC and tribals to progress.
"That is why they are against social justice," the chief minister said.
He urged the central government to implement the two demands made by late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on October 14, 1973, in Uttar Pradesh, on providing quota for SCs in central government jobs and to fill up the government posts by allocating a specific quantum of reservation for the SC and Backward sections.
He stated that the late M Karunanidhi was instrumental in pressuring the V P Singh government to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission in 1990.
The V P Singh government was toppled by the BJP. Social justice is the basic rule of the DMK founded on this principle. The Dravidian movement came into existence to ensure social justice and an egalitarian society, he said.
The DMK's progenitor, the Justice Party formed in 1916, provided caste-based reservation after it came to power in 1922.
"The Raja of Panagal (Panaganti Ramarayaningar, the president of the Justice Party who served as Premier of Madras Presidency) introduced the caste-based reservation and passed an order in this regard. Looking at Tamil Nadu, various states are providing social justice," the chief minister said.
He claimed credit for the Dravidian movement in providing social justice to the people of Tamil Nadu but also in guiding the oppressed people of other states of India to get their rights.
Following protests in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Constitution was amended for the first time and 15(4) of the First Amendment stated that 'no section shall prevent the provision of privileges to any member of the community who is socially and educationally backward', Stalin said.
This development made former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru refer to the 'happenings in Madras', in Parliament.
'Socially and Educationally' is the definition of social justice in the Constitution.
Article 340 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the establishment of the Commission for Backward Classes, defines 'Socially and Educationally', he said.
"That is providing reservation socially and educationally for the downtrodden is defined in the Constitution," the chief minister said. -- PTI
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong
09:39 Trudeau's allegations 'concerning': Australia
Australia has described Canada's allegations about India's involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader as 'concerning' and said Canberra is 'monitoring these developments closely' and has raised the issues with its Indian counterparts.
These remarks were made by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at a press conference in the United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday.
Wong, who is leading Australia's delegation to the high-level 78th session of the UN General Assembly, was responding to a question on allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the involvement of 'agents of the Indian government' in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
"Look, these are concerning reports, and I note that investigations are still underway, but obviously these are concerning reports, and as I've said, we are monitoring these developments closely with our partners, and we'll continue to do so," Wong said at the press conference on Tuesday.
Nijjar was one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.
India has strongly rejected Trudeau's statement made in the Canadian Parliament and said 'allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated'.
In response to a question whether Australia has raised the issue with India, Wong said, "We have, Australia has raised these issues with our Indian counterparts, as you would expect us to do."
She added that Australia has been 'monitoring these developments with partners closely, we will continue to do so, and I will confirm that we have raised our concerns with India. I'm not going to go into any further detail on that'.
When asked if she was planning on raising the issue with Japan, a partner with the United States, Australia and India in the Quad group, Wong said, "I'm sure you would not expect the foreign minister of any country to run a commentary on how and what is raised, in detail or what will be raised, but I would say to you, you know, Australia's principal position is that we believe the sovereignty of all countries should be respected, we believe the rule of law should be respected, and our views as a matter of principle reflect those views."
Wong was asked if she has concerns about foreign interference from India in Australia, to which she replied: "I think Australia is a robust democracy, and I think the Indian diaspora has a range of views, and you know, we have made clear in relation to democratic debate in Australia that the peaceful expression of different views is a key part of Australia's democracy, and I think most Australians would agree with that."
When asked what guarantee of safety is provided to Sikh Indians in Australia, Wong said, "I'd note that these allegations are still being investigated, so I would recognise that fact, but more broadly I would say this: we take the view as a government that Australian democracy is precious, that as a matter of principle, and as a matter of law Australians of whatever persuasion have a right to peaceful protest, and in all circumstances we reflect that right in our public statements and in our private conversations with other governments.
"You would also know we have, as a Parliament, made very clear statements, but legislatively and as a matter of policy about the importance of Australian democracy being unaffected by external concerns." -- PTI
These remarks were made by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at a press conference in the United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday.
Wong, who is leading Australia's delegation to the high-level 78th session of the UN General Assembly, was responding to a question on allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the involvement of 'agents of the Indian government' in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
"Look, these are concerning reports, and I note that investigations are still underway, but obviously these are concerning reports, and as I've said, we are monitoring these developments closely with our partners, and we'll continue to do so," Wong said at the press conference on Tuesday.
Nijjar was one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.
India has strongly rejected Trudeau's statement made in the Canadian Parliament and said 'allegations of Government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated'.
In response to a question whether Australia has raised the issue with India, Wong said, "We have, Australia has raised these issues with our Indian counterparts, as you would expect us to do."
She added that Australia has been 'monitoring these developments with partners closely, we will continue to do so, and I will confirm that we have raised our concerns with India. I'm not going to go into any further detail on that'.
When asked if she was planning on raising the issue with Japan, a partner with the United States, Australia and India in the Quad group, Wong said, "I'm sure you would not expect the foreign minister of any country to run a commentary on how and what is raised, in detail or what will be raised, but I would say to you, you know, Australia's principal position is that we believe the sovereignty of all countries should be respected, we believe the rule of law should be respected, and our views as a matter of principle reflect those views."
Wong was asked if she has concerns about foreign interference from India in Australia, to which she replied: "I think Australia is a robust democracy, and I think the Indian diaspora has a range of views, and you know, we have made clear in relation to democratic debate in Australia that the peaceful expression of different views is a key part of Australia's democracy, and I think most Australians would agree with that."
When asked what guarantee of safety is provided to Sikh Indians in Australia, Wong said, "I'd note that these allegations are still being investigated, so I would recognise that fact, but more broadly I would say this: we take the view as a government that Australian democracy is precious, that as a matter of principle, and as a matter of law Australians of whatever persuasion have a right to peaceful protest, and in all circumstances we reflect that right in our public statements and in our private conversations with other governments.
"You would also know we have, as a Parliament, made very clear statements, but legislatively and as a matter of policy about the importance of Australian democracy being unaffected by external concerns." -- PTI
09:05 New copies of Constitution don't have...: Adhir
The leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, raised concerns over the alleged attack on the Constitution by saying that new copies of the Constitution that were handed to the politicians on the opening day of the new Parliament building don't have the words 'socialist secular'.
"The new copies of the Constitution that were given to us today (19th September), the one we held in our hands and entered (the new Parliament building), its Preamble doesn't have the words 'socialist secular'," he said, while speaking to ANI on Tuesday.
He further added, "We know that the words were added after an amendment in 1976, but if someone gives us the Constitution today and it doesn't have those words, it is a matter of concern."
He alleged, "Their intention is suspicious. It has been done cleverly. It is a matter of concern for me."
Chowdhury said, "I tried to raise this issue, but I did not get an opportunity to raise this issue." -- ANI
Image used only for representation
08:56 Kurmis withdraw proposed rail blockade in 3 states
Trains under the jurisdiction of SER and ECoR will ply on their scheduled routes in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha as an indefinite rail blockade called by Kurmi organisations from Wednesday has been withdrawn, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, at least 11 trains were cancelled and 12 others diverted on Tuesday under the jurisdiction of South Eastern Railway (SER) and East Coast Railway (ECoR) in Jharkhand and Odisha, respectively, in view of the rail blockade, they said.
The ECoR said it has decided to run trains on normal routes with immediate effect, as the Kurmi Samaj agitation 'has been called off'.
"All the trains that were earlier cancelled or diverted are being restored on their normal routes as per the directive of the headquarters," Ranchi Railway Division Chief Public Relation Officer Nishant Kumar told PTI.
"The indefinite rail blockade called by Kurmis has been withdrawn as our senior leaders are being harassed by police. We will take a collective decision on the next course of action on September 30 in Purulia," said Ajit Mahato, a leader of Adivasi Kurmi Samaj in West Bengal.
Sheetal Ohdar, the president of Totemik Kurmi Vikas Morcha (TKVM), a leading Kurmi body in Jharkhand, however, claimed that they would continue their agitation from Wednesday.
Several Kurmi bodies had called for the indefinite railway blockade at nine stations in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha from Wednesday to press for their demand of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community, and inclusion of Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
Ohdar also urged the MPs from the community to raise the demand during the ongoing special session of Parliament.
The indefinite blockade on railway tracks was planned at Muri, Gomoh, Nimdih, Ghagra stations in Jharkhand, Khemasuli and Kustaur in West Bengal, and Harichandanpur, Jaraikela and Dhanpur in Odisha. -- PTI
08:39 'No split, no dispute,' say both NCP factions
Senior leaders from both Sharad Pawar- and Ajit Pawar-led factions of the Nationalist Congress Party have said that there is no split in the party.
The Election Commission has called the rival factions of the NCP for a personal hearing on October 6 following a petition filed by the Ajit group claiming that he has been elected as the party's national president.
"It is unfair on the part of the Election Commission of India to treat our case as a dispute within a political party when we have consistently maintained that there is no split," said Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra unit chief of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, on Tuesday.
"Sharad Pawar in his letter to the ECI stressed the fact that he never faced any opposition within the party. There is no dispute. There has been no opposition to my (Sharad Pawar's) policies from the party on any public platform," Patil told reporters.
"Pawar also sought time from the ECI to explain his side because there was no dispute but there has been some exchange of emails (with Ajit Pawar's side). The ECI, without giving time to (Sharad) Pawar, concluded that there is a dispute," he added.
Asked about Patil's comments, Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra cabinet minister and senior leader from the Ajit Pawar group, said, "It is good as there is no dispute in the party. Some changes have taken place, such as change of national president....Ajit Pawar is now the party's president and we have already communicated this to the ECI."
Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar's leadership in July this year and joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra as deputy chief minister. -- PTI
The Election Commission has called the rival factions of the NCP for a personal hearing on October 6 following a petition filed by the Ajit group claiming that he has been elected as the party's national president.
"It is unfair on the part of the Election Commission of India to treat our case as a dispute within a political party when we have consistently maintained that there is no split," said Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra unit chief of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, on Tuesday.
"Sharad Pawar in his letter to the ECI stressed the fact that he never faced any opposition within the party. There is no dispute. There has been no opposition to my (Sharad Pawar's) policies from the party on any public platform," Patil told reporters.
"Pawar also sought time from the ECI to explain his side because there was no dispute but there has been some exchange of emails (with Ajit Pawar's side). The ECI, without giving time to (Sharad) Pawar, concluded that there is a dispute," he added.
Asked about Patil's comments, Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra cabinet minister and senior leader from the Ajit Pawar group, said, "It is good as there is no dispute in the party. Some changes have taken place, such as change of national president....Ajit Pawar is now the party's president and we have already communicated this to the ECI."
Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar's leadership in July this year and joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra as deputy chief minister. -- PTI
08:00 Karnataka CM, dy CM to meet state MPs in Delhi
Amid the ongoing Cauvery river water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reached Delhi late Tuesday night.
Along with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar who is also in Delhi, Siddaramaiah is expected to meet MPs and ministers from his state today.
Apart from the Cauvery dispute, state projects pending before the central government and drought relief issues are also expected to be discussed by the state's representatives.
07:54 Mild earthquake jolts Chamba in HP
A mild earthquake measuring 2.1 on the Richter Scale struck the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday evening, the India meteorological department (IMD) informed.
The tremors were felt around 9.15 pm and the earthquake struck at a depth of 5 km, the IMD said. Further details are awaited.
Pic: Reuters
07:30 Canada issues travel advisory for visiting India
Amid worsening bilateral ties in the wake of tit-for-tat expulsions over the alleged Indian involvement of a Khalistani leader on its soil, the Canadian government on Tuesday issued a travel advisory, asking his citizens to "exercise a high degree of caution".
Triggering a tense diplomatic standoff earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India had a role in the killing of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
"Avoid all travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir due to the unpredictable security situation. There is a threat of terrorism, militancy, civil unrest and kidnapping. This advisory excludes travelling to or within the Union territory of Ladakh," the Canadian government stated in its travel advisory for India.
"Avoid gatherings and demonstrations," the advisory added.
The advisory was updated after Trudeau said on Tuesday that Ottawa wants New Delhi to address the issue properly, according to CBC News. The Canadian PM added, however, that his country wasn't trying to provoke India by any means.
07:11 Sonia Gandhi to be Cong lead speaker on women's quota
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will be the lead speaker from her party for the debate when the Lok Sabha will take up the Women's Reservation Bill for the discussion today, the sources said.
The Women's Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced in the Lok Sabha yesterday in the ongoing special session of Parliament and will be taken up for discussion today when the House will meet at 11 am.
The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the Women Reservation Bill. On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building.
The bill has been named Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com
07:06 Govt should have age limit for social media use, says HC
The high court of Karnataka on Tuesday observed that it would be suitable if an age limit was introduced for using social media akin to the legal age for drinking alcohol.
A division bench of Justices G Narendar and Vijaykumar A Patil made the observation while hearing an appeal by X Corp (formerly Twitter) challenging the single judge order of June 30 which had dismissed its plea to the takedown orders issued by the ninistry of electronics and information technology (MeiTY).
MeiTY had under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act between February 2, 2021 and February 28, 2022 issued 10 Government Orders directing it to block 1,474 accounts, 175 Tweets, 256 URLs and one hashtag.
Twitter challenged the orders related to 39 of these URLs.
"Ban social media. I will tell you a lot of good will come. Today's school going children are so addicted to it. I think there should be an age limit such as in excise rules," Justice G Narendar noted.
The court further observed that "children may be 17 or 18. But do they have the maturity to judge what is or is not in the interest of the nation? Not only on social media, even on the Internet things should be removed, it corrupts the mind. Government should consider bringing in an age limit for the use of social media."
The court had also imposed a cost of Rs 50 lakh on X Corp.
X Corp's counsel argued that MeiTY had not informed the users about blocking their tweets and accounts and even the company was forbidden from informing them.
The HC asked the government, "You do not release the order. He is not permitted to reveal the order. How is he going to defend himself?"
The HC suggested that the government may have to tweak the rules a bit as it is at the government's discretion that X Corp is blocking the accounts of users and the company cannot be left high and dry.
However, the HC said that "When it comes to national security, everybody has to be on the same page."
When the counsel for the company argued that it had informed which order of MeiTY it can comply with and which it could not, the bench said X Corp cannot be the judge.
The court said the X Corp "cannot be given the right to judge the content. If the content says 'Apple a day keeps the doctor away', you will interpret that as being against the doctor and the interest of the nation?"
The hearing of the case was adjourned to Wednesday when the HC will decide on the interim relief sought by X Corp. The hearing of the appeal will be heard after that, the HC said.
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