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Tue, 20 February 2024
NIA court declares J-K terrorist proclaimed offender
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Puti temple/File image
23:55 Modi sanctions Rs 492 crore Puri-Konark new rail line: Vaishnaw
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced a 32-kilometre-long new rail line project connecting Puri and Konark with trains having Vistadome coaches.
Vaishnaw made this announcement immediately after he was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Odisha with support of BJD.
While supporting his candidature, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on February 15 had said "BJD supported Vaishnaw for the larger interest of the state's railways and telecom development.'
"It was a long-standing demand of the Odisha people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has Tuesday sanctioned the Rs 492 crore new railway line between Puri and Konark with a view to creating a spiritual, heritage & coastal corridor," Vaishnaw told a press conference in Bhubaneswar.
Vaishnaw also said that the project has been sanctioned and fund is available. Work for this project will start just after getting land for construction of the rail line.
Altogether, 217 acres of land is necessary for this project, he said. -- PTI
23:45 NIA court declares J-K terrorist proclaimed offender
An NIA court in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday declared terrorist Ashiq Ahmed Nengroo, who managed to exfiltrate to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 2018, a proclaimed offender.
A resident of Hanjan Bala in the Rajpora area of the district, Nengroo, alias Molvi, was declared a proclaimed offender by the court on an application moved by the Pulwama police, officials said.
He was declared an Individual Terrorist by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in 2022.
"After exfiltrating to PoK, he managed many drone dropping, weapon delivery and hawala money to keep terrorist activities alive in Jammu and Kashmir," an official said.
His name has surfaced in many FIRs in recent times for approaching the local youths on social media, misguiding them to join the terrorist ranks and also taking them with weapons transport," the official added.
A police spokesperson said the Jammu and Kashmir Police appeals to all the youth not to fall prey to such acts which involve mysterious WhatsApp calls, motivating them to pick up and drop parcels as it can lead them to jail. -- PTI
NCP founder Sharad Pawar
23:32 NCP moves HC against Maha speaker's decision to not disqualify Sharad Pawar MLAs
The Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday challenged in the Bombay high court the state assembly speaker's decision to not disqualify 10 MLAs from the Sharad Pawar camp.
The petitions requested the high court to quash Speaker Rahul Narwekar's recent order by declaring it bad in law, and also disqualify all the 10 legislators.
The petitions were filed by Anil Patil, chief whip of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, through advocate Shrirang Varma, challenging the "legality, propriety and correctness" of the order passed by Narwekar dismissing the disqualification petitions filed against the MLAs belonging to the Sharad Pawar faction.
A division bench led by Justice G S Kulkarni said it would hear the matter on Wednesday. Narwekar had last week ruled that the faction led by Ajit Pawar is the real Nationalist Congress Party, but didn't disqualify MLAs of either faction.
The speaker has wrongly arrived at the conclusion that the split in the NCP was intra-party dissent. As the speaker has ruled that the NCP led by Ajit Pawar is the real political party, then the disqualification petitions should have been allowed too, as per the petitions.
Ajit Pawar and his uncle Sharad Pawar are locked in a turf war after Ajit and 8 MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government in July 2023.
Both the factions were fighting over primarily two issues -- who the party belongs to and whether the MLAs from the opposite faction attract disqualification under Section 2(1)(A) of the Tenth Schedule. -- PTI
22:59 It will help people get correct info: Modi on movie about Article 370
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, while addressing a rally in Jammu, mentioned an upcoming movie about Article 370, emphasising the importance of dissemination of accurate information.
"I have heard that perhaps a film on Article 370 is going to be released this week. I think your Jai Jai Kaar (cheers) are going to be heard all over the country," Modi said, addressing a public rally at Maulana Azad Stadium in the heart of Jammu.
The prime minister's remarks, made during his second visit to the Jammu region since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, coincided with the film's imminent release late this week.
While acknowledging his lack of familiarity with the film's specifics, Modi highlighted the potential of such productions in providing the public with accurate insights.
"I do not know what the film is all about but yesterday I heard on TV that a film is coming on Article 370. Good, it will be useful for people to get correct information," Modi said.
The film, titled Article 370, is produced by Aditya Dhar, renowned for his directorial work on Uri: The Surgical Strike, which earned him the National Film Award for Best Director. -- PTI
22:40 3 Indians killed in mishap at Uzbekistan project site
In a tragic accident of roof collapse at a project site in Uzbekistan city Almalyk on Tuesday, three Indian workers lost their lives while 30 sustained injuries, the Indian Embassy in Uzbekistan informed.
"We express our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and wish speedy recovery to the injured," said the embassy in a post on X.
Embassy officials have visited the site and met the injured victims at the Almalyk City Hospital.
"We are in touch with the employing company and the local authorities to ensure all possible assistance," it also said.
Next of kin of all the victims are being contacted by the employing company and the Embassy.
"Our emergency contact number is +998 933875242," the embassy also said. -- ANI
22:21 Cong candidate wins K'taka legislative council bypoll, jolt to BJP-JD-S alliance
Congress candidate P Puttanna on Tuesday won the by-election to the Karnataka legislative council from Bangalore Teachers' Constituency.
He defeated his nearest opponent A P Ranganath, a joint candidate of the BJP-JD-S alliance by a margin of 1,507 votes.
This defeat is seen as a setback for the BJP-JD-S combine, as it was the first election they fought together after the regional party joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in September last year.
Both parties will be fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls together for which seat sharing talks are on.
Of the 16,541 votes cast during the polls held on February 16, Puttanna had secured a total of 8,260 votes, followed by 6,753 votes by Ranganath.
As man as 1,239 votes were rejected.
Nine candidates contested the election. -- PTI
File image
21:53 Farmers' stir: Govt blocks 177 social media accounts
The government has ordered temporary blocking of around 177 social media accounts and web links that are linked to the farmers' protest, according to sources.
The orders were issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on February 14 and 19 at the request of the ministry of home affairs under Section 69A of the IT Act.
"The orders have been issued to temporarily block 177 social media accounts and web links to maintain law and order on request of the ministry of home affairs," the source said.
Links and accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and some other social media platforms have been ordered to be blocked.
These accounts can be restored after the farmers' agitation is over, the source added. -- PTI
21:35 Shashi Tharoor conferred France's highest civilian honour
Shashi Tharoor, a prolific author and a diplomat-turned-politician, was conferred France's highest civilian honour "Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur" at a ceremony in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Author of several books and the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor was conferred the prestigious award at the French Embassy by French Senate President Gerard Larcher.
The French government had announced the award for Tharoor, a former Union minister, in August 2022 but was conferred on him on Tuesday.
"The highest French civilian award came in recognition of Dr Tharoor's tireless efforts to deepen Indo-French ties, commitment to international peace and cooperation, and as a long-standing friend of France," a statement issued by the French Embassy said.
Conferring the honour on Tharoor, chairman of the French Senate Larcher said, "Through his outstanding career as a diplomat, author and politician, Shashi Tharoor has embraced the world with a thirst for knowledge and an intelligence that has led him to live several lifetimes in one, and all of them in service to India and a better world."
"Dr Tharoor is also a true friend of France, a Francophone with a keen understanding of France and its culture. Through this award, which I have the privilege to confer, the French Republic recognises your accomplishments, your friendship, your love of France, your commitment to a fairer world," Larcher said.
Receiving the recognition, Tharoor said he was immensely honoured to accept the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour). -- PTI
PM Narendra Modi virtually flags off the first electrified trains of the Kashmir valley/Courtesy PIB
21:16 India's longest transportation tunnel opens in Jammu
The longest transportation tunnel of the country on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as he flagged off the first electrified trains of the Kashmir valley.
"Prime Minister Modi was present in Jammu and he virtually flagged off two electrified trains simultaneously -- one from Srinagar to Sangaldan in the down direction and the other from Sangaldan to Srinagar in the up direction," a railway official said.
He added that the prime minister also inaugurated the 48.1-km-long Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section.
"This longest tunnel, which is 12.77-km long and known as T-50, falls between the Khari-Sumber section," the official said.
According to the Northern Railway, trains can now run from Baramulla to Sangaldan via Banihal, which used to be the last or originating station earlier. T-50 is supposed to be the most challenging of the 11 tunnels in the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangadal section.
According to railway officials associated with the project, the tunnel work started around 2010 and it took almost 14 years to operationalise it.
"All safety measures have been taken inside the tunnel to meet emergency situations. An escape tunnel has been constructed parallel to T-50 to evacuate passengers in case of any emergency," an official said. -- PTI
21:05 Byju's investors call for EGM on Friday to oust him
Amidst financial turbulence at Byju's, a group of key investors at the edtech have called for an extraordinary general meeting on Friday to oust its founder CEO Byju Raveendran and his family members over "mismanagement and failures" at what was once India's hottest tech startups, sources said.
The shareholders, who have called the EGM, collectively hold more than 30 percent stake in Byju's.
Raveendran and family own about 26 percent in the company.
The sources in the know said the Extraordinary General Meeting notice calls for ouster of the current board of Think & Learn, the firm that operates Byju's, composed of Raveendran, his wife and co-founder Divya Gokulnath and his brother Riju Ravindran.
Detailing the reasons for seeking the ouster, the notice listed alleged financial mismanagement, erosion of value due to management's failure to enforce the company's legal rights and concealment of material information.
Earlier this month, South Africa's Prosus, Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital), General Atlantic, Sofina, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Owl Ventures, and Sand Capital issued a joint statement seeking change of guard at the company. -- PTI
20:57 Virat-Anushka have a baby boy!
The suspense over Virat Kohli's absence from the Indian cricket team is over -- Anushka Sharma and he are proud parents of a boy, Akaay, their second child.
In an announcement, Virushka, as they couple is known, said Vamika's little brother 'came into this world on February 15'.
They ended the announcement with a request to respect their privacy at this time.
Vehicles are covered in a thick blanket of snow as the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh receives heavy snowfall/ANI Photo
20:21 Snowfall cuts off 263 roads, 4 NH in Himachal Pradesh
At least 263 roads, including four national highways, have been closed due to heavy snowfall in tribal areas and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh.
According to the weather department, Rohtang Pass has received 135 cm of snow in the past 24 hours -- the highest in the region. Killar (Pangi) received 90 cm, Chitkul and Jalori Jot 45 cm, Kukumseri 44 cm, and Gondla 39 cm of snow.
Keylong received 35 cm of snow and Sissu, Koksar and Hansa 30 cm each, whereas Kothi got 20 cm and Kalpa 11 cm of snow, the department said.
The region is still witnessing intermittent snowfall. Moderate to heavy rain lashed almost the entire state, with Chamba being wettest with 67 mm of rain, followed by Kufri, which got 57 mm.
Dalhousie received 55 mm, Bharmour 33.5 mm, Solan 15.2 mm, Shimla 14.2 mm, and Dharamsala 13 mm of rain.
Several parts of Hamirpur district were lashed by thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy showers Tuesday morning.
According to the state emergency operation centre, a total of 165 roads were closed in Lahaul and Spiti district and 87 in Chamba.
As many as 661 transformers and 33 water supply schemes were disrupted in the state.
Remote Dodra Kwar in Shimla district too was cut off from the rest of the state following snowfall.
A major portion of Chamba-Tissa road sank near Rakhalu Mata temple on Tuesday due to heavy rain, cutting off 40 panchayats from the district headquarter.
Shimla was lashed by rain and hailstorm Monday night but was spared of a snowfall, as were adjoining tourist destinations of Kufri and Narkanda. -- PTI
Anil Masih (right) reaches Supreme Court
20:08 SC orders Chandigarh poll official's prosecution
Returning officer of the Chandigarh mayoral polls Anil Masih on Tuesday faced the wrath of the Supreme Court which ordered his criminal prosecution for allegedly giving false statement before it and his "misdemeanour" during the counting of votes.
The apex court, which declared defeated AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the new mayor of the Union territory by setting aside the January 30 poll result, said Masih had put marks on eight ballot papers to create a ground for treating them as invalidly cast.
"That apart, it is evident that the presiding officer (Masih) is guilty of serious misdemeanour in doing what he did in his role and capacity as a presiding officer," a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said.
The bench, also comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, directed the registrar (judicial) of the apex court to issue a notice to Masih to show cause as to why proceedings should not be initiated against him under section 340 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for allegedly making false statement before the court.
It said he can file his response to the notice and the matter would be taken up after three weeks.
In its verdict, the Supreme Court bench said Masih's conduct as the presiding officer has to be deprecated at two levels.
"Firstly, by his conduct he has unlawfully altered the course of the mayoral election... Secondly, in making a solemn statement before this court on February 19, the presiding officer expressed falsehood for which he must be held accountable," the bench said.
It said as a returning officer, Masih could not have been unmindful of the consequences of making such a statement before the court.
The bench noted that before recording Masih's statement during the hearing on Monday, the court had placed him on notice about the serious consequences if he was found to have made an incorrect statement.
19:53 Shivpal in 3rd list of SP Lok Sabha candidates
The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday declared its third list of five candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, fielding senior leader Shivpal Yadav from Budaun parliamentary constituency.
Shivpal Yadav, the uncle of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, is an MLA from the Jaswantnagar assembly constituency in Etawah district.
The other candidates on the list are Surendra Singh Patel from Varanasi, Iqra Hasan from Kairana), Praveen Singh Aron from Bareilly and Ajendra Singh Rajput from Hamirpur.
With this list, the Samajwadi Party has so far declared the names of 31 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh.
In its first list, the SP had fielded Dharmendra Yadav, the son of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother Abhay Ram Yadav, from Budaun.
The Akhilesh Yadav-led party has offered 17 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress, an alliance partner in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliace (INDIA).
Altogether, the state has 80 LS constituencies. -- PTI
19:37 Will you apologise to LG, Delhi HC asks suspended BJP MLAs
Seeking to resolve the stand-off over the suspension of seven Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs, the Delhi high court on Tuesday asked them whether they were prepared to apologise to the lieutenant governor for repeatedly interrupting his address to the legislative assembly that prompted action against them.
Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the senior counsel for the suspended legislators to take instructions on this after the lawyer representing the assembly said a similar approach was adopted in the Supreme Court to end the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha.
Appearing for the assembly, senior advocate Sudhir Nandrajog said the matter is not political and involves the dignity of the office of the LG.
"I spoke to the speaker. He also suggested the route followed by the Supreme Court in Raghav Chadha's case. If members were to come and meet the speaker and apologise to the LG, the whole thing could be put through," he said.
Senior advocate Jayant Mehta, appearing for the lawmakers, said they had no problem apologising to the LG.
The court asked the petitioners' counsel to come back in the post-lunch session with instructions.
Subsequently, the court was informed there was some 'development' in the matter, following which the petitions were directed to be called for consideration on February 21.
The seven BJP MLAs -- Mohan Singh Bisht, Ajay Mahawar, O P Sharma, Abhay Verma, Anil Bajpai, Jitender Mahajan and Vijender Gupta -- approached the high court on Monday challenging their indefinite suspension from the Assembly for interrupting Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's address.
They said their suspension till the conclusion of proceedings before the privileges committee was in violation of the applicable rules and the MLAs were consequently unable to attend the ongoing Budget session.
The BJP MLAs had interrupted Saxena multiple times during his address on February 15 as he highlighted the achievements of the AAP government, while they attacked the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation on a range of issues.
The petitions by the MLAs said their suspension violates Article 19(1)(a) (right to freedom of speech and expression) of the Constitution of India and the rights and privileges of the MLAs as well as the principle of 'proportionality' and 'rationality'.
'The Order of the Hon'ble Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi is unconstitutional, unjust, unfair and, in any event, selective and grossly disproportionate. It violates the fundamental and constitutional rights of the Petitioners,' the petition filed through advocate Satya Ranjan Swain on behalf of Mahawar, Gupta and Bajpai said.
The plea highlighted that the budget is the last full budget before the assembly elections in 2025 and therefore the presence of the opposition members was of utmost importance.
AAP MLA Dilip Pandey had moved a resolution in the House for their suspension which was accepted by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel who had on February 15 referred the issue to the privileges committee.
Seven members of the BJP barring Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri have been barred from attending the proceedings.
The Budget session has been extended till the first week of March due to delay in budget finalisation. -- PTI
19:01 Won't question govt: Uddhav on Maratha Reservation Bill
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray welcomed the Maratha Reservation Bill introduced and passed in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday and said that he would not question the Maharashtra government today as the bill pertains to education and jobs.
Talking to the reporters, Thackeray also congratulated the Maratha people who made sacrifices for Maratha reservation.
"After studying the bill the government tabled this bill and it was passed and it will stay in court too. I'm happy and we appreciate the government. I congratulate the Maratha people and many people gave their sacrifice for this Maratha reservation," Thackeray said.
"We saw a lathi charge in Antarwali village it was not needed but today I will not question the government. This reservation is for education and job," the former CM added.
Taking a jibe at CM Shinde, Thackeray said that although the bill has been passed, but till it is implemented nothing can be said.
"Everyone knows the history of CM (Eknath Shinde) and therefore till the time whatever he has said is implemented nothing can be said. We have supported the government but how many people are getting jobs should be told soon. I hope that it is full proof and for that, we need to wait for some time," the Shive Sena-UBT chief said.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole alleged that the government have brought these types of laws before also to win the elections and now also they are doing it for the elections.
"We knew that they would suppress our voices and would not let us talk. That's why we have already given them one letter based on 4 topics including how will they make this reservation stand in law, how will be able to survive, and have asked the government to reveal the demands made by activist Jairange Patil," he said.
"Before also these types of laws were brought two times but it was scrapped and put in a bin in the Supreme Court. In 2019 they did for the winning elections and now also they did for the elections. They want to take the credit for this. This will not be able to continue because it is done only for the election to get the votes of the Marathas community," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, AIMIM leader and MLA Mohammed Ismail Abdul Khalique said that it was a historic day for the Maratha community and also demanded the reservation for the Muslim community. -- ANI
18:17 Truth finally wins: Mann hails SC verdict
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hailed the Supreme Court verdict on the Chandigarh mayoral poll, saying 'truth finally wins'.
The top court overturned the result of the Chandigarh mayoral poll in which the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate had emerged an unlikely winner, and declared defeated Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the new city mayor.
'Finally truth wins, we welcome the verdict of the Supreme Court on the Chandigarh mayoral elections... CJI declared AAP's Kuldeep Kumar as the mayor while holding 8 votes, rejected by the presiding officer, right,' said Mann in a post in Punjabi on X.
Mann further said the BJP got a 'befitting reply for its blatant wrongdoing'.
He also congratulated the people of Chandigarh for the 'great victory of democracy'.
Setting aside the Chandigarh mayoral poll, the Supreme Court also ordered prosecution of the returning officer for the poll, Anil Masih, a BJP leader, for his 'misdemeanour', after finding serious faults in the conduct of the January 30 election.
The apex court made it clear that it was not quashing the entire electoral exercise and restricting itself to dealing with the wrong-doings in the counting process which led to invalidation of eight votes cast in Kumar's favour.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it was evident that Masih made deliberate attempt to deface eight ballot papers. -- PTI
Pic: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
17:37 Convene Parliament for a day to enact MSP law: Farmers
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday said the Centre should convene a daylong Parliament session to bring a legislation on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, a key demand of protesting farmers.
He also asked the Centre to accept the other main demands of the farmers, including farm loan waiver.
Pandher's statement came a day after the farmer leaders taking part in the "Delhi Chalo" agitation rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in favour of farmers.
In the fourth round of talks with the farmer leaders on Sunday, a panel of three Union ministers proposed that government agencies would buy pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the "Delhi Chalo" march.
Talking to reporters at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana, Pandher, who represents the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said, "We demand that a law to guarantee the MSP be brought. If the prime minister has the willpower, a daylong session of Parliament can be convened. No opposition party will oppose it."
"I demand that all opposition parties make their stand clear that if the Centre brings a law on the MSP, they will vote for it. Be it the Shiromani Akali Dal or the Congress -- they should make their stand clear. The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, and other parties should also make their stand clear," he added.
Pandher said farmers have three big demands -- a legal guarantee on the MSP for all crops, the implementation of the "C2 plus 50 per cent" formula as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission and loan waiver.
He said at the meeting with Union ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai, the farmers proposed that a law on the MSP be enacted by convening a special session of Parliament.
17:14 Mooh mitha
AAP candidate for Chandigarh Mayor Election, Kuldeep Kumar, celebrates. The Supreme Court has ordered that he be declared to be the validly elected candidate for the post of Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.
16:45 SC declares AAP councilor Chandigarh mayor
The Supreme Court declares AAP councilor Kuldeep Kumar as winner and Mayor of union territory of Chandigarh.
The court set aside the Chandigarh mayoral poll and said it is evident that the presiding officer made a deliberate attempt to deface eight ballot papers.
The court also orders the prosecution of returning officer Anil Masih for misdemeanour.
16:29 Thanks for saving democracy: Kejriwal to SC
The Supreme Court has saved democracy in these "difficult times", Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday, thanking the court for its decision in the Chandigarh mayoral polls case.
The top court has said it would direct recounting of votes polled in the controversial elections and declaration of result after considering the eight "defaced" ballots that were declared invalid by the returning officer.
"Thank you SC for saving democracy in these difficult times," Kejriwal said in a post on X.
The BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the comfortably placed AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots.
Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar after polling 16 votes against his rival's 12 to bag the mayor's post. Sonkar, however, resigned subsequently, while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP. PTI
16:20 Sonia Gandhi elected unopposed to RS from Rajasthan
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday, officials said. Bharatiya Janata Party's Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore were also elected unopposed to the Upper House from the state, Assembly Secretary Mahaveer Prasad Sharma said. Tuesday was the last day for withdrawing nominations.
As no other candidates were contesting, the three leaders were elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed, the officer said.
The tenure of Rajya Sabha members Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) is ending on April 3. The third seat fell vacant after the BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena resigned from the House in December after being elected MLA.
The BJP has 115 members and the Congress 70 in the 200-member assembly. There are 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan. After the results, Congress has six members and the BJP four. PTI
The Sikh police officer said he was just doing his duty
16:00 BJP team in Sandeshkhali call Sikh cop 'Khalistani'
A Sikh IPS officer, who was deputed at Dhamakhali to prevent senior West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari from visiting restive Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, got agitated after a group of activists of the saffron party allegedly hurled the 'Khalistani' jibe at him.
BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, accompanying Adhikari, claimed that the police officer wasn't fulfilling his duties and dismissed the allegation that BJP supporters called him a 'Khalistani'.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the BJP's "divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries", and condemned the "audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of Sikhs, revered for their sacrifices and unwavering determination to our nation".
IPS officer Jaspreet Singh, who along with his team was deputed at Dhamakhali and had put up barricades to stop Adhikari from visiting Sandeshkhali located just across Kalindi River, was allegedly called a "Khalistani" by a group of BJP supporters.
"Just because I am wearing a turban, you people are calling me a Khalistani? Is this what you have learnt? If a police officer wears a turban and performs his duty honestly, he becomes a Khalistani for you? Shame on you," he was heard saying to the BJP supporters.
Singh said he was just doing his job. "I am just doing my job. Did I say anything about your religion, why are you speaking about my religion?" he said.
Banerjee shared a video clip on X and said the BJP's divisive politics has crossed all constitutional limits. "Today, the BJP's divisive politics has shamelessly overstepped constitutional boundaries. As per @BJP4India every person wearing a TURBAN is a KHALISTANI. I VEHEMENTLY CONDEMN this audacious attempt to undermine the reputation of our SIKH BROTHERS & SISTERS, revered for their SACRIFICES and UNWAVERING DETERMINATION to our nation," she posted on X.
"We stand firm in protecting Bengal's social harmony and will take stern lawful measures to prevent any attempts to disrupt it," she said. The BJP, however, denied the charge and accused the police officer of not performing his duty as per the Constitution.
AAP supporters scuffle with police over the polls
15:38 8 invalidated votes in Chandigarh poll to be counted
Chandigarh mayoral polls: Judicial officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court produces records including ballot papers in the mayoral polls row.
"We would like to see ballots which were invalidated," says the court. The court scrutinises the ballot papers and says eight votes cast in favour of AAP candidate had extra "marks".
A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud examined the eight "invalid" votes at the heart of the row between the BJP and the AAP, and said they "shall be recounted... treated as valid" and "results declared on the basis of that". The court calls for recounting, says, "Let eight rejected ballots be also counted."
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the ballot papers and video that have been taken into custody by the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court according to its order, be produced before the apex court today.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed that the necessary security arrangements shall be made to ensure the safe transit and proper preservation and custody of ballet papers along with judicial officers.
The bench expressed concern over the "horse trading" and slammed Anil Masih, the Returning Officer for the Chandigarh Municipal polls, saying he must be prosecuted for "defacing ballot papers". "We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place...," the bench said at the end of the hearing.
The BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the comfortably placed AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots.
Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar after polling 16 votes against his rival's 12 to bag the mayor's post. Sonkar, however, resigned subsequently, while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP.
15:04 Jarange refuses to end stir, calls meet tomorrow
Manoj Jarange Patil, the activist who led the movement to provide caste-based reservations to Marathas and is on a hunger strike, welcomed the reservation bill introduced and passed in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, but contended that the reservation which has been proposed was not as per the community's demand.
"We need reservation which we deserve, give us reservation under OBC to those who's proof of being kunbi has been found and those who don't have proof of kunbi, for them pass a law of "Sage Soyare"," Patil said minutes after the Bill was passed unanimously by the Legislative Assembly.
He has called for a meeting of the Maratha community at noon on Wednesday.
Maha CM with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil
14:25 Maratha quota bill to be reviewed after 10 years
Update: The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tabled the Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024 in the House during the day-long special session of the legislature on Maratha quota.
The bill also proposed that once the reservation comes into effect, its review could be taken after 10 years. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who is sitting on a hunger strike since February 10, had demanded that a special session be called over the issue.
The government recently issued a draft notification which said if a Maratha person has documentary proof to show that he or she belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, the person's 'sage soyre' or blood relatives too would get Kunbi caste certificates.
The Kunbi community falls in the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas. -- PTI
14:14 Maha govt passes bill for 10% quota to Marathas
Maharashtra assembly unanimously passes bill providing 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in government jobs and education.
The Maharashtra government tabled the Bill in the state Assembly on Tuesday, intending to extend 10 per cent reservation to Marathas above the 50 per cent mark cap.
The state government has convened a one-day special session of the state legislature.
The bill for the 10 per cent Maratha quota that the Mahayuti government of Eknath Shinde has approved today is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government.
14:12 J-K had to bear brunt of dynastic politics: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who launched several development projects in Jammu on Tuesday slammed the opposition, saying that the region, now a Union Territory, had to "bear the brunt of dynastic politics" for decades.
Addressing a mass gathering in Jammu, PM Modi said that the political parties who have indulged in dynastic politics have only cared about their own interest.
"Jammu and Kashmir had to bear the brunt of dynastic politics for decades. They are only concerned about their families, not about your interests, your families and youths of the region have suffered due to this mostly," he said, adding, "I am happy that Jammu and Kashmir is getting freedom from this dynastic politics."
Asserting that the Article 370 which was scrapped in 2019 was the biggest 'roadblock' in the development of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said that the UT is moving towards an overall development now.
"Article 370 was the biggest roadblock in the development of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the BJP government has abrogated it. Jammu and Kashmir is moving towards an overall development now. It is because of the abrogation of Article 370, I have urged the people to help BJP win 370 seats and NDA win 400 seats in (2024 Lok Sabha) elections," he said.
14:02 Onion export ban to continue till Mar 31: Govt
The ban on export of onion will continue till its previously announced deadline of March 31 as the government is keen to keep prices under check and ensure domestic availability, a top official said on Tuesday.
On December 8, 2023, the government had banned export of onion till March 31. "Ban on onion exports has not been lifted. It is in force and there is no change in the status," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI.
The government's supreme priority is to ensure enough domestic availability of onion at reasonable prices to consumers, he added.
On reports of lifting of the export ban on the commodity, the modal wholesale onion prices shot up 40.62 per cent to Rs 1,800 per quintal on February 19 in Lasalgoan, the country's largest wholesale onion market, from Rs 1,280 per quintal on February 17.
Ahead of general elections, the ban is unlikely to be lifted even after March 31 as rabi (winter) onion production is expected to be lower due to less coverage of area especially in Maharasthra, sources said.
13:55 Never hurt India's interests: EAM on Russian oil
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reaffirmed India's stance on buying Russian oil despite sanctions on Moscow amid military conflict with Ukraine. He said that India and Russia have always shared "stable and friendly ties" and Moscow has never hurt the interests of New Delhi.
In an interview with the German economic daily, Handelsblatt during his visit to Germany for the Munich Security Conference, Jaishankar stated that Europe should understand that India cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one.
On being asked about India purchasing Russian oil, Jaishankar said, "Everyone conducts a relationship based on their past experiences. If I look at the history of India post-independence, Russia has never hurt our interests."
"The relations of powers like Europe, the US, China or Japan with Russia, they have all seen ups and downs. We have had a stable and always very friendly relationship with Russia. And our relationship with Russia today is based on this experience. For others, things were different, and conflicts may have shaped the relationship. We, on the other hand, had a politically and militarily much more difficult relationship with China, for example," he added.
Asked whether India would have liked support from Europe during border conflict with China in 2020, he said, "Just as I do not expect Europe to have a view of China that is identical to mine, Europe should understand that I cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one. Let us accept that there are natural differences in relationships."
He said that India and Europe have talked about their stance and have not emphasised their differences. He said that Europe shifted a large part of its energy procurement to Middle East after the war erupted between Russia and Ukraine, which was until then the main supplier of energy for India and other nations. -- ANI
13:05 An evening with a cricket legend
An illuminating conversation with Chandu Borde, 90, one of India's finest cricketers in the 1960s with Nikhil Lakshman/Rediff.com. Read the interview here.
SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya
13:01 SP's Swami Prasad Maurya quits party
SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigns from party, also quits as member of state legislative council.
Maurya, who resigned as the Samajwadi Partys national general secretary last week, is likely to announce a new party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
The 70-year-old leader, whose recent comments courted multiple controversies, is likely to launch a new party, namely the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, on February 22 at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.
Along with Maurya, several former MLAs and leaders directly associated with the Samajwadi Party and prominent Muslim figures may also join Mauryas rally on Thursday.
12:54 ED tells HC it won't arrest Sameer Wankhede till March 1
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that it will extend till March 1 its previous statement that it would not arrest Sameer Wankhede, the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a money laundering case.
A division bench of Justices P D Naik and N R Borkar accepted the statement and posted Wankhede's petition against the case on March 1.
The bench directed the probe agency to produce a copy of the ECIR (complaint) on that day. The ED registered a money laundering case against Wankhede after taking cognisance of a first information report (FIR) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged Rs 25-crore bribe demand from superstar Shah Rukh Khan's family to spare his son in a drugs case.
12:44 Paytm shares hit upper circuit for third straight session
Shares of Paytm's parent firm One97 Communications rallied 5 per cent and touched upper circuit for the third straight session on Tuesday. According to reports, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), which has been probing One97 Communications' arm Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL), has not found any breaches of the foreign exchange rules so far.
However, the reports said, the central agency has found certain lapses in know-your-customer (KYC) norms as well as issues around generation of suspicious transaction report.
Last week, ED had formally initiated a probe into overseas transactions by PPBL for allegedly flouting foreign exchange rules. The scrip of crisis-hit fintech company surged 5 per cent each to Rs 376.45 and Rs 376.25 apiece -- its upper circuit limit -- on the BSE and NSE. -- PTI
12:22 Calcutta HC allows Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali
Calcutta High Court allows BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali village, which has been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual atrocities and land grab by some ruling TMC leaders.
The division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam refused to interfere into a single bench order that allowed Adhikari and another BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday.
The West Bengal government moved an appeal before the division bench challenging Monday's order of Justice Kausik Chanda.
The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the BJP leader to ensure that none of the supporters or people belonging to the party accompany them, except security personnel, who have been deployed for them.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court's refusal to entertain a plea seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or Special Investigation Team (SIT) in sexual assault of women in Sandeshkhali.
"On Monday, the hearing took place for the whole day. All the options were discussed... We are leaving after receiving the court's order... We hope that we don't need to go to court for the third time. One to two senior officers called me in the morning and asked me to come (to Sandeshkhali) after 11 am..." said BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
Bengal BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul says, "Mamata Banerjee wants to hide a lot of things. If we go to Sandeshkhali today, 'insects' will come out in the open. So, we are not being allowed to go. Our LoP has the permission from the Court..."
The situation in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali sparked a war of words between the ruling and opposition parties with the Bharatiya Janata Party alleging atrocities against women there and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the BJP of fomenting trouble in the area.
Tejashwi Yadav joins the Nyay Yatra
11:58 Nitish joined us and left us on his own: Rabri
Former Bihar CM and RJD leader Rabri Devi on Tuesday took a dig at former ally and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar saying he had joined the RJD alliance on his own the last time and this time he had left on his own accord without any pressure.
"He (Nitish Kumar) joined us on his own last time, we never called him. This time as well he has left on his own, no one forced him . An investigation has been going on against us for the last 25 years. ED, CBI, nothing new is there... The people of Bihar and the country are with us," said RJD leader Rabri Devi.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, earlier last month, joined hands with the BJP, leading to the collapse of the 'Mahagathbandhan' government in the state.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav will kickstart the 'Jan Vishwas Yatra' from Muzaffarpur on Wednesday.
The Yatra, being conducted ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, will continue till March 1.
The Yatra will pass through 33 districts of the state, marking a statewide tour. Tejashwi Yadav will hold public meetings and raise awareness about the work done by the 'Mahagathbandhan' government before being ousted from power. The district in charge(s) of the RJD, meanwhile, are making preparations for the smooth and successful conduct of the Yatra.
11:50 Rahul gets bail in defamation case
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Tuesday in a defamation case dating back to August 2018.
The District Civil Court in Sultanpur had issued a summons to him 36 hours earlier to appear before it on a defamation case filed by a BJP leader in August 2018.
"This morning Rahul Gandhi will be at the District Civil Court in Sultanpur that had issued a summons to him 36 hours earlier to appear before it on a defamation case filed by a BJP leader in August 2018. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will not be derailed. Rahul Gandhi will not be silenced. The Indian National Congress will not be intimidated," he said in a post on 'X'.
Rahul Gandhi with coal carriers earlier this month
11:31 What is the 2018 defamation case against Rahul Gandhi?
The defamation case was filed by Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018 against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly making objectionable comments against Home Minister Amit Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru on May 8 that year during Karnataka elections. The complainant referred to Gandhi's comment that the BJP claims to believe in honest and clean politics but has a party president who is an "accused" in a murder case.
Shah was the BJP president when Gandhi made the remark.
About four years before Gandhi's remark, a special CBI court in Mumbai had discharged Shah in a 2005 fake encounter case when he was a minister of state for home in Gujarat.
"The BJP is the biggest party of the country. Calling its (then) president a murderer is unjustifiable," Mishra told reporters on Tuesday. He said Gandhi has skipped several summons.
11:13 2018 defamation case: Rahul reaches court
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at Sultanpur Court in connection with a 2018 defamation case.
In response to the summons issued by the District Civil Court in Sultanpur to Rahul Gandhi to appear before the court in a defamation case, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications on Tuesday said, "The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will not be derailed. Rahul Gandhi will not be silenced. The Indian National Congress will not be intimidated."
"This morning Rahul Gandhi will be at the District Civil Court in Sultanpur that had issued a summons to him 36 hours earlier to appear before it on a defamation case filed by a BJP leader in August 2018. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will not be derailed. Rahul Gandhi will not be silenced. The Indian National Congress will not be intimidated," he said in a post on 'X'.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered its 38th day on Tuesday. The yatra will start from Fursantganj in Amethi district and will move towards Raebareli and Lucknow today.
The elite St Stephen's College in Delhi
10:45 Mutiny in St Stephen's over 100 suspensions
St Stephen's College has allegedly suspended around 100 first-year students "for not attending morning assembly," a teacher claimed on Tuesday.
The college has also threatened to debar the students if they do not call their parents.
The students and teachers have written to Principal John Varghese, urging him to immediately withdraw the order of suspension of students from college and also withdraw the threat to debar them from appearing in the examinations.
There was no immediate response from the administration.
Over 100 first-year students of St Stephen's College received the email on February 17, where they were informed that they had been suspended and would be debarred from giving the second-semester examination.
The reason cited was a failure to set up an appointment with the principal in response to the email sent on February 4, wherein these first-year students were asked to do the same due to low attendance in the morning assemblies in January 2024.
"Regrettably, due to non-compliance with this request, I inform you that the student will not be permitted to sit for the upcoming examinations as a consequence of suspension," the administration's mail read.
Talking to ANI over the phone, a teacher at the college expressed concern over the students missing classes.
"Due to low attendance in the morning assembly, the students are not allowed to attend the classes. They are missing classes. Many teachers are concerned over the action," he said, on the condition of anonymity.
"Many of my students have come to me to tell me that they are living alone. They have no guardian here either. But they are still being asked to call their parents. Their parents cannot come on such short notice," the teacher mentioned.
In a collective reply to the principal's mail, the students mentioned the prospect of setting an appointment wasn't feasible since their parents do not live in Delhi, NCR, and, hence, it wasn't possible for them to travel all the way to Delhi "at short notice due to prior commitments, scheduling issues, and financial issues."
Associate Professor Sanjeev Grewal also wrote to the principal, expressing shock at the development and said that the shortage of attendance in the morning college assembly is not a ground for debarring students from appearing in the examinations. -- ANI
Suvendu Adhikari was stopped 2 times earlier
10:15 BJP's Adhikari heads to Sandheshkhali AGAIN
The situation in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district remained tense over protests against TMC-led atrocities and sexual harassment, even as police maintained a strong presence in the area on Tuesday.
The Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali on Tuesday morning.
Adhikari was earlier stopped twice from visiting the area.
The Calcutta High Court, which on Monday granted permission to Adhikari to visit Sandeshkhali, had also directed the BJP leader not to give any provocative speech or create any law and order situation in the restive area.
"I want to go there and talk to the locals. I want to stand by the people there," Adhikari said.
Meanwhile, a journalist of a Bengali news channel, who was reporting from Sandeshkhali, was arrested on Monday night. The police said the journalist was arrested following a complaint of barging into the residence of a local woman.
The Kolkata Press Club has condemned the arrest. National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday called for the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and imposition of President's Rule following unrest in Sandeshkhali, drawing a rebuttal from the ruling TMC, which accused the panel of echoing the BJP's agenda.
A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
09:57 Sensex, Nifty fall in early trade
Equity market opened on a lacklustre note on Tuesday, with Sensex declining nearly 80 points tracking muted trends in Asian stocks and fading expectations of early interest rate cuts globally.
After gaining for five straight sessions, the 30-share Sensex dropped 0.11 per cent or 79.66 points to 72,628.50 points and 16 constituents were in the red, with Mahindra & Mahindra falling over 1 per cent.
The broader Nifty too was trading in the red, slipping 0.15 per cent or 34.15 points to 22,088.10 points. As many as 28 scrips in the Nifty pack were in the negative territory.
09:37 BJP winning polls by rigging, says Akhilesh
The returning officer who conducted the Chandigarh mayoral polls "accepting the crime of rigging" the elections shows how hungry the BJP is for power, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday after the Supreme Court came down heavily on the officer for allegedly defacing ballot papers. BJP supporters should understand how the party is winning every election through "theft and scams".
Neither the country nor the future of their own children is safe in the hands of such people, Yadav said in a post on X in Hindi. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court posed searching questions to Returning Officer Anil Masih and said that putting a mark on ballot papers cannot be allowed in an electoral democracy.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud voiced displeasure over the way the January 30 mayoral polls were held and told Masih that he could be prosecuted in case of any falsehood.
"The (pro-)BJP presiding officer's accepting the crime of rigging the Chandigarh mayor elections shows how hungry the BJP is for power. On legal and constitutional grounds, the BJP should apologise to the entire country and give up power everywhere," Yadav said.
BJP supporters should hang their heads their heads for this "shameful act" of openly killing democracy, he said.
"They should understand how the BJP is winning every election through theft and scams. Neither the country nor... the future of their children is safe in the hands of such people," he added.
The SP chief said those officers who commit "criminal acts" under pressure from the government should also learn a lesson from this incident. This will ruin their lives and that of their families because such crimes are no less than treason and they will face strict punishment.
Voicing its deep concern over "horse-trading", the Supreme Court said it will examine on Tuesday the ballot papers of the Chandigarh mayoral polls and the video recording of the counting. It also said that instead of ordering fresh polls, it may consider declaration of results on the basis of votes already cast.
The BJP had swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls, in a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance that alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer.
The BJP's Manoj Sonkar had defeated the AAP's Kuldeep Kumar for the mayor's post, polling 16 votes against his rival's 12. Eight votes were declared invalid. Kumar had later moved the Supreme Court. Sonkar, however, resigned on Sunday while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP.
09:28 Centre owes Bengal Rs 7000 crore
And while on the PM's image on ration bags, read this story: Centre withholds 7,000 Cr funds to West Bengal for not displaying PM photo at ration shops.
09:25 'Why do you need Modi's pics on ration bags?'
When Right to Information activist Ajay Bose saw ration bags with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on them being distributed to the poor on social media, he was intrigued.
Never in the history of Independent India were images of any prime minister printed on ration bags, he realised, and that this was being done at a time when general elections were a few weeks away and the Election Commission could announce the Model Code of Conduct any time.
Bose then decided to file an RTI petition asking the Food Corporation of India how much it cost to print Modi's image on ration bags meant for distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).
He soon got a reply from Rajasthan, and other states too started sending trickles of information, and he was startled to see the amount.
Bose tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com why he filed his RTI petition.
Read the interview here.
Sandeshkhali women speak to NCW chief
09:12 Guv house offers shelter for Sandeshkhali women
A 'peace home' has been opened at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata from Monday to provide temporary refuge to the victims of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.Speaking to ANI, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Governor CV Ananda Bose, Sandip Rajput, said on Monday that the idea of opening the peace home was initiated by Governor CV Anand Bose after his recent visit to Sandeshkhali.
"The governor recently visited Sandeshkhali. He had issued a helpline number, and so we have been receiving several calls. A peace home/safe home has been opened in Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to accommodate the victims of Sandeshkhali. The food and water will be made available for free," Sandip Rajput said.
When asked whether any women expressed willingness to come to the peace home, OSD said that many people have expressed their desire to come and Raj Bhawan is ready to accommodate them. "We are fully prepared," he added. -- ANI
08:49 BJP trying to poach Cong's MLAs in C'garh: Baghel
Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday accused the ruling BJP of trying to poach his party's MLAs in Chhattisgarh by luring them with ministerial berths and tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Talking to reporters at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur, he claimed the BJP is resorting to such tactics as it anticipates defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, likely to be held in April-May.
Responding to a query, Baghel said, "An MLA (of Congress) recently told me in Vidhan Sabha that they (BJP) approached him promising a Lok Sabha poll ticket and a ministerial berth if they retain power at the Centre. Such talks are going on continuously."
BJP leaders were not available for comment on Baghel's claim.
Recent political developments in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra clearly indicate the BJP is going to face defeat in the 2024 national elections. Therefore, it has been engineering divisions in other parties as it does not have confidence to face polls on its own strength, the former CM stated.
Baghel, who was Chhattisgarh CM from 2018 to 2023, was ousted from office after the Congress lost the November assembly polls to the BJP. -- PTI
01:44 Body of BSF constable found in well on MP training facility campus
The body of a 25-year-old Border Security Force constable, who went missing three days back during training, was found floating in a well on the Indore-based campus of the paramilitary force's facility, the police said on Monday.
The deceased constable, Subhash Sao was undergoing training at BSF's Central School of Weapons and Tactics for the last 10 weeks after he was inducted into the force, said additional deputy commissioner of police Alok Kumar Sharma.
The CSWT campus is situated adjacent to the Aerodrome police station.
"Sao went missing during training on February 16, following which the BSF lodged a missing person complaint with the police," Sharma said, adding that Sao's body was found floating on the well located in the CSWT campus under suspicious circumstances.
The deceased was a resident of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.
The exact cause of the death will be identified in the postmortem report, the police officer said. -- PTI
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose during his visit to Sandeshkhali./File image/ANI Photo
01:41 Bengal police arrest journalist in Sandeshkhali
The West Bengal police on Monday arrested a journalist associated with a private news channel in Sandeshkhali.
Journalist who has been arrested by the police is associated with Republic TV.
Further details are awaited.
West Bengal's Sandeshkhali area has been witnessing massive unrest for over 10 days as women protestors are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his aides.
Trinamool Congress leader and one of the associates of TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, Shibu Hazra, who was arrested earlier in connection with the Sandeshkhali violence issue, was sent to police custody for eight days on Sunday.
After visiting West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, National Commission for Women's chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. -- ANI
The Badrinath temple/File image
01:07 Fresh snowfall in Badrinath, Kedarnath
Badrinath, Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib received snowfall while the lower areas in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts received rain, intensifying the cold across Uttarakhand.
The sky remained overcast at various places in the plains, including Dehradun.
Badrinath received light intermittent snowfall for two days starting Sunday, a temple committee official said.
Badrinath, Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers National Park, Nanda Devi National Park and large areas of Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary are covered with fresh snow, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee media in-charge Harish Gaur said.
Temperatures have dropped significantly due to rain and snowfall, he said. -- PTI
00:57 Fire breaks out in flat in Mumbai high-rise; no injuries
A fire broke out in a flat in a 21-storey residential building in suburban Kandivali on Monday night, a fire brigade official said.
No injuries were reported in the fire that started in the building, Orchid, in the Mahavir Nagar area of the western suburb at around 8.35 pm and was doused after 20 minutes, he said.
According to the official, the blaze erupted in an air conditioner in a flat on the 20th floor of the building.
Two fire engines, one jumbo water tanker and other equipment were deployed to douse the flames, he said.
The exact cause of the fire was not yet known, the official added. -- PTI
00:37 Youth arrested for threatening to 'blow up' Delhi airport in hoax call
A youth allegedly made a hoax threat call claiming to "blow up" the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
The 20-year-old accused was arrested on Monday, police said. According to police, a PCR call was received at IGI Airport police station on Sunday where the caller allegedly threatened to blow up the airport.
"A team was formed and the caller was tracked. We later arrested the caller, Kushagra Aggarwal, from Janakpuri of Delhi on Monday. During interrogation, Kushagra confessed to intentionally making the hoax call to seek publicity," deputy commissioner of police (IGI Airport) Usha Rangnani said. -- PTI
Representational image
00:32 4 Raj cops suspended for inaction on sale of 'beef'
Four policemen were suspended and other personnel at a police station in Rajasthan's Khairthal-Tijara district shifted to the police lines for not taking action against people allegedly selling meat suspected to be beef, officials said on Monday.
The action was taken after some people were caught while allegedly selling suspected beef in the open in a deserted place in the district, they said.
After getting information of cow slaughter and selling of beef in the open, several police teams conducted raids in the area and caught some suspects.
The police also shifted around a dozen cows wandering in the area to a cow shelter and demolished several huts to remove encroachments from government land.
Jaipur inspector general of police Umesh Dutta said that various teams were formed for combing operations in four districts of the range.
Following information of cow slaughter and beef selling in Kishangarh Bas area, police detained several people and recovered fresh meat which was sent for testing, he said.
"We have recovered some substance which is being scientifically checked. Some suspects have been detained and are being questioned," Dutta said. -- PTI
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