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Tue, 02 July 2024
Prohibitory orders at Pune picnic spots post tragedy
Timeline Refresh
23:50 Chhattisgarh HC allows man to bury mother's body as per Christian rituals in native village
The Chhattisgarh high court has ordered burial of the body of a woman, who had converted to Christianity, on the private land owned by her in her native village in Bastar district of the state as per her family's wishes.
A bench of Justice Parth Prateem Sahu passed the order on Monday while hearing a petition filed by Ramlal Kashyap of Arracote village under Parpa police station limits in Bastar district of the state.
Kashyap filed the petition for the last rites of his mother at the graveyard located in his native Arracote village as per the Christian customs and traditions, but the local tribal villagers objected to it.
In its order, the court said, "It is already a well-settled principle of law in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, including the right of persons, to have a decent burial. Right to life implies a meaningful life with human dignity, not just an animal life, and this right also extends to a person who is dead. This right extends until death of a person which covers the right to decent life up to death, including a decent death procedure." -- PTI
Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan/File image
23:26 Woman tries to slash her wrist near Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan
A 59-year-old woman, locked in a dispute with her housing society, tried to slash her wrist outside Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai, where the state legislature session is underway, on Tuesday, the police said.
The woman, identified as Tara Sable, sustained a superficial injury to her wrist, he said.
The incident occurred at around 5.45 pm at Usha Mehta Chowk in front of Vidhan Bhavan, he said, adding that police personnel present at the spot immediately intervened and rushed Sable to a hospital.
She was discharged after administering first aid and subsequently taken to the police station for counselling, the official said.
According to the official, Sable was engaged in some dispute with her housing society in Thane and had tried to meet Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde but failed to get an appointment.
"She came near Vidhan Bhavan this evening and tried to slash her wrist with a blade," the official said. -- PTI
23:14 Prohibitory orders at Pune picnic spots post tragedy
The Pune district administration on Tuesday imposed prohibitory orders at several popular picnic spots, including Bhushi Dam and the Pavana Dam region in Maval tehsil, effective from July 2 to 31 to ensure tourist safety during the monsoon season.
The administration has already outlined a series of safety measures for hazardous tourist locations which includes identification and demarcation of dangerous areas, the presence of lifeguards and rescue teams, and the installation of warning boards.
The move comes after the incident on Sunday when a woman and four children were swept away at a waterfall near the Bhushi Dam, a well-known picnic spot in the picturesque Lonavala hill station of Pune district.
According to a notification issued by district collector Suhas Divase on Tuesday, Section 163 of the newly implemented Bhartiya Nagari Suraksha Sanhita and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, will be enforced at specific spots across Maval, Mulshi, Ambegaon, Khed, Junnar, Bhor, Velha, Indapur, and Haveli tehsils.
The order prohibits gatherings of five or more people, restricts individuals from entering deep water bodies, and bans taking selfies and creating reels at these sites.
Violators will face action under the provisions of the BNNS and the Disaster Management Act. -- PTI
22:31 Monsoon covers entire country ahead of schedule
Monsoon has covered entire India six days ahead of the normal schedule.
A view of Lok Sabha proceeding/ANI Photo
22:27 Lok Sabha adjourned sine die
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Tuesday after passage of the Motion of Thanks on the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
The session, which began on June 24, had seven sittings that were spread over 34 hours and the productivity of the House was 103 percent, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said.
The session saw 539 Lok Sabha members take oath or make affirmation over the first two days.
Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha speaker on June 26 and President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on June 27.
Over 68 members participated in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address moved by BJP member Anurag Thakur and seconded by Bansuri Swaraj.
The debate on the Motion of Thanks lasted for 18 hours, Birla said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on Tuesday. -- PTI
Representational image
22:16 Woman ragpicker killed in tree fall, 2nd death in 2 days in Mumbai
A 57-year-old woman ragpicker died after a tree fell on her in Mumbai on Tuesday morning, civic officials said, in second such incident in two days.
As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) disaster management department, the woman got trapped after a tree suddenly came crashing down on her at Sayani Road opposite Parel ST bus stand in the island city at around 10 am.
Local residents rescued the woman, Varsha Kantilal Mestri, and rushed her to nearby civic-run KEM Hospital, where she was declared dead, an official said.
Mestri depended on rag-picking to earn a living, he said.
On Monday, a 45-year-old man, Amit Jagtap, died when a roadside tree fell on him in Worli, central Mumbai.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray/ANI Photo
21:53 Rahul didn't insult Hindutva: Uddhav backs LOP
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday defended Rahul Gandhi, whose speech in the Lok Sabha targeting the BJP has kicked up a row, stating that the Congress leader did not insult Hindutva.
Thackeray said the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha did not utter a single word against Hindutva during his speech in Parliament.
"I have heard Rahul Gandhi's speech. None of us will insult Hindutva and we will not tolerate that. This includes Rahul ji. Rahul ji said BJP is not Hindutva. I have stated very clearly that I have abandoned BJP, not Hindutva," Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai.
"He (Gandhi) was trying to show a photo of Lord Shiva, but even that was banned. Is this Hindutva? I don't think Rahul ji insulted Hindutva. Our Hindutva is pious," he added.
In his first speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi on Monday launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines.
Certain remarks he made during a discussion were later expunged. -- PTI
Security personnel during an anti-Maoist operation/File image
21:35 5 Maoists killed in encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh
Five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on Tuesday, the police said.
The gunfight took place in a forest under Kohkameta police station area in Abujhmad, a hilly forest area when a joint team of personnel from different security forces was out on an anti-Maoist operation, a senior police official said.
"Five Naxalites have been killed in the action so far. The search operation is still underway in the area and further details are awaited," he said, adding that security personnel were reported to be safe.
The operation, involving personnel of the District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force, Border Security Force and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police from different districts, was launched on Sunday, police said.
With the latest incident, the number of Maoists killed so far this year in separate encounters with security forces in the state has risen to 138.
While 136 Maoists were gunned down in the Bastar division, comprising seven districts including Narayanpur, two others were killed in Dhamtari district under the Raipur division. -- PTI
20:59 5 kids die at MP shelter home, govt orders probe
As many as five children have died at a shelter home in Indore over the last three days while 31 other inmates have been hospitalised, prompting the Madhya Pradesh government to order a high-level inquiry.
While the exact reasons for the deaths were yet to be ascertained, food poisoning could be among the causes, a doctor said.
More than 204 children, including orphans and those suffering from mental ailments, were housed at `Bal Ashram' shelter home of Shri Yugpurush Dham, NGO, in Malharganj police station limits, an official said.
A sub-divisional magistrate was transferred after a video showing him laughing during a probe into the deaths surfaced on social media.
While Shubh (8) died on Sunday after suffering from seizures, Karan (12), Akash (7), Chhota Govind (5) and Rani (11) died over the last two days, officials said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police Alok Kumar Sharma said the exact cause of deaths will be known once post-mortem reports arrive.
A total of 31 children are admitted to the Government Chacha Nehru Children's Hospital at present. -- PTI
File image
20:50 Lufthansa plane experiences fire in wheel after landing at Delhi airport; passengers safe
A Lufthansa wide-body A380 aircraft from Munich experienced fire in one of the wheels during landing at the Delhi airport on Monday night, according to sources.
The aircraft, which operated flight LH 762, landed safely at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Since the plane had to undergo checks and spare parts were not immediately available, the return flight to Munich was cancelled, they added.
Sources said there were around 490 passengers on board the aircraft, which made a controlled landing at the airport.
"While LH762 landed safely in Delhi, a short term technical deregistration of the aircraft was required due to the lack of availability of spare parts after a controlled landing. Safety is our top priority at Lufthansa," an airline spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
The sources said the fire was noticed in one of the wheels during landing.
Further, the sources said that due to the incident, the return flight LH 763 was cancelled after boarding passes were issued to the passengers. -- PTI
File image
20:28 NEET-PG likely to be held mid-August: Sources
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Post Graduate 2024 is likely to be held mid-August, sources said on Tuesday.
The revised date for the medical entrance exam is expected to be announced this week.
A meeting was held in the Union home ministry on Monday, in which officials from the health ministry, National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, along with its technical partner Tata Consultancy Services, and Cyber Cell officials discussed the preparedness for the NEET-PG, which is to be held online.
"Besides the NEET-PG, the meeting was held to evaluate the robustness of the system for the conduct of the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination, which is scheduled for July 6," a source said.
Monday's meeting was held to check the "robustness" of the system for the conduct of the exam in the coming days, the sources added.
It was learnt that the TCS top brass briefed the meeting about the various aspects of the exam procedure. -- PTI
20:13 Hathras stampede: PM announces Rs 2 lakh ex gratia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed profound sorrow over the stampede in Hathras and announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
The stampede occurred during a religious congregation at a 'satsang' event in Uttar Pradesh's Pulrai village where a large number of people had gathered.
More than 50 people were killed and several others injured in the stampede.
Amidst his reply to a two-day debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address to both Houses of Parliament, Modi condoled the death.
"In the midst of discussions, I have also been given sad news. It has come to my attention that there have been many tragic deaths in the stampede in Hathras, UP," Modi said in Lok Sabha.
"I express my condolences to those who lost their lives in this incident. I hope for the speedy recovery of all the injured," he said.
The prime minister said senior officials of the central government are in constant contact with the Uttar Pradesh administration to coordinate aid efforts.
"Through this forum, I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims," he said.
The PM Office (PMO) announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Hathras.
'The injured would be given Rs 50,000,' the PMO said in a post on X. -- PTI
19:50 Pune teen's father arrested in cheating case
Vishal Agarwal, father of the 17-year-old involved in the Porsche crash incident in Kalyani Nagar in Pune, has been arrested by the Pimpri Chinchwad police in the district in a case of cheating related to one of his real estate projects.
Police took his custody from the jail where he was lodged in judicial custody, and produced him before a court which remanded him in fresh police custody for two days, said an official.
Vishal Adsul, chairman of Nancy Brahma Residency, a project constructed by Agarwal's firm in Bavdhan area near Pune, had filed a complaint against him and four others earlier this year.
A case was registered against them under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust) and provisions of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act.
The construction firm allegedly did not provide enough open space to the project and gave only one open space to three buildings by altering the plans, and also did not take the housing society's permission while constructing two 11-storied building on its land, a police official said.
Earlier in the day, a court in Pune granted bail to Vishal Agarwal and his father Surendra Agarwal in a case where they are accused of kidnapping and wrongfully confining their family driver after the fatal accident of May 19.
The two are accused of trying to put pressure on the driver to take responsibility for the accident in which two persons were killed, and thus shield Vishal Agarwal's son who was allegedly driving the Porsche when it hit the victims' motorbike. -- PTI
19:08 LS condemns Oppn's disruptions during PM speech
JUST IN: Lok Sabha passes resolution condemning opposition's disruptions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.
Union minister Rajnath Singh moved the resolution to condemn Opposition's disruptions during the PM's address, saying they shredded parliamentary norms.
Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die afte passing the resolution.
18:30 Woman infected with Zika virus in Pune; number of cases rises to 7
A 55-year-old woman has been detected with Zika virus injection in Pune, taking the number of cases to seven, health officials said on Tuesday.
Pune had on Monday reported six cases of the infection, and two of the patients were pregnant women.
In the latest case, a woman from Dahanukar colony in Kothrud developed rashes and suffered from joint pains. Her reports came positive for Zika virus on Monday, an official from the Pune Municipal Corporation said.
The woman's health is good, and there was no need for hospitalisation, he said.
Two pregnant women aged 28 and 35 are among seven cases in the city.
Zika virus in pregnant women may cause microcephaly (a condition in which the head is significantly smaller due to abnormal brain development) in the foetus.
The first case of Zika virus was reported at Erandwane, where a 46-year-old doctor's report came back positive. His 15-year-old daughter also tested positive for the infection, officials said.
Zika virus gets transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is also known to transmit infections like dengue and chikungunya.
The Pune Municipal Corporation's health department is conducting surveillance.
As a precautionary measure, it is undertaking fogging and fumigation to curb the breeding of mosquitoes, they said. -- PTI
18:04 Modi urges LS speaker to take action against 'lies"
It's a serious matter that conspiracy being hatched to level false allegations against Hindus, says PM Modi in Lok Sabha, replying to the debate on the President's address to Parliament.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi tells the speaker that the Lok Sabha and country expect him to take strict action against 'tradition of lies' in the House.
Parliament was misled yesterday; parliamentary democracy cannot be protected if it is not taken seriously, PM Modi says.
We saw childish behaviour in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Modi says, referring to Rahul Gandhi.
"He is out on bail in corruption case, convicted for insulting OBC community, facing several defamation cases."
17:42 You haven't got 99/100: Modi's swipe at Rahul
Taking a swipe at the Congress party and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I remember an incident, there was a boy who scored 99 marks and he used to show it to everyone. When people heard 99, they used to encourage him a lot. Then a teacher came and said why are you distributing sweets? He did not score 99 out of 100 but 99 out of 543. Now who will explain to that child that you have created a world record in failure."
He further said: "An attempt has been made to spread anarchy by questioning the democratic process of India. The politics that was spread regarding CAA, the game of misleading the people of the country, all efforts were made to emphasise that their political motives are fulfilled. Efforts have been made to push the country into riots. A new drama has been started these days to gain sympathy. A new game is being played. The Congress party is openly creating new narratives and spreading new plans every day to put one caste against another...It was clearly announced from various platforms that if the result they want is not achieved, the country will be set on fire on 4th June. People will gather, anarchy will be spread and these appeals were made in large numbers. Spreading anarchy is their aim."
He further said: "An attempt has been made to spread anarchy by questioning the democratic process of India. The politics that was spread regarding CAA, the game of misleading the people of the country, all efforts were made to emphasise that their political motives are fulfilled. Efforts have been made to push the country into riots. A new drama has been started these days to gain sympathy. A new game is being played. The Congress party is openly creating new narratives and spreading new plans every day to put one caste against another...It was clearly announced from various platforms that if the result they want is not achieved, the country will be set on fire on 4th June. People will gather, anarchy will be spread and these appeals were made in large numbers. Spreading anarchy is their aim."
17:13 People's mandate to Cong is to sit in Oppn: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament: "There was a time before 2014 when those 7 words (Iss desh ka kuch nahi ho sakta) had settled in the minds of the people of India, the society was drowned in the depths of despair.
"Then the people of the country chose us to serve them and that moment started the era of change in the country and in the last 10 years my government has had many successes, many achievements, but one achievement which filled everyone with strength, was to pull the country out of the depths of despair and stand with hope and faith, self-confidence was built in the country.
"The country started believing, those who used to say before 2014 that nothing can happen, started saying that anything can happen in this country, everything is possible in this country, we did the work of instilling this confidence.
"The people of this country have given a mandate to the Congress in the 2024 elections and the mandate of this country is that you sit there, sit in the opposition and when the arguments end, keep shouting."
16:58 Modi's 'ghare mein ghus ke' spiel in Parliament
PM Narendra Modi in Parliament: "There was a time before 2014 when terrorists could come and attack wherever they wanted. Innocent people were killed, every corner of India was targeted and the governments used to sit quietly. 2014 ke baad ka Hindustan ghar mein ghus kar maarta hain..."
16:45 India was in depths of despair till 2014: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking in Lok Sabha: "This country has seen the politics of appeasement for a long time and the model of governance of appeasement for a long time. Hum tushtikaran nahi santushtikaran ke vichaar ko lekar chalein hai'.
"Country was in depths of despair in 2014, people elected us and an era of transformation began.
"I assure my countrymen that we have taken the resolution of Viksit Bharat and we will make efforts to fulfil that resolution and we will do it with full dedication and honesty and we will spend every moment of our time to fulfil this resolution."
16:38 27 dead in stampede in UP's Hathras
Uttar Pradesh: Several people have died in a stampede at a religious event in Hathras.
CMO Etah, Umesh Kumar Tripathi says, "27 bodies have arrived at the post-mortem house so far, including 25 women and 2 men. Many injured have also been admitted. Further details will be revealed after the investigation. The primary reason is a stampede during a religious event."
16:25 Public has chosen us: PM in Lok Sabha
PM Narendra Modi replies to Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, in the Lok Sabha.
Modi says, "The public has chosen us in the world's largest election campaign and I can understand the pain of some people. Despite spreading lies continuously, they suffered a huge defeat.
"Yesterday and today, several MPs have expressed their views of the President's address, especially those who have come among us for the first time as Parliamentarians. They followed all the rules of the Parliament and their behaviour was like that of an experienced Parliamentarian and despite being the first timer, they have enhanced the dignity of the House and have made this debate more valuable with their views..."
16:11 PM arrives in Parliament to chants of 'Modi Modi'
PM Modi will also deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the lower house of Parliament.
The PM arrives in Parliament to chants of 'Modi Modi' from BJP MPs.
15:28 Toxic rant from entitled dynast: BJP leader on Rahul
BJP leader CR Kesavan on Tuesday termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech in the Lok Sabha a "toxic rant".
He also accused the LoP of distorting facts and misleading the Lower House.
"Rahul Gandhi's first speech as LoP yesterday was a toxic rant. He maliciously distorted facts and twisted truth in his speech yesterday and misled the august House of the people and the nation," Kesavan told ANI.
In his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Draupadi Murmu's address, Rahul Gandhi targeting the BJP, said, "those who call themselves Hindus indulge in hate and violence round the clock."
The BJP members, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh stood up to express their protest and rebut the Congress MP's remarks.
Kesavan said that Rahul Gandhi's "cantankerous" speech showed that the latter lacked maturity.
"His cantankerous speech yesterday clearly showed that this man lacks the maturity, sincerity and grace to even be an MP, let alone be the LoP. I want to reiterate by saying this: everybody thought Rahul Gandhi, being an entitled dynast, would show some responsibility as LoP. But no sane-thinking person as an LoP would behave like this in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi, it is time you apologise to crores of followers of Hindu faith and other religions & also to our Agniveer and our armed forces for the blatant mistruths you have tried to peddle in Parliament," Kesavan said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting the restoration of remarks expunged from his speech against the central government led by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
He stated that he sought to "convey the ground reality in the House."
"I am writing this in the context of remarks and portions expunged from my speech during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address on July 1, 2024. While the Chair derives powers to expunge certain remarks from the proceedings of the House, the stipulation is only for those kinds of words, the nature of which has been specified in Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha," the Congress leader said in his letter.
15:07 You always disrespect the chair: Dhankar to Kharge
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar in a stern tone said that Leader of Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge cannot every time "rundown the chair" and said that there has been disregard for the chair from his part.
As Congress MP Pramod Tiwari was speaking during the debate on the motion of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address, an argument broke out between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, LoP in the House Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Jairam Ramesh.
Dhankar said that Jairam Ramesh kept interrupting him and when again as Jairam Ramesh stood up to respond to the remarks, Dhankar referred to him as intelligent and talented and mockingly asked to take the position of Kharge that would suit him the best.
"Jairam Ramesh, you're intelligent, so gifted, so talented, you should immediately come and take the seat in place of Kharge because by and large you're doing his job," Dhankar said.
Responding to this, Kharge said, "Listen, don't bring this varna system, tilled in your mind that varna system is there. That's why you're calling Ramesh very intelligent, very wise and I'm dull so that he could replace me."
Dhankar responded saying that Kharge did not understand his words and they were twisted.
When Kharge said that he was given the position by Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and that power vests only in her not with Dhankar or with Jairam Ramesh, Dhankar responded by saying that Kharge disrespected the chair.
"You cannot every time run down the chair. You cannot every time disrespect the chair. You stand suddenly and speak whatever you want without understanding what I am saying. Never in the history of this country and Parliamentary democracy and Rajya Sabha proceedings, there has been such disregard for the chair, as from you," Dhankar said addressing Kharge.
"Time for you to reflect. Your dignity has been attacked multiple times. I have always tried to protect your dignity," he added.
14:46 If you're in Mumbai catch this exhibition
"City of Joy-Kolkata", a photography exhibition featuring the works of 36 renowned photographers, curated by ace photographer Mukesh Parpiani, comes on at the NCPA, Nariman Point.
Dates: 5th July to 14th July, 2024
Time: Noon to 8pm
Venue: Dilip Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai.
Make time for a peek into Calcutta and Kolkata.
14:27 PM's reply on Motion of Thanks at 4 pm today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, in the Lok Sabha, at around 4 PM today.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda will make a statement regarding the status of implementation of the recommendations or observations contained in the 143rd & 154th reports of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare on Demands for Grants pertaining to MoHFW.
He will also address the status of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the 145th and 153rd reports of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare on Demands for Grants pertaining to the Ministry of AYUSH.
JP Nadda, MoS Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Ram Nath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satya Pal Singh Baghel, Shobha Karandlaje, BL Verma, L Murugan, Ajay Tamta, Kamlesh Paswan, Ravneet Singh will lay papers on the table in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
14:18 Rahul is always proud to insult Hindus: CM Dhami
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday criticized Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of insulting the Hindu community.
Dhami was reacting to Gandhi's remarks in the Lower House, where Gandhi, targeting the BJP, claimed that "those who call themselves Hindus indulge in hate and violence round the clock."
"The more Rahul Gandhi's statement in Parliament is condemned, the less it is. The manner in which he called the entire Hindu community 'violent' is highly condemnable," Dhami told reporters.
"He has always been proud of insulting the Hindu community. As the Leader of the Opposition, which is a dignified position, he should be serious. May God give him wisdom," he added.
Rahul Gandhi, in his speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Draupadi Murmu's address, accused the BJP and RSS of preaching and spreading violence and hatred. His remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches. -- PTI
13:56 Monsoon covers full India ahead of schedule: IMD
The southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of the normal date, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. "The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today.
Thus, it covered the entire country on 2nd July 2024, against the normal date of July 8 (six days before the normal date of covering the entire India)," the IMD said in a statement.
The monsoon arrived in Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, two and six days earlier than usual. It progressed normally up to Maharashtra but lost momentum, extending the wait for rains in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and worsening the impact of a scorching heat wave in northwest India.
The country recorded 16 days of below-normal rainfall activity -- from June 11 to June 27 -- which led to an overall below-normal precipitation in June, 147.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 165.3 mm for the month, the seventh lowest since 2001.
June rainfall accounts for 15 per cent of the total precipitation of 87 cm recorded during the four-month monsoon season in the country. The IMD on Monday said India could experience above-normal rainfall in July, with heavy rains potentially leading to floods in the western Himalayan states and river basins in the central parts of the country. PTI
12:57 Restore expunged remarks: Rahul writes to Speaker
Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi writes to Speaker Om Birla over the remarks and portions from his speech expunged; requests that the remarks be restored.
The letter reads, "...Shocked to note the manner in which considerable portion of my speech have been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction...Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy..."
A defiant Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said truth can be expunged in the world of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but not in reality, hours after significant parts of his Lok Sabha speech were deleted by the chair.
"Whatever I had to say, I have said and that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want, but the truth will prevail," Gandhi told reporters in Parliament complex.
The Congress leader was responding to questions on certain remarks he made during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
"Truth can be expunged in the world of Modi ji, but in reality truth cannot be expunged," Gandhi said. In his first speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines.
Gandhi's remarks drew massive protests from the treasury benches and a rare intervention from the prime minister, who slammed the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
12:26 Kharge tells Dhankar: Sonia made me, not you...
War of words between Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankar. Kharge made a statement in the RS that the person who made him what he is, is sitting next to him, and pointing to Sonia Gandhi, said, "Mereko bananewale yahan baithe hain, Smt Sonia Gandhi. Na Ramesh bana sakte hain, na aap bana sakte hain, janta ne mujhe banaya."
A visibly upset Kharge responds, " You cannot every time run down the chair. You cannot every time disrespect the chair... You stand suddenly and speak whatever you want without understanding what I am saying. Never in the history of this country and Parliamentary democracy and Rajya Sabha proceedings, there has been such disregard for the chair, as from you... Time for you to reflect... Your dignity has been attacked multiple times... I have always tried to protect your dignity..."
12:00 Akhilesh speaks on Agniveer, MSP, caste census
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav continues, "We are in favour of caste census. We can never accept the Agniveer scheme. When the INDIA alliance comes to power, the Agniveer scheme will be scrapped. Legal guarantee of MSP on crops has not been implemented. Horticulture crops should also be given MSP."
11:48 Akhilesh@Parl: Don't trust EVMs even if I get 80/80
From Parliament: Speaking on the paper leaks issue in Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav says," Why are paper leaks happening? The truth is that this is being done by the government so that it doesn't have to give jobs to youth."
On EVMs, Akhilesh Yadav says, "EVM pe mujhe kal bhi bharosa nahi tha, aaj bhi nahi hai bharosa, mein 80/80 seats jeet jaun tab bhi nahi bharosa. The issue of EVM has not died."
Speaking on the Ayodhya results, he says, "The victory of Ayodhya is the democratic victory of the mature voter of India."
11:22 Oppn upset at third term for non-Cong PM: Modi@NDA meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked NDA MPs to follow parliamentary rules and conduct, and learn from senior members about the best practices, comments that came a day after the ruling alliance accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of making a "most irresponsible" speech.
Addressing a meeting of NDA MPs, Modi said the opposition is upset as for the first time a non-Congress leader has become prime minister for a third straight term, sources said.
Briefing reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Modi asked MPs to study parliamentary issues, attend Parliament regularly and raise the matters related to their constituency effectively. Asked if Modi referred to Gandhi's Monday speech in Lok Sabha, Rijiju said he made no such mention but added that when the country's prime minister speaks, the message is for everyone.
Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha on Monday, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Modi slamming the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
At the alliance meeting, Modi was felicitated by NDA leaders for his "historic" third term, Rijiju added. Sources said the prime minister asked MPs to study any issue before making comments on it before media, and said they should stay in touch with constituencies and thank voters for their support.
Modi also asked MPs to visit the Prime Ministers Museum, noting that it documents the life journey of all prime ministers, something which was not done by earlier governments. PTI
Rahul in Parliament yesterday
11:13 Truth is truth, expunge as much as you want: Rahul
On portions of his speech expunged, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, "In Modiji's world, truth can be expunged. But in reality, the truth can't be expunged. I said what I had to say, that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want. Truth is truth."
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha on Monday, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
Besides Modi, who intervened twice, at least five cabinet ministers interjected during Gandhi's speech that lasted for about an hour and 40 minutes, with Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology from him. "It is not just one religion that talks about courage. In fact, all our religions talk about courage," Gandhi said in his debut speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha that was watched by his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the visitors' gallery.
The Congress leader was speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Gandhi quoted Prophet Muhammad to highlight that the Quran talks about fearlessness.
10:58 At NDA meet PM asks MPs to follow Parliament rules
After NDA Parliamentary party meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "Today, PM gave us a mantra which is very important. He said that every MP has been elected to the House to serve the nation. Irrespective of the party they belong to, service to the nation is our first responsibility. Every NDA MP has to work by prioritising the country, this is what the PM urged.
"Secondly, the PM guided us regarding the conduct of MPs. He said that every MP should present the matters of their constituency in the House very well as per rules. He also told us to develop expertise in other major issues of interest -- be it water, environment, social area. So, PM told us to develop expertise in those areas. PM urged NDA MPs to follow rules of the Parliament, Parliamentary democracy system and conduct which is essential to becoming a good MP. We have decided to follow this mantra.
"PM has also made one request. Every MP, along with their family, should visit Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya... At Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, the journey from Pt Jawaharlal Nehru to PM Narendra Modi has been displayed in a beautiful manner. There is no political agenda. This is the first such effort that the entire country should get to know of the contribution of each PM, appreciate it, learn from it and pay tribute to them."
An Agniveer celebrates with his mother
10:32 Rahul's Agniveer taunt: Family says it got Rs 1cr
The family of an Agniveer from Maharashtra who died in the line of duty last year has said they have received an assistance of Rs 1.08 crore from the government.
The family's statement came after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said an Agniveer who lays down his life in the line of duty gets a compensation of Rs 1 crore.
Singh was speaking after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, while referring to the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, claimed the government regards Agniveers as "use-and-throw labourers" and does not even give them the status of a "shaheed (martyr)".
Agniveer Akshay Gawate, native of Pimpalgaon Sarai in Maharashtra's Buldhana district, died in the line of duty in Siachen on October 21, 2023. Speaking to reporters here on Monday evening, his father Lakshman Gawate said that after Akshay Gawate's death, the family got "Rs 48 lakh as his insurance cover, Rs 50 lakh from the central government and Rs 10 lakh from the state government."
He also demanded a government job for Akshay's sister. He was reply to a question by reporters on the compensation received after his son's death.
The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. The government extended the upper age limit to 23 years later that year. PTI
10:18 NDA meet: PM garlanded amid Bharat Mata ki chants
Ahead of the proceedings of the Parliament Session for Tuesday, MPs from National Democratic Alliance converged for a meeting in Parliament premises.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda along with Union Ministers and other MPS were seen arriving for the meeting this morning.
The NDA's parliamentary party meeting in being held at GMC Balayogi Auditorium of the Parliament Library Building (PLB).
Various NDA leaders including Giriraj Singh, Milind Deora, Kangana Ranaut and Jayant Chaudhary, were seen arriving for the meeting. Prime Minister Modi will address the MPs, in his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament since he assumed office for a third straight term.
10:00 Sensex, Nifty hit fresh lifetime high levels in early trade
Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty hit their fresh lifetime high levels in early trade on Tuesday, amid a rally in global markets and buying in IT stocks. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 379.68 points to hit a record peak of 79,855.87 in early trade.
The Nifty climbed 94.4 points to hit a lifetime high of 24,236.35. Among the Sensex pack, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank and Power Grid were the biggest gainers. Tata Motors, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank were among the laggards.
The benchmark indices opened on a bullish note and hit all-time high levels, but soon profit booking emerged, the indices pared early gains and were trading in the negative territory.
The BSE Sensex was trading down 77.93 points, or 0.10 per cent, to 79,398.26 points. The broader NSE Nifty fell 25.65 points, or 0.11 per cent, to 24,116.30 points.
09:51 PM to address Lok Sabha today
Several portions of Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's speech in the House yesterday have been expunged. The portions expunged include his comments on Hindus, and PM Narendra Modi-BJP-RSS among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi address the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) parliamentary party meeting today.
Notably, PM Modi's address will be his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament since he assumed office for a third straight term.
PM Modi will also deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the lower house of Parliament.
09:24 HC to hear Kejriwal's plea against CBI arrest today
The Delhi High Court will hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition on Tuesday against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the ongoing probe into the alleged liquor policy scam.
On July 1, CM Kejriwal was denied two additional meetings with his lawyers through video conferencing (VC) from Tihar Jail by the Rouse Avenue court. Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the application moved on behalf of Kejriwal.
The special judge said, "Learned counsel for the applicant has failed to convince the court as to how the applicant is entitled to two additional legal meetings through VC on the same grounds which have been discussed and dealt with in the earlier order. There appears to be no reason whatsoever to take a different view based on the contents of the application under consideration."
08:30 SEBI slaps show cause notice on Hindenburg
United States short seller Hindenburg Research, which had rocked the Adani Group with allegations of stock market manipulation and accounting fraud, on Tuesday said it has received a show cause notice from Indian capital market regulator SEBI over alleged violations in placing bets on the conglomerate stocks.
Hindenburg termed the show cause notice as "nonsense" and "concocted to serve a pre-ordained purpose: an attempt to silence and intimidate those who expose corruption and fraud perpetrated by the most powerful individuals in India."
The New York-based firm, in a statement, said it had while putting out the report that alleged "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades" at the Adani group, disclosed that it was short on Adani (meaning it had anticipated a fall in the value of stock and thus traded on it).
It disclosed that Kotak Bank created and oversaw an offshore fund structure that was used by its "investor partner" to be against the conglomerate but hastened to add that it may "barely come out above breakeven" on its trade.
Without disclosing the name of the investor, Hindenburg said it made USD 4.1 million in gross revenue through "gains related to Adani shorts from that investor relationship" and just USD 31,000 through its short position of the conglomerate's US bonds.
Adani group has repeatedly denied all allegations.
"After 1.5 years Of investigation, SEBI identified zero factual inaccuracies with our Adani research. Instead, the regulator took issue with things like our use of the word 'scandal' when describing multiple prior instances of Adani promoters being charged with fraud by Indian regulators, and our quoting of an individual that alleged SEBI is corrupt and works 'hand in glove' with conglomerates like Adani to help it skirt regulations," it said.
The US firm said the show cause notice does resolve some questions: "Did Hindenburg work with dozens of firms to short Adani, making hundreds of millions of dollars? No - We had one investor partner, and net of costs we may barely come out above breakeven on our Adani short.
"Our work on Adani was never justifiable from a financial or personal safety perspective, but it is by far the work we are most proud of," it said.
Hindenburg said it received an email from SEBI on June 27 and later a show cause notice outlining suspected violations of Indian regulations.
"To this day, Adani has still failed to address the allegations in our report, instead providing a response that ignored every key issue we raised and has offered blanket denials of subsequent media allegations," it said, adding that its January 2023 report had "provided evidence of a vast network of offshore shell entities controlled by (group chairman) Gautam Adani's brother, Vinod Adani, and close associates."
"We detailed how billions were surreptitiously moved through these entities, into and out of Adani public and private entities, often without related-party disclosures," it said.
On the SEBI notice, it said, "Much of the notice seemed designed to imply that our legal and disclosed investment stance was something secret or insidious, or to advance novel legal arguments claiming jurisdiction over us. Note that we are a US-based research firm with zero Indian entities, employees, consultants or operations." -- PTI
File image
01:29 Mercedes crash: Woman driver surrenders before Nagpur police
A woman accused of mowing down two men while driving her Mercedes car under the influence of alcohol in Nagpur surrendered before police on Monday, more than four months after the crash, and was subsequently placed under arrest, officials said.
Ritika alias Ritu Maloo walked into a city police station where she was formally arrested in the evening after questioning, they said.
Late last month, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court refused pre-arrest bail to the woman, saying no prudent person drives under the influence of alcohol and termed it as a serious misconduct.
The incident occurred on February 25 on Nagpur's Ram Jhula bridge when Maloo drove her Mercedes car recklessly allegedly under the influence of alcohol and crashed into two men on a scooter.
Both riders, Mohd Hussain Gulam Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Mohd Zia, sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
Initially booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act for rash and negligent driving and causing hurt to a person by a rash act, additional criminal charges, including culpable homicide, were later slapped against Maloo by the police after public outcry and given the severity of the crash. -- PTI
01:26 Pune bar drug video case: Police custody of 10 accused extended till Jul 3
A court in Pune on Monday extended till July 3 the police custody of 10 persons arrested in connection with the Pune bar drug video case.
Santosh Kamthe, Vitthal Kamthe, Yogendra Girase, Ravi Maheshwari, Akshay Kamthe, Dinesh Mankar, Rohan Gaikwad, Manas Mallick, who are associated with Liquid Leisure Lounge (L3), and Nitin Thombre and Karan Mishra, who were allegedly seen in the viral video, were produced in a court where police sought extension of custody.
The prosecution, while seeking custody, told the court they want to probe the links of the accused with the alleged drug peddlers in the case and, therefore, need their further police custody.
One of the arrested persons, Abhishek Sonawane, had supplied drugs to Thombre and Mishra and police wanted to reach the main drug peddler, the prosecution told court.
The police said they arrested Abhishek Sonawane, Omkar Sakat and one Nigerian national for supplying drugs to Mishra and Thombre.
Later, Aryan Patil and Akshay Swami were held for allegedly supplying drugs to Abhishek Sonawane, the police said. -- PTI
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01:04 Australia doubles visa fees for foreign students
Australia has more than doubled the cost of student visa fees for international students from $710 to $1,600, a move which will impact lakhs of Indians planning to study in this country.
The move has triggered outrage from student representatives who say that the price hike will drive potential students to competitors, ABC News reported on Monday.
From July 1, the international student visa fee has risen to $1,600 from $710.
The federal government said the additional revenue will help fund initiatives in education including cuts to graduate debt, financial support for apprentices, and the ongoing implementation of its migration strategy, the report said.
"International education is an incredibly important national asset and we need to ensure its integrity and quality," Minister for Education Jason Clare said in a statement. -- PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi/File image
00:36 Alliance with Shiv Sena time-tested friendship: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday described the BJP's alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as a time-tested friendship, bound by common ideals and a shared vision for India's development.
Modi made these remarks when members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP called on him.
The newly elected MPs from Maharashtra congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his third consecutive term in office and extended best wishes for his future endeavours.
"Had a great meeting with Shiv Sena MPs. Ours is not a political alliance - it is a time-tested friendship, bound together by common ideals and a shared vision for India's development," the prime minister said in a post on X.
Modi said it was commendable how Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was working tirelessly for Maharashtra's progress and to fulfil the great Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals.
Assembly elections are due in Maharashtra in September-October and the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP have announced to contest the polls as a coalition. -- PTI
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