The incident occurred around 8 am on Dumping Road. 

The driver of the Audi fled the scene, leaving the car behind, which has since been impounded by the police. 

The injured comprise two autorickshaw drivers and two passengers, with one passenger's condition deemed critical. 

A case has been registered against the unidentified driver under relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, and the investigation is ongoing, a police official said. 

This incident follows a recent accident in Worli, where a BMW fatally struck a woman riding as a pillion on a two-wheeler. -- PTI

 It said globally, widening inequality is emerging as a crucial economic challenge confronting policymakers. The 2022 State of Inequality in India report observed that in India, the top 1 per cent accounts for 6-7 per cent of the total incomes earned, while the top 10 per cent accounts for one-third of total incomes earned.

 The Economic Survey 2023-24 tabled in Parliament on Monday said the government places significant focus on this issue and all the critical policy interventions being undertaken with a focus on creating jobs, integrating the informal sector with the formal sector, and expanding the female labour force are aimed at effectively addressing inequality.

 "Tax policies on the treatment of capital and labour incomes will likely play a more important role in the coming years, especially since the deployment of technology like AI may have a more deleterious impact on employment and income," it added. PTI

 The high court was hearing a plea moved by Swamy seeking to lead evidence before the trial court in the National Herald case, in which the Gandhis and others are accused.

 It had, on February 22, 2021, issued notice to the Gandhis, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Oscar Fernandes (since died), Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Young India (YI), sought their stand on Swamy's plea and stayed the proceedings in the case.

 The court said on Monday that the interim order of stay shall continue till the next date of hearing in the matter. The Congress leaders were represented in the court through senior advocate R S Cheema and Tarannum Cheema.

 Swamy has moved the high court against a February 11, 2021 trial court order that declined his plea to lead evidence to prosecute the Gandhis and the other accused in the case. The trial court had said Swamy's application under section 244 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to lead evidence would be considered after his examination in the case was over. Swamy has sought the summoning of certain witnesses, including the secretary general (registry officer) of the Supreme Court, a deputy land and development officer and a deputy commissioner of the income-tax department, and also directions to them to prove certain documents that are part of the case.

 In a private criminal complaint in the trial court, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying only Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Private Limited (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Limited, the owner of the "National Herald" newspaper, owed to the Congress. All the seven accused in the case -- the Gandhis, AICC treasurer Motilal Vora, Fernandes, Dubey, Pitroda and YI -- had denied the allegations.

 Both the indices faced selling pressure and closed with a marginal dip. The NSE Nifty 50 index closed with a decline of 21.65 points to 24,509 points and the BSE Sensex also declined by 102 points to 80,502 points by closing session. 

 Sector-wise, Nifty Realty, Nifty Consumer Durables, and Nifty Private Bank recorded losses, whereas Nifty PSU Bank and Nifty Pharma led gains.

 The Kerala Health Department is waiting for the test results of 13 people, whose samples were sent to the Kozhikode Medical College virology laboratory and the Advanced Virology Institute at Thiruvananthapuram for testing. 

 "Out of the samples sent for testing, six of the persons have symptoms. Three of them are on the secondary contact list. Even though the parents of the deceased boy do not have symptoms, we have sent their samples also for testing to rule out all possibilities," she said. 

 The health department said two of the persons on the contact list are from Palakkad, while four are from Thiruvananthapuram. The two from Palakkad are working in a private hospital, while the four from Thiruvananthapuram have reached Perinthalmanna for treatment.

 "I had said that the Supreme Court should take cognizance of this matter and stop such action. Just like a diya flutters before being blown out, the communal politics that has ended, its diya is now fluttering and so the hearing is being held. The government has taken many such steps because when communal politics ends, these people will do like this...," Yadav said speaking to reporters on Monday. 

 "Communal politics is going to end. The Bharatiya Janata Party is saddened by it," the Samajwadi Party Chief who is the MP of Kannauj added. Another Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav also welcomed the stay from the SC saying, "This decision was very wrong and I am happy that the SC took cognisance of this decision and given an important judgement. The SC will never allow social harmony in the country to be compromised..." 

 The SP's ally in UP the Congress also said that the decision would send a far-reaching message. Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, "This is a victory of the Constitution...I had raised this issue today in Rajya Sabha. So, I welcome this decision of the Supreme Court..." 

 Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, "I think this is a very decision by the Supreme Court. This will send a far-reaching message. The harmony and social unity in the country will prevail and this unnecessary controversy that was stoked for political gain will end. I would like to thank the Supreme Court that it has taken a good decision..."

The Pune Rural police on Friday recovered the .25 Webley & Scott licensed pistol which Manorama Khedkar is seen waving at some farmers in a video clip during an argument over a land ownership dispute at Dhadhawali village in Mulshi tehsil on June 5, 2023.

Manorama was arrested last week and sent to jail till today. Her judicial custody has now been extended for a week. 

 The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the boys were sitting on the railway line and listening to music with their earphones on. 

As the train reached the track, they couldn't hear the sound of the train's horn, Pandey said. They were hit by the train and died on the spot, Pandey said. The bodies were sent for post-mortem. Further investigation is underway, Pandey added. PTI

 The three projects facing critical shortages are Majalgaon and Manjara (Beed), and Sina Kolegaon (Dharashiv). Last year on the same date, these dams recorded water storage levels of 16.28 per cent, 3.24 per cent, and -14.45 per cent, respectively. Three dams have a single-digit water storage. The Jayakwadi dam, the largest project in the region, currently holds only 4.13 per cent of its water capacity, a significant drop from the 27.65 per cent storage reported on the same date last year. 

Jayakwadi is crucial for supplying water to industries and urban areas in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna. In contrast, the Vishnupuri dam in Nanded shows a healthier water storage level of 70 per cent, up from 53.61 per cent on this day last year. PTI

The group of devotees claimed that a 'kanwar' belonging to one of them had been rendered impure because the car had touched it near the Bajheri cut under the Chhapar area of the district late Sunday. 

 A police officer, however, said no kanwariya came forward to confirm whether his kanwar came in contact with the car. 

 A 'kanwar' is a pot filled with water from the Ganga River, hung on a decorated bamboo stick. The stick is balanced by 'kanwariyas' on their shoulders as they take the holy water back home to be offered to Lord Shiva. The yatra commenced on the first day of Sawan (Shravan) on Monday and will culminate on August 2. 

 Circle Officer Raju Kumar Sab said the damaged vehicle has been seized and efforts are being made to identify its driver and passengers. CCTV camera footage of the area is also being examined, he said.

Amidst the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination 2024, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that NEET is an important issue and the opposition will keep pressuring the government over the issue.

 "Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should have responded. He spoke about the Supreme Court and PM Modi but he is not able to say what is he doing on this. NEET is a very important issue for the youth. We have always asked for discussion in the Parliament but the government is not interested. We will keep raising this issue and keep pressuring the government," Rahul Gandhi told reporters outside the Parliament.

 Speaking in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session that got underway this morning, Gandhi asked Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan about the various steps the Ministry is undertaking to fix the alleged "systemic" rot in the present examination system and claimed that millions of students believe that the "system" is "fraud."

The survey also added that India's female labour force participation has been rising over the last six years, and the unemployment rate is on the decline, the survey highlighted improvements in Indian labour market indicators over the past six years, with the unemployment rate dropping to 3.2 per cent in 2022-23.

The survey noted that employment has recovered from pandemic shocks in both urban and rural areas. It stated, "The female labour force participation rate has been rising for six years, from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 37 per cent in 2022-23, driven mainly by the rising participation of rural women."

Amid the government's push for the infrastructure sector, the survey stated that while the services sector remains a major job creator, the construction sector has been rising in prominence lately.

To meet the demands of the employment sector amid a growing population the survey pointed out that the Indian economy needs to generate nearly 78.51 lakh jobs annually in the non-farm sector. The net payroll additions under EPFO have more than doubled in the past five years, signalling healthy growth in formal employment.

On AI the survey added as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in various economic activities, steering technological choices towards collective welfare is crucial.

 Employers must balance deploying technology and labour. It suggests that agro-processing and the care economy are promising sectors for generating and sustaining quality employment.

Ayodhya falls within the Faizabad parliamentary constituency and it was on January 22, 2024, that Modi consecrated the Ram temple.

It was assumed that the BJP candidate would win the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency handsomely. Democracy is all about surprises and Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad proved it.

He won the Faizabad seat by defeating Lallu Singh by a margin of 54,567 votes.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav had given Awadesh Prasad, who is a Dalit, the ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election in Faizabad even though the seat was not a reserved one, proving his political acumen as he understood the undercurrent of anger in the Dalit community against the BJP.

"I was 101 percent sure I will win from Ayodhya and defeat the BJP. I had the blessings of Prabhu Shri Ram, Lord Hanuman and Saryu Ma," Awadhesh Prasad tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com on a visit to Mumbai over the weekend.  Read the interview here. 

 The attack by the Congress, which also said that the move would be a challenge to the sense of neutrality of public servants, came after a government order became public about the ban being lifted and several opposition leaders criticised it.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on this day in 1947, India adopted its National Flag but the RSS opposed the Tricolour, and Sardar Patel had warned them against it. 

"Sardar Patel had also banned RSS after Gandhi ji's assassination on February 4, 1948. Modi ji has lifted a 1966 ban on government servants attending RSS activities, after 58 years," he said. 

 "We know how BJP is using RSS to institutionally take over all Constitutional and autonomous bodies. By lifting the ban on government employees from participating in RSS activities, Modi ji wants to politicise government offices and employees on ideological basis," Kharge alleged.

This will be a challenge to the sense of neutrality of public servants in government offices and the supremacy of the Constitution, he said. The government is probably taking these steps because the people defeated its "nefarious intent to change the Constitution", he alleged. 

 "The Modi government continues its efforts to take control over Constitutional bodies and work its way in through the back door and tamper with the Constitution," Kharge alleged. 

 "This is also a violation of the apology and assurance given by RSS to Sardar Patel in which they had promised that RSS will work as a social organisation without any political agenda, in accordance with the Constitution of India," he said. 

 Kharge asserted that the Opposition shall continue its efforts to protect the country's Constitution and its democracy. His remarks come a day after Congress general secretary of communications Jairam Ramesh shared an office memorandum, dated July 9, issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension pertaining to the participation of the government servants in the activities of the RSS.

Earlier, the Supreme Court on Monday asked Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra if any formal order has been passed by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti posed the query to senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Moitra, after he submitted that a 'camouflaged' order has been passed to display names of owners of eateries.

 "Has any formal order been passed by the state governments," the bench asked. 

 Singhvi said the orders passed by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments is exclusion by identity and against the Constitution. The hearing is underway. Moitra has moved the apex court against the directives by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners.

 In her plea before the top court, Moitra has sought a stay on the orders passed by the two state governments saying such directives aggravate discord between communities. PTI

 It also accused the earlier regimes of furthering their own political interests by imposing the ban in the past. There have been multiple instances of the government barring its employees in the past from associating with the RSS. 

 A day after a government order became public about the ban being lifted and several opposition leaders criticised the move, RSS spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said in a statement, "The present decision of the government is appropriate and strengthens the democratic system of India." 

"The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been continuously involved in the reconstruction of the nation and service to the society for the last 99 years, he added. 

 "Due to the contribution of the Sangh in national security, unity-integrity and taking the society along during times of natural disaster, various types of leadership of the country have also praised the role of the Sangh from time to time. 

 "Due to its political interests, the then government had baselessly banned the government employees from participating in the activities of a constructive organisation like the Sangh," the statement said. PTI

"Domestic growth drivers supported economic growth in FY24 despite uncertain global economic performance. The outlook for India's financial sector appears bright. Escalation in geopolitical conflicts and its impact may influence RBI's monetary policy stance."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Economic Survey 2023-24, along with the statistical appendix in the Lok Sabha. The Economic Survey is an annual document presented by the government ahead of the Union Budget to review the state of the economy.

 Opposition MPs had given notices under rule 267 seeking suspension of the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue. Dhankhar said the notices were "neither in conformity to requirements of rule 267 nor to directions given by the chair... And so the same are not accepted". PTI A

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says "...A lie will not become truth just by shouting. The fact that the Leader of Opposition says that the country's examination system is rubbish, is highly condemnable..."

Meanwhile, Supreme Court is hearing cases relating to alleged paper leaks and malpractices in the NEET-UG 2024 exam. Senior advocate Narender Hooda appearing for petitioners-students counsel tells the Supreme Court that Bihar police investigation statements say that the leak was on May 4 and was prior to the deposit of question papers with respective banks.

 On January 25 last year, the top court had given interim bail to Ashish Mishra in the "unfortunate ghastly incident" of violence. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan also granted bail to farmers in the case and directed the trial court to expedite hearing. 

"Taking into consideration all the attending circumstances, the interim order is made absolute ...We are informed that out of 117 witnesses, seven have been examined so far. In our view the trial proceedings need to be expedited."

"It is obvious to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system, not just in NEET but in all the major examinations. The minister (Dharmendra Pradhan) has blamed everybody except himself. I don't even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here."

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, "No evidence of paper leak has been found in the last 7 years. This (NEET) matter is going on before the Supreme Court. I can say with full responsibility that more than 240 exams have been conducted successfully after NTA."

Addressing the press ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, PM Modi appealed to opposition parties doing "negative politics" to "get rid of past bitterness and come together."

"I would like to request all parliamentarians to participate in all discussions in the House, no matter how ideologically opposed they are. Opposite ideologies are not bad, but negative ideologies are. That is when the limit of thoughts come to an end. The country does not need negativity," PM Modi said.

Urging all MPs to have progressive ideologies, the Prime Minister said, "The country needs a progressive ideology that fuels development and takes the country to great heights."

In an attack on the opposition for not allowing the House to function smoothly during the inaugural session of the Parliament after the new NDA government came back to power, PM Modi said that the MPs tried to stifle the voice of the government and the Prime Minister.

"In the first session after the formation of new government, they stifled the voice of the government that was elected to power by 140 crore people in the country through undemocratic means. For two and a half hours they tried to stifle the voice of the Prime Minister of the country. This does not find any place in the democractic principles of the country. They do not even repent this or are hurt by this," PM Modi said.

Asking people to rise above party lines and represent the voices of the countrymen in the Parliament, PM Modi said, "I would like to tell everyone that people have sent us here for the country and not for our respective parties. This Parliament is not for our parties but for the country. This Parliament is not just restricted to Parliamentarians but for 140 crore people."

"I hope that we utilize the temple of democracy positive to fulfill the aspirations of ordinary citizens in India," he added.

"I would like to ask all the parties to rise above party lines and dedicate themselves to the country and use this dignified platform of Parliament for the next 4.5 years. In the election year of January 2029, you can play any game, but till then we should participate for the empowerment of the farmers, youth and the country,'' the Prime Minister said. -- ANI

A day before the presentation of the Union Budget, Prime Minister Modi said the Budget will set the direction for the journey of the next five years and lay the foundation for fulfilling the dream of 'Viksit Bharat' in 2047.

 Speaking with the media before the start of the session, Modi also slammed the "negative politics" of some parties and said they used Parliament's time to hide their failures. PM Modi also hit out at opposition parties for "trying to scuttle his voice" in Parliament in the last session, and said such a tactic has no place in democracy. Modi said his government is moving forward to implement on the ground the guarantees he has given to the people.

"This is the Budget session. The guarantees that I have been giving, we are moving forward to implement those guarantees on the ground," he said. "This Budget is an important Budget of the Amrit Kaal. The opportunity of five years that we have, this budget will decide the direction of that journey as well as lay the foundation for fulfilling the dream of Viksit Bharat in 2047," Modi said.

 He also said the Budget session is an important destination in our democracy's proud journey. A government has come back to power for the third term after 60 years, he said. PTI

 "The Hon'ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) held a meeting at the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat to discuss the arrangements for Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi's visit to the Kargil War Memorial Drass," Office of the Lt. Governor, Ladakh posted on X. LG Mishra asked the concerned officials to complete all necessary arrangements on time. 

 "The HLG inquired from the GOC of 8 Mountain Division about the arrangements for PM's reception at Drass Brigade Helipad. He directed concerned officers to complete all necessary arrangements in a timely manner," the statement added.

 Gambhir and Kohli had not been the best of friends, something which was evident from the multiple confrontations between the two in the IPL.

 However, the duo will now be working together starting with the T20 and ODI tour of Sri Lanka from July 27. 

 "My relationship with Virat Kohli is between the two of us and not for TRP," Gambhir said. 

 In the context of Kohli, Gambhir added, "We have had lots of discussions and everyone has the right fight for their jersey." With the departure of seniors Rohit Sharma and Kohli from the T20 International scene, workload management of someone like Jasprit Bumrah assumes greater significance, Gambhir said. Both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from the shortest format after India's title triumph in the T20 World Cup last month. "Workload for someone like Jasprit Bumrah is important.

 "Now that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play only two formats, I expect them to be available for most games," Gambhir said. PTI

At his first media interaction after being appointed coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir revealed he has exchanged messages with Virat Kohli after his appointment. Gambhir said his relationship with Kohli is private and not something meant for public consumption. Both Kohli and he, Gambhir added, would be working towards the betterment of Indian cricket.

He added he is happy with BCCI, "they have given me most things that I asked for. Will get to know exact support staff after Sri Lanka tour."

 The 30-share BSE Sensex tanked 504 points to 80,100.65 in early trade. The NSE Nifty dropped 168.6 points to 24,362.30. Among the Sensex pack, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, Larsen & Toubro, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and Axis Bank were the biggest laggards. UltraTech Cement, NTPC, HDFC Bank and Power Grid were among the gainers.

 Her comments came after US President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election in November and endorsed his Vice President as the Democratic party's presidential nominee. 

 Gabbard also asked countrymen to vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Biden's out, Kamala is in. Don't be fooled: policies won't change. Just like Biden wasn't the one calling the shots, Kamala Harris won't be either, the 43-year-old independent politician said in a video post. She is the new figurehead for the deep state and the maidservant of Hillary Clinton, queen of the cabal of warmongers. They will continue their efforts to engulf the world in war and take away our liberty," Gabbard said in a video post soon after Biden endorsed Harris as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. 

 Gabbard landed in Rome to attend a dialogue and forum on peace, security, and prosperity for the Western Hemisphere in Europe, when she saw the news flash that Biden's no longer running for reelection.

"I'm going to sound the same warning now that I have been for years, going all the way back to 2020, when both Kamala and I were running for president on the Democratic ticket. She is unfit and unqualified to be our president and commander in chief and would be incredibly dangerous in that position," Gabbard alleged. 

 Gabbard was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the presidential election in 2020, before announcing in October 2022 that she had quit the Democratic Party to become an independent.

"The prospect of Kamala Harris making decisions about war and peace and where to send my brothers and sisters in uniform into harm's way is not only terrifying to us, it should be terrifying to every American knowing that we would all pay the price for her dangerous actions and dangerous decisions," she said. "Everything you've heard me say about Hillary Clinton, the queen of warmongers can also be said of Kamala Harris. There should be no question in your mind that if Kamala is allowed to be our president commander-in-chief she'll be the maidservant of this queen of warmongers, the head of this elitist cabal of warmongers that has gotten us into this place," she alleged. "They're the ones who've been calling the shots behind Joe Biden's presidency. They would continue to call the shots if Kamala Harris is president. And where have they led us? To the brink of war with multiple countries in all parts of the world and closer to the brink of nuclear war and Armageddon now than ever before. The choice for us is very clear. If we cherish peace and freedom, if we love our country, we must vote against Kamala Harris in this election on November 5th and vote for Donald Trump," Gabbard said. PTI

In a statement, Obama said, "Joe Biden has been one of America's most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we've also been reminded -- again -- that he's a patriot of the highest order."

 His statement came after Biden announced his decision to not seek re-election and endorsed US Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee for the Democratic party. Obama, however, did not make clear whether he would support Harris as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. 

Recalling his decision to choose Biden as US Vice President, he stated, "Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe's remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character -- his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts." 

He stressed that Biden has displayed that character again and again since taking office. 

"He helped end the pandemic, created millions of jobs, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, passed the first major piece of gun safety legislation in 30 years, made the biggest investment to address climate change in history, and fought to ensure the rights of working people to organize for fair wages and benefits. Internationally, he restored America's standing in the world, revitalised NATO, and mobilized the world to stand up against Russian aggression in Ukraine," Obama said.

Moderate rain is very likely to occur at isolated places over Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane and Ghats of Satara in the next 3 hours.

In other parts of Maharashtra, Konkan and Vidarbha regions have been receiving heavy rainfall since the weekend, causing rivers to swell and low-lying areas to submerge. As a result, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in Mumbai and other parts of the state. "We have deployed NDRF teams at Vasai (Palghar district), Thane, Ghatkopar and Powai (in Mumbai), Mahad (Raigad), Khed and Chiplun (Ratnagiri), Kudal (Sindhudurg), Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara due to the monsoon season as pre-positioning, apart from three teams in Mumbai and one team in Nagpur as regular deployment," an NDRF official said.

Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai on the second consecutive day on Monday, with some areas receiving up to 34 mm of rainfall in just one hour in the morning, affecting local train services during the rush hour between Kalyan and Thakurli stations of the Central Railway network.

In the last 24 hours ended at 8 am, the island city recorded an average of 135 mm of rainfall, eastern Mumbai 154 mm, and western Mumbai 137 mm, officials said.

Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Mumbai to tackle any situation amid the forecast of a high tide and heavy rains in the city and its suburbs.

In its forecast for the next 24 hours starting at 8 AM on Monday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain in the city and suburbs, with the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places."

According to the civic body, a high tide of 4.59 meters is expected at 12.59 PM.

Malabar and Mulund Hill recorded 34 mm of rainfall between 6 am and 7 am, followed by Bhandup with 29 mm, Wadala East with 24 mm, and Versova with 20 mm.

Western Railway stated that local train services were running normally on Monday morning, however, commuters claimed trains were running late by 5 to 10 minutes.

Central Railway also stated that local services on all four corridors were normal. Commuters, however, said train traffic was affected between Kalyan and Thakurli stations in the morning rush hour due to a signal problem.

"Many commuters are walking on the tracks as trains are halted for a long time," a passenger said.

A civic official said buses of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) were not diverted. -- PTI

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district after suspected terrorists fired at a security post early on Monday, official sources said.

 

According to them, suspected terrorists fired at a security post in the Gundha area of Rajouri district at 4 am, and security personnel retaliated.

Following a brief exchange of fire, a cordon and search operation was launched, official sources said. -- PTI 

While the veracity of the purported government order, which was posted on X by Congress leaders, could not be ascertained immediately, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also shared the screenshot of the order and said that an "unconstitutional" directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government. 

Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh shared an office memorandum, dated July 9, issued by the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pension pertaining to the participation of the government servants in the activities of the RSS. 

"The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM (office memorandum)..dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est.(B) dated 25.07.1970 and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80- Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. 2. The aforesaid instructions have been reviewed and it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S) from the impugned OMs dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970 and 28.10.1980," the purported order read. 

In a post along with the picture of the order, Ramesh said, "Sardar Patel had banned the RSS in February 1948 following Gandhi ji's assassination. Subsequently, the ban was withdrawn on assurances of good behaviour. Even after this the RSS never flew the Tiranga in Nagpur." 

In 1966, a ban was imposed -- and rightly so -- on government employees taking part in RSS activities, Ramesh said. 

"After June 4th, 2024, relations between the self-anointed non-biological PM and the RSS have nosedived. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year ban that was in force even during Mr Vajpayee's tenure as PM was removed," he said. 

"The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose," Ramesh said, alluding to the RSS uniform of khaki shorts which was replaced by brown trousers in 2016. 

The Congress leader also shared the screenshot of the original order dated November 30, 1966, banning the association of government servants with the activities of the RSS and the Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Tagging the July 9 order, BJP's Amit Malviya said, "The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on Govt employees taking part in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been withdrawn by the Modi Govt." 

The original order shouldn't have been passed in the first place, the BJP leader said. 

Sharing a screenshot of the order, Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said that 58 years ago, the central government had imposed a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the RSS. The Modi government has withdrawn the order, he said.

In a post on X, Biden said, "My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. 

"My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it's been the best decision I've made. 

"Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats -- it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this."