LIVE! Firing should scare Salman: Bishnoi's bro to shooter

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Wed, 24 July 2024

Firing should scare Salman: Bishnoi's bro to shooter

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23:55 Rajkot game zone fire raged due to foam sheets, construction material

The devastating fire at TRP Game Zone in Rajkot that killed 27 persons in May engulfed the entire structure within 3-4 minutes due to highly inflammable construction material, aided by welding work sparks and foam sheets cum cooling insulators, the crime branch stated in the charge sheet.

The charge sheet, running into over one lakh pages, was filed on Wednesday against 15 accused, including co-owners of the facility and Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) officials, in the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class AP Dave.

The offences attract a jail term of a maximum of 10 years.

As many as 27 people, including children, were charred to death in the massive blaze on May 25.

"Statements of 365 witnesses have been recorded. Altogether, 15 persons, including co-owners of TRP game zone and RMC officials have been arrested," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Parthrajsinh Gohil.

"It emerged during the investigation that the blaze spread and engulfed the entire structure within 3-4 minutes due to highly-inflammable construction materials such as foam sheet, plastic and wood, with sparks flying from the welding work being carried out at that time," he said.

The crime branch stated that foam sheets being used as insulators for cooling at the facility aided in the rapid spread of the blaze, Gohil said.

However, contrary to earlier reports petrol or diesel was not found at the site, he added.

The arrested persons include co-owners of the game zone and RMC officials.

Financial dealings of Prakash Jain, one of the main co-owners of the game zone who died in the fire, and other accused are being investigated and auditing is being carried out regarding their banking transactions, income tax, and Goods and Services Tax returns and will be used as evidence, Gohil said.

Forensic examination of signatures on government documents will also be used as evidence, he added. -- PTI

23:21 Engineer jumps off Atal Setu, search on

A 38-year-old engineer, under stress due to financial worries, allegedly jumped off the Atal Setu transhoubour bridge here on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Search was on for him, said an official late in the evening.

K Shriniwas, resident of Dombivli, jumped into the sea after parking his car on the Nhava Sheva end of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (also known as Atal Setu) around 12.30 pm, he said.

Navi Mumbai Police has launched a search for him with Atal Setu rescue teams, coastal police and local fishermen, the official added.

Shriniwas, who left his residence around 11.30 pm last night, had spoken to his wife and four-year-old daughter over phone hours before taking the drastic step, the official said.

As per his family, he was facing a serious financial problem.

Earlier, he had attempted suicide by drinking a floor cleaner liquid while working in Kuwait in 2023, the official said. -- PTI

Fire shots in such a manner that it scares Bollywood superstar Salman Khan -- this was the blunt, one line message given by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's younger brother Anmol to one of the gunmen involved in the shooting outside the actor's Mumbai home, police said in a chargesheet filed in the case.

The Mumbai police's crime branch, probing the sensational firing case, earlier this month filed a 1,735-page chargesheet before the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court.

Conspiracy of firing at the actor's house was hatched with the intention of establishing a stronghold and supremacy in the country's financial capital with the aim of getting pecuniary and other advantages for the Bishnoi gang, according to the chargesheet.

The chargesheet included various investigation papers incorporated in three volumes. One such document is the transcript of an audio chat between Anmol Bishnoi and arrested shooter Vickykumar Gupta.

In one of the conversations, Anmol Bishnoi is heard instructing Gupta to carry out the firing thoughtfully and everywhere, even if it takes more than a minute and should be done in such a manner that it scares 'Bhai' (Salman), the chargesheet said.

Further, he asks Gupta if he smokes. When the latter replies in the affirmative, Anmol Bishnoi tells him to smoke while firing so that he comes across as a fearless individual in CCTV cameras installed in the area, according to the voluminous police document.

"You will create history by doing this job and your name will be there in all newspapers and other media," it said, citing their conversation. -- PTI

The West Bengal assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution to scrap NEET and bring in its place a new entrance test for medical aspirants.

The moves a few days after the Karnataka cabinet gave its nod to bring a resolution in the assembly against NEET.

West Bengal's resolution, tabled by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Tuesday, condemned the National Testing Agency (NTA), alleging it was unable to conduct a free and fair entrance test for students interested in a career in medical science.

It urged the West Bengal government to resume conducting joint entrance examinations in the state.

Speaking in favour of the resolution, state Education Minister Bratya Basu said, "I have got to know from the media that question papers were leaked for Rs 30-40 lakh. The future of 24 lakh children in the country is being ruined. Leave this test to us. We can conduct it in a transparent manner."

Basu said the date for announcing the results of the NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) was rescheduled to June 4, the day when the results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared.

"I believe that it was preponed to cover up something else. NEET scam is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.

The state education minister said there are two stages of the NEET "scam".

"One is the grace marks and another is number fraud. This year, 67 people secured 720 to appear first in the NEET exam. But last year, the number was only two or three. It is not clear who was given how much grace marks," he said, adding that the Trinamool Congress has been against NEET. -- PTI

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22:25 Another lake supplying water to Mumbai overflows

In the wake of bountiful rains in the last few days, one more lake supplying water to Mumbai, Tansa, started overflowing on Wednesday, civic officials said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-managed reservoir is one of the seven sources of drinking water for the metropolis and is located in the adjoining Thane district.

As per the BMC's hydraulic engineering department, the lake, with a total capacity of 14,508 million litres, started overflowing at 4:16 pm, an official said.

Tansa is the second lake to overflow after Tulsi on July 20.

Water level in the lakes catering to Mumbai has been rising due to continuous heavy rainfall in their catchment areas over the past few days.

As of 6 am on Wednesday, the total water stock in all the seven lakes was 58.58 per cent of their total capacity, said the official.

Tansa lake had overflowed last year on July 26 at 4:35 am, and in 2022 on July 14 at 8:50 pm. In 2021, it overflowed on July 22 at 5:48 am, and in 2020 on August 20 at 7:05 pm.

Seven reservoirs -- Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Vihar and Tulsi -- supply 385 crore litres of potable water to the megapolis.

The United States has asked its nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Naxalites are active.

In a revised travel advisory for India, the State Department said it has updated to reflect information on the northeastern states.

"Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism. Some areas have increased risk, it said.

Overall India has been placed at Level 2. But several parts of the country have been placed on Level 4: Jammu and Kashmir, India-Pak border, Manipur and parts of Central and East India.

"Do not travel to: The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest; within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict; portions of Central and East India due to terrorism and Manipur due to violence and crime, said the State Department.

In addition, it recommended Americans to reconsider travel to the northeastern states due to terrorism and violence.

"Indian authorities report that rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has happened at tourist sites and other locations. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning. They target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities, the travel advisory said.

The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas. These areas stretch from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal. The US government employees must get special authorization to travel to these areas, it said.

Placing Manipur at "Level 4: Do Not Travel", the State Department said: "Do not travel to Manipur due to the threat of violence and crime.

Ongoing ethnic-based civil conflict has resulted in reports of extensive violence and community displacement. Attacks against Indian government targets occur on a regular basis. US government employees traveling in India require prior approval before visiting Manipur." -- PTI

Test results for 16 more contacts of the 14-year-old boy who succumbed to Nipah virus have returned negative, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Wednesday.

The boy from Malappuram, who was undergoing treatment for Nipah infection, died on July 21.

After attending the Nipah review meeting held at the Malappuram Collector's Conference Hall via online, George said that 16 out of the 58 samples tested for Nipah virus have returned negative results.

"All of them belong to the low-risk category," she said in a release.

The minister said that three people were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, bringing the total number of admitted patients to 21 in Manjeri and Kozhikode Medical College Hospitals.

"Out of these, 17 are contacts (people who have come into contact with Nipah virus patients)," she said.

George added that 12 new people were added to the secondary contact list on Wednesday, increasing the total number of people in the contact list to 472. Of these, 220 are in the high-risk category.

A fever survey was conducted in 8,376 houses in Pandikkad and Anakkayam panchayats on Wednesday.

"So far, a total of 26,431 houses have been surveyed. The survey is expected to be completed in all houses by tomorrow (Thursday)," the release stated.

Counselling was provided to 224 people today as part of mental support.

Meanwhile, a Central team of health experts visited Malappuram on Wednesday to assess the situation. -- PTI

India on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence System from off the Odisha coast, the government said in a statement.

The test demonstrated India's indigenous capability to defend against ballistic missiles of 5,000 km class, it said.

"The target missile was launched from LC-IV Dhamra at 1620 hrs mimicking adversary ballistic missile, which was detected by weapon system radars deployed on land and sea and activated the AD Interceptor system," it said.

"The Phase-II AD endo-atmospheric missile was launched from LC-III at ITR, Chandipur at 1624 hrs. The flight test fully met all the trial objectives validating complete network centric warfare weapon system consisting of Long Range Sensors, low latency communication system and MCC and Advance Interceptor missiles," it added.

The performance of the missile was monitored from the flight data captured by range tracking instruments deployed at various locations, including an onboard ship, the statement said.

The Phase-II AD Endo-atmospheric missile is an indigenously developed two-stage solid-propelled ground-launched missile system meant for neutralising many types of enemy ballistic missile threats in the altitude bracket of endo to low exo-atmospheric regions, it said.

A number of state-of-the-art indigenous technologies developed by various DRDO labs have been incorporated into the system, it said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the successful flight test has again demonstrated the country's ballistic missile defence capability.

Canadian MP Chandra Arya

20:56 Indo-Canadian MP gets threat from Khalistanis

A prominent Canadian MP of Indian origin on Wednesday said the country was being "polluted" by Khalistani extremists who were "abusing" the freedoms guaranteed under the Charter of Rights, days after a Hindu temple was vandalised in Edmonton.

Amidst rising Hinduphobia in Canada, the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir was vandalised with alleged hateful and anti-India graffiti on Monday morning in Edmonton in Alberta state, about 3,400 km west-northwest of Ottawa.

Chandra Arya, a member of Parliament from Nepean in the House of Commons, said in a post on his X account that separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice released a video demanding that Arya and his Hindu-Canadian friends go back to India after he (Arya) condemned the vandalism of the Hindu temple and other acts of hate and violence by Khalistan supporters in Canada.

"We Hindus have come to our wonderful country Canada from all parts of the world. From every country in South Asia, many countries in Africa and Caribbean, and many other parts of the world, we have come here and Canada is our land," Arya, a member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, wrote.

"We have made and continue to make immense positive and productive contributions to the socio-economic development of Canada. With our long history of Hindu culture and heritage, we have enriched the multicultural fabric of Canada, he said. Our land is being polluted by Khalistani extremists abusing our freedoms guaranteed by our Canadian Charter of Rights," Arya added.

Arya's statement comes against the backdrop of severe strain in India-Canada ties over the killing of Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June last year.

The relations between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing.

India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.

India has repeatedly conveyed its "deep concerns" to Canada and New Delhi expects Ottawa to take strong action against those elements.

There has been no reaction as yet from BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, the organisation that runs the temple.

More than 200 Indian pilgrims died during the Haj pilgrimage 2024, with a majority of the deaths being attributed to cardio-respiratory and cardio-pulmonary arrests, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government of India has placed significant emphasis on the successful conduct of Haj operations and on ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian pilgrims.

"As of 21st July 2024, 201 Indian pilgrims have died during Haj pilgrimage 2024 with a majority of them attributed to cardio-respiratory and cardio-pulmonary arrests," he said.

It is to further state that more than 70 per cent of the total fatalities have occurred among pilgrims aged 60 and above, Rijiju added.

He said the government is committed to improving the overall Haj experience of Indian Haj pilgrims.

"In pursuit of this objective, a number of progressive reforms have been introduced in the last few years, which has led to qualitative improvement in Haj experience," he said.

In Haj 2024, the number of Khadim-ul-Hujjaj (KuH) deployed by the Haj Committee of India sent to assist the pilgrims has increased to 641, which is more than double the previous year's number, Rijiju said.

"Even the number of temporary deputationists (administrative and medical) deployed by Government of India for Haj management and administration was increased to 620 in Haj 2024 from 461 during Haj-2023," he said.

Special provisions were made for the 4,558 women who travelled to Saudi Arabia by providing them with dedicated buildings for accommodation as well as dedicated medical services, Rijiju said.

To cope with the inclement and adverse climatic conditions of Saudi Arabia, specific interventions have been introduced, he said.

At Mecca, three medical centres with a capacity of 100 beds were operationalised, along with 14 medical dispensaries, a command control centre, 20 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances and a 24-hour helpline were made available 24X7 during the entire Haj period, he said.

At Madinah, a 20-bed medical centre was established along with two dispensaries, supported by a control command centre, four BLS ambulances and a 24-hour helpline, he said. -- PTI

Pic: ANI/X

20:17 Fire on warship: Body of missing sailor found

The body of Leading Seaman Sitendra Singh, who went missing following a major fire onboard India's frontline warship INS Brahmaputra at the naval dockyard in Mumbai, was found on Wednesday, officials said.

The warship was severely damaged and tilted heavily to one side following the fire on Sunday evening.

"The body of Sitendra Singh, Leading Seaman, has been found today after intensive diving operations," Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and all personnel of the Indian Navy extend their deepest condolences to the family of Singh, he said.

Madhwal said the Navy Chief issued directions to make INS Brahmaputra seaworthy and combat-ready. Admiral Tripathi exhorted the crew of INS Brahmaputra to work towards early operationalisation of the ship, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not working for people who voted for his party but only for parties supporting him, DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran alleged on Wednesday while criticising Budget 2024-25 for failing to meet the aspirations of middle class people.

Participating in a discussion on the budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha, the Chennai Central MP said nearly Rs 4 lakh crore had been promised as subsidy to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar to support Modi being prime minister. "I would like to ask, from where is the money going to come, at whose cost are you going to do this?"

"I think the time has come for the prime minister to take some good advice and follow our Chief Minister M K Stalin. When M K Stalin became the CM of Tamil Nadu, he said, 'I will work not only for the people who voted for me but also for the people who did not vote for me, it is my duty'.

Today, our PM is not working for the people who voted for his party but only for the parties which are supporting him," Maran alleged.

"The Union budget has again failed to meet the aspiration of middle class people," he added.

According to Maran, the Central government is penalising the people of Tamil Nadu for not voting for the BJP.

"Demands from our chief minister are for our people, but why are you penalising us..because we didn't elect you? We didn't elect you because you are two faced. You always want to use us, abuse us. You want to split us in the name of religion and caste...," Maran claimed.

"Till now how many times has the PM said he likes Tamil language? But what has he done for the people of Tamil Nadu?" he went on to say.

The DMK MP said people of Tamil Nadu have another fear -- that the Constitution may be destroyed.

Maran's attack came amid opposition allegations that the budget had announcements only for states ruled by BJP's allies. -- PTI

President Droupadi Murmu

19:28 President to attend centenary of Maha legislative council

President Droupadi Murmu will address the Maharashtra legislature on July 29 to mark the centenary celebration of the state legislative council, assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar and deputy chairperson of the Upper House Neelam Gorhe told reporters on Wednesday.

As many as 172 former council members along with current MLAs and MLCs will attend the function at the central hall of Vidhan Bhavan, they said.

A book to commemorate the history of the legislative council, which came into being on February 19, 1921, will be released on the occasion, said Narwekar and Gorhe.

Similarly, 'Best Speech' and 'Best Legislator' awards, presented by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's Maharashtra branch, will be given away, they said. The awards are pending since 2018.

When asked about the delay in filling the vacant post of the legislative council chairperson, speaker Narwekar said efforts are being made on that front.

Earlier this month, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed a joint sitting of both houses to mark the centenary of the Maharashtra legislative council.

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday alleged that an 'intermediary' of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis had asked him to provide affidavits against important figures in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to avoid getting embroiled in litigation himself, an allegation Fadnavis denied.

Deshmukh, an NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader, stepped down as home minister in April 2021 after then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh accused him of asking police to collect money from hotel and bar owners in the city.

Speaking to news channels, the NCP-SP leader said that a person allegedly sent by Fadnavis (who was then in opposition) met him, carrying with him affidavits implicating then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, his son and cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray, then finance Minister Ajit Pawar and then transport minister Anil Parab.

Deshmukh should sign the affidavits to avoid potential litigation against himself, the man told him, but he refused to oblige, the former minister claimed.

Reacting to the allegation, deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said it was baseless.

"Anil Deshmukh should know that his own party leaders have provided me with multiple pieces of audio-visual evidence of his comments about then CM Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, or the controversial police officer Sachin Waze. If false accusations are levelled against me, I will have no choice but to make this evidence public," Fadnavis said elsewhere.

Deshmukh was not discharged in the case where he was accused of asking police officials to collect Rs 100 crore, but he was only out on bail, the BJP leader further said. -- PTI

The 'Vivad se Vishwas' scheme announced in the Budget for settlement of pending direct tax appeals will be launched this year and its notification apart from relevant FAQs would be issued soon, CBDT chairman Ravi Agrawal said Wednesday.

Speaking to PTI during a post-Budget interview, the head of the direct taxes administration in the country said that a "substantial" number of income tax appeals are logged at the appellate stage in different forums and it is expected that a "reasonable" number of taxpayers will avail the new scheme.

The first 'Vivad se Vishwas' scheme for cases under the direct taxes or income tax category was brought out by the government in 2020 and, according to the CBDT chief, it was "quite successful" with about Rs 75,000 crore revenue being garnered and about a lakh taxpayers availing the scheme.

"The first date is (going to be) 31st of December by when we the taxpayer is supposed to actually opt for the scheme (Vivad se Vishwas 2024). Very soon, we will notify this scheme along with the FAQs (frequently asked questions) and all those things...," Agrawal said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech proposed to introduce the scheme "for settlement of pending appeals".

"It is proposed to be made operational from a specified date. Last date for the scheme is also proposed to be notified," the minister said on Tuesday.

The government has decided to reserve 10 per cent of vacancies in the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles for ex-Agniveers, the Rajya Sabha was informed Wednesday.

A provision has been made for relaxation in the upper age limit and exemption from the Physical Efficiency Test in the recruitment to the post of constable (general duty) and rifleman in the CAPFs and Assam Rifles for ex-Agniveers, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in response to a written question.

"The number of vacancies as of July 1, 2024, in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) is 84,106 against a total sanctioned strength of 10,45,751," he said.

Rai said the ministry has been taking and will continue to take earnest steps to fill up the vacancies expeditiously through the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and the forces concerned.

"Time taken in the medical examination has been reduced to expedite the recruitment. Cut-off marks for shortlisting candidates for constable/GD has been lowered to get sufficient candidates (especially in categories where shortfalls have been observed)," he said.

The minister said 67,345 people have been recruited between April 2023 and February 2024.

"Further, 64,091 vacancies have been notified and are at different stages of recruitment. It is clear from the above, with insignificant effective vacancies compared to the size of the forces, the question of overtime doesn't arise," he said.

The minister said a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the SSC for the early recruitment for the post of constable. Besides, a nodal force each for recruitment in the rank of constable, sub-inspector, and assistant commandant (all general duties) has been nominated on a long-term basis for coordinating recruitment to general duty posts.

To fill vacancies, the minister said, directions have been issued to all CAPFs and AR to undertake recruitment against vacant posts in non-general duty cadres in a "time-bound manner", and timely conduct of Departmental Promotion Committee meetings for filling up of promotional vacancies. -- PTI

18:42 Jailed Kannada actor Darshan's wife meets DKS

Darshan Thoogudeepa's wife Vijayalakshmi on Wednesday met D K Shivakumar at his residence here, a day after the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister said he would help the Kannada actor if injustice has been meted out to him.

Darshan, his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 associates are currently lodged in jail in the Renukaswamy murder case.

Later speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the meeting was regarding admission of their son Vineesh Thoogudeepa in his school.

"Their son was studying in our school earlier but he was shifted to another school. Now she wants her son to study in my school once again. She came seeking re-admission to our school. She met me as the principal denied admission," he said. "I have told her that I will talk to the Principal because there are lots of formalities involved including examination.

When he was asked about his statement in Ramanagara that he would help the actor if injustice was meted out to him, he said: "I told so as Darshan's fans were raising slogans and demanding justice for the actor. Darshan is in judicial custody and the police are investigating it. I never interfere in the investigation or judicial process. Law will take its course."

According to police probing the case, Renukaswamy, a fan of Darshan, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged the star, allegedly leading to his murder.

His body was found near a storm-water drain next to an apartment at Sumanahalli in Bengaluru on June 9. -- PTI

Rs 1,112.57 crore has been allocated for the installation of the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system Kavach in the financial year of 2024-25, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Responding to the questions raised by DMK MPs Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and Rani Srikumar on the details regarding the funds allocated and utilised for installation of Kavach system in the country, Vaishnaw said, "The funds utilized on Kavach works so far is Rs 1,216.77 cr. The allocation of funds during the year 2024-25 is Rs 1,112.57 cr."

According to Vaishnaw, Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system which is highly technology intensive and requires safety certification of highest order.

"Kavach aids the loco pilot in train running within specified speed limits by automatic application of brakes in case Loco Pilot fails to do so and also helps the train to run safely during inclement weather," Vishnaw said.

"Implementation of Kavach involves execution of many activities, such as installation of Station Kavach at each and every station, installation of RFID tags throughout the track length, installation of Telecom Towers throughout the section, laying of optical Fibre cable along the track and provision of Loco Kavach on each and every Locomotive running on Indian Railways," he added.

The minister stated that so far Kavach has been deployed on 1,465 Route km and 144 locomotives on South Central Railway.

Providing the progress status of Kavach installation on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors (approximately 3,000 Route km), Vaishnaw said that Optical Fibre Cable has been laid on 4,275 km and 364 telecom towers have been installed.

He added that Kavach equipment has been installed on 285 stations, 319 locos and 1,384 km of rail track. -- PTI

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has told police that he believed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang carried out the firing at his residence in Mumbai in April this year with the intention to kill him and his family members.

The actor's statement is part of the charge sheet filed by Mumbai Police in a court here in connection with the incident.

He heard a firecracker-like sound while being asleep at his residence in Galaxy Apartments in the early hours of April 14, Khan told police.

His police bodyguard told him around 4.55 am that two people on motorbike had fired at the first-floor balcony, he said.

There had been attempts to hurt him and his family earlier, Khan said, adding that his bodyguard lodged a complaint regarding the firing at Bandra police station.

The actor learnt later that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi had confessed and taken responsibility of the attack in a Facebook post, the statement said.

Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang members had talked about killing Khan and his relatives earlier too, the statement said, adding, "So, I believe that Lawrence Bishnoi, with the help of his gang members, carried out the firing incident when my family members were sleeping and (they were) planning to kill me and my family members."

He and his family had received several other threats in recent years, the actor told police. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday appeared headed for a showdown with Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange as it accused him of working as a "proxy" for Maha Vikas Aghadi after he exhorted the Maratha community to defeat the saffron party candidates in polls.

Reacting sharply, BJP leaders said they are picking up the gauntlet thrown by Jarange for the upcoming electoral contest.

A war of words erupted after the Maratha quota leader accused Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis of trying to frame him, drawing a sharp reaction from the ruling BJP.

Jarange had targeted Fadnavis in the past as well.

The latest criticism comes a day after a Pune court issued a Non-Bailable Warrant against Jarange in a cheating case.

"We have accepted Manoj Jarange's challenge and will face him on the election battlefield," BJP leader Pravin Darekar said and accused the quota leader of playing into the hands of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Shiv Sena-UBT, the NCP-SP, and the Congress.

Accusing Jarange of adopting "double standards", Darekar said on "odd days he distances himself from politics, and on even days, he asks Maratha community to vote BJP out of power".

Darekar alleged Jarange's focus is gradually shifting from issues related to the Maratha community to politics.

"Jarange is working as Maha Vikas Aghadi's proxy. He seems to have accepted a contract for carrying out a hit job against the NDA. His focus is politics rather than social issues. He also wants to keep the issue of Maratha reservation alive until the assembly polls so that the unrest would benefit MVA candidates," the BJP leader alleged.

Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October this year. -- PTI

17:28 Gainers, losers today

From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv declined by 2 per cent after its first-quarter earnings failed to cheer investors. Bajaj Finance, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Adani Ports, Axis Bank and State Bank of India were the other big laggards. However, Tech Mahindra, ITC, NTPC, Tata Motors and Sun Pharma were among the gainers.

17:20 Hindu-Muslim slant to cop saving 5 Kanwariyas

A Muslim head constable of the SDRF here is being extolled for his heroic acts of saving five Kanwariyas, including two minors, from drowning in the Ganga River in separate incidents.

Almost everyone in the pilgrimage town is talking about State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) head constable Ashiq Ali, who is deployed at Kangra ghat near Har Ki Pairi in Haridwar.

When 21-year-old Shiv devotee Monu from Faridabad in Haryana started drifting along the swift currents of the Ganga at Kangra Ghat on Tuesday, Ali, along with his fellow SDRF personnel, wasted no time in jumping into the river and rescuing him. He saved another Kanwariya -- 21-year-old Govind Singh from the state's Udham Singh Nagar district -- the same day in a separate incident.

On Monday, Ali saved 21-year-old Sandeep Singh of Gorakhpur, 17-year-old Karan of Delhi, and 15-year-old Ankit of Panipat in Haryana. The SDRF personnel was assisted by SDRF constables Anil Singh Kothiyal, Pradeep Rawat, Shivam Singh and fire service constable Laxman Chauhan. Talking to PTI, Ali said saving people's lives is his religion and he is not bothered by the caste or religion of someone who is drowning.

"For me, he is a human being and saving his life is my religion," an emotional Ali said. Ali said whenever he saves someone, he gets immense spiritual satisfaction.

Haridwar SSP Parmendra Doval has honoured Ali with the 'Man of the Day' title for his "excellent" work. PTI

17:15 What, when, where

Get ready to cheer on a record-breaking Indian contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics! With 112 athletes competing across 16 sports and 69 medal events, India is set to make its biggest Olympic showing ever.

Click here for the schedule for India's athletes at the Paris Olympics, with dates, events, and timings in IST.

And see the image alongside for a schedule of all the events.

The BJP on Wednesday dismissed the Congress charge of the Union Budget being "discriminatory" towards opposition-ruled states and asserted that every state and section has been taken care of by the Modi government.

Participating in the general discussion on the budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP from Tripura Biplab Deb said the NDA will be in government till 2047 and will take India to newer heights, while making the country number one economy in the world. He said the interests of all states and all sections have been taken care of.

An additional Rs 4.82 lakh crore share has been allocated for the states, he added. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee is still there, it is there in the budget also," he said.

Deb also hit out at the Congress and other opposition parties for alleging that the Constitution is under threat. He said the Congress invoked Article 356 70 times to attack the Constitution. He recalled that it was a Congress government that had imposed Emergency in 1975 for the benefit of "one person and one family".

"Why was the Emergency imposed, it was imposed because of one person and one family. The Emergency was imposed for one person -- Indira Gandhi...now they carry the copy of Constitution," Deb said, taking a swipe at the Congress. He said the Congress could not go past the mark of 240 seats in total over the past three general elections but it was taking swipes at the BJP over not crossing 400 seats.

"We will do '400 paar', there will be a government of BJP and NDA till 1947 and people will give a befitting reply to the Opposition," he said. Deb also exuded confidence that in the next three years, India will become the third largest economy in the world. "Congress' (Kumari) Selja ji called it a 'Kursi Bachao budget'...it means the Congress does not need Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. This budget is for everyone... Every section has been taken care of by Sitharaman," Deb said.

He also hailed the Modi government's development works in the northeast, saying there were only nine airports during the Congress rule but under the Modi government there are 16.

The BJP leader said the prime minister and his entire cabinet visited northeast for its development innumerable times, while under the Congress rule only corruption prevailed there. PTI

A Nepalese private plane crashed and caught fire shortly after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport here on Wednesday, killing 18 people aboard, including a child, and seriously injuring the pilot - the only survivor.

The Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft of Saurya Airlines, carrying 19 people, including two crew members and technical staff of the airline, was bound for Pokhara International Airport for regular maintenance service when the accident occurred at 11.11 am (local time).

"Shortly after takeoff from runway 02, the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway," said a statement issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. It said rescue operations were initiated immediately and fire was brought under control.

"One injured person (Captain Manish Ratna Shakya) was rescued and taken to the hospital, and 18 People were found dead," it added. The aviation authority identified one of the passengers as a child named Adhiraj Sharma, who was the son of Manu Raj Sharma, a technician of Saurya Airlines. Sharma's wife Priza Khatiwada and their four-year old son Adhiraj died in the crash. A statement issued by the airline said that Priza and her son were initially identified as employees of the company, but it was later revealed that they were passengers.

Videos posted online showed the plane being enveloped in fire and smoke. Fire engines and ambulances were rushed to the spot after the incident. The deceased were identified as co-pilot S Katuwal and employees of Saurya Airlines and a Yemeni national (Aref Reda).

Pilot Captain Manish Shakya, 37, is undergoing treatment at Kathmandu Model Hospital. Of the deceased, 15 died on the spot while three died during treatment at a local hospital, authorities said.

Pune ghats

16:30 Dams in Pune, Kolhapur inches below danger mark

In the wake of heavy rains in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra, the Panchganga river is flowing just a few inches below the danger mark on Wednesday, officials said.

As per the figures recorded at 10 am, the water level of the Panchganga at Rajaram weir reached 42.2 feet, which is 8 inches below the danger mark of 43 feet, they said.

The water level of the Radhanagari dam in the district has gone up to 92 per cent. The water storage of the dam is 7.71 TMC and water is being released at the rate of 1,500 cusecs from the dam, a district official said. A total of 81 barrages in the district are submerged under water as a result of good rainfall, he said.

Adequate rain in the catchment areas of the Krishna river has increased the inflow into the Almatti dam (in north Karnataka) and outflow from there will be gradually increased from the present 1,70,000 cusec to 2,00,000 cusec on Wednesday, the official added.

In Pune district, water is being released at the rate of 9,400 cusec from the Khadakwasla dam following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The district administration has cautioned people living in the low-lying areas to remain alert.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for the 'ghat' (mountain pass) sections in Pune district. An orange alert signifies a preparedness advisory for authorities due to the potential for severe weather conditions. PTI

Benchmark BSE Sensex declined for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday due to selling in financial and banking shares and the government's move to hike securities transaction tax and short term capital gains tax.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 280.16 points or 0.35 per cent to settle at 80,148.88 with 19 of its components closing lower and 11 with gains. During the day, it tumbled 678.53 points or 0.84 per cent to 79,750.51.

The NSE Nifty dropped 65.55 points or 0.27 per cent to 24,413.50. From the Sensex pack, Bajaj Finserv declined by 2 per cent after its first-quarter earnings failed to cheer investors.

Bajaj Finance, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Adani Ports, Axis Bank and State Bank of India were the other big laggards. However, Tech Mahindra, ITC, NTPC, Tata Motors and Sun Pharma were among the gainers. Conglomerate ITC surged to 52-week highs before closing higher by 0.42 per cent in its second straight day of gains after the budget proposed no new tax on tobacco products.

Recounting the harrowing experience of witnessing the Nepal plane crash that claimed 18 lives, the eyewitnesses said that if the plane wouldn't have hit the container, it would have definitely hit the residential area.

Eyewitness, Aadesh Lama, who witnessed the crash, said, "I was working here at my garage in the morning and then I heard a loud sound. We thought a tyre had burst but we came to know that a plane had crashed. It had knocked a container, if it wasn't the container then it surely would have slid down and hit the residential area. The container saved us. It struck the container and came to the ground and got engulfed by fire."

Another witness, Krishna Bahadur Thapa, detailed his initial reaction. "I heard a loud bang, about three to four of us were here. We first assumed it to be a vehicle accident but it turned out to be an aircraft that had crashed. The plane slid down and stopped, at first there was the sound, then after the smoke billowed and then it was engulfed by fire.

"I rushed near to the site where the plane crashed and there again was an explosion and then I ran backwards with fear," Thapa said while speaking to ANI.

An aircraft of Saurya Airlines crashed during take-off at the Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday, Nepal-based daily, The Himalayan Times reported. The plane was scheduled to leave for Pokhara from Kathmandu when the accident happened.

The Tribhuvan International Airport, in an official release, said that 18 dead bodies were recovered from the site and only 1 person survived the crash.

The TIA said "CRJ7 (Reg-9NAME) of Sourya Airlines took off from Kathmandu at 11:11 am local time during the flight to Pokhara, turned right and crashed at a place on the east side of the runway. It is reported that the fire was brought under control and the rescue work was started immediately. The dead bodies of 18 people were recovered and 1 injured person was rescued and taken to the hospital."

The Pilot of the Saurya Airline plane that crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu is the lone survivor of the crash.

15:35 The farmers' meeting with Rahul Gandhi

A delegation of 12 farmer leaders under the aegis of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) from across the country meet the Leader of Opposition Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi in Parliament today.

Congress MPs KC Venugopal, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dharamvir Gandhi, Dr Amar Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda and Jai Prakash were also present in the meeting.

File pic

15:19 J&K will be back to normal in few months: LG

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said the situation in the Union Territory will be back to normal within a few months as inimical elements will be given a befitting response.

"Those who cannot digest (the peaceful atmosphere here), they should be (ready) for their end. People here have given a befitting response to them before also. The situation demands so. I think the situation will be back to normal again in a few months," Sinha told reporters.

The Jammu region of the Union Territory has witnessed a spurt in militancy-related violence over the last few months. The LG also welcomed the Union Budget, describing it as historic.

"I want to thank the prime minister and the finance minister for presenting a historic budget in Parliament. I think it will lay a strong foundation for a developed India and, along with that, a developed Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Farmers, youngsters, women and the poor are the main focus of the government, Sinha said. The finance minister has given money with a free hand for the overall growth of Jammu and Kashmir, he added. PTI

Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today

14:56 Whom did Kharge called 'mataji' in Parliament?

Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday questioned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the Union Budget and claimed that the plates of all states except Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were empty in the budget allocation.

Speaking at the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said that barring states ruled by NDA allies, several major states, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, have received nothing in the budget.

"I will not go into the argument of 267. In the budget that was presented yesterday, nobody got anything. Sabke thali khali aur do ke thali mai pakoda aur jalebi. Yeh do states chor kr kuch nhi mila kuch. Neither Tamil Nadu Kerala nor Karnataka got anything. Neither Maharashtra nor Punjab or Rajasthan and neither Chhattisgarh. Even Delhi did not receive anything nor did Odisha. I have not seen this kind of budget until now. This budget has been presented only to keep some people happy and it has all been done save their chairs, 'Kursi bachane ke liye' kiya gaya. We condemn this budget and protest against it. Meri toh apeksha aaise thi ki sabse jayada budget se hamai (Karnataka) ko milega. But we got nothing. All the INDIA alliance parties will protest. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, we will protest," Kharge said.

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar interrupted and said, "Let Union Finance Minister speak," to which Kharge said, "Mataji bolne mai toh expert hai mujhe maloom hai (she is expert is speaking, I am aware of that)."

Dhankar further interrupted the two leaders and said, "Yeh mataji nahi yeh toh aapki beti ke barabar hai."Kharge further said, "I condemn all this. In the states where opposition parties have been elected and you have been neglected. You have not provided anything to them in the Budget. How will development happen if there is no balance? I condemn this and all the parties condemn this type of attitude."

After the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge walked out of Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar said that democracy will be seriously threatened if disruption and disturbance are weaponized as a political strategy.

The INDIA bloc will put pressure on the government and ensure that the farmers get a legal guarantee for MSP, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday after he met a delegation of farmer leaders in Parliament House complex.

The delegation of farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka apprised Gandhi of the issues being faced by the tillers.

"We will have a discussion with INDIA bloc leaders and will put pressure on the government to ensure that the farmers get a legal guarantee for MSP," Gandhi told reporters after the meeting. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa,

Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dharamvir Gandhi, Amar Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda and Jai Prakash were also present in the meeting. The delegation comprised 12 farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Sources said they apprised Gandhi of the issues being faced by farmers in their respective states. PTI

A number of Democratic lawmakers are planning to participate in a series of counter-programming events on Wednesday instead of attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress, the latest example of how Democrats remain divided over Israel's handling of its war with Hamas.

At the same time Netanyahu is expected to address Congress, a variety of progressive nonprofit groups are hosting an event in the Capitol that multiple Democratic lawmakers are expected to attend, according to an invitation shared with CNN.

The event, "Peace is Possible: An Alternative Vision for Israel and Palestine,' will feature Israeli and Palestinian peace leaders and is hosted by groups like the Center for American Progress and Middle East Democracy Center.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat, is expected to deliver opening remarks at the event, according to an advisory shared with CNN. See what Pramial Jayapal said in the image alongside.

The tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented growth post abrogation of Article 370, and a total of 1.08 crore tourists visited in the last six months this year, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Citing a report availed to the MHA by the Jammu and Kashmir government, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said "The tourism sector has recorded an annual average growth rate of 15.13 per cent during the last three years".As per the Minister, a total of 1,08,41,009 tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir between January to June 2024 and 2,11,24,674 in 2023-- all-time high so far-- followed by the visit of 1,88,64,332 tourists in 2022, 1,13,14,884 in 2021 and 34,70,834 tourists in 2020.

He clarified that the footfall in the tourism sector in 2020 was due to the Covid pandemic.The government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that several measures have been taken that led to significant improvement in the tourism sector including Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Policy 2020 notified by the government.

Other measures comprise availing of incentives under the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy- 2021 considering the status of industry to the tourism sector in the Union Territory.

The government also notified the homestay guidelines to accommodate the increasing number of tourists and to give benefits to the locals from the economic gains of the tourism sector.

The government has also notified Jammu and Kashmir Film Policy- 2021, and Houseboat Policy - 2020, identified 75 off-beat destinations, said the Minister.

Border tourism has picked up in Jammu and Kashmir and hitherto unknown locations have been opened up for tourism like Gurez, Keran, Teetwal and R S Pura, and the Union Territory is also emerging in adventure and Golf tourism.

A delegation of farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka met Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Parliament House complex on Wednesday and apprised him of the issues being faced by the tillers.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Congress leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa,Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Dharamvir Gandhi, Amar Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda and Jai Prakash were also present in the meeting.

The delegation comprised 12 farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Sources said they apprised Gandhi of the issues being faced by farmers in their respective states. PTI

Pic: Pradeep Bandekar

13:45 Snoop Dogg a final torchbearer at Paris Olympics

Rapper Snoop Dogg has been announced as one of the final torchbearers of the Olympic flame in the last hours of its France-wide tour ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

His role comes as part of his involvement as a sportscaster for NBC's coverage, specifically on the 'Primetime in Paris' show alongside host Mike Tirico, confirmed Deadline.

The rapper will take on the responsibility of carrying the Olympic flame during its penultimate leg in Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris renowned for housing part of the Olympic Village, the Stade de France, and the new Olympic Aquatics Centre.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at the opposition's claim that the budget was 'discriminatory' and said that it was an 'outrageous allegation' and a deliberate attempt by the opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes.

The Finance Minister reacted after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge made claims that the budget was discriminatory towards the states of the country.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister said, "It is unfortunate that the opposition, particularly a senior leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, stood up to say what he heard of the budget yesterday. Now that the leader of the opposition raised issues on the budget, which was presented and tabled in the house yesterday."

"Just to the point he raised, I have not named many states and only spoken of two states. There are a few points I would like to make here as to what happens in a speech. The Congress party has been in power for a very long time in this country and they have presented so many budgets that they would know clearly that in every budget, you don't get an opportunity to name every state of this country," she said.

"I'll take this example: between the vote on account which was presented on February 1 this year and the full budget that was presented yesterday for this year, I have not named very many states. The Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to set up a port at Vadhvan, but Maharashtra's name was not included in the budget yesterday. Does this mean that Maharashtra feels ignored?" she said.

The Finance Minister said that 76000 crores have been announced for Mahrashtra for that project. "Maharashtra's name was not taken on vote-on-account. The state's name was not mentioned even yesterday; does that mean the state got ignored?" she stated.

Adding further, she said, "And I can take the name of so many different states that have so many major projects. If the speech does not mention the name of a particular state, does that mean the schemes and programmes of the government of India, the externally aided assistance that we obtain from the World Bank, ADB, AIB and so on, do not go to these states?"

"They go as per routine, and, in the expenditure statement of the government, the department-wise allocation of the government mentions all this," she stated. "I am saying with responsibility that this is a 'deliberate attempt' of the opposition parties led by the Congress to give the people the wrong impression that their states were not allocated funds or schemes," said Sitharaman.

Challenging the Congress, the Finance Minister said, "I would challenge the Congress party that for all the budget speeches they have delivered. Have they named every state of the country in each of their budget speeches? This is an outrageous allegation," she stated.

This comes after Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the budget presented yesterday and claimed that no other states other than Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received anything. "Sabke thali khali aur sirf do ke thali mai pakoda aur jalebi. Ye do states ko chodkar, kisi ko kuch nai mila. Neither Tamil Nadu Kerala nor Karnataka got anything. Neither Maharashtra nor Punjab or Rajasthan and neither Chhattisgarh," he said.

12:49 18 confirmed dead in Kathmandu plane crash

A private airlines' Pokhara-bound plane crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) here, killing 18 of the 19 people on board.

The pilot of the Saurya Airlines plane survived the crash and was taken to hospital, officials said. The crash took place when the aircraft veered off the runway and burst into flames. Footage from the spot showed dramatic scenes of the plane speeding down the runway before a fire broke out with high flames and thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage.

At least 19 people, including aircrew, were aboard the private Saurya Airlines plane which met with the accident at around 11 am, sources said. The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported that 18 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. The accident occurred after the Pokhara-bound flight suffered a runway excursion during takeoff, said TIA Spokesperson Subash Jha.

The Himalayan Times newspaper reported that the plane was only carrying technical staff of the airline.There were no passengers on board but the plane was carrying few technical staff, Gyanendra Bhul, information officer at the TIA, said. The pilot of the aircraft has been taken to a hospital, a security official deployed at the airport told PTI without giving further details.

12:40 India at Paris 2024: Your Complete Guide

Here's your complete guide to when India's athletes compete at the Paris Olympics, with dates, events, and timings in IST. Catch all the action on DD Sports, Sports 18 on television and Jio Cinema on OTT.

Take a look

Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in Parliament, says, "We had invited them (farmer leaders) to meet us here in Parliament. But they are not allowing them here. Because they are farmers, maybe this is the reason they are not allowing them in."

Before the Opposition walked out of Rajya Sabha over 'discriminatory' Budget, LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Yeh kursi bachane ke liye yeh sab hua hai...We will condemn it and protest against it. All INDIA alliance parties will protest. How will development happen if there is no balance?"

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav adds, "We were all asking for MSP for farmers, a package for farmers and the poor. But this government is giving packages to those who are running the government. Not that we are not in favour of states getting packages for development, but other states should not be compromised. For 10 years you took away jobs from the youth, and now you are giving jobs which pay only Rs 5000, especially at a time when government employees are demanding the implementation of the 8th pay commission..."

12:01 Plane with 19 pax crashes in Kathmandu

Update: An aircraft belonging to a private airline company with 19 people on board crashed during takeoff at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Wednesday morning. At least 19 people, including aircrew, were aboard the Pokhara-bound Saurya Airlines plane which met with the accident at around 11 am, sources said.

The pilot of the aircraft has been taken to a hospital, a security official deployed at the airport told PTI without giving further details.

A fire that broke out from the aircraft has been put off, he added. Police and firefighters are carrying out rescue operations at the accident site. Details about the condition of the passengers were not known.

11:46 Plane crash at Kathmandu airport

A plane has crashed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. According to early reports, the aircraft had 19 people on board and slipped off the runway and crashed while trying to take off from Kathmandu airport.

On Opposition's protest against 'discriminatory' Budget, FM Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha says, ''In every Budget, you don't get an opportunity to name every state of this country...The Cabinet had taken a decision to set up a port on Vadavan. But Maharashtra's name was not taken in the Budget yesterday. Does this mean that Maharashtra feels ignored? If a particular state is named in the speech, does it mean that programs of GOI don't go to these states? This is a deliberate attempt of the Opposition led by Congress to give the impression to people that nothing has been given to our states. This is an outrageous allegation..."

Opposition MPs walk out of Rajya Sabha, while there is sloganeering in the Lok Sabha.

The BJP on Wednesday accused Rahul Gandhi of fuelling lack of trust in India's examination system following the NEET-UG paper leak at a few places, and asked if he will apologise after the Supreme Court's verdict on the issue.

The court on Tuesday dismissed the pleas seeking cancellation and re-test of the exam, holding that there was no evidence on record to conclude that it was "vitiated" on account of "systemic breach" of its sanctity.

The court said the leak occurred in a couple of cities. BJP leader and former union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the opposition, especially Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, following the verdict, accusing him of defaming India's examination globally with his strong words.

His choice of words were violative of Parliament's dignity and the dignity of the office of the Leader of Opposition, a position Gandhi holds, Prasad said. He also dismissed Gandhi's criticism of the budget as a "kursi bachao budget", saying it was not the BJP's fault if people have repeatedly rejected him and his party in the elections.

Defending the government's action on the NEET row, the BJP leader said the probe in the matter was handed over to the CBI and the candidature of 155 examinees was cancelled. He highlighted the enormity of the exam, noting that over 23.5 lakh students took it at 4,750 centres across 571 cities. Gandhi was using words like "fraud" to attack the entire examination and now the court has made it clear that there was no systemic breach in the sanctity of the test, he said.

"Will Rahul Gandhi apologise...," he asked, claiming that paper leaks were rife during the governments led by the Congress. The Modi government enacted a strong law against paper leak incidents, he noted. PTI

11:09 INDIA bloc protests 'NDA' Budget outside Parl

INDIA bloc MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Wednesday over the alleged discrimination against opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. Besides Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, several MPs of the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party, DMK and the Left joined the protest held on the steps leading up to the Makar Dwar of Parliament.

Protesting against the budget, Kharge said, "This Budget is anti-people, no one has got justice. They have talked about special package but special status has not been given. This is a deceptive budget and injustice to the people."

The MPs raised placards such as 'We want India budget not NDA budget' and 'NDA betrays India in Budget'.

"Yesterday, through the budget, the government of India violated all the principles to keep the federal system," Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal, said. "The aim of the budget was to protect the government. Giving so many sops to just two states. We are not against giving funds to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar but other states should also get justice. That is why we are agitating today. Even the people are agitated with this," he said. SP MP Jaya Bachchan slammed the budget, saying youth have been given false promises. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his state Uttar Pradesh has been discriminated against. They snatched away jobs and are now talking of apprenticeships, he said.

The decision to protest had been taken at a meeting of floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties at the 10 Rajaji Marg residence of the Congress president on Tuesday evening. Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Congress' deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari, Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, TMC leaders Derek O'Brien and Kalyan Banerjee, DMK's T R Baalu, JMM's Mahua Maji, AAP's Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh, and CPI(M)'s John Brittas, among others, had attended the meeting.

11:04 Central govt expenditure in the Budget

This is how the cookie crumbles.

On leaders of the INDIA bloc protesting against Union Budget 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi says, "This protest is against the discrimination in the budget. All the opposition-ruled states have been ignored... We witnessed 'PM Maharashtra Virodhi Yojana' in the Budget yesterday. Maharashtra is the highest tax paying state, yet we don't get our share in return."

On INDIA bloc protest against Union Budget, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan says, "This budget doesn't deserve a reaction. This is just a drama. Promises which will be kept in papers will not be implemented."

10:49 INDIA bloc protests 'discriminatory' Budget

INDIA parties' leaders protest against 'discriminatory' Union Budget 2024, in Parliament.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore says, "This budget is discriminatory. We all know that it is a 'Kursi Bachao Budget'. This budget has only thought over how to save this government. It has just punished middle-class people, farmers and workers... It is against the federal principles of this country. Many states have been left without any kind of help from the Union government... That's why INDIA alliance leaders have decided to protest outside the Parliament to show our dissatisfaction and stop the discrimination..."

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "It's a very unfair budget. More states of India and their pressing concerns have been ignored. This is a desperate budget by a desperate government only to save its existence. They do not care about what the local needs of all the states are, that's why the INDIA alliance is protesting."

File pic

10:44 Overhead wire kaput, trains disrupted in Mumbai

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning of heavy rain today in the areas of Mumbai and Thane.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also forecasted the possibility of heavy to very heavy rains at isolated parts of the city and suburbs.

Occasional winds at a speed of 50 to 60 km per hour are also very likely.

BMC has predicted high tides of 4.20 metres at 2:18 a.m today. The average rainfall recorded from July 23 to July 24 has been 26.28 mm.

Local train services on the Main Line of the Mumbai suburban network were disrupted after a bamboo structure fell on an overhead wire between Sion and Matunga stations on Wednesday morning, the Central Railway officials said.

As a result, the fast local train services remained held up between Sion and Matunga stations for almost an hour, causing hardships for office-goers and others. Due to the delay, many passengers chose to get off the stationary local trains and walk along the tracks, risking their lives, a commuter and train activist said.

Central Railway's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, "A bamboo structure erected around a building adjacent to the railway line fell down on the UP fast (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-bound) line between Sion and Matunga stations at around 7.25 am."

As Kamala Harris is declared the Democrat Presidential candidate, a look into her past decisions. This is from an Instagram handle called @brownhistory.

It says:

"In 2005, Trilochan Singh Oberoi, a Sikh man, applied for a job as a prison guard in California. He passed all the tests and interviews but was denied the job because he refused to shave his beard for religious reasons. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) told him he had to shave because "gas masks must fit tightly to protect correctional officers from tear gas and pepper spray...

"In 2008, Oberoi won an appeal in California's State Personnel Board, which determined that the CDCR was discriminating against him. Oberoi argued that Sikhs are able to wear gas masks and comply with safety rules and pointed out that Sikhs have worn gas masks in the US Army. He also highlighted that "beard exemptions were allowed for individuals with medical needs."

In 2011, Kamala Harris, who was then California's Attorney General, came onboard and represented the CDCR. She argued in court that Oberoi should not be employed unless he first shaved his beard. Her arguments sparked outrage from many civil rights organizations. 34 groups, including the ACLU and the ADC, penned a letter to then-Californian governor Jerry Brown, criticizing the state's actions against Oberoi's rights. They viewed Harris' stance as demeaning to religious minorities and contradictory to the Attorney General's duty to uphold civil rights for all Californians.

"Only after civil rights groups drew attention to the case did the state settle with Oberoi, granting him compensation for lost wages and discrimination, along with a managerial position in the CDCR.

"Harmeet Dhillon, Oberoi's lawyer (who represented him for free on behalf of the Sikh Coalition), said in an interview that, "what I take away from that is [Harris] will only do the right thing when there is political scrutiny from her allies on it. All of the same facts were there throughout those four years,' she continued, "The case law didn't change, the facts didn't change, only the political circumstances changed, and that's what finally led to the case resolving and my client being hired by the CDCR."

10:04 Nifty, Sensex yet to cheer Budget, mkts in red

Indian Benchmark indices opened in negative territory as the Union budget proved to be a non-event to the market participants. The Sensex opened in red at 80,343.38, down 85.43 or 0.11 per cent while the Nifty 40 also opened in red at 24445.00, down 34 points or 0.14 per cent.

The Bank Nifty showed a similar trend opening at 51657.70, lower by 120.60 points or 0.23 per cent.

Among the sectoral stocks Bank, Auto, Financial Services, IT, Pharma, Private Bank, Realty, and Healthcare traded in red during the initial hours of the trade.

On the other hand the sectoral stocks of FMCG, Media, Metal, PSU Bank, Consumer Durables, Oil and Gas traded in red.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said his party takes immense pride in the groundbreaking achievement of the Liberalisation Budget of 1991 and asserted that there is a pressing need once again for meaningful and robust second-generation reforms.

In a post on X, Kharge said July 1991 marked a watershed moment in India's history as the Liberalisation Budget, spearheaded by then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, ushered in a new era of economic reforms.

This visionary move revolutionised the country, empowering the middle class and uplifting millions from poverty and marginalisation, he said.

"The Congress party takes immense pride in this groundbreaking achievement, which catalysed India's growth trajectory and continues to inspire progress and prosperity," Kharge said.

"Today, once again, there is a pressing need for meaningful, robust second generation reforms, which help both the middle class and the deprived," he said. PTI

The Earth experienced its hottest day in at least 84 years, with the global average temperature reaching a record high of 17.09 degrees Celsius on July 21, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

This follows a series of monthly heat records -- June marked the 12th consecutive month of global temperatures reaching or exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.

Every month since June last year has been the warmest on record.

Preliminary data from C3S showed that July 21 was the hottest day since at least 1940, surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius set on July 6, 2023.

What stands out is the significant difference between the temperatures since July 2023 and all previous years.

Before July 2023, the Earth's daily average temperature record, set in August 2016, was 16.8 degrees Celsius. However, since July 3, 2023, there have been 57 days with temperatures exceeding that previous record.

Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, said the difference between the temperatures over the past 13 months and previous records is staggering.

"We are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate continues to warm, we are bound to see new records in the coming months and years," he said.

Analysis shows that 2023 and 2024 have seen significantly higher annual maximum daily global temperatures compared to previous years.

The 10 years with the highest daily average temperatures are from 2015 to 2024.

The global average temperature usually peaks between late June and early August, driven by the northern hemisphere's summer.

The land masses in the northern hemisphere warm up faster than the southern hemisphere's oceans can cool down. With global average temperatures already at near-record levels, a new daily average temperature record was not completely unexpected.

C3S scientists attributed the sudden rise in daily global temperatures to much higher-than-average temperatures over large parts of Antarctica. Such large anomalies are not uncommon during the Antarctic winter and also contributed to record global temperatures in early July 2023.

The Antarctic Sea ice extent is almost as low as it was last year, leading to above-average temperatures over parts of the Southern Ocean.

As the global average temperature typically peaks between late June and early August, scientists expect it to rise and peak around July 22 or 23, 2024, before decreasing.

The European climate agency said whether 2024 will be the warmest year ever depends largely on the development and intensity of La Nia.

While 2024 has been warm enough to surpass 2023, the exceptional warmth of the last four months of 2023 makes it too early to predict with certainty which year will be warmer.

Climate science non-profit Berkeley Earth estimated last week that 2024 has a 92 per cent chance of setting a new annual heat record.

There is a 99 per cent chance that 2024 will have an annual average temperature anomaly of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average, it said.

At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period average to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the Paris Agreement refers to long-term warming over a 20 or 30-year period.

The Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius due to the rapidly-increasing concentration of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, in the atmosphere.

This warming is considered to be the reason behind record droughts, wildfires and floods worldwide. -- PTI

08:36 At first campaign rally, Kamala Harris says...

Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is relying on support from billionaires and big corporations, while hers is a people powered campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday addressing her first election rally, a day after she became the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

"Donald Trump is relying on support from billionaires and big corporations. He is trading access in exchange for campaign contributions. A couple months ago, you all saw that, at Mar-a-Lago, he literally promised big oil companies, big oil lobbyists, he would do their bidding for $1 billion in campaign donations," Harris, 59, said in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

"On the other hand, we are running a people-powered campaign. We just had some breaking news. We just had the best 24 hours of grassroots fundraising in presidential campaign history. Because we are a people-powered campaign, that is how you know we will be a people-first presidency," Harris said addressing her maiden campaign rally, less than 50 hours after she entered the race after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

"This campaign is also about two different visions for our nation. One, where we are focused on the future. focused on the past. We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead," she said amidst cheers from the audience.

"A future where no child has to grow up in poverty, where every worker has the freedom to join a union, where every person has affordable health care, affordable childcare, and paid family leave. We believe in a future where every senior can retire with dignity. So, all of this is to say building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency. Because here's the thing: we are all here. When our middle class is strong, America is strong," she said.

Harris alleged that Trump wants to take the country backward.

"He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like we know we got to take this seriously.

"Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare. He intends to give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations and make working families foot the bill," Harris said.

"They intend to end the Affordable Care Act and take us back then to a time when insurance companies had the power to deny people with pre-existing conditions. Remember what that was like? Children with asthma, women who survived breast cancer, grandparents with diabetes. America has tried these failed economic policies before, but we are not going back.. And I'll tell you why we're not going back," she said.

"Because ours is a fight for the future. It is fight for freedom. Generations of Americans before us led the fight for freedom. And now, Wisconsin, the baton is in our hands. We, who believe in the sacred freedom to vote. We'll make sure every American has the ability to cast their ballot and have it counted," Harris said.

"We, who believe that every person in our nation should have the freedom to live safe from the terror of gun violence, will finally pass red flag laws, universal background checks, and an assault weapons ban. We, who believe in reproductive freedom, will stop Donald Trump's extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do," she said. -- PTI

IMAGE: US Vice President Kamala Harris walks on stage at her first campaign event as a candidate for president at West Allis High School in West Allis, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2024. Photograph: Kevin Mohatt/Reuters

US President Joe Biden returned to the White House on Tuesday, after days of self-isolation at his Delaware House, with his doctors saying that his symptoms of COVID-19 have been resolved.

"I am feeling well, Biden said when asked how is he feeling. The president took a Binax rapid antigen test and is negative," Dr Kevin O'Connor, Physician to the White House said in a memorandum to the White House press secretary.

Biden's symptoms have resolved, he said. He did not respond to shouted questions about why he dropped out of the race and whether his deputy Vice President Kamala Harris could beat the Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

During his quarantine period, the 81-year-old President sent political shockwaves around the country on Sunday with a post on social media announcing that he was not accepting the Democrat nomination. -- PTI

A 26-year-old civil services aspirant was electrocuted after he touched an iron gate that had electricity running through it following heavy rains in central Delhi's Patel Nagar area, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when Nilesh Rai, an engineer and a native of Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, had stepped out of his PG accommodation to buy something.

A picture purportedly showing Rai's upper body stuck to the gate with his feet in water and wires dangling from an electric pole was doing the rounds on social media.

According to police, information was received at Ranjit Nagar police station at 2.43 pm on Monday that a man was electrocuted near Power Gym, close to Patel Nagar metro station.

Deputy commissioner of police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said that after reaching the spot, it was found that the man was electrocuted after he touched the iron gate on the waterlogged road.

"The person was taken to RML Hospital, where he was declared brought dead by the doctors," he said. -- PTI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu/File image

00:27 No money, budget after 2 months, says Andhra

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said in the assembly that the state government will table the budget after two months as it is currently not in a position to present it due to financial constraints.

Addressing the second meeting of the first session of the assembly on Tuesday, after the formation of the TDP-led government, the chief minister revealed the decision on the state budget.

"Because of financial constraints we are not able to table the budget now. We came to a decision to table it after two months," said Naidu.

Later, he thanked the Centre for giving an "assurance" in the Union Budget for 2024-25 to complete the Polavaram Project as soon as possible.

Reacting to the Union Budget allocating Rs 15,000 crore for the southern state's capital city construction, Naidu exhorted that good days have returned to Amravati, the greenfield capital city he has been championing for a decade already.

Moreover, the CM promised to repair roads across the state and start releasing the remaining three white papers on subjects such as excise, law and order and state finance from Wednesday in the House. -- PTI

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