LIVE! NTA announces CUET-UG results - Rediff.com India News

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Sun, 28 July 2024

NTA announces CUET-UG results

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The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Sunday announced the results for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG, paving the way to begin the undergraduate admission process which has been delayed this year.

The NTA had on July 7 released the provisional answer keys of the CUET-UG 2024.

A retest for more than 1,000 candidates whose grievances were found genuine by the agency was conducted on July 19.

The delay in the CUET-UG results came amid a row over alleged irregularities in competitive exams, including in the NEET-UG and the UGC-NET.

Initially, the CUET-UG results were scheduled to be declared on June 30, but the NTA delayed it, as it was grappling with allegations of paper leak allegations in the NEET-UG, UGC-NET and the CSIR-UGC-NET exams.

The CUET-UG conducted in a hybrid mode for the first time across the country was cancelled in Delhi a night before the scheduled exam day over 'logistical reasons'.

The exam was held in the national capital later.

The NTA had earlier announced that the third edition of the CUET-UG will be completed in seven days and there will be no normalisation of scores as all exams will be conducted in a single shift.

For 15 subjects, the tests were in pen-paper mode and for the other 48 subjects, the exam was held in CBT mode.

Over 13.4 lakh candidates registered for the test for admission to undergraduate courses in 261 central, state, deemed and private universities this year.

In the first edition of the exam in 2022, the test was plagued by technical glitches.

Also, as a result of tests for a subject being conducted over multiple shifts, the scores had to be normalised during the announcement of results. -- PTI

The government has scrapped the auction of three critical mineral blocks, including a lithium mine in Jammu and Kashmir, under the third tranche of sale of mines due to a lower-than-required number of bidders.

The auction is a part of the government's push towards cleaner alternatives and self-reliance in critical mineral supplies.

The three blocks are Salal-Haimna Lithium, Titanium and Bauxite (Aluminous Laterite) Block in Jammu and Kashmir, Muskaniya-Gareriatola-Barwari Potash block in Jharkhand and Kurunjakulam Graphite block in Tamil Nadu.

The auction was annulled as the 'required number of bids as per the mineral auction rules have not been received', according to a notice by the Mines Ministry.

The ministry, on March 14, put on sale seven critical mineral blocks in the third round of auction. The blocks that received less than three bids in the first tranche were notified under this round.

These seven blocks pertain to critical minerals such as Glauconite, Graphite, Nickel, PGE, Potash, Lithium, and Titanium and are spread across the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month, the government cancelled the auction of 14 blocks of critical minerals launched in the second tranche.

In the first tranche of sale, the Centre had cancelled the auction for 13 of the 20 blocks put on sale due to a lukewarm response.

The Centre last month launched the fourth round of auctions of critical and strategic mineral blocks offering 21 mines in several states including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Out of these 21 blocks, 11 are new, spanning Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These blocks contain a variety of minerals including Graphite, Glauconite, Phosphorite, Potash, Nickel, PGE, Phosphate and Rare Earth Elements (REE). -- PTI

18:58 Delhi deaths: MCD official blames encroachers

The storm drains built to carry away excess water due to heavy rains in the Old Rajendra Nagar area, where three civil services aspirants died after being trapped in the basement of a coaching institute, were covered by encroachers, a senior MCD official said on Sunday.

The drainage system in the area was heavily clogged with silt and overflowed leading to a flood-like situation due to the rains that lashed parts of Delhi on Saturday, locals complained.

Three civil services aspirants -- two females and a male -- lost their lives as they were trapped inside the library running in the basement of Rau's IAS Study Circle, which flooded due to rain and reportedly led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.

The police, however, said it is yet to confirm the biometric lock claim and will investigate it.

Asked about reports of waterlogged drains in the area and if their de-silting was completed, the senior MCD officer directed PTI to the deputy commissioner of the zone for details.

He, however, mentioned that 'people on street sides have encroached and covered the storm drains' used to carry away the water accumulated during heavy rains.

Abhishek Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of the Karol Bagh zone of the MCD, where the incident took place, did not respond to the calls and texts to seek information.

Meanwhile, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar to take strict action against commercial activities run in the basements and ascertain if an MCD official is responsible for the incident. -- PTI

Friends and families of the three deceased students were angry as they were not allowed to see the bodies of the victims at the RML Hospital.

Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala died after the basement of the building housing the coaching centre Rau's IAS Study Circle was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening, officials said.

At the RML mortuary, it was an agonising wait for the family members of the three deceased students.

The friends of the victims also reached the hospital and expressed anger at the events that had unfolded on Saturday.

Dharmender Yadav, uncle of Shreya Yadav, said he learnt about the incident through news channels.

"I tried to call her but her phone was switched off. Even the coaching centre's number was not reachable. I left from Ghaziabad and reached the place where she stayed but her room was locked.

"I went to the coaching centre where I met the DCP and he asked me to go to RML Hospital. At the hospital, I was not allowed to see her body. However, they confirmed receiving her body," he said.

Shreya Yadav had completed her BSc in agriculture and had joined the coaching centre in May.

Her parents, relatives and friends were here in the hospital since 10 am. Her parents and friends left with her body at 1.43 pm. -- PTI

17:25 TN BSP chief's murder: 3 more arrested

Three more persons have been arrested in connection with Bahujan Samaj Party leader K Armstrong's killing, police said on Sunday.

The arrested were identified as 21-year-old N Vijayakumar, V Mukilan (32) and N Vignesh, aged 27 years, police said.

They were produced before a local court on Sunday and remanded to 15 days custody.

The latest arrest takes the number of persons under police custody in the high-profile murder case to 20.

K Thiruvengadam, an accused in the case, was shot dead here on July 14 by police.

Following his arrest, Thiruvengadam was taken to a spot in Chennai, as part of the investigation to recover weapons.

A key accused in the case, he allegedly opened fire at police personnel and attempted to flee from their custody.

Police had said that in an act of self-defence they fired at him and he was dead.

On July 5, Armstrong, the state president of the Bahujan Samaj Party was hacked to death here by a gang and the murder led to widespread outrage.

Opposition parties, including the AIADMK, alleged there has been a deterioration of law and order in the state.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had batted for a CBI investigation into the Armstrong murder case.

BSP supremo and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, among many other leaders, had also made a similar plea. -- PTI

The Delhi Police has registered a first information report (FIR) and formed multiple teams to probe the Rajinder Nagar coaching centre flooding incident which killed three IAS aspirants, officials said on Sunday.

The police have arrested the owner and the coordinator of the Rau's IAS Study Circle and booked them for culpable homicide and under other charges.

"Multiple teams have been formed to investigate the entire incident. We have asked the Delhi Fire Services to provide us report about the building and the basement which was being used as a library but mentioned as 'store room'," a senior police officer said.

The officer further said the basement was eight-feet below the ground level and more than 18 students were present in it on Saturday evening when it got flooded after heavy rains.

According to sources in the police department, the gate of the basement was closed, but due to high pressure of rain water, it got damaged and water gushed in.

"We are checking CCTV footage from the area to ascertain the sequence of the events. After scanning the CCTV footage, we will identify the people who were standing close to the Institute during the time of incident and will record their statements," said the officer.

Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harsha Vardhan said, "We have registered an FIR at Rajinder Nagar Police Station under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106(1) (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings) and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation."

So far, two people -- coaching centre owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh -- have been arrested, he said.

The bodies of two female students and a male student were retrieved from the basement during the rescue operation.

The deceased were identified as Shreya Yadav (25) of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni (25) from Telangana and Nevin Delvin (24) from Ernakulam in Kerala, police said. -- PTI

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday condoled the death of three IAS aspirants due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in New Delhi, and said common people are paying the price for unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level.

The three civil services aspirants died after the basement of the building housing a coaching centre in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area was flooded following heavy rain, officials said.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, 'The death of students preparing for competitive exams due to waterlogging in the basement of a building in Delhi is very unfortunate. A few days ago, a student died due to electric shock during the rains.'

He expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

'This collapse of infrastructure is a combined failure of the system. The common citizen is paying the price of unsafe construction, poor town planning and irresponsibility of institutions at every level by losing his life,' the former Congress chief said.

A safe and comfortable life is the right of every citizen and the responsibility of governments, Gandhi asserted.

The Delhi Police on Sunday detained the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre where three students died due to flooding following heavy rains, officials said.

Police have booked them under charges of culpable homicide among others, they said. -- PTI

15:07 Delhi coaching showed basement as store room

The basement of the coaching Institute in Old Rajendra Nagar where three civil services aspirants died by rain-induced flooding was functioning illegally as a library, officials said on Sunday.

Rao's IAS Study Circle, the coaching institute, had falsely shown that the basement was being used for parking and as a store room, as per the building plan and No Objection Certificate (NOC) of the fire department.

The three-storey coaching centre had its building plan approved by the concerned MCD department in 2021.

"In the building completion certificate of the institute, it is clearly written that it can only be used for parking and storage in the basement. It means that the library was running illegally in the basement," an MCD official said.

The three civil services aspirants died on Saturday after the basement of a building, which was part of a coaching centre, was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area.

MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar, after taking charge in June, has suspended several officers from the corporation's building department.

Last week, three officers of the department were suspended at the zone where the coaching centre is located.

There was immediate reaction from the commissioner on the reason behind the suspension.

The coaching institute made a similar disclosure to the fire department about the basement, thus also violating its norms, according to Delhi Fire Services chief Atul Garg.

Garg said, "The building has fire NOC, but in the NOC they had shown the basement as a store room. The management of the institute was using the same room as a classroom or library which is a violation of the NOC."

He further said that there was no option to de-water the basement.

Locals complained that there are several other coaching institutions in the area which operate from the basement.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has issued directions to take strict action coaching institutes found flouting the building bye-laws and ascertain if any MCD officer is responsible for the incident.

The bodies of two female students and a male student were retrieved from the site during the rescue operation, which was also conducted by the NDRF, police and fire department. -- PTI

14:12 No blame game: Delhi Mayor on coaching deaths

After three UPSC aspirants lost their lives due to flooding in a coaching centre, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Sunday called for strict action against those responsible for the tragedy.

Three UPSC aspirants died in the basement of a popular IAS coaching institute in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area yesterday after its basement was flooded with water.

"When such an unfortunate incident occurs, We should not play the blame game and take action against those responsible... and action should also be taken against coaching centres that violate norms by illegally using basements," she told ANI.

The Delhi Mayor also mentioned that according to the building completion certificate of the institute, the basement is designated for parking and storage only.

"The completion certification of this building in Rajinder Nagar was given in 2021 and it is clearly written that the basement will be used only for parking and storage," she said.

Notably, the North MCD had issued a certificate that allowed the said basement to be used for storage for parking and toilets. However, disregarding the rules, a library was established in the basement. -- ANI

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thacekray leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the 'insult' of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the NITI Aayog meeting held in New Delhi a day earlier was not good for democracy.

States have several issues which need to be addressed and muting the microphone of a chief minister doesn't suit democratic norms, Raut told reporters.

Banerjee on Saturday walked out of a NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming she was unfairly stopped midway through her speech, a charge denied by the government asserting that her speaking time was over.

Banerjee, the only opposition leader to attend the meeting, alleged her microphone was switched off after five minutes of her speech while other chief ministers, including from Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Assam and Chhattisgarh, were allowed to speak for a longer duration.

"The money which is distributed by the Centre belongs to the people of India. It is collected as various taxes. What did Maharashtra get.. Our chief minister came back empty handed," Raut said in a swipe at the ruling alliance under Eknath Shinde.

Asked about Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Sharad Pawar's externment comment about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Raut claimed cases were dropped after the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance came to power. -- PTI

After social media outrage over a Budget proposal making it mandatory to get tax clearance certificates for going abroad, the government on Sunday clarified that the proposed amendment is not for all, and only those accused of financial irregularities or having substantial tax arrears need such clearance.

The finance ministry, in the Finance Bill, 2024, has proposed to add the reference of the Black Money Act, 2015, to the list of Acts, under which any person should clear his liabilities to obtain the tax clearance certificate.

"The proposed amendment does not require all the residents to obtain the tax clearance certificate," the ministry said in a statement.

As per section 230 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person is not required to obtain a tax clearance certificate.

Only in the case of certain persons, in respect of whom circumstances exist, which make it necessary to obtain a tax clearance certificate will be required to obtain such a certificate.

The ministry said that the Income Tax department through a 2004 notification has specified that the tax clearance certificate may be required to be obtained by persons domiciled in India only in certain circumstances.

These include -- where the person is involved in serious financial irregularities and his presence is necessary in the investigation of cases under the Income-tax Act or the Wealth-tax Act and it is likely that a tax demand will be raised against him, or where the person has direct tax arrears exceeding Rs 10 lakh outstanding against him, which have not been stayed by any authority.

The I-T department said that a person can be asked to obtain a tax clearance certificate only after recording the reasons for the same and after taking approval from the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax.

Such a certificate is required to be issued by the income-tax authority, stating that such person has no liabilities under the Income-tax Act, or the Wealth-tax Act, 1957, or the Gift-tax Act, 1958, or the Expenditure-tax Act, 1987, it added. -- PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and held a wide-ranging discussion on bilateral ties and regional and global issues.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Tokyo.

'Great to catch up with @SecBlinken in Tokyo today. Our bilateral agenda progresses steadily. Also had a wide-ranging discussion on regional and global issues. Look forward to attending the Quad FMM tomorrow,' Jaishankar posted on X.

In November 2017, India, Japan, the US, and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.

The South China Sea lies at the junction between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, while The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the maritime area. -- PTI

The Congress Sunday said the people of Manipur are asking whether Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who attended two meetings chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here the day before, also met him one-on-one to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state and invite him there.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Manipur chief minister attends the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi on Saturday presided over by "the self-anointed non-biological PM".

"Then the Manipur CM attends a meeting of BJP CMs and Deputy CMs presided over by the same deity," he said.

"The simple question that the people of Manipur are asking is this: Did Shri N. Biren Singh meet with Shri Narendra Modi separately one-on-one and discuss the situation in Manipur, which started burning on the night of May 3rd 2023?" he said.

Did Biren Singh invite Modi to visit Manipur, either before or after his trip to Ukraine, Ramesh asked.

Manipur plunged into violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May, 2023. Since then some 200 people have been killed and thousands displaced.

Biren Singh, who was in New Delhi to attend a conference of CMs from BJP-ruled states on Saturday, said he reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to serve the nation by strengthening the party and upholding its core values and ideology. -- PTI

Former United States President Donald Trump has promised to make the US a "Bitcoin superpower" if returned to the White House and said that he will appoint an advisory council to design transparent regulatory guidance for the benefit of the entire industry.

But Trump, the Republican nominee, stopped short of proposing a formal federal reserve of digital currency.

Trump made a series of cryptocurrency-friendly policy commitments during remarks at a Bitcoin convention Saturday, including promising to fire Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler and creating a "strategic national Bitcoin stockpile."

"I'm laying out my plan to ensure that the United States will be the crypto capital of the planet and the Bitcoin superpower of the world," Trump, 78, said.

Bitcoin is the world's first widely adopted cryptocurrency -- it allows for secure and seamless peer-to-peer transactions on the internet.

He also warned that Bitcoin investors in the audience will be crushed if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected as president.

"They (Democrats) want to choke you. They want to choke you out of business. We're not going to let that happen. And no longer will your government sit by and watch as Bitcoin jobs and businesses flee to other countries because America's laws are too unclear and too tough and too angry and too stiff. We will keep each and every Bitcoin job in the United States of America," Trump said in his address to the Bitcoin2024 Conference, the cryptocurrency industry's largest annual gathering, in Nashville's Music City Center.

Trump is the first major party candidate to address the annual cryptocurrency conference.

Trump also promised to "immediately" establish a "Bitcoin and crypto presidential advisory council," which he said would provide "transparent regulatory guidance" for the cryptocurrency sector.

"I am proud to be the first American president to address a Bitcoin event anywhere in the world. If crypto is going to define the future, I want it to be mined, minted and made in the USA," he said.

"We will have regulations, but from now on, the rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry. People who want to make it clear and simple, straightforward and fair. People that want to see your industry thrive, not dive," he said. -- PTI

The Delhi Police on Sunday detained the owner and coordinator of the coaching centre where three students died due to flooding following heavy rains, officials said.

Police has booked them under charges of culpable homicide among other charges, they said.

"We have registered an FIR at Rajinder Nagar Police Station under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106(1) (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), 115(2) (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 290 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings) and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation. So far we have detained two people -- owner and coordinator of the coaching centre," Deputy Commissioner of Police M Harsha Vardhan said.

The bodies of two female students and a male student were retrieved from the site during the rescue operation, which was also conducted by police and the fire department.

Shreya Yadav of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Navin Dalwin from Ernakulam in Kerala were identified to have died in the incident, police said.

The three civil services aspirants died on Saturday after the basement of a building, which was part of a coaching centre, was flooded following heavy rain in central Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area. -- PTI

After three civil services aspirants died on Saturday when the basement of the building was flooded following heavy rains, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has ordered action against such coaching centres across Delhi .

"All such coaching centres across Delhi which are under the jurisdiction of MCD and running commercial activities in basements which are in violation of building bye-laws and are not as per norms, strict action should be taken against them immediately. Immediate enquiry to conducted to identify if any officers of MCD are responsible for this tragedy," Oberoi said in a direction to MCD Commissioner.

"If any official is found guilty, strongest possible action be taken against them, under intimation to the undersigned," she aded.

Meanwhile, Students held a protest and raised slogans against authorities outside the coaching centre over the deaths in the basement, which according to preliminary probe houses a library.

The bodies of two female students and a male student were retrieved from the site during the rescue operation by the NDRF, local police and fire department.

After seven hours of rescue efforts, the NDRF has ended its search at the coaching centre in Delhi's Old Rajinder Nagar area where three civil services aspirants died last night when the basement of the building was flooded following heavy rains, officials said on Sunday.

Students held a protest and raised slogans against authorities outside the coaching centre over the deaths in the basement, which according to preliminary probe houses a library.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) M Harsha Vardhan said, "NDRF's search operation has ended and three bodies have been recovered. NDRF's rescue operation went on for around seven hours."

Police is looking at CCTV footage to understand the sequence of events, the DCP said.

The bodies of two female students and a male student were retrieved from the site during the rescue operation by the NDRF, local police and fire department.

Police is yet to reveal the names of the victims.

According to the Delhi Fire Department (DFS), a call about waterlogging was received from Rau's IAS Study Circle at around 7 pm on Saturday and that that there was a possibility that some people were trapped.

Police said it appeared that the basement got flooded very fast due to which some people were trapped inside.

A fire department official said that a total of five tenders were rushed to the site. The basement was full of water when they arrived.

Revenue Minister Atishi has directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to initiate an inquiry and submit a report within 24 hours on the incident.

"A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate how this incident happened. Whoever is responsible for this incident will not be spared," Atishi posted on X on Saturday.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj visited the site and blamed the AAP administration for the incident, saying the local MLA had ignored repeated appeals by locals to get the drains cleaned. -- PTI

09:38 I know Donald Trump's type: Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic party, has called herself the underdog in the race to the White House but expressed confidence that she would win in November due to her people-powered campaign.

In her first fundraiser since becoming her party's candidate for president, Harris told supporters that this year's election was a choice between two visions for the country -- one looking toward the future and one that wants to undo the country's progress.

"We are the underdogs in this race. Level set, ok. We are the underdogs in this race, but this is a people-powered campaign," Vice President Harris said, addressing a group of 800 fundraisers in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

"This is a people-powered campaign and we have momentum," Harris, 59 said.

During the fundraiser on Saturday, she raised USD 1.4 million as against the original goal of USD 400,000.

Amidst loud applause from the audience, she said that her campaign has "earned the support of enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination."

"What kind of country do we want to live in? Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law or do we want to live in a country of chaos, fear and hate?" she asked as she continued to attack her Republican rival Donald Trump, 78.

She hoped that former president Trump would agree to do a debate with her.

"You may have seen he just pulled out of our debate. I hope he reconsiders because we have a lot to talk about," Harris, who has Indian roots, said.

In her speech, she described her background as a prosecutor.

"In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type," she said.

She alleged that Trump was spreading lies against her.

"You may have noticed, Donald Trump has been resorting to some wild lies about my record. And some of what he and his running mate are saying, well, it's just plain weird. I mean that's the box you put that in," she said. -- PTI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged she was stopped from speaking after just five minutes at the NITI Aayog meeting.

Stalin emphasised that cooperative federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices.

"Is this the way to treat a Chief Minister? The Union BJP government must understand that opposition parties are an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated as enemies to be silenced. Cooperative federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices," Stalin posted on X.

After leaving the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway, Banerjee accused the Centre of "insulting Bengal" by interrupting her speech after five minutes, claiming it was a deliberate attempt to "malign the opposition."

Accusing the Centre of favouring BJP-ruled states with privileges and packages, Banerjee said, "I said whatever I could in the 3 to 4 minutes that I got. In the entire country, the way in which all the opposition-ruled states have been neglected and BJP-ruled states and their alliance members have been favored, we don't have any objection if any state is given more money but this is not acceptable that someone will get and someone will not get at all."

The Chief Minister defended her decision to boycott the meeting, stating she should have been given extra time as she was representing the entire opposition.

Banerjee said,"I was the only one from the opposition-ruled states who had gone there. They should have given me 30 minutes. At the beginning of the meeting, Rajnath Singh said that everyone should present their views in 5-7 minutes, but I was not even given 7 minutes to speak. Their people were given 20 minutes, they got special packages and privileges, but others got 0 minutes. I did the right thing by boycotting the meeting. I will not let them insult Bengal. I stand strongly with the opposition parties running the government in other states."

However, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rejected Banerjee's claim that her microphone was switched off while she was speaking at the NITI Aayog meeting and said that every chief minister was "allotted due time to speak."

"CM Mamata Banerjee attended the Niti Aayog meeting. We all heard her. Every CM was given the allotted time, and that was displayed on the screen, which was present before every table. We could see that two tables had a screen before us. She said in the media that her mic was turned off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak," the Finance Minister told ANI.

Sitharaman said it is "unfortunate" that the West Bengal CM is making such claims, adding that the government is happy Banerjee attended the meeting and noted that she said she was speaking on behalf of the opposition, i.e., the INDIA bloc.

"It's unfortunate that the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, has claimed that her mic was switched off, which is not true, and it is unfortunate because we're happy that she participated in this meeting. She put forth her case, spoke for West Bengal, and, as she said, spoke for all the opposition. But even as she was doing it and we were hearing, it was as per the procedure."

Sitharaman further said that Banerjee should have requested more time but chose to use it as an excuse to walk out of the meeting.

Former BJP MP Maneka Gandhi has moved the Allahabad high court challenging the recent election of Samajwadi Party MP Ram Bhual Nishad from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Maneka Gandhi, who lost to Nishad by a margin of 43,174 votes, filed an election petition with the court registry on Saturday.

This petition is likely to come up for hearing before the Lucknow bench on July 30.

In the petition, Maneka Gandhi alleged that Nishad had concealed information related to his criminal history in the affidavit submitted at the time of filing of nomination in the recent Lok Sabha election.

It claimed that 12 criminal cases were pending against Nishad, whereas he has given information about only eight cases in his election affidavit.

The petition claimed that Nishad had hidden information about criminal cases at Pipraich police station of Gorakhpur district and at Barhalganj police station.

The petition urged the HC to set aside Nishad's election and declare Maneka Gandhi as the elected candidate.

Governor C P Radhakrishnan

01:09 Assam, Punjab, Maharashtra get new governors

Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been made the governor of Assam with the additional charge of Manipur while Gulab Chand Kataria has replaced Banwarilal Purohit as the governor of Punjab under major gubernatorial appointments announced on Saturday night.

Acharya has replaced Kataria, who has also been appointed the administrator of the Union territory of Chandigarh, according to a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Purohit as the governor of Punjab and the administrator of Chandigarh, it said.

"Lakshman Prasad Acharya, governor of Sikkim, appointed as governor of Assam and has also been given additional charge of the governor of Manipur," the statement said.

Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan has been appointed as the governor of Maharashtra, it said.

Santosh Kumar Gangwar will be new Jharkhand governor in place of Radhakrishnan.

Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde has been appointed as the governor of Rajasthan, Jishnu Dev Varma will be the Telangana governor and Om Prakash Mathur will be the new governor of Sikkim, the statement said.

Ramen Deka has been appointed as the governor of Chhattisgarh and C H Vijayashankar the governor of Meghalaya, the communique said.

'The President of India is pleased to appoint K Kailashnathan as the Lt Governor of Puducherry with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,' it said.

These appointments will take effect from the dates they will assume charge of their respective offices, the statement added.

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