Tibetan government-in-exile will not hold two main events in New Delhi. These events were scheduled to take place in the national capital to mark 60 years in exile of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. It has been learnt that Central Tibetan Administration has decided to shift Apart from this an inter-faith prayer, which was to be organised at the Gandhi Samadhi in Rajghat on March 31, has been cancelled, according to The Indian Express report. This comes days after there was a report which stated that the central government had allegedly asked senior leaders and officials not to attend any event that would mark 60 years in exile of the Dalai Lama. However, later the Ministry of External Affairs had categorically that theere was no change in government The MEA said that Indias position on Dalai Lama was clear and consistent. Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader and is deeply respected by people of India and accorded all freedom to carry out his religious activities in the country, MEA said, as per ANI report. It was learnt that Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale The Central government had said that it was a Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration…
Month: September 2016
RJD win will make Araria hub of terrorism, says Giriraj Singh
Union minister Giriraj Singh today claimed that the victory of RJDs Sarfaraz Alam from Araria Lok Sabha seat would make the place a hub of terrorism, which would be a danger to not only Bihar but also the country. Singhs controversial remarks invited strong comments from opposition parties, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav saying the BJP should withdraw support from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if it did not believe in his leadership. A day after the BJP suffered reverses in Lok Sabha bypolls, Singh told reporters that the RJD had spawned an extremist ideology to fulfil its political ambitions. The RJD has started a new political culture for its political ambitions. They have spawned an extremist ideology which is a danger not only to Bihar but also to the country in the coming days. It will become a hub of terrorism, he claimed. Singh, seen as a Hindutva hardliner within the BJP, has ignited controversies with his fiery comments in the past as well. Attacking him, Yadav tweeted, This man is a central minister and unfortunately he is not aware that its his government in Bihar and Delhi. If he and the BJP dont believe in Nitish Kumars leadership,…
Congress won’t allow RSS-BJP ideology of spreading hatred win: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today accused the BJP-RSS of spreading hatred in the country and vowed that his party will not let their ideology win. In a tweet, Gandhi gave his message of love and harmony and cited the statements of Yashpal Saxena and Imam Imdadul Rashidi, who lost their sons in recent communal violence. Rashidis 16-year-old son died in communal violence in West Bengals Asansol Sunday after Ram Navami celebrations. Rashidi has said that as an Imam for 30 years, he would always spread the message of peace and harmony to everyone. Yashpal Saxenas son, Ankit Saxena, was killed in Delhi on February 1 by the family of a girl he was in a relationship with, allegedly because they belonged to different communities. Yashpal Saxena had said he did not want to blame anybody. After having lost their sons to hatred and communal violence, Yashpal Saxena and Imam Rashidis messages say that in India, love will always defeat hatred. Congresss foundation is also based on compassion and brotherhood. We will not let the BJP\/RSS ideology of spreading hatred to win, Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Gandhi has often attacked the BJP and the RSS for being communal…
VHP not part of out of court settlement efforts, says Dinesh Chandra
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said today that it had no connection with the efforts being made for an out-of-court settlement in the Ayodhya case and said it would abide by the court verdict in this regard. Talking to reporters here, Dinesh Chandra, VHPs international organization general secretary said, we are hopeful of an early verdict from Supreme Court.The court will now hear the case as title suit but our lawyers are confident that we have full proofs to to prove the disputed land as Ram Janmabhoomi. Chandra claimed that if the apex court verdict goes against the Ram Janmabhoomi then we will urge the Union government to make a law for the construction of a Ram Janmabhoomi temple on the site. It is the responsibility of the Union government what message they want to give to the people, he said. The Centre must remove all hurdles in the way of Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir construction, said Chandra. Different efforts are going on for an out-of-court settlement of Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute; the VHP has got no connection with any of them, we will abide by the courts verdict, he added.
Kotak Mahindra Bank sacks employee whose comments on Kathua
Kotak Mahindra Bank today said Vishnu Nandukumar, who triggered a social media furore over his alleged comments against the Kathua rape victim, had been sacked the same day for non-performance. It is extremely disheartening to see such comments being made in the aftermath of such tragedy by anyone including an ex-employee. We strongly condemn this statement, bank spokesperson Rohit Rao said. We have terminated Nandukumar from the services on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 for poor performance, he added. Its better to kill her now otherwise tomorrow she may become a human bomb against India, he allegedly wrote in Malayalam. The vile comment led to a furore on social media, with people demanding action against him. The eight-year-old girl from a grazing family was raped and murdered at Kath
Kathua case: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah asks PM Narendra Modi to break silence
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence over the rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of the state. Hon PM sir, there isnt a day when we dont hear you speak about things that are important to you yet there are times when you are completely silent about things that are important to others, he tweeted. Abdullah requested the prime minister not to let the girl be someone you choose to remain silent about. The rape and killing of the girl, who belonged to the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community, has become a national issue. The gory details of the heinous crime surfaced following filing of charges. The girl had disappeared from a spot near her house close to Rasana village in Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area. A Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destroying evidence.
‘Rapid fasting’: Congress leaders ‘feast before fast’ and Twitter can’t handle it
The Congress party today invited sharp criticism from several quarters after a photo of its Delhi unit leaders, who were to sit on a hunger-strike to promote harmony, eating chhole-bhature at a popular eatery in Chandani Chowk went viral on social media. The photo was released by Delhi BJP leader Harish Khurana on his Twitter handle. The photo features Congress Delhi unit president Ajay Maken, senior leader Arvinder Singh Lovely and Haroon Yusuf. Speaking to FinancialExpress.com, Khurana said that the picture exposes the dual face of the Congress party. He claimed that the photo was clicked at the famous Chaina Ram Sweets located in Chandani Chowk area of Old Delhi. The BJP utlised this opportunity to attack the Congress, accusing it of dividing the society on the basis of caste and religion. Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said Rahul Gandhi is insulting the Dalits and people will punish the Congress party. Meanwhile, when Lovely was quizzed about the photo, he said that the photo was clicked before 8 am and that the symbolic fast began at 10:30 am. Khuranas tweet was retweeted nearly 700 times and liked by over 1000 people. People also reacted to his tweet to take a jibe…
Sameer ‘Tiger’ meets his end – How Hizbul terror group suffered a massive jolt
In a major breakthrough, two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists including Sameer Ahmed Bhat, alias Sameer Tiger, considered the main recruiter for the extremist group as well as the brain behind several political killings, were gunned down in Pulwama district today, officials said. A civilian, Shahid Ahmad Dar, was also killed in cross fire while some others were injured when they tried to storm the encounter site at Drabgam, 17 kms from Pulwama district headquarters, officials said. Two Army personnel suffered bullet injuries in the encounter, police officials said. Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) S P Pani said Bhat was involved in several killings especially those of politicians. Giving details of the encounter, an official spokesperson said a joint team of state police, Army and CRPF carried out searches at Drabgam village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. As the searches were going on, militants fired upon the security personnel. The forces retaliated leading to an encounter, the spokesperson said. During the encounter, two militants who were trapped inside the cordon, were neutralized and they have been identified as Sameer Ahmad Bhat alias Sameer Tiger Aqib and Mushtaq Khan, a local resident of Rajpora in Pulwama, the spokesperson added. Bhat was…
Why Venkaiah Naidu rejected impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra: Here’s what Rajya Sabha Chairman said in his order
In a big jolt to the Congress and Opposition parties, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the notice to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra citing lack of substantial merit in it. Vice President Naidu made his decision after holding extensive consultations with top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, before taking the decision, sources told PTI. In his order, Naidu said in that he had detailed personal conversation on all the aspects arising from the notice, adding that he had considered each of the allegations made in it individually as well as collectively. Naidu said that the motion does not deserve to be admitted, on careful analysis and reflection, I find there is virtually no concrete verifiable imputation. Here are reasons cited by Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu in his order rejecting impeachment motion: 1) Violation of Rajya Sabha guidelines The Rajya Sabha officials found that Opposition parties violated the parliamentary rules by taking making public the contents of the motion before it was accepted by the Rajya Sabha. As per the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be…
France President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in India today; will meet PM Narendra Modi
French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive for a four-day-visit (March 9 to 12) to India on Friday, on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Macron will be accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron, and a delegation of businessmen and ministry officials. The visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement, the MEA said in a statement. The strategic partnership between India and France, established in 1998, is one of the most important and comprehensive bilateral engagements and is marked by intense and frequent high-level exchanges and deep political understanding, it added. Both sides will continue to enhance and cooperate in the defence, maritime, space, security, and energy-related sectors. It will also work together on issues of concerns such as terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation and youth exchanges. Prime Minister Modi and his French counterpart will co-chair the founding conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will take place on March 11. The ISA, an alliance of more than 121 countries, was initiated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2016. The primary objective of the alliance is to work…
JNU sexual harassment case: Court grants bail to JNU professor Atul Johri
JNU professor Atul Johri, who was arrested for sexual harassment of several women students, was today granted bail by a Delhi court. Duty magistrate Ritu Singh granted bail to Johri and directed him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 30,000 for each of the eight FIRs registered against him. Johri had moved a bail plea saying sending him to jail would spoil his career. Students, professors and women rights organisations have been protesting demanding his arrest, after some students accused him of sexual harassment. An FIR was filed against the Department of Life Sciences professor based on one of the eight complaints from women students. After JNU students held a mass protest outside Vasant Kunj Police Station yesterday, women rights organisations including All India Democratic Womens Association and All India Mahila Sanskritik Sanghatan today held protest outside the police station demanding arrest of the professor.
Ex-RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, corporate leaders team up for Rs 750-crore Krea University at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh
The past governor of Reserve Bank Raghuram Rajan, captains of corporate India and some eminent academics have teamed up to transform the undergraduate education by announcing setting up of Krea University at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh. R Seshasayee, chairman of IndusInd Bank and the chairman of the supervisory board of the university said the proposed liberal arts university will attract an initial investment of Rs 750 crore in the first phase. There is a clarity on 70-80 per cent of the Rs 750-crore investment needed. The corporates are doing it as part of their philanthropy activities, he said. The first batch will commence in July 2019, admissions for which will start this November. The fees will be Rs 7-8 lakh inclusive of hostel facilities. The university will initially will run courses from the IFMR campus in Sri Coty, and eventually shift to its own 200-acre campus which will be ready by 2020. It will offer a four-year residential undergraduate programme in liberal arts and sciences leading to BA (Honors) and BSc (Honours) degrees, for which the permissions from UGC has been sought, according to Seshasayee. The university will weave arts and sciences, creativity and action, eastern and western perspectives….
PM Narendra Modi pitches for river inter-linking, says India has only 4 per cent water of the world
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today batted for inter-linking of rivers in the country, saying it can help address the issue of imbalance between areas having excess water and those facing scarcity of the resource. Responding to the question by a student during the smart India hackathon, Modi said while 17 per cent of the world population is in India, the country has only four per cent of water. Water is limited for our population.there are areas which face floods. Then there are rivers which are dry. If there is inter-linking, the problem can be solved, he said, adding river inter-linking is the vision of the government and will come true one day. Earlier, addressing the over one lakh participants through video-conference, who had gathered at multiple locations, Modi said nobody is blessed with all the knowledge of the world. This applies to governments too.the biggest mistake governments make is to think they alone can bring about change. What brings about change is a participatory governance, he said. He said it was essential to know the root of every problem and think out-of-the-box ways to solve them. He was of the view that innovation is not merely a word. Innovation is…
Ambedkar Jayanti: Ministry of Home Affairs asks states to ensure security on April 14
Ahead of the Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, the Centre today asked all states to beef up security and check any possible attempt to inciting violence during the event. The Ministry of Home Affairs also said that Districts Magistrates and Superintendents of Police should ensure peace and check violence in their respective areas of jurisdiction. This is the advisory by the MHA within a fortnight. The first one was sent a day before the April 2 Bharat bandh, which was called to protest against the alleged dilution of the SC\/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Another advisory was sent before the April 10 strike called The latest MHA missive came in the wake of massive violence in different parts of the country during the April 2 Bharat bandh, leading to the death of about a dozen people, and vandalisation of statues in some parts of the country. An official of the MHA said the ministry has issued the advisory to all states to take necessary precautionary measures on the occasion on Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14. The MHA has asked that patrolling should be intensified to ensure that no loss of life and property takes place and prohibitory orders may be…
That’s creative! Ambedkar statue locked in iron cage in UP town and nobody knows why
Vandalisation, re-buildding, painting, and repainting – the statues of Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar across the country have seen it all amid all the political drama that has unfolded over statues of icons in the recent past. Now, in what appears to be an aim to safeguard it from miscreants and the trouble of going through the entire process again, a statue in Gaddi Chowk area in Uttar Pradeshs Badaun was seen locked in an iron cage. The statue was found locked inside a cage in Sadar Kotwali police station area. Police said it was not aware who had done it. Speaking to media, Circle Officer Virendra Singh Yadav said that the step might have been taken to provide security to the statue but there is no information as to who has done this. SDM (Badaun) Parasnath Maurya said directives were issued to extend security till Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14 as there were chances that some anti-social elements might damage the statues to disturb social peace. Maurya further said that he was not aware of who had put the cage around the statue in Gaddi Chowk. However, three homeguard jawans have been deployed for round-the-clock security of the statue,…
Narendra Modi Sweden visit: PM meets counterpart Stefan Lofven, discusses bilateral cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a productive exchange of views on bilateral and regional issues with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven and called on Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. A relationship that has grown in intensity over the years and has a huge potential! PM @narendramodi met with @SwedishPM Stefan Lofven, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Kumar said the two leaders had a productive exchange of views on bilateral and regional issues. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi called on King Gustaf and exchanged views on strengthening bilateral cooperation across several sectors. Modi arrived here in the capital of Sweden yesterday, the first bilateral visit by an Indian premier to the Nordic nation in 30 years. Swedish Prime Minister Lofven received Modi at the airport last night. The Two leaders travelled together in the same vehicle from the airport to the hotel. Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of four other Nordic nations – Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. 10 engagements in 10 hours- a hectic day begins for PM @narendramodi in Stockholm! Call on King of Sweden, bilateral meeting with @SwedishPM 4 Nordic countries leaders, roundtable meeting with Swedish CEOs, call by Leader of Opposition, India-Nordic…
Kathua incident: Accused Police officials now move Jammu and Kashmir High Court after SIT arrest
A policeman and a SPO arrested in connection with the Kathua rape and murder case have moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court seeking a fresh CBI probe into the matter and quashing of the investigation by the state crime branch. Sub-Inspector Anand Dutta and Special Police Officer (SPO) Deepak Khajuria were arrested for allegedly destroying evidence related to the rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl in the states Kathua district. A petition was filed in the high court in this regard yesterday by their counsel Veenu Gupta. The petitioners pleaded that the crime branch probe be quashed as it had been shifted on three occasions from the local police to it, and finally to a Special Investigation Team (SIT). It is strange that a policeman, who was involved in a rape and murder case a few years ago and evaded arrest for three years despite being a officer, was a member of the SIT, the petition said. The officers subsequent acquittal in a trial court for lack of evidence is a matter of record, it said. Despite the sensitivity of the case, he is member of the probe panel, the petitioners said, while pleading for a fresh CBI…
India, Pakistan should try to resolve their differences like Koreas, says Pak media
India and Pakistan should try to resolve their differences and make the quest for normalisation and peace the noblest of goals in the region, taking a cue from the recent thaw in the relations between North and South Korea, a media report here said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the South Korean President Moon Jae-in, during an inter-Korean summit on Friday, agreed to pursue a permanent peace treaty and denuclearise the Korean peninsula. Inevitably, a comparison between the renewed engagement between the two Koreas and the freeze in ties in the South Asian subcontinent will be made. The tensions and disputes between Pakistan and India are fundamentally different to the issues between the Koreas, Dawn News said in an editorial. Pakistan and India have forged very different and irreversible histories, whereas the Koreas seek unification. Yet, a shared history and the common dreams and aspirations of a people with enduring cultural and other similarities across India and Pakistan make the quest for normalisation and peace in this region the noblest of goals, it said. The striking imagery of the Korean summit recalls the unprecedented hope and expectations created by the historic trip to Lahore of the then prime…
Loan waivers to resolve farmers’ woes? Here is what MS Swaminathan suggests
Farmers agitations across the country have invoked the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission to press for their demands which also included waiver of loans on a number of occasions. States like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan have come up with their versions of farm loan waivers in order to stop farmers unrest from turning into a political issue. However, Professor M S Swaminathan, who is the author of the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF), feels farm loan waiver is no solution to challenges being faced by farmers. Every step should be taken to make farming economically viable, Writing off the loan is not the best way to tackle the distress in the farming sector, But writing off does not guarantee repayment of the next loan unless farming is made viable, While pointing out that he was not against loan waivers, Swaminathan added, I am all for loan waiver if it is part of a strategy to revive the economic health of farming, For this, farming economics needs to be fixed. Say, we need to train farmers for climate-smart farming now on, The distress of farmers has led to protests across different parts of the country….
Exit clause: TDP ministers quit, alliance intact for now
A day after he announced his party But there were indications that the TDP had not burnt bridges or severed all links with the BJP and the Prime Minister. After resigning their posts, Union civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and minister of state (science and technology and earth sciences) Y Satyanarayana Chowdary were careful with their statements and did not target the Prime Minister. Their tone was was very different from that of Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday evening. While announcing his party very hurtful and insulting We will take a call on whether to stay with NDA as a partner or not when the time comes. We have always cooperated with the Centre but the spirit of cooperative federalism is missing But Gajapathi Raju and Chowdary treaded carefully Thursday evening, calling the developments Chowdary said even the Prime Minister called their decision unfortunate. It is not a good move but unfortunately, due to unavoidable circumstances, we had to take this move. We are stepping down as ministers, but our president has said we will be continuing as part of NDA, The beauty of democracy, he said, was to bring unanimity and make everyone happy and this was the…
Mary Kom’s Boxing Foundation among 42 organisations under MHA scanner for FCRA violation, NASSCOM also on list
An NGO run by Olympic medalist and Rajya Sabha MP Mary Kom is among 42 organisations being probed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for allegedly received foreign funds in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The Mary Kom-led NGO has come under the lens only four days after it was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in Imphal on March 16. Along with the NGO, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (a non-profit organisation working towards development of the women in Uttar Pradesh), Centre for Internet and Society, Public Health Foundation of India and NASSCOM (the apex body for the $154 billion Indian IT BPM industry) are among 42 organisations probed by Home Ministry for violating foreign funding laws. Replying to a written question in Lok Sabha, Kiren Rijiju said that 21 NGOs were served standard questionnaire which includes Mary Kom Regional Boxing Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust, Delhi. Other organisations on the list are Asianet New Charitable Trust, Kerala, Amnesty International (India) Foundation. He added that audit and inspection had been completed in cases of 21 other NGOs including Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, Delhi, NASSCOM, Delhi and Public Health Foundation of India. The Union Minister of State for Home…
China will not push India on Belt and Road Initiative; says no fundamental difference on ‘inter-connectivity’ issue
China today said there is no fundamental difference with India on the issue of inter-connectivity and Beijing will not be too hard with New Delhi on the issue of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI, a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013, has become a major sticking point in the bilateral ties. The BRI also includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which India opposes as it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At the end of the two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi in the central Chinese city, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said, we feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting inter-connectivity. The Indian side does not exclude this cooperation. It is also continuing to advance on interconnection. India is also a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It is the second largest shareholder of our region, Kong said. As for whether India accepts the expression Belt and Road, I think it is not important and China will not be too hard on it, he said. India had boycotted last years Belt and…
Kathua incident: Juvenile accused in case appears in court, given chargesheet
The alleged juvenile offender detained in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua was produced before a Kathua magisterial court in veil amid tight security to be given the copies of the Crime Branch chargesheet against him and other prosecution documents. Chief Judicial Magistrate A S Langeh asked the juvenile if he got the copies of the charge sheet and other documents, to which he replied in affirmative, following which his case was slated for next hearing on May 7. CJM Langeh had dismissed his bail plea yesterday. The counsel for the underage accused had moved the court for his bail last week, soon after the Crime Branch had filed its separate charge sheet against him on April 10, a day after filing one against the seven other adult accused in the case. The juvenile had sought the bail on the ground of being underage, but CJM had rejected his plea on various grounds. According to the Crime Branch charge sheet, he had allegedly played a key role in the abduction, rape and gruesome murder of the girl. The other accused arrested in the case include local resident Sanji Ram, his son Vishal Sharma and two…
No let up in Pawan Kalyan’s attacks on TV channels
Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday continued his attacks on some Telugu news channels for repeatedly telecasting aactress Sri Reddys video in which she used a vulgar word about his mother. In a series of tweets, the Jana Sena chief once again asked people to boycott the channels. Why should we read newspapers and why should we watch channels which abuse our mothers, he asked. What kind of Nirbhaya Act is needed to protect ourselves from these emotional atyacharis who run these three channels, was another tweet by the actor. Pawan, younger brother of superstar Chiranjeevi, said that public abuse and private apology doesnt work with him. For six months you abused me, my fans, party cadre and film industry (and) as cherry on the top, you abused my old mother too.. You sick minded degenerates and now you send me feelers to apologise, privately. The popular actor also declared that he will constitute a committee for the protection of self-respect of women working in the film industry, which will be supported by the womens wing of Jana Sena. The ugly spat broke out last week when Sri Reddy, who shocked the Telugu film industry with allegations of casting couch and…
Supreme Court asks Modi govt if it’ll set up independent body for hike in salary of MPs
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre if it intends to set up an independent body for determining a hike in the salary, allowances and pension of existing and former members of Parliament (MPs). Is there any proposal to set up an independent body to decide salary, allowances and pension of members of Parliament, asked Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who along with Justice J. Chelameswar, is hearing a plea challenging the grant of pension to former MPs. The poser from the apex court bench came as it referred to media reports about a proposal to set up an independent body to determine the hike in salary, allowances and pension of the lawmakers every five years. The court wondered if the proposal to set up an independent mechanism was still on the table or it had been given up. Referring to the procedure being followed for periodic increase in the salaries and allowances of the MPs, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal referred to the proposal in Finance Bill 2018-2019, which provides for automatic revision in salaries, constituency allowances and office expenses of the MPs every five years and linking the hike with inflation index. The courts poser on the independent body…
Wife disconnects WiFi connection, husband gets angry, punches her indiscriminately; complaint lodged in Hyderabad
A woman was beaten up by her husband allegedly over switching off the WiFi connection to force him to go to sleep in Somajiguda area here, police said. Reshma Sultana reportedly switched off the connection on Wednesday night following which her husband got angry and punched her indiscriminately, according to a complaint lodged by Sultanas mother. Sultana, a mother of three, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital here. She suffered injuries on her chest, face and head. A police officer said the couple had marital disputes and counselling is going on before a decision is taken on registering a case and arresting the husband.
Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted in 4th fodder scam case, RJD to appeal
Former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad was Monday convicted in the fourth fodder scam case related to the fraudulent withdrawal of around Rs 3.5 crore from the Dumka treasury by Animal Husbandry Department officials between 1991 and 1996. He has now been convicted in four fodder scam cases with two more cases still at the trial stage. Another former chief minister, Jagannath Mishra, was acquitted. Of the 31 accused, the court convicted 19 and acquitted 12 and will pass orders on the quantum of sentence over three days beginning March 21 through video conferencing. RJD national spokesperson Manoj Jha said they would appeal the conviction and referred to a report by The Indian Express which stated that the CBI had overruled an objection by its Legal Wing and pressed for an FIR against Lalu Prasad in a Railways case registered last year. In 2013, Lalu Prasad was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail in the first fodder scam case, which barred him from elections for 11 years, in line with the Supreme Court order disqualifying convicts jailed for more than two years from contesting for six years after completion of their sentence. Lalu Prasad has…
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan a “coward” for giving in to “blackmail” by babas, says AAP
The Madhya Pradesh unit of Aam Aadmi Party today termed Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan a coward for giving in to the blackmail of hypocrite babas (religious leaders). Chouhan has given in to the blackmailing of babas who had threatened to expose the CMs Narmada Sewa Yatra. He is a coward. These babas are hypocrites, MP AAP convenor Alok Agrawal told reporters. Labour Minister in the Delhi government, Gopal Rai, was also present at the press conference. The state BJP government had, on Tuesday, accorded Minister of State (MoS) status to five Hindu religious leaders – Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant. Chouhan had last year led the Narmada Sewa Yatra to conserve and revive the river and had claimed that six crore saplings were planted along its banks during the programme. These babas had said that they would expose the claim that six crore saplings were planted and had got banners of their Narmada Ghotala Yatra printed. Now after getting MoS status, they are all praise for Chouhan. They are not religious leaders but hypocrites, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader added. Stating that Chouhan had brought disgrace, Agrawal said that he should…
TDP president Chandrababu Naidu asks MPs to intensify protest, says soon BJP will be rejected by the entire country
TDP president Chandrababu Naidu today asked the partys MPs to intensify their protest here for special category status for Andhra Pradesh. In a tele-conference with TDP MPs, Naidu said, BJP is running away by repeatedly adjourning the House for these many days. If Parliament is adjourned sine die, MPs must meet President. BJP is acting on the lines of divide and rule. Today was the last day of Parliaments second part of the Budget Session. This morning in Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister led a cycle rally of his ministers and TDP legislators protesting the Centres attitude towards the state, vis-a-vis the implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Already people of AP are not accepting BJP. Soon, there will be a day when the BJP will not be accepted by the entire country, Naidu said in a statement issued by his media cell. We will not step back until assurances made in the Rajya Sabha including Special Category Status and provisions of AP Reorganisation Act are fulfilled, he said. Responding to YSR Congress MPs not taking part in a protest held by his party MPs in the Parliament complex yesterday, Naidu said it was an example of the…
US State of Oregon declares April as Vaisakhi month
The US State of Oregon has declared April as the Sikh American Communitys Celebration of Vaisakhi month in recognition of the contributions of the minority community. Vaisakhi, celebrated on April 14, is commemorated by million of Sikhs annually. Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a proclamation on Monday declaring April as Sikh American Communitys Celebration of Vaisakhi month and noted that the community continue to make great strides towards security religious liberty as patriotic members of the US Armed Forces. The proclamation said that Sikhs in the US pursue diverse professions and walk of life, making rich contributions to the economic vibrancy of the United States as farmers, engineers, doctors, scientists and other fields. Noting that Sikh religion is based on a belief in one God, and the equality of all human beings, the proclamation said Vaisakhi is one of the most religiously significant days in Sikh history. In the last one month, Oregon is the fourth American State to have declared the month of April for Sikhism. The three other States being Indiana, Delaware and New Jersey. In Oregon, the city of Salem declared April 14 as Vaisakhi Festival Day. This is an important event in the history of Sikh…