Using a two-pronged tactic in the Human Rights Council, Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue while speaking on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and then for itself. In its reply during the debate on Wednesday at the UN in Geneva, India rejected the OIC statement saying the group had no standing in Indias internal affairs and accused Pakistan of using terrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights. Islamabad also brought up Kulbhushan Jadhav, who is on death row in Pakistan accused of being an Indian intelligence agent, while replying to Indias counter statement. Sumit Seth, a Counsellor in Indias Mission in Geneva, said that the world does not need lessons in democracy and human rights from a failed state that has a record of protecting terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, persecuting minorities with blasphemy laws and enforcing disappearances. As regards the references to India in the OIC statement of earlier today, we outrightly reject all those references, he said. The OIC has no locus standi on Indias internal affairs. A Second Secretary in Pakistans Geneva UN Mission, Qazi Saleem Ahmed Khan, speaking on behalf of the OIC, tried to link Kashmir…
Month: September 2017
Donald Trump tariffs on China: India may be in a position to retaliate, says US official
India may be in a position where it would want to retaliate, a top Trump administration official said today, even as the US continues to be on the cusp of triggering a global trade war by unveiling high import tariffs on a number of items. The US Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing that Indias system is not open and has a lot of vulnerabilities. My guess is that India may be in a position where they want to retaliate. I think theres some vulnerability there. India has a substantial trade surplus with the US and they have a system which is not particularly open, Lighthizer said. They have a system that has a number of vulnerabilities. So to the extent, there are individuals who have this problem, all I can say is well try to work with them. Its a serious problem and one that we have considered, the USTR said. He was responding to a question from Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland, who shared concerns of the American spice industry who depend largely on countries such as India on the import of spices and are now fearing a retaliatory action from them. I…
If a special status-like package can be worked out on Andhra Pradesh, we should look at it, we must cooperate: Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Manoj CG: YS Chowdary and you resigned from the Union Cabinet, but the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is still, technically, part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). When are you pulling out of the NDA? The TDP has historically been anti-Congress. Our first president and founder NT Rama Rao took a lot of pain to bring everyone together. It wasn Somehow, he managed and it continues in our party, the culture of being anti-Congress that is. Rakesh Sinha: The Centre says its ready to offer you a monetary equivalent of special status. It cites the 14th Finance Commission report to deny you the special status category on the grounds that its hands are tied. This angle of a special package equivalent in case we lose out on special status was announced in June 2016 or somewhere around that time. We are in 2018. The time should have been better utilised. If a package can be evolved that is equivalent to a special status, I think I would advice a serious look at it. After all, we are also part of the country; we too have to cooperate. Ravish Tiwari: The question then is the timing of the demand. If you…
Another case against Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over ‘India turning into Syria’ remark
Amid a row kicked by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over his statement saying India will turn into Syria if the Ram Mandir dispute is not solved, another complaint was booked against the spiritual leader by Kanpur police on Sunday. The complaint was registered by an organisation in Colonelganj against the Art of Living founder today. The spiritual guru has been continuously facing criticism because of the statement from all quarters. He had said on March 5 that any delay in resolving the Ram temple issue could result in a Syria-like situation in India. Earlier Hyderabad police had booked a complaint against Ravi Shankar for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of the Muslim community by giving provocative statements on the Ayodhya issue. However, clarifying his statement Ravi Shankar had said that his was a word of caution, not of a threat. Woh dhamki thodi na hai, woh caution hai (It was not a threat, but a word of caution), he had said. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi had also slammed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and had said that Shankar feels so big about himself that everyone should listen to what he says. Owaisi had said that the…
P Chidambaram to RBI: ‘Go to Tirupati’s Hundi collectors, they count money faster’
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday launched a scathing attack at Narendra Modi-led BJP government over demonetisation issue. Chidambaram said there cannot be a greater lie than demonetisation. He also slammed the Reserve Bank of India for not telling people the total amount of demonetised currency it received back. Demonetisation was a big lie. RBI is still counting and wont tell us how much money has come back, Chidambaram said at the Congress 84th plenary session in the national capital. The senior Congress leader also took a dig at Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for delay in counting old currency notes. I would like to advise the RBI Governor to go to Tirupati and get the hundi collectors. They count money faster than the RBI, said Chidambaram. Chidambaram said that due to the Modi Government, the Indian economy is growing at a much lesser pace than the world economy. The Modi government inherited a strong economy. The task of development has to be continued by future generations. However, today, the Indian economy is decoupled from the world economy which is growing, he said at the Session. Chidambaram praised Dr. Manmohan Singhs achievements during his term as the Prime Minister….
BJP delegation to visit riot-hit Raniganj area in West Bengal, will submit report to Amit Shah
A BJP delegation will visit riot-hit Raniganj area in West Bengal this week and submit their report to party president Amit Shah, a senior state BJP official said. The delegation will visit riot-hit areas of Raniganj and talk to victims. They will submit their report on the ground reality to Shah, state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said. The four-member BJP delegation will be led by senior leader and national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain. BJP MP Rupa Ganguly, O P Mathur, V D Ram will be its other members, he said. The date of the visit is not yet fixed. The delegation will visit Raniganj either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, he said. Asked if the BJP MPs are not allowed to visit the areas on security reasons as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC has been clamped in Asansol-Ranigunj area, Basu said, We dont want to go to those areas but they (police) should at least allow two of our MPs to visit the camps and talk to the victims. Union Minister Babul Supriyo and West Bengal BJP Mahila Morcha president Locket Chatterjee were yesterday stopped by police from entering the Asansol-Raniganj area, which has been on…
Rs 1 lakh theft in Delhi and the curious case of a 5-yr-old suspect; here’s what happened
A recent case of robbery in Delhi has led the police to an unlikely suspect. A 5-year-old girl is alleged to have looted Rs 1 lakh from a 58-year-old woman. Yes, you read that right, a 5-yr-old girl was responsible for a Rs 1 lakh theft! The girl, police said, is highly trained for the act and is notorious enough to give unsuspecting victims a quiet slip. According to an Indian Express report, the girl hid the money in a newspaper and then kept it inside a polythene bag. As unusual as it may sound, a probe into the theft revealed that it was the little girls family who were actually behind the incident. A police officer was quoted as saying that the girl was trained by family members who belong to the notorious Bawariya gang and are known for thefts in parts of the city. The probe, which began as a wild goose chase for the police, eventually led them to to the real culprits. The chase to arrest the culprit led the police to the girls mother and grand mother who trained the 5-year-old to carry out the roberry. Ved Prakash Surya, Additional DCP (Shahdara) said, We have…
SC/ST Act: Government files review petition; Home Minister Rajnath Singh calls for peace
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the Centre has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against dilution of the SC\/ST Act, as he appealed the political parties to ensure that no communal violence takes place in the country in the backdrop of widespread protests over the issue. He also dismissed the allegations as baseless that the NDA government was against the upliftment of the backward community. It is the moral responsibility of the political parties to ensure that no caste or communal violence takes place anywhere, Singh told reporters here. The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ruling that the government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, be arrested only after an inquiry under the law. Opposing the verdict, several Dalit organisations called for a Bharat bandh today. Meanwhile, Congress president Rahul Gandhi slammed the RSS and the BJP for the plight of Dalits, and said that he saluted the brothers and sisters from the community who have hit the streets to demand protection of their rights from the Modi government. Speaking to reporters outside parliament, Union…
ISRO’s GSLV mission a successful ‘Make in India’ story: Here’s how it boosts India’s mission to the Moon
India successfully puts its latest communication satellite GSAT-6A into orbit on Thursday. Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) GSLV rocket blasted off from the spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh yesterday and carried countrys communications satellite GSAT-6A along with it. Leaving behind plumes of smoke, the 49.1 metre tall GSLV soared majestically into clear skies yesterday – carrying the 2,140 kg GSAT-6A satellite at a height of about 36,000 km and injected it into a geostationary orbit. This comes as a fifth consecutive success in the use of an indigenous cryogenic engine to fire an improved version of its heavy-lift GSLV Mk II rocket to launch a satellite into space, reported The Indian Express. More importantly, ISRO took a big step towards realising its second Moon mission. Scripting yet another success story in Indias space history, lets take a look at how this new GSLV launch boosted Indias second mission to Moon. Meanwhile, the Thursday launch has been considered as a very significant milestone in GSLV programme, as the new technologies would lead to enhancement of payload to more than 2.5 tonnes in near future. It was ISROs chairman K Sivans first assignment as the chief of the space agency – who…
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on three-day Amethi visit from today
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will pay a three-day visit to Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh from today, his representative said here. Amethi is represented by Gandhi in Parliament, while his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the MP from Raebareli. According to Rahul Gandhis representative Chandra Kant Dubey, the Congress president, during his three-day visit from April 16 to April 18, will meet farmers, inaugurate a passport seva kendra, a road project and a private school. Rahul Gandhi will also laid the foundations of some development projects.
India, UK agree to develop new trading arrangements: Joint statement
India and the UK today agreed to develop new trading arrangements and reaffirmed the crucial role of rules-based multilateral trading system, said a joint statement of the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently visiting the United Kingdom (UK). The prime minister will also participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting here from April 19-20. Modi and his counterpart Theresa May held wide-ranging discussions and underlined strategic partnership and growing convergence on regional as well as international issues. The leaders agreed to forge a dynamic new India-UK Trade Partnership, to develop new trading arrangements as the UK assumes responsibility for its independent trade policy, facilitate investment in both directions and intensify collaboration on shared or complementary strengths, said the statement. The statement, issued during the visit of Modi, said that building on the recommendations of the recently-completed UK-India Joint Trade Review, the two sides will work together on a sector-based roadmap to reduce barriers to trade, make it easier to do business and enable a stronger bilateral trade relationship after the UK exits the EU. We will also ensure continued application to the UK of EU-India Agreements during the Implementation Period following the UKs departure from the EU,…
We’re all worried about the fair name of EC… Two-three decisions have created some dent: SK Mendiratta
Ritika Chopra: A lot of questions have been raised regarding the Aam Aadmi Party case, where its MLAs were disqualified on a complaint of office of profit. The Delhi High Court later held that the EC You have a lot of experience in handling office of profit cases. What do you think of the case? Should the MLAs have been heard on the merits of the case before the EC gave its opinion? I would not like to make any comment because in this case, I was not consulted. I was not asked for advice. To be honest, till today, I have not seen the opinion tendered by the EC and I have not seen the order issued by the High Court. Purposefully I have kept away. I was involved in this case up to the last order, where we held that they occupied this office. Ritika Chopra: One would think that you were consulted on all matters of legal importance. I was on contract with them (the EC). So whenever they wanted my opinion, I gave it. If they don Ritika Chopra: This is a hypothetical question. What if they had come to you on the AAP matter? Do…
N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP to break away from NDA? Here is why PM Modi, Amit Shah’s BJP should worry
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is enduring hard times. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had announced withdraw two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ministers P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Y S Chowdary from the Narendra Modi cabinet. Now it is has been learnt that the party will back YSR Congress Partys (YSRCP) no-confidence motion against the central government in Lok Sabha, according to Indian Express. A TDP politburo will decide on the issue. This comes after BJP faced disappointment in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths bastion Gorakhpur, Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Araria constituency in Bihar. Naidu had spoken to TDP MPs via teleconference during which he blamed BJP for doing collusion politics. Naidu has even claimed that there was strong anti-BJP sentiments in country which showed in the results. With in TDP, legislators and Member of Parliaments have exhorted Naidu to break away from National Democratic Alliance (NDA), according to Indian Express report. Naidu has also claimed that Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy He said that BJP was doing the same thing Tamil Nadu also, a TDP leader was quoted as saying by IE. Naidu also told TDP MPs that TDP leaders are fighting for self-respect,…
Gurgaon restaurant owner jumps from 7th floor, dies; what eyewitness saw?
A nearly 40-year-old man, running a restaurant in one of the upscale areas of Gurugram, on Tuesday jumped to his death from the seventh floor, police said. The victim, identified as Rahul Rajnikant, was from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. He was currently residing in the Golf Course in Gurugram. Police said Rajnikant ran a restaurant in Supermart 1 in DLF Phase 4. He was said to be depressed. A witness told police that Rajnikant went twice to the seventh floor but came back after some time. A police officer said Rajnikant had his lunch and went again to the seventh floor of the building, where his restaurant was located, and leaped. The victim was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead. The officer said his wife and daughter had been living in the US. No suicide note was found.
‘History won’t forgive us’: Justice Kurian Joseph writes scathing letter to CJI Dipak Misra
Justice Kurian Joseph has written a letter to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra expressing grave concerns on the Union governments alleged inaction on Supreme Courts recommendation to elevate a judge and a senior advocate to the apex court. In his letter, Joseph wrote that the Making a strong appeal, Joseph made the argument that As per an India Express report, if this demand is accepted by the CJI, it would effectively mean an open court hearing by seven seniormost judges of the Supreme Court. The seven justices could pass orders asking the government to decide on the pending recommendations of the collegium. The report says that the bench could even ask the central to issue the warrants for appointments of the judges within a stipulated time frame, and if the government fails, it would make the government liable for contempt of court. Joseph, using strong vocabulary, warned the CJI that the dignity, honour and respect of Supreme Court is going down day by day since we are not able to take the recommendations for appointment to this Court to their logical conclusion within the normally expected times Justice Joseph is a collegium member who retires in November this year.
Goa government issues alert after intel on possible terror attack: 10 developments
Manohar Parrikar-led Goa government on Friday sounded alert to all fishing vehicles and casinos operating off the state The state Following which, his department has issued a warning to all the offshore casinos, water sports operators and barges to be alert. Here are the top developments you should know about the alert: 1. Fishing vessels and casinos along the coast put on high security to fend off possible terror attack. 2. According to Indian Coast Guard, terrorists may arrive on board a fishing trawler. 3. Ports Minister also informed that Pakistani authorities had seized an Indian fishing trawler and according to intelligence it may carry terrorists on its way back to India. 4. The alert has been registered along the entire western coast – from Gujarat to Goa. 5. Salgaoncar said that the alert is not restricted to Goa but has been sounded along Mumbai and Gujarat coasts too. 6. In the wake of the alert Goas Ports Department has written to the offshore casinos and cruise vessels, and barges. 7. The Goa department of ports implemented the alert after Goa tourism received a letter of alert from Captain of Ports James Braganza. 8. The letter said that he received…
Who is Asaram Bapu? Self-styled godman who rose from tea-seller to build Rs 10,000 cr empire
Self-styled godman Asumal Sirumalani, also known as Asaram Bapu by his followers, has been convicted by a Jodhpur court in a 2013 rape case of a minor girl. Once a well-known spiritual guru, his image of a saint was tarnished when the a 16-year-old from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh accused him of sexually assaulting her at a ashram near Jodhpur. The girls family filed a complaint with the Delhi Police on August 20, 2013. Withing 10 ten days, he was arrested by the Jodpur Police and since then he is behind the bars for his role in the crime. Asaram Bapu was born on April 17, 1941, in Sindh, now in Pakistan. During the partition in 1947, he and his family moved to India and started living in Ahmedabad. After his father Thaumal Sirumalani passed away, the responsibility to feed the family fell on his shoulders. The family shifted to Vijapur in Gujarats Mehsana district. Very few know that during 1958-59, Asaram used to be a tea-seller and worked at a tea stall that his relative Sevak Ram operated in front of the Mehasana Magistrates office to earn a livelihood for his family. The rape case isnt Asarams first brush…
Sitaram Yechury re-elected as CPI(M) general secretary: Left-Congress alliance chances for 2019 remains bright
After weeks of uncertainty, the CPI(M) today unanimously elected Sitaram Yechury its general secretary at its 22nd party congress here. His election to the post for the second time was approved by the Left partys newly-elected 95-member central committee. The 65-year-old leader had taken over as general secretary of the CPI(M) from Prakash Karat in the 21st party congress, which was held in Visakhapatnam, in 2015. We had a momentous congress, detailed discussions and important decisions, we have taken in this congress. If any message that should go to rank and file and our class enemy is that CPI(M) has emerged as a united party,Yechury said in his speech on the concluding session of the party congress. Several names were being discussed in party circles as Yechurys successor in the run up to the mega meet, which began here on April 18. Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, politburo member Brinda Karat and secretary B V Raghavulu were among the possible contenders, party sources had said. Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Sarkar, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala CPI(M) leader S Ramachandran Pillai and West Bengal leader Biman Basu are among the members of the central committee. Yechurys political line had…
Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli deprived of clean drinking water; wrath of Hepatitis C, cancer gripping villagers
Due to the contaminated water of Shamlis Kairana Meat Plant, there is panic in the public with the wrath of Hepatitis C and cancer gripping people in the village. The villagers informed that more than 35 people have died in the last few days after drinking the contaminated water and about 70 percent are suffering from serious illnesses due to the same. The locals told ANI, Around 35 people have died due to water-borne diseases but no action has been taken by the government as yet. Village head Irshad said,There is a pond of about 35-36 bighas in our village, in which drainage is filled with all the filthy water. And this messy water goes down to the ground floor. Because it comes in from the taps, the people here have black jaundice. The treatment of some people is going on in Rohtak and Meerut. The poor people do not have money hence die. Shamli CMO Rajkumar accepted the ongoing problem in the village and informed about his next course of action stating that an investigation has been set up and it is going on in full swing. We will be setting up health camps and will also get the…
Shivaji statue height increased, to be world’s tallest at 212 metres
The height of the statue of King Shivaji, to be built off the Mumbai coast, has been increased by two metres so that on completion it would be the worlds tallest, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said. The Spring Temple Buddha in China was earlier proposed to be 208 meters tall, and our memorial was to be 210 meters. But the Chinese authorities made some construction at the statues base, taking the height to 210 meters. It prompted us to revise our design and increase the height to 212 meters, Fadnavis said, speaking to media here. The proposal has received sanction from the Union government. Preliminary work is going on at the site in the Arabian Sea at present, Fadnavis said. Contract for the project was awarded to Larsen Toubro for Rs 2,500 crore in March this year. The state government had pegged the overall project cost (phase I and II) at Rs 3,600 crore. The memorial of the iconic warrior king, to be built on 6.8 hectares of reclaimed land in the Arabian Sea, had got mired in a controversy as the cost ballooned from the estimate of Rs 260 crore when it was conceived eight years ago.
Biggest Solar Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh setup under Solar Park scheme
The Biggest Solar Power Plant in Uttar Pradesh has been set up through transparent auction under the Solar Park scheme of New and Renewable Energy Ministry. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs. 74.25 lakh per MW was provided by the Government of India for the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated Uttar Pradeshs biggest solar power plant of 75 MW (101DC) capacity in Mirzapur on March 12. Built at a cost of around Rs. 528 crores, the 75 MW solar plant at Vijaypur village in Mirzapur, will generate 13 crore units of electricity per annum. The power plant has been set up by the French firm ENGIE through a transparent bidding process under the Solar Park Scheme of the New and Renewable Energy Ministry. The electricity generated by the project will be supplied by ENGIE at the rate of Rs.4.43 per unit for a period of 25 years. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for the project at the rate of Rs. 74.25 lakh per MW has been provided by the Government of India for the project. The Ministry had earlier approved setting up of four solar parks in Uttar Pradesh worth the capacity of 440 MW….
Rahul Gandhi meeting Sharad Pawar shows seriousness for bigger alliance, says NCP
Congress president Rahul Gandhis meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar hours after the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Lok Sabha bypoll results were announced, shows that the Congress leadership is serious on forging a bigger alliance of opposition parties, the NCP said today. In a major blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party was trounced in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats, including the citadel of Yogi Adityanaths Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi has started meeting various party leaders and began this practice by meeting Pawar saheb. The Congress president is meeting party presidents who are senior to him, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said. Despite the Congress being the bigger party, Rahul Gandhi has started meeting leaders of other parties. This shows they (Congress) are serious on making a bigger alliance, Malik, a former Maharashtra minister, told PTI here. The NCP leader said, Rahul Gandhi wants that Pawar saheb should bring in more people (parties) in the country under the UPA fold. Adityanath, who termed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samajwadi Party alliance as one of snake and mongoose, had said over-confidence and inability to understand the electoral understanding between the SP and the…
China welcomes India’s positive response to Wang Yi’s remarks on bilateral ties
China today welcomed as positive Indias willingness to deal with differences with Beijing on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each others interests. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kangs remarks came after India said it was willing to work with China to develop relations based on commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutual respect and sensitivity to each others interests. We have noted such positive remarks by the Indian side, Lu told a media briefing here answering a question on Indias response to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yis recent comments on bilateral ties. We wish to work with the Indian side to take the important consensus between the two leaderships as guidance to improve our political mutual trust, enhance mutual beneficial cooperation, manage our differences and ensure the correct track of our relations development, Lu said. He said Wang elaborated on Chinas basic position on its relations with India. Wang in his annual press conference had said that India and China should shed suspicion and manage differences by meeting halfway, suggesting toning down of tough Chinese posture against New Delhi after the tense Dokalam standoff. During the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi…
India, Pakistan agree to resolve through talks all issues about treatment of diplomats
India and Pakistan today announced they have agreed to mutually resolve all issues about the treatment of diplomats. The agreement follows claims and counter-claims by the two countries about harassment of each others diplomats. India and Pakistan have mutually agreed to resolve matters related to the treatment of diplomats and diplomatic premises, in line with the 1992 Code of Conduct for treatment of Diplomatic\/Consular personnel in India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. A similar statement was issued by Pakistan Foreign Office also. The Code provides for smooth and unhindered functioning of the diplomatic and consular officials of the two countries in conformity with the international laws without violating their privileges and immunities. The Code also says that the two countries should not resort to intrusive and aggressive surveillance and actions such as verbal and physical harassment, disconnection of phone lines, etc. Earlier this month, India had asked Pakistan to ensure safety and security of its officials working at the Indian mission in Islamabad, saying they continue to face harassment and intimidation. In its 16th Note Verbale to the Pakistan Foreign Ministry on March 22, the Indian High Commission specifically mentioned three incidents of harassment…
Karnataka bandh on April 12: Protesters defer shutdown call, demand ban on Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan movies
Karnataka Bandh on April 12 2018: In a major breakthrough in the long-standing feud between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, pro-Kannada outfits have called off the April 12 dawn-to-dusk bandh, reports said. The decision by pro-Kannada outfits came in the wake of Supreme Court on Monday asking the Centre to frame a draft Cauvery management scheme and file it by May 3. One of the leaders, who called the strike, said they would prefer to wait till May 3 and see what Centre does. They will decide their next course of action only after May 3. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra yesterday asked the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments to ensure that peace prevails till it finalises the Cauvery management scheme for implementation of its judgment on water distribution. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, was critical of the fact that despite a specific direction on the setting up of the scheme within six weeks, the Centre has been unable to do so. The Karnataka bandh was announced by Kannada outfit Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj. Nagaraj heads the umbrella of Kannada organisations that have called for the bandh. In…
Manohar Parrikar may soon visit US for treatment; these three people will look after Goa
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar may soon leave for United States of America for medical treatment, Indian Express has reported. The Goa CMO said that Parrikar will go to Mumbai today for a health check-up and if needed, may even go abroad for further treatment. The chief minister on Monday called a meeting of his governments senior ministers at his private residence in Dona Paula. Before leaving for Mumbai, Parrikar formed a cabinet advisory committee to take administrative decisions in his absence. The committee will comprise of Francis DSouza of the BJP, Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Sudin Dhavalikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The Goa CM was admitted to Mumbais Lilavati Hospital on February 15, where he received treatment for a pancreatic ailment. Parrikar was discharged from the hospital on February 22, and on the same day, he attended a session of Goa Legislative Assembly, where he presented the budget and made a brief speech. The session was shortened by four days owing to Parrikars illness. Agian, Parrikar was admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital after he suffered mild dehydration on February 25. Later, he was discharged from the hospital on March 1….
How Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis tackled Mumbai farmers protest and why it was called off: 10 top highlights
The Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra on Monday managed to resolve the farmers protest in Mumbai, an issue that could have turned potentially dangerous for the government had it not taken the right measures at the right time. On Monday, as thousands of farmers converged at the capital citys Azad Maidan ground, the state government met protesting farmers and agreed to all their demands. Nearly 40,000 farmers had marched to Mumbai from Nashik and gathered in Mumbais iconic Azad Maidan. Subsequently, CM Fadnavis held a meeting with a delegation of farmer leaders yesterday and farmers decided to call off the protest. However, arriving at the solution to what could have triggered a major political challenge for the BJP government was not easy for CM Fadnavis. The protests had grabbed the headlines and even Shiv Sena had backed the peasants. However, Fadnavis kept his composure and did not let things go out of hand. In fact, efforts to placate the farmers began as soon as the march began. BJP ministers in the state kept meeting and assuring farmers. However, farmers continued their march and threatened to gherao the assembly. Opposition parties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, MNS Chief Raj Thackrey,…
Mumbai traffic jam: Government tells HC, potholes and bad roads are main causes
The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court today that one of the primary reasons for traffic congestion in the city was bad and pothole-ridden roads. Appearing for the state government, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the HC that the state had given a list of suggestions to the Mumbai civic body to help ease the traffic congestion across the city. They include steps such as repairing bad roads, particularly the stretches around major or busy traffic islands in the city, constructing foot over-bridges, and regulating unauthorised parking. Various junctions in the city face heavy traffic throughout the day, Kumbhakoni said. Therefore, it is the BMCs responsibility to ensure that roads around traffic islands are maintained well. The potholes or damage on these roads become a primary cause of traffic jams, he said. Kumbhakoni made the submissions before a bench of Justices Naresh Patil and G S Kulkarni. The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by the NGO Janhit Manch, seeking directions to the state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to reduce the traffic woes of residents and strengthen the public transport network. The BMCs counsel, senior advocate Anil Sakhre, meanwhile, told the bench that the BMC…
Who is Harjit Masih? The man who claimed 39 Indians were shot dead by ISIS in Iraq
The confirmation of the death of 39 Indian missing in Iraqs Mosul has taken the country by storm. Speaking in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that the 39 Indians have been confirmed dead after verification of their DNAs. However, there was one man, Harjt Masih, who was able to return alive from the site where incident took place. Upon his return, Masih had claimed that all the Indians were killed. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor raised a point that why didnt the government believe Masih. When one man (Harjit Masih) kept on saying they were dead, why didnt the government believe him and what did it do for the last three and a half years. This is very disappointing, Tharoor said. However, EAM Swaraj has said that Masihs story was fake. Masihs story of escape, and then being jailed by Indian authorities on the charges of human trafficking is one compelling tale itself. A native of a village near Punjabs Batala, Masih claimed he had been abducted with the rest of 39 people by ISIS. He further claimed that he saw all of them being shot dead by the abductors, and that he…
Sons’ shops demolished in anti-encroachment drive, J&K BJP leader Kuldeep Raj Gupta’s response could shock you!
Kuldeep Raj Gupta, a senior BJP leader from Jammu and Kashmir, picked up a stone to hit the police and the government officials on Sunday after the officials demolished two shops owned by his sons in Rajouri town. However, the minister asserted that he had picked up the stone to hit himself in wake of the loss incurred by him in the anti-encroachment demolition drive. The officials demolished 73 structures on Sunday, including 24 shops and 59 extensions, in the drive which was carried out against buildings and structures that allegedly encroached upon a busy road and violated Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Ribbon Development Act. The drive was carried out following instructions from the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, during her public outreach programme on December 23, 2017 wherein she was approached by several deputations from Rajouri town for the removal of encroachment. The Chief Executive Officer of the Municipal Committee and Tehsildar Rajouri headed the exercise. Kuldeep Raj Gupta, a minister of state in the Jammu and Kashmir government, is also the Vice-Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People. According to The Indian Express, Gupta reached the spot immediately after being informed…