The Delhi High Court today allowed T T V Dhinakarans plea for allotment of a common symbol, preferably a pressure cooker, and a suitable name of his choice for the AIADMK faction led by him. Justice Rekha Palli directed the Election Commission to do the needful within three weeks after giving Dhinakarans faction an appropriate hearing. The court order came on an interim application filed by the Dhinakaran-V K Sasikala faction in their main petition challenging the ECs November 23 order last year, which had allotted the two leaves symbol to the group headed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam. Dhinakaran had earlier told the court that he needed a temporary name and symbol for his group to interact with the electorate in the eventuality of elections to local bodies or any other polls held before his claim to the partys symbol was decided. The application sought the allocation of the name and symbol only till the pendency of the main petition, claiming that otherwise the poll panel might declare it as a separate party. Dhinakaran had won the by-elections held in Radha Krishnan Nagar Assembly constituency in December last year under the…
Month: February 2020
Asaduddin Owaisi slams Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over Ayodhya remarks
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi today slammed spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for his remarks on the Ayodhya dispute saying it was Talking to news channel NDTV yesterday, Ravi Shankar said, According to Islam, you cannot pray in a disputed site so anyway they cant have a mosque there. This way everyone wins. The spiritual leader said that the Supreme Court order would not resolve the issue. If court rules against a temple, there will be bloodshed. Do you think the Hindu majority will allow it? They will garner resentment towards the Muslim community, he had said. Owaisi slammed Rav Shankar Owaisi also said that the apex court should not hear the matter till the next general elections. He said Ravi Shankar has come out with his He alleged that Ravi Shankar
PNB fraud fallout: Government tables bill to confiscate all assets of absconding fraudsters, loan defaulters
The government today tabled a bill that seeks to confiscate all the assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters for recovering dues from them. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill 2018 aims to impound and sell assets of fugitives such as Nirav Modi, who is alleged to be behind the nearly Rs 12,700 crore fraud at Punjab National Bank. The law will apply to defaulters who have an outstanding of Rs 100 crore or more and have escaped from the country. The Bill tabled in the Lok Sabha provides for measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading the process of law in India by staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, to preserve the sanctity of the rule of law in India and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. As per the statement of objects and reasons of the Bill, there have been several instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts anticipating the commencement of criminal proceedings or sometimes during the pendency of such proceedings. The absence of such offenders from Indian courts has several deleterious consequences, such as, it obstructs investigation in criminal cases, it wastes precious time of courts and it undermines the rule…
Women’s Day: PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to Chhattisgarh’s late social activist Kunwar Bai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of International Womens Day, paid tribute to Chhattisgarhs social activist, late Kunwar Bai, who was chosen as a mascot for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Prime Minister Modi took to Twitter on Thursday and shared his experience of meeting Kunwar Bai, I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bais blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh. Kunwar Bai lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapus dream of a clean India. #SheInspiresMe. The icon, who passed away at the age of 106, became an inspiration for India in 2016, when the story of how she sold her goats to build a toilet at home got nationwide publicity. Inspired by the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, she had sold off eight to ten of her goats, her only assets, to raise Rs 22,000 to build toilets at her house, in her village of Kotabharri, in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. It was during his visit to Chhattisgarh that PM Modi met Kunwar Bai. Prime Minister Modi further tweeted, #SheInspiresMe- Kunwar Bai, who died earlier this year at the age of 106. Hailing…
A senior BJP leader explains why his party lost bypoll in Yogi Adityanath’s bastion Gorakhpur, Phulpur
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramakant Yadav on Thursday launched a major attack on his own party, blaming the marginalization and neglect of backward castes and Dalits in the party for the bypoll loss in Gorakhpur and Phulpur. Ramakant Yadav,who unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls against (then) Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Azamgarh, said he would like to advise his party to undertake immediate course correction so that satisfactory situation emerges in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Considered one of the tallest Yadav leader in the BJP, specially in eastern UP, he also targeted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, holding people involved 24×7 in pooja-paat cannot run the state. He went on to allege that only one caste was being promoted and patronized in the state and said that Adityanath cannot take everyone along. I had huge expectations from Addityanath but he has failed to take every one along, he said. Likening the state of Dalits and OBCs in the party after elections to that of the removal of the scaffolding after a house is built, Yadav contended that it was not the SP-BSP alliance has not won in the two bypolls but the BJP has…
Good News: Two decades on, Olive Ridley turtles return to Mumbai’s Versova beach; see pics
After a gap of over two decades, Olive Ridley turtles made an appearance on Mumbais Versova beach on Thursday morning. As many as 80 hatchlings of the endangered species of turtle were spotted in the city. This is the first time in the last 20 years when Olive Ridley turtles have been spotted on the Versova beach. The hatchlings were spotted by a group of volunteers who were engaged in the clean-up of the Versova beach. Upon spotting, the forest officials of the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit of the state mangrove cell were contacted. Prashant Deshmukh, a range forest officer said, Female turtles may have nested here a while back. Now, we can see that these babies have hatched from their eggs. Afroz Shah, the leading man behind the Versova beach clean up said that a couple of months back, reports of an Olive Ridley coming to the beach had emerged and he was confident about the hatching and was expecting it for some time. Afroz Shah also took to micro-blogging site Twitter and wrote: Week 127 . Fantastic news for Mumbai . We got back Olive Ridley Sea Turtle after 20 years. Historic moment Nested and Hatched at our…
DND flyway mishap: Delhi Court acquits driver, blames victim
A Delhi court has set aside the jail term of a man convicted of rash driving and killing a person on the DND flyway here, while blaming the victim for negligently crossing the busy road, which is a pedestrian-free zone. Additional Sessions Judge S K Gupta acquitted the man, who was driving a Scorpio car on the Delhi-Noida-Delhi expressway at high speed in 2014 and hit a pedestrian while he was crossing the road after using a public toilet there. The DND Road is a busy road which connects Delhi to Noida. The deceased was crossing the road. The DND flyover is a pedestrian-free zone. The deceased himself was negligent while crossing the road. The criminality is not to be presumed merely on the basis of accident. There is high movement of the traffic on DND road. The deceased has crossed the road without taking care of the traffic on the road. In such circumstances, it is not possible to save the accident even if the vehicle is at low speed. The appellant (accused) cannot be said to be negligent, the judge said. The order came on the appeal filed by the man against a magisterial courts 2017 decision holding…
Mehul Choksi to CBI: Completely defenceless due to exaggerated allegations
Diamond merchant Mehul Choksi, co-accused in the Rs 13,540 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, has said that exaggerated allegations by multiple investigating agencies have left him completely defenceless and that he feared for his safety to return home. In a two-page March 16-dated letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Choksi denied he was a partner of Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond and Solar Exports. These firms have been accused of conducting fraudulent transactions with Firestar International and Firestar Diamond International owned his nephew Nirav Modi, who is also an accused in the PNB fraud. The companies were named by the CBI in an additional FIR filed on February 14. Choksi was summoned to appear before the CBI on March 16 for questioning in the case. Reiterating that it was impossible for him to return to India, Choksi said his health condition was not conducive and that his passport remained suspended. Till date, the Regional Passport Office (in Mumbai) hasnt communicated with me and my passport remains suspended. I have the deepest respect for your offices and assure you that I am not making any excuse, whatsoever, to travel to India. I reiterate that I am abroad and…
Sotheby’s all set to launch India auctions with Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Durga Mahisasura Mardini’
Following the opening of their Mumbai office in 2016, Sothebys is all set to launch sales in India this December, the London-based auction house has said. Mumbai will be established as the new selling point for the auction house. The decision comes after the visibly growing presence of Indian collectors in Sothebys global auctions, and the development of an increasingly vibrant domestic Indian art market, says Jan Prasens, Sothebys Managing Director for Europe, Middle East, Russia and India. Given these promising signs, and the projected economic growth for India in the future, it is the right time for Sothebys to further expand the services we offer our clients in the region, and to bring our auctions directly to the doorstep of the many collectors who live there, Prasens added. The launch will be marked by Boundless: Mumbai, a sale featuring South Asias greatest artists, as well as artworks by western artists inspired and influenced by the art, culture, geography and people of South Asia. It will be led by Tyeb Mehtas seminal work Durga Mahisasura Mardini. Commissioned directly from the artist in 1993, the work has remained in a private collection since. One of most provocative portrayals of goddess Durga…
Wife not a chattel, husband can’t force her to live with him: Supreme Court
A wife is not a chattel or an object and she cannot be forced to reside with her husband even if the man desires to live with her, the Supreme Court has said. The apex court observed this while hearing a matter in which a woman, who lodged a criminal case against her husband alleging cruelty, said that she do not want to live with him while the man maintained that he wants to reside with her. She is not a chattel. You (man) cannot force her. She does not want to live with you. How can you say that you will live with her, a bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the man, who was present in the courtroom. The bench asked the man to re-consider his decision and desire to reside with his wife in view of the categorical statement by the womans counsel that she does not want to live with him. You better re-consider it, the bench told the man. How can he (man) be so unreasonable? He is treating her as a chattel. She is not an object, the bench told the lawyer appearing for the man and posted the matter…
SSC cheating case: Gang of four busted by Delhi Police in connection to scam; here’s how they operated
SSC cheating case: Four people have been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch that busted the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) cheating racket last week. The four people were arrested for their alleged involvement in the scam on Monday. The Delhi Police joined hands with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) to crack this cheating racket. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Anup, Neeraj, Kushal Negi and Dured Ali. They said that the accused had provided internet connectivity to the students who were appearing for the SSC exam. They then downloaded the window sharing application, following which they shared the password with the candidates and helped them in cheating. The arrest has been made in connection with the ongoing crackdown in the SSC cheating case. The police have registered the case in Timarpur police station under section 419, 420 and 120-(b) of the IPC and section 66 of the IT Act. While talking about the accused other than Durga Ali, the police as quoted by Indian Express said, Police said the three have been produced before the court. Negi was sent to four-day police custody and the others were sent to judicial custody. While giving…
Now, Niti Aayog to screen all Government of India consultants
Hiring consultants Nudged by the PMO, government think-tank Niti Aayog has written to all ministries and departments to submit a database of consultants working with them and state how these postings don It has been suggested that given the rising number of consultants being employed by every ministry, there is a need to streamline data pertaining to such appointments, The move comes at a time when Niti Aayog itself is hiring external consultants to bring in talent to strengthen its workforce. Apart from hiring individuals Niti Aayog, which replaced the erstwhile Planning Commission and has been assigned the responsibility for preparing long-term vision for the country, plans to create a pool of experts who can be on deputation or on contracts. The experts can be deployed as advisers, deputy advisers, joint advisers, senior advisers, senior research officers or economic officers. Most government departments also hire consultants either specifically for a project or for general brainstorming. However, this autonomy of hiring consultants individually by government departments is set to go. This would essentially mean that all ministries will have to go through the think-tank for hiring consultants. In addition, all consultants will require to submit a self-declaration form, as specified by…
32 of 68 blood banks in Delhi functioning without valid licences, says CAG report
There are 68 government and private blood banks operating in the national capital, but nearly half of them are functioning without valid licences, thanks to the delay by authorities in processing their applications, the Comptroller General of India (CAG) has said in its report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday. According to a report by The Indian Express, of the 68 places where the life-saving fluid is available, 11 are managed by the Delhi government, nine by the Centre, three by the local bodies and six by voluntary organisations. The remaining 39 are privately owned including hospitals. The CAG report mentioned that as of March 2017, 32 blood banks were functioning without renewing their licences. In the absence of valid licences, an audit could not derive assurance that these blood banks had the required manpower and infrastructure for their functioning, The CAG said that there are many factors why licences are not issued or renewed on time. It said that The IE report said the blood bank at the Sushrut Trauma Centre has not renewed its licence since December 2012. Five patients had died at this centre five years ago after the supply of oxygen to their ventilators was…
IPFT threatens movement over modality committee, demands one more cabinet berth in Tripura
The IPFT, an ally of the ruling BJP in Tripura, threatened to launch a movement today unless an inter-ministerial modality committee was formed within the next three months and also demanded another cabinet berth in the Biplab Kumar Deb ministry. The inter-ministerial modality committee would study the socio-economic and cultural issues of the indigenous people of the north-eastern state, Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) vice-president Ananta Debbarma told reporters here. He claimed that the Centre had, on January 8, announced to form the committee after an IPFT delegation met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard. We are waiting to be updated about the inter-ministerial modality committee, to be formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. If it does not start functioning within the next three months, we shall launch a democratic movement, Debbarma said. Demanding one more cabinet berth for the IPFT, he said, There is a provision for a 12-member cabinet. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has filled up nine positions and kept three vacant. We were given two berths in the cabinet, we can get one more. In the 60-member Tripura Assembly, the BJP has 36 legislators, the IPFT eight and…
Rajya Sabha polls: How Naresh Agarwal joining BJP is bad news for SP-BSP combine in Uttar Pradesh
Rajya Sabha polls 2018: First day of Naresh Agarwal, who dumped Samajwadi Party camp to join the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on Monday, was jinxed by a controversy over his remarks against Samajwadi Party Upper House nominee Jaya Bachchan. On Tuesday, Agarwal regretted using the term woman who used to dance against Jaya but the controversy doesnt seem to end soon. Amid all the noise, what is interesting is the fact that Agarwal is set to upset the calculation of BSP-SP combine ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. As many as 10 Upper House members are to be elected from Uttar Pradesh. BJP is certain about winning eight seats, SP about one and BSP was expecting to win one seat with the support of remaining MLAs. The SP has 47 votes, which means at least 10 votes will remain available even after Jaya Bachchan gets elected comfortably. As many as 37 votes are necessary for winning a Rajya Sabha seat in UP. Out of the 10 SP votes, Agarwal will likely secure one vote of his son and MLA Nitin Agarwal for the BJP. He may try to get more SP votes for the…
Pained by violence, Centre’s special envoy Dineshwar Sharma hopes for peaceful summer in Kashmir Valley
Centres special envoy for talks on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma today said he was pained by the cycle of violence in the Valley but hopeful of a peaceful summer this year as many people, especially the youth, had assured him of working as peace ambassadors in the state. Ahead of his maiden visit to Leh and Kargil, Sharma said the youth will work for peace as they have understood that all problems can be addressed only when there is peace. They (youth) I am sure the youth will assume the role of ambassadors of peace, Athough I am pained by repeated cycle of violence in Kashmir, I am quite hopeful of a peaceful summer this year. I have full faith in people of Jammu and Kashmir particularly the youth, he said ahead of his visit to the Valley which would be his sixth since taking up the assignment of being the Centres special representative in October last year. Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau Chief, seemed upset with the recent violence flare-up in the Valley. While I have been advising security forces to exercise utmost restraint, there are some stray incidents which will also end immediately, he said. He made it clear…
Conjoined twins, separated by surgery at AIIMS, celebrate third birthday
Having battled the impossible, Jaga and Balia, the conjoined twins from Odishas Kandhamal district, who were joined at the head and separated after a marathon surgery at the AIIMS in New Delhi, celebrated their third birthday at the premier medical institute today. This was their first birthday after the surgery that was performed in October last year. According to the doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jaga is now able to walk on his own and feeding well, while Balias conditions are consistently improving. The doctors said Balia was breathing well through a tracheostomy tube and taking oral feeds of custard, yogurt or bananas, adding that he did not have any fits of late and was being mobilised by a physiotherapy and rehabilitation team on a wheelchair. Both will require a series of plastic surgery operations and a replacement of the bone flap in the head after a minimum of three to five years from now, the AIIMS said in a statement. The AIIMS had, in a reply to a notice to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recently, said the twins were clinically well and did not need ICU or specialised care. It had also…
India-Iran-Russia resume talks on activating key trade corridor
India, Iran and Russia have resumed talks on activating the International North South Transport Corridor which will cut freight time to Europe by half and bring down the cost for the benefit of east and southeast Asian exporters. The INSTC was discussed during Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis visit to India in February while Russia maintains a strong interest in the trade route, said Ambassador P S Raghavan, Convener of National Security Advisory Board in the Indian government. There is nothing to stop the INSTC from being activated in a matter of months, said Raghavan. He said that capacity building can be carried out as trade volume increases and progress is made on related issues. With no trade sanctions against Iran, the INSTC becomes very competitive, he said. The INSTC could transport exports from Indias west coast, through Irans Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports, Central Asian states, Russia and onwards to Europe. Indian-Iranian-Russian customs have discussed trans-shipment processes while logistics such as containerisation needs to be sorted out, Raghavan said after addressing the 12th Institute of South Asian Studies International Conference on South Asia. The conference was organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies, a think tank of the National…
CJI impeachment row: Venkaiah Naidu hits back at criticism, says decision not taken in haste
A day after the Opposition led by the Congress mounted a full-frontal attack on the Vice President for rejecting a motion to impeach CJI Dipak Misra, Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, has responded to the allegations that the decision was taken in haste. Naidu said that decision came after a month of due diligence. Decision to reject impeachment motion against CJI was not hasty, came after over a month of due diligence, Naidu said. He added that his decision maintained strict conformity with provisions of Constitution and Judges Inquiry Act. I had responsibility cast on me. I have done my job and am satisfied with it, he said. Lashing out at MPs, the vice-president said that the RS Chairmans office not a mere post office but a constitutional functionary. He further said that truth prevails, adding, that he has done the just thing in the best possible manner expected of me. Naidu observed that the Chief Justice of India is the highest judicial functionary of the country and stressed that any issue in public domain concerning him requires to be resolved at the earliest following prescribed procedures so as to prevent the atmosphere from being further…
Countering BJP’s Dalit, backward outreach programme: BSP plans this step
As the BJP tries to placate Dalit voters through outreach programmes like Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in run-up to the Lok Sabha polls next year, the BSP has asked its office-bearers and workers to fan out and initiate preemptive steps to ensure the ruling party does not make a dent in a vote bank that has traditionally backed it. Party office-bearers, including coordinators and peoples representatives, have been alerted against the designs of the BJP behind its leaders undertaking visits to villages for night stays and having dinners at Dalit homes, a BSP leader said, requesting anonymity. Under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, which was launched earlier this month, the BJP has asked its MPs, including Union ministers, to spend at least a night in villages where SCs\/STs constitute over 50 per cent of the population. They have been asked to ensure everyone in such villages is covered under government schemes that aim to provide LPG connections, vaccination to children, Jan Dhan accounts and electricity for households. The campaign is being seen as a part of the BJPs massive outreach to the rural poor, especially the Dalits, as it gears up for a string of assembly elections leading to the Lok Sabha…
UP, Bihar bypoll results show united opposition can defeat BJP: NCP
Describing the BJPs defeat in the bypolls to three Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as a shape of things to come, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today said the results had shown a united opposition could defeat the saffron party-led regime in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The bypoll results are a victory of the united forces for social justice. There was no division of votes and thus, the BJP could not benefit from such a split, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI here. In the 2019 general election, when the secular votes will not get divided, the BJP will be defeated. What happened yesterday will impact the general election, the former Maharashtra minister said, adding that the results had proved that a united opposition could defeat the BJP-led central government. It is the mandate of the people that the like-minded parties must unite. We are hopeful that the UPA will consolidate all the secular and like-minded parties, he said. On the leaders of 20 opposition parties attending a dinner hosted by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her attempts to rally forces against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Malik said, The dinner was hosted to discuss…
Cambridge Analytica row: KC Tyagi in trouble? JDU seeks explanation over data breach
Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United has sought an explanation from its senior leader KC Tyagi in the ongoing Facebook data leak scam. On Thursday, media reports said that Tyagis son, Amrish, is the owner of Ovelina Business Intelligence (OBI), the Indian associate of Cambridge Analytica, which is under investigation over allegations stealing the data of over 50 million Facebook users. A media report said that OBI was working in association with SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica. Together the two companies had formed a company A number of media reports claimed on Wednesday that OBI had listed JDU, Congress and the BJP as its clients on its website. The development comes a day after a major row erupted after BJP and Congress traded charges over hiring the services of controversial data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica. Addressing a press conference, BJP accused Congress of data theft to woo voters ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the opposition party hit back alleging that the BJPs factory of fake news has produced one more fake product. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also addressed a press conference and accused BJP of hiring the services of the firms Indian arm…
Goa’s Mormugao port might shut down if losses mount, says Nitin Gadkari
Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari today said that the continued losses at the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) might result in its shutdown. The MPT, located in the states Vasco town, is facing a crisis as handling of coal has stopped due to protests and the banning of iron ore extraction has affected ore cargo as well. The port (Mormugao Port Trust) has run into losses this year. During the current financial year there is a loss of Rs 25 crore. Now you have to decide whether to run the port or not, Gadkari told a gathering in Vasco town. He was speaking at a ceremony to launch an inland ferry service between the port town and Old Goa near here in the states North district. If you keep on opposing everything, then how would we be able to support the port? If the port does not get any consignment, it will have to be closed. If there are losses, it is difficult to give payment without any work, Gadkari said in an indirect reference to the protests against the alleged pollution caused by the ports handling of coal. Taking a dig at civil society, Gadkari said, There are some people…
‘Isn’t Mark Zuckerberg PM Modi’s friend?’: Congress asks BJP on Cambridge Analytica
Congress on Thursday unleashed a barrage of criticism on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of alleged data leak on social media website Facebook. In a press conference, chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala held Narendra Modi responsible for the fake news and data leaks. BJP government has become a manufacturer of fake news. Sabse bade data chor macha rahe hain sabse zyada shor, Surjewala said. The Congress also targeted Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Hitler had an associate called Goebbels, Modi ji has an associate called Ravi Shankar Prasad, he said. Surjewala came down heavily on the BJP and said that the party needs to clarify its involvement with Cambridge Analyticas Indian arm Ovleno. On BJPs involvement in Facebook data leak, Surjewala said, Isnt Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) PM Modis friend. BJP needs to clarify this, whether Cambridge Analyticas Indian arm Ovleno provided services to their party. Did BJP take services from Cambridge Analytica and OBI for their Mission 272+ as claimed by Himanshu Sharma, VP of Ovleno Business Intelligence? he said. In 2010 Bihar Elections, as claimed by Cambridge Analytica, did BJP take help from the company for electoral analysis? Surjewala asked. Surjewalas press conference was a…
Maharashtra plastic ban update: Has public also been given time to dispose PET bottles? HC asks govt
The Bombay High Court today questioned the Maharashtra governments decision of giving three months time to manufacturers to dispose of the PET bottles but not extending the same relief to the public using them. A division bench of Justices A S Oka and Riyaz Chagla sought to know from the state government if the three months time has been extended for the public too. What if a common man is found with such a bottle? He or she will not know if the said bottle meets the criteria laid down by the government, Justice Oka said. If the manufacturers have been given three months to dispose (of) their existing stock, has the same been extended to the public also? he asked. Government counsel E P Bharucha then said the people found with plastic bottles which do not meet the criteria would be penalised. The three months time granted to manufacturers is so that they can recycle or dispose of the existing stock of plastic bottles. The state has to start the ban somewhere, Bharucha said. The high court was hearing petitions filed by manufacturers and retailers of plastic, PET bottles and thermocol, challenging a March 23 notification issued by the…
After Maya Kodnani’s acquittal in Naroda Patiya massacre case, BJP says ‘ready to give her active role’
The Gujarat unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed readiness to bring Maya Kodnani back to active politics. According to a report in The Indian Express, state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani welcomed the High Court verdict in the Naroda Patiya massacre case and said that according to her (Kodnani) willingness, the party will use her. She has been our worker in the past, she is one even today and tomorrow. She keeps on working as a worker. The BJP uses all its party workers and we will also use her as per her desire, The Gujarat High Court on Friday acquitted Maya Kodnani in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case. The court said that there was an absence of sufficient proof of her presence at the crime scene. The HC, however, upheld the conviction of Bajrang Dal activist Babu Bajrangi, who was sentenced to imprisonment for life by the trial court. Kodnani, a former BJP minister was one of the key accused in the riot case and was convicted by a special SIT court in August 2012. She was sentenced to 28 years in imprisonment. In 2002, when the massacre had taken place She went on to become a…
Six-month-old Indore girl kidnapped, murdered; accused caught on CCTV
A six-month-old girl was reportedly kidnapped, raped and murdered in Madhya Pradesh The infant was found dead in the basement of a building in Rajwada area later in the day. The post-mortem of the child was conducted at the state run-MY Hospital which suggested that she might have been raped before being murdered. The police have identified the accused as Sunil Bheel (21) who was caught carrying the infant on his shoulder in CCTV footage. The police said that the accused had known the family. The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused, Sunil Bheel, had kidnapped her in the morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family, HC Mishra, deputy inspector-general of police, Indore, said, adding that Bheel was known to the family. The incident reportedly took in the early hours of the day and the accused was caught carrying the infant in CCTV images at around 4:45 AM. He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping. Her body was recovered later in the…
US wants to work on economically-sensible projects in Indo-Pacific, says official
The US, India and Japan intend to work together on high-standard projects in the Indo-Pacific region that make economic sense amidst Chinas predatory economic behaviour, according to a senior Trump administration diplomat. Initiated by Japan, and supported by the US and India, the three countries are working on projects that can provide an alternative to what the former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson described as the predatory economics of China, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said. This approach was opposed to the predatory economic behaviour of China thats creating burden on countries in the region, she told PTI. We intend to work together and with partner nations in support of high-standard projects that make economic sense, that genuinely benefit the recipient countries, and that can attract private capital so as to lift nations up rather than weigh them down in unsustainable debt, she said. Wells, who has been heading the South and Central Asia Bureau of the State Department since June 26, 2017 in the absence of a full-fledged Assistant Secretary of State, recently returned from New Delhi where she participated in a trilateral dialogue involving the US, India and Japan….
Lenin statue demolition in Tripura sparks major political controversy: Here’s who said what
The pulling down of the Lenin statue in Tripura has sparked a war of words between political parties led by opposing ideologies. It all began when a group of men, purportedly BJP workers, allegedly vandalised the statue with a bulldozer at Belonia in South Tripura district. Meanwhile, the driver of the JCB, which was reportedly used to bring down the statue, was arrested but released on bail later, Superintendent of Police of South Tripura district Monchak Ipper said. State CPI(M) leaders have alleged that mob were chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai while bring down the statue. It has been learnt that prohibitory orders were enforced in several areas of West Tripura district including Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhatinagar, Jirania, Mohanpur and many more places following reports of post-poll violence, District Magistrate Milind Ramteke said. Meanwhile, the political slugfest has even reached the national capital and threshold of Parliament. BJP Rajya MP Subramanian Swamy has even called Lenin a terrorist, said that Left party should keep and worship Lenins statue in its headquarters. LISTEN IN | After Lenintwitter.com\/cexQButnfY Politicians react to Lenins statue being razed in Tripura #LeninStatueRow pic.twitter.com\/73qNrCeiiq He also claimed that 24 BJP workers were killed due to…
Arvind Kejriwal’s apology miffs AAP’s Punjab unit, Bhagwant Mann quits: Top 10 developments
A political turmoil has ensued at home after Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal decided to tender an apology to former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia. The apology came on the latters defamation cases against top AAP leaders including Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh (then state-in-charge) and Ashish Khetan at an Amritsar court. Majithia filed the defamation case reportedly after AAP leaders hurled allegations against him repeatedly during the Assembly polls campaign. However, after Delhi CM apologised to Majithia for alleging that the former CM of Punjab was embroiled in a drug trade, Majithia has decided to withdraw the lawsuit. But, it is not the end of political turmoil for the AAP leader as he is yet to contend the Arun Jaitley defamation suit along with other cases. Immediately after Kejriwal tendered the apology, its Punjab unit came down heavily on the chief rejecting the apology and accusing him of a Meanwhile, it reported that another apology will be issued from the party leadership to end the defamation suit with Arun Jaitley. Hera are the 10 developments so far: 1. AAP Punjab rejects apology and calls it Party colleagues in Punjab…