Hyderabad: Less than a month after a girl pursuing MBA from Anantapur committed suicide during a video call, another similar incident has surfaced from Hyderabad. In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old ITI student took the extreme step while talking to his female friend over a WhatsApp video call. As per media reports, Ajmeera Sagar ended his life by hanging himself after his alleged breakup with his the girl. A video clip of the incident has also gone viral in which the man can be seen hanging himself after a brief conversation wherein he is heard saying that he is ending his life and the girl telling him not to do so. Sagar, who used to live in Hyderabad with his elder sister in a rented house, used her sisters saari to hang himself. As per reports, Sagar was home alone when he committed suicide. The police have recovered the video of the incident as well. Reportedly, his body was found out by the landlord after which the incident was reported at the Neredmet Police Station limit of Cyberabad. A case has been filed under Section 174 CrPC and the body was sent for post-mortem. Earlier in February this year, 24-year-old…
Month: June 2020
Rahul Gandhi meets Sharad Pawar after bypoll results
Congress President Rahul Gandhi met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday evening after the BJPs defeat in three Lok Sabha byelections and is believed to have discussed unity among opposition parties to take on the BJP-led NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Sources said that the meeting lasted about 90 minutes and the two leaders are believed to have discussed the political scenario after BJPs shock defeats in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and its inability to wrest Araria seat in Bihar from the Rashtriya Janata Dal. Gorakhpur seat was vacated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath and Phulpur by his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya. The BSP had supported Samajwadi Party candidates in the two seats in order to defeat the BJP and the verdict is being seen as a template for opposition parties coming together in 2019. The two leaders are believed to have discussed ways to take on Narendra Modi government inside and outside the Parliament. Both Gandhi and Pawar were together at the dinner hosted by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for leaders of 19 opposition parties on Tuesday. Pawar had also held meetings of opposition parties in January.
First no-confidence motion against Narendra Modi govt: Will it work? YSR Congress to take on Centre
Last Friday, YSR Congress leader YV Subba Reddy submitted a letter to Lok Sabha General Secretary Snehlata Shrivastava to move a no-confidence motion against Narendra Modi government on March 19 (Monday). The principle opposition party in Andhra Pradesh submitted the no-trust motion request in Lok Sabha to express their displeasure against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled incumbent government. The party claimed that the Centre went back on its words of granting Andhra Pradesh special category status (SCS) to Bihar. It is the first no-confidence letter against NDA since it took charge in 2014. YV Subba in the letter wrote, 03.2018. I request you to include the motion in the revised List of Business for 19.03.2018. pic.twitter.com\/TEv603gFhp Later, the date was revised as March 19. Soon after YSRCP TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu in a letter to BJP President Amit Shah on Friday expressed that it was pointless for the party to continue with the alliance as the incumbent government failed to discharge its Constitutional duties in implementing Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. Letter of YSR Congress Party MP YV Subba Reddy to Lok Sabha Secretary-General for moving motion on No-Confidence in the Council of Ministers in the house. pic.twitter.com\/FADQCKVOig But, has…
INX Media case: Arguments deferred on anticipatory bail plea of Karti Chidambaram’s CA
A Delhi court today deferred the arguments on a plea of Karti Chidambarams CA S Bhaskararaman seeking anticipatory bail fearing arrest by the CBI in the INX Media case, after the probe agency sought time to file a reply. Special Judge Sunil Rana, who has already granted him bail in the ED case, posted the matter for hearing on March 26. The counsel for Bhaskararaman had moved an anticipatory bail application on March 12 before the court apprehending that after the ED, the CBI would seek his custody for interrogation. The special court had on March 13 granted bail to Bhaskararaman in the INX Media money laundering saying there were no specific allegation against him except that he aided former Union minister P Chidambarams son in committing the crime. The CA was sent to jail on February 26 after his custodial interrogation by the ED. Kartis name had cropped up in the case relating to the Foreign Investment Promotion Boards (FIPB) approval granted in 2007 for receipt of funds by INX Media when his father and Congress leader P Chidambaram was the finance minister during the previous UPA regime. The ED had alleged that INX Media had deliberately and in…
Big inspiration for every farmer! This man earned whopping Rs 21 lakhs in just 70 days – How he did it?
A man in Gujarats Banaskantha district proved that sometimes taking risks can help you earn big. The man – Khetaji Solanki – used his seven-acre land to farm muskmelon and at the end of just 70 days, he made a fortune worth Rs 21 lakhs. According to a report in Ahmedabad Mirror, the Banaskantha district is known for its potato harvest, but this time Solanki took a different turn and successfully experimented the cultivation of muskmelon on his land. Solanki hails from an area where the farmers are currently struggling to get the right prices for the potatoes that they have produced, as per the report. By cultivating muskmelon on his seven-acre land, Khetaji Solanki has shown other farmers that sometimes harvesting a bumper crop can bring you a fortune. Khetaji Solanki, who has completed his studies only till class 7, with the help of latest techniques cultivated muskmelon. Good quality seeds, a solar water pump and the drip irrigation was used to make the impossible happen. The Gujarat Farmer decided that he wants to cultivate a bumper crop in the month of February earlier in the year, and by the second week of April, in just 70 days, his…
VHP chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje visits Ayodhya, says Ram temple will be reality soon
Newly elected Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje on Monday visited the make-shift temple of Ram Lalla here in Uttar Pradesh and said that the dream of billions for a grand Ram temple here will soon be a reality. The former judge, who also served as governor of Himachal Pradesh, also offered prayers at the fabled Hanumangarhi temple. Later in the day, he was scheduled to hold wide-ranging meetings with the temple priests and office bearers of the Ramjanma Bhoomi Nyas, a VHP official said. Kokje would also visit the Karyasewakpuram – the place where stone carvings were underway for the last many years, in anticipation of construction of the Ram temple. On Sunday, before leaving for Faizabad, the VHP chief told reporters in Lucknow that many Muslims were also in favour of construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site. He also said that before starting work in his new capacity as the head of the Hindu outfit, he wanted to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla and that is why he was visiting Ayodhya. The 79-year-old leader also said that he would soon be holding deliberations with saints from all across the country and would like…
SC notice to Centre on plea against criminalisation of homosexuality
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre on a plea filed by hotelier Kesav Suri challenging the criminalisation of gay sex between two consenting adults. The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the Centre to file the response within a week on the plea. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, said the petition will be heard along with other pleas on the same matter which is being heard by the Constitution bench.
Whopping Rs 122 crore average worth of 63 Rajya Sabha candidates!
An overwhelming majority of the 63 candidates (87 per cent) in the fray for the coming Rajya Sabha elections are crorepatis with an average worth of Rs 122 crore, an analysis of the candidates self-sworn affidavits has revealed. Although 55 out of the 63 candidates are crorepatis (with assets over Rs. 1 crore), the average worth has spiked thanks to a few very high worth candidates, according to the analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The richest candidate – and most likely to-be parliamentarian – is Mahendra Prasad of Janata Dal United (JD-U) with total assets worth a whopping Rs 4,078 crore. Prasad is distantly followed by actress Jaya Bachchan of Samajwadi Party who declared total assets worth Rs 1,001 crore. B.M. Farooq of Janata Dal-Secular (worth Rs 766 crore), Abishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress (worth Rs 649 crore) and C.M. Ramesh of Telugu Desam Party (worth Rs 258 crore) are the other richest candidates in the fray, the analysis revealed. In contrast, Achyutananda Samananta of Biju Janata Dal is the poorest candidate with total assets worth Rs 4 lakh only. The second lowest worth candidate is Samir Oraon of Bharatiya Janata Party with Rs 18 lakh…
Bihar MP Pappu Yadav rekindles Bihar special status debate, submits letter to Lok Sabha seeking discussion
In the backdrop of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last week over Andhra Pradesh not being granted special status, Bihar MP Pappu Yadav on Wednesday sought to revive the demand for special status to Bihar. In a notice submitted to Lok Sabha Secretary-General Snehlata Shrivastava, Yadav has asked for a discussion on the matter of granting special status to the state of Bihar. Yadav in the letter highlighted the differences in development among the states stating that no amount of planning initiatives and finance commissions set up by the incumbent government has helped their state to progress. Slamming the Centre, Yadav said that direct and indirect contribution of the government has always aided the developed states more. Further, Yadav also pointed out that after the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, Bihar9 per cent to 9.7 per cent. The MP from Madhepura, Bihar, further stressed that the Centre has overlooked the financial crisis of India He noted that annual floods in Bihar caused from the rivers coming from Nepal is another financial burden the state has to carry. The leader invoked the Bihar Reorganisation Act of 2000 and mentioned that according to…
Mehbooba Mufti removes Jammu and Kashmir PDP leader, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu from cabinet, here is why
Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, one of the architects of the PDP-BJP alliance in the state, was unceremoniously removed from the council of ministers by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over his remarks that the Kashmir issue was not a political one, officials said. The chief minister, who returned from the national capital to Jammu, shot off a letter to the state Governor N N Vohra requesting him to drop Drabu from her council of ministers with immediate effect, PDP sources said. The Governor, after examining the letter, wrote back to the chief minister conveying his nod to her request to drop the 57-year-old Drabu from her council of ministers, officials said. A BJP leader in New Delhi, however, termed Chief Minister Muftis decision to sack her finance minister as a setback to the alliance as it could widen the gap between the two parties. Drabu, he said, was often the bridge between the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Centre over a host of issues. It is a setback to the alliance, the BJP leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. He recalled that Drabu played an important role in the formulation of the GST.Haseeb Drabu, Mehbooba…
Journalist accreditation could be permanently cancelled for fake news, says Government
The government today said the accreditation of a journalist could be permanently cancelled if the scribe is found generating or propagating fake news, as it came out with stringent measures to contain the menace. As per the amended guidelines for the accreditation of journalists, if the publication or telecast of fake news is confirmed, the accreditation of that journalist would be suspended for a period of six months in the first violation and for one year in case of a second violation. In case of a third violation, his or her accreditation would be cancelled permanently, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a release. It said any complaint of instances of fake news would be referred to the Press Council of India (PCI), if it pertains to print media, and to the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), if it relates to the electronic media, for determination of the news item being fake or not. This determination is expected to be completed within 15 days by these agencies, the ministry said. Once the complaint is registered for determination of fake news, the accreditation of the journalist, whoever The Accreditation Committee of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), which consists of representatives of…
Good news for single mother! Bombay HC directs BMC to issue new birth certificates without father’s name
The Bombay High Court today directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to issue new birth certificates for a girl child born through the test tube process without mentioning her biological fathers name. A bench of Justices AS Oka and RI Chagla also directed the civic body to recall the birth certificates bearing the name of the girls father on them that have already been issued, and to re-issue certificates with a blank space where the fathers name should be. The bench was hearing a plea filed by a single woman from Nallasopara in Palghar district who gave birth to a child in August 2016 through test tube process with the sperm obtained from a donor. The petitioner had said that she did not want to disclose the name of the sperm donor and requested the high court to direct the BMCs ward office concerned to issue a birth certificate for the child without mentioning the fathers name. Her petition also cited a 2015 judgement of the Supreme Court that mandated that if a single or unmarried mother applies for a birth certificate and files an affidavit seeking that the fathers name be withheld, such a certificate must be issued without…
Who is behind vandalisation of Ambedkar’s statues in Uttar Pradesh? BJP MP makes this surprise claim
A BJP MP has alleged that Christian missionaries were behind the vandalisation of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkars statues. Speaking to reporters here yesterday at a programme held to mark the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, BJP MP from Ballia Bharat Singh said, It is at the behest of the Christian missionaries that the statues of Babasaheb Ambedkar are being damaged and vandalised. The missionaries are also financing the people who are indulging in damaging and vandalising the statues of Babasaheb. Mounting an attack on the Christian missionaries, Sing said, The Christian missionaries are unable to accept the surge of the BJP under the leadership of BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He alleged that the missionaries are also involved in the large-scale religious conversion of Hindus through financial support to them Reacting to Singhs statement, senior SP leader Ramashankar Vidyarthi said, The BJP is simply trying to mislead the people of this country in the name of Ambedkar.
Jharkhand Municipal Corporation Elections 2018: Full list of winners
Jharkhand Municipal Corporation Elections 2018: The counting of votes for five Municipal Corporations in Jharkhand is on and the results are expected to be declared soon. Both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress are hopeful of performing well at Jharkhand Municipal Corporation Elections but will face a tough competition from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The voting took place on Monday, April 16 from 7 PM to 5 PM and the voter turnout was reported at 65.15 per cent. The five Nagar Nigams that went to polls are – Modinagar Nagar Nigam, Hazaribagh Nagar Nigam, Giridih Nagar Nigam, Ranchi Nagar Nigam and Adityapur Nagar Nigam. Ranchi Municipal Corporation, which is the state3 per cent. The election candidates from Ranchi also approached the State Election Commission with complaints of errors and names missing from voter lists on polling day. A total of 278 candidates are contesting for 34 Mayor and chairman seats, 320 for Deputy Mayor and Vice chairman, 122 for Mayoral and Presidential posts and 23 candidates for Deputy Mayor and Vice President posts. The Jharkhand Nagar Parishad Elections 2018 results will also be declared along with the Jharkhand Nagar Panchayat elections 2018 results. CHECK |Jharkhand municipal election 2018 results…
Congress slams Devendra Fadnavis government over dip in professional tax haul
The Opposition Congress has said a fall in professional tax collection shows the BJP-led government in Maharashtra has failed to address the issue of rising unemployment in the state. Professional tax collection figure shows employment status in the organised sector and a drop in its accumulation indicates lack of new formal sector jobs, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesman Sachin Sawant said. Higher the tax collection, more are the number of permanent employees. During the Devendra Fadnavis governments tenure, professional tax collection has been falling each year, he said yesterday. This year (2017-18), the Maharashtra government missed the professional tax collection target by Rs 652 crore. It was expected to collect Rs 2,769 crore in the year, but could net only Rs 2,117 crore, Sawant said. The Fadnavis-led government has been missing its collection target for the last three years. In contrast, under the Congress-led government, collection surpassed targets in 2013-14 and 2014-15, he said. It is unfortunate that the tax collection of Rs 2,117 crore in FY18 was less than that clocked in 2013-14 when it stood at Rs 2,146 crore, the Congress leader said. Sawant said this drop in professional tax collection indicates poor performance of the Fadnavis…
CJI impeachment: From ‘politics of revenge’ to ‘surgical attention’ for judiciary, BJP, Congress wage rhetoric fight
CJI impeachment: The issue of the attempted impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has rocked the countrys politics. The war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress continues unabated even as Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the impeachment motion against the CJI moved by opposition parties led by Congress. While BJP MP Bhupender Yadav claims that Opposition-led by Congress has been trying to intimidate the Supreme Court, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal rejects the charge as laughable. Asserting that the judiciary Lashing out at the Congress over the impeachment move against the CJI, he said that this attempt can dent the faith of the masses in the institution. The aim of the Opposition is only to settle political scores. These parties have gained nothing from this attempt, but in the process, they have hurt one of the most respected institutions of Indian democracy It is an institution that is responsible for protecting and upholding constitutional values, the BJP MP said in a column carried by The Indian Express. Sibal, on the other hand, defended the Congress impeachment move. The senior Congress leader said that the charges against the CJI have…
CBSE Class 12 economics re-exam on April 25: These students in Maoist-hit Bastar are facing litmus test; here is why
CBSE Class 12 economics re-exam on April 25: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will hold Class 12 economics re-exam on April 25.While, most of the students generally do not enjoy the retest, candidates, who will have to appear for the re-exam in maoist and naxal-affected Bastar district Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, are facing gruelling battle of nerves, according to The Indian Express. In this area, coaching centre do not remain open after school-term ends. Ahead of the ket examination, no one i sthere to assist students now. It changes every everything. We don In the bigger cities, students have more study material, or can call tutors to their homes. But here, reference books are limited because they don If the exams had ended with the Hindi paper on April 2, I would have helped my family in the fields. I still have to help at home, but now I am not doing as much as I can because of the exam. I am caught in between, I watched on TV as students from cities said that their holiday plans had been ruined. In Bastar, there is so much more at stake When I have a doubt now, there is…
Rs 3 crore worth gold bars abandoned in toilet of Delhi’s IGI airport
Nine gold bars worth Rs 3 crore have been found lying abandoned in a toilet inside the Delhi airport, a CISF official said today. The gold bars, each weighing about 1 kg, were recovered by the CISF late last night from a bathroom in the terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The cache, worth about 3 crore, have been handed over to the customs authorities, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) spokesperson said. He said the personnel on-duty at the airport were alerted by someone about the presence of a laptop bag kept in a toilet after which they opened the bag and recovered the nine gold bars from it. An unidentified passenger could have brought this gold, but sensing trouble at the hands of security and the customs authorities, the person would have abandoned it, a senior official at the airport said. He said the agencies are scanning the CCTV recordings of the area to find the person.
Big breakthrough in murder case of Shashi Bala Sharma in Kasauli; main accused arrested from Mathura
In a major breakthrough, the main accused in the murder of an Assistant Town Planner of Himachal Pradeshs Kasauli Shashi Bala Sharma has been arrested from Uttar Pradeshs Mathura. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Himachal Pradesh government for non-implementation of the demolition law in true spirit, leading to the killing of a lady officer in Kasauli who was supervising a demolition drive. The court said that the unfortunate death was the result of non-implementation of the law and asked the state government to apprise it about the implementation of its order last month regarding the demolition of unauthorised construction at 13 hotels in the state. The apex court bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta made this observation while seeking the status of the investigation in the murder case of Assistant Town and Country Planner Shail Bala Sharma. The lady officer was shot dead on May 1 when she had gone to supervise the demolition drive at Narayani Guest House in Kasauli. She was allegedly shot dead by the guest house owner Vijay Singh, who is now on the run. The top court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident…
Politicos criticise Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Syria remark over Ram Mandir issue
Sri Sri Ravi Shankars Syria remark over Ram temple issue on Monday was slammed by the leaders from different political parties, calling it provocative. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar should refrain from giving out such provocative statements, senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi told ANI. Echoing the same, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon termed the Art of Living (AoL) founders remarks sad. I am sad to hear this comment from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji. I did not expect him to give a statement that could increase violence, said Memon. He further questioned the reason behind Ravi Shankars intervention, I would also very respectfully like to ask that the intervention you are doing, where were you from the past 25 years? He is coming out and talking about the issue just when the time when the Supreme Court is about to announce its decision. Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit called the AOLs statement a good entertainment value. On Monday, the Art of Living founder, in an interview with a leading television channel, had said that any delay in resolving the Ram temple issue could result in a Syria-like situation in India. If the Ram Mandir issue is not…
Why a living will: Here’s what people have to say about the Supreme Court judgement
In a monumental decision, the Supreme Court on Friday passed an order allowing passive euthanasia in the country. The SC, however, made it mandatory to set strict guidelines that will govern when it is permitted. A five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, also recognised a living will made by terminally ill patients likely to go into a permanent vegetative state. The Bench laid down guidelines for adoption of a living will, including who would execute it and how a nod for passive euthanasia would be granted by the medical board. Defining a living will, lawyer and civil rights activist Prashant Bhushan, who filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court in 2005 demanding the concept of a living will to be incorporated as law, explains it as a document through which one can express their decision to be not put on artificial life support systems in a situation when there is no hope of recovery and life would just be prolonged by such systems. Commenting on the judgment, he said: It is a good beginning, one can say. In my view, not many safeguards are required. It is difficult to misuse this as it would first…
Bill to strengthen and streamline chit funds sector introduced in Lok Sabha
A Bill to streamline and strengthen the chit fund sector was introduced in the Lok Sabha today which mandates video conferencing while the opening of bids and seeks to hike commission of foremen from 5 per cent to 7 per cent. The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2018 is based on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and the Advisory Groups on Chit Funds set up by the central government. The Amendment Bill provides for allowing the mandatory presence of two subscribers, as required either in person or through video conferencing duly recorded by the foreman, while the bids are being opened. It also provides for increasing of ceiling of foremans commission from five per cent to seven per cent. According to the Bill, concerns have been expressed by various stakeholders regarding challenges being faced by the chit business. The central government had constituted a key Advisory Group on chit funds to review the legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the sector and its efficacy and to suggest initiatives required for its orderly growth. The Chit Funds Act, 1982 was enacted to provide for the regulation of chit funds which are indigenous business in India and have conventionally…
Mentally ill woman kills eight-month-old son in Delhi
A mentally disturbed woman allegedly beheaded her child, chopped his body and was found sleeping with it in outer Delhis Aman Vihar area, police said today. They said that the woman had decapitated her sons head using knives and mutilated the body using bricks. The incident happened late last night, when the baby boy was with his mother. His two sisters, aged seven and two, were at their grandfathers residence, the police said. The boys father was out for work. The woman had also inflicted injuries to herself and she is currently admitted to a hospital, they said. When the father returned home late in the night, he found his wife sleeping with the body of the infant. The boys father said that when he reached home, his wife did not open the door. I sensed something wrong and broke open the door. There was blood all around and my sons head was lying on the floor while my wife was holding his body in her lap, he said. The boys father said that his wife had earlier killed their two-month-old son four years ago but they had not informed the police at that time keeping the womans mental condition…
UP legislative council elections results: 10 BJP candidates among 13 elected – Check up mlc election 2018 details
Thirteen candidates, including 10 of the BJP, were today declared elected unopposed to the Uttar Pradesh legislative council. Two UP ministers Mahendra Singh and Mohsin Raza, and the BSPs B R Ambedkar, who lost in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in the state to the BJP, were among those elected, apart from one candidate each of the SP and BJP ally Apna Dal (S). The BJP, which has 21 members after todays poll result, is still far short of majority in the 100-member Upper House. Today was the last date for withdrawal of nominations for 13 seats and since no one withdrew from the fray, all the 13 candidates were declared elected, Returning Officer Ashok Chaubey said. After todays election result, the SP has 55 members, BSP eight, Congress two, Apna Dal (S) one and others 12, while one seat is vacant. Of the 13 seats for which results were declared today, seven were held by the SP, two each by the BJP and the BSP and one by the RLD. According to the Election Commission (EC), the tenure of members 12, including SP national president Akhilesh Yadav and two ministers in the Adityanath government – Mahendra Kumar Singh and…
Pakistan-origin peer raises Kathua rape and murder case in UK Parliament
The rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir was today raised in the House of Lords by a Pakistani-origin peer, who called on the UK government to intervene to bring perpetrators of human rights abuses in the region to justice. In her response on behalf of the British government, Baroness Stedman-Scott said India has a strong democratic framework which guarantees human rights. But we do acknowledge it does face numerous challenges relating to its size and development when it comes to enforcing fundamental rights enshrined in its Constitution, she said. These cases (of rape and murder) are nothing short of horrific and we extend our condolences to the families of the victims. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has been clear that justice will be done, she added.
INX Media case: Delhi HC reserves order on Karti Chidambaram’s bail plea
The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on the bail plea of Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidamabaram, in the INX Media corruption case lodged by the CBI. Justice S P Garg heard the CBI and Kartis lawyer and reserved his decision. The CBI opposed the bail plea saying that tampering of evidence and influencing witnesses in the case was a possibility. The agency also alleged that Karti has tampered with certain evidence. Karti had moved the high court after special CBI judge had not given him an urgent hearing on his bail plea. (More details are awaited.)
Farm travels: As farmers become synonymous with protests and suicides, this writer travels through the heartland of India
The bleeding, blistered feet of farmers marching along the streets of Mumbai earlier this week are a grim reminder of the state the community is in. Identified with lush green fields, sprouting food for the entire nation, farmers today are synonymous more with suicides, protests and helpless faces in the event of droughts or rotting grain. In a country that boasts of being an agrarian economy, farmers and their fields have paid the price of prosperity. In a rush to boost productivity, fields were inundated with chemicals, pesticides and genetically-modified crops in the garb of the Green Revolution, writes Lathika George in her book, Mother Earth, Sister Seed: Travels through India Travelling the breadth of the country to farms and villages in search of the She rues how the farmers of Punjab especially are paying the price of the Green Revolution with soil and water systems that are irreversibly degraded with chemicals; how in Kerala, even today, birth defects can be seen as a result of the endosulfan sprayed on cashew crop. Farmers in these places were unwilling and ignorant partners in the destruction of nature. However, many farmers in remote areas were spared the ravages of the so-called revolution….
Despite chill in ties, Indian surgeon to visit Karachi to perform liver transplants, train doctors in Pakistan
In a unique gesture of kindness and humanity, Indian surgeon Prof Dr Subhash Gupta will be visiting Pakistans Karachi to perform three to four liver transplants at the Ojha campus of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). Gupta, who is an eminent Indian liver transplant surgeon, will be visiting the neighbouring country along with his team this month, reported The Tribune. Once there, he will also train a team of Pakistani surgeons so that they can carry out the complicated surgery locally sans the supervision of any foreign expert in the future. The visit comes despite the tensions between India and Pakistan at the border and ongoing clashes between the two countries along the Line of Control in Kashmir and working boundary in Punjab. Prof Saeed Quraishy, the DUHS Vice-Chancellor announced at a medical conference that Dr Gupta will be arriving in Karachi to carry out the liver transplant surgeries this month at the Ojha campus of DUHS. However, this is not the first time Dr Gupta will be visiting the country. Earlier in December 2017 too, Gupta had performed liver transplant surgeries in Karachi. According to Prof Quraishy, the nation faces a basic hurdle of lack of trained human…
Centre seeks report from Mamata Banerjee government on violence during Ram Navami
The Centre has sought a report from the West Bengal government on incidents of arson and violence during Ram Navami processions in the last two days and offered assistance to deal with the situation, an official spokesperson said. In a communication, the Ministry of Home Affairs asked the West Bengal government to send a report about the incident, the steps being taken to restore normalcy and the action taken against those involved in the violence. The Centre also offered assistance of paramilitary forces in the light of reports of continuing violence and tension in some districts of the state, the MHA spokesperson said. At least two persons were killed and nearly a dozen others injured, some of them seriously, in intermittent violence involving Ramanavami processions at various places in West Bengal, including Purulia, Murshidabad, Bardhman West and Raniganj. The injured included several policemen with a senior police officer losing a hand after a bomb was hurled at him during a clash in Raniganj area. The state government has ordered heavy deployment of police force in violence-hit areas, besides lodging several cases of arson and rioting.
BJP’s Amit Malviya hits back, drops Twitter bomb on Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s charge of data theft
Bharatiya Janata Partys IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Monday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his claims that the Prime Ministers Narendra Modi app was leaking data to a US firm. Sharing screenshots of the clauses mentioned in Congress own official android app, Malviya said: Hi! My name is Rahul Gandhi. I am the President of India When you sign up for our official App, I give all your data to my friends in Singapore. Malviya pointed out that the Congress app mentions sharing peoples data with a number of third-party organisations. Full marks to @INCIndia for stating upfront that theyll give your data to **practically anyone** – undisclosed vendors, unknown volunteers, even groups with similar causes. In theft of all forms, Congress has never been discreet, he said. He claimed that Congress is sharing peoples data with Maoists, stone pelters, Bharat Ke Tukde Gang and Chinese embassy. When Congress says they will share your data with like-minded groups, the implications are grave. From Maoists, stone pelters, Bharat Ke Tukde Gang, Chinese embassy to globally In his concluding tweet, Malviya suggested that Congress will take all the data and share it worldwide with organisations like Cambridge Analytica….