Maharashtra farmers protest Live updates: The crucial meeting between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a delegation of farmers is taking place in Mumbai. Nearly 50,000 farmers from tribal-dominated talukas in Nashik, Thane and Palghar of Maharashtra have gathered Mumbais iconic Azad Maidan. Doctors have visited them in the morning. Meanwhile, additional security was deployed around of Maharashtra Assembly to maintain law-and-order, according to reports. Protesting walked over 160 km and were demanding a loan waiver free of any conditions, implementation of the Forest Rights Act. Apart from this, they want fixed remunerative prices for agri produce and implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. MNS, Shiv Sena and Congress have extended support to farmers. Last year, Maharashtra government had waived off farmers loan. Track Live Updates Maharashtra farmers protest in Mumbai 4.55 pm: They had around 12-13 demands out of which weve accepted some will be giving them a written draft of it. I think theyre satisfied with our decisions. 4.20 pm: Farmers have reached an agreement with the state government. Protest ends. 4.04 pm: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis told the state Assembly today, Were positive towards fulfilling their demands. Since 1st day of Morcha, we tried to discuss…
Month: November 2021
BJP government in Tripura to replace Left textbooks with NCERT, says CM Biplab Kumar Deb
The ideological clash between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CPIM-led Left has escalated further in Tripura. Now the newly elected BJP government will replace the prevalent syllabus by introducing NCERT text books in the state-run schools. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has accused the erstwhile ruling Left dispensation of spreading Marxist propaganda via Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE). Emphasizing on the need of education for all and health for all, Deb asserted that he wanted quality education instead of quantity. Notably, Tripura enjoys a healthy literacy rate of 95 per cent, according to The Indian Express report. Deb claimed that the Communists only wanted the people of Tripura to study Mao (Zedong) and forget Hindu kings. They removed Mahatma Gandhi from textbooks in government-run schools, he said, adding that he would implement NCERT syllabus in all these schools which will also have chapters on Tripura Deb claimed that chapters on Russian and French revolutions, birth of cricket in England, Nazism and the rise of Adolf Hitler are there in textbooks of Class IX-XII in Tripura. It has been that references to Rani Laxmibai and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were also absent from textbooks as were chapters on the Constitution….
Delhi sealing drive: 7 lakhs shops shut as traders hold mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, commuters hit too
Lakhs of shops in Delhi stayed today shut today in protest against the ongoing sealing drive as traders gathered at the iconic Ramlila Maidan to hold a mega rally, asking the government to save their businesses. Todays rally is the third in as many months against the sealing drive. According to reports, more than 7 lakh shops in over 3,000 markets are closed today. Sadar Bazar, Lajpat Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh and Chawri Bazar were amongst the prominent markets that wore a deserted look. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and the All Delhi Traders and Workers Association are organising todays rally. A large number traders along with their family members participated in the rally, alleging that their livelihoods are badly hit by the sealing drive. Praveen Khandelwal, the general secretary of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said that to exert pressure on the government, traders across the city also made their kids skip schools today. He said that the sealing drive has affected the lives of 40 lakh people. Also, people taking roads surrounding the Ramlila Maidan to reach their destination faced a tough time because of massive cognition due to the rally. Massive traffic chaos…
Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Pinarayi Vijayan to attend CPI(M) national conference
Top leaders of CPI(M), including Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would attend the partys national conference here from April 18 to 22, CPI(M)s Telanagana secretary T Veerabhadram said today. He told reporters that all members of the partys polit bureau and 850 delegates from all over the country would attend the meetings. CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy and leaders of other Left parties would also take part in the conference, he said. Preparations have been going on for the conclave and CPI(M) polit bureau member B V Raghavulu recently reviewed arrangements for the meeting, a party release said.
Karnataka election 2018: Amit Shah donated Rs 5 Lakh to influence voters, violated MCC, alleges Congress
Karnataka election 2018: Congress has accused Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah and partys Karnataka unit chief BS Yeddyurappa of violating the model code of conduct in the state by offering Rs 5 lakh to the family of a deceased person. The Congress has also approached the Election Commission of India demanding action against Shah and Yeddyurappa. The Congress appealed the Election Commission (EC) to conduct a time-bound probe into the matter. Speaking to the media, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi identified the deceased person as As per a report, the deceased was a BJP activist killed in Mysuru in March 2016. Singhvi alleged that Shah was accompanied by Union minister Ananth Kumar and Yeddyurappa when he visited Rajus family last Friday, three days after EC announced Karnataka Assembly polls schedule. In its memorandum to the EC, the Congress accused the BJP of using money to influence voters in Karnataka, and said the ruling party at the Centre resorted to the desperate measure, foreseeing its inevitable defeat However, the BJP has denied the charge. The saffron party has already said Shah did not give any money to Rajus family. Singhvi pointed out that Raju died two years ago and questioned…
Narendra Modi government’s work for welfare of Dalits ‘exemplary’, says Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said the Modi governments exemplary record for the welfare of Dalits and the BJPs popularity among depressed classes had led to a smear campaign by other political parties. Stating that the alleged dilution of the SC\/ST Act came through a Supreme Court order on a petition wherein the Centre was not even made a party, the Law and Justice Minister told reporters that a review petition had been filed. Our record with regard to welfare of Dalits has been exemplary. The SC\/ST Act came into being in 1989. But it was in 2015 when the law was given more teeth by the inclusion of acts such as blackening of face, forcible shaving of head and prevention from riding a horse under its ambit, Prasad said. The BJP has the largest number of MPs, legislators, mayors, zila parishad chairpersons and village mukhiyas from the Schedule Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST) communities, the minister said. This has led to jitters among parties, which have always used the weaker section for votes, he said. Lashing out at the Congress, Prasad wondered why B R Ambedkar was not conferred the Bharat Ratna till the V P Singh…
Call Data Records racket: SC stays Bombay HC order to initiate action against cops
The Supreme Court today stayed the Bombay High Court judgment ordering departmental action against Maharashtra policemen involved in a probe against a lawyer who was accused of illegally possessing call detail records (CDRs) of actor Nawazuddin Siddiquis wife. A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar, however, issued notice to lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui and asked him to file his reply in the matter within four weeks. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and advocate Nishant Katneshwar appeared for the state government and sought stay of the Bombay High Court order of March 21 in which it had held that in arresting Rizwan Siddiqui, the Thane Police had acted in a highhanded manner and had failed to follow due process of law. Advocate C A Sundaram appeared for Rizwan Siddiqui. The High Court had directed the Thane Police to release from their custody advocate Rizwan Siddiqui, who was arrested on March 16 for allegedly having ordered the illegal procurement of the CDR of actor Nawazuddin Siddiquis wife. The HC had also directed the senior-most officials of the Thane Police and the state Home department to inquire into the actions of the Thane Police and if deemed fit, initiate appropriate…
BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit website hacked for brief period; restored
The website of the BJPs Jammu and Kashmir unit was today hacked for a brief period with the hackers posting a message demanding justice for an eight-year-old girl who was raped and murdered at Kathua in January. The website was restored after some time. The hackers, who called themselves Team Kerala Cyber Warriors, posted a message accusing the state unit of protecting a gang of pedophiles who had aligned with some of the ruling BJPs office-bearers. The hackers, who used the colours of the Indian flag in the message, said there should be nothing beyond humanity and discrimination cannot be tolerated. They demanded that rapists be hanged. BJPs JK unit General Secretary Ashok Kaul told PTI that the website was hacked for a brief period and had been restored now. Yes, we will file a complaint with the police. One should see the message. It seems that someone from north Kerala is responsible for the hacking. After all, the situation in Kerala is not hidden from anyone, he said. Kaul said it was yet another attempt to create tension in Jammu, which has been the symbol of nationalism. The BJP had distanced itself from the Hindu Ekta Manch, which had…
Bank fraud: ED attaches Rs 48 crore assets of Chennai’s Kanishk Gold
The ED said today it has attached Rs 48 crore worth of assets of a Chennai-based gold jewellery firm in connection with a bank loan money laundering probe. It said the company, Kanishk Gold Pvt Ltd, sold jewellery in the brand name of Krizz and is accused of defaulting on a bank loan of Rs 824 crore. The SBI first sent a compliant to the CBI in this matter. The central probe agency in Chennai issued a provisional order for attachment of the firms factory land and machinery at Pukkathurai village in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The Enforcement Directorate registered a PMLA case against the company and its executives after taking cognisance of a CBI First Information Report (FIR) registered last month. It was alleged that huge bank loans were obtained (by the firm) from a consortium of 14 banks with SBI as the lead bank for business purposes. Credit facilities are secured by the securities such as raw materials, semi finished goods, finished goods, stores and spares showing huge stocks. However, it was later realised that stock statements were fudged with the help of chartered accountants and on inspection by…
Bike taxis: Madhya Pradesh government to soon release policy
The tourists visiting Madhya Pradesh will soon have the option of hiring the services of motorbike taxis to easily ply through narrow lanes and traffic snarls. This kind of service was allowed during the Ujjain Simhastha Mela in 2016 to avoid traffic problems due to big vehicles, and the experiment was successful, prompting the state transport authorities to come up with a policy on it. During Simhastha-2016, temporary permits for three months were issued for bike taxis. Later, the transport department had come up with a draft policy and invited objections and claims, Madhya Pradesh transport commissioner Shailendra Shrivastava told PTI. The policy is being finalised at the state government level and is likely to be released next month, he said. These taxi services would be app-based, he said. At present, the state government has allowed only one company in Indore to operate such taxis. Once the policy comes into effect, it would be easier for other companies also to get a licence for bike taxis. Besides all the safety arrangements, it is proposed that bike riders will have to keep a spare helmet for the person who will hire the motorbike taxi, Shrivastava said. Permits would be granted only…
SC/ST Act: Chhattisgarh government recalls order on implementation of amended law, to move SC seeking review, says Raman Singh
Chief Minister Raman Singhs BJP government in Chhattisgarh has recalled a circular issued by the Police Headquarters to implement the Supreme Courts latest order in which it had made some changes in the SC\/ST Act. Raman Singh said that the order stands annulled as of now and the state will move the Supreme Court seeking review of its March 20 order that has caused a nationwide outrage. Singh said that the BJP government is committed to the welfare of the SC\/ST people and has been sensitive towards their cause. Till then the order stands cancelled, The Police Headquarters had on April 6 issued a circular asking the police to implement the Supreme Courts order strictly. The order was issued days before Prime Minister visited the state and utilised the opportunity to assure the nation that his government will not allow the dilution of the Act which seeks to deliver speedy justice to marginalised section of the society. The circular was issued by ADGP RK Vij to all SPs. Vij refused to make any comment when approached by The Indian Express. We have always been sensitive towards cause of SCs STs, however state govt, just like Centre, will appeal against decision…
PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate End TB summit today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Delhi End TB Summit at Vigyan Bhawan today. The Summit is being co-hosted by the Health Ministry, World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Regional Office and Stop TB Partnership. The Prime Minister will also launch Tuberculosis Free India Campaign, which will take the activities of National Strategic Plan- NSP for TB elimination forward in Mission mode. With the funding of over 12,000 crore rupees over the next three years, the motto of the NSP is to ensure every TB patient has access to quality diagnosis, treatment, and support. The Prime Ministers vision to end TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals has galvanized the efforts of the Revised National Tuberculosis Program, which has treated over two crore patients since its inception in 1997.
D-Day for 20 AAP MLAs in Office of Profit case: HC verdict on disqualification likely today, by-elections in Delhi next?
Its judgement day for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP) with the Delhi High Court likely to pronounce its verdict on a plea challenging the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit. The plea was filed by the accused legislators following their disqualification by the Election Commission for holding the post of parliamentary secretaries as MLAs. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar will pronounce the verdict which has been pending since February 28. What is the case? The MLAs are accused of holding offices of profit, as they were appointed parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Delhi government in March 2015. This was soon after they were elected to the Delhi Assembly. During the arguments, the MLAs had told the court that ECs order disqualifying them for allegedly holding office-of-profit was passed in complete violation of natural justice as they were not given an opportunity to explain their stand before the poll panel. What happened so far? In September 2016, the Delhi High Court had ruled against their appointment as parliamentary secretaries. The Delhi high court had on January 24 declined to stay the Narendra Modi governments notification disqualifying them, but…
SSC exam paper leak: Mumbra school principal questioned
The principal of a school in neighbouring Mumbra, from where SSC exam papers allegedly leaked and where the main accused was employed, is currently being interrogated in connection with the probe into the case, police said today. Police said they have observed several irregularities in the functioning of the school in which main accused Firoz Khan worked. Khan didnt have a proper appointment letter or other valid documentation but he still had access to exam papers. We are questioning the principal as the leak allegedly originated from the school, said a police official. The principal has told police that she along with Khan had access to the room in which the papers were stored, officials said. Amboli police, which is investigating the case, have so far arrested four persons in this connection. Eight students have been booked and are facing action under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. A similar case which occurred in Saki Naka is also being probed to check if there are any links to the Amboli one, said officials. The leak of the SSC Board exam paper of History and Political Science (Part 1) was revealed on March 20 after the exam invigilator…
Delhi shocker! Woman stabs Flipkart delivery boy 20 times for delayed phone delivery
If you are a regular shopper at e-commerce websites like How often does it happen that you order a phone on Amazon or Flipkart and the delivery is delayed? And if it does get delayed, would you go around killing someone for it? A Delhi woman, however, has done the unthinkable. A 30-year-old woman ordered a smartphone from Flipkart. However, when the phone was not delivered on time, she got so enraged that she stabbed the delivery boy 20 times with a knife. The woman, The woman accused Keshav of delaying the phone she purchased from Flipkart. Police arrested Kamal Deep and her brother Jitender Singh (32) The duo has been filed under IPC sections Keshav was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital by the police after they received a PCR call informing them of an injured man lying near a drain in Chandan Vihar area. He recorded his statement on March 24 and based on his statement, the accused were arrested. A CCTV footage also helped us crack the case, a senior police officer told The Hindu. The victim told the police that he works for Flipkart and received multiple phone calls on March 21. The accused has constantly been…
RSS leader Rakesh Sinha picked up by Noida police after being mistaken for ‘Dalit protester’
In a bizarre incident, Noida police mistakenly picked up RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha from Noida A local police team was on the lookout for suspects in vandalism cases which took place yesterday against the alleged dilution of the SC\/ST Act in parts of Gautam Buddha Nagar district. As per a report by the Indian Express, it was a case of mistaken identity, when the police mistook Sinha for a protester in the case. However, after realising the mistake, SHO of Noida Sector 20 police station, Anil Kumar Shai, said that they immediately released him and he was allowed to go. Thousands of protesters staged demonstrations, pelted stones and bricks at a Uttar Pradesh Roadways bus yesterday. The police teams had been formed to look at those behind the violence. Informing of the incident, Sinha took to Twitter and said that he was outside the office of a news organisation in Noida Sector 16A when the police picked him up. He kept on telling the police that he was from the RSS but they didn Those with him also told police that Sinha was not a protester. As per the report, there were 8 policemen led by SHO Noida in the…
Shiv Sena questions Devendra Fadnavis’ announcement of 72,000 Maharashtra govt jobs
The Shiv Sena today took a dig at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over his announcement to provide government jobs to 72,000 people asking him to make public names of those who would get these jobs. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on the last day of the Budget session, Fadnavis had announced that 72,000 posts in the government would be filled in the next two years. He had added that the induction would be done in two phases, with 36,000 posts being filled in the first year. Fadnavis had said posts will be filled in the Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development, Home and Urban Development departments. In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said that the BJP government, when it came to power in 2014, had promised to create 20 lakh jobs in five years. How many people have actually got jobs before the government announced a lottery to fill up its empty posts? The government had also announced homes for the poor and police personnel. There was also an announcement of a loan waiver. But none of the announcements have been implemented, it said. The government should make the list of 36,000 people who will be given…
Blockchain: Multiple use cases across multiple industries
Blockchain, a public digital ledger of transactions, has the potential to enable significant improvements and efficiencies to economies through a wide variety of solutions. Marked by its high security, speed, encryption and immutability, Blockchain technology is already finding deployment in finance, supply-chain management, retail, distributed computer storage, digital contracts, healthcare, shipping, and even entertainment. Technology giant Microsoft identified the significance of Blockchain in the enterprise and social sectors early, and has been strengthening its focus on the technology globally. At a Blockchain conference titled I was intrigued by the technology that powered it. Today, it has become a global phenomenon with multiple use cases across multiple industry sectors. In terms of security aspects of Blockchain, Microsoft has been engaging with enterprises, regulators and policy makers in an attempt to deepen the cyber security policy dialogue. It has also engaged with GS1 in the supply chain space using Blockchain to remove inefficiencies and wasteful use of resources. The shipping industry spends around $30 billion on insurance, wherein settlement can consume weeks and months. We worked with Ernst Young and came up with a solution to streamline this, According to Mohammed Nasiruddin, senior program manager, Microsoft India, the factors determining Blockchain In…
Nitish Kumar extends Mahadalit benefits to SC, ST category
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said all schemes for Mahadalits in the state will now be extended to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories. We have taken a decision that all the schemes being run by Mahadalit Vikas Mission for the development of Mahadalits in the state will also be extended to the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) people, Kumar said. All the schemes – be it provding land for housing or Dashrath Manjhi Skill Development scheme – will be provided to the people belonging to SC and ST category, Kumar said. He also announced that a dependent of a Chowkidar can get the same job if an application is made prior to his retirement. Kumar also announced that the Chowkidars stipend will be increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000 per year. With todays announcement, the Paswans (Dusadh community) who were excluded from the Mahadalit category, created before the 2010 Assembly polls, has now been included into the Mahadalit grouping whose numbers have gone up from 21 to 22. Kumar made the announcement at the national conference of Dalit Sena organised on the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar here in the presence…
Ambedkar Jayanti 2018: Best quotes of Dr BR Ambedkar and images
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb was born on April 14, 1891 in town and military cantonment of Mhow in the central provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh). Today, the nation is celebrating this social reformer With his long and pragmatic vision, Ambedkar drafted the Constitution that makes India a great country and provides citizens with constitutional guarantees. Born in a poor low Mahar (Dalit) caste, Ambedkar himself was a victim of the social evils since childhood days. He was so oppressed that throughout his life, he campaigned to eliminate social discrimination against untouchables. Ambedkar had mentioned in his writings that children from backward class were not allowed to touch water or the container which was used by higher caste people during his school days. When backward class kids wanted to drink water, someone from a higher caste had to pour it from a height. This task was generally assigned to peon of the school. He described the situation as Ambedkar was so broken with such incidents that he dedicated his life to remove discrimination, degradation and deprivation from the society. In 1897, his family moved to Bombay (Mumbai) and he became the only untouchable enrolled at famous Elphinstone High…
Stay on Max hospital licence cancellation extended till May 17
An appellate body hearing the Max hospital twin baby death case today extended by a month the stay on a Delhi government order cancelling its licence in December, authorities said. The stay will be in effect till May 17, the next date of hearing, they said. Todays hearing was the third in the case by the Financial Commissioners court, Delhi. The licence cancellation case pertains to the birth of premature twins at the hospital in Shalimar Bagh on November 30 last year. Both the babies were declared stillborn by the hospital, one of them wrongly, and handed over to the family allegedly in a polythene bag. While the family was on its way to perform the final rites, they found that one of them (a baby boy) was still alive. The case triggered an outrage, prompting the AAP governments Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to cancel the hospitals licence on December 8 for alleged medical negligence. The upscale hospital group on December 13 had filed an appeal against the cancellation of the licence in the Financial Commissioners court, which stayed the order. The Max hospital side has raised certain objections to some of the questions raised by our side…
Rejecting Justice Joseph’s elevation not linked with his Uttarakhand ruling: Prasad
The government today rejected suggestions that it turned down the elevation of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph to the Supreme Court as he had once overturned the imposition of Presidents Rule in the state. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also said that it has the right to seek reconsideration of proposals sent by the Supreme Court collegium as the power flows from three apex court judgements. The government had on April 26 asked the Supreme Court collegium to reconsider its recommendation to elevate Justice Joseph to the apex court, saying the elevation may not be appropriate. In a letter to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Prasad had said the governments rejection of Justice Josephs name has approval of the President and the Prime Minister and also flagged that the SCs\/STs have no representation in the Supreme Court since long. The proposed appointment of .. Joseph as a judge of the Supreme Court at this stage does not appear to be appropriate, Prasad had said in the letter. It would also not be fair and justified to other more senior, suitable and deserving chief justices and senior judges of various high courts. Responding to questions on the…
Kerala horror! Headless, decomposed body found, suspected to be of Latvian woman missing since March 14
In a horrifying incident in Kerala, a headless body of a woman was found in an isolated area near the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. The body is suspected to be of a 33-year-old Latvian woman, Liga Skromane, who went missing in March. Although the victim has been identified by her sister and friend, a detailed forensic examination would be done to scientifically confirm this. As per reports, the decomposed body of Skromane was hanging upside down from a tree, while the head of the body was found lying away from the rest of it, in a marshy spot. On Friday, fishermen found the body in a highly decomposed state and alerted the police. The next day, Skromane The police will conduct an autopsy, which will be followed by a DNA test that is likely to be done at the city-based Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology. After Skromane disappeared last month, her husband Andrew Jordan and sister had appealed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as well as Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj for helping trace her. Skromane had come to Kerala along with her sister Ilzie for ayurvedic treatment at a hospital in the capital outskirts in Thiruvananthapuram following complaints of depression….
‘Release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu or face consequences: SC raps Karnataka, orders release of 4 tmcft water
The Supreme Court today directed the Karnataka government to release 4 tmc of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu and asked the central government to file an affidavit before May 8 detailing the steps taken by it for setting up the Cauvery Management Board to implements its order on distribution of river water among four parties – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The courts observation came on a day its deadline for the Centre to come up with a formula to divide the river waters among the four southern states ended. Appearing on behalf of the government, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that the draft of the Cauvery Management Board has to be approved by the Union Cabinet before submitting it to the court. He argued that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Karnataka to campaign for his party for the upcoming elections, and the draft, therefore, has not been approved yet. After listening to the AGs argument, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the government to file the draft copy on or before May 8 when it will resume the hearing. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, who was representing Tamil Nadu I…
No end to embarrassment for Yogi Adityanath: UP Minister says Mayawati rule was better, later takes U-turn
Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government appears to be facing a tough time, more so with its own ministers criticising the partys rule in the state. After some leaders criticised the CM over his handling of Dalit issues, senior cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh government, Swami Prasad Maurya, has now said that Mayawatis rule was better than that of Yogi Adityanath. Speaking on the Unnao rape case, the minister said that there would have been no need for a CBI probe in the Unnao case if the police had done its bit. Maurya, a former BSP leader, also lavished praise on BSP leader Mayawatis role as an administrator when she was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. Had the people got justice from the local police, the matter would not have escalated so far and there would not have been the need for a CBI probe, Maurya had told reporters. However, he expressed confidence in CBI and said that the agency will unmask the guilty. Replying to another question, Maurya lauded BSP chief Mayawatis regime saying it was good and there were no second thoughts about it. She was famous as a strict administrator and much better than the Samajwadi Party government….
Asaram Bapu verdict: What next for self-styled godman after Jodhpur Court decision?
Asaram Bapu verdict: On Wednesday, self-styled godman Asaram Bapu was sentenced to life in prison by a Jodhpur court. The 77-year-old spiritual guru was found guilty of raping a teenage girl in his ashram on August 15, 2013. Special judge Madhusudan Sharmas verdict, which comes as the rage over sexual violence, particularly the rape of minors, intensifies across the country, was read out in the Jodhpur Central Jail where Asaram has been kept for over four years. Asaram will be in prison till his natural death, the court pronounced, convicting him under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act. It also imposed of fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. Meanwhile, Asarams spokesperson said that they will discuss the case with the legal team to decide future course of action. During the hearing for the quantum of sentence, Asaram The minimum punishment under the Sections in which he is charged is 10 years and the maximum punishment a life term. Even after the court Several followers flocked to ashrams in different cities and alleged conspiracy against their On the other hand, after suffering a lot in five years, the victim He thanked people for standing…
Abhishek Manu Singhvi files nomination for Rajya Sabha poll from West Bengal
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, to whom the Trinamool Congress has extended support, today filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from West Bengal. His name was proposed by 40 MLAs – 20 each from the Congress and TMC. Accompanied by some Congress MLAs, Singhvi filed his papers to the returning officer at the state Assembly here. After filing his nomination, the Congress leader said the need of the hour is to stop the division of anti-BJP votes in the country. In the present situation, our task should be to stop the march of divisive forces and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the country. And, in order to do that, we have ensure that there is no division in the anti-BJP votes, he said. In the morning, Singhvi held a meeting with Congress MLAs and state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury in the Assembly. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had announced last week that her party would support Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha polls, to be held on March 23.
NIA chargesheets ISI operative for blackmailing lady Army officer
The NIA today filed a chargesheet against an alleged ISI operative for blackmailing a lady army officer of circulating her morphed pictures on social networking site. The agency, which registered a case in September last year, filed the chargesheet against Mohammed Parvez before a designated NIA court. The allegations are that accused had sent obscene and morphed WhatsApp images and messages from a mobile phone and Facebook ID with a veiled threat to circulate them on social media, to the complainant, thereby causing mental harassment to her as well as threatening to ruin her reputation. This was done in pursuance of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by Pakistani Intelligence officials and the arrested accused (Parvez) with a view to compromise an officer of the Indian Army into divulging national security secrets, an NIA spokesman said here. The chargesheet has been filed against accused 43-year-old Pervez, a resident of walled Delhi, under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and anti-terror law UAPA. Parvez was arrested on September 13, 2017 by the local police but after it was found that he had visited Pakistan a few times, the matter was transferred to the Special Cell for probe. The NIA took…
Unemployment woes: Rahul Gandhi cites Nobel winning economist Paul Krugman to slam Narendra Modi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed PM Narendra Modi citing Nobel laureate Paul Krugmans remarks on Indias rising unemployment issue. Tagging a news report, in which Krugmans was reported as criticising Indias dismal performance in job creation, Gandhi said Indias prime minister continues to live in denial. The Nobel prize winning economist, Paul Krugman confirms what we Mass unemployment is the biggest threat India faces. Unfortunately, we have a PM who lives in denial. Afraid hisAcche Din PR will take a beating, Gandhi said. Krugman, who won a Nobel Prize in 2008, recently warned that creation of employment and jobs is utmost important to sustain projected growth. The American economist cited lack of manufacturing sector could work against employment creation. Krugman also spoke about issues of corruption that the country has been facing. You cannot become Denmark with Chinese levels of corruption, Krugman stressed that India should focus on manufacturing sector. Citing examples of China and Japan, Krugman said that Tokyo is no longer a superpower because its working-age population declined, and Beijing is looking the same. In his adresss, Krugman indicated that Indias story would have been taken with much seriousness on the global stage if there was…
Soon, US Visa seekers may have to submit social media information – What aspirants must know
The United States of America may soon ask for your social media information in order to issue a Visa. The Xinhua news agency has reported that US State Department has plans to require all American visa applicants to submit their social media information. In the report, the State Department was quoted as saying that applicants for immigrant and non-immigrant visas would be required to provide identifiers they have used on various social media platforms in the previous five years. In addition, they will be asked to provide old email addresses and phone numbers. As per the documents to be published in the Federal Register, the State Department has sought public comment on the proposed measures within the next 60 days. Under current provisions, social media, email and phone number are required from applicants singled out for extra scrutiny. An estimated 65,000 people a year fall into that category, IANS reports. The changes would impact all applicants for immigrant and non-immigrant visas. As per the department, an estimated 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million non-immigrant visa applicants would be affected. The documents mentioned that only applicants for certain diplomatic and official visa types may be exempted from the requirements. The…