Activist Teesta Setalvad today got temporary relief in a case of fund embezzlement with the Supreme Court extending their interim protection from arrest and transit anticipatory bail from May 2 to May 31, granted to her and her husband by the Bombay High Court. The apex court, which granted them relief on the condition that they would have to move the competent court in Gujarat for anticipatory bail, was clear that the Bombay High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain their plea as the FIR was registered by the Gujarat police. Since the FIR is in Gujarat, the competent court will be in Gujarat, a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph, M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha said. The bench said Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand will not be arrested till May 31 but before that they would have to approach for the competent court in Gujarat which will decide the matter on merits. We direct the respondents (Setalvad and Javed Anand) to seek appropriate remedy from the competent court in Gujarat before May 31. The interim bail granted by Bombay High Court shall extend till May 31, the bench said. The bench made it clear that it was confining…
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West Bengal minister says he will ‘break’ nose, eyes, face of BJP chief Dilip Ghosh as war over Ram Navami turns ugly
The war of words between leaders of ruling Trinamool Congress leaders and BJP over celebrations of Ram Navami took an ugly turn today. In a shocking statement, West Bengal Minister Rabindranath Ghosh said that he would break state BJP chief Dilip Ghoshs nose, eyes and face. Rabindranath, who looks after North Bengal Development ministry in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, has even challenged Ghosh for wrestling and boxing bouts. The minister said that it will take three minutes to defeat the BJP leader. If he is not willing to play with sticks, I am ready for wrestling too! Maximum of 3 minutes is required to defeat him. If he is ready for boxing, then I will also break his nose, eyes and face, the minister said. Rabindranaths remarks come a day after an FIR was lodged against the BJPs state unit chief under non-bailable sections. Ghosh had purportedly been seen participating in a Ram Navami rally with a sword and a mace at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district on Sunday. The state BJP president had defended his partys decision to take out arms rally saying it was an age-old Hindu tradition to conduct astra puja (worship of weapons) on the day…
Kerala shocker: Former Radio Jockey Rasikan Rajesh hacked to death at his studio in Thiruvananthapuram
A former radio jockey from Kerala was allegedly hacked to death at his studio in Thiruvananthapurams Madavoor on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Thirty-six-year-old former RJ Rajesh alias Rasikan Rajesh was a mimicry artist as well as a folk singer. One other person was injured in the incident. The police have started its investigation but are yet to identify the assailants. According to the details provided by the police, the incident reportedly took place around 2 am at the sound recording studio – Metro Studio – owned by Rajesh at Madavoor under Pallickal police station limits. They are still not clear about the motive behind this attack. The police have registered a case of murder and suspect that a gang is involved in the crime. Rajesh had reportedly returned from a stage programme along with his friend Khuttan and the duo was loading their equipment back into the studio when they were attacked by the assailants who came in a red Maruti Swift car and had sharp weapons. Locals alerted the police after the heard the noises. Both the victims were rushed to the hospital. Rajesh died of his injuries at the hospital at Parippally while Kuttan is…
Salman Khurshid’s three reasons why PM Modi-led BJP may find it very tough to win in 2019 Lok Sabha polls
With just a year left to general elections in India, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid says the unravelling of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun and the popularity wave on which it came to power in 2014 is waning. Against the backdrop of the Dalit protests, the farmers agitation and high profile fraud cases, he said we need to look at whether with this performance should (the BJP) be coming back to power in 2019. On that the clear answer is a no. I think that the unravelling of the BJP has begun and frankly I wouldnt be complacent but I think they have a very, very, very tough 2019, Khurshid told PTI here. The former Minister of External Affairs was in the city to address the 14th Annual India Business Conference at Columbia Business School hosted by the South Asia Business Association at the school. He said that there are many big questions about social disharmony in the country. The manner in which the Dalits have reacted, now becoming more acceptable parts of an argument, people have become very self-conscious because of the manner in which the BJP had pushed Muslims to a corner on the minority…
Accused JNU teacher highly influential, say complainants
Five of the eight JNU students, who have accused a senior professor of molestation, on Wednesday said they did not report the incidents of molestation to the universitys anti-harassment committee because the panel is full of supporters of the highly influential teacher. A day after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teacher Atul Johri, was arrested and released on bail, the five students told reporters that they were being pressured to withdraw their complaints. As the questions were being raised why the accusers did not report their complaints to the universitys Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), the students said they did not have faith in the panel whose members are all close associates of Atul Johri. He (Atul Johri) is a highly influential person in JNU. Apart from being a professor, he holds many positions at administrative level. He creates circumstances by provoking girls against each other. When a junior of ours (Life Sciences Department) submitted a written complaint against Johri, we all gathered courage and spoke up, one of the complainants said. On March 16, the police had registered only one FIR based on nine complaints. But on Tuesday, they registered eight FIRs against Johri on separate complaints of nine students, who…
Four Keralites suspected to have joined IS reportedly killed
A family of three and another person from Kasaragod district of Kerala suspected to have joined terror outfit Islamic State, have been reportedly killed, according to information reaching one of the relatives of the deceased. The deceased were among the 21 persons from Kasaragod district who went missing and later reportedly joined the ISIS in 2016. One of the relatives of the deceased has received a message that they have been killed, Kasaragod district panchayat member V P P Mustafa said. But there were no details about how it happened, source of the information or from where it came, he told PTI. When contacted, police also confirmed that such a message had been received three days ago. As per the information, the deceased were Shihas, his wife Ajmala and their child, all hailing from Padana, and Muhammed Mansad from Thrikaripur in Kasaragod district. The National Investigation Agency has been probing the case of the missing Keralites, suspected to have joined the terror group. Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad.They include four women and three children. As per reports, these people had gone to Syria and Afghanistan and later reached the terror camps.
Earthquake hits Jammu and Kashmir
In a major development, an earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter Scale hit the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Reportedly, the earthquake hit the state around 8.25 PM. More details about todays quake are yet to be known. The state was hit by yet another earthquake earlier in the week on March 10. The India Meteorological Department had confirmed the news and stated that the quake was measured 4.5 on the Richter scale. There was no damage to life or property as the quake was a low-density one. The IMD had said that the depth of the quake was 10 kilometers and it resulted in jolts for a few seconds across most parts of the state. Further details awaited.
Venkaiah Naidu starts consultation process on impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today set in motion the process of consultation on the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and held discussions with a number of constitutional and legal experts, including Attorney General K K Venugopal, and former top law officer K Parasaran. The vice president cut short his visit to Hyderabad and reached here to hold deliberations over the notice given by the seven opposition parties. According to officials, Naidu spoke to former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash Kashyap, ex-law secretary P K Malhotra and former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh on the issue. He also held deliberations with senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, they said, adding that Naidu also spoke to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The officials said the vice president also spoke to the attorney general on the issue. They also said Naidu continued with the deliberations till late in the evening and also spoke to K Parasaran, who was the attorney general during the Congress governments led by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was also a member to the Upper House nominated by the party. Leaders of the opposition parties had on Friday met Naidu…
Cash crunch redux? Government comes under Opposition fire as ATMs go dry; here’s who said what
With parts to the country once again reeling under the fear of cash crunch amid reports of a number of ATMs in states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, poll-bound Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh going dry, the government has jumped to control the damage and assuage peoples concerns. As per the Finance Ministry, there is no shortage of cash in the country and the instances of ATMs not dispensing cash is owing to an unusual increase in demand in the last couple of months. Taking to Twitter, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that the temporary shortage is being taken care of quickly and there is more than the adequate currency in circulation. Overall there is more than the adequate currency in circulation and also available with the Banks. The temporary shortage caused by sudden and unusual increase (in demand) in some areas is being tackled quickly, the minister tweeted. MoS Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla has also said that a committee has been formed by the government to address the problem in some states.The issue would be resolved in two or three days, he added. The Government has set up a state-wise committee and RBI has also formed a committee to…
US trade representative unlikely to participate in WTO meet called by India, says official
US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer is unlikely to participate in the WTO mini-ministerial meeting called by India here on March 20 to discuss ways to take forward important issues in the World Trade Organization, an official said today. India has invited trade ministers of over 50 nations including the US, China and Pakistan to discuss key issues related with areas like agriculture and services. The US Trade Representative would not be able to join in the deliberations, an official said. So far about 15 trade ministers have confirmed their participation. This would be an informal meeting of the WTO members and India is expecting representatives from every country in the deliberations, including WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo. Members would be discussing issues which are creating hurdles in progress of negotiations in the multi-lateral body, the official said. The issues which are not moving forward include finding a permanent solution for food security purposes; trade facilitation measures to push services trade and appointment of members in the WTOs dispute settlement body.
2019 Lok Sabha election in mind, Rahul Gandhi to launch Congress’ ‘Save the Constitution’ campaign on April 23
The Congress party has announced that it will initiate a nationwide Save the Constitution campaign that will be launched by party president Rahul Gandhi on April 23 from Delhis Talkatora Stadium. The motive behind this campaign is to highlight the rising incidents of violence against the marginalised section of the society and the Constitution, partys Scheduled Caste Cell chairman Nitin Raut said. The latest drive comes amid similar past instances of protests in the name of rising cases of violence against Dalits and the bid by opposition parties to protect the Constitution from being destroyed. Nitin blamed the BJP for the rising incidents of violence, saying the saffron partys perception of the minorities is the root cause. He said that it is not just the Dalits who are agitating against the government, even OBCs are protesting. Nitin said that the Constitution is under attack and the community is denied education and employment by the BJP government. The event will discuss the current political scenario in the country, Nitin said. He said that besides Rahul, the April 23 event will be attended by former ministers, MPs and leaders in district councils, local bodies and panchayat committees. Youth wings, Mahila Morcha and…
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on two-day Tamil Nadu visit
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier started his two-day tour of Tamil Nadu today with a visit to the plant of a German auto-maker near here. Steinmeier visited the Daimler India Commercial Vehicle (DICV) facility at Oragadam, near here, where he was welcomed by the companys India Managing Director and CEO, Erich Nesselhauf. Steinmeier undertook a tour of the manufacturing plant. The German president, who is on a five-day visit to India, arrived in the city in the afternoon. He was accorded a traditional welcome at the airport with a Bharatnatyam performance, a video of which was uploaded on the official Twitter handle of the German Embassy, @GermanyinIndia. Very cordial welcome for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Madras Airport Station, Chennai. Looking forward to our meetings in Tamil Nadu, another tweet put out by @GermanyinIndia, said. Meanwhile, Steinmeiers wife, Elke Budenbende, visited the office of an NGO, working in the area of childrens rights, and interacted with children, young men and women there. She also held discussions with UNICEF India representative Yasmin A Haque there. Budenbende also visited the Sri Kapaleeshwarar temple in the city and offered prayers. Both the German president and the first lady have a host of events scheduled…
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…
Groom in Uttar Pradesh killed during ‘celebratory firing’ in Lakhimpur Kheri district, accused friend missing
In a shocking and a highly unfortunate incident, a groom was killed during celebratory firing in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh after he was hit by a bullet fired from close range by his friend. The incident was recorded in a video which was later accessed by the police. In this video, the groom can be seen clutching his chest as he gets hit by the bullet, before collapsing on the ground. The people around him could not hear the gunfire due to the loud music that was playing in the marriage. The incident reportedly took place when the groom, Sunil Verma, 25, arrived at the bride The accused, identified as Ramchandra, fired two shots from his licensed gun which hit the groom while the third shot missed him. The family members of the groom can also be seen in the video when he was shot. They looked confused and failed to understand as to what had happened. Verma was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead by the doctors. Watch video: He has reportedly been booked under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Cops are not ruling out the possibility of…
Tamil Nadu shocker! BJP-linked lawyer arrested for sexually abusing 9-year-old onboard Thiruvanantpuram-Chennai train
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Tamil Nadu has been arrested for sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl onboard Thiruvanantpuram-Chennai train on Sunday. The arrested man is a lawyer by profession and practises in the Madras High Court. He had contested the Assembly polls in 2006 on a BJP ticket and has been identified as KP Prem Ananth (56). The incident took place around 1:15 am on Sunday when the girl along with her family was travelling to Chennai from Thiruvananthapuram. According to the FIR filed by the girls mother, Ananth had boarded the train from Coimbatore and the incident occurred between Coimbatore and Erode. According to a report in The Indian Express, Ananth had not booked a ticket in advance and was carrying an ordinary ticket. He boarded a reserved coach and occupied a berth opposite to where the family was sleeping. Police said that they have spoken to the other passengers who were present inside the compartment. Police said that Ananth had threatened the fellow passengers saying he is a lawyer and has contacts in the BJP. The passengers then nabbed him and handed him over to the Railway police at Erode. Police said that Ananth was carrying…
BJP attacks Congress chief; asks why people of Rahul Gandhi’s constituency crying for basic amenities?
Attacking the Congress president, UP BJP general secretary Pankaj Singh said today that Rahul Gandhi must answer as to why the people in the constituencies represented by him and his family members in Parliament were crying for basic amenities even after so many years of Independence. The BJP government in the state under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is working on the sankalp (pledge) of ensuring availability of electricity and water supply and construction of better roads in the village. When they (Congress) were in power, they had never felt it appropriate to answer to anyone, Singh told PTI here. After the BJP came to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started the practice of telling the people of the country the work done in a year.We very well understand that we are answerable to the people, and we have to give answers to the people from time to time, he said. On the electoral understanding between the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, which halted the saffron partys victory march in the Lok Sabha bypolls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BJP MLA said, Forging a coalition is their internal matter, and I would not like to comment on it….
When Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar bought pakodas from protesting Congress MLAs
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday purchased pakodas from protesting Congress MLAs here, saying selling pakodas is a good business proposition for these unemployed elders. If anyone is getting employment by selling pakodas, its a good thing. They had become unemployed, but now they have got the pakoda-selling job . a good thing, Khattar said taking a jibe at the Congress legislators. The Congress legislators, led by Kiran Choudhary, were selling pakodas before going to the state assembly as a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks over job creation. As Khattar, who was on his way to attend the ongoing state assembly session, saw Congressmen offering pakodas to passersby, he stopped his cavalcade and got down from the vehicle and purchased pakodas from protesting legislators. Later in the assembly, Health Minister Anil Vij missed no opportunity to take a swipe at the Congress by saying that his department would get the quality of pakodas examined. The union and Haryana governments had promised to create a large number of jobs but now they are assuring pakoda jobs to millions of people, Congress legislator Karan Singh Dalal told reporters. Agriculture Minister O.P. Dhankar said the Congress was in the…
Arvind Kejriwal apology: Punjab AAP MLAs called for meeting with Delhi CM tomorrow
The AAPs central leadership has called the partys Punjab leaders, including MLAs, for a meeting with its national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi tomorrow, after a majority of its MLAs in the state yesterday discussed the option of splitting and forming a separate unit. Kejriwals apology to SAD leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia for accusing him of being involved in drugs trade pushed AAPs state unit into a crisis as its Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann and co-president Aman Arora resigned from their posts yesterday. The state leadership had said the meek surrender was painful and very unfortunate. In a further jolt, the Lok Insaf Party (LIP), AAPs ally in the state, announced to break its alliance with the party in the wake of Kejriwals apology. Senior leader and AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu today said, We have got a message and call from Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia for a meeting tomorrow in Delhi. We were told that Arvind ji will also be in the meeting. Sandhu, however, said that he would not attend the meeting. It was yesterday decided by a majority of MLAs here that future meetings with the central leadership should only be held…
Politicians facing credibility crisis in the country, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said there was a crisis of credibility for politicians in the country due to the perception that there was a vast difference in their words and deeds. Delivering awards to young women entrepreneurs at a function organised by business chamber FICCI, Singh also said there was a general perception that politicians cannot be successful without telling lies. I work in political arena. I know that there is a crisis of credibility for politicians. There is a general perception that there is a vast difference in the words and deeds of politicians, he said. The home minister said he represents Lucknow constituency in the Lok Sabha but during campaigning he never promised and only assured the electorate that he would try to do the work needed by them. Whatever may be the circumstances, knowingly, I will not tell any lie. I just tell people that if you bless me, I would try to do the work (they need), he said. Referring to the achievements of women in different fields, Singh said they have been successful in all walks of life and the government has been giving them encouragement. When I was the BJP president, I took…
Asaram convicted! From Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Nithyananda to Narayan Sai – Here’re babas facing serious charges
Jodhpur: Self-styled Godman Asaram has been convicted by a Jodhpur court for raping a teenager at his ashram near this city in 2013. In her complaint, the victim had said Asaram had raper her on the night of August 15, 2013 after calling her to his ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur. It took five years for the court to finally come up with the verdict in the case that witnessed a number of twists and turns, including alleged murders of some of the witnesses in the case. Asaram, 77, was arrested from Indore by police and brought to Jodhpur on September 1, 2013. He has remained in judicial custody since September 2, 2013. The self-styled Godman was chargesheeted under various sections of POSCO Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). As Asaram stares at 10-years imprisonment, which is likely to be pronounced today, here are some other self-styled Godman accused or convicted of serious charges. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh The leader of Dera Sachha Sauda cult, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is languishing in jail for raping two sadhvis of his ashram. The sadhvis had narrated to CBI judge the horrific details of how Ram Rahim used…
Alliance Air flight from Pathankot makes emergency landing at Delhi airport
An Alliance Air plane flying to the national capital from Pathankot made an emergency landing today at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here due to a mid-air technical glitch in one of the engines. The ATR 72 aircraft with 42 passengers landed safely at around 1.45 pm, an Air India official said. Alliance Air is the regional arm of the up-for-sale Air India. The right engine of the aircraft suffered a technical glitch when it was on the way to New Delhi from Pathankot. This forced the pilot to seek an emergency landing of the flight, which was carrying 42 passengers on board, the official told PTI. Air Traffic Control (ATC) declared full emergency at around 13:30 PM for flight AI-836 flying from Pathankot to New Delhi, an airport official said, adding that the flight landed safely on the runway 11\/29 at 13:44 PM. Pathankot became a part of the civil aviation map only last week when Alliance Air started operating its first flight from New Delhi to the border district in Punjab, which shares international borders with Pakistan, under the governments regional connectivity scheme UDAN on April 5. Alliance Air began operations with an ATR aircraft on the route…
Delhi horror! Teenager kills two-month-old son over wife’s affair, confesses crime after arrest
Delhi police arrested a teenager for allegedly killing his two-month-old infant in outer Delhi The father of the child rained punches on him, the police said. The mother of the child is also a minor. The two had got married 10 months ago, police said. 10 pm, when a two-month-old boy was brought to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital by his mother. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment, The girl had gone to Palika Bazar to look for a job of a salesgirl leaving the infant behind with her husband. When she returned, she found the baby lying motionless and her husband was nowhere to be seen. The child was declared brought dead by hospital authorities. Then, the authorities informed the local police, who rushed to the spot. They spoke to the mother, who told them her husband had killed the child. She works as a domestic help and left for work soon afterward. She alleged he started slapping and kicking their son and fled the spot once the child died, On the basis of the girl The accused was apprehended from his hideout following a raid, police said. After sustained questioning by the police, the teenager confessed to the crime…
Trouble for Amit Shah’s ‘Left-Mukt Bharat’ call, BJP’s sole Kerala ally BDJS walks out of NDA
More woes appear to be in store for Bharatiya Janata Party as their only ally in Kerala, Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BJDS), broke ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BDJS is the political arm of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) which is an organisation that works majorly for the backwards Ezhavas. According to a Times Now report, Hindu Ezhava leader Vellapally Natesan launched BDJS in December 2015 and soon formed an alliance with BJP. Tushar was made the leader of the party. Top BDJS leaders, especially Natesan, have been reportedly displeased with its ally over repeated requests for positions in corporations not being fulfilled by the BJP. Moreover, the BDJS founder also has been critical of BJP leaders in Kerala pubically, the report added. Natesan also visited Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayans residence in Thiruvananthapuram last year which had led to speculations over a plan in the works. Natesan time and again has said that his party would break alliance with BJP and move to the Left camp. Though Natesan does not hold any post in the BDJS, he is the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) – the social movement of the Ezhavas that…
Determined innovator:With a device that helps detect seizures, this Bengaluru citizen is well on her way to help children with epilepsy
Bengaluru-based Rajlakshmi Borthakur His seizures would not stop and he would have to be taken to the hospital each time, Things took a turn for the worse when Tejas Not willing to let her son suffer for the rest of his life, she decided to take things in her own hands. What ensued was years of hardcore research, ranging from neurology and Internet of Things to cellular functioning and artificial intelligence. Her hard work paid off in 2015 when she came up with the concept of a smart glove that could take cells from the palm of one A hurdle, however, blocked her way. Borthakur Soon, a prototype of the device, which she named Tjay after her son, was up and running. The smart glove senses a person This information is transmitted to a connected mobile device through Bluetooth, providing adequate warning of an epilepsy attack. Later in 2015, Borthakur put together a team and formed a company called Terrablue XT to commercially build the device, which is still in its testing phase. She plans to put Tjay (which won the 2015 Innovate Digital India challenge) out for sale by the middle of this year. Talking about her decision to…
Conrad K Sangma to be sworn-in as Meghalaya Chief Minister today; Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh to attend event
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah are likely to Both leaders are to arrive here on Monday and spent the night. They would leave for Shillong on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said here on Monday evening. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP president Ranjit Dass are likely to receive Rajnath Singh and Shah at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport near Guwahati. Keep a track onA. Sangam, Conrad Sangma, is likely to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of the non-Congress government on Tuesday. The NPP managed to win 19 seats in the polls and got the support of 15 more legislators – including six from the United Democratic Party (UDP), four from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), two from BJP and one Independent legislator – taking the strength of the combined alliance to 32 in the 60-member House. Another regional political party, Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), had on Sunday announced support to Conrad Sangma-led NPP government, but the HSPDP on Monday expressed its unwillingness to become part of a government with the BJP. But the alliance still has 32 legislators required to…
Pawan Kalyan takes U-turn over special status to Andhra Pradesh; here is what he said
Taking a U-turn on the issue of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday said the tag was not important. In an interview to a television channel, the Jana Sena chief said that it doesnt matter whether the state gets the tag of special status or not. What is important is the financial help from the central government, he said. Pawan, younger brother of superstar and Congress leader Chiranjeevi, also ruled out any truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) till the states demands are met. The actor had been targeting Andhra Pradeshs ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ever since it accepted special package from the BJP-led NDA government last year in lieu of the special category status. Pawan had been addressing a series of meetings to target TDP. He had also described the special package as a stale laddu. Last week, he had even threatened to launch an indefinite fast to seek special status. The u-turn came amid the allegations by the TDP that Pawan has secret understanding with the BJP. TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had criticised the actor for making allegations of corruption against the TDP government instead of targeting…
Congress boycotts Lokpal panel meet again, Kharge shoots off another letter to PM Narendra Modi
The Congress today once again boycotted the meeting of the Lokpal Selection Committee with its leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge saying that he was invited by the government as a special invitee with the singular intention of excluding the opinion of the opposition in the selection process . Kharge shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi declining the offer to attend the meeting and alleged that his government has not accorded priority and importance to the issue and its double standards stood exposed. Inviting the leader of single largest opposition party as a Special Invitee is done with the singular intention of excluding the opinion of the opposition from the selection process of Lokpal, he said in his letter. The Congress leader said the government is aware that there is no provision in the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act for a special invitee without rights of participation, recording of opinion and voting in the procedure and it has been done only to mislead the nation and the people, rather than sincerely seeking the participation and opinion of the opposition. Therefore, to participate in this charade while your government runs roughshod over the intent and spirit of the Lokpal…
After protests, Vasundhara Raje government revokes Dress Code in colleges order
Buckling under widespread protests, especially by students, the Vasundhara Raje dispensation in Rajasthan today revoked its recent controversial order on implementing a dress code for government run colleges in the state. The chief minister said the Directorate of College Education had issued the order to introduce uniforms in government colleges based on suggestions by student representatives. I have therefore asked that uniforms be made voluntary rather than compulsory, We are here to provide our girls with whatever they require to excel in their education, she said. On March 4, the BJP government in Rajasthan had announced a dress code in state-run colleges from the academic year 2018-19, drawing protests from students and opposition Congress which dubbed it as an attempt to The Commissionerate of College Education had then shot off a letter to principals of government colleges asking them to decide the colour of the dress for boys and girls and submit it by March 12. Dress code for boys included shirt, trousers, sweater (winters), shoes, socks and belt. For girls, it was salwar suit, dupatta, sweater or cardigan (winters), saree, shoes or sandals and socks. Principals are directed to decide dress colour with senior faculty members, student union representatives…
Bihar shocker: Katihar District Magistrate sings Sholay song in public, IPS officer opens fire; watch video
Bihars Katihar Superintendent of Police Siddharth Mohan Jain has come under the scanner for celebratory firing during his and the district magistrates farewell ceremony at the Railway Golf Grounds. Jain, who was seen singing with the district magistrate on a song from the movie Sholay, fired 10 rounds of bullets in the sky, triggering panic among people gathered at the Railway Grounds. The Katihar SP was getting transferred to Delhi to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and he was accompanied by district magistrate Mithilesh Mishra, who was also getting transferred. #WATCH Bihar: Celebratory firing by Katihar Superintendent of Police(SP) Siddharth Mohan Jain during his farewell ceremony (1.5.18) pic.twitter.com\/avJKoF2gsy The ceremony was attended by many senior officers of the district. Video of the incident has gone viral on the internet. According to ANI, the incident took place while both outgoing officials were in a jubilant mood and happily enjoying their farewell. The DM was singing a song from 1975 hit Sholay film – Ye Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge. The SP suddenly pulled out his revolver and started firirng in the sky. This sudden firing created panic at the venue. The SP kept on firing till magazine of his pistol was…
Major fire breaks out at ISRO’s antenna testing lab in Ahmedabad – How it happened?
A major fire broke out at a research facility located in the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) here this afternoon, officials said. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which was doused within a couple of hours, they said. A major fire broke out inside a building, which is used as an antenna testing laboratory (for satellites). It is located inside the sprawling SAC campus in the Satellite area of the city. As many as 27 fire tenders were pressed into service, Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt said. A senior official of the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) said the fire incident was reported around 2 pm and it took almost two hours to douse the flames. The exact cause of the fire was not yet known, the official added. According to Bhatt, the blaze spread quickly due to the presence of U-Foam material on the walls of the lab. Considering the importance of the SAC campus, several senior government officials, including Ahmedabad Collector Vikrant Pandey and Joint Commissioner of Police K L N Rao, rushed to the spot along with the AFES officials. Pandey said a team of forensic experts would conduct…