A decision on whether Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar will be listed as a global terrorist by the United Nations will be known Wednesday as the world body's Sanctions Committee holds a crucial meeting, amid indications that China could lift its hold on the proposal to blacklist Azhar.
The Shiv Sena on Wednesday called for a ban on the use of burqa by women of a particular community as it threw its weight behind a similar plan being mulled by the Sri Lankan government in the wake of the Easter terror strikes which claimed over 250 lives.
Chief of Bureau of Police Research and Development Sudeep Lakhtakia on Monday flagged this concern, saying he often saw drivers of school buses violating norms. “Even now the road to school or back home is not safe,” he said at a conference, stressing on the need for a policy.
Advocate M L Sharma, who keeps filing PIL in all controversial cases, mentioned his petition before a bench of the CJI for urgent hearing but Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked him to approach another bench. Sharma, thereafter, rushed to a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra but he too refused to hear and asked him to approach another bench.
In a long presser in Rawalpindi on Monday peppered with similar unconvincing claims, DG-ISPR Asif Ghafoor blamed India’s spy agency RAW for allegedly funding the Pashtun protest movement, PTM. “We gave a befitting reply to Indian aggression on February 27 and we can do it again.” he said. “India is lying constantly for last two months.”
The development comes just a day after Islamic State carried out a minor explosion near a cinema theatre in Dhaka. The minor blast took place near Gulistan theatre around 7.30pm on Monday. Though no casualties were reported as there was some problem with the bomb assembly, a few policemen did sustain injuries in the blast.
Himachal DGP S R Mardi set up on Tuesday a special investigation team (SIT) headed by additional SP (city), Shimla, Praveer Thakur, to probe the rape case. The SIT investigation will be closely monitored and supervised daily by the SP (Shimla) and DIG (Southern Range) Shimla, the DGP said. The SIT will complete the investigation at the earliest, the DGP said, adding that he would be briefed daily on the progress of the investigation.
Attorney general K K Venugopal said since the petitioners - advocate Prashant Bhushan, and former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha - have attached three new documents to their review plea, the Centre would need four weeks to file a complete reply to it. This was ostensibly to tide over the election campaigning period.
According to eyewitnesses, the four had been roaming on the railway tracks clicking photographs of each other on their mobile phones for over half-an-hour. They then lined up for a selfie even as a train was approaching. Dinesh noticed the train and jumped to safety after alerting the other three.
If the developments move in the expected direction, getting China to rethink its technical hold on a global ban on the Jaish chief will mark a diplomatic win for India given Beijing’s persistence to shield Azhar in deference to the interests of its ally Pakistan.
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay K Kaul and K M Joseph chastised Rahul for the ambiguously worded 22-page affidavit he had filed in response to the contempt petition filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi. The bench noted that the Congress chief required 22 pages to express regret within a bracket. With his “regret” not meeting the requirement in a contempt case, the Congress leader got time till Monday to file an apology affidavit.
The complainant told the Justice S A Bobde-headed panel on Tuesday that she was unhappy at being denied assistance of her lawyer Vrinda Grover and felt intimidated when facing the panel of judges. She referred to being repeatedly asked about the delay in submitting her complaint against the CJI.
On Tuesday, the court sent Parashar to judicial custody till May 14. NIA had alleged that Naik had a country-made pistol and five rounds of cartridges. The investigating agency also accused Naik of being active on social media and propagating a separate Khalistan and attempting to revive militancy.
The Indian Army late on Monday night declared its mountaineers had discovered “mysterious footprints of mythical beast Yeti” in the snow-bound Himalayas, leaving all and sundry flummoxed across the globe. The declaration in a tweet, with three pictures of the footprints, by the Army’s official handle, which has almost six million followers, set social media platforms all aflutter overnight.
Highlighting how his state government had earlier distributed laptops to people in the state, Akhilesh said while addressing an event here, "We had given laptops to the young people. Yogi Adityanath does not know how to use a laptop that is why he has not distributed them."
Targeting Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani said Tuesday that the Congress president has now become "a missing candidate as well" after remaining a "missing MP".
Addressing an election meeting here, Babbar said, "The children of farmers laid down their lives defending the country's borders while the people occupying the seats of power were playing politics over their martyrdom.".
Addressing a public meeting in Shopian, where polls will be held on May 6, the National Conference vice president said any attack on these articles will reverse the situation to the pre-1947 era.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of a report filed by senior advocate P H Parekh, assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the matter, which stated that only six states have provided the requisite information to him in pursuance of the court's October 24 direction.The Indian Army late on Monday night declared its mountaineers had discovered “mysterious footprints of mythical beast Yeti” in the snow-bound Himalayas, leaving all and sundry flummoxed across the globe. The declaration in a tweet, with three pictures of the footprints, by the Army’s official handle, which has almost six million followers, set social media platforms all aflutter overnight.
Breaking her silence over reasons for not contesting Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi against PM Modi, Priyanka said she had the "responsibility of looking after 41 seats and could not focus on just one". "All my candidates are still wanting me to go to their constituencies and I felt that they will be a little disappointed if I focused only on one place," she said
"India is having a fast growth rate in the employment segment who are new job seekers. No new jobs (in public sector) can be given to such a large number of population, so our focus has been for entrepreneurship and self-employment," BJP's spokesperson on economic affairs Gopal Krishna Agarwal said at an event organised by Assocham.
Right-wing fringe group Hindu Sena has written to the MHA, demanding a ban on face covers, burqa and niqab at public places and government and private institutions on the lines of Sri Lanka. These kind of head coverings enable terrorists to hide their identity from CCTV cameras and other surveillance measures in place, the letter to home secretary read.
A former apex court employee, who levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, has decided not to participate any more before the in-house inquiry panel. "Due to serious concerns and reservations, I am no longer participating in these in-house committee proceedings," she said in a statement.A former apex court employee, who levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, decided on Tuesday not to participate any more before the in-house inquiry panel.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday wrote to the Election Commission demanding relaxation in the model code of conduct, in force since March 10 for the Lok Sabha polls, to undertake drought relief measures.
The apex court on April 15 had given a categorical clarification that in its Rafale verdict there was no occasion for it to make a mention of the contemptuous observation that "chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hain" as has been attributed to it by Gandhi
Light to moderate rainfall is expected in northern parts of Tamil Nadu under the influence of Cyclone 'Fani', presently lying over southwest Bay of Bengal, area cyclone warning centre director said on Tuesday. It would continue to intensify and travel in northwest direction and gradually pass Odisha on May 3 in north and northeast direction, he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a fire that broke out in Delhi's Shastri Bhawan. Taking to Twitter, the Congress president said, "Modi ji, burning files is not going to save you. Your day of judgement is coming."
The Madras high court on Tuesday held that Puducherry Lt governor Kiran Bedi "cannot interfere" in the day-to-day affairs of the elected government of the Union territory, a decision hailed by chief minister V Narayanasamy who termed it as "victory" of democracy.
China has said that the vexed issue of designating Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN will be "properly resolved" but it did not give any timeline. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that relevant consultations are going on within the committee and has achieved some progress.
Rajasthan deputy CM and state Congress president Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said his party is aiming to bring 'employment revolution' in the country and accused the BJP of polarising castes and communities to "hide" the NDA government's "failures". He also alleged the BJP failed to counter the narrative set by the Congress in the general elections and is running away from real issues concerning the country.
The SC has directed the Centre to file response by May 4 to the petitions seeking review of last December's verdict by which the apex court had dismissed the pleas challenging India's deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi did not allow the plea of the Centre that it be granted 4 weeks time to file its response.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has apologised to the Supreme Court for linking the top court's order to his "Chowkidar Chor hai" political jibe at PM Narendra Modi. Rahul's apology came after the top court pulled him up over the errors in his affidavit and asked him to accept his mistake.
The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said it has arrested six terrorists, including a PhD scholar, for launching an abortive suicide car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy on Jammu-Srinagar highway last month.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra refuted the allegations questioning the nationality of Rahul Gandhi as "baseless" and said that the entire country knows that he is an Indian. Entire India knows that Rahul Gandhi is an Indian. "He was born in front of them. He grew up in front of them. Everyone knows about this. What nonsense is this? the Congress general secretary said.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to furnish evidence for seeking custodial interrogation of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who was earlier heading the West Bengal Police SIT probing the Saradha chit-fund scam.
The ministry of home affairs asked Rahul Gandhi to clarify his position on his nationality after BJP MP Subramanian Swamy cited a British company's document to allege that the Congress president is a British national. In a letter, the ministry said that Rahul, in an annual return filed by company Backops Limited, has declared his nationality as British.
Indian Army on Tuesday claimed that one of its teams spotted mysterious footprints of mythical creature "Yeti" close to Nepal's Makalu Base Camp. During an expedition, the Mountaineering Expedition team came across mysterious marks measuring 32X15 inches, which the Army believed are of the mythical beast Yeti, the Army said.
With 92 trips to 57 countries since coming to power in May 2014, PM Modi has flown abroad nearly twice as much as his predecessor Manmohan Singh in 5 years. While his visits have won praise from supporters for boosting India's global profile, the costs associated with them have triggered some criticism.