Headlines from today's papers.
Modi to meet Obama in US in September: reports
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the United States in September to meet with President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, according to reports in the media. The Times of India reported that Obama invited Modi to the US when he called to congratulate him the day after the Indian election results were announced, and the prime minister has accepted the offer. Until now, Modi has been denied a visa by the US under its International Religious Freedom Act, because of his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots. However, the US has been warming up to Modi since February, when Nancy Powell, who was US ambassador to India at the time, met Modi ahead of the elections.
Pune techie killed amidst communal tensions over morphed images
A 24-year-old technology professional from Pune, Mohsin Shaikh, died on Wednesday after sustaining injuries in an attack on him by alleged members of a radical right-wing group. Shaikh was returning home after his evening prayers when a group of men belonging to the Hindu Rashtra Sena attacked him and allegedly beat him to death. According to reports, the incident is believed to be a fallout of communal tensions in Pune that arose after morphed images of deceased former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and Maratha king Shivaji went viral on social media. Right-wing groups have been protesting against the images since last week and vandalised more than 200 buses in the city.
Gopinath Munde's funeral marred by violence
Union rural development minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde's funeral was held on Wednesday in his native village of Parli, Maharasthra, following his death on Tuesday due to injuries sustained in a car accident. The funeral was attended by a number of high-ranking government officials from Maharashtra, as well as other parts of the country. A large crowd of supporters also gathered around the funeral site. According to reports, there was a demand for the accident to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation after supporters alleged foul play in Munde's death. The demand snowballed into stone-throwing and torching of vehicles that was curtailed by the police after a lathi-charge.
Badaun case: SP's Yadav family continue to make controversial statements
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family continued to be in the spotlight for controversial statements made over the gang-rape and murder of two teenage girls in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh last week. A day after UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav suggested conducting a Google search to understand that women are raped elsewhere in the country too, his father Mulayam Singh snapped at journalists when he was pressed on law and order issues in the state, saying, "You do your work and I will do mine." Akhilesh's uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, meanwhile, laid the blame of rape on "vulgarity, obscenity and violence shown on TV channels", while echoing his nephew's suggestion that UP was being deliberately targeted.
One arrested in Herat abduction case
Afghani security forces have arrested one person in connection with the abduction of an Indian aid worker from the province of Herat last week. Afghani authorities said in a statement on Thursday that they had arrested a man who had helped set up and execute the plan to abduct Alexis Prem Kumar on Monday. The authorities also said that they were working closely with the Indian external affairs ministry over the case. Kumar, a native of Tamil Nadu, was working as the Afghanistan director of an NGO called Jesuit Refugee Service for the last three years. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
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Modi to meet Obama in US in September: reports
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the United States in September to meet with President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, according to reports in the media. The Times of India reported that Obama invited Modi to the US when he called to congratulate him the day after the Indian election results were announced, and the prime minister has accepted the offer. Until now, Modi has been denied a visa by the US under its International Religious Freedom Act, because of his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots. However, the US has been warming up to Modi since February, when Nancy Powell, who was US ambassador to India at the time, met Modi ahead of the elections.
Pune techie killed amidst communal tensions over morphed images
A 24-year-old technology professional from Pune, Mohsin Shaikh, died on Wednesday after sustaining injuries in an attack on him by alleged members of a radical right-wing group. Shaikh was returning home after his evening prayers when a group of men belonging to the Hindu Rashtra Sena attacked him and allegedly beat him to death. According to reports, the incident is believed to be a fallout of communal tensions in Pune that arose after morphed images of deceased former Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and Maratha king Shivaji went viral on social media. Right-wing groups have been protesting against the images since last week and vandalised more than 200 buses in the city.
Gopinath Munde's funeral marred by violence
Union rural development minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde's funeral was held on Wednesday in his native village of Parli, Maharasthra, following his death on Tuesday due to injuries sustained in a car accident. The funeral was attended by a number of high-ranking government officials from Maharashtra, as well as other parts of the country. A large crowd of supporters also gathered around the funeral site. According to reports, there was a demand for the accident to be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation after supporters alleged foul play in Munde's death. The demand snowballed into stone-throwing and torching of vehicles that was curtailed by the police after a lathi-charge.
Badaun case: SP's Yadav family continue to make controversial statements
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family continued to be in the spotlight for controversial statements made over the gang-rape and murder of two teenage girls in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh last week. A day after UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav suggested conducting a Google search to understand that women are raped elsewhere in the country too, his father Mulayam Singh snapped at journalists when he was pressed on law and order issues in the state, saying, "You do your work and I will do mine." Akhilesh's uncle Ram Gopal Yadav, meanwhile, laid the blame of rape on "vulgarity, obscenity and violence shown on TV channels", while echoing his nephew's suggestion that UP was being deliberately targeted.
One arrested in Herat abduction case
Afghani security forces have arrested one person in connection with the abduction of an Indian aid worker from the province of Herat last week. Afghani authorities said in a statement on Thursday that they had arrested a man who had helped set up and execute the plan to abduct Alexis Prem Kumar on Monday. The authorities also said that they were working closely with the Indian external affairs ministry over the case. Kumar, a native of Tamil Nadu, was working as the Afghanistan director of an NGO called Jesuit Refugee Service for the last three years. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.
