Top news: BJP and JD(U) to contest on equal number of seats for 2019 Lok Sabha elections
The biggest stories of the day.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced an equal seat-sharing agreement with the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Supreme Court gave the Central Vigilance Commission two weeks to complete its investigation into allegations against Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma, who was sent on leave on Tuesday.
Dassault, the offset partner in the Rafale aircraft deal with France, has said that it was in talks with the Reliance Group long before Narendra Modi became prime minister. Dassault CEO Eric Trappier’s statement comes amid allegations that France and Dassault were forced by the Indian government to pick Anil Ambani’s company for the deal.
Activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves taken into custody after Pune court rejects bail plea
The Pune Police on Friday took into custody activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira hours after a Pune Sessions court rejected their bail pleas and applications seeking an extension of their house arrests for seven days. The period of their house arrests, as ruled by the Supreme Court, ended on Friday.
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Bihar: BJP and Janata Dal (United) announce equal seat sharing alliance in 2019 Lok Sabha elections
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Friday announced an alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), with the parties contesting for an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Shah said the pre-poll alliance’s other members will get a “respectable seat share” and that the exact break up will be announced soon.
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Uttar Pradesh: At least seven killed in explosion at firecracker factory in Badaun
At least seven people died and three others injured in a firecracker factory explosion in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district on Friday.
Chief Minister Adityanath has taken cognisance of the mishap and directed the district magistrate to take all necessary action and provide relief to the injured.
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Donald Trump invites Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington, says top US official
United States President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington, Reuters quoted US National Security Advisor John Bolton as saying on Friday.
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Disqualified AIADMK MLAs say they will move Supreme Court against Madras HC order
The 18 Tamil Nadu MLAs whose disqualification was upheld by the Madras High Court on Thursday have said they will appeal against the verdict. The state Assembly speaker had disqualified the rebel All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators after they sided with ousted party leader TTV Dhinakaran in September 2017.
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Supreme Court gives CVC two weeks to complete inquiry against CBI Director Alok Verma
The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Central Vigilance Commission two weeks to complete its investigation into allegations against Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma, who moved court on Wednesday against the Centre’s decision to send him on leave.
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Activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves taken into custody after Pune court rejects bail plea
The Pune Police on Friday took into custody activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira hours after a Pune Sessions court rejected their bail pleas and applications seeking an extension of their house arrests for seven days.
Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa, associate group no longer on the list of banned outfits in Pakistan
The Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its associate group Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation headed by Hafiz Saeed are no longer on the list of banned outfits in Pakistan, reported Dawn on Friday.
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Enforcement Directorate seeks fugitive economic offender tag for four accused in Sterling Biotech case
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday moved a special court in New Delhi to declare four accused in the Sterling Biotech case fugitive economic offenders under a new law. The court issued notices to the accused to seek their response.
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Defence ministry spokesperson sent on leave after angry tweet to former Navy chief
The Ministry of Defence spokesperson on Friday apologised for an “inadvertent” tweet in response to a former chief of the Indian Navy, criticising the use of government vehicles by defence officials. The tweet was deleted, but screenshots have upset several former defence officials on Twitter. Later on Friday, the ministry said the spokesperson has gone on leave and Colonel Aman Anand took over as the acting official spokesperson.
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Jammu and Kashmir: Soldier, two suspected militants killed in gunfight in Baramulla district
An Indian Army soldier and two suspected militants were killed during a gunfight in Sopore area of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, PTI reported. The identity and affiliation of the militants is being ascertained, defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.
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Fiscal deficit touched 95.3% of 2018-’19 target in April-September, says government
India’s fiscal deficit touched 95.3% of the budgeted target during the April to September period, reports said on Thursday, citing data released by the Controller General of Accounts. The fiscal deficit for the first half of the financial year stood at Rs 5.95 lakh crore.
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‘We chose Reliance Group for Rafale deal as Ambanis are a respectable family’: Dassault CEO
Dassault was in discussions with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group as a potential partner much before Narendra Modi became the Indian prime minister, the chief executive officer of the French company told The Economic Times. Eric Trappier said the company made its choice because the Ambanis are a very “respectable family”. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence is part of the Rafale deal’s offset programme through a joint venture with Dassault.
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Live: Congress protests across the country demanding CBI chief’s reinstatement, Rahul Gandhi courts arrest
The Congress party staged protests outside CBI offices across the country on Friday to demand the reinstatement of agency director Alok Verma. Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who led the demonstrations in New Delhi, courted arrest.
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Sensex and Nifty recover after sharp fall during early trade
The domestic benchmark indices on Friday fell during early trade amid negative Asian cues, a day after falling to their lowest in seven months because of a decline in global equities. The BSE Sensex declined over 297 points and the broader NSE Nifty 50 index fell below the 10,100 mark.
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#MeToo: Woman who accused Vikas Bahl of sexual assault tells Bombay HC she stands by her statement
The Bombay High Court on Thursday agreed to hear filmmaker Vikas Bahl’s defamation suit against his former Phantom Films partners Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane and a few media houses, and pass a final order in the case instead of conducting hearings for interim relief.
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Congress will protest outside CBI offices across India on Friday to demand Alok Verma be reinstated
The Congress will organise protests outside offices of the Central Bureau of Investigation across the country on Friday seeking the reinstatement of ousted director Alok Verma. The party will also demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise for “destroying the image of the premier investigating agency”.
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After Rahul Gandhi’s claims, CBI says Rafale file was not under Director Alok Verma’s consideration
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday rejected news reports and Opposition claims that files related to several crucial cases, including the Rafale aircraft deal between India and France, was under the consideration of Director Alok Verma. The Centre divested Verma of his powers late on Tuesday night during a tussle between him and the agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
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Amnesty India confirms ED searched its Bengaluru premises, says it has not broken any laws
Amnesty International India on Friday confirmed that Enforcement Directorate officials had searched its Bengaluru office for 10 hours on Thursday, finishing only at midnight. “Our staff fully cooperated with the officials,” the global human rights non-governmental organisation tweeted. Amnesty India accused the government of treating human rights organisations like criminal enterprises.
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Google says it’s fired 48 employees over past two years for sexual harassment
Google on Thursday announced that it has fired 48 employees for sexual harassment during the past two years and has not provided the employees severance packages, AP reported. In a letter to employees, Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said the company was taking a “hard line” on inappropriate conduct.
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Fuel prices decline for ninth straight day, petrol costs Rs 80.85 per litre in Delhi
Fuel prices continued to decline for the ninth consecutive in the country on Friday. Petrol was priced at Rs 80.85 per litre in the Capital on Friday, 25 paise lower than on Thursday. Diesel cost Rs 74.73 per litre, a decline of six paise from Thursday.
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Court tells police to file case against Tamil Nadu BJP chief for allegedly harassing scholar
A court in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Thursday ordered the police to register a case against Bharatiya Janata Party state President Tamilisai Soundararajan and the party cadre for allegedly verbally abusing and threatening a 28-year-old research scholar who was arrested on September 3 when she shouted anti-BJP slogans during a flight. The politician was on the same aircraft.
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By 2024, half the chief ministers in Congress states should be women: Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that in the next five years, half the chief ministers in Congress-ruled states should be women. Gandhi made the remarks at a women’s Congress meet at Kota in Rajasthan.
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