Delhi pollution: Air quality deteriorates as impact of rainfall wears off

The air quality of Delhi deteriorated on Friday as the dispersion of pollutants slowed, PTI reported. The pollution level in the National Capital Region had improved in the last two days after rain washed away pollutants.

Read more here.

Hindu Mahasabha asks Uttar Pradesh CM to rename Meerut after Nathuram Godse

The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha on Thursday asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath to rename Meerut to Godse Nagar, in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.

Read more here.

Madhya Pradesh polls: Demonetisation was the biggest scam since independence, claims Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that demonetisation was the “biggest scam in the history of independent India”. Addressing a rally at Deori in Sagar district of poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi alleged that the Centre’s move to ban high-value currency notes proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “robbed the poor of their hard-earned money and given it away to a few rich”.

Read more here.

Indian markets close higher on continued foreign fund inflows, strengthening rupee

The BSE Sensex rose 196.62 points to finish at 35,457.16 on Friday, and the National Stock Exchange Nifty gained 65.50 points to close at 10,682.20. The markets ended higher due to continued foreign fund inflows and a strengthening rupee.

Read more here.

NGT asks Volkswagen to deposit Rs 100 crore for allegedly fitting cheat devices in diesel cars

The National Green Tribunal on Friday ordered car manufacturer Volkswagen to deposit an interim amount of Rs 100 crore with the Central Pollution Control for having allegedly flouted environmental norms by using a cheat device that lowered vehicle emissions only during tests.

Read more here.

Jammu and Kashmir is heading towards president’s rule, says Governor Satya Pal Malik

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday ruled out the dissolution of the state Assembly and said it will remain in suspended animation till it completes its six-year term or fresh elections are held. The term of the state Assembly ends in December 2020.

Read more here.

Singer TM Krishna to perform at Delhi government event after AAI postpones his show

Carnatic singer TM Krishna will perform in Delhi on Saturday, the same day he was scheduled to perform at an event organised by the Airports Authority of India that was later postponed. The postponement came after Internet trolls attacked the organiser for supporting an “anti-India” musician.

Read more here.

Chhattisgarh: Modi challenges Congress to appoint party president from outside the Gandhi family

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at the Congress and challenged the party to appoint a Congress president who was not from the Gandhi family for at least five years. Modi was speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur in the poll-bound state.

Read more here.

UP: Five booked for posting alleged derogatory remarks about CM Adityanath and RSS on Facebook

The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked five persons for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Facebook against Chief Minister Adityanath and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Additional Superintendent of Police Ajay Pratap Singh on Friday said the five have been charged under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Read more here.

Sabarimala row: Activist Rehana Fathima, who tried to enter shrine, denied anticipatory bail

The Kerala High Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of activist Rehana Fathima, who unsuccessfully tried to enter the Sabarimala temple in October, and directed the police to take necessary action against her. In a separate case, the court granted bail to six men arrested in connection with violent protests at Sabarimala.

Read more here.

Assam: Former ULFA leaders, arrested over alleged inflammatory comments, granted bail

An Assam court on Thursday granted bail to former United Liberation Front of Asom leaders Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta, who were arrested earlier this month for allegedly making inflammatory comments.

Read more here.

Andhra Pradesh government bars CBI from carrying out investigation in state without informing it

The Andhra Pradesh government has withdrawn the “general consent” provided to the Central Bureau of Investigation to carry out searches in the state citing lack of confidence in the CBI after the agency’s senior officers accused each other of corruption.

Read more here.

Tripura: At least 28 injured in clashes after CPI(M) leader’s vehicle is pelted with stones

At least 28 people were injured in Belonia in South Tripura on Thursday in clashes between suspected Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers. Assistant Inspector General Smriti Ranjan Das said 10 policemen were among the injured.

Read more here.

CBI row: Alok Verma to get copy of vigilance panel’s report, must file reply by Monday, says SC

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the court registry to give Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma a copy of the Central Vigilance Commission’s inquiry report on corruption allegations against him. The court ordered Verma to file his response in a sealed cover by Monday.

Read more here.

#MeToo: Women’s commission asks Centre to look into AIR employees’ sexual harassment complaints

National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma on Thursday asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to look into recent complaints of sexual harassment from All India Radio empoyees, and submit a status report within a week. Sharma also wrote to Prasar Bharti Chief Executive Officer Shashi S Vempati, seeking an investigation into the allegations.

Read more here.

Punjab Police launch hunt for al-Qaeda affiliate commander Zakir Moosa

The Punjab Police are on alert after receiving information that Zakir Moosa, the commander of a militant group affiliated to al-Qaeda, may be hiding in the state. The police have put up posters of Moosa across the state.

Read more here.

Rajasthan Assembly polls: Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot named in Congress’ first list of candidates

The Congress on Friday released a list of 152 candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will contest from Sardarpura constituency in Jodhpur while state unit president Sachin Pilot will fight the elections from Tonk.

Read more here.

Sabarimala row: Activist Trupti Desai reaches Kochi, protestors stop her from leaving airport

Women’s rights activist Trupti Desai reached the Cochin International Airport in Kerala on Friday morning to visit the Sabarimala temple, but was blocked by protestors at the domestic terminal, PTI reported. Neither Desai nor her six colleagues, who reached around 4.40 am on Thursday from Pune, were allowed to exit the airport.

Read more here.

Suspected militants kill civilian in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district

Suspected militants abducted and shot dead a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday night, the state police said in a press release. The victim has been identified as Nadeem Manzoor of Safanagri village in Shopian district.

Read more here.

CBI tussle: Supreme Court likely to consider CVC report on graft allegations against Alok Verma

The Supreme Court on Friday will continue hearing Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma’s petition challenging the government’s order to send him on leave, PTI reported. The court is also likely to consider the Central Vigilance Commission’s report on its inquiries into corruption allegations against Verma. The inquiry report was submitted to the court in a sealed cover on November 12.

Read more here.

Cyclone Gaja: At least 11 dead in Tamil Nadu, nearly 82,000 people evacuated

Severe cyclonic storm Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam between 12.30 am and 2.30 am on Friday. Wind speed up to 120 km per hour was recorded. It is likely to weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm in three hours, according to a bulletin released at 5.30 am.

Read more here.

Muzaffarpur shelter home rapes: JD(U) suspends absconding former minister Manju Verma

The Janata Dal (United) on Thursday suspended former Bihar minister Manju Verma from the party, PTI reported. The Bihar Police on Thursday conducted raids at several locations in the state and in Jharkhand in order to arrest Verma, days after the Supreme Court pulled up the state police.

Read more here.

Journalist CP Surendran steps down as director of literary fest after harassment allegations: Report

Writer and journalist CP Surendran has stepped down as a director of the annual Mathrubhumi Festival of Letters, weeks after several women accused him of sexual harassment, The News Minute reported on Thursday. The website of the Kerala-based literary festival has removed his name from the list of directors.

Read more here.

Amazon and Flipkart being investigated for alleged foreign exchange norms violation, ED tells Delhi HC

The Enforcement Directorate has told the Delhi High Court that it was investigating whether e-commerce companies Amazon and Flipkart violated foreign exchange provisions. The court had in July issued notices to the agency, the Centre, and the two companies after a public interest litigation accused them of violating foreign direct investment rules. The court is scheduled to hear the matter on November 19.

Read more here.