North East has moved beyond shutdowns, guns and blockades,’ Narendra Modi says in Mizoram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of ignoring the development of Mizoram and said the North East has moved beyond shutdowns, guns and blockades. He was addressing a public meeting in the state’s Lunglei district ahead of the November 28 Assembly elections.

Read more here.

Telangana polls: Narendra Modi and BJP have a disease that causes communal madness, says TRS chief

Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party were afflicted with a “disease” that causes “communal madness”. “In everything they see, they see Hindu-Muslim [divide],” PTI quoted him as saying at a rally in the town of Narsampet in Warangal district.

Read more here.

Jammu and Kashmir: ‘Allying with BJP is not a crime,’ says People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone

Sajad Lone, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference chairperson, on Friday defended his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and said they are ready for fresh elections in the state. He claimed the Peoples Democratic Party, Congress and National Conference had formed an alliance only to keep a “Third Front”, led by his party, out of power.

Read more here.

Bhima Koregaon case: Prosecution seeks 90-day extension to file chargesheet against four activists

The prosecution on Friday sought an extension of 90 days to file a chargesheet against activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bhardwaj and Varavara Rao, who were arrested in a series of raids on August 28 in connection with their alleged role in instigating caste violence in Maharashtra’s Bhima Koregaon village on January 1.

Read more here.

Delhi: Mob allegedly attacks four Tanzanians, two Nigerians over rumours of child abduction

The Delhi Police on Thursday rescued four Tanzanians and two Nigerians after a mob allegedly attacked them in Dwarka’s Kakrola area. The attackers claimed the six had kidnapped a child. Delhi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Anil Mittal said it wasn’t a racial attack.

Read more here.

Manohar Parrikar wanted to resign as Goa CM, but BJP high command stepped in, says minister

Goa Forward Party chief and state Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai claimed on Thursday that ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wanted to resign, but the Bharatiya Janata Party high command did not allow him to do so. Parrikar, who has pancreatic cancer, has not made a single public appearance since his return to Goa after he was discharged from Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences on October 14.

Read more here.

Patidar quota demand: Hardik Patel meets Gujarat OBC panel chief, demands survey of community

Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Thursday met the chairperson of the Other Backward Class Commission of Gujarat to push for quota benefits for his community along the lines of what the Maharashtra government had offered Marathas.

Read more here.

Delhi: Vijay Dev appointed chief secretary, succeeds Anshu Prakash

Indian Administrative Service officer Vijay Dev has replaced Anshu Prakash as the chief secretary of Delhi. Prakash was transferred to the Telecom Department last week. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the appointment order.

Read more here.

Classical musician Imrat Khan dies at 83

Renowned surbahar and sitar player Imrat Khan died in the United States on Thursday. He was 83. His son said he died in a hospital in Missouri’s Saint Louis after a stroke. Imrat Khan had been ailing for the last few months and had been hospitalised for a week. The funeral will be held on Saturday.

Read more here.

Ayodhya dispute: Shiv Sena dares Centre to announce date for building Ram temple, enact ordinance

The Shiv Sena on Friday dared the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre to bring an ordinance and announce a date for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Shiv Sena workers across the country are scheduled to conduct a puja on Saturday, when party chief Uddhav Thackeray begins his two-day Ayodhya visit.

Read more here.

#MeToo: Sotheby’s India Managing Director Gaurav Bhatia goes on leave after harassment allegations

Auction house Sotheby’s India said its Managing Director Gaurav Bhatia has taken a leave of absence pending an inquiry after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced on social media. At least four people have shared accounts of Bhatia’s sexual harassment and in one case, physical assault. The allegations include inappropriate touching and forcibly trying to kiss someone.

Read more here.

Centre didn’t consult CIC on proposed RTI Act amendments, says outgoing information commissioner

Outgoing Chief Information Commissioner Radha Krishna Mathur has said that the Centre did not consult the commission on its proposed amendments to the Right to Information Act.

Read more here.

Rahul Gandhi rebukes Congress leader who said only Brahmins have the right to speak about Hinduism

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday condemned senior leader CP Joshi’s remark that only Brahmins have the right to speak about Hinduism. Joshi is contesting the Rajasthan Assembly elections, scheduled for December 7, from Nathdwara constituency.

Read more here.

Thane Police arrest businessman who stole 1.41 lakh eggs due to huge debt

Thane Crime Branch officials arrested a businessman on Thursday for allegedly stealing a truck filled with 1.41 lakh eggs worth Rs 5 lakh. The police are now looking for his three accomplices.

Read more here.

Delhi: Two people die after falling off Signature Bridge as their bike hits road divider

Two men died on Friday when their motorcycle rammed into a road divider on Delhi’s Signature Bridge and fell off the bridge. The accident took place around 8.45 am on Friday. This is the first accident reported on the bridge after it was inaugurated on November 4. The bridge spans the Yamuna river in the Wazirabad section.

Read more here.

India lodges protest with Pakistan over ‘harassment’ of its diplomats

India on Friday lodged a strong protest against the harassment of its consular officials visiting Pakistan with Sikh pilgrims, saying they were denied access. The reaction came a day after both countries agreed to develop the Kartarpur corridor to provide Sikh pilgrims easy access to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib located in Pakistan.

Read more here.

‘What is going on?’ asks SC over Unitech officials getting special facilities in Tihar jail

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Centre after reports that Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra and his brother Ajay have been given special facilities in Tihar jail. The court was hearing a matter related to the lack of facilities in jails and juvenile homes.

Read more here.

Privilege notice filed against Veerappa Moily for sharing details of Parliament panel proceedings

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday sent a privilege notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan against chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Veerappa Moily, for publicising submissions made by government departments.

Read more here.

Rajasthan elections: BJP expels 11 leaders, including four ministers, for six years

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday expelled 11 of its leaders in Rajasthan, including four ministers in the Vasundhara Raje-led government for six years, for contesting against the party’s candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Read more here.

Proposed Andhra Pradesh Assembly building to be taller than Statue of Unity by 68 metres

The proposed Andhra Pradesh Assembly building in Amaravati is tipped to be taller than the Statue of Unity by 68 metres. The building will have three floors and a 250-metre-high tower, making it taller than the 182-metre Statue of Unity in Gujarat.

Read more here.

Supreme Court gives Trinamool MLA two weeks to show that UIDAI wants to enable state surveillance

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave Trinamool Congress MLA Mahua Moitra two weeks to substantiate her claim that the Unique Identification Authority of India’s plan to hire a social media agency is actually intended to enable state surveillance of individuals.

Read more here.

Tamil Nadu: Students protest at SRM University after alleged inaction on sexual harassment complaint

Students of SRM University in Tamil Nadu staged a protest on Thursday evening that continued till midnight after the administration allegedly failed to take action on a sexual harassment complaint raised by a student. The college is located in Kattankulathur on the outskirts of Chennai.

Read more here.

Privilege notice filed against Veerappa Moily for sharing details of Parliament panel proceedings

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Thursday sent a privilege notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan against chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Veerappa Moily, for publicising submissions made by government departments.

Read more here.

Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces kill six suspected militants in encounter in Bijbehara

Police said that six suspected militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the militants, whose identities are being ascertained.

Read more here

Fresh Assembly polls in J&K must be held within six months, says Election Commission

“The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls must be held on the first occasion before May,” Rawat said. “They could be held before Parliament elections also.” The term of the present Lok Sabha ends in May.

Read more here

Brahmin body files defamation case against Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey

A Brahmin organisation has filed a case of defamation against Twitter Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey for allegedly hurting the “religious sentiments” of the community. The case was filed before a metropolitan magistrate in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.

Read more here

Public sector bank chiefs can now request lookout circulars against loan defaulters

The Ministry of Home Affairs has authorised chief executive officers of public sectors banks to request for lookout circulars against wilful defaulters in order to prevent them from leaving the country, PTI reported on Thursday. This move will enable public sector banks to inform authorities to stop defaulters from fleeing even before a First Information Report is registered.

Read more here

Sabarimala: Prohibitory orders put in place at temple, base camps for four more days

Section 144 was imposed at Sabarimala and its base camps on November 15, before the temple had opened for its two-month festival. The police had asked that prohibitory orders be in place until it closed on January 14.

Read more here