Opposition is running a fake news campaign against senior party leaders, alleges BJP IT cell chief

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the Opposition of running a fake news campaign against its senior party leaders to create resentment about them and the saffron party among a few caste groups, PTI reported. The Opposition is resorting to such tactics as it is afraid of losing the Lok Sabha elections, said BJP’s Information Techonology cell chief Amit Malviya.

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Bihar: Maoists say they attacked BJP MLC’s home because he reneged on deal to exchange banned notes

Maoists have claimed that they attacked the home of Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Rajan Kumar Singh in Bihar’s Aurangabad district on Saturday night because he failed to exchange Rs 5 crore they had given him in demonetised currency, the Hindustan Times reported on Monday.

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Lok Sabha passes bill to supersede Medical Council of India

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The legislation, which was introduced in the Lower House on December 15 by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, aims to supersede the Medical Council of India and hand over its responsibilities to a Board of Governors.

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West Bengal: New schemes to provide Rs 2 lakh compensation for farmers’ deaths, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced schemes for farmers, months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee said that the state government will pay the premium on crop insurance schemes and will give farmers Rs 5,000 per acre annually.

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No relief for Bhim Army, Bombay HC refuses to direct Pune Police to allow Ambedkarite group’s events

The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to direct the Pune Police to permit the Bhim Army to conduct public meetings in Pune. The Ambedkarite group had moved the High Court the day before after the police refused to allow Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad to address a rally at the SSPMS College ground in Pune in the evening.

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Maharashtra: Tigress found dead in Umred Karhandla sanctuary, second death in two days

A tigress was found dead on Monday in Umred Pauni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district. Another tiger was found dead in the sanctuary on Sunday.

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Bihar: Three workers dead, 10 injured after fire breaks out in a factory in Muzaffarpur

Three persons were killed after a fire broke out at a snacks factory in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on Monday. At least seven workers are feared trapped inside the factory in Chaknooran area. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

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AgustaWestland case: Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi never interfered in defence deals, claims AK Antony

Congress leader AK Antony on Monday claimed that United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi never interfered in any defence deals.

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Centre extends AFSPA in Nagaland for six months, declares state a ‘disturbed area’

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday extended the operation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in Nagaland for another six months, declaring the state to be a “disturbed area”.

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Meghalaya trapped miners: Navy divers re-enter main pit of mine on Day 18 of rescue operations

Rescue operations to search for 15 miners trapped in an illegal rat-hole mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hill continued on the 18th day on Monday as Navy divers re-entered the main pit of the 350-feet-high flooded coal mine.

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‘Who killed Sohrabuddin Sheikh inquiry?’ Arun Jaitley responds to Rahul Gandhi’s remark on verdict

“NO ONE KILLED... Haren Pandya. Tulsiram Prajapati. Justice Loya. Prakash Thombre. Shrikant Khandalkar. Kauser Bi. Sohrabuddin Shiekh. THEY JUST DIED,” Gandhi had tweeted a day after a special court delivered its verdict on the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.

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1984 anti-Sikh violence convict Sajjan Kumar surrenders in Delhi court

On December 22, Kumar had moved the Supreme Court against his conviction. He was convicted of murder, promoting enmity between groups, and defiling public property.

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Aligarh: Policemen will ‘adopt’ cows to tackle menace of stray cattle, says report

“Every adverse law and order situation is to be faced by us, so we should be the ones taking the initiative in resolving the problems that ail the society,” Senior Superintendent of Police AK Sahni told The Times of India. Sahni will keep the cattle “forever”, while the other 40 officials will participate in the initiative till all government cow shelters become operational, he said.

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Petrol price drops to lowest in 2018, costs Rs 74.47 a litre in Mumbai

In Mumbai, a litre of petrol cost Rs 74.47 on Monday compared to Rs 74.89 on Saturday. Diesel was Rs Rs 66.25 on Saturday and Rs 65.76 on Monday, a drop of 49 paise.

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Delhi metro: Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 section of Pink Line inaugurated

Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the Lajpat Nagar to Mayur Vihar Pocket-1 section of the Delhi metro’s Pink Line on Monday morning. Passenger services on the 9.7 km-long section will begin on Monday at 4 pm.

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Pollution board orders Delhi, NCR officials to show ‘zero tolerance’ for construction, waste burning

The Central Pollution Control Board on Sunday asked officials in New Delhi and the National Capital Region to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards construction activities and waste burning, in the light of the national Capital’s continuing “severe” air quality, PTI reported. The pollution board’s task force issued the orders at an emergency meeting.

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Bhim Army moves Bombay High Court seeking permission to hold public events in Pune

Ambedkarite group Bhim Army on Sunday moved the Bombay High Court against the Pune Police’s refusal to allow public events that the group had planned to conduct that day. The outfit also sought compensation of Rs 10 crore for the Mumbai police’s “illegal” detention of Dalit activists, including its chief Chandrashekhar Azad. The court is expected to hear the matter on Monday.

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Purvanchal University VC claims media distorted comment on murder, he was only ‘motivating students’

The vice chancellor of Purvanchal University in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district has claimed that the media distorted his statement asking students to commit murder if they get into a fight. Raja Ram Yadav claimed the statement was intended at motivating students and boosting their confidence.

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Sudhir Bhargava appointed new chief information commissioner: PTI

The Centre has appointed Sudhir Bhargava the new chief information commissioner, PTI reported on Sunday. Bhargava was an information commissioner in the Central Information Commission. The government has also appointed four new information commissioners.

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Parliament: Opposition parties meet ahead of debate on triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha will debate the contentious Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill on Monday. The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27 after the Congress and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam walked out.

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Kashmir: Two suspected Pakistani intruders killed along Line of Control in Army action

The Indian Army on Monday said it had foiled a “major attempt” by Pakistan’s Border Action Team to carry out a “gruesome attack” on a forward post along the Line of Control in Naugam sector of Jammu and Kashmir early Sunday. Two intruders, who are “likely Pakistani soldiers”, were killed.

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Bank frauds soar 72% in 2017-’18 to over Rs 41,000 crore, reports RBI

Frauds have emerged as the “most serious concern” in managing risk in the Indian banking system, rising 72% in their financial value in 2017-’18, a report released by the Reserve Bank of India on Friday showed. The fraud amount in 2016-’17 was Rs 23,934 crore, but rose to Rs 41,168 crore the next year. The value has increased four times since 2013-’14.

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Karnataka loan waiver: Modi’s comments are insensitive and unfortunate, says CM Kumaraswamy

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday termed as “incorrect, insensitive and very unfortunate” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks against the state’s Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government for its loan waiver scheme. “Our crop loan waiver is an open book and information is available online, unlike in many other states,” Kumaraswamy wrote on Twitter.

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Tamil Nadu teen who donated HIV-positive blood to pregnant woman dies days after suicide attempt

The teenager whose HIV-infected blood passed on the virus to a pregnant woman died at the Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai while undergoing treatment. The 19-year-old was admitted on Wednesday after he tried to commit suicide by consuming rat poison. The hospital had initially said his condition was stable but complications later arose, and he died around 8 am on Sunday.

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Centre denies having details on 13 communal riots, RTI appellate panel calls it ‘unacceptable’

The Central Information Commission has pulled up the Home Ministry for its incomplete response to a Right to Information request for details on 13 inquiry panel reports on communal riots that took place between 1961 and 2003. In its response, the ministry had said it did not have the reports.

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Mehbooba Mufti warns J&K police after meeting militant’s sister who was allegedly harassed

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday warned the police against harassing the families of militants. The Peoples Democratic Party chief spoke to the media after meeting the sister of a militant in Pulwama, south Kashmir, who said she was beaten up in police custody.

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Triple talaq Bill to be discussed in Rajya Sabha today

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have issued whips to their MPs in the Rajya Sabha, ordering them to be present in the House during a discussion on the triple talaq bill on Monday. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill – which criminalises the practice of Muslim men divorcing their wives by uttering “talaq” three times in spoken or written forms, or via electronic communication – was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 27.

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Rajasthan: Another Muslim man attacked in Alwar on suspicion of cattle smuggling, arrested

The police in Rajasthan’s Alwar district on Sunday arrested a 23-year-old Muslim man for allegedly smuggling cattle. Kishangarh Bas Police Station Officer Rajesh Meena said villagers intercepted a truck transporting six cattle to Haryana, and beat up one of three people in the truck. The accused, identified as Sagir Khan, was hospitalised after the mob attack and later arrested, Meena said.

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Three Andaman islands renamed after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday renamed three islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Union Territory in a tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Ross Island, Neil Island and Havelock Island have been rechristened Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island, Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.

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