A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Facebook says it has removed pages and accounts linked to Congress, BJP for ‘inauthentic behaviour’: The Congress said it will have to ‘verify the veracity’ of Facebook’s move, while the BJP claimed these pages were used to spread lies against the Centre.
  2. Reports suggest India, Pakistan scrambled jets near border after drone sighting, details unclear: The aircraft pulled up on Indian radars early on Monday, according to unidentified officials.
  3. Electoral bonds worth Rs 1,716 crore already sold this year, Rs 1,057 crore in 2018, shows RTI: The bank issued electoral bonds in January and March this year.
  4. Supreme Court asks 21 Opposition leaders to reply to EC’s affidavit on verifying 50% VVPAT slips: The poll body had said that doing so will delay the announcement of results by six days.
  5. Over 200 writers including Girish Karnad, Nayantara Sahgal ask Indians to vote out hate politics: Others who signed include TM Krishna, Vivek Shanbhag, Jeet Thayil, K Satchidanandan and Romila Thapar.
  6. Narendra Modi claims Congress branded peace-loving Hindus as terrorists: BJP President Amit Shah also claimed the Opposition party was trying to defame Hindus by linking them with terrorism. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought a report after Adityanath called the Indian Army ‘Modi ki Sena’ at an election rally on Sunday, and the Aam Aadmi Party has complained to the Election Commission against NaMo TV.
  7. Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo found to have ‘harmful ingredients’, says Rajasthan drug controller: The drug controller asked officers to ensure that the shampoo’s stocks are ‘not consumed anymore’.
  8. Vijay Mallya claims confiscating his properties under Fugitive Economic Offenders Act is draconian: Mallya’s counsel Amit Desai said confiscating his assets will not solve the problems of banks and creditors.
  9. At least 70,000 people declared illegal migrants are untraceable, Assam government tells SC: The Supreme Court pulled up the Assam government after its chief secretary failed to be present in the court to answer questions on foreigners.
  10. Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s house in Delhi attached on tax evasion charges: The Office of the Tax Recovery Officer said Geelani had failed to pay Rs 3.62 crore in tax for assessment years 1996-’97 to 2001-’02.