Supreme Court to examine validity of abortion restrictions, issues notice to Centre

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine the constitutional validity of sections of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. It issued a notice to the Centre on a petition against the law that lays down the conditions for aborting foetuses.

Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar resigns from party, Rajya Sabha: Reports

Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar on Monday resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha and his party. His resignation from the Upper House was accepted by its Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu.

Encephalitis: SC issues notice to Centre, Bihar, UP on plea seeking urgent steps to control disease

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre and the Bihar and Uttar Pradesh governments on a public interest litigation seeking urgent steps to control the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome. Over 150 people, majority children, have died of encephalitis in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar alone over the last month.

Muslims having many wives, kids exhibit ‘animalistic tendency’, says BJP MLA Surendra Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Surendra Singh on Sunday said Muslims men who have many wives and children exhibit an “animalistic tendency”. “In the Muslim religion, you know that people keep 50 wives and give birth to 1050 children,” BJP MLA from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh said. “This is not a tradition but an animalistic tendency. In society, giving birth to only two to four children is normal.”

Babri Masjid demolition case: Special judge asks Supreme Court for six more months to conclude trial

A special judge holding trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case on Monday requested the Supreme Court for six months’ time to conclude it. The case involves Bharatiya Janata Party veterans like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. The special judge also said that he was due to retire on September 30.

Rain lashes parts of Delhi-NCR, light showers likely to continue till Thursday

Heavy rain swept across parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region on Monday afternoon and brought respite from the hot weather conditions. The India Meteorological Department had predicted light showers for the day, and said it was expected to continue until Thursday.

Rajasthan HC asks counsels to desist from addressing judges as ‘My Lord’ or ‘Your Lordship’

The Rajasthan High Court on Monday issued a notification urging counsels and persons appearing before the court to desist from addressing judges as “My Lord” or “Your Lordship”. The Rajasthan High Court registrar general issued the notification following a meeting of the full court on Sunday.

Mahua Moitra files criminal defamation case against Zee News editor for accusing her of plagiarism

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Monday filed a criminal defamation case against Zee News editor Sudhir Chaudhary in a court in Delhi for accusing her of plagiarism in her first address in the Lok Sabha on June 25. The court listed the case for July 20, when it will record Moitra’s statement.

Punjab: Navjot Singh Sidhu sends resignation letter to CM Amarinder Singh

Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday, a day after announcing he had submitted a similar letter to former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on June 10. “Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence,” Sidhu tweeted. On Sunday, he had shared a copy of a resignation letter he had sent to Gandhi, with the text: “Respected Sir, I hereby resign as minister from the Punjab Cabinet.”

Bihar floods: RJD criticises Nitish Kumar government’s handling of the situation

The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday lashed out at the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) government for failing to handle the flood situation in Bihar even as Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav argued that the government was taking measures to reach out to those stranded, PTI reported. According to the state’s Disaster Management Department, four people have been killed and around 18 lakh people in nine districts have been left stranded by the floods

RSS affiliate calls for ban on Chinese apps TikTok and Helo for spreading ‘anti-national content’

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for a ban on Chinese social media applications TikTok and Helo, PTI reported on Sunday. The right-wing group claimed that TikTok had become a hub for “anti-national content” that was capable of disrupting the “fabric of our society”.

Karnataka crisis: HD Kumaraswamy government to face floor test on Thursday

The Karnataka Assembly will discuss the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy at 11 am on July 18, Congress leader Siddaramaiah said on Monday, according to PTI. Kumaraswamy had on Friday offered to move the motion to prove that his coalition government has the numbers to stay in power.

Wholesale inflation eases to nearly two-year low of 2.02% in June

Inflation based on wholesale prices declined for the second consecutive month in June to a nearly two-year low of 2.02%, government data showed on Monday. The easing in inflation was led by a lower pace of price rise for vegetables and fuel and power items.

Parliament: Centre introduces NIA Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha, Congress opposes it

Minister of State for Home Ministry G Kishan Reddy introduced the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Reddy said special court judges would continue to be appointed by the chief justice in order to fast-track the trial processes

Gujarat sexual assault case: Supreme Court dismisses religious leader Asaram’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed religious leader Asaram’s bail plea in a sexual assault case lodged in Gujarat against the leader in 2013. A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Gujarat government, that the trial in the case was ongoing and 210 witnesses were yet to be examined.

In photos: North East battles deluge; 28 Assam districts, parts of Tripura and Meghalaya inundated

Heavy rainfall in the North East have caused floods and landslides in Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. In Assam, at least 11 people were reported dead till Sunday and more than 26.5 lakh people across 28 districts were left stranded.

Uttar Pradesh: Husband of BJP MLA’s daughter assaulted at Allahabad High Court

A Dalit man married to the daughter of a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA in Uttar Pradesh was assaulted by unidentified people at Allahabad High Court on Monday. Ajitesh Kumar and his wife Sakshi Mishra arrived in Prayagraj from Noida under police protection, which was given to them last week after Mishra alleged in a video that she and her husband were under threat from her father Rajesh Kumar Mishra’s goons as she had married against her family’s wishes. The legislator, also known as Pappu Bhartaul, represents Bareilly’s Bithari Chainpur constituency in the Assembly.

Labour Party MP writes to UK government about attacks on Muslims in India

A leader in the Britain’s Opposition Labour Party has criticised the Indian government over violent attacks on Muslims in recent times and called on his country’s government to respond to the “extremely worrying situation”. Jonathan Ashworth, a Labour Party MP from Leicester South and a member of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow Cabinet, wrote to Foreign Secretary and prime ministerial hopeful Jeremy Hunt last week on the matter after many of his constituents said they were concerned that the Indian government was not doing enough.

Karnataka: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea of 5 more rebel MLAs on Tuesday

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the plea of five more Karnataka rebel MLAs along with the petition of 10 legislators who are seeking a direction to Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept their resignation. The top court listed the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

Mumbai: Patient’s relatives attack doctors at Nair Hospital, one arrested

The police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly verbally abusing and assaulting three resident doctors at Nair Hospital in central Mumbai. The relatives of a patient, who died in the hospital on Sunday, allegedly attacked the hospital staff and vandalised property. Two women, named in the first information report registered in the case, have not yet been arrested.

China says Dalai Lama’s successor should be chosen within the country, India should not interfere

China has said that any successor to the Dalai Lama should be chosen from within the country and India’s interference in the matter will affect bilateral ties.“There are established historical institutions and formalities for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the position of the Chinese government is clear cut and resolute,” said Wang Neng Sheng, director general of the People’s Government Information Office of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

Uttar Pradesh: Adityanath suspends eight officials over deaths of cows at shelters, say reports

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Sunday suspended eight officials in connection with the deaths of cows at shelters across the state, reports said. Adityanath also issued show cause notices to three district magistrates. Adityanath reportedly ordered the action during a video conference with all district magistrates in the state on Sunday evening.

J&K: Suspected militants shoot dead National Conference leader’s security officer in Anantnag

Suspected militants killed a personal security officer of National Conference leader Syed Tauqeer Shah in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Sunday. Shah was in a meeting at the home of a party worker in Hillad village when the assailants broke in and opened fire at policemen guarding the leader.

Himachal Pradesh: 7 soldiers, a civilian killed in building collapse in Solan, many feared trapped

At least eight people, including seven Indian Army soldiers, were killed and 28 injured after a four-storey building collapsed in Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district on Sunday evening. At least seven people are still feared trapped, but the final number will only be clear later in the day, the police said.

Karnataka crisis: Rebel MLAs write to Mumbai Police again, allege threat from Congress leaders

Fourteen rebel MLAs from Karnataka, who have been staying at a hotel in Mumbai since resigning from the state Assembly, once again wrote to the Mumbai Police claiming a threat from Congress leaders who may try to meet them.

West Bengal: BJP never promised Gorkhaland, says state chief Dilip Ghosh

Bharataiya Jantata Party’s West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh on Sunday said his party had never promised to create Gorkhaland, a separate state for Nepali-speaking Indians, also referred to as Gorkhas. “We want development of Gorkha people,” Ghosh said after a worker’s meeting in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

Gujarat: Two killed, at least 26 injured as ride at amusement park crashes

Two people were killed and at least 26 others were injured on Sunday when a joyride at an adventure park in Ahmedabad in Gujarat crashed. The incident took place at the Balvatika Amusement Park in Kankaria. MF Dastoor, chief fire officer of Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services, said prima facie it appeared that the load bearing cable attached to the main frame snapped.

BJP elevates BL Santosh as party’s general secretary (organisation)

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday elevated party’s joint general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh as its general secretary (organisation). The move, announced by party president Amit Shah, came a day after Ramlal was moved back to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Karnataka rebel MLA Nagaraj quashes hopes of Congress-JD(S), says no question of going back

Rebel Congress MLA MTB Nagaraj flew to Mumbai on Sunday where he quashed hopes of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government by saying that there was no question of withdrawing his resignation. This came a day after Nagaraj had said that he would reconsider his decision to quit after meeting Congress leaders.