Maharashtra: Sanjay Raut meets governor, says Shiv Sena is not responsible for deadlock

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday claimed the party was not responsible for the political stalemate in Maharashtra, NDTV reported. Raut issued the statement after meeting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. “Whoever has the majority will form the government,” he told reporters.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, an ally of the Shiv Sena, won 105 seats in the 288-member Assembly in the October 21 elections. The Shiv Sena won 56 seats, the Nationalist Congress Party 54 constituencies and the Congress 44 seats. The majority mark is 145.

India decides not to join RCEP trade bloc, Modi says his conscience did not permit him to sign pact

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday confirmed that India will not participate in the third Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, trade bloc, NDTV reported. Modi, who addressed the RCEP Summit in Thailand’s Capital Bangkok, said the current agreement “does not fully reflect the basic spirit and the agreed guiding principles” or India’s concerns. “When I measure the RCEP Agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians, I do not get a positive answer,” he said. “Therefore, neither the talisman of Gandhiji nor my own conscience permits me to join the RCEP”.

Delhi: Lawyers heckle policeman outside Saket court, one of them slaps him

A group of lawyers heckled and assaulted an on-duty policeman outside the Saket district court in New Delhi on Monday, NDTV reported. A video of the assault showed one of the lawyers elbowing the policeman, who tried to leave the spot on his motorbike. The lawyer then slapped the policeman a few times, and threw a helmet at the bike before the officer disappeared.

Delhi: BJP MP Vijay Goel fined for violating odd-even rule, receives roses from AAP minister

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vijay Goel was fined Rs 4,000 for violating the odd-even rule that was enforced by the government in Delhi on Monday to combat air pollution. Goel was sent home after he drove his odd-numbered SUV for barely 100 metres, reported NDTV.

Tamil Nadu: Thiruvalluvar statue vandalised in Pudukkottai district amid DMK-BJP saffronisation row

A statue of Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar was vandalised at Pillayarpatti village in Pudukkottai district on Monday, News18 reported. Unidentified people smeared the statue’s face with mud and cow dung. The statue has been cleaned and an investigation has been initiated to identify the miscreants.

Gujarat: Dalit youth allegedly stripped and flogged, another assaulted in Ahmedabad

A Dalit youth was allegedly stripped and beaten in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Sunday night by a group of men while another was assaulted, The Indian Express reported. The alleged incident occurred at a roadside restaurant in the city’s Sabarmati Tol Naka area. The restaurant owner has been arrested while the other accused are still on the run.

Tripura: Six die in Bru camp due to alleged starvation, refugee leaders warn of humanitarian crisis

A four-month-old baby died on Monday allegedly of starvation in a Bru refugee camp in North Tripura district, PTI reported. With this, so far six people have died after the administration stopped supply of ration in the makeshift camps to comply with the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Chhattisgarh: ‘No privacy left for anybody,’ says SC in IPS officer’s phone tapping case

The Supreme Court on Monday said there was “no privacy left for anybody” while hearing the case of alleged phone tapping of Indian Police Service officer Mukesh Gupta by the Chhattisgarh government, PTI reported. The senior police official has alleged that the Bhupesh Baghel-led administration was targeting him and his family.

Manipur: Bank accounts of two separatist leaders frozen after they form government-in-exile

The Manipur government has frozen all the bank accounts of two separatist leaders on grounds of waging a war against India and the state government. “All bank accounts in the name of separatists Yambem Biren and Narengbam Samarjit Singh shall be frozen with immediate effect,” read the government order issued on Friday.

Delhi air pollution: ‘No one is safe even inside homes,’ Supreme Court lashes out at Centre, states

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will not tolerate the situation arising out of air pollution in the National Capital Region, and that it will fix liability on state governments. The court, while hearing a matter on the topic, criticised the Centre and the Delhi government for not taking enough steps to curb pollution.

Infosys says no evidence yet for whistleblower complaints about ‘unethical practices’

Shares of information technology firm Infosys rose 6.5% during morning trade on Monday after the company said it has no evidence to support the allegations of “unethical practices” flagged by unidentified whistleblowers. At 2.28 pm, the company’s shares traded at Rs 708.20 on the BSE.

Naga talks: ‘Will oppose any peace agreement if it changes geography of N-E states,’ says Congress

Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday criticised the Centre for the alleged lack of transparency in the signing of the Naga peace accord. The Congress leader said the party will oppose any agreement if the government changes the geography of Manipur or any other northeastern state.

Jammu and Kashmir: One killed, 25 injured in grenade attack in Srinagar

One person was killed and at least 25 people were injured on Monday in a grenade attack in Srinagar, officials at the city’s Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital said.

Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis meets Amit Shah in Delhi, claims new government will be formed soon

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday even as their Bharatiya Janata Party remains unable to form a government in Maharashtra 11 days after emerging the single-largest party in Assembly elections. Shah is the national president of the BJP.

IndiGo servers disrupted across India, passengers stuck in long queues at airports

Airline company IndiGo on Monday faced server problems across its network in the country, leading to long queues of frustrated passengers at airports. The reason for the disrupted servers was not immediately clear.

Air pollution: Rohtak was the most polluted city in India on Sunday

The city of Rohtak in Haryana was the most polluted in the country on Sunday, with an air quality index of 498 at 4 pm, as computed by the Central Pollution Control Board. Delhi’s air quality index at the same time was 494, the worst in three years. The last time Delhi’s air was worse was on November 6, 2016, when the index reached the 497 level.

Nitish Katara murder case: ‘How can you claim a fundamental right to parole,’ SC asks Vikas Yadav

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the parole application of Vikas Yadav, who is serving a 25-year jail sentence in the 2002 Nitish Katara murder case. In 2016, the top court had awarded the sentence to Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav in the murder case, and gave a 20-year term to their accomplice Sukhdev Pehalwan.

1984 anti-Sikh violence: Supreme Court agrees to consider Sajjan Kumar’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the bail plea of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s life sentence in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case. In December 2018, the Delhi High Court had sentenced Kumar to life imprisonment and held him guilty of murder, promoting enmity between groups, and defiling public property.

Delhi: As odd-even rule begins, BJP leader Vijay Goel calls scheme a gimmick

The odd-even traffic rationing scheme was implemented in Delhi from 8 am on Monday, PTI reported. Nearly 200 teams of the Delhi Traffic Police were appointed to ensure the rules are followed, and around 5,000 civil defence volunteers have received training to raise awareness on pollution.

Haryana: Five-year-old girl dies a day after falling into 50-feet-deep borewell in Karnal

A five-year-old girl in Haryana’s Karnal district died on Monday, a day after she fell into a 50-feet deep open borewell in Harsinghpura village. Following a 10-hour-long rescue effort, the National Disaster Response Force pulled out the child, who was taken to Karnal’s civil hospital.

Kochi: Residents file fresh petition in Supreme Court challenging order to demolish flats in Maradu

Forty families have filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court challenging its verdict to demolish four apartment complexes in Maradu area of Kochi in Kerala for violation of the coastal regulation zone rules. The residents argued that they had not been given a chance to be heard before the top court passed the order on May 8.

Ayodhya verdict: National Security Act may be invoked against troublemakers if needed, say UP police

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh has said that those who create trouble ahead of the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict will be booked under the National Security Act if needed.

At least four killed, several injured after bus falls into 60-ft gorge along Mumbai-Pune expressway

At least four people were killed and 25 injured in an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in Maharashtra early on Monday after a private bus fell into a 60-feet deep gorge. The incident occurred on the Amrutanjan bridge near the Khandala hill station.

Sensex continues surge, hits all-time high of 40,435 in early trade

The BSE Sensex hit an all-time high of 40,434.83 points in early trade on Monday as inflows of foreign funds continued and global cues provided a boost to the market. This was higher than the previous intraday high of 40,344.99 points, which the Sensex hit on Thursday.

Karnataka: ‘Will take Yediyurappa’s clip to SC,’ says Congress; CM accuses party of propaganda

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday accused the Congress of “false propaganda” after the party announced protests against his purported “confession” of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s role in mass resignations of MLAs in the state in July. The resignations of 15 MLAs of the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition had led to the government’s fall, paving the way for Yediyurappa’s BJP to come into power.

J&K: Congress diluted Article 370 around 12 times without controversies, says Pawan Khera

The Congress on Sunday said the party had “diluted Article 370” around 12 times, but had not stirred controversy over it. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Congress’s stand on scrapping Jammu and Kashmir’s special status had not changed, but it opposed the way the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party annulled it.

Pakistan rejects new political map of India, calls its ‘legally untenable, void’

Pakistan on Sunday rejected the newly-released political map of India showing Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh as Union Territories. “[The political maps] displaying Jammu and Kashmir region and seeking to depict parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir within the territorial jurisdiction of India, are incorrect, legally untenable, void and in complete violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions,” a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.

NRC: ‘19 lakh or 40 lakh does not matter, it is a base document for future,’ says CJI Ranjan Gogoi

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Sunday strongly advocated for the National Register of Citizens exercise, and said that authorities relied on “guesswork” on undocumented immigrants before it was implemented in Assam.

Delhi pollution: PM’s principal secretary holds meeting, officials asked to monitor situation 24x7

PK Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday discussed the air pollution in the National Capital Region at a high-level meeting with officials from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. After the meeting, it was decided that Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba will monitor the situation in these states on a daily basis.