Maharashtra: Shiv Sena ministers attend Fadnavis’ meeting on farmer aid, call him ‘caretaker CM’

Cabinet ministers of the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra attended a meeting called by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday to discuss the agrarian crisis amid a power tussle between their two parties. After the meeting, a Shiv Sena minister referred to Fadnavis as the “caretaker chief minister”.

‘A matter of life and death of crores’: SC pulls up Punjab for failing to curb stubble burning

The Supreme Court on Wednesday castigated state governments, singling out Punjab, for failing to curb stubble burning, which is contributing to rising pollution levels in the Delhi-National Capital Region and other parts of North India. The court said it was a “question of life and death of crores of people”. The judges said “governments need to be hauled up under law of torts”, a day after the Centre admitted that crop burning was going on in Punjab and Haryana.

UP Police file chargesheet in rape and extortion cases involving Chinmayanand

The special investigation team probing the rape and extortion cases involving former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chinmayanand filed chargesheets in both the cases on Wednesday. The investigators filed 20-page chargesheets in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Om Vir Singh in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi High Court rejects Centre’s plea seeking clarification on order not to act against lawyers

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking a clarification about the court’s November 3 order on the clash between police personnel and lawyers at the Tis Hazari court complex in New Delhi. The court said there was no need to clarify the order as it was self-explanatory.

Madras HC directs man who posted morphed Modi image to stay away from social media for a year

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court granted anticipatory bail on Tuesday to a man from Kanyakumari who posted a morphed image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook. However, C Jabin Charles got the anticipatory bail only after he signed an undertaking that he would not use social media for a year. Charles also agreed to file an affidavit apologising for his act.

Sensex hits record high of 40,606 in morning trade, Nifty crosses 12,000-mark after five months

The BSE Sensex on Wednesday hit a record high, trading over 350 points higher intraday at 40,606.91, before declining slightly in afternoon trade. The Sensex closed 221.55 points higher at 40,469.78. The National Stock Exchange Nifty 50, on the other hand, closed 48.85 points higher at 11,966.05. The Nifty 50 had hit a five-month high of 12,002.90 in morning trade.

Delhi: Two protesting lawyers attempt suicide, Bar Council chief warns advocates against violence

Two lawyers attempted to commit suicide at a court in Rohini in Delhi on Wednesday. The lawyers were protesting against the Delhi Police, with whom other advocates had a violent clash outside the Tis Hazari court on November 2. One of the lawyers doused himself in kerosene and tried to set himself afire, but was stopped in time by other advocates. The other lawyer climbed a building in the Rohini court complex and threatened to jump off it.

Khalistani leaders, Sikh referendum date seen in Pakistan’s Kartarpur welcome video

A video released by the Pakistani government to welcome Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur shows a poster depicting three Khalistani separatist leaders of the early 1980s in the background. The Kartarpur corridor is scheduled to be opened on November 9. The poster has the message “Khalistan 2020”, apparently a reference to the referendum planned for 2020 on the question of a separate Sikh homeland. Sikhs for Justice, the United States-based separatist group leading the campaign, was banned by India in July.

Infosys criticises ‘mischievous insinuations’ against its co-founders and former employees

Information technology firm Infosys on Wednesday criticised “mischievous insinuations made by anonymous sources” against the co-founders and former employees of the company. The whistleblowers, who called themselves “ethical employees”, told the IT major’s board of directors on September 20 that Infosys Chief Executive Officer Salil Parekh and Chief Financial Officer Nilanjan Roy had fudged financials and inflated profits.

Mumbai: Man out on bail in rape case arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting her again

The Mumbai Police have arrested a 36-year-old man for allegedly threatening, abducting and raping a 25-year-old woman. The man was arrested in 2013 for raping the same woman and had been released on bail a few months ago, the police said.

Maharashtra: There’s only one option – BJP and Sena must form government, says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar reiterated on Wednesday that the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party must form the government in Maharashtra and his party and the Congress will stay in Opposition. He spoke to reporters in Mumbai after meeting Sena leader Sanjay Raut earlier in the day.

1984 anti-Sikh violence: SC asks AIIMS panel to submit report on Sajjan Kumar’s health

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to submit a medical report on the health of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, PTI reported. Kumar is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case

SC asks Centre, nine states to give update on filling up of vacancies in information commissions

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and nine state governments to file a status report on filling up of vacancies in the central and state information commissions. The court was hearing a petition by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj and others, who said previous orders had not been complied with.

‘We may have missed the bus last time, we won’t now’: Nirmala Sitharaman hints at more reforms

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday hinted at more economic reforms in the future, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government “may have missed the bus the last time” but will not this time. She was referring to the ruling coalition’s lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha in the previous term, which often proved to be an obstacle for the government, PTI reported.

Goa’s Raj Bhavan closed to public for six months after Satya Pal Malik takes charge as governor

The Goa Raj Bhavan has been closed to the public for the next six months, days after Governor Satya Pal Malik took charge. The Raj Bhavan, also called Palacio-de-Cabo in Portuguese, was open to the public on a few days of the week as a chapel on its premises was available for prayers. An announcement on the website of the Goa Tourism department said it was shut down due to “security reasons”.

As onion prices surge, Centre decides to facilitate imports, relax fumigation norms

The Centre on Tuesday decided to facilitate the import of onions from countries such Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey and Iran as domestic prices of the vegetable surged to Rs 80 per kg. The government will take the help of its embassies in these countries for the purpose. Prices have been rising due to supply disruptions, which the government attributed to rain and two cyclones. As imports augment domestic supplies, prices are expected to reduce.

Nehru Memorial Museum and Library society reconstituted, all Congress leaders replaced

The Centre on Tuesday reconstituted the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library society by removing Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh and Karan Singh as its members. It instead inducted Home Minister Amit Shah, TV journalist Rajat Sharma and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi, among others. The committee has been cut down from 34 members to 28. The reconstitution gains significance as the government plans to extensively revamp the museum.

Maharashtra: Sanjay Raut meets NCP chief Sharad Pawar as Shiv Sena-BJP power tussle continues

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai. The meeting came amid a standoff over power-sharing between the Shiv Sena and its coalition partner the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra since the October 24 Assembly poll results were declared. The deadline for the state government’s formation is November 9, when the term of the 13th Assembly ends. If a new government is not formed before it, President’s Rule may be declared in Maharashtra.

Islamic State unit tried to target India last year, says US counter-terrorism official

The Khorasan unit of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria had attempted a suicide attack in India last year but failed, an official from the United States of America said on Tuesday. This unit of the terrorist Islamic group, formed in 2015, operates mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan but has now reportedly begun to branch out to other parts of South Asia.

Tax officials seize ‘benami assets’ worth Rs 1,600 crore of VK Sasikala: Reports

The Income Tax Department said on Tuesday it has seized “benami assets” worth Rs 1,600 crore of former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary VK Sasikala. She was an aide to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa. Sasikala is serving a four-year jail sentence in a corruption case and is currently lodged at Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru.

Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis meets RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat with 72 hours left for deadline to end

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday night with 72 hours left till the deadline for government formation in Maharashtra comes to an end. The BJP and Shiv Sena, which ruled the state in an alliance for the last five years, are engaged in a power-sharing dispute since the Assembly election results were announced on October 24.

BJP leader blames Pakistan and China for pollution, says they may be releasing poisonous gases

A Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district on Tuesday said Pakistan or China could be responsible for high levels of air pollution in North India. Vineet Sharda said either Islamabad or Beijing might be releasing poisonous gases. “I see that every year stubble is burnt in Punjab and Haryana, and pollution increases,” Sharda said in one video. “But I don’t think the pollution this year is due to stubble burning. We should think about whether this is a conspiracy by Pakistan to release poisonous gases into India, because it knows it cannot win a war against India?”

GDP base year may be changed to 2017-’18, government waiting for more data, says statistics ministry

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is thinking about bringing in a new base year to calculate Gross Domestic Product. The current base year is 2011-’12. According to calculations based on this, India’s GDP growth rate slipped to 5% in the first quarter of 2019-’20, the lowest in six years.

Delhi pollution: Ahead of SC hearing, Centre says stubble burning is going on in Punjab and Haryana

The Centre on Tuesday said stubble burning was going on in Haryana and Punjab despite the Supreme Court’s strictures against it. Crop burning has caused air pollution levels in the Delhi-National Capital Region to shoot up since last week. The two states have been directed to deploy more monitoring teams to ensure that violators are penalised, the government said after a review meeting chaired by the Union cabinet secretary. There was a need for more “focussed” action to combat pollution, the government added.

Delhi pollution: Supreme Court criticises states, says mass exodus of people cannot be allowed

The Supreme Court on Tuesday registered on its own a case related to the alarming rise in pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region. The matter will be heard on Wednesday. Air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the “very poor” and “severe” categories on Tuesday, according to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research. On Sunday, pollution had plummeted to the season’s worst level as a public health emergency declared last Friday continued.

Delhi Police personnel end protest after senior officers promise to address their grievances

Delhi Police personnel ended their 11-hour protest on Tuesday evening after senior officers assured them that their grievances would be addressed. The protestors relented after Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satish Golcha urged them to resume duty. Golcha announced a compensation of at least Rs 25,000 for the injured policemen.

J&K: Kashmir Times editor tells SC that ban on mobile, landline, internet services is illegal

Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that notifications and orders shutting down mobile, landline and internet services in Jammu and Kashmir were “illegal and unconstitutional”. The Centre had imposed prohibitory orders and cut off all connectivity in the state following the abrogation of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination: SC orders CBI to produce latest report on inquiry into conspiracy angle

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit within four weeks the latest status report on its inquiry into an allegedly larger conspiracy behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The court said the latest report of the CBI’s Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency is a year old, and at that time, response was awaited on several Letters Rogatory sent to foreign countries.

PMC Bank crisis: RBI raises depositors’ withdrawal limit from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday increased the withdrawal limit for account holders of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. The central bank said the relaxation will allow more than 78% of the customers of PMC Bank to withdraw their entire account balance.

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