Tata-Mistry dispute: Supreme Court stays tribunal order dismissing Registrar of Companies challenge

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal’s order dismissing the Registrar of Companies’ petition to modify the judgement that reinstated Cyrus Mistry as the executive chairperson of the Tata group, PTI reported.

India’s economic slowdown is temporary, situation will improve going ahead, says IMF chief

International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Friday said the economic slowdown in India appeared to be temporary and the momentum could improve in the months to come, PTI reported. Georgieva made the remarks at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, days after the IMF lowered the global growth projection for 2019 and 2020 because of sharper-than-expected slowdown in India.

Freebies in limited amount are good for the economy, says Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday claimed that a limited amount of freebies were good for the economy. “It makes more money available to the poor, hence boosts demand,” he added. “However, it should be done in such limits so that no extra taxes have to be imposed and it does not lead to budget deficits.”

Delhi gangrape convicts move court again, accuse jail officials of causing delay in curative plea

The lawyer for two of the four death-row convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case on Friday moved a Delhi court alleging that Tihar jail authorities were delaying the procedure to file curative petitions, PTI reported.

‘Political parties should be asked not to field candidates with criminal backgrounds,’ EC tells SC

The Election Commission on Friday told the Supreme Court that political parties should be asked not to field candidates with criminal backgrounds, PTI reported. The poll panel suggested this could reduce the involvement of those with criminal records in politics, as the top court’s 2018 order for candidates to declare their criminal antecedents in media had not helped.

Wuhan coronavirus outbreak: Two persons under observation in Mumbai, isolation ward set up

Two people who recently returned to Mumbai from China have been kept under medical observation for possible novel coronavirus infection that has killed at least 25 people in China, according to a civic body health official. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has created an isolation ward at the Kasturba hospital in Chinchpokli in South Mumbai. The official said doctors at the Mumbai International Airport had been asked to send travellers returning from China to the isolation ward if they show any symptoms of the coronavirus.

Efforts being made to normalise Islamophobia in India, says Arundhati Roy

Author Arundhati Roy attacked the Narendra Modi-led government and said “efforts were being made to normalise Islamophobia” in the country. She also drew a parallel between Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler and the present situation in India.

BJP government tapped phones of Shiv Sena-NCP leaders, alleges Maharashtra home minister

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday claimed the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government had ordered the tapping of the phones of senior leaders such as current Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar.

Karnataka: Police verify documents of over 5,000 migrant workers in Kodagu, deny it’s linked to NRC

The Kodagu Police in Karnataka on Thursday conducted a massive document verification exercise of migrants workers living in the district. Thousands of workers, mostly employed in the district’s coffee plantations, were taken to three centres in Madikeri, Virajpet and Kushalnagar towns.

Protest watch: Actor Nandita Das says people don’t want another partition, lauds the ‘Shaheen Baghs’

Actor-director Nandita Das on Thursday endorsed the series of protests against the amended Citizenship Act, joining the bandwagon of celebrities opposing the controversial law. “All these wonderful students and women, the many Shaheen Baghs springing up around the country, they are giving us a lot of courage to speak up,” Das said on the sidelines of the 13th edition of Jaipur Literary Fest.

There is no data on Citizenship Act beneficiaries, admits Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal: Report

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told a group of members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing that “no one has data” about how many people would benefit from the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state, The Telegraph reported on Friday.

Periyar row: HC dismisses case against Rajinikanth, asks why petitioners didn’t go to lower court

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed against actor and politician Rajinikanth for his remarks about social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy after the petitioners withdrew the plea.

Remove BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s ‘India vs Pakistan’ tweet, EC tells Twitter

The Election Commission on Friday asked Twitter to remove Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra’s tweets on Delhi Assembly polls. This came hours after the returning officer of the poll body issued a showcause notice to Mishra.

At Davos, billionaire philanthropist George Soros says Modi creating Hindu nationalist state

Billionaire philanthropist George Soros has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to transform India into a Hindu nationalist state. “Nationalism, far from being reversed, made further headway,” he said while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “The biggest and most frightening setback came in India where a democratically elected Narendra Modi is creating a Hindu nationalist state, imposing punitive measures on Kashmir, a semi-autonomous Muslim region, and threatening to deprive millions of Muslims of their citizenship.”

Gujarat: Hindu woman booked for getting son baptised eight years ago

A 42-year-old Hindu woman in Gujarat has been booked by the police for getting her son baptised almost eight years ago. The woman, who is a single mother, was booked under the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act for converting the boy’s religion without the district collector’s permission. The police are yet to identify the priest who conducted the ceremony, but have filed charges against him.

Wuhan coronavirus outbreak: Indian Embassy cancels Republic Day event in Beijing

The Indian Embassy in Beijing on Friday said that it has decided to cancel a reception on Sunday in view of the health emergency in China following the coronavirus outbreak. At least 25 people have died and over 800 have been infected so far by the virus in China. The reception scheduled on Sunday was to mark India’s 71st Republic Day.

BJP’s Kailash Vijayvargiya says ‘strange eating habits’ made him suspicious of workers’ nationality

Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday said the “strange eating habits” of some labourers at his house aroused suspicion in him about their nationality. “They were eating only poha [flattened rice],” he said while speaking at a seminar in support of the amended citizenship law in Indore. “I suspected these workers were residents of Bangladesh. Two days after I became suspicious, they stopped working at my house.”

Bhima Koregaon: Deputy CM raises doubts in case against 10 activists, seeks proof in 15 days

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told the Pune Police that a letter recovered from Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson last year, allegedly showing a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to be a spoof obtained from suspicious sources. Pawar is believed to have told the police this during a meeting held on Thursday to review cases related to the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence.

Kerala: BJP MP claims Hindu families denied water for supporting CAA, police file case against her

The Kerala Police on Thursday filed a case against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Shobha Karandlaje for promoting religious enmity after she put up a post on social media alleging that Hindu families in Malappuram were not provided water because they supported the amendments to the Citizenship Act.

Indian nurse who has coronavirus not infected with Wuhan strain, confirms consulate

The Indian nurse who tested positive for the coronavirus has been found to be infected with a different strain than the one in the Wuhan outbreak, the Indian Consulate in Jeddah said on Thursday. The nurse, who is from Kerala, was working at the Jazeera Abha Al Hayath Hospital in the city of Khamis Mushait in Southwest Saudi Arabia.

Citizenship Act: 76 BJP minority cell members in Madhya Pradesh quit party as dissent spreads

As many as 76 members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s minority cell in Madhya Pradesh have quit over the Citizenship Amendment Act, the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

This is the second wave of resignations. As many as 48 members of the minority cell, including Bhopal district minority cell vice president Adil Khan and state media chief Javed Baig, had quit last week.

Pranab Mukherjee says wave of peaceful protests will help deepen India’s democracy

Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said that the present wave of largely peaceful protests will once again help deepen India’s democratic roots, PTI reported. Mukherjee made the remark during the Sukumar Sen lecture, an event organised by the Election Commission of India in New Delhi. Sen was the first chief election commissioner of independent India.

Hardik Patel arrested in 2017 case immediately after leaving Ahmedabad jail

Congress leader Hardik Patel was on Thursday arrested immediately after he walked out of Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, after he got bail in a sedition case, PTI reported. Patel was arrested by the Gandhinagar district police in a 2017 case connected to addressing a political rally allegedly without permission.

A local court in Ahmedabad had on Wednesday granted bail to Patel, four days after he was arrested for failing to appear before the court in a 2015 sedition case.

Democracy Index: Congress attacks Centre, says those in power are the real ‘tukde-tukde’ gang

The Congress on Thursday lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led government, a day after India slipped 10 ranks from 41 to 51 in the Democracy Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, PTI reported. India’s overall score fell from 7.23 out of 10 in 2018 to 6.90 last year, mainly due to an “erosion of civil liberties”, the index report said. The country was ranked 42 in 2017 and 41 in 2018.

Davinder Singh arrest: NIA court sends suspended J&K police officer to 15-day custody

National Investigation Agency court on Thursday sent suspended Jammu and Kashmir Police Deputy Superintendent Davinder Singh, who was arrested earlier this month after being caught with Hizbul Mujahideen militants, into 15-day custody, PTI reported. Four co-accused in the case were also sent to NIA custody, officials said.

Piyush Goyal claims Muslims are safer in India than in most other parts of the world

Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that Muslims are safer in India than in most other parts of the world, PTI reported. Goyal made the remark in Davos, Switzerland, at a session on “Strategic Outlook: India” at the World Economic Forum. “India is probably one of the most inclusive societies in the world,” Goyal said. “India is a country which welcomes all diverse viewpoints, all diverse opinions, the Muslims in India are safer than any other part of the world in terms of equal opportunity.

Delhi elections: India vs Pakistan match on February 8, tweets BJP leader Kapil Mishra

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra on Thursday claimed there will be a match between India and Pakistan on the streets of Delhi on February 8. He was referring to the Delhi Assembly elections, which will be held on February 8, and the results of which will be out on February 11. In another tweet, with which he shared a link to an article in which Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he stood with protestors at Shaheen Bagh, Mishra claimed: “Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have created mini-Pakistans like Shaheen Bagh. In response, Hindustan will face them on February 8. Whenever the anti-nationals create a Pakistan in India, the nationalists’ Hindustan will face them.”