New Delhi : A Delhi court on Monday granted till December 7 interim bail to Rau’s IAS Study Circle CEO Abhishek Gupta and its coordinator Deshpal Singh in a case related to the death of three civil services aspirants in July in the centre’s flooded basement.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna granted relief to the accused on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with two sureties of the like amount.
The judge also directed Gupta to deposit Rs 2.5 crore till November 30 with Red Cross Society, saying that as per the lease agreement of the premises, the accused being the lessee and CEO of the institute alone, would be responsible for any loss claim, and damages to any person or material.
The judge noted that Gupta and Singh were CEO and coordinator of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, respectively, and were in control of its affairs.
New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday extended his congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake for his victory in the Sri Lankan Presidential elections. He expressed India’s eagerness to enhance bilateral ties further.
“On the behalf of the Indian National Congress, I extend my heartiest congratulations to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on being elected the Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, ” Kharge said in a post on X.
“India and Sri Lanka have a rich legacy of multifaceted cooperation and interaction, which dates back centuries, the Congress President said, adding that India looks forward to “strengthening our ties and shared values for the benefit of our region.”
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his congratulations to Dissanayake for securing the win and being elected as the 9th Executive President of Sri Lanka.
India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, also called on Dissanayake and conveyed greetings from India’s leadership.
Sri Lanka’s Marxist-leaning leader Dissanayake of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party will be sworn in as the country’s ninth – also, the first Leftist – President on Monday, following his triumph in the island nation’s first presidential election since its worst-ever economic crisis.
The result was decided Sunday evening after Sri Lanka’s first-ever presidential run-off with the counting of second preference votes following both Dissanayake and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya candidate Sajith Premadasa failing to get the required percentage of votes.
According to Sri Lanka’s Election Commission, Dissanayake won the presidency with 42.31 per cent of the vote, with Premadasa finishing second and incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was eliminated after the first round, in third position.
The election, held on Saturday, saw Dissanayake lead over veteran political figures such as incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition leader Premadasa.
Dissanayake now stands on the cusp of making history as the country’s first leftist President, heralding what could be a significant political shift for the South Asian island nation.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will visit Jammu and Kashmir today to address two election rallies ahead of the second phase of the Assembly elections. The rallies will take place in the Jammu division and the Kashmir Valley.
According to party sources, Gandhi will arrive in Srinagar on a chartered flight and then take a helicopter to Surankote in Rajouri district. He is scheduled to address a Congress rally there at 12:30 pm. Afterward, he will return to Srinagar to address another rally in the Shalteng constituency in the afternoon, where Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Tariq Hamid Karra, is contesting.
The National Conference (NC) and Congress have formed a pre-poll alliance for the elections, with NC contesting 52 seats and Congress 31. They have left two seats uncontested, one for CPI(M) in the Valley and the other for the Panthers Party in Jammu. However, the alliance couldn’t agree on five constituencies, leading to friendly contests in Banihal, Nagrota, Kishtwar, Doda, and Sopore.
Voting for the second phase is on September 25, with the third and final phase scheduled for October 1. Results will be declared on October 8.
Jammu: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday that Pakistan has started feeling deep pain and anguish after witnessing the festival of democracy (holding of elections and turnout of voters) in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a BJP poll campaign rally in Poonch, Rajnath Singh said: “After seeing the great festival of democracy being celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has started feeling deep pain and anguish. We don’t want to have bad relations with Pakistan. We want to have friendly relations with all our neighbours. But, Pakistan has internal problems and to divert attention from their internal problems, Pakistan continues to do unholy acts against India.
“Pakistani defence minister said recently that the National Conference (NC) and Congress will get back Article 370. What right does Pakistan have to comment on our democratic process? There was 61 per cent voting in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir elections. This has happened after decades.”
The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said that the world has been watching everything, while realising that India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 was justified and is in the interest of the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I salute the people of Jammu and Kashmir for raising the flag of democracy so high that the world is clearly seeing it. I have been in politics for a long time. For 35 years, I have either been an MLA or in the Parliament. I can assure you if you elect BJP candidate, Abdul Ghani Choudhary from this assembly constituency, he will give a powerful voice to you and help solve your problems, ” he said.
The Union Minister further said that “today, many members of our Sikh community have joined the BJP”.
“I can say with pride that whenever there was a challenge to the sovereignty of the country, our Sikh brothers have defended the pride and glory of India, ” he said.
Criticising the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rajnath Singh said: “These NC and PDP leaders are telling you that they will restore Article 370. They don’t have the power to restore Article 370. They are throwing dust into your eyes. I believe that politics should be clean and such that you can look into the eyes of the people and say what you have to say.
“Refugees came here from West Pakistan, many of them were Muslims. NC, PDP and Congress governments did not give them the right to vote, they deprived the Valmiki Samaj people also of their right to vote. I want to make it clear that we would not allow Article 370 to be restored. Jammu and Kashmir has suffered heavily due to Article 370. Almost 80 per cent of the people killed in terrorism have been our Muslim brothers.
“When Article 370 was there, the Constitution of the country did not apply to Jammu and Kashmir in letter and spirit. Today, the Constitution of the country applies to Jammu and Kashmir in letter and spirit. Nobody can now stop us from unfurling the Tricolour in Lal Chowk, ” the Defence Minister said.
Urging the voters to support the BJP, the Defence Minister further said: “You elect our government in Jammu and Kashmir, and we promise to make it the most developed state of the country. When the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir look at the changes in Jammu and Kashmir, and the rest of the country, they say we want to join Jammu and Kashmir. We always welcome them, we never think of whether they are Muslims or of any other religion.
“To divide people on these lines is the work of NC, PDP and Congress. These politicians belonging to three families have destroyed Jammu and Kashmir. However, I have seen strong love and affection for Jammu and Kashmir in the heart of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He will never allow Jammu and Kashmir to be destroyed.
“Late-former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee once stressed ‘Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat’ but the politicians of these three families always think about ‘politics, politics and politics’, ” Rajnath Singh said.
The Defence Minister concluded his speech with an appeal for strong support of the BJP candidates in the Assembly elections.
New Delhi: The $1 billion India-US initiative to build a safe and secure global clean energy supply chain aims to capture the benefits of the clean energy transition, including the creation of high-quality jobs, acceleration of clean energy deployment and achievement of global climate goals, the government said on Sunday.
The funding will support supply-side manufacturing capacity expansion for key technology verticals, focusing on solar, wind, battery, energy grid systems, and high-efficiency air conditioner and ceiling fan supply chains.
“As an important aspect of our economic growth agendas, we are committed to working together to capture the benefits of the clean energy transition, ” said the government after the meeting between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.
Both the countries aim to expand manufacturing capacity for clean energy technologies and components and lay the groundwork for enhanced cooperation in third countries, with a focus on partnerships in Africa.
The effort will build on existing clean energy cooperation between the US and India, including clean energy initiatives launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in 2023, the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership led by the US Department of Energy and Government of India ministries, technical assistance provided by US laboratories, and novel financial platforms such as the Payment Security Mechanism established to support the rapid deployment of electric buses in India.
The US and India are working to unlock $1 billion in new multilateral finance through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for projects that include catalysing India’s domestic clean energy supply chain buildout.
“Over time, we seek to mobilise additional financing into priority clean energy manufacturing sectors that harness public and private financial tools and pioneer innovative financial vehicles to meet the rapid demand for flexible climate finance solutions, ” the government informed.
Both the governments pledged to work with industry leaders, with initial focus on solar wafers and wafer manufacturing equipment and next generation solar cells, wind turbine nacelle components, power transmission line components including conductors, cabling, transformers, and next generation technologies, energy storage components including batteries, battery packs for 2- and 3-wheel electric vehicles (EVs) and zero-emission e-bus and truck components and high-efficiency air conditioners and ceiling fan components.
They also committed to collaborate with the private sector to support an initial package of pilot projects, ideally including one project focused on clean energy deployment to Africa.
A bus carrying Border Security Force (BSF) personnel for election duty met with an accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district, killing four of them and injuring 28.
The vehicle fell into a gorge in the Brell Waterhail area.
The bus was transporting 35 BSF troopers ahead of the second phase of assembly elections scheduled for September 25.
Local residents and officials rushed to help the injured personnel, taking them to City Hospital. Two troopers remain in critical condition, while the others are reported to be stable.
Senior officers, including the IGP of Kashmir Zone and BSF officials, visited the hospital to check on the injured troopers. A civilian driver was also hurt in the accident.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday embarked on a three-day visit to the US, where he will attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit and address the United Nations’ ‘Summit of the Future’. Besides, the PM will also be attending a community programme and interacting with the Indian diaspora there.
“Today, I am embarking on a three-day visit to the United States of America to participate in the Quad Summit being hosted by (US) President (Joe) Biden in his hometown Wilmington and to address the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, ” Prime Minister Modi said in his departure statement on Saturday.
“I look forward joining my colleagues President Biden, (Australia’s) Prime Minister (Anthony) Albanese and (Japan’s) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida for the Quad Summit. The forum has emerged as a key group of the like-minded countries to work for peace, progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, ” he added.
Prime Minister Modi further said that his meeting with President Biden will “allow us to review and identify new pathways to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the benefit of our people and the global good”.
The Prime Minister said that he is eagerly looking forward to engaging with the Indian diaspora and “important” American business leaders, who are the “key stakeholders” and provide “vibrancy to the unique partnership between the largest and the oldest democracies of the world”.
Terming ‘The Summit of the Future’ an opportunity for the global community to chart the road ahead for the betterment of humanity, Prime Minister Modi said: “I will share views of the one-sixth of the humanity as their stakes in a peaceful and secure future are among the highest in the world.”
In a strong rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks during his rally in Srinagar on Thirsday, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah declared that without the NC’s intervention in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir would have become part of Pakistan due to its Muslim-majority status.
Speaking at a rally in Udhampur in support of NC candidate Sunil Verma, Abdullah emphasized that the region’s decision to align with India was due to the NC’s vision for a secular and inclusive future.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir should be thankful that the NC was present during Partition,” Abdullah said. “Had we not been there, Jammu and Kashmir would have become part of Pakistan due to its Muslim-majority status. We chose the path of Gandhi and Nehru, believing in a vision of India where citizens of all faiths—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists—are equals.”
Abdullah countered Modi’s accusations that the NC, along with the Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), were responsible for the “destruction” of the region. He pointed to decisions made by previous governments, such as the 1989 release of terrorists in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed and the 1999 Kandahar hijacking, as pivotal moments that contributed to the rise of terrorism in J&K.
“Who released the terrorists in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1999 in exchange for the hijacked plane, and for Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989? The same terrorists are now running terror operations from Pakistan,” Abdullah remarked. “Yet today, they shift the blame onto us—NC and Congress.”
Criticizing the BJP’s handling of terrorism and its “One Nation, One Election” proposal, Abdullah expressed doubts about its practicality. He also dismissed the BJP’s claims of forming the next government in the region, questioning the party’s accomplishments in addressing issues like inflation, land dispossession, and the preference for non-local officials over experienced locals.
Reaffirming his commitment to restoring Article 370 and the ‘Darbar Move,’ Abdullah concluded, “We are the crown of India, and the new dawn of love and unity will rise from here. We must sink the vehicle of hatred and flag off the vehicle of love.”
New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday sought a full report on the Tirupati laddu issue, saying the government will further examine matter and take suitable action.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that animal fat was used in Tirupati laddus during the previous government has triggered a massive political row, with the YSRCP accusing Naidu of indulging in “heinous allegations” for political gains and the TDP circulating a lab report to back its claim. During an NDA legislature party meeting on Wednesday, Naidu claimed that the previous YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government did not even spare the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati and used substandard ingredients and animal fat to make laddus.
Mumbai: Amid seat-sharing talks gathering momentum among the MahaYuti partners, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a two-day visit to Maharashtra, beginning September 24, to finalise seats for BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
During the visit, the Union Home Minister will hold a review with the BJP leaders, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
He will visit Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nashik and Kolhapur to take stock of the seat-sharing negotiations and push for an early settlement as BJP is quite keen to announce its first list of around 60 to 70 candidates around the Dussehra (October 12).
Even Shiv Sena and NCP are also keen to announce the list of their respective candidates during that time.
The Union Home Minister’s visit is crucial as CM Shinde recently said that the Assembly election is expected to take place in the second week of November and the Election Commission of India is likely to announce the poll schedule around October 10.
Before Union Minister Shah’s visit, the state BJP core committee will meet on September 23 in Mumbai and discuss the seats it is keen to get and also review the poll preparations in over 99, 000 booths.
The core committee will also review the party’s coordination with the RSS and its affiliated organisations at booths, mandals, tehsils, districts and across the state.
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule has recently said there has been an agreement among BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP over 70 per cent of seats.
The Union Minister will also discuss with CM Shinde, Deputy CMs Fadnavis and Pawar the impact of ongoing protests over Maratha, OBC and Dhangar reservations in the state and MahaYuti’s plan B to contain the damage.
On September 8, the Union Home Minister held a marathon meeting with top BJP leaders during which the state leaders made a strong case for the party contesting 160 seats of the total 288 seats, playing a big brother’s role. The state leaders also suggested to him that the allocation of seats to Shiv Sena and NCP should be based on their winnability and respective strengths.
On its part, Shiv Sena, which had won seven out of 16 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha elections, is aggressively pushing for 125 seats considering its reach. On the other hand, NCP is expected to settle at 60 seats against its original demand of 80 to 90 seats.
As the chorus for 160 seats grows in BJP, both Shiv Sena and NCP have expressed their reservations about distributing the remaining 128 seats among themselves.
A senior BJP functionary, who is privy to the party’s poll preparations and seat-sharing arrangement, said “Shah during his meeting with state leaders on September 8 had told them to resolve the seat-sharing arrangement with Shiv Sena and NCP. In the case of disagreement over a few seats, the Union Minister had shown his readiness to intervene to find a solution acceptable to the three MahaYuti partners.”
He further added that the RSS’ role is quite crucial as its functionaries across the state have swung into action for the victory of MahaYuti.
Another BJP functionary said that at present MahaYuti has a strength of 186 legislators and there could be a problem over six to seven seats where three parties have staked claims.
In addition, there are another 14 to 15 seats where a political party other than BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP was defeated in the 2019 Assembly elections with fewer votes. Last week, CM Shinde held a meeting with the party’s office bearers and asked them to step up outreach with voters.
NCP national president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met the party legislators on Wednesday and clarified that the party would contest the Assembly poll in MahaYuti and 54 seats the NCP (united) had won in the 2019 Assembly elections were non-negotiable.
