LIVE! Centre to merge Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda

19:39  India’s diversity should not be a reason for discord, says RSS chief:  

India’s diversity must be respected, celebrated and it should not be a reason for any discord in society, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said, launching an unprecedented  outreach to make the organisation better understood.

On the first day of the three-day conclave “Bhavishya Ka Bharat — An RSS Perspective”, he elaborated on evolution of the RSS, which he said cannot be compared to any other organisation.

Almost all major opposition parties gave the conclave a miss though the RSS had invited them. However, many leaders of the ruling BJP were present, as were many Bollywood actors, artists and academicians.

“India is a country full of diversity and it must be respected and celebrated,” he said, adding that it should not become a reason for “discord” in the society.

The outreach comes at a time when the Congress-led opposition has been ramping up attacks on the RSS, accusing it of promoting divisive ideology and attacking minorities.

In his around 80-minute speech, Bhagwat spoke on a variety of issues, including the freedom movement, and acknowledged the role of the Congress, which has been among the organisation’s biggest critics.

“Congress played a big role in freedom movement and gave India many great personalities,” he said.

— PTI

19:23  ABVP, Left members clash hours after JNUSU poll results:  

Members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Left-backed All India Students Association clashed on Monday, with both groups accusing each other of attacking their supporters, hours after the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union poll results were announced.

Violence erupted on the JNU campus after a united front of Left student groups on Sunday won all four central panel posts in the union defeating the ABVP by considerable margins.

While the AISA alleged that ABVP members randomly attacked students, with a former student being almost ‘lynched’ and the new JNUSU president being beaten up, the RSS-affiliate claimed its activists were attacked by Left supporters and three were injured.

This is the second incident of the two groups clashing on campus, the last being on Saturday ahead of the counting, which was suspended after election authorities cited ‘forcible entry’ and ‘attempts to snatch away ballot boxes’.

Newly-elected JNUSU president N Sai Balaji alleged that he was beaten up in the early hours of Monday by ABVP activists.

“Today, ABVP students randomly attacked students. I was called to the scene at Sutlej (hostel). As the elected JNUSU president, I went to ensure the safety of a student who was attacked by ABVP students with sticks.

“On reaching, what I saw was mayhem. The mob, led by ABVP members, was baying for blood of any student they thought was a friend of the student who they were attacking,” Balaji said.

He claimed that ABVP members ‘openly threatened him, along with former JNUSU president Geeta Kumari and other students present there, with dire consequences if they intervened to stop the violence’.

“The group turned into a mob and started attacking a former JNU student in the Jhelum hostel and chased him, and almost lynched him in the lawns. I ran with other students to save him, who had fallen unconscious after the beating, and took him to an ambulance,” Balaji said.

He said some students asked him to sit inside a Police Control Room (PCR) van after the situation got out of control.

The mob stopped the van and an ABVP student sat in it. Two ABVP members were repeatedly stopping it, Balaji claimed.

The PCR van’s doors were opened and ‘I was threatened and physically assaulted’ by ABVP students, the JNUSU president claimed.

However, the ABVP claimed that their members were roughed up by AISA activists. They claimed the Left activists even roughed up one of their members, who is differently-abled.

“Three JNU students affiliated to the ABVP were attacked by the criminals hiding as champions of Communist ideology. 15-20 Left workers, including non-students, led by the outgoing JNUSU president Geeta Kumari and one of her close friends (attacked the students),” the ABVP said.

It alleged that the Left workers entered the room of a student and hit him with sticks and punched him. Two others were also injured, the ABVP claimed.

“The targeted violent attacks by the Left on ABVP students is a clear sign of an evil design unfolding on the campus. AISA-SFI and their allies have decided to turn things ugly on the JNU campus. The Left wants turmoil on the campus,” they said.

The ABVP and the AISA have both filed complaints against each other at the Vasant Kunj police station.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Devender Arya said the situation is under control.  — PTI

19:19  Centre to merge Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank, Bank of Baroda:  

Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar says that finance ministry has suggested Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank to consider amalgamation to create India’s 3rd largest globally competitive bank.

Addressing a press conference later, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government had announced in the budget that consolidation of banks was also in our agenda and the first step has been announced.

“No employee will face any service conditions which are adverse in nature. The best of the service conditions will apply to all of them,” Jaitley said.

More details awaited.  — ANI

19:14  ISRO to launch 18 missions in next six months:  

With the continuing success of PSLV missions, the Indian Space Research Organisation has decided to take it up a notch and plans to launch 18 missions in the next six months, virtually one every two weeks.

The ISRO on Sunday night successfully launched NovaSAR and S1-4 earth observation satellites of the UK-based Surrey Satellite Technologies Ltd.

“We are going to have 18 missions in the next six months, virtually one launch every two weeks,” ISRO chairman K Sivan said in a press release.

According to senior scientists, some of the planned launches include GSAT-11, Chandrayaan-2 moon mission and GSLV-MkIII-D2 missions. GSAT-11 is a multi-beam communication satellite, which is expected to be launched from French Guiana.

Chandrayaan-2 is the second mission to the moon in which ISRO will launch the lander carrying a six-wheel rover.

ISRO had successfully launched Chandrayaan-1 in October 2008 which orbited the moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the moon.

In Chandrayaan-2, the scientists will make the lander soft land on the moon and deploy the rover to study its surface.

The GSLV-MkIII-D2 mission would, for the first time, carry communication payloads. It is targeted at Village Resource Centres in rural areas to bridge the digital divide.  — PTI

19:00  HC directs Delhi University to secure EVMs used in DUSU polls:  

The Delhi high court on Monday directed Delhi University to keep securely the EVMs used in the student union election on a plea by three candidates of the Congress backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) challenging the polls.

Justice Siddharth Mridul said that beside the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), paper trail and other documentation be also kept safely.

The court also sought response of the Delhi University, chief electoral officer appointed by the varsity, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Election Commission of India and the three ABVP candidates who have won the recent elections.

Three NSUI candidates — Sunny Chhillar, Meena and Saurabh Yadav — had moved the high court challenging the elections on the grounds that voting machines were allegedly tampered with.

The plea sought that EVMs used in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) polls be secured to ensure they do not go missing.

It also alleged that data from seven EVMs had gone missing.

The plea alleged that EVMs were tampered with and questioned as to how ‘privately procured’ EVMs could have been used in the polls held on September 12.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Delhi said last Thursday that  EVMs used in the DUSU election were not issued by the Election Commission and seem to have been procured privately.

The ABVP, student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, on September 13 bagged three posts including that of the President in the student union elections.

The NSUI won only one seat, while the Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing CYSS, which fought the elections in alliance with Left-backed AISA, failed to open its account.

Polling took place at 52 centres in the colleges and there were as many as 23 candidates in the fray.  — PTI

18:20  Difficult to measure the threat posed by ‘urban naxals’: Rajnath:  

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said it was difficult to measure the threat posed by ‘urban naxals’ but stressed that the ‘challenges’ would be faced accordingly.

The term ‘urban naxals’ came into prominence following the arrest of five Left-wing activists in multi-city raids by the Maharashtra police for their alleged Maoist links.

Asked how dangerous the threat was from the ‘urban naxals’, he quipped: “You have asked a very difficult question… What will be its parameters and how it could be measured?”

“As per the feedback, there are certain challenges and we will face these challenges,” Singh said in his reply to another question on the arrest of the activists in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.

The home minister was talking to reporters at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters here after inaugurating two pilot projects of high-tech comprehensive integrated border management system (CIBMS) along the International border.

The Supreme Court Monday said it will examine whether there is material supporting the arrest of the activists as the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra extended till September 19 the house arrest of Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha.  About Hizbul Mujahideen reportedly extending roots to northeast, the home minister said he did not want to get into the details of it but assured that the security forces would wipe out the extremists.

“Whether (its) naxalism or terrorism in northeast and Kashmir, our army and other security forces are facing them with determination and giving them befitting response,” he said.

“You have seen that the terrorism in northeast has almost ended, naxalism is heading towards its end and all our forces — army, paramilitary forces and Jammu and Kashmir police – are fighting terrorism with coordination and are fulfilling their responsibilities,” he said.

On the gangrape of a CBSE topper in Haryana, the home minister said he had talked to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and was assured that appropriate action will be taken and those guilty will be punished.  — PTI

18:06  Bengal BJP chief’s vehicle attacked in East Midnapore:  

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s vehicle came under attack Monday in East Midnapore district, where he arrived in the morning with a contingent of 10-12 cars to attend a meeting, a police officer said.

Ghosh claimed that the attack at Contai in East Midnapore was the ‘handiwork’ of Trinamool Congress workers, a charge denied by the ruling party.

The police officer, however, said the miscreants behind the attack were yet to be identified.

“Ghosh was shown black flags while entering the venue of a party meeting near Contai central bus stand by unidentified people, following which a clash broke out between the two sides. The miscreants also broke the window panes of the state BJP president’s car,” the officer said.

He, however, clarified that the situation was under control and Ghosh’s meet underway as per schedule.

“Policemen have been deployed in huge numbers in the area and we are looking into the situation, trying to identify the miscreants,” the officer added.

The state BJP president, on his part, said 10 karyakartas had to be hospitalised following the attack.

“The TMC workers broke the window panes of my car and damaged 30 motorcycles that were a part of the contingent. At least 10 of our karyakartas were hospitalised with serious injuries”, he told PTI.

The BJP leader said that he had faced similar attacks on earlier occasions.

“If the TMC and its leadership think that they can stop the BJP by resorting to such strong-arm tactics, then they are living in fool’s paradise. The people of Bengal are with us,” Ghosh said.

He alleged that local TMC MP Dibyendu Adhikari and police officers were present at the spot when his car was attacked by the miscreants.

Adhikari, however, refuted the allegations and said he was nowhere near the site of the incident.

“I was passing through the area when I came to know that Ghosh was shown black flags by his own partymen. The attack was the result of the saffron party’s internal fight,” he claimed.

The TMC has never stopped the BJP from holding any meeting anywhere in the state, the MP said.

“It was unfortunate that the BJP president made such allegations. The claims are not only baseless but also fabricated,” he added.  — PTI

17:45  No lawyer for rape accused, orders Rewari mahapanchayat:  
A ‘mahapanchayat’ comprising 25 villages was held in Kosli town in Haryana over the Rewari gang-rape case. The mahapanchayat decided that no practicing lawyer will help any of the accused. It has also written to the Haryana Governor seeking strict action against accused.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also conducted a meeting with top officials involved in the case. A SIT has also been formed by the police.

The three accused arrested by the police were produced before a civil Court in Haryana and have been remanded to police custody for the next five days. Raids continued across several states to nab two other key accused, including an army man, even as the state government cracked the whip and transferred the Rewari district police chief.

One of the three key accused, identified as Nishu, has been nabbed, Special Investigation Team chief and Mewat Superintendent of Police, Nazneen Bhasin told reporters in Rewari.

A hunt is on for the two other key accused — Pankaj, an army man, and Manish, she said. The photographs of the prime accused were released by police Saturday.

The 19-year-old woman, a CBSE topper from Rewari, was abducted from a bus stop in Kanina town in neighbouring Mahendragarh district on Wednesday when she was on her way to a coaching class. She was then allegedly drugged and gang-raped in a room adjoining a tubewell in field.

17:43  Mumbai train blasts convict seeks IB report under RTI :  The Delhi High Court Monday reserved its decision on a plea by one of the convicts in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings seeking a 2009 Intelligence Bureau report which purportedly called for review of evidence in the case.

While reserving the decision in the matter, Justice Vibhu Bakhru was of the view that the IB report sought under the transparency law RTI did not have any relation to human rights violation and therefore, the intelligence agency was exempted from providing it.

The court also observed that the case against the convict Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddique, represented by advocate Arpit Bhargava, had run its course and he could have raised the issue of false implication earlier.

The judge was also of the view that the exception in the RTI Act, under which details can be sought from intelligence agencies, would not apply in this case.

“Will pass orders later,” the court said. Siddique, in his plea, has claimed he was falsely implicated in the case which amounts to violation of his human rights and therefore, he needed the IB report which purportedly called for review of the evidence in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case. — PTI

16:52  A gathbandhan to oust BJP is in the making, says Akhilesh :  Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday expressed confidence in stitching a strong alliance to oust the BJP in the 2019 general elections.

He claimed that not only the opposition, but even the people of the nation want to vote out the BJP.

While addressing a press conference in Lucknow, the SP president said, “Not only the political parties but all the people in India want to oust BJP. I think you will see a strong ‘Gathbandhan’ in future.”

His statement came a day after BSP supremo Mayawati said that her party will only form an alliance if they get a fair share of seats. “We will agree to alliance anywhere and in any election only when we get a fair share of seats, otherwise BSP will contest alone,” she had said. — ANI

16:12  Now, CPI-M to boycott panchayat polls in J&K:  

The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday said it will boycott the upcoming panchayat and local bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Slamming the Centre for going ahead with the elections despite opposition from mainstream parties in the state, the CPI-M said it showed the “arrogance” of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government.

“The decision of the government to go ahead with panchayat and urban local bodies elections despite majority of mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir deciding not to participate… shows the arrogance of the BJP-led Central government,” state secretary, CPI-M, Ghulam Nabi Malik, said in a statement.

The CPI-M is the third political party after National Conference and People’s Democratic Party to stay away from the polls scheduled to be held from next month. 

  

“The government should have convened an all party meeting to discuss this issue, unfortunately that has not been done. Keeping the prevailing situation in consideration, the CPI-M has decided not to participate in these polls,” the state secretary said.

 

Malik said the political parties of the state had raised some issues, including the linking of the polls to the plea in the Supreme Court on Article 35A by both the Central and state governments.

“It was wrong on behalf of the government to use polls as a reason to seek deferment of Article 35A in the SC. The mainstream political parties had also urged the Centre to clear its stand over Article 35A before announcing ULB and Panchayat elections,” he said.

 

“The political parties in the state were also demanding the shifting of additional solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta from Article 35A case in the Supreme Court, as during the hearing on the case in the apex court on August 31, Mehta, who represents the state, crossed his brief,” he added.

15:57  Madras HC begins suo motu contempt proceedings against BJP leader H Raja:  

The Madras high court on Monday began a suo motu contempt proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary H Raja.

Taking serious cognizance of the ‘derogatory’ statements made by him against judiciary and police, the court registered a case against Raja.

The court has asked the BJP national secretary to appear before the court in person in four weeks time.

On September 14, Raja had argued with Police personnel over Ganesh Chaturthi procession route in Pudukottai district. He had used abusive language against Madras High Court and Police during the scuffle.

He said ‘You (Police) are anti-Hindu and corrupt.’ — ANI

15:55  Dabholkar murder: Kalaskar sent to judicial custody:  

Sharad Kalaskar, an accused in arms hauls case, was on Monday remanded to judicial custody till September 29 for probing his alleged role in activist Narendra Dabholkar murder in 2013.

The Central Bureau of Investigation produced Kalaskar before the Pune Session court as his custody with the investigation body ended today. He was initially sent to the CBI custody on September 10 to probe his alleged involvement in Dabholkar murder case.

In August, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested him in connection with the seizure of arms and ammunition from different parts of the state.

Founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, Dabholkar was shot by bike-borne assailants while returning home from a morning walk on August 20, 2013. — ANI

15:34  Goa Cong stakes claim to form govt :  Goa Congress leaders, along with its 14 MLAs, staked claim to form govt in the state. They submitted a letter before the Raj Bhavan but there has not been a meeting between the Governor and them. Congress party has 16 MLAs in the state.

15:27  With Parrikar in hospital, Cong stakes claim to form govt in Goa :  With ailing Goa CM Manohar Parrikar admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi, the Goa Congress with its 14 MLAs, has staked claim to form government in the state and have submitted a letter to the governor.

Chandrakant Kavlekar, Congress Legislature Party Chief said, “We’re the single largest party and should have been given the chance earlier. See how the government is functioning today. “Govt hote huye bhi na ke barabar hai. The government exists in name only.”

Kavlekar said the Congress has the numbers and will be staking claim. “The governor will be here tomorrow. We’ll request him for it,” Kavlekar said.

The Congress has submitted two memorandums and has requested that a situation where the state has to undergo elections within 18 months shouldn’t arise. “People elected us for 5 years. If present govt is not capable of functioning, we should be given the chance, we’ll do it,” Kavlekar said.

In the 40-member Goa assembly, the Congress is the largest party with 16 MLAs, five short of the halfway mark. At present, the BJP-led alliance has a strength of 23 legislators, with 14 from the BJP, three each from regional parties Goa Forward and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three Independents. The Opposition comprises 16 of the Congress and one NCP member.

14:57  Bhopal welcomes ‘Shiv-bhakt’ Rahul: Cong blows poll bugle :  
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday embarked on a roadshow to kick-off the party’s campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh after seeking the blessings of more than 11 Hindu priests. Polls in the BJP-ruled state are scheduled this year-end.

Gandhi was received by state Congress president Kamal Nath and senior party leader and Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others, at the airport in Bhopal.

Thousands of Congress workers and supporters holding the party’s flags chanted “Rahul Gandhi Zindabad” as he left the airport. The Congress chief then headed to embark on a 15-km-long roadshow from Lalghati Chowk, located close to the airport, after seeking the blessings of more than 11 Hindu priests, state Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said.

Gandhi’s roadshow, in which he will ride an open vehicle, will conclude at the Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd’s Dussehra Maidan, where he will interact with party cadres this evening.

The main opposition party has put up posters and banners in Bhopal describing the 48-year-old Congress chief, who just returned from a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, as a ‘Shiv bhakt’. Besides the regular police force, an additional 1,500 policemen are manning the streets of Bhopal.  — PTI

13:41  SC lifts ban from Saridon, 2 other combination drugs :  The Supreme Court has allowed the sale of Saridon, Piriton Expectorant and Dart — three brands that found themselves in a long list of combination medicines that the health ministry banned last week for being “irrational” and “risky” for patients.

The move comes as a major relief to drug makers like GlaxoSmithKline and Piramal, as these products are popular brands marketed by these companies.

The companies approached the apex court after the ministry released a list of 328 combination medicines banned in the country to ask that their combinations be excluded from the list, said lawyers present at court on Monday.

The companies argued that these combinations were being manufactured since before 1988 and, since the Supreme Court had earlier exempted 15 such combinations from the government’s ban, the same exemptions should be extended to these brands, said two lawyers.

13:03  Bhima Koregaon case: SC extends house arrest of all 5 activists :  Supreme Court extends house arrest of all five activists till September 19 which is when the next hearing will be held.

Abhishek M Singhvi, appearing for many of the petitioners, submits to SC that out of the 25 cases against accused, Varavara Rao, he was acquitted in all cases. Vernon Gonsalves, was acquitted in 17 cases out of a total of 18 cases and  Arun Ferreira was acquitted in all 11 cases.

Singhvi submits to the SC that no accused was present in the programme of Yalgar Parishad and even the FIR does not have names of any of the five accused persons in the case.

Image: Activist Varavara Rao at his home in Hyderabad. File pic.

12:40  Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior lawyer appearing for many of the petitioners, submits to the Supreme Court says: We have come directly to the SC, as we only need a court-monitored investigation or a CBI or NIA probe, to ascertain what the case is and who is involved in it.”

He said that the Apex Court had in many cases directed for a SIT or Court-monitored probe. 

CJI Dipak Misra observed, we are not going to any extreme propagation, but wanted to see whether the case is connected to CrPC or article 32 of the Indian Constitution.

12:33  Hearing case on foundations of liberty: CJI on Bhima Koregaon:  The Supreme Court has resumed the hearing in the arrests of five activists made by Maharashtra Police in relation to the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018.

Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, and Gautam Navlakha were arrested and remain under house arrest as directed by the apex court.

Senior lawyer Maninder Singh appearing for the Central govt told the Supreme Court that the menace of Maoists and Naxalites is increasing day by day, and it is these accused persons who are responsible for the increasing threat of the anti-social activities.

Singh questioned the way the petitioners had directly approached the Supreme Court, and said, “they have options to approach the lower court, high courts or even other legal options to seek redressal.” 

CJI Dipak Misra observed, “We entertained the case on the foundations of liberty. Issues like independent enquiry, etc, comes at a later stage.”

12:18  SC stays NGT order on two-wheelers in Delhi:  The Supreme Court Monday stayed the operation of the National Green Tribunal’s 2017 order which had directed that odd-even vehicle rotation scheme be made applicable to two-wheelers also in Delhi.

A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Dipak Gupta was told by Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the Delhi government that it would be impossible to accommodate people in public transport if odd-even scheme is made applicable for two-wheelers also.

Under the scheme, odd and even numbered vehicles ply on alternate days. Nadkarni said there were around 68 lakh two-wheelers in Delhi and they were seeking exemption for two-wheelers.

He said the NGT had passed an order on December 15 last year in this regard and they were complying with all directions but want exemption for two-wheelers in the odd-even scheme.

The green tribunal had in December last year dismissed the Delhi government’s review plea seeking exemption for two-wheelers in odd-even scheme, saying such a relaxation would defeat the purpose of improving Delhi’s ambient air quality. — PTI

12:11  India’s 1st dog park opens in Hyderabad:  India’s first exclusive dog park has been set up in Hyderabad and will be inaugurated soon. The park offers training and  xercise spaces for dogs, splash pools, an amphitheater among others. The park has been certified by The Kennel Club of India.

Hari Chandana Dasari, Zonal Commissioner, West Zone, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, said, “We converted a dumping yard to dog park at Rs 1.2 Crore. The park is spread across 1.5 acres of land. We have also thought of adding a cat corner in the park but we will wait for that.”

12:06   Mamata greets PM Modi on his birthday:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 68th birthday. “Birthday greetings to Prime Minister @narendramodiji,” Banerjee, who is currently on 13-day official tour to Europe, tweeted in the morning. Modi will celebrate his 68th birthday in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. The PM is scheduled to spend the day with children of a primary school, aided by a non-profit organisation. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP celebrated Modi’s birthday by gifting gold rings to newborns. — PTI

12:06   Mamata greets PM Modi on his birthday:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 68th birthday. “Birthday greetings to Prime Minister @narendramodiji,” Banerjee, who is currently on 13-day official tour to Europe, tweeted in the morning. Modi will celebrate his 68th birthday in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi. The PM is scheduled to spend the day with children of a primary school, aided by a non-profit organisation. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP celebrated Modi’s birthday by gifting gold rings to newborns. — PTI

11:56  Man washes BJP MP’s feet, drinks the water:  BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has found himself at the centre of controversy after a party worker washed the parlimentarian’s feet and drank the used water thereafter.

The incident took place on Sunday when the MP from Jharkhand’s Godda visited Kanhavara village of his constituency to announce the construction of a bridge. Onlookers filmed the episode, which was also shared by Dubey on his Facebook page, however, he later deleted it.In the video, a BJP worker, Pawan, can be seen washing Dubey’s feet and drinking the water used for it.

Earlier in July, Dubey grabbed headlines after he said that his party members fear that hugging Congress president Rahul Gandhi might lead to divorce. — ANI

11:41  Plea in HC challenging DUSU poll results:  A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court Monday challenging the Delhi University Students’ Union election results. The plea filed by three candidates alleged that EVMs were tampered with and questioned how “privately procured” EVMs could have been used in the polls held on September 12. The candidates sought securing of the Electronic Voting Machines used in the DUSU elections. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Delhi on Thursday last said that EVMs used in the DUSU election were not issued by the Election Commission and seem to have been procured privately.

The ABVP, student wing of the RSS on September 13 bagged three posts including that of the President in the student union elections. The Congress-backed NSUI won only one seat, while the AAP’s student wing CYSS, which fought the elections in alliance with Left-backed AISA, failed to open its account.– PTI

10:58  Govt must formulate law to curb population: Giriraj Singh :  BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Sunday said that the government must formulate a law to curb the population if it has to save “India’s democracy from the growing divisive forces”.”

The population of the country in 1947 was only 33 crores. However, it has gone up to 135 crores in 2018. The Hindu population is witnessing a sharp decline. Neither social equability nor any kind of development is possible if the population is not brought under control. The debate should be raised from the road to the Parliament,” Singh told ANI.

“Most countries apart from a few have a law regarding population control. In India, it had not been possible because of the vote bank politics. In order to save the democracy, there has to be a law,” he added.

Singh’s comment comes hours after he triggered a controversy by tweeting that the country might witness another partition in 2047 akin to that of 1947, on grounds of religion.

“The country was divided in 1947 on the basis of religion. A similar situation will happen in 2047. In 72 years, the population has gone up from 33 crore to 135.7 crore. The population explosion of divisive forces is dreadful. At present there is uproar over discussion on 35A. It will become impossible to even mention about Bharat in the times to come,” his tweet read.

In July, Singh accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to divide the nation and influencing the Muslim intellectuals to do the same. — ANI

10:42  Karnataka cuts fuel prices by Rs 2 :  Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy announced today that he would be taking a decision to reduce Rs 2 on both petrol and diesel prices. Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have lowered taxes on fuel leading to an overall reduction of fuel prices.

Fuel prices skyrocketing since the past few days witnessed a hike today. The rising prices of petrol and diesel every day have burnt a hole in the pockets of consumers.

In New Delhi, petrol is now being sold at Rs Rs 82.06 per litre (increased by Rs 0.15 per litre), while the price of diesel has been hiked by Rs 0.6 per litre to Rs 73.78 per litre.On the other hand, the price of petrol rose to Rs 89.44 per litre in Mumbai, while diesel is being sold at Rs 78.33 per litre.

The continuous hike in the fuel price is being witnessed from the past few days, causing much trouble for the common people.The Union Government has also been facing flak in the past few weeks for not implementing stringent measures to curb prices.

10:37   Aspirin does not reduce heart attack, stroke risk: Study:   Taking aspirin daily does not reduce the heart attack or stroke and has no benefit in prolonging life free of disability, a study has found. Aspirin-related compounds have been used for the treatment of pain since the 16th century BC, when it was reported that people chewed on the bark of willow and papyrus.

It was first synthesised in 1898, and since the 1960s has been known to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke among those who had previously experienced heart disease or stroke.

This protective capacity of aspirin was extrapolated to people who were otherwise healthy to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, despite the evidence supporting this to be sparse. In three studies, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers showed that daily low-dose aspirin (100mg), when initiated in otherwise healthy people from age 70 onwards, has no benefit in prolonging life free of disability, or substantially reducing the risk of having a first heart attack or stroke.

Over 19,000 people in Australia and the US were studied over seven years for the study was called ASPREE — Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly. The results showed that low-dose aspirin did not prolong healthy life. Nor did it prolong life or substantially reduce the incidence of heart attack or stroke — with little difference between the placebo and aspirin groups. — PTI

10:23  Time magazine sold :  Meredith Corp. is selling Time magazine for 190 million USD in cash to Marc Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce and his wife.The Benioffs are purchasing Time personally, and the transaction is unrelated to Salesforce.com, where Benioff is chairman, co-CEO and co-founder, reported ABC News.

As per the announcement by Meredith, the Benioffs will not be involved in the daily operations or journalistic decisions at Time and the current executive leadership team of the magazine will continue to take care of these.

Meredith president and CEO, Tom Harty, in a statement said, “We’re pleased to have found such passionate buyers in Marc and Lynne Benioff for the Time brand. For over 90 years, Time has been at the forefront of the most significant events and impactful stories that shape our global conversation.”

The prospective sale is expected to close within 30 days. — ANI

Image: Time Magazine was sold to Salesforce co-founder Marc Benioff.

10:19  Lawyer representing Stormy Daniels may run for presidency in 2020:  Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing adult star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump, on Sunday expressed his intentions about a possible run for the presidency in the 2020 election, saying he is “very serious” about it.

Citing The Hill, Avenatti told CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’, “I’m very serious. And I’m getting more serious by the week because I’m travelling around the country and people are encouraging me to do it.”

Lashing out at his Democratic critics who say he lacks the experience of holding public office, Avenatti said that he has 20 years of experience as an attorney and has knowledge about the working of government regulations.

“I’ve got 20 years of experience at a very high level as an attorney. I understand how governmental regulations are passed, how laws are passed, how the Supreme Court works. I have an extreme depth of knowledge,” he added.

The 47-year-old attorney has been vying to run for the presidency in the 2020 presidential election since recent months. In July, Avenatti had announced that he would stand in the polls if Trump ran for re-election.

10:11  Kishor and the kinship of cartwheels:  The art of the political cartwheel has made Patna its stage again. Strategist Prashant Kishor, who joined the Janata Dal United on Sunday and announced his “new journey from Bihar”, is as adept and frequent a fence-hopper as his boss and Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar. The near-incredible trapeze loops the two men have enacted over the last several years may, in fact, have evoked a special sense of kinship. Read the column here.

09:51  PM’s return gift on his birthday:  Fuel prices, skyrocketing since the past few days, witnessed a hike today. The rising prices of petrol and diesel every day have burnt a hole in the pockets of consumers. In New Delhi, petrol is now being sold at Rs Rs 82.06 per litre (increased by Rs 0.15 per litre), while the price of diesel has been hiked by Rs 0.6 per litre to Rs 73.78 per litre.

On the other hand, the price of petrol rose to Rs 89.44 per litre in Mumbai, while diesel is being sold at Rs 78.33 per litre.

The continuous hike in the fuel price is being witnessed from the past few days, causing much trouble for the common people.

The Union Government has also been facing flak in the past few weeks for not implementing stringent measures to curb prices.

Speaking about the soaring fuel price, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier said that the hike in fuel price in the country is due to international factors, and not under the Centre’s control. — ANI

09:50  Wishes pour in for PM on his birthday:  Birthday greetings and wishes have started pouring in from early morning on Monday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 68th birthday.

President Ram Nath Kovind extended birthday greetings to the Prime Minister and wished for his long life. “Birthday greetings to our Prime Minister @narendramodi. Wish him a long life and many years of dedicated service to the people of the country,” tweeted the President.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also took to Twitter to wish Prime Minister Modi. “Warm birthday compliments to the dynamic and illustrious Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modiji. I wish him good health and a long life. May he continue to render for many more years his exceptional services to the nation and guide the country to its glory,” Jaitley wrote.

Lauding Prime Minister for his “dynamic leadership”, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar tweeted, “Heartiest birthday wishes to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The nation continues to make progress under your dynamic leadership.”

Former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya also extended his greetings through a tweet. “Happy birthday Prime Minister @narendramodi May the nation have the benefit of your strong and dynamic leadership for many years to come”, he tweeted.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also wished Prime Minister Modi a long life and good health on his birthday. “Heartfelt greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I pray for your long life and good health,” Adityanath tweeted.Prime Minister Modi will celebrate his 68th birthday in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. — ANI

09:46  Rupee again breaches 72-mark, down 81 paise in early trade:  The rupee depreciated 81 paise to 72.65 against the dollar in early trade Monday at the forex market, despite the government’s steps to stem a steep fall in the currency, amid reports that the US could announce a new round of tariffs on Chinese imports later in the day.

The dollar rose against a basket of major currencies overseas, with investors cautiously awaiting news on the implementation of US tariffs on an additional USD 200 billion of Chinese imports, forex dealers said.

On Friday, the rupee had gained 34 paise to close at a one-week high of 71.84 against the US dollar on positive macro data and hopes of policy intervention by the government to defend the volatile currency. — PTI

09:43  Lucknow: Flag of Shivpal Yadav’s recently launched party Samajwadi Secular Morcha seen on his car as he leaves for the family bastion of Saifai.

09:34  Bishop accused of rape asks Pope for permission to step down :  Bishop Franco Mulakkal has written to the Pope yesterday expressing his desire to step down temporarily from the responsibilities of the diocese and has sought permission for it, the Diocese of Jalandhar says.

Bishop Mulakkal had last week handed over administrative responsibility of the Jalandhar diocese to a senior priest.

In a circular addressed to priests, nuns and brothers of the diocese, the bishop had said, “In my absence Msgr Mathew Kokkandam will administer the Diocese as in the normal practice when I am away from the Diocese”.

The bishop claimed there were “several contradictions” in the evidence collected against him by the police probing the case. “I leave everything into the hand of God as I await the result of the findings of the team probing the allegation,” he had said in the circular.

The Bishop is due to appear before an investigating team of the Kerala Police on September 19.

The nun had recently sought urgent intervention of the Vatican for justice and demanded the bishop’s removal as the head of the Jalandhar diocese, questioning why the church was “closing its eyes to the truth” when she had mustered courage to make public her suffering.

08:42  Netanyahu nominates Ron Malka as Israel’s next envoy to India:  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated academician Dr Ron Malka as the country’s next envoy to India.

Malka, a senior lecturer at the College of Law and Business and Dean of the graduate programme in financial markets and banking, completed his doctorate from Israel’s Bar-IIan University. He has also served as a director and acting chairman of the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange.

Netanyahu, who according to sources is entitled to make 11 political appointments as envoys to Israeli missions, has chosen to send his own nominee instead of a career diplomat to India amid burgeoning bilateral ties.

The agreement to the appointment is awaited from New Delhi.

Malka has also served as a Colonel at the unit of the financial adviser to the Chief of the Israel Defence Forces General Staff.

He currently serves as the chairman of the investment committees of three investment funds as well as economic and financial adviser to various bodies in the country, including the Office of the Prime Minister.

He would be replacing Ambassador Daniel Carmon who completed his tenure in August. — PTI 

08:37  Indian ‘Mard’ beats Hollywood bigwigs to win TIFF award:  

Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, which premiered at the tail-end of the Midnight Madness section of the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival, bagged the Grolsch Viewers’ Choice Award in Toronto, pushing David Gordon Green’s Halloween and Sam Levinson’s Assassination Nation to the second and third positions respectively.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Vasan Bala during the post-awards brunch.

“It probably will when I am on the flight back to Mumbai,” the director said.

Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, completed just in time for TIFF, stars newcomer Abhimanyu Dassani in the role of a young man who has a congenital disorder that makes him incapable of feeling any pain. The condition allows him to jump into violent fights and brawls without worrying about being hurt.

The film stars Radhika Madan in the key role of the hero’s girlfriend who is no mean fighter herself.

Another Indian film, The Field, directed by London-based Sandhya Suri, won the IWC International Short Films Award. 

“It is amazing that this film about a woman in rural India has been recognised in this way in TIFF, she said in a recorded message from the UK.

The Field is a 19-minute fiction film about a woman who works on a north Indian farm and finds a way against all odds to assert her innermost urges in an ultra-conservative setting.

Peter Farrelly’s The Green Book, starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, won the festival’s Grolsch People’s Choice Award, while Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, adapted from a James Baldwin story, and Alfonso Cuaron’s black and white Venice winner Roma took home the runners-up prizes. — PTI 

08:32  ‘Hind Kesari’ Ganpatrao Andalkar dies:  

Well-known wrestler Ganpatrao Andalkar died on Sunday at a private hospital in Pune, his son said. 

He was 83.

Andalkar, a former Olympian who took part in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, had bagged the coveted “Hind Kesari” title in 1960.

He also went on to clinch Gold and Silver medals in two different weight categories in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.

“My father passed away at a hospital in Pune,” his son Abhijit told PTI.

Andalkar was also a recipient of the Arjuna award (1964) and the Maharashtra government’s ‘Shiv Chhatrapati Award’ in 1982 for his contribution to wrestling.

Kaka Pawar, the coach of Commonwealth Gold medallist wrestler Rahul Aware, termed Andalkar’s contribution to wrestling in Maharashtra as notable.

“He had notable contribution in wrestling in Maharashtra,” Pawar said. — PTI  

08:24   Parrikar fine, no leadership change in Goa, says BJP:  

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday ruled out change in leadership in Goa, claiming Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, admitted to the New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences, is fine.

 

BJP president Amit Shah has sent three senior members of the party — B L Santhosh, Ram Lal and Vinay Puranik — to Goa to take stock of the political situation in the coastal state in view of Parrikar’s indisposition.

 

“Whatever was discussed today will be briefed to you tomorrow. There is no issue about the government and there is no demand of change in leadership from anyone,” Ram Lal told reporters after a series of meetings with state BJP leaders and MLAs in Panji.

 

The three-member team, which is on a two-day visit to Goa, also met BJP’s allies in the state.

 

He declined to divulge details about the meetings, but Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar said there is no question of leadership change in the state as Parrikar is “fine”.

 

“During the meetings with central observers today we discussed organisational issues. There is no issue of leadership,” Ram Lal said.

 

Parrikar has been admitted to the AIIMS for follow-up treatment reportedly for a pancreatic ailment.

 

The 62-year-old IIT engineer-turned-politician is running the BJP-led government with the help of two regional allies — the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party — and three Independents. — PTI