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LIVE! Battle for Goa begins: Amit Shah summons MLAs to Delhi

11:07  Are BJP and RSS no longer on the same page?:  “It is obvious that the RSS’s desire to gatecrash into the gated establishment which has generally been seen as the redoubt of the liberal intelligentsia is putting it at odds with the BJP which is less tolerant of the mentor’s freshly-minted open-mindedness,” argues Amulya Ganguli. Read the column here.

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10:54  Battle for Goa begins: Amit Shah summons MLAs to Delhi :  BJP chief Amit Shah has called for a meeting of Goa leaders at 11 am in Delhi. The meeting has been called to discuss portfolios and alliances.

Meanwhile, the Congress, which is the single-largest party with 16 MLAs, has already staked claim to form the government in the coastal state. The opposition party’s claim comes at a time when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar (62) is admitted to AIIMS in Delhi for a pancreatic ailment.

The opposition Congress in Goa on Wednesday claimed that it had the
support of over 21 legislators in the 40-member Assembly, giving it
enough strength to form the government in the state.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar told PTI that the Congress had enough support to form the government in Goa. “We have the required numbers. I am not going to tell you whom we are in discussions with, but we need the support of 21 MLAs and we have more than that,” he said.

The Congress legislators, led by Kavlekar, had met Governor Mridula Sinha on Tuesday and demanded a floor test by the BJP-led government to prove its majority in the Assembly.

Kavlekar said his party was waiting for a response from the governor, who had assured them that she would get back on the issue in three-four days.

The state is being ruled by the BJP with the support of the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and Independent MLAs.

The BJP has 14 seats in the Assembly, the GFP and the MGP have three each and the NCP has one. There are also three Independent legislators. Kavlekar claimed the political situation in the state was in the favour of the Congress as there was a lot of “discontent” among the ruling coalition partners.  — PTI

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10:26  Being Hindu doesn’t mean we don’t want Muslims: RSS chief :  
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday claimed that the organisation does not have any role to play in the formulation of government policies.

Addressing the second day of the three-day lecture series at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan, Bhagwat allayed the apprehensions about the organisation’s ideology.

“The RSS accepts the Constitution. There is not even one example in which the RSS has done anything against the Constitution. We do not believe that we are the only organisation which will be responsible for the nation’s development. We are not arrogant that way,” Bhagwat added.

The RSS chief also said that the organisation believes in cultural diversity and the entire society in the country belongs to Hindus.

“Some people know they are Hindus but they are not willing to accept it because of political correctness. According to us, this entire society is a Hindu society. We have no enemies, neither in the country nor outside it. We do not want to finish our enemies. The RSS respects diversity,” he noted.

However, Bhagwat clarified that carrying forward a Hindu society does not imply ignorance of Muslims. “Being a Hindu society does not mean we do not want Muslims. The day this comes up, Hindutva will no longer remain the same,” he clarified. — ANI

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10:13  No proposal before me: Sitharaman on making Army lean :  Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said she has not received any proposal to downsize the Indian Army.

Sitharaman said a committee under the chairmanship of Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar recommended measures to enhance tooth-to-tail ratio. A high-level meeting between Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and the seven Army Commanders was held last week where the Army Chief was briefed on the progress of the four studies being conducted under the Military Secretary.

The studies include restructuring of Indian Army to make the force lean, agile and suitable for modern warfare.

“There is no such proposal in front of me to cut down or downsize Army. The tooth-to-tail ratio was discussed in the Shekatkar Committee report. The Army chief would be discussing the studies on how to make Army lean and a powerful machine,” Sitharaman said.

The study to restructure Indian Army started in June 2018. There are four study groups with each comprising of 25 officers and headed by a senior Lieutenant General and overall head is the Military Secretary, also a Lt General Rank officer. This is the biggest ever study of the Indian Army which is working to overhaul every department and organ of the Army in order to make it a formidable force less it’s flab. — ANI


10:05  Polling for zilla parishads, panchayat samitis underway in Punjab:  Polling to the zilla parishads and panchayat samitis began in Punjab on Wednesday morning amid tight security arrangements.

The voting commenced at 8 am and will continue till 4 pm, officials said. A total of 354 zilla parishad members and 2,900 panchayat samiti members were going to be elected in these polls, they added. There are 22 zilla parishads and 150 panchayat samitis in the state.

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09:57  Kerala nun rape: Bishop to appear before police today :  

Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun, is expected to appear before the special investigation team of the Kerala Police today. 

The accused bishop, who last week step aside from his post in the wake of rape allegations against him, will appear before Vaikom Deputy Superintendent of Police K Subhash for questioning in connection with the case.

The summons came as the protests by various Catholic Reform organisations and some nuns in Kochi seeking justice for the victim entered the fifth day Wednesday and a plea made before the Kerala high court seeking a CBI probe.

Yesterday, the 54-year-old clergyman filed an anticipatory bail application in the Kerala high court, claiming that the allegations against him were a “cooked up” story to “wreak vengeance”.

The nun had accused the senior catholic priest of sexually assaulting her repeatedly between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop had, however, dismissed the allegations as “baseless and concocted,” insisting she levelled those as the Catholic order had rejected her demand for favours.

Mulakkal had on Saturday handed over the administrative charge of the Jalandhar Diocese to a senior priest.  


09:07  JNUSU prez hits out at Sitharaman over her statement on university:  

Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union president N Sai Balaji hit out at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her statement alleging there are forces in the varsity which are “waging a war” against India and said she herself has not answered questions on Rafale deal.

 

Sitharaman’s comments came days after candidates backed by Left groups won all four key posts in the JNU students union elections and clashes took place between members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Left-affiliated All India Students Association.

When asked about developments in the JNU, she had said, “There are forces which are waging a war against India and it is they who are also seen with elected representatives of students union. That makes me feel uneasy.”

“The kind of things which have happened in the last few years (in JNU) are not really encouraging at all. It is very different to have a party whose ideology you may not agree with. But the way in which they were probably got led by forces which are anti-India,” she said.

“They are waging a war against India, say pamphlets. Their brouchers say that. Such people leading the JNUSU or JNUSU members openly participating with such forces, you do not need to hesitate to say anti-India, therefore,” Sitharaman said.

The JNUSU president attacked the government, saying “The government wants the country to talk about the national versus anti-national debate. They want to divert attention from the real issues – the Rafale deal, the Jio university, unemployment.”

Sitharaman, who herself, is a product of the JNU, has not answered questions “why Ambani was helped in the Rafale deal”.

“They want to end public-funded education and encourage corporatisation while the common man talks about nationalism and anti-national elements,” he added.

On February 9, 2016, an event against Afzal Guru’s hanging was held on the JNU campus during which “slogans against the country” were allegedly raised, propelling the varsity to the centre of a countrywide debate on nationalism.

A JNU panel had in 2016 recommended rustication of Umar Khalid and two other students and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kanhaiya Kumar, the then students’ union president, in connection with the campus event.

Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event and are out on bail. 

Their arrest had triggered widespread protests. — PTI  

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08:34  Trump defends SC nominee, says no need for FBI probe:  

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and said that there is no need for the Federal Bureua of Investigation to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against him.

Kavanaugh’s nomination plunged into chaos after Christine Blasey Ford told ‘The Washington Post’ that she was subjected to a sexual assault by the Supreme Court nominee in high school in the early 1980s.

The Supreme Court nominee has rejected as “completely false” the sexual assault allegation, saying he was ready to testify before a Senate committee to “defend my integrity”.

Trump, during a joint media appearance with the visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters: “I don’t think the FBI really should be involved, because they don’t want to be involved. If they wanted to be I would certainly do that, but as you know they say this is not really their thing. But I think politically speaking, the senators will do a very good job. They really will”.

Responding to questions, Trump said he is looking to get the nomination of Kavanaugh done as quickly as possible.

“He is a truly outstanding person. He’s got an unblemished record. This is a terrible thing that took place, and it’s frankly a terrible thing that this information wasn’t given to us a long time ago, months ago, when they got it.

“They could’ve done that, instead of waiting until everything was finished, and then all of a sudden spring it. But that’s what the Democrats do. It’s obstruction. It’s resist. It’s whatever you have to do,” Trump alleged.

Kavanaugh, 53, has denied the allegation. The White House has said that it stands by Kavanaugh. — PTI

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08:28  Congress to meet CAG today over Rafale row:  

Seeking to step up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, the Congress will raise the issue with the Comptroller and Auditor General today and demand a thorough probe into the matter, party sources said.

   

They said top Congress leaders will meet the Comptroller and Auditor General Wednesday morning on the issue. 

 

The Congress has alleged corruption in the deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation.

 

It has alleged that the Modi government has caused a loss of over Rs 41,000 crore to the exchequer by paying a higher price for the aircraft than what was negotiated by the UPA.

 

Earlier in the day, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the CAG and CVC are bounden by their constitutional duty to look at the entire deal and all its papers – whether or not somebody moves them.

 

“The Congress Party at an appropriate time also intends to move an appropriate petition before CVC and CAG to expeditiously and quickly adhere to their constitutional duties,” he said.

 

The Congress has asked why the government was not setting up a joint parliamentary committee to probe the fighter jet deal.

 

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, however, rejected the demand saying all the details on it have already been placed before Parliament. — PTI  

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00:05  Advani likely to contest Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar:  

Senior BJP leader LK Advani will contest from the Gandhinagar seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, claimed former Gujarat CM Shankersinh Vaghela post his meeting with the BJP leader. 

“Yes, I met Advaniji. He told me he is going to contest the 2019 general election from the Gandhinagar seat. I have no qualms in meeting Rahul Gandhi or Sharad Pawar or anyone for that matter, said Vaghela. 

However, on his part, Vaghela said he is yet to decide if he will contest the elections in 2019. He quit the Congress in July 2017. 

Vaghela, who is also a former Union minister, said he will spend the next few months attempting to unite all anti-Bharatiya Janata Party forces before the general elections next year. 

Source: Rediff