13:57 Will try to create atmosphere for holding talks with stakeholders: J-K Guv: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said Monday that the state administration will try to create an atmosphere for holding talks with stakeholders in the next four to six months. He claimed that stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have come down in the state.
“I carry a mandate of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to reach out to the people, make yourself available to them, do their work, ensure development of the state and create an atmosphere in which talks can be held,” Malik told reporters.
“Stone-pelting and militancy-related incidents have stopped. The civic polls were also held peacefully. Our policy is bringing us good results,” he said.
Asked whether he had failed to bring two regional political parties — the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party — on board for holding the civic polls in the state, the said they have realised their mistake and will be taking part in the panchayat polls. — PTI
13:54 High prices take sheen off gold sales on Dhanteras: Gold and jewellery sales in the morning trade remained subdued this Dhanteras Monday owing to sluggish demand from consumers amid high prices, according to industry players.
However, organised players like P C Jewellers are expecting better sales later during the day as quality and better designs at competitive prices are likely to attract more footfalls.
Unorganised jewellery players in India — the world’s second biggest buyer of the precious metal — make up for roughly 70 per cent of the country’s gold sales.
Dhanteras is considered to be an auspicious day for buying gold, silver and other valuables and is largely celebrated in northern and western parts of India.
“Footfalls are good but sales are moderate so far. Till few days back, we were thinking gold demand on the day of Dhanteras would be down 10-15 per cent, but looking at the pre-booking and footfalls, there should be least 5-7 per cent jump in sales today,” All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation Chairman Nitin Khandelwal told PTI.
Both gold and silver are being purchased. Most buyers are restricting their purchase to tokens as gold prices are ruling high over Rs 32,000 per ten grams, he said.
Gold prices are ruling at Rs 32,690 per 10 grams today in the national capital as against Rs 30,710 per 10 grams on the Dhanteras day in 2017. — PTI
13:21 Mizoram Assembly speaker resigns, says he will join BJP: Mizoram Speaker Hiphei said on Monday that he had resigned from his post, the House as well as the Congress and would join the BJP later in the day, just a little over three weeks ahead of the assembly elections.
The seven-time Congress legislator said he submitted his resignation letter to Deputy Speaker R. Lalrinawma who accepted it. From there, he went to Congress Bhavan to resign from primary membership of the party.
He is the fifth Congress MLA to resign from the 40-member House since September. Mizoram, the only state in the north-east under Congress rule, will go to the polls on November 28.
In Guwahati, convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said Hiphei, 81, will join the saffron party in his presence in the Mizoram capital Aizawl.
“He is a very senior leader. His joining the saffron party will greatly strengthen the organisation,” Sarma, who is also Assam finance minister, said.
The senior BJP leader, however, did not comment on whether the party will field Hiphei from any constituency in the forthcoming Assembly polls in the hill state.
The Congress had earlier named Hiphhei as its candidate for the Palak constituency, but replaced him with party general secretary K T Rokhaw last week following reports that he might move to the BJP. Hiphei was elected to the Mizoram Assembly from Palak constituency in 2013. He won the state elections six times between 1972 and 1989 from Tuipang. — PTI
13:08 Fire breaks out at high-rise office building in Kolkata’s Park Street:
A fire broke out on the fifth floor of a high-rise office building in the posh Park Street in Kolkata on Monday, an official said.
No one was injured in the fire that broke out at about 11.10 am on the fifth floor of the multi-storied building called Apeejay House, the Fire Brigade official said.
“Several fire tenders are busy in dousing the flames,” he said.
Efforts are being made to evacuate the building, which houses several corporate offices and headquarters of the Apeejay Surendra Group.
“Initially, light smoke was seen around 11 am, but by 11.30 flames were seen gushing out of windows with thick black smoke,” eyewitnesses said. — PTI
13:07 Leopard enters Gujarat secretariat; search operation on:
A leopard sneaked inside the premises of the high-security Gujarat government secretariat in Gandhinagar in early hours Monday, prompting the forest department to launch a search operation for the feline.
The secretariat, or Sachivalaya, in the state capital near Ahmedabad houses the offices of Gujarat chief minister and chief secretary, besides those of other ministers, senior bureaucrats and government departments.
Secretariat employees and officials have been asked not to enter the complex, which also houses the assembly building, till the wild animal is captured.
CCTV footage shared by the authorities showed the leopard sneaking into the Sachivalaya complex from beneath a locked gate at around 2 am.
On learning about the presence of the leopard in the premises, the state forest department started a search operation.
“The leopard may have lost its way and entered into the premises. We will either catch him or make sure he leaves the complex.
“We have deployed senior officers along with teams having tranquiliser guns for the operation,” said Rajeev Kumar Gupta, additional chief secretary, Forest Department.
He said leopards are part of wildlife found in 40 to 50 square km area surrounding the state capital. — PTI
13:03 Have to consider women who were killed by tigress: Maha Min to Maneka :
Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar Monday took strong objection to Union minister Maneka Gandhi’s criticism of the state government over the killing of a tigress called Avni, saying she “lacks information” on the issue and can order a high-level probe if she wants to.
Mungantiwar’s statement comes a day after the Union Women and Child Development minister lashed out at the Maharashtra government over the “ghastly murder” of the tigress, T1, as she was known officially, calling it a “straight case of crime”.
The tigress, survived by her two 10 months old cubs, was believed to be responsible for the deaths of 13 people in the past two years.
She was shot dead by sharp-shooter Asgar Ali in the Borati forest in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district Friday as part of an operation.
In a series of tweets, Gandhi had stated, “It is nothing but a straight case of crime. Despite several requests from many stakeholders, (Sudhir) Mungantiwar, Minister for Forests, Maharashtra, gave orders for the killing.”
The Union minister had said she is going to take up the matter “very strongly” with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Talking to PTI, Mungantiwar said Gandhi’s criticism “stems from her lack of information” on the issue and asserted neither he, as a minister, nor any of the secretaries in his department have the right to order such killings.
Such decisions are taken as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, he said.
“She (Gandhi) loves animals. She is, however, Minister for Women and Child Development. I have to consider the women who have been killed by the tigress,” Mungantiwar said.
If she deems fit, she can suggest changes in the NTCA guidelines, the senior state minister said.
Both Mungantiwar and Gandhi are members of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Maharashtra minister said orders to capture the tigress were given when she killed five people.
However, he said animal activists approached the Bombay high court and obtained a stay, which resulted in the “man-eating” big cat killing more people. — PTI
12:32 The back story: What really led to M J Akbars resignation?: What really led to MJ Akbar’s resignation?
Women and Child Development Minister Menaka Gandhi announced that a retired judge would head an enquiry, and sent the decision for ratification to the PMO. Till then there was no plan to ask Akbar to step down.
But the thought of a minister appearing before a retired judge every day and shaming charges about his personal conduct being traded publicly, led the government to ask him to step down.
Later, a committee headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh was created to reject Menaka Gandhi’s recommendation. The government believes Gandhi was acting in league with an Opposition party — no prizes for guessing which one.
— Business Standard
12:09 US sanctions on Iran in force, Pompeo mum on India’s oil purchases : The Trump administration has said it is confident that “the toughest ever” sanctions against Iran which came into force on Monday will have the intended effect of altering the Iranian regime’s behaviour, even as it dodged a question on whether the US has firm commitments from India and China to stop all oil purchases from Tehran within six months.
The sanctions cover Iran’s banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.
India and China — the two biggest buyers of Iranian crude, have so far appear to have skipped the punitive American sanctions targeting the Iranian oil and financial sectors.
The two Asian giants are believed to be among the eight countries that have been given the rare exemptions from the Iranian sanctions that kicked off on Monday.
The Trump administration said it has asked these countries including Turkey, Iraq, Italy, Japan and South Korea to bring down their oil purchase to zero as soon as possible.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a a talk show on Fox News, repeatedly parried questions when asked about the commitment from India and China on zero-oil purchase from Iran.
“Watch what we do. Watch as we’ve already taken more crude oil off the market than any time in previous history. Watch the efforts that President Trump’s policies have achieved. We’ve done all of this, too, while making sure that American consumers don’t suffer,’ he said, as he avoided giving a direct answer on India and China.
“I am very confident that the sanctions that will be re-imposed this Monday, not only the crude oil sanctions, that the financial sanctions that are being put in place by the Treasury Department and over 600 designations of individuals and companies in Iran will have the intended effect to alter the Iranian regime’s behaviour. That’s our expectation. It’s the reason for President Trump’s policy,’ he asserted.
India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, is willing to restrict its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonnes or 15 million tonnes in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonnes (452,000 barrels per day) bought in 2017-18 financial year, sources in New Delhi had said last week. The reimposition of US sanctions on Iran, Pompeo asserted are the toughest ever on this country.
The State Department did not respond to a PTI question as to what will happen if India does not bring down its oil purchase from Iran to zero, as being demanded by it, in next six months. It also did not respond to a question on the fate of the the strategically crucial Iranian port of Chabahar, which India sees as critical for reaching landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia. — PTI
Image: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, left, and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at the United Nations, in September 2018. Photograph: Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia
11:59 Sachin wishes Virat Kohli : Sachin Tendulkar @sachin_rt Wishing you a lot of success and happiness in the year ahead. Happy Birthday, @imvkohli!
11:59 Author William Dalrymple @DalrympleWillWriter on the catastrophic air pollution in Delhi: Hey but who needs to breathe when you have a giant Sardar Patel to gaze at?
11:55 Sri Lankan Parliament to reconvene on Nov 14: Sirisena : Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has announced that the country’s Parliament will be reconvened on November 14, amid rising demands by legislators of the state to end the mounting political crisis in the island nation.
Al-Jazeera reported, while quoting sources, that the decision drew strong criticism from the supporters of the country’s ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party, who even termed the order to be “too late”.
UNP supporters also condemned Sirisena’s decision to recall parliament two days prior to the initial suspension order against Wickremesinghe, describing the move to be “eyewash to appease the ever-increasing international and local pressure.”
Sri Lanka has been witnessing political turmoil over the past three weeks, after Sirisena, on October 27, suspended the country’s parliamentary proceedings until November 16.
He also announced his decision to sack Wickremesinghe and replace him with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa following the collapse of the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party coalition.
The Tamil National Alliance, a coalition of parties representing the Tamils, vowed on Sunday that its 15 members would back the no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa. — ANI
11:35 And the other lovely picture Anushka tweeted with Virat.
11:16 Anushka brings in Virat’s 30th birthday with this lovey-dovey post : Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli turns 30 today and will be spending his birthday with wife Anushka Sharma in Haridwar and Rishikesh.
In fact, the couple landed in Haridwar on Saturday night and according to a report in India Today, are staying at the Ananda in the Himalayas, a spa resort, till November 7.
Anushka tweeted a cheeky post with Virat, saying, “Thank God for his birth” with a heart and smiley emoji.
Kohli and Anushka’s itinerary includes a day of river-rafting and camping in Rishikesh. They are also likely to visit the Anant Dham Atmabodh Ashram, whose head Maharaj Anant Baba, is Anushka’s family’s spiritual guru.
Have a great year and a very happy happy birthday, Virat!
11:02 US sanctions on Iran come into force: US sanctions on Iran come into force. The Trump administration reinstated all sanctions removed under the 2015 nuclear deal, targeting both Iran and states that trade with it, the BBC reports. They will hit oil exports, shipping and banks – all core parts of the economy. Thousands of Iranians chanting “Death to America” rallied on Sunday, rejecting calls for talks. Iran’s military was also quoted as saying it would hold air defence drills on Monday and Tuesday to prove the country’s capabilities.
10:57 Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spend the festival of Diwali in Kedarnath.
10:56 No women in ‘barred’ age group has approached police for protection: The Sabarimala shrine will open at 5 pm this evening for the “Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal” special puja slated for Tuesday, marking the birthday of last king of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, and close at 10 pm on that day. Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru and chief priest Unnikrishnan Namboodiri would jointly open the temple doors and light the lamp at the ‘Sreekovil’ (sanctum sanctorum).
Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran said the state government would ensure complete protection to believers.
So far, no women in the ‘barred’ age group had approached police for protection to offer prayers at the hill shrine, he said.
The Pandalam royal family, closely associated with the Ayyappa shrine, said it was “pained” at the heavy security in and around Sabarimala. “Saddened that devotees will have to offer prayers at the shrine amid thick police cover,” it said.
Protesting the apex court verdict, a ‘prayer yagna’ will be held in Pathnamthitta, the family said. So far, 3,731 people have been arrested and 545 cases registered in connection with the last month’s violence.
The BJP and various Hindu outfits are on a warpath against the Left-front government over its decision not to seek a review of the top court verdict. — PTI
10:44 Male devotees begin trek as 24-hour window opens in Sabarimala: In Kerala, devotees begin the trek from the Nilakkal base camp to the Sabarimala temple. The temple will open this evening and will be closed after the ‘Athazha puja’ tomorrow evening.
A thick security cover is in place in and around Sabarimala, which had witnessed protests last month after the Supreme Court permitted women of menstrual age group to offer prayers at the shrine.
Devotees, who arrived at Erumeli since Sunday evening, protested this morning for not being allowed to leave for Pamba and Sannidhanam. They blocked traffic chanting ‘Ayyappa Sarnam’.
“We have been waiting since last evening. We were told that we would be allowed to leave at 6 am. Now, they are telling us that KSRTC buses will be allowed to leave only by 12 pm. We have come to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa. Please allow us to go,” an angry devotee said.
If private vehicles are not being allowed, they should be taken in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses to Pamba, the devotee said.
Media personnel have also not been allowed to leave Nilackal for Pamba and ‘Sannidhanam’ (temple complex) from the base camp here till 9 am this morning. — PTI
10:22 ‘Vice Admiral Awati strode like a colossus on India’s maritime stage’: Adm. Arun Prakash’ @arunp2810 pays tribute to Vice Admiral (retd) Manohar Pralhad Awati who passed away on Sunday: “The passing of Adm. Awati is a huge loss to the navy and the nation. He strode like a colossus on India’s maritime stage and was an exemplar of everything that an officer, a gentleman and good human being should be. He is with Varuna. May his noble soul rest in peace.”
10:22 ‘Vice Admiral Awati strode like a colossus on India’s maritime stage’: Adm. Arun Prakash’ @arunp2810 pays tribute to Vice Admiral (retd) Manohar Pralhad Awati who passed away on Sunday: “The passing of Adm. Awati is a huge loss to the navy and the nation. He strode like a colossus on India’s maritime stage and was an exemplar of everything that an officer, a gentleman and good human being should be. He is with Varuna. May his noble soul rest in peace.”
10:18 Super 30 founder Anand Kumar to be honoured in Dubai: Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar will be awarded in Dubai this week for his “pioneering” contributions to the field of education and illuminating the lives of many talented students.
Kumar, 45, will be honoured with the ‘Global Education Award’ on November 8 by ‘Malabar Gold & Diamonds’, flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate.
“We take pride in honouring Mr Anand Kumar who has made a positive difference in the lives of many with his meaningful innovations. Anand Kumar’s life has involved a lot of struggle and his contributions to the field of education is indeed pioneering,” P A Ibrahim Haji, co-chairman Malabar Group, told PTI.
He said a 12-member jury shortlisted Kumar from a list of 100 names working in the field of education across the globe after a three-month research and consequent deliberations.
10:11 Sensex slips below 35,000 in early trade, drops 100 pts:
The benchmark Sensex slipped below the 35,000-mark by dropping over 100 points to 34,911.11 in early trade Monday after banking, metal and auto stocks declined following weak global cues and profit-booking.
The 30-share index fell 100.54 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 34,911.11. The gauge had rallied nearly 580 points Friday.
The NSE Nifty, too, was trading 39.80 points, or 0.38 per cent, lower at 10,513.20.
Sectoral indices, led by power, metal, banking and auto stocks, were trading in the negative terrain, falling by up to 1.44 per cent.
Brokers said sentiments were weak largely in tandem with a negative trend in other Asian markets, tracking losses at the Wall Street, and profit-booking by investors after Friday’s rally.
NTPC fell the most by 3.01 per cent among Sensex scrips, followed by IndusInd Bank shedding 2.17 per cent.
Other laggards were PowerGrid, ICICI Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Adani Ports, Tata Motors, Vedanta, M&M, Asian Paint, Kotak Bank, Bajaj Auto, RIL, Tata Steel, HUL and HDFC, falling up to 1.95 per cent.
On the other hand, Axis Bank, ONGC, Sun Pharma, SBI and Yes Bank were trading positive, rising up to 1.98 per cent.
Meanwhile, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 196.90 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares to the tune of Rs 852.99 crore. — PTI
09:54 Bihar govt sacks 175 constables for violence over death of colleague:
As many as 175 police constables, many of them women, have been dismissed from service for indulging in large-scale vandalism and violence in Patna on Friday, following the death of a female colleague, a top police official said.
Inspector General of Police, Patna Zone, Naiyar Hasnain Khan said Sunday the dismissed constables included 167 trainees.
Khan, who had been entrusted with the investigation and taking departmental action against those indulging in the indiscipline, said 23 others posted at the police line here were also suspended.
“Nearly half of the dismissed trainee constables are women. The suspended personnel include a head constable and two others who had the responsibility of assigning duties to trainees,” the IGP said.
The police personnel were dismissed and suspended after getting Khan’s approval, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said.
Policewoman Savita Pathak (22) died at a private hospital Friday morning, a day after she had to be taken off duty due to a serious stomach pain.
Blaming the seniors for putting Pathak on duty despite ill health, trainee constables went on a rampage, vandalising the entire police line and overturning vehicles of officials on the streets on Friday.
It had taken hours to bring the situation under control with top officials supervising the operations in full riot gear.
The police authorities had said the death appeared to have been caused by dengue. However, the hospital later clarified that the dengue test had not been conducted on her, but she was suffering from some form of viral infection.
Khan said, “During investigation, we found that Pathak was indeed ill and she had been on medical leave in October for three days. In such a situation, she should not have been asked to report to duty.”
The IGP added that he had also recommended action against the medical officer of the Police Hospital for his failure to take proper stock of the deceased constable’s health and give appropriate advice and treatment, which might have saved her life. — PTI
09:51 Amid tight security, Sabarimala reopens for special puja:
Amid a thick security cover, Sabarimala temple in Kerala to reopen today for two days for a special puja, weeks after violent protests against the entry of women of all ages into the shrine.
Orders banning assembly of four or more people have been imposed in Sabarimala and nearby areas, police said.
Around 2,300 personnel, including a 20-member commando team and 100 women, have been deployed to ensure smooth ‘darshan’ and security of devotees, a move that came in for criticism from the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam, the BJP and the Congress for such fortification.
If necessary, around 30 women police personnel in the rank of circle inspector and sub inspector and above the age of 50 would be deployed at ‘Sannidhanam’ (temple complex) for security, they said.
Pathnamthitta Superintendent of Police T Narayanan said that all arrangements have been made for devotees to have smooth ‘darshan.’
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPc, banning assembly of four or more people, is in force at Pamba, Nilackal, Elavungal, and Sannidhanam for 72 hours from midnight Saturday.
This is the second time the hill temple would open for ‘darshan’ after the Supreme Court allowed entry of women of all age groups into it.
The temple had witnessed high drama last month following frenzied protests leading to around a dozen women in the age group of 10-50 being prevented from reaching it and police and the agitators fighting a pitched battle over the LDF government’s decision to implement the court order.
The shrine would open at 5 pm for the “Sree Chitira Atta Thirunal” special puja slated for the next day, marking the birthday of last king of Travancore Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, and close at 10 pm on that day. — PTI
09:49 Pakistan trying to vitiate atmosphere: Army Chief Rawat:
Days after warning that attempts were being made to “revive insurgency” in Punjab, Army Chief General Bipan Rawat accused Pakistan of trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the country.
Rawat also stressed that people needed to be careful during the ongoing festival season to prevent anti-national forces from succeeding in their nefarious designs.
“See we have a neighbouring country which always tries to vitiate atmosphere here. Our country is progressing which is not liked by them,” Rawat told the media here.
Rawat had on Saturday said that “external linkages” were trying to “revive insurgency” in Punjab and Assam and if early action was not taken, it would be too late.
Noting that Punjab was progressing at a “very fast” pace, Rawat said attempts were being made to disrupt peace in the state.
“I have been reading what is coming out in the media. There is Referendum 2020 coming in the UK… Whatever we call it but there is an attempt being made to disrupt the peace again in Punjab,” he said.
“We have to be careful,” Rawat added. — PTI
09:43 BJP ally uses Modi’s ‘DNA’ jibe to taunt Nitish :
Union minister and Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief Upendra Kushwaha borrowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2015 remark over Nitish Kumar’s DNA on Sunday to attack the Bihar chief minister who is also the Janata Dal-United president.
Kushwaha reminded Kumar that Modi had made the remark in some other context but he (Kumar) had taken it as an insult to him and Bihar and asked his partymen to collect samples of hair and nail to be sent to Delhi for verifying the DNA.
“We are still eagerly waiting for that DNA report. If the report is with you, please share its content. If the DNA remark had really hurt you, then what happened to the report my dear elder brother,” Kushwaha said at an RLSP rally.
The RLSP chief has been peeved after the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally, the JD-U, decided to contest an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Bihar.
The state sends 40 members to Parliament and after the BJP-JDU deal, there is speculation that whether this would mean fewer seats for other allies like the RLSP and the Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party.
Kushwaha’s attack on Kumar followed a statement by the chief minister Saturday, in which he had said, “Itna neeche baat ko nahi le jaiye (do not take the debate to such a low level.”
Kumar had said this to a specific question on the issue of seat sharing and Kushwaha at a television news channel’s programme.
It appeared that Kushwaha picked up the word “neeche” from the statement and took it as an insult to himself as the RLSP chief was the topic of discussion.
“It (Kumar’s statement) has hurt me the way you replied to the reporters’ question referring to my name. As we both belonged to the same family of Luv-Kush, how could I become neech? And if it is so, then you must share your DNA report,” he said.
Both Kumar and Kushwaha are Other Backward Caste leaders, belonging to the Kurmi and Koery castes respectively.
In 2015, Kumar had invited Modi to a dinner only to cancel it. Later, at a rally, the prime minister had said, “There seems to be some problem in his (Kumar’s) DNA, because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy, you respect even your political rivals.”
Kumar, in an open letter, had then said the DNA remark was deemed as “an insult by a large section of the people of the state and beyond”.
With the Bihar Assembly polls knocking on the door then, Kumar had conducted a drive to collect hair and nail, “DNA samples”, of Biharis to send to the prime minister.
Kushwaha said, “Whether or not you (Kumar) wanted that report, the people of Bihar and the country are eagerly waiting for it.”
A week ago, Kushwaha had maintained that the seat-sharing formula for the National Democratic Alliance constituents in Bihar was yet to be formalised and that an equal number of seats for the BJP and the JD-U had left scope for a respectable share for his party.
The Union minister had also said that he was firmly with the NDA and committed to working for another term for Modi as prime minister. — PTI
08:54 1971 war hero MP Awati passes away:
Vice Admiral (retd) Manohar Pralhad Awati, a Vir Chakra awardee and a veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, died of old age Sunday at Vinchurni village in Maharashtra’s Satara district, his family members said.
He was 91.
Awati had joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1945 after completing his education.
He was an expert in signal communication and commanded Indian naval ships such as “Ranjit”, “Vendurthy”, “Betwa”, “Tir” and “Mysore”.
Awati was awarded the Vir Chakra for his exemplary valour as the commanding officer of “INS Kamorta” during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
Maritime history was his favourite subject and he was also the founder of the Maritime History Society.
Awati is survived by wife Sandhya, sons Kailas and Kedarnath.
His last rites were performed at his hometown.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described Awati as an icon in the naval history.
“Vice Admiral M P Awati (Retd) #PVSM, #VirChakra passed away; was the commanding officer of a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet,Dec’71. Captured three enemy ships carrying contraband goods. His actions led to destruction of an enemy submarine. An icon in naval history. My homage,” she said in a tweet.
Navy Chief Sunil Lanba said Awati’s demise marked the end of an era.
“Deeply regret to inform the sad demise of Vice Admiral MP Awati (Retd) early this morning, at his hometown Vinchurni, Phaltan, near Satara. He was 91. A giant of a man, one of our tallest heroes and greatest icons. It’s truly the end of an era. May his soul RIP Adm S Lanba CNS,” he said on the Navy’s official Twitter handle. PTI
Source: Rediff