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LIVE! Sabarimala opens its doors for two months

17:28  Defamation plea against Tharoor for remark against PM comes up in court :  A Delhi court Friday took cognisance of a criminal defamation complaint filed against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his alleged “scorpion” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal fixed December 22 for recording the statement of the complainant, Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar.

The complaint alleged that Tharoor, with “mala fide intention, made the statement which is not only abuse of the Hindu deity but also defamatory”. In his complaint, Babbar said being a vice-president of the BJP’s Delhi unit, he was “identified as a worker/supporter of Narendra Modi and BJP” and that Tharoor’s statement hurt his religious sentiment. The complaint termed the statement “intolerable abuse” and “absolute vilification” of the faith of the people.

Tharoor stoked a controversy last month while speaking at the Bangalore Literature Festival, claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to “a scorpion sitting on a Shivling”. The complaint has been filed under sections 499 and 500 of IPC relating to defamation. If convicted, Tharoor may face a maximum punishment of two years in jail. — PTI

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17:16  Sabarimala opens its doors for two months :  The Sabarimala shrine opens its doors to pilgrims amid heavy security. The temple will be open for two months or precisely 62 days for the Mandala Pooja-Magaravilaku annual pilgrimage season. At least 15,000 security personnel, including the Kerala police and commandos have been posted at the shrine.

High drama was witnessed at the city airport today as activist Trupti Desai remained confined to the airport terminal since arrival early this morning enroute to Sabarimala following protests by devotees and others opposing the entry of menstrual age women into the Lord Ayyappa temple.


16:20  Sensex, Nifty end higher for 2nd session on strong fund inflow, firm rupee:  The BSE Sensex Friday continued its rising streak for the second day to end at near a four-week high of 35,436.33, fuelled by gains in Reliance Industries and other blue-chips amid continued foreign fund inflows and strengthening rupee. A higher opening in European shares too influenced sentiments here. Both benchmark indices – Sensex and Nifty – recorded their third straight weekly gains by rising 298.61 points and 97 points, respectively.
— PTI

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16:14  When genes matter :  Omar Abdullah @OmarAbdullah You had me on your side until you slipped in the snide remark about the genes.

Deepika Singh Rajawat @DeepikaSRajawat I was there with them when no one was. Now since  the rainy days have passed, they are winding up with me just because I could not regularly attend the trial which is taken care of by senior criminal lawyers. I don’t blame them. it is the human tendency which travels in genes.

Rajawat who was the lawyer for the family of the 8-year-old Kathua gang rape and murder victim was removed as their attorney after she failed to make appearances during court proceedings in the case.

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16:08  Kerala HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of Sabarimala activist Rehana Fathima:  The Kerala High Court Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of activist Rehana Fathima, who had made an attempt to enter into Sabarimala when the temple was opened for monthly puja in October after the Supreme Court order allowing entry of women in the age group of 10 and 50 into the Lord Ayyappa shrine.

The activist was booked by the police in Pathanamthitta on the basis of a complaint filed by Radhakrishna Menon alleging some of her Facebook posts hurt religious sentiments. She was booked under Section 295A of IPC (outraging religious feelings).

Anticipating arrest, she moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail. Dismissing the bail plea, the court directed that the police can take appropriate steps in the case.

Fathima, a model and activist who was part of “Kiss of Love” movement in Kochi in 2014 against alleged moral policing, was among the two women who had reached the hilltop on October 19 but had to return before reaching the sanctum sanctorum following massive protests by Ayyappa devotees. Fathima and Hyderabad-based journalist Kavitha were taken to the hills with heavy police protection. — PTI

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15:15  Cyclone Gaja: Rajnath promises help to TN :  Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami over the current situation in the state after it was hit by cyclone Gaja.

Singh tweeted, “Spoke to CM EK Palaniswami regarding the situation in the cyclone-affected areas of Tamil Nadu. Assured all possible assistance from the Centre in mitigating the situation arising due to cyclone. Asked the Home Secretary to monitor the situation and provide all help to the state administration.”

On Thursday, two people lost their lives and one suffered serious injuries owing to cyclonic storm that made a landfall in the state.

Disaster Management incharge Gagandeep Singh Bedi told ANI that they have sent more than 2500 officers with mechanical equipment in the state to remove the fallen trees and other disruptions.

Cyclone Gaja crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam on Thursday evening and unleashed mayhem in several districts of the state including Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur.In the wake of the situation, a red alert has been issued in some parts of the state. — ANI

Image: In Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, a fallen coconut tree damages a house in the aftermath of cyclone Gaja. Over 80,000 people were evacuated from the low-lying areas. PTI Photo

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15:06  Demo notes turn up in Gujarat :  Two years after the economy-crippling demonetisation, in Navsari, Gujarat, police has seized illegal currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 with the face value of Rs 69,07,500.

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14:38  Mamata backs Naidu:  West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to bar the CBI from carrying out probes in his state.

Banerjee said, “BJP is history changer, name changer, note changer, institution changer but not game changer. The country is in danger. They (BJP) project as if they have given birth to the nation but they were nowhere during independence. Chandrababu Naidu has done the right thing in saying that he won’t allow Central Bureau of Investigation in his state.”

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14:04  TM Krishna concert at Garden of Five Senses, Delhi, tomorrow :  For all TM Krishna fans: The Carnatic singer who will be hosted by the Delhi government, will be singing in the national capital tomorrow.  “The Delhi Govt is hosting the concert which is going to held in Garden of Five Senses near Saket at 6:30 pm. I invite everyone,” he told ANI.  

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13:59  Demonetisation biggest scam in independent India: Rahul :  Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday termed demonetisation as the biggest scam in the history of independent India, adding it would be proved that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “robbed the poor of their hard-earned money and given it away to a few rich”.

Addressing a campaign rally for the November 28 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, Gandhi said Modi does not talk about being a “chowkidar (watchman) of the country and of tackling corruption.

“If Modi says he is a chowkidar, people will respond that chowkidar chor hai,” he said, addressing a rally at Deori in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Gandhi claimed that Modi “cancelled the Rafale deal of 126 fighter aircraft with Dassault Aviation and HAL at a price of Rs 526 crore per plane” without informing the Indian Air Force and the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

“The then French president Francois Hollande has said the Indian government had asked for Anil Ambani to be taken on board for the deal,” the Congress chief said. “Modi gave Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani in this deal. This is the chowkidari he has done,” Gandhi said. — PTI

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13:54  Reliance pips TCS to become most-valued firm :  Shares of Reliance Industries Friday rose over 2 per cent helping the oil-to-telecom major pip Tata Consultancy Services to become the most-valued company in terms of market capitalisation.

In afternoon trade on BSE, RIL’s market capitalisation was Rs 7,14,573.46 crore, while India’s largest IT firm by revenue TCS slipped to the second spot with a valuation of Rs 7,03,891.09 crore.

Shares of RIL opened at Rs 1,096.10, then gained further ground and touched an intra-day high of Rs 1,128.50, up 2.88 per cent over its previous closing price.

The stock is currently trading 2.56 per cent higher at Rs 1,125. The stock of TCS opened at 1,889.90 and touched an intra-day high and low of Rs 1,898.55 and 1,868, respectively, in trade so far. At 1330 hours, the scrip is trading at Rs 1,876.75, up 0.6 per cent from the previous close.

On August 31, this year, TCS had regained its status as the country’s most valued firm by market valuation surpassing RIL. — PTI


13:46  Won’t come back till I enter Sabarimala: Trupti Desai :  Trupti Desai, who successfully entered the Shani Shingnapur temple and the Haji Ali dargah in Maharashtra, has been holding court, perforce, at the Kochi international airport, after she was not allowed to leave the premises to go to the Sabarimala shrine. 

Last night, she spoke to Rediff.com’s Syed Firdaus Ashraf and said, “I am ready to sacrifice my life for this cause.”

Read the interview here.

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13:24   Cyclone Gaja claims 11 lives in TN, says CM:  Severe cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’, which crossed Tamil Nadu’s coast early Friday, has claimed 11 lives, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said. ‘Gaja’ crossed the coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam, bringing with it heavy rain, and causing severe damage to communication and power infrastructure, mainly in Nagapattinam district.

Speaking to reporters in Salem, Palaniswami said relief work will be taken up on a war-footing and that the work was already underway. “The government has received information that so far 11 persons have died,” he said without divulging further information.

He said the families of the deceased will be provided a solatium of Rs 10 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund. Those with severe injuries will be provided with Rs 1 lakh each while people who had sustained simple injuries will get Rs 25,000 as relief, he added.

The damage caused by Gaja, including to the fishing sector, was being assessed, he said.

Over 80,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as severe cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’ crossed the coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranyam early Friday, bringing with it heavy rains in coastal regions. Gusty winds due to the cyclonic storm resulted in hundreds of trees and electricity poles being uprooted in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts. Other districts like Cuddalore and Puthukottai also bore the brunt of the cyclone. — PTI

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13:12  Naidu bars CBI from carrying out probes in Andhra Pradesh:  The N Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has issued an order withdrawing the ‘general consent’ granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation to exercise its jurisdiction within the state.   

The order withdraws the ‘general consent’ given to all members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise powers and jurisdiction in Andhra Pradesh. The Central Bureau of Investigation was set up under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.   

Thus what the order, issued by A R Anuradha, principal secretary to the state government, means is that the CBI will not be able to probe any case in Andhra Pradesh.   

The order comes in the wake of the running battle between Chief Minister Naidu and the central government. Naidu has accused the latter of using central probe agencies like the CBI to target him and his ministers.   

Naidu has also been key in the Opposition unity efforts to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the order to withdraw CBI’s jurisdiction in the state is to be seen against this light.

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12:49  CVC report on CBI director has ‘very uncomplimentary’ findings: SC:  The Supreme Court Friday said the CVC’s “exhaustive” preliminary report on allegations against CBI Director Alok Verma has concluded that some findings are “complimentary” and some “very uncomplimentary”, needing further investigation by the panel.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ordered that the confidential Central Vigilance Commission report be given to Verma in a sealed cover and asked him to respond to it by Monday, also in a sealed cover. It will take up the matter on Tuesday.

The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said the CVC inquiry, which was being supervised by former apex court judge Justice A K Patnaik, has given an exhaustive report on the various charges against Verma.

The top court said the CVC report should also be given to Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The court turned down Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana’s request that the CVC report be provided to him as well. The confidentiality of the CVC report is needed to protect public confidence in CBI and sanctity of the institution, it said. The court said it will consider the matter pertaining to decisions taken by acting CBI director M Nageswara Rao from October 23-26 on the next date of hearing. — PTI

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12:31  Google doodle celebrates humanity’s first message to aliens:  Google on Friday celebrated humankind’s first attempt 44 years ago to communicate with intelligent life beyond our own planet with an animated doodle.

In 1974, a group of scientists gathered at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to send the most powerful broadcast ever deliberately beamed into space, called the Arecibo Message.

Their three-minute radio message was aimed at a cluster of stars in the constellation Hercules, 25,000 light years away from Earth, Google said in a statement.

This historic transmission was intended to demonstrate the capabilities of Arecibo’s recently upgraded radio telescope, whose 1000-foot-diameter dish made it the largest and most powerful in the world at the time, it said. “It was strictly a symbolic event, to show that we could do it,” said Donald Campbell, a Cornell University professor of astronomy, who was a research associate at the Arecibo Observatory at the time.

The message itself was devised by a team of researchers from Cornell University led by Frank Drake. “What could we do that would be spectacular? We could send a message!” Drake said.

Written with the assistance of Carl Sagan (remember the spectacular TV series, Cosmos), the message itself could be arranged to form a pictograph representing some fundamental facts of mathematics, human DNA, planet Earth’s place in the solar system, and a picture of a human-like figure and an image of the telescope itself.

Since the Arecibo Message will take roughly 25,000 years to reach its intended destination — a group of 300,000 stars known as M13 — humankind will have to wait a long time for an answer, Google said.

In the 44 years since it was first transmitted, the message has travelled only 259 trillion miles, only a tiny fraction of the distance to its final destination, it said. — PTI

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12:22  CBI Director Alok Verma should be given CVC report in sealed cover: SC:  
The Supreme Court on Friday said CBI Director Alok Verma should be given the CVC report on the allegations against him in a sealed cover and asked him to file his response by Monday.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the Central Vigilance Commission report should also be given to Attorney General K K Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

The top court observed during the hearing that the CVC report is “very uncomplimentary” on some charges against Verma and said a further probe was needed on some aspects.

The apex court said Verma should file his response in a sealed cover by Monday. It will take up the matter on Tuesday. The court turned down Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana’s request that the CVC report be provided to him as well. — PTI


12:05  US Senator seeks political asylum for Asia Bibi:   A top Republican Senator has urged US President Donald Trump to grant asylum and refugee status to Pakistani national Asia Bibi, a Christian woman recently freed from prison after her blasphemy conviction was overturned.

Bibi, a 47-year-old mother of four, was released from Multan jail earlier this month after the Supreme Court in its landmark decision acquitted her of blasphemy charges.

Senator Rand Paul said that he was worried that Bibi won’t survive and he personally took up the matter with President Trump last week.

“I’ve been fighting for them to free Asia Bibi. I’ve talked to the President about granting her asylum and refugee status here,” Paul told CNN in an interview.

A senior member from an American think-tank has also suggested that Bibi should request asylum. “President Trump should invite Ms Bibi to come to America and request asylum. To do so would be just, moral and wise,” Clifford D May, president of the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said in an op-ed in The Washington Times this week. — PTI

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11:31  Manoj Tiwari mocked :  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Manoj Tiwari was campaigning in poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Thursday. He was scheduled to address a couple of rallies in Nawagarh, which will go to polls on January 20.

In the afternoon, an upset Tiwari uploaded a video on social media complaining he had to wait at the Raipur airport because the district administration hadn’t given him permission to land.

A little later, Tiwari tweeted that the Nawagarh administration had finally permitted him to land, and alleged a Congress conspiracy behind the episode.

Tiwari was ridiculed on social media with users pointing out that both the Centre and Chhattisgarh were ruled by the BJP. But it seemed the party still believed it was in the Opposition.

Business Standard


11:29   Lucky charm:  The returning officer at the Narela assembly seat in Bhopal was on the horns of a trilemma. Three candidates contesting from the seat had been asking for the same election symbol: an auto rickshaw.

One of these candidates is contesting with a Savarn Samaj Party ticket while the other two are independents. The officer tried to convince them to choose other symbols but none of them was willing to budge, claiming the auto rickshaw was a lucky charm. As a last resort, lots were drawn and one of the independent candidates proved lucky.

Business Standard

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11:28  Million dollar question:  As campaigning for poll-bound Madhya Pradesh gathers momentum, the million dollar question being asked in many quarters is, if the Congress were to win, who will become chief minister.

The Congress has not announced its chief ministerial candidate yet and there are at least two strong contenders for the coveted post. There is state Congress president Kamal Nath and election campaign committee chairperson Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Kamal Nath, 71, is the longest serving Lok Sabha MP, having won nine elections. Scindia is just 47 years old and is close to party president Rahul Gandhi.

The joke in the party is that the person who has been taking care of election-related spending in the state would be the obvious choice. And if that is true, then Scindia might not be in the race because he is known to be parsimonious and “spending” is not really his forte.

Business Standard


11:23  Maha: Winter session from Monday, drought, Maratha quota to dominate:  The State Backward Class Commission report on Maratha reservations and the drought in 151 talukas are expected to dominate the two-week long winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature set to begin Monday. The winter session, being held in Mumbai after 57 years, will have only eight working days and will end on November 30. A decision on whether proceedings of the House would be held on Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 23 will be decided later. – PTI


11:22  Gaja Cyclone: Two dead and one injured in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district. 

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11:19  Attention all ye Cumberbatch fans…:  The World Premiere of Netflix’s Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, will be held in Mumbai on November 25th, with director and star Andy Serkis joined by Christian Bale, Freida Pinto, Louis Ashbourne Serkis and newcomer Rohan Chand who plays Mowgli in the film.

The star-studded cast will walk the red-carpet and attend the world premiere screening.

This reimagining of Rudyard Kipling’s classic, one of India’s most beloved stories, will be available to Netflix members worldwide starting December 7th, 2018.

The cast includes Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Andy Serkis as Baloo, Naomie Harris as Nisha, Peter Mullan as Akela, Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Bhoot and Benedict Cumberbatch as Sher Khan with Matthew Rhys and Freida Pinto playing key characters from the local village and Rohan Chand in the title role of Mowgli.

OK, so Cumberbatch won’t cross the seas and come to India, but at least you can watch Sher Khan roar in his timbre.

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11:09  Won’t return until we have Sabarimala darshan: Trupti Desai:  Trupti Desai on the detente at Kochi airport: She tells ANI, “We reached the airport at 4:30 am. Protests were being held outside. We booked a taxi 2-3 times, but drivers have been threatened that their vehicle will be vandalised if they offer us a drive.

“Police have said that we can’t go outside now. Police tried to evacuate us from another gate but protesters were there as well.

“Does this mean protesters are scared that we’ll reach Sabarimala once we reach Nilakkal, or, are they trying to scare us? We won’t return until we have ‘darshan’. “

Tension prevailed at the airport as protesters announced that Desai and her colleagues, who reached Kochi at around 4.40 am from Pune, would not be allowed to go out of the airport.

Desai added, “I have not asked for VIP security, I have been calling Cochin Inspector General but he is not responding. I messaged him too but he is not responding to that as well. It is the duty of the government to provide security as it is a Supreme Court order now.”

The temple opens Friday evening, for the third time since the apex court verdict on September 28 allowed women of all age group to offer prayers at the hilltop Lord Ayyappa temple though none could do so following stiff resistance from devotees and activists, opposing any change in the temple traditions.

Protesting local BJP leaders at the airport said the devotees would not let Desai and her colleagues, reportedly total six in numbers, to come out of the airport and proceed to Sabarimala temple.     

They alleged that Desai and her team came here to violate the centuries–old custom of the temple that prevents entry of women and girls in the age group of 10 and 50.

“She (Desai) came here not for darshan but for disturbing a peaceful Sabarimala  pilgrim season beginning Saturday,” they said.

The Ayyappa devotees comprising women and BJP workers, assembled in large numbers outside the airport, continued their protest chanting Ayyappa mantra. — PTI

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10:52  Delhi govt invites TM Krishna for concert tomorrow :  
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Friday announced the Delhi government’s invitation to Carnatic music vocalist TM Krishna, whose concert in the city was scrapped by the Airport Authority of India, will perform in Delhi on November 17. He said no artist should be denied an opportunity to perform.

After Krishna’s November 17 concert to be held at Nehru Park was cancelled by AAI, the AAP government had on Thursday stepped in to organise another performance by Krishna, who often finds himself in the cross-hairs of controversy over his outspoken views.

Sisodia said he has invited Krishna to perform in Delhi on November 17. “No artist should ever be denied an opportunity to perform. I have invited @tmkrishna to perform on November 17 for the people of Delhi It’s important to maintain the dignity of the Art and Artists,” he said.

Krishna’s concert organised by the AAI was allegedly cancelled following a troll campaign against it for hosting the vocalist, a Magsaysay award winner who has been called an “urban Naxal” and “a converted bigot” among other epithets. Krishna had said he was in touch with the Delhi government for a performance in the city.– PTI

Image: Karnatak music vocalist TM Krishna. Pic: PTI

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10:36  Julian Assange charged in US :  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been charged under seal, prosecutors inadvertently revealed in a recently unsealed court filing — a development that could significantly advance the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and have major implications for those who publish government secrets, the Washington Post reports.


10:26  Sensex jumps over 150 pts on funds inflow, global cues:  Domestic equities opened on a firm note Friday as the benchmark BSE Sensex surged over 150 points on the back of continued foreign fund inflow and appreciating rupee.

Positive leads from the US markets on optimism that the US and China may resolve their trade dispute, and a mixed trend at other Asian bourses too influenced sentiments here. The 30-share index spurted 159.17 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 35,419.71 points with sectoral indices, led by healthcare, auto, FMCG, capital goods and banking, rising up to 1.03 per cent.

The barometer had gained 118.55 points Thursday. The NSE Nifty was trading 41 points, or 0.39 per cent, higher at 10,657.70. — PTI

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10:14  Standoff at Kochi airport: Trupti Desai fortifies herself for Sabarimala battle:  Meanwhile in Kochi, Trupti Desai, founder of the Bhumata Brigade, is having breakfast at Kochi International Airport as she hasn’t been able to leave the airport yet due to protests being carried out against her attempted visit to Sabarimala Temple in Kerala.

A large number of protesters gathered outside Kochi airport when Trupti Desai landed at 4:30 this morning in a bid to travel to enter the Sabarimala temple. The temple shrine opens to devotees this evening.

The protesters say they won’t allow her and her colleagues to step out of the airport. Taxi drivers at the airport said they will not take her and her colleagues to their destination.

The Pune-based activist had written to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state police chief about her plans to visit the shrine, seeking police protection during her visit to the state.

The protesters comprising devotees and BJP workers assembled early today outside the airport and stated shouting slogans. The police reached there in large numbers to control the situation. Desai said she won’t return without visiting the temple.

Image: Trupti Desai has breakfast at Kochi International Airport after being unable to leave the yet due to protests being carried out against her attempted visit to the Sabarimala shrine.

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10:05  Cyclone Gaja: Trees uprooted, houses damaged in TN’s Nagapattinam :   In Tamil Nadu, trees uprooted and houses damaged in Nagapattinam in overnight rainfall and strong winds which hit the town due to the Gaja cyclone.

The cyclonic storm crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam on Thursday evening and unleashed mayhem in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts as well.In the wake of the situation, a red alert was issued for the administration in parts of Tamil Nadu to keep the government authorities ready to mobilise resources to meet any eventuality.

The government undertook several preventive measures, which included deploying National Disaster Response Force and Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force  evacuating around 20,000 people living along the coastal line and moving them to relief camps.

The Indian Navy has also been put on alert for relief efforts.Apart from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh was also impacted by the cyclonic storm which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for the next couple of days. — ANI


09:41  Tharoor tears into BJP over Sabrimala, says it practises politics of polarisation:  

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor accused Bharatiya Janata Party  of indulging in politics of polarisation. He also claimed that the BJP will be fighting the 2019 general elections on communal lines.

“BJP has got a nationwide strategy of polarisation. They are going to fight the next elections on communal lines. On Sabarimala, they could have easily found a solution through the national parliament or an ordinance or whatever but they want trouble on street. The Congress is trying to walk a middle course, we are with the believers but we want to follow legal course,” Tharoor said.

Talking about the Sabarimala row and the all-party meeting called by Kerala chief minister on Thursday, Tharoor lambasted the state government for rushing too fast to implement the decision and calling this meeting too late.

— ANI

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09:15  Number of missing in California wildfires jumps to 631:  

The number of people reported missing in California’s deadly wildfires has jumped to 631, as 65 victims are confirmed dead.

The revised official list of the 631 individuals whose whereabouts and fate remain unknown is more than double the 297 recorded earlier in the day by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

“I want you to understand that the chaos we were dealing with was extraordinary,” Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told journalists as he explained the staggering new figure.

Authorities have attributed the high number of fatalities in part to the staggering speed with which the wind-driven flames raced through Paradise, a town of 27,000 residents.

It comes as the White House said Donald Trump will visit California on Saturday and meet people caught up in the disaster.

The US president initially blamed the blazes on state officials and threatened to withhold federal payments.

Rescue workers have been combing through the charred ruins of the town of Paradise a week after it burned to the ground in the Camp Fire in northern California, the worst in the state’s history.

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08:41  Ranveer Singh’s Mumbai house decked up to welcome newlyweds:  

With Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh completing their two-day nuptials in picturesque Lake Como in Italy, Ranveer’s Mumbai residence has been decked up with lights and flowers to welcome the newlyweds.

While the entrance of the house was covered in a string of golden lights, branches of trees in the area were also seen lit up to celebrate the occasion.

The power couple tied the knot in a traditional Konkani ceremony on November 14, while a Sindhi wedding was organised on November 15, both of which were attended by close-knit relatives of the two actors.

The couple had announced their wedding dates on October 21 on social media after dating for over 6 years.

The couple, who is expected to return to India later this week, will reportedly host two grand receptions for their relatives and friends — one in Bengaluru and the other in Mumbai.

— ANI

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08:27  Amnesty India calls for end to ED’s ‘smear campaign’:  

Amnesty India has alleged that a deliberate attempt has been made by the government to tarnish the reputation of the human rights organisation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by the Enforcement Directorate to the media without giving it access to any such information.

Amnesty India called for an immediate end to this smear campaign and an independent inquiry into the selective leaks of information that are fueling this campaign.

“In the three weeks since we were raided by the Enforcement Directorate, no formal charges have been filed against us. So, it is really shocking to see media coverage of what is alleged to be documented from the investigation. If the authorities believe that Amnesty India has committed an offence, they must prove it in a court of law. However, the Enforcement Directorate seems to be leaking selective information and conducting a media trial,” Amnesty India’s Chief Executive Director Aakar Patel said.

“It is alarming to see authorities resort to such low measures to discredit the work of an organisation committed to upholding human rights. The latest action of leaking documents related to an ongoing investigation into a media house to tarnish Amnesty India’s reputation is deplorable. Such actions highlight a pattern of demonising and criminalising human rights defenders and organisations. The government seems afraid and viscerally opposed to anyone who is critical of its actions or policies,” Patel added.

On November 14, a prominent news channel ran two hour-long special shows on the ED’s raids on the Amnesty India. The anchors claimed to have accessed the entire dossier of investigations done by the investigating agency. They also allegedly showed visuals of the documents, including the investigation report, testimonies and bank documents that are a part of the investigations.

It is important to note that Amnesty India has still not been given access to the dossier and has repeatedly been denied access to such information by the agency.

According to Amnesty India, the ED officials have allegedly refused to provide a copy of said statement to Patel, when it was requested during the search and again on October 31 in the Enforcement Directorate’s office. They refused on the grounds that the copy is confidential and can only be shared after the charges are framed.

“Isn’t this a gross violation of natural justice where the person accused of a crime is not given full details? We have always respected the rule of law and have extended our full cooperation to the agency’s investigations. However, it seems like the government thinks it can abuse its power and run smear campaigns to fulfil its agenda of silencing anyone who questions power. The authorities should initiate an independent probe and bring to justice those who are responsible for this leak,” Patel stated.

On 25 October 2018, Amnesty India endured a 10-hour-long raid as a group of officers from the ED, a financial investigation agency under the Ministry of Finance, entered the premises and locked the gates behind them. Some of the staff were ordered to not leave, shut their laptops and not use their mobile phones. Most of the documents asked for during the search were available in the public domain or were already filed with the relevant government authorities.

Following the raid, the accounts of Amnesty India were frozen, while the ministry of Hhome affairs initiated investigations into the funds received by Amnesty India. 

— ANI

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08:06  Activist Trupti Desai reaches Kerala, unable to exit airport as protesters swell:  

Activist Trupti Desai has reached Kochi International Airport in the early hours of Friday to visit the Sabarimala temple but she could not come out of the domestic terminal following protest by devotees opposing the entry of menstrual women into the Lord Ayyappa temple.

  

Tension prevailed at the airport as protesters announced that Desai and her colleagues, who reached here around 4.40 am from Pune, would not be allowed to go out of the airport.

The temple opens Friday evening, for the third time since the apex court verdict on September 28 allowed women of all age group to offer prayers at the hilltop Lord Ayyappa temple though none could do so following stiff resistance from devotees and activists, opposing any change in the temple traditions.

Protesting local BJP leaders at the airport said the devotees would not let Desai and her colleagues, reportedly total six in numbers, to come out of the airport and proceed to Sabarimala temple.  

They alleged that Desai and her team came here to violate the centuries–old custom of the temple that prevents entry of women and girls in the age group of 10 and 50.

“She (Desai) came here not for darshan but for disturbing a peaceful Sabarimala  pilgrim season beginning Saturday,” they said.

The Ayyappa devotees comprising women and BJP workers, assembled in large numbers outside the airport, continued their protest chanting Ayyappa mantra.

Talking to media over phone, Desai said she would not go back to Maharashtra without a darshan at the Lord Ayyappa temple.

Taxi drivers at the airport said they would not take Desai and her colleagues outside the airport.

Police in large numbers were present in the domestic terminal of the airport to deal with the situation.

Desai, who spearheaded the campaign for women to be allowed into various religious places, including Shani Shingnapur temple, the Haji Ali Dargah, the Mahalakshmi Temple and the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, had sent an email to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking security as she fears an attack on her life during her visit to the hill shrine.

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00:09  Merely crying out ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ not patriotism: VP:  

Merely crying out “Bharat Mata ki Jai” does not represent patriotism, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said Thursday, adding real nationalism is to work towards the upliftment of “all 130 crore Indians”.

He was speaking at the annual Jamnalal Bajaj Awards presentations ceremony, where awardees were feted for their outstanding contribution to society.

“Patriotism does not mean crying out ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ or crying out ‘Jai Hind’ after watching a movie,” Naidu said, after referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s definition of patriotism where everybody does his/her work dutifully.

Naidu said ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ means the upliftment of all the 130 crore Indians. “This is the meaning of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, that is “deshbhakti”, that is patriotism, that is nationalism. That sort of attitude has to be there,” he said.

Making a strong pitch for things “Swadeshi”, Naidu said even in the era of an interconnected world and liberal foreign direct investment, we have to support local enterprises as recommended by Mahatma Gandhi.

He also hit out against growing “materialism” and “selfishness” in society and underlined the need for taking a wider view of things.

The vice president said the nuclearisation of families from the earlier joint family system may be resulting in some of the degradation in society.

Lamenting that “we are sans morals and only behind science”, he pitched for a need to “overhaul the education system to restore the value systems”.

The colonial English mindset was akin to a “disease” which has continued even after the British left India, Naidu said.

“We need more of culture than religion in our discourse,” Naidu said, adding “Google cannot replace the guru’s place in our society”. — PTI

Source: Rediff