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LIVE! CBI officer’s allegations ‘baseless and malicious’: Minister Haribhai Chaudhary

22:55  CBI officer’s allegations ‘baseless and malicious’: Minister Haribhai Chaudhary:  

Minister of State for Coal Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary on Monday termed as “baseless and malicious” the allegations levelled against him by senior CBI officer M K Sinha, saying he would quit politics if they were proven to be true.

 

The internecine feud in the CBI turned murkier as Sinha on Monday dragged the names of Chaudhary, NSA Ajit Doval and CVC K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who was divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss.

Sinha, in his plea in the Supreme Court, alleged Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who was the complainant in the case against Asthana, said during interrogation that sometime in the first fortnight of June 2018, a few crores of rupees was paid to the Union minister.

The Union minister, in a statement, said he did not know the businessman.

“Certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know, nor have I met Mr Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe,” he said.

“I only came to know from various media reports today that an affidavit has been filed in the Hon’ble Supreme Court mentioning this matter. I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any enquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics,” he said.

— PTI

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22:22  Delhi’s air quality ‘very poor’: EPCA chairman says enforcing agencies completely dormant:  

Delhi’s air quality remained “very poor” on Monday due to slow wind speed and high humidity, authorities said even as a study pointed out that during the past two decades, Delhi’s air quality was the “most deadly” in 2016 as it reduced the life expectancy of a resident by over 10 years.

Even as the study asserted that the national capital was the second among 50 most polluted areas of the country, the Supreme Court-empowered Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority Chairman Bhure Lal said enforcing agencies were “completely dormant” and bodies like the DDA and the MCD were indulging in a blame game.

Speaking at an event, Lal stressed on the need to strengthen public transport, especially the bus fleet, while asserting that there was a “laxity of administration” in adopting measures for combating pollution.

North Delhi Mayor Adesh Gupta, however, rejected the allegation saying, the civic body “follows all instructions” as directed by the apex court-appointed monitoring committee while DDA Vice-Chairman Tarun Kapoor said the urban body discharged all its duty diligently.

Lal had recently recommended to pollution watchdog CPCB that it should implement either the odd-even scheme or impose a complete ban on non-CNG private vehicles if the air pollution level in Delhi increases again.

According to the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting, the overall air quality index  was recorded at 326, which comes under the “very poor” category. However, the Central Pollution Control Board data said 20 areas in Delhi recorded “very poor” air quality and 13 recorded “poor” air quality.

— PTI

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21:53  European travel ban imposed on 18 Saudis over Khashoggi killing:  

Germany has imposed European travel bans on 18 Saudi nationals believed to be connected to the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the countrys foreign minister said on Monday.

Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels the ban was for the 26-nation Schengen zone and was issued in close coordination with France, which is part of the Schengen area, and the UK, which is not.

As before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it, Maas said. The 18 Saudis were allegedly connected to this crime, Maas added, but he gave no further information.

In Berlin his office said it could not release the names due to German privacy protections.

Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. Riyadh had offered contradictory explanations for his disappearance, before saying Khashoggi was killed after negotiations to convince him to return to Saudi Arabia failed.


21:23  Nissan to oust iconic chairman Ghosn after shock arrest:  

Nissan Motor Co will remove Carlos Ghosn as chairman after he was arrested in Tokyo for violations of financial law, throwing the auto industrys largest global alliance into turmoil.

Ghosn, a towering figure who saved Nissan from collapse and brought it together with Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp, was detained on Monday in Tokyo over the suspected breach of Japanese financial laws, Nissan Chief Executive Officer Hiroto Saikawa told reporters in Yokohama, Japan. Ghosn and Director Greg Kelly have been under investigation at Nissan for several months, and the board is set to meet Thursday to remove them both.

Both Ghosn and Kelly were reporting compensation to securities regulators in Tokyo that was less than the actual amount, Nissan said, adding that they did this to reduce Ghosns disclosed compensation. Regarding Ghosn, numerous other significant acts of misconduct have been uncovered — such as personal use of company assets — and Kellys deep involvement has also been confirmed, the carmaker said in a statement.

Saikawa said the company cant disclose further details of the suspected wrongdoing. Too much power being concentrated to one individual allowed for the misconduct, and Nissan failed to detect it because its structure wasnt transparent enough, he said. Ghosn is suspected of understating his income by 5 billion yen ($44 million) over five years, Kyodo reported.

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20:41  Manmohan Singh an epitome of humility: Sonia Gandhi:  

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday called Manmohan Singh as the epitome of humility, as the former prime minister was conferred with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, disarmament and development for 2017. 

Dr Manmohan Singhs demeanour is such that it appears he was born wise. In his decade-long prime ministerial tenure, India recorded its highest economic growth rate ever. He became PM when the country was on edge and within months, his policies had a profound calming effect, Sonia Gandhi said.

The Delhi-based environment think-tank Centre for Science and Environment will be honoured with the prize this year. CSE was awarded the prestigious award for advocating measures to combat environmental deterioration and for its success in influencing public policies and programmes that have benefitted social and economic development in India, PTI reported. Its steadfast advocacy of measures to combat environmental deterioration and for its success in influencing public policies and programmes that have benefitted social and economic development in India, Director General, CSE, Sunita Narain said.

Established in 1980, the peace prize is awarded annually by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to organisations and individuals in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

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20:18  RBI board meet concludes; next meeting likely on Dec 14:  

The much-awaited meeting of the Reserve Bank of India’s board of directors on Monday has concluded.

The meeting was expected to push for a settlement on contentious issues that have created a rift between the regulator and the government.

RBI deputy governor Viral Acharya had in a speech last month talked about the independence of the central bank, arguing that any compromise could be “potentially catastrophic” for the economy.

Addressing an event in New Delhi on Saturday, finance minister Arun Jaitley said that growth must not be throttled by limiting credit availability and liquidity.


19:53  Reserve Bank of India Board meet concludes at RBI Headquarters in Mumbai.

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19:38  3 young women will visit Sabarimala only if ‘friendly atmosphere’ prevails:  

Amid the stand-off over the entry of women of menstrual age into the Sabarimala shrine, three young women expressed their desire on Monday to visit the Ayyappa temple, but said they would do so only in a “friendly atmosphere”.

  

Reshma Nishant and Anila from Kannur district and Dhanya from Kollam district said they had been observing the “vritham” (the mandatory austerities for visiting Sabarimala) for visiting the shrine in the wake of the September 28 Supreme Court order permitting the entry of all women into the shrine.

However, the situation prevailing in the state prevented their pilgrimage, they told a press conference.

The women vowed that they would remove their “sacred mala” (garland) only after offering prayers at the shrine.

A devotee, as a prelude to the pilgrimage, wears a beaded “tulsi or rudraksh mala” as part of renunciation of material temptations.

The women said they would not like to create any bad situation in the state because of their desire to go to Sabarimala.

“We will make an attempt to visit the temple only after a situation evolves in the state favouring our entry into the shrine,” they said.

They complained that they were facing a lot of hardships after they started observing the “vritham” to go to Sabarimala.

The state witnessed widespread protests after the September 28 apex court order, permitting the entry of women of all ages into the temple.

A large number of Ayyappa devotees gathered outside the Press Clubwhere the press conference was being held. They chanted Ayyappa mantras, while protesting against the women for expressing their desire to offer prayers at the hill shrine. 

— PTI

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19:00  Dubai court orders Michel’s extradition in VVIP chopper case:  

A Dubai court on Monday ordered the extradition of British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel, who is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, according to a media report.

  

Michel, 54, is currently behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent into custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE.

The Court of Cassation upheld on Monday a lower court order which ruled that Michel could be extradited, dismissing appeals filed by his defence lawyers, the Khaleej Times reported.

Judge Abdelaziz Al Zarouni, who headed a bench, pronounced the decision in the presence of member judges Musabeh Thaaloub, Mostafa Al Shinawi, Mahmoud Sultan and another judge, the paper said.

On Monday, Michel’s lawyer Abdul Moneim submitted documents showing that courts in Switzerland and Italy had ruled not to extradite his client.

“The judicial authorities there concluded there was no criminal element in the case,” the lawyer argued.

Earlier, he argued at Dubai’s highest court that the extradition request procedure of Michel would be a “violation” of the international treaty signed between the UAE and India.

Contesting the lower court’s ruling, according to which his client could be extradited, the lawyer argued that the Indian authorities did not follow “the proper procedures” when requesting the extradition, the paper said.

Michel, whose passport had been seized by the judicial authorities in Dubai and had been granted release on bail, became ‘wanted’ on September 2, following the decision issued by the Dubai Court of Appeals.

Citing a source, the paper said Michel’s extradition request had previously been closed administratively as the necessary papers were not available then from India. Once his file was complete, the case was re-opened. He was summoned and confronted with the file afterwards.

India officially made the request to the Gulf nation sometime back for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.

Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal. 

— PTI


18:54  Opposition conclave on November 22 postponed: TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu.

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18:39  CAG preparing report on impact of demonetisation, likely to be ready before budget session:  

The Comptroller and Auditor General is auditing the impact of the controversial demonetisation on the Indian economy and may complete its report on it before the budget session of Parliament early next year.

However, sources said since it will not be a full-fledged Budget Session with 2019 being an election year, it is not clear if the government will table the report in Parliament.

Last week, 60 retired bureaucrats had written to the CAG, alleging that the report on demonetisation was being “deliberately” delayed to not “embarrass” the Central government till next year`s Lok Sabha elections.

Calling it an “unconscionable and unwarranted delay”, they said there was no sight of the audit report on demonetisation promised by the previous CAG Shashi Kant Sharma over 20 months ago.

Sources in the CAG office said that while it was outside the ambit of the CAG to audit the Reserve Bank of India or even the public sector banks, it was looking at issues which had a bearing on demonetisation and on the impact that arose out of the disruptive action, executed on November 8, 2016.

“We don`t audit RBI. That is out of the ambit of the audit. We don`t have a mandate to audit RBI or even the public sector banks. Issues which have a bearing on demonetisation, those are being looked at and that comes in the report which is usually tabled in the Budget Session,” a source said.

He said the findings will be a part of Report Number 1, which is always presented in the Budget Session.

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18:06  Pawan Kalyan’s party not to fight Telangana election, to focus on LS polls:  The Jana Sena Party of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday decided not to contest the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana and said it would fight the Lok Sabha polls next year instead.   

The issue was discussed with all leaders of the party, and it has been decided to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls from now itself, Kalayan said.   

“Had the assembly elections been held as per schedule (in April 2019), the Jana Sena would have surely jumped into the fray. Since the assembly polls have been advanced, we are not geared up for the contest.   

“It’s really difficult for a fledgeling party like ours,” Kalyan said.   

Filing of nominations for the Telangana Assembly election ended Monday.  

The YSR Congress had earlier announced it would stay away from the Telangana polls since its complete focus was on the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh, its actual base.   

The YSRC, however, said it would gear up for the 2024 assembly elections in Telangana.

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17:37  Lalu to appear before court via video-conference on Dec 20:  Delhi’s Patiala House court on Monday adjourned the 2013 Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation alleged scam case and ordered former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad to appear before it on December 20 via video conferencing.

Lalu Prasad, who is currently serving jail term in fodder scam case, has been admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, under police custody for treatment of diabetes and other ailments.

On October 6, the court had ordered Prasad to appear before it via video conferencing on November 19. However, the video conferencing could not take place since there was no such facility in the hospital. 

In today’s hearing the court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to make all arrangements for the video conferencing in the next hearing.

The court had granted regular bail to Lalu’s wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others who were present at the case hearing on October 6. The CBI had opposed the regular bail pleading that it would ‘hamper the case investigation’.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed its reply in the court and opposed a regular bail plea filed by Rabri, Tejashwi and others. 

The ED case is in connection with alleged money laundering linked to the IRCTC scam. 

All accused in the case are currently on interim bail except Lalu.

— ANI

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17:16  HC blasts Centre for denying salary over not linking Aadhaar:  The Bombay high court on Monday questioned the Centre’s decision to  withhold the salary of a port trust employee since 2016 on the grounds that he had not linked his salary account with his Aadhaar. 

A division bench of justices A S Oka and S K Shinde while hearing a petition filed by Ramesh Purale, working as a chargeman with the Mumbai Port Trust, said his salary cannot be withheld over failure to link his bank account with his Aadhaar card. 

Purale had challenged a letter issued to him by the Union ministry of shipping in December 2015, asking him to link his his bank account, in which his salary was being credited, with his Aadhaar card . He, however, refused to do so citing his fundamental right to privacy. 

From July 2016, he stopped getting his salary following which he petitioned the HC. 

Earlier this month, Purale filed an application in his petition where he relied on the Supreme Court’s judgement of September 26 on the Aadhaar card issue. 

The high court Monday questioned the Union government as to how it could take such a stand that it would not give salary to its employees because their Aadhaar card is not linked to their salary accounts.

“How can you (Centre) take a stand that salary will not be given to an employee because his Aadhaar card is not linked to the salary account?” Justice Oka asked. “We have perused the apex court’s judgement. Prima facie, we are of the view that the petitioner’s salary cannot be withheld on the ground that there is failure to link Aadhaar card with the bank account,” he said. 

The bench directed the government to pay the arrears to the petitioner and posted the petition for final hearing on January 8.

The apex court, in its verdict in September, had declared that the Centre’s biometric identity project was constitutionally valid but limited the scope, ruling it is not mandatory for bank accounts, mobile connections or school admissions.

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17:02  Sri Sri to come out with 2 books next week:  Two books by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offering insights into the human condition will hit the stands next week, announced Westland Publications on Monday. 

The books, titled The Bhagavad Gita and Upanishad: Ishavasya, Kena, Katha, Yogasara, told in a “simple” narrative are replete with humorous anecdotes for the better understanding of the contemporary audience, said the publishers.

While The Bhagavad Gita is a compilation of series of talks by the spiritual guru on one of the most famous scriptures on the philosophy of life, Upanishad, according to the publishers, has Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conversing with the readers and explaining the four Upanishads — Ishavasya, Kena, Katha, Yogasara — with “such simplicity and wit that their esoteric truth becomes self-evident, like living reality”.

“Gurudev’s knowledge has touched millions of lives across the globe. We are sure that through this partnership with Westland, we will be able to reach out to many more readers. He makes even the most complex of the scriptures come alive for a common man. 

 “Whether you are seeking all of life’s answers or just looking for a meaningful read, these books will appeal to all,” Prasana Prabhu, trustee, Sri Sri Publications Trust, said. 

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16:29  Pilot files nomination:  

Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said on Monday the assembly election in the state is a fight between the ideologies of his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

After filing his nomination from the Tonk assembly seat, Pilot said the Congress would not only win the election in Tonk, but also the entire state with a sizable margin.

The BJP has deceived the people and its report card is in front of the people.

There is resentment among the people and they are waiting to vote for the Congress, the state Congress president said.

It is an important election and there is a wave for the Congress across the state, he added.

Pilot’s rival candidate, Yoonus Khan, who is the only Muslim candidate pitted in the election by the saffron party, also filed his nomination on Monday.

“I would not like to comment on caste and religion. I have seen tension on Sachin Pilot’s face. We both have come to Tonk for the first time as election nominees,” Khan said, adding that he had always accepted his party’s decision and was ready to work for the party anywhere in the country.

Khan said he had done various developmental works in Tonk district as a public works department minister in the last five years and the development would remain the issue for him and his party in the upcoming election.

Earlier in the day, the BJP released its fifth list of six candidates, fielding Khan against Pilot in the Muslim-dominated Tonk assembly constituency by replacing sitting MLA Ajit Singh Mehta.

After the Congress fielded Pilot in Tonk, the BJP did brainstorming and replaced Mehta, who figured in the first list issued last week.

Khan is a sitting MLA from Deedwana constituency of Nagaur district and his name was kept reserved by the party till the last moment. The state will go to polls on December 7.  —  PTI

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16:17  Opposition suffering from ‘Modi phobia’: Shah:  

The Opposition is suffering from the ‘Narendra Modi phobia’, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said on Monday.

Addressing
a rally in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh, ahead of the November 28
assembly election, Shah asked the Congress to give an account of what
the four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family did when they ruled the
country.

“The Opposition is suffering from
Narendra Modi- phobia. They just want to get rid of Modi from the prime
minister’s post, while we want to get rid of poverty, insecurity and air
pollution among others,” Shah said.

The BJP chief said the Modi government launched 129 developmental schemes in four years.

“Give an account of what the four generations (of Nehru-Gandhi family) did when they ruled the country,” he said.

“In
a recent rally, (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi uttered Modi’s name 44
times in his 22-minute speech. I am wondering whether he is campaigning
for the BJP or the Congress,” Shah said, in remarks laced with sarcasm.

He also lauded the Centre for the Army’s surgical strike on terror launchpads across the border post the Uri attack in 2016.

“When
the Uri terror attack took place, the entire country was angry. Modi
ordered surgical strikes and made India the third country in the world
after the US and Israel who have avenged killings of its soldiers,” he
said.

Shah alleged that former prime minister
Manmohan Singh had left the Indian economy at ninth position in the
world in 2014, which, he said, the BJP raised to sixth position.

“By
the time counting of these polls is done, India would have surpassed
the UK to become the fifth-largest economy in the world,” he added. —  PTI

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16:15  Devaswom board moves SC for time to implement Sabarimala order:  The Travancore Devaswom Board on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to implement its verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. 

The board, which manages the hill shrine, has cited lack of basic amenities among other things as the reason for seeking more time from the top court. 

The announcement on the TDB’s move came amid mounting tension against the backdrop of the stand-off over entry of women in the 10-50 age group, traditionally barred at the shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, a celibate. 

Pilgrims had said there was lack of adequate toilet facilities, causing immense difficulties especially to women, and rest rooms after the floods in August that had destroyed the infrastructure. 

The top court had earlier refused to stay its verdict while agreeing to hear in open court a batch of petitions seeking review of its September 28 verdict by which it had lifted the ban on entry of women of menstruating age into the Sabarimala temple. 

On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in 4:1 verdict had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination.


16:11  Environmental think tank CSE awarded Indira Gandhi Prize:   Delhi-based environment think-tank CSE will be honoured with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for its work in environmental education and protection. 

According to the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust Monday, the Centre for Science and Environment has been awarded the prize for its steadyfast advocacy of measures to combat environmental deterioration and for its success in influencing public policies and programmes that have benefitted social and economic development in India. 

The international jury, chaired by former President Pranab Mukherjee, decided to give the award to CSE also for keeping the issue of environmental sustainability at the forefront of national attention and public policy, a statement from the trust said. 

The award is accorded annually by the Trust to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. 

 Established in 1980 under the leadership of late Anil Aggarwal and presently headed by Sunita Narain CSE has been working for the last four decades to incorporate environmental sustainability into development policies. 

It has worked on extending awareness and education about environmental issues, on air and water pollution, waste water management and industrial pollution, food safety and energy, climate change and above all in influencing official policy and public actions for sustainable development, the statement said. 

Its programmes have achieved important public health outcomes in several areas of vital impact, including air pollution, sustainable industrialisation programme, sustainable water management and sanitation, climate change and food and toxins programme, it said.

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15:45  Punjab CM visits blast site at Amritsar :  Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh visited the blast site at Amritsar today. State Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was also present. The blast that took place yesterday claimed three lives.

Three persons, including a preacher, were killed and 20 others injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw a grenade on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar.

The incident took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan’s prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar’s Rajasansi, police said. A religious congregation of the Nirankari followers was being conducted inside the Bhavan at the time of the incident.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly in Punjab and was briefed on the explosion, which police are treating as a “terrorist act”.

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15:00  CBI director files reply with SC on CVC’s charges against him:  CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma on Monday filed his response in the Supreme Court on findings of the CVC’s preliminary probe report on corruption charges against him in a sealed cover.

The apex court had earlier in the day asked Verma to file his response “as quickly as possible” during the day” and made it clear that it will not adjourn the scheduled hearing on Tuesday after his lawyer sought more time.

The apex court, on November 16, had asked Verma to file his response in a sealed cover to the preliminary probe report of the Central Vigilance Commission on corruption charges against the CBI Director by 1 pm on Monday.

The bench made clear that it will not shift the schedule date of hearing and asked him to file his response “as quickly as possible” during the day by 4 pm itself to enable it to peruse the reply.

Earlier, the apex court had said that the CVC has made some “very uncomplimentary” findings in its probe on corruption allegations against Verma and wanted further investigations into some of the charges which required more time, adding there were also some “very complimentary” conclusions. — PTI

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14:17  The people behind DeepVeer’s successful wedding:  Behind every successful story is a bunch of hardworking souls who worked tirelessly. While fans of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh can’t stop gushing over their wedding and post wedding pictures, we did a little Insta-stalking to find out how the grand wedding was planned. Turns out, the newly-weds have a lot of people to thank for making their big day so memorable. Take a look.

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14:10  2002 post-Godhra riots: Zakia Jafri’s plea to be heard after Nov 26:  The Supreme Court Monday deferred till November 26 hearing on the plea of Zakia Jafri challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigating Team  to Narendra Modi, who was then Gujarat Chief Minister, in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said, “The matter will take some time for hearing. The plea will be heard on November 26”.

At the outset, senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for SIT said Zakia’s plea was not maintainable and social activist Teesta Seetalvad cannot be the second petitioner in the case. The bench said it will look into the application before hearing the matter on making Seetalvad as the second petitioner in Jafri’s plea. — PTI


13:23  Two women Naxals killed in encounter with police in Maharashtra:  Two women Naxals were gunned down in an encounter with police commandos in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district on Monday morning, a police official said.

The gun battle broke out between the ultras and C-60 commandos, a specialised combat unit of the Gadchiroli police, in Nihalkay forest area under Dhanora taluka around 8.30 am, Gadchiroli’s Additional Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit told PTI.

The commandos were on an anti-Naxal operation in the area since Sunday night, he said.

“The exchange of fire continued for about half-an-hour. Later, during a search, bodies of two armed women Naxals were found,” Pandit said. The combing operation was on in the area, he added. — PTI

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12:48  Don’t be scared of PM, make Shivaji statue world’s tallest: Sena :  The Shiv Sena Monday asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare that the proposed statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji off the Mumbai coast will be the tallest in the world, and not be “scared” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over the issue.

The Sena said the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil has claimed the height of Shivaji’s statue has been decreased to ensure that the ‘Statue of Unity’, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, remains the tallest.

It said Fadnavis should use the same courage that he displayed in announcing quota for the Maratha community, and not be “scared” of Prime Minister Modi and Shah over the issue of Shivaji statue’s height. Decreasing the height of Shivaji’s statue to make Sardar Patel’s statue look taller is “narrow and distorted mindset”, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“Fadnavis should use the same courage that he showed while granting reservation to the Maratha community and fearlessly announce that Shivaji’s statue would be the tallest in the world, and not get scared of Amit Shah and Modi. This will not diminish the prestige of Sardar Patel,” it said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party reminded Fadnavis that earlier, then Union finance minister Chintamanrao Deshmukh in the Jawaharlal Nehru government had shown courage to tender his resignation, to ensure Mumbai stayed with Maharashtra.

It rued that while the ‘Statue of Unity’ has already been unveiled and opened for public viewing, not a single brick has been laid for the construction of Shivaji’s statue. There are now doubts being raised if there was an internal conspiracy to make Shivaji’s statue seem like a dwarf compared to the structure dedicated to Sardar Patel, it said. — PTI

Image: An artist’s impression of the Shivaji statue on the Arabian Sea

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12:21  Malegaon case: SC asks Bombay HC to deal with Purohit’s plea:  The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bombay High Court to deal with the plea of Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, one of the accused in the 2008 Malegaon bast case, that he was being prosecuted in the matter without any valid sanction.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed the high court that Purohit’s plea be dealt with on November 21.

A special court on November 2 had commenced the formal trial against Purohit, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and five other accused after framing of charges under various penal law in the Malegaon blast case.

Purohit, in his plea, referred to the earlier apex court order by which the trial court and the Bombay High Court were directed to deal with the claim of Purohit that he was being prosecuted under penal laws including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act without any sanction from the authorities.

The plea also alleged that the charges have been framed against Purohit and others by the trial court which had commenced the trial without dealing with the claim on sanction.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped on a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town about 200 km from north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. — PTI

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11:37  Hope Urjit Patel has spine and shows PM his place: Rahul :  Ahead of the RBI board meeting this morning, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted, ” @RahulGandhi Mr Modi and his coterie of cronies, continue to destroy every institution they can get their hands on. Today, through his puppets at the #RBIBoardMeet he will attempt to destroy the RBI. I hope Mr Patel and his team have a spine and show him his place.”

The Reserve Bank of India board meeting began this morning amid an atmosphere of
mistrust over what the central bank perceives to be government
interference in its functioning.

The government has
maintained it has no intention of forcing the RBI’s hand to do its
bidding, but the opposition has said the NDA regime intends to plough
into the precious reserves of the central bank in election season.

Image: RBI governor Urjit Patel.

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11:21  CBI officer probing FIR against Asthana moves SC:  A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer who was part of the investigation team probing Asthana’s role in an alleged corruption case, mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing tomorrow.

The bench also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is scheduled to hear tomorrow the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government’s decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave.

Sinha said that his plea be also heard along with Verma tomorrow. He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana.

Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
— PTI

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11:12  Protests across Kerala over detention of 68 Sabarimala pilgrims :  Protests are being held across Kerala against the detention of the 68
persons even as the BJP demanded a judicial probe into the police
action.

Union Minister KJ Alphons Monday slammed the Kerala government for turning the Sabarimala Temple complex into a “war zone” and lack of facilities at the shrine even as police detained 68 people from the complex in the early hours for holding protests.

The sanctum sanctorum of the Lord Ayyappa Temple opened Monday morning with very few devotees turning up early. Police sources told PTI that 68 persons had been taken into preventive custody from the temple complex and brought to the Manniyar camp early this morning.

Their details are being verified and their arrests have not been recorded yet. Alphons, who arrived at Nilackal, the base camp, Monday morning, told reporters, “The state government has turned the temple complex into a war zone. The devotees are not militants, they are pilgrims.” “What was the need to declare Section 144 at Sabarimala,” he asked.

The minister said there was lack of basic facilities at the temple complex. The union government had provided Rs 100 crore for putting up various facilities at Sabarimala, he said.

The minister’s visit comes hours after the late night developments in Sabarimala when hundred-odd devotees held protests while chanting “nama japam” (chanting in the name of Lord Ayyappa) on Sunday.

The protest by devotees at the ‘sannidhanam,’ on the second day of the two-month long pilgrim season, resulted in police taking into custody 68 persons early Monday morning, the first such incident witnessed at Sabarimala.

This had also led to protests across the state, including in front of the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. Those taken into custody have been brought to the Manniyar police camp and BJP leaders led by Shobha Surendran are holding “nama japam” protest in front of the camp. 

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10:33  Amritsar blast: Rs 50 lakh reward announced for information on suspects:  Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anybody providing information on those involved in the Amritsar grenade blast that left three persons dead, officials said. Information can be provided on the Punjab Police helpline – 181, officials said, adding the identity of the informer will be kept a secret.

The chief minister will visit Amritsar later in the day, officials said. A team of the National Investigation Agency visited the blast site Sunday night along with their investigators and explosive experts.They also held  discussions with the top brass of the Punjab Police.

Three persons, including a preacher, were killed and over 20 injured when two-motorcycle borne men threw grenade on a religious congregation on the city outskirts here on Sunday, an incident which the police are treating as a “terrorist act’.

The incident took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan’s prayer hall at Adliwal village near Amritsar’s Rajasansi, police said. A religious congregation of the Nirankari followers was being conducted inside the Bhavan at the time of the incident. 

The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual organisation and the Bhavan lies close to the international airport and the Indo-Pak border. — PTI

Image: Relatives of a victim mourn the incident at the Nirankari Bhawan in Adliwal village near Amritsar. Photograph: PTI Photo

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10:24  Crucial RBI board meeting begins :  The Reserve Bank of India board meeting has begun amid an atmosphere of mistrust over what the central bank perceives to be government interference in its functioning.

The government has maintained it has no intention of forcing the RBI’s hand to do its bidding, but the opposition has said the NDA regime intends to plough into the precious reserves of the central bank in election season.

Investors are awaiting cues from the meet. The Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team later in the day over issues ranging from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) credit to the central bank’s reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground.

The first sign of trouble came in October when reports alluded to the government’s interest in Section 7 of the Reserve Bank of India Act or RBI Act, which empowers the centre to issue directions to the “lender of last resort” — meaning the government could take charge of policy.


10:13  Sensex rises over 150 pts ahead of RBI board meet:   The benchmark BSE Sensex surged over 150 points and the broader NSE Nifty went past the 10,700 mark in opening trade Monday on the back of widespread gains ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s board meet amid capital inflows by foreign funds.

The 30-share index was trading 190.81 points, or 0.54 per cent, higher at 35,647.61 points. Sectoral indices, led by realty, metal, auto, IT indices and bankex, advanced up to 1.44 per cent.

The barometer had gained 315.17 points in the previous two sessions. Similarly, the NSE Nifty was up 43.10 points, or 0.40 per cent, at 10,725.30 points. Investors are awaiting cues from the Reserve Bank of India’s board meet later in the day.

Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team later in the day over issues ranging from micro, small and medium enterprises credit to the central bank’s reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. — PTI


09:58  Rupee sheds 9 paise against US dollar:  The rupee depreciated by 9 paise to 72.02 against the US dollar in early trade Monday at the interbank foreign exchange, halting its four-day winning streak, ahead of the RBI’s board meet.

Fresh demand for the dollar from importers amid rise in crude prices weighed on the domestic unit, dealers said. However, weakness in the US dollar against some currencies in global market and a higher opening of the domestic equity markets limited the rupee fall ahead of Reserve Bank of India’s board meet, dealers said.

Finance Ministry nominees and some independent directors are expected to take on Governor Urjit Patel and his team later in the day over issues ranging from micro, small and medium enterprises credit to the central bank’s reserves, though both sides are in favour of reaching a common ground. — PTI

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09:38  Sri Lanka: All-party meeting ends with no solution for political crisis:  

The all-party meeting called by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday ended with no solution for the ongoing political crisis in the island nation.

The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and representatives of his party as well as the unconstitutionally ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was joined by the representatives of the United National Front along with representatives of other political parties, reported Colombo Page.

Former cabinet minister and UNP parliamentarian Harsha de Silva said that the meeting concluded with no breakthrough as Sirisena suggested that the minority government headed by Rajapska continues to hold the office.

“They want to drag impasse along giving lame excuses of procedure,” Colombo Page quoted de Silva as saying.

Sirisena and the members of the minority government have maintained their stance that the two no-confidence motions passed in Parliament against Rajapaksa did not follow proper procedure.

Sri Lanka tumbled into a constitutional crisis after President Sirisena ousted then-Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and named Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister.Sirisena further suspended the country’s Parliamentary proceedings until November 16.

However, on November 5, the Sri Lankan President announced to reconvene the Parliament on November 14, amid rising demands by legislators of the state to end the political crisis in the island nation as soon as possible.

On November 14, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed a no-confidence motion against the government of Rajapaksa.

Following which the Parliament on November 15 witnessed a huge ruckus as members got into fistfights, hurled objects at each and even tried to attack Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.  — ANI

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09:26  Rajasthan MLA known for his ‘condoms in JNU’ remark quits BJP:  

Miffed over being denied a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections, Ramgarh MLA Gyan Deo Ahuja quit the party on Sunday and announced he will contest the polls as an Independent candidate.

Ahuja hit national headlines in 2016 during the JNU controversy for claiming that thousands of ‘used condoms’ were found at the university campus, ‘where girls and boys dance naked in cultural programmes’.

Since last Sunday, when the BJP released its first list of candidates for the December 7 polls, several party MLAs, including a state minister, have resigned.

The party has so far declared 170 out of total 200 candidates in three lists.

“My name was dropped by the party without taking me into confidence. I was not even told about the reason why my name was dropped. After pressure from my supporters and family members, I resigned from the party. I will now contest the elections from Sanganer seat,” Ahuja said.

“I had demanded a ticket from Sanganer after the other candidate was given the ticket from Ramgarh but the party did not fulfil my demand. Therefore, I decided to contest as an independent candidate,” he said.

Ahuja said he had sent his resignation to the state BJP president Madan Lal Saini.

He said he will file his nomination papers on Monday and issues of ‘gau raksha’ (cow protection) and construction of a Ram temple on Ram Janmabhoomi will be on his agenda.

Ahuja, in the past, had also supported mob lynching of cattle
smugglers and had recently courted controversy by saying Nehru wasn’t a
‘Pandit’ because he ‘ate beef and pork’.   — PTI, agency inputs

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09:13  United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Shakti Sthal, on her 101st birth anniversary. — ANI

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08:58  Jet Airways cancels 10 flights from Mumbai, flyers stranded:  

Hundreds of passengers of Jet Airways were left stranded at Mumbai airport after the carrier cancelled 10 domestic flights from the city on Sunday, an airline source said.

The Jet Airways said the flights were cancelled from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) due to ‘operational issues’.

However, the airline source claimed it was due to pilots’ scarcity.

‘Jet Airways had to cancel a few domestic flights of date (November 18) due to operational reasons. Guests of the affected flights were duly informed about their flight status via SMS alerts. In accordance with regulatory policy, guests havebeen re-accommodated and or compensated,’ the airline said in a statement.

The airline said it regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests.

The airline source said the carrier has not been regular in paying salaries to pilots, engineers and senior management for quite some time now.

Facing cash crunch, the Naresh Goyal-controlled private carrier has lost a good number of pilots in the recent past and many a time they have to work overtime to make up for the shortage, the source said.

“The airline failed to operate as many as domestic 10 flights from Mumbai Sunday as it did not have required number of pilots.

“Due to the abrupt cancellations, passengers who had booked their journey on these flights were left stranded,” the source said.

He said the shortage of pilots at the airline has been going on for months together as it has not hired new ones to replace those who have quit the airline in this period due to financial issues. — PTI

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08:44  Today’s situation worse than Emergency: Arun Shourie:  

Former Union minister Arun Shourie Sunday said ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a ‘great sense of remorse’ for imposing Emergency, but the situation today is ‘graver’ than it was in 1975-77.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s juggernaut can be stopped in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls if the entire Opposition unites and follows the principle of one candidate against the BJP in every seat.

The journalist-turned-politician was addressing a session on ‘Danger within the Judicial System’ at Tata Literature Festival in Mumbai.

“In 1975 (Emergency) there was much better defined opponent. Today there is widespread opponent. I can tell you this, the difference between Gandhi and Narendra Modi is that Gandhi had a great sense of remorse about what she had done,” he said.

“Today, there is no remorse. In Gandhi’s case I feel, in spite of the fact that she put 1,75,000 people in jail, there was a sense of limit…isse aage nahi jana hai (not beyond this point). But today there is no sense of limit,” he added. The Emergency lasted for 19 months, but today there is much more sustained and relentless assault at undermining institutions, Shourie said.

“…so I feel the situation now is much more graver than it was in 1975,” he added.

Shourie asserted that Opposition unity is key to defeating Modi in 2019.

“After all, Modi at the peak of his popularity (in 2014)… how many votes he got? Only 31 per cent. So if the opposition unites, it starts with 69 per cent of the votes,” he said.

“In any case the BJP has no presence in the states where regional parties are strong. We should think of the Congress and support the Congress in those places where it is a dominant regional party,” he said.

He added that if the leaders of the other parties don’t agree on the principle of one candidate against a BJP candidate, then people should be approached to teach them a lesson for splitting opposition votes.

A former minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government, Shourie said people should look within themselves to bring change.

“If we’re not prepared to do anything, situation will be the way it is,” he said.

He claimed all institutions are under assault, especially during the last four years, and have been destroyed by the ‘termite’ inside them.

“Institutions in India, I fear, are hollow,” he said.  — PTI

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08:21  Sabarimala: BJP, RSS hold state-wide protests as devotees detained:  

A large number of Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers protested outside the official residence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan late on Sunday night against the detention of over 30 persons at Sabarimala Temple.

The members of the BJP and its mentor the RSS had gathered in front of Cliff House — Vijayan’s official residence at Nanthancode in Thiruvananthapuram.

Simultaneous protests were also held at various places across the state in Aranmula, Kochi, Kollam, Alapuzha, Ranni, Thodupuzha, Kaladi, Malappuram and Idukki among others.

To further intensify their stir against ‘police high handedness’, a daylong state-wide agitation will be held on Monday by Yuvamorcha, the youth wing of the BJP, its chief said.

“We have organised state-wide protest against this emergency like situation in the state,” Yuvamorcha state president Prakash Babu told PTI.

The protesters were taken into preventive custody Sunday night at the Sabarimala Temple after fresh protests broke out at Nadapanthal area in Sannidhanam where hundreds of devotees agitated against the police restrictions.

Even though there were unconfirmed reports that the detained protesters were taken to Maniyar police camp in Pathanamthitta district, officials at Pamba Police Station, which is around 3.5 km downhill, denied any knowledge.

On the second day of the two month-long pilgrimage season, the devotees had gathered at the covered pathway to the temple when they were asked to leave Sannidhanam.

Due to the early incidents of violence at the hill-top shrine, the police had imposed strict restrictions for devotees at Sannidhanam, including not allowing them to stay back at night.

Superintendent of Police (special officer) Pratheesh Kumar said people were detained for violating Section 144 that prohibits assembly of more than four people at a spot.

“Section 144 had been declared in the area. We had asked them to disperse after the Harivarasanam but most of them refused,” the SP said, adding that the police was not against the devotees who wished to offer prayers.

“Those who have to offer ‘neyyabhishekam’ (anointing deity with ghee) can stay back. They can recite prayers also. We are not against it. The police will assist those who want to offer prayers,” he said.

Police sources claimed they had information that the protesters might create trouble at Sannidhanam and therefore, precautions were taken accordingly.

Rajesh, one of the protesters, said, “We are devotees and we started reciting prayers but the police did not allow us, saying Section 144 (prohibitory orders) has been imposed.”

He said he did not mind getting arrested for reciting prayers at Sannidhanam.  — PTI

Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters

Source: Rediff