Press "Enter" to skip to content

LIVE! Thousands gather in Delhi at VHP rally for Ram Temple

13:19  Thousands gather in Delhi at VHP rally for Ram Temple:  

Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s rally to press for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, days before Parliament’s winter session commences.

The VHP has said the rally, to be addressed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s executive head Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, will be an attempt to give a clarion call to the Union government to enact a legislation, if need be, for the construction of the temple.

Besides Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar are also expected to address the rally.

The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally.

It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises.

The VHP has carried out a door-to-door campaign to make the rally a success.

“It will be a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya,” VHP’s spokesperson Vinod Bansal said.

The right-wing group had approached President Ram Nath Kovind and state governors during previous phases of its temple campaign.

In the forthcoming stage, it will hold religious rituals and prayers at temples and matths. The campaign will culminate at Prayag with a ‘Dharam Sansad’ of priests and saints.

The final ‘Dharam Sansad’ will be held on January 31 and February 1.

The winter session is set to begin on Tuesday.  — PTI

image

12:25  3 terrorists killed, 5 soldiers injured in Mujgund encounter:  

UPDATE: Three terrorists have been neutralised in Mujgund encounter in Srinagar which broke out yesterday.

Five security personnel have been injured.

Weapons and other warlike stores have been recovered.

The encounter was underway in the area since Saturday evening.

Mobile internet services have also been suspended in Srinagar.

The encounter started after the terrorists fired upon security forces on Saturday when they were conducting searches, on getting intelligence inputs that some terrorists have been hiding in the area.  — ANI

image

12:10  Athawale blames police for slap attempt on him:  

Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday blamed police for an incident in which a man tried to slap him at a public event in Maharashtra’s Thane district claiming it had failed to provide him adequate security.

The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief was in Ambernath town to address a rally late Saturday when Pravin Gosavi, 30, tried to slap him.

In a statement issued Sunday morning, Athawale said, “Police did not provide sufficient protection, that helped the assailant to target me. My popularity is growing and it may have resulted in a jealous person charging against me. I am going to meet chief minister of Maharashtra regarding the same.”

Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15 pm on Saturday.

The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi’s attempt to assault him, an officer said.

Athawale on Sunday morning asked his party workers to maintain peace in the wake of the incident.

The local RPI-A unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath on Sunday as a mark of protest.

An officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil.

No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added.  — PTI

image

11:29  Ex-CEA Arvind Subramanian seeks review of back series GDP data:  

Amid raging controversy over the revised economic growth numbers, former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian has called for an investigation by experts to clear doubts and build confidence while noting that the ‘puzzle’ about the data needs to be explained.

He stressed that institutions that do not have technical expertise in calculating the gross domestic product data should not be involved in the process, apparently referring to the Niti Aayog.

Subramanian, who criticised demonetisation in his new book titled Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy, was, however, evasive when asked if he was consulted in the decision-making process on note ban.

“As an economist, I think there are some puzzles (new back series GDP data) there are some issues that need to be explained. Since there are things that need to be explained, we should, just to create confidence and eliminate any uncertainty or doubts, I think we should have experts who can investigate this thoroughly and give their answers,” Subramanian told PTI in an interview.

On the controversy over the Niti Aayog’s presence at the release of the GDP back series data by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last month, he said that experts should have the main job of producing and explaining data.

“I think this (calculation of GDP) is a very technical task and technical experts should do the task, institutions that don’t have technical expertise should not be involved in this,” he said.

Recalibrating data of past years using 2011-12 as the base year instead of 2004-05, the CSO last month lowered the country’s economic growth rate during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s regime.

Asked whether he was consulted in the decision-making process on demonetisation, the former CEA said, “In the book, I said that this is not a Kiss and Tell memoir, that is for gossip columnists.”

Referring to criticism that he did not speak on demonetisation when he was working for the government and now he is raising the issue to sell his book, Subramanian said, “People will say whatever they say, right.”

“But through my new book, I was drawing attention to the puzzle, the big puzzle, 86 per cent reduction in cash (after demonetisation) and yet the impact on the economy was much less,” he said.

The former CEA also wondered whether much less impact on the economy after demonetisation was due to current GDP calculation method.

“Is it (less impact on the economy after note ban) because we are not measuring GDP correctly, or is it because our economy is very resilient,” Subramanian who currently teaches at Harvard Kennedy School remarked.

‘In the six quarters before demonetisation, growth averaged 8 per cent and in the seven quarters after, it averaged about 6.8 per cent (with a four-quarter window, the relevant numbers are 8.1 per cent before and 6.2 per cent after),’ Subramanian wrote in the chapter The Two Puzzles of Demonetisation — Political and Economic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016, had announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.

On the recent spat between the government and Reserve Bank of India over a host of issues, Subramanian opined that the autonomy of RBI must be protected because the country will benefit by having strong institutions.

“But, I think there must also be cooperation, consultation and everything. Both have to happen,” he asserted.

On rising intolerance in the country, Subramanian said the experience in the world shows that the countries witness better economic development if there is more social peace. Subramanian was the CEA in finance ministry from October 2014 to June 2018.  — PTI


10:55  FPIs pull out nearly Rs 400-cr in just 5 sessions on global cues:  

Foreign investors have pulled put close to Rs 400 crore from the Indian stock market in the last five trading sessions amid weakness in global equities due to the arrest of a high-profile Chinese executive.

 

This comes following a net inflow of over Rs 6,900 crore in the equity market by Foreign Portfolio Investors on easing crude oil prices and a strengthening rupee.

According to depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of Rs 383 crore from equities from December 3-7.

However, they put in Rs 2,744 crore in the debt markets during the period under review.

After making a spirited comeback in November, FPIs have once again turned net sellers in the Indian equity markets in the month of December.

“In fact, the sell-off was triggered on Thursday December 6, when FPIs sold net assets worth Rs 361 crore in a single day. This could be largely attributed to the weakness in the global markets due to the arrest of a high-profile Chinese executive which led to a sharp fall in the stock markets globally,” said Himanshu Srivastava, Senior Analyst Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Adviser India.

“Investors fear that the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies — US and China — could deteriorate following the arrest and hurt economic growth. Consequently, they chose to adopt a cautious stance and shun risky assets, such as their investments in emerging markets like India, which are more susceptible to weak global cues,” he added.

The sell-off by FPIs was triggered after Chinese telecom giant Huawei’s CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is also the company founder’s daughter, was arrested in Canada for extradition to the US for suspected Iran sanctions violations.

FPIs have pulled out over Rs 85,600 crore from the capital markets so far this year. This includes more than Rs 35,600 crore from equities and Rs 50,000 crore from the debt market. — PTI 

image

10:45  Won’t hesitate to launch another surgical strike if need arises: Army :  

Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Devraj Anbu has said the security forces would not hesitate to launch another surgical strike against terrorists if the need to do so arises.

 

“The surgical strike on militant launchpads across the border was a show of strength by our armed forces and we won’t hesitate to do it again if the enemy challenges us,” Lt Gen Anbu said in reply to a question by reporters on the sidelines of the Indian Military Academy’s Passing Out Parade in Dehradun on Saturday.

India conducted the surgical strike on September 29, 2016 across the Line of Control as a response to a terrorist attack on an Indian Army base in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir earlier that month. Nineteen Indian soldiers died in the attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

On Friday, Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda, who was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out, said the constant hype around the precision operation was unwarranted. He, however, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success of the military action.

Responding to a question from the audience during a panel discussion in Chandigarh, Lt Gen Hooda said in hindsight, it would have been better had “we done it (surgical strikes) secretly”.

On the plans to give women combat roles in the armed forces, Lt Gen Anbu said different aspects of the proposition are being examined as conditions along the borders with Pakistan and China are different from the rest of the country.

In July this year, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police.

In November, he said the Indian Army is not yet ready to have women in combat roles. He said there are several other fields where the Army was thinking of inducting women and there were plans to have women as interpreters.

Lt Gen Anbu was in Dehradun to address the POP at IMA as the reviewing officer.

The POP saw a total of 427 gentlemen cadets including 80 from seven friendly foreign countries graduating from the academy. — PTI  


10:40  Trump nominates Gen Mark Milley as next Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff:  

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday nominated General Mark Milley as his next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s top military advisor.

If confirmed by the Senate, Gen Milley would replace General Joe Dunford who is scheduled to retire next summer. Milley currently is Chief of Staff of the Army.

       

“I am pleased to announce my nomination of four-star General Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the United States Army as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing General Joe Dunford, who will be retiring,” Trump said in a tweet.

 

Milley has served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

“I am thankful to both of these incredible men for their service to our country! Date of transition to be determined,” Trump said ahead of the Army-Navy football game later in the day, which he is scheduled to attend. PTI 

image

09:59  J-K: Encounter between security forces and terrorists continues for 2nd day:  

An encounter between terrorists and the security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar entered into the second day on Sunday, police said.

 

A cordon-and-search operation was launched near the Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on Saturday evening. 

The encounter ensued after a forces’ party was fired upon by some terrorists, a police officer said.

 

The gunfight resumed this morning and the operation to flush out the terrorists is on, the officer said.

 

He said while the firing was stopped for the night, the forces had cordoned of the area to stop the militants from escaping. 

Authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in the city as a precautionary measure, the official added. — PTI  


09:46  Union minister Ramdas Athawale slapped at public event in Maharashtra:  

Union minister Ramdas Athawale has been slapped by a man at a public event in Maharashtra’s Ambernath town, police said.

 

The incident took place Saturday night as the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment was coming down from the stage, a police official said.

The accused has been identified as Pravin Gosavi. He was later beaten up by Athwale’s supporters.

Gosavi has been shifted to the state-run J J hospital in Mumbai after receiving initial treatment in Ambernath, police said.

The motive behind the attack was not known and police are investigating the matter. — PTI 

image

09:22  Armyman named in Bulandshahr cop’s killing held in J&K:  

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested armyman Jitendra Malik, one of the suspects in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar during Bulandshahr mob violence.

“We’ve arrested army jawan Jitendra Malik. He was handed over by the army at 12:50 am today (Saturday). Preliminary interrogation has been done. He is being sent to Bulandshahr and will be produced before court for judicial custody,” said senior superintendent of police Abhishek Singh of Special Task Force in Meerut.

Jitendra alias Jeetu Fauji was detained by the 22 Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore town in Jammu and Kashmir and was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police for further investigation on Saturday.

“He accepted he was there when crowd started gathering. Prima facie, it has been found true. It’s not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot Inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones on police. Forensic of his mobile will be done,” Singh added.

Earlier on Saturday, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that the army will extend full cooperation to the Uttar Pradesh Police in the investigation of the incident.

On December 3, clashes erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr after cattle carcasses were found in a field, which led to agitation by locals demanding the closure of all illegal animal slaughterhouses. In the protests that ensued, policeman Kumar and a civilian Sumit were killed.  — ANI

image

09:12  Chief of Staff John Kelly to step down by year-end: Trump:  

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said his Chief of Staff John Kelly would be leaving the White House by the end of this year, the latest in the series of reshuffle in the Trump administration. 

 

A retired marine general, 68-year-old Kelly has been Trump’s Chief of Staff since July 31, 2017. In the first seven months of the Trump administration, he was the secretary of Homeland Security.

There were reports that the relationship between Trump and Kelly has deteriorated to such an extent that the two were no longer on speaking terms. 

“John Kelly will be leaving I don’t know if I can say ‘retiring’. But, he’s a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Kelly, who was brought in by Trump after he fired Reince Priebus, has been instrumental in bringing in a sense of discipline inside the White House.  

No replacement of Kelly has been named yet. 

“We will be announcing who will be taking John’s placeI shall be announcing that over the next day or two. But, John will be leaving at the end of the year. He has been with me almost two years now,” Trump said.

Earlier in the day, Trump nominated General Mark Milley as his next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s top military advisor.

If confirmed by the Senate, Gen Milley would replace General Joe Dunford who is scheduled to retire next summer. Milley currently is Chief of Staff of the Army.

Trump described Gen Milley as a “great gentleman and a great patriot”. — PTI

image

09:11  Film producer Prerna Arora held for cheating Vashu Bhagnani:  

The Economics Offences Wing of Mumbai police arrested Bollywood producer Prerna Arora for allegedly cheating film-maker Vashu Bhagnani of a sum of Rs 32 crore, a senior official said Saturday.

According to the official, Arora had taken money from Bhagnani’s firm Pooja Entertainment for exclusive rights of a film.

The official said that Arora had, similarly, taken money from multiple investors promising each of them exclusive rights to the same film.

None of these investors was told about the other leading to breach in contract, the Mumbai police official said.

Arora was arrested Friday and has been remanded in EOW custody till December 10, he said.

Bhagnani had earlier claimed he was given parallel rights for films Fanney Khan and Batti Gul Meter Chalu by Arora’s company KriArj Entertainment.

Bhagnani could not be reached for comments on Saturday.

Arora was also embroiled in a court battle with actor-producer John Abraham for the film Parmanu, and other films like Kedarnath, Batti Gul Meter Chalu and Fanney Khan. PTI 

image

08:57  India is not a ‘dharamshala’ for illegal immigrants: Amit Shah on NRC:  

BJP chief Amit Shah said on Saturday that Indians have the right to the country’s resources, and it is not a ‘dharamshala’ where illegal immigrants can come to settle down.

 

Describing illegal immigration as threat to the country, Shah said that the National Register of Citizens is a way to solve the basic problems of the country and should not be connected to the BJP. 

“The NRC should not be seen by connecting it with the BJP only. It is a way to solve the country’s basic problems. How is it possible that anyone can come and settle down here? The country cannot run like this. Those who are its citizens should stay here only and they only have the right to the resources of this country. 

“This country is not a dharamshala (charitable shelter home) that anyone can come and settle down here,” Shah said while speaking at the Jagran Forum organised by the Dainik Jagran media group.

Taking on opposition over the issue, the BJP chief alleged that the intruders have been used as a vote bank for 70 years and they are a threat to the country, whereas BJP believes in taking tough decisions which are in the interest of the country.

“They (intruders) should be identified. Delete their names from the electoral roll. The BJP clearly believes that they should be identified and deported. Intruders are also threaten the security of the country,” he said while replying to a question on the NRC.

Assam, which faced an influx of people from Bangladesh since the early 20th century, is the only state having a National Register of Citizens (NRC), first prepared in 1951. It is being updated under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.

The complete draft of the NRC was published on July 30 and included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total applications of 3.29 crore. Those omitted have been given an opportunity to submit documents afresh to prove their residency.

Meanwhile, at the same event, Shah said the BJP will do well in all five states where polling has concluded and will win Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. — PTI 

image

08:46  Mexico’s Vanessa Ponce de Leon crowned Miss World 2018:  

Mexico’s Vanessa Ponce de Leon on Saturday won the coveted Miss World 2018 crown at a grand event held in the Chinese city Sanya. 

 

India’s Anukreethy Vas failed to make a mark at the pageant as she could not even make it to the top 30.

Thailand’s Nicolene Pichapa Limsnukan was declared the 1st runner-up. 

The top five also included Belarus’ Maria Vasilevich, Jamaica’s Kadijah Robinson and Uganda’s Quiin Abenakyo.

Former Miss World Manushi Chillar presented the crown to the new winner during the pageant in which 118 contestants participated.

“I can’t believe it. This is for everyone in Mexico and the people who supported me. They deserve a great representative and I hope I make them proud. I will do as much as I can in the time I have got. Thank you so much, everyone,” 26-year-old Vanessa said after winning the crown.

Vas, a 19-year-old student from Tamil Nadu, was crowned Miss India 2018 in June this year. — PTI

Image: India’s Manushi Chillar, former Miss World pageant, crowns Mexico’s Vanessa Ponce de Leon as Miss World 2018. Photograph: Miss World/Instagram 

image

08:38  Dilution of civil liberties will lead to disorder anarchy, says ex-CJI Misra:  

Former chief justice of India Dipak Misra on Saturday said liberty is a “permanent value” which cannot be “bartered” and any dilution of civil liberties will lead to disorder and anarchy.

    

“Life without liberty is meaningless… life and liberty must welcome dissent, discord, disagreement. Without them life is a rose without fragrance,” Misra, who had presided over benches which delivered key verdicts related to fundamental rights like liberty, sexual autonomy and dignity, said at the Jagran Forum organised in New Delhi on the 75th anniversary of the Dainik Jagran.

Quoting former US president Thomas Jefferson, Misra said, “When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, it  is tyranny”.

   

The former CJI referred to recent judgments by Constitution benches of the apex court on issues like decriminalising consensual gay sex and allowing women of all age groups into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. He stressed that the right to choose was a key part of liberty. 

“When the court struck it (provision criminalising homosexuality) down, various opinions were drafted but the basic was that you must have choice, dignity and autonomy,” he said.

Civil liberties are the cornerstone of the nation and their “dilution” will “lead to disorder anarchy”, he said, stressing that protection of civil rights should be the sole guiding force.

 

The CJI also said that if anybody plays with the Constitution, “then he should know that he is compromising with the rights of his future generations”

  

Speaking during the panel discussion, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was of the view that the apex court decision on consensual gay sex came as “society was ready” for it.  However, former Supreme Court judge Gyan Sudha Misra said gays, lesbians and transgenders suffer from “psychological disability” and “should be given counselling”.

   

Rohatgi hailed the apex court verdict which decriminalised consensual gay sex between two adults, but differed with the majority verdict which allowed all women to enter the Sabarimala temple. 

  

“The judgement came because of the change in the society. The society has slowly started accepting it in the past few years in India. The society was ready for it. It is not so that the Supreme Court judgement came and then the society is accepting it. The society was ready for it and hence the judgement came,” said Rohatgi.

He, however, did not agree with top court’s decision in the Sabarimala case, saying it was not for five judges to sit and decide whether a practice that has been continuing for hundreds of years was correct or not. 

 

“The religious practices at Sabarimala are continuing since hundreds of years. The question is not whether the practises are right or wrong. Five judges cannot sit and decide that what have been going on for hundreds of years is right or wrong. The Supreme Court’s decision is wrong.

 

“I agree with the dissenting judge in the verdict who said that religious practices cannot be tested on reason and logic. The Supreme Court’s decision on Sabarimala was based on reason and logic,” said Rohatgi. — PTI

image

08:10  Entire world knows Pak link to 26/11: Gen Rawat:  

Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Saturday said the international community knew about the role of Pakistani terrorists in the Mumbai terror attack and that India did not want anyone’s acknowledgement about it.

 

The army chief’s comments came when asked about reported remarks of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that the 2008 Mumbai attack was “an act of terrorism” and that resolving the case was in Pakistan’s interest.

Khan’s comments during a media interview was seen as an indirect acknowledgement of involvement of Pakistani terrorists in the attack. 

“International community knows who did it…but even without it, we knew who did it,” Gen. Rawat said on the sidelines of an event when asked about Khan’s reported comments.

The army chief, however, said acceptance by Pakistan about the 26/11 terror attack was good. 

He further said, “We know who did it. I don’t think we have to get anymore statement from anybody.”

Asked about comments by former Northern Army Commander Lt General (retd) D S Hooda that the “hype” around the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launchpads along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir was unwarranted and that it is not good when military operations get politicised, Gen Rawat said the remarks were an individual’s opinion.

At the same time, Gen Rawat said, he respected Lt Gen (retd) Hooda’s words.

As Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen (retd) Hooda was involved in planning and execution of the surgical strikes. — PTI  

Source: Rediff