14:26 Congress to contest all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh:
Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Raj Babbar on Sunday held a press conference in Lucknow on partys Uttar Pradesh strategy for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, a day after BSP chief Mayawati and SP president Akhilesh Yadav announced their Uttar Pradesh alliance for 2019 polls, leaving no space for the Congress.
At the party headquarters in Lucknow, Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Congress party contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The Opposition leader said preparations for 2019 polls has begun now as Parliaments winter session has ended.
Nabi further said the Congress party welcomes anti-BJP alliances for 2019 polls, however, 2019 polls will be a direct contest between the Congress and BJP.
Congress has always tried to uplift the deprived sections and minorities, he said, adding that Congress doesnt make false promises as the BJP does. Congress has always seen that all people, irrespective of their religion, are respected and allowed to practice faith, the Congress leader said. Congress played a pivotal role in Indias independence and the party gave India its first prime minister, he said. Nabi said India is a free country due to the Congress party.
However, the SP-BSP alliance will field their candidates in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the traditions seats of Gandhi family and currently held by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi.
Addressing a press conference in Dubai on Saturday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said his party will fight the 2019 polls in Uttar Pradesh and country with full force. Congress is planning to hold 13 rallies by its president Rahul Gandhi in 13 zones of Uttar Pradesh in February to strengthen the party ahead of crucial Lok Sabha elections.
13:52 Amending Constitution for quota ‘harmful’, says Sharad Pawar:
Amending the Constitution to increase the reservation limit is “harmful” to its basic principles according to experts, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday, days after parliament cleared a bill to provide 10 per cent quota to economically backward sections among the general category.
He said last-minute decisions by the Narendra Modi government with an eye on polls will not be helpful in swaying the mood of the electorates.
Pawar further said political films like ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, based on former PM Manmohan Singh, and ‘Thackeray’, a biopic on Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, won’t have an impact on voters.
“According to the opinion of experts, amendment in Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution to allow reservations above 50 per cent will be harmful to the basic principles of the Constitution,” Pawar said here, replying to queries on the Centre’s move to grant reservation to poor among the general category.
“The Supreme Court cleared its stand on the policy of reservations more than two times. The SC decisions state that reservations cannot be above the limit of fifty per cent,” he added.
Speaking about films based on political personalities, Pawar said, “People will not change their opinions after seeing these films. I don’t think these films will play any crucial role in the coming elections. People will vote on the basis of their experiences.”
He claimed the Centre planned to have an extended Budget session of Parliament in order to pass some more bills with an eye on forthcoming general polls.
“The Modi government is trying to take some decisions in a hurry after sensing the mood of people. But people are well aware about such decisions taken after four-and-half years. People will see these decisions as jumlas (poll rhetoric),” he claimed.
— PTI
13:36 Triple talaq ordinance re-promulgated:
The government has re-promulgated the ordinance banning the practice of instant triple talaq.
Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, issued on Saturday, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
A Bill to convert the earlier ordinance, issued in September, 2018, was cleared by Lok Sabha in December and was pending in Rajya Sabha.
Since the Bill could not get the parliamentary approval, the fresh ordinance was issued. The Union Cabinet had last week approved reissuance of the ordinance.
Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial
These amendments were cleared by the Cabinet on August 29, 2018.
While the ordinance makes it a “non-bailable” offence, an accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail.
In a non-bailable offence, bail cannot be granted by police at the police station itself.
A provision has been added to allow the magistrate to grant bail “after hearing the wife”, the government had said.
The magistrate would ensure that bail is granted only after the husband agrees to grant compensation to the wife as provided in the bill
The police would lodge an FIR only if approached by the victim (wife), her blood relations or people who become her relatives by virtue of her marriage.
Neighbours and others cannot lodge a complaint under the ordinance.
The offence of instant triple talaq will be “compoundable”. A magistrate can use his powers to settle the dispute between a husband and his wife. This will happen only when the wife approaches the court
Under a compoundable offence, both parties have the liberty of withdrawing the case.
The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’ and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking “subsistence allowance” for herself and minor children.
A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.
— PTI
13:11 Month after mishap, NGT asks Meghalaya police to crack whip on illegal mining:
A month after 15 miners were trapped in a coal mine, search operations for which is still underway, a three-member committee of the National Green Tribunal has asked the Meghalaya Police to investigate into nearly 1200 cases of illegal quarrying across the state.
The green tribunal had imposed a blanket ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya in 2014, citing unscientific methods and absence of safety measures.
The three-member NGT committee, constituted in August last year, is currently studying the environmental aspects of rat-hole mining in the state.
An official said the police have been told that their probe should reach a logical conclusion after taking into account all 1200 cases of illegal rat-hole mining in East Garo Hills, South-West Khasi Hills and West and East Jaintia Hills districts.
Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed “rat-holes”, as each just about fits one person.
On December 13, water from nearby Lytein river flooded a network of tunnels in a coal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills, trapping 15 men and prompting a rescue attempt that has failed to yield any result so far.
That mining goes on unabated in the state can be gauged from the fact that heaps of freshly dug coal is dumped on both sides of the road that approaches Lumthari from Khliehriat, the district headquarters of East Jaintia Hills.
Meanwhile, official sources said the NGT committee, which has sought police investigation into the registered cases of illegal mining, is set to visit the state by January-end.
— PTI
12:46 Would have said same thing if defence minister was a man: Rahul on mahila remark:
Rahul Gandhi reiterated his controversial remarks of last week against Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale deal and insisted that he would have made similar comments even if the defence minister had been a man.
He insisted that the PM should have defended himself in Parliament on the Rafale deal instead of deputing Sitharaman.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped Anil Ambani steal Rs 30,000 crore and the House of the people Lok Sabha is where he should have defended himself but he chose to send another person and that person happened to be a woman, he said when asked about his remarks about Sitharaman on which the National Commission for Women has issued a notice to him.
Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of helping Anil Ambanis firm get an offset contract from Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The allegation has been denied by the Indian and French government as well as the two firms, Reliance Defence and Dassault Aviation.
I would have made a very similar comment if it had been a man. Do not impose your sexism on me. I am very clear that the prime minister should have delivered that defence but he did not have the guts.
He said the Congress has not yet got the answer whether defence ministry officials objected to the Prime Minister bypassing it on the Rafale deal. Sitharaman had spoken on behalf of the Prime Minister and defended the Rafale deal in the Lok Sabha.
Rahul Gandhi had made his remarks against Nirmala Sitharaman at a rally in Jaipur and had accused Prime Minister Modi of hiding behind a woman defence minister.
On Rafale, when we raised questions in the Lok Sabha, we asked the PM to answer some questions. The PM didnt come to the Lok Sabha for even a minute. Nirmala Sitharaman spoke for two and a half hours, but couldnt answer our questions. We demolished her arguments. But the PM couldnt show his face in Lok Sabha even for one minute, Rahul said.
He asked a woman to defend him, and you saw how for two and a half hours, she couldnt defend him, he said.
12:24 ‘Will kidnap, harm your daughter’: Kejriwal receives email threat:
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals office on Wednesday received an anonymous e-mail that threatened that the CMs daughter will be kidnapped and harmed, following which the Delhi Police reportedly provided a security cover to her.
A constable has been temporarily deployed for the security of Kejriwals daughter and will shadow her whenever she goes out, a senior police official, on condition of anonymity, said.
A Delhi Police spokesperson, who asked not to be named, confirmed that threat emails had been received and said that the matter is being probed by the cyber cell unit of Delhi Polices special cell. No case had been registered in connection to the case till Saturday evening. Kejriwals daughter works in a multinational company in Gurugram.
A senior police officer said that the chief ministers office received two-three emails on January 9 (Wednesday). The anonymous sender of the emails threatened to kidnap Kejriwals daughter. In the email, the unknown sender has claimed that they will harm the chief ministers daughter and have challenged him to do whatever he can do to protect her, the officer said.
11:50 Ivanka Trump, Nikki Haley in the race to replace World Bank president:
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and US President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka are among possible US candidates to replace outgoing World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, The Financial Times reported.
Kim abruptly announced Monday he was cutting short his tenure as the bank’s president more than three years before his second term was due to end.
In addition to Trump and Haley, who stepped down as US Ambassador to the United Nations last month, other names being floated include Treasury Undersecretary for International Affairs David Malpass and Mark Green, head of the US Agency for International Development, the newspaper reported.
Ivanka Trump in 2017 was the driving force behind a $1 billion, Saudi-supported World Bank fund to promote entrepreneurship by women. The Treasury Department told AFP on Friday that it had no comment in potential candidates.
Under an unwritten agreement, the United States, which is the bank’s largest shareholder, has always chosen its leader since the institution was founded following World War II. But the success of a US candidate no longer appears completely assured.
11:04 Mortal remains of Major V Nair brought to his hometown:
The mortal remains of Major Shashi Dharan V Nair, who was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Nowshera on Friday, were brought to his home in Pune in Khadakwasla on Sunday.
The Army bid an emotional adieu to the courageous officer and paid tributes to him, remembering his sacrifices for the nation.
A soldier Rifleman Jivan Gurung was also killed in the similar attack that took place along the LoC in Nowshera sector of Rajouri.
According to the Army PRO, Nair and Gurung, who got grievously injured, were immediately provided medical aid after the incident on Friday.
However, the duo later succumbed to their injuries.
The IED attack was planted by the Border Action Team of the Pakistan army with the aid from terrorists on the LoC. — ANI
10:56 Vijay Shankar to replace Pandya in Aus, Gill for NZ tour:
Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar will replace suspended Hardik Pandya for India’s ongoing ODI series in Australia while rookie Punjab opener Shubman Gill will be joining the national team during the limited over series in New Zealand.
“Initially, the selectors had picked Mayank Agarwal for K L Rahul and Vijay Shankar for Pandya but it has been learnt that Agarwal is nursing a niggle.
“That is why the team management has asked for only one replacement in Australia and that is Shankar. And Gill is being rewarded for his good show in Ranji Trophy and A-tours,” a source close to the selection committee told PTI.
Pandya and Rahul have been suspended pending an inquiry into their sexist comments on a TV show, ruling them out of the three-match ODI series against Australia.
They have already return home from Australia as the BCCI suspended them on Friday for their outrage-evoking comments on women, hours after the duo’s on-field leader Virat Kohli expressed his disapproval.
The 27-year-old Shankar is a middle-order batsman from Tamil Nadu who can also bowl medium pace. He has played in five T20s. — PTI
10:21 Citizenship Bill: Cong offers support to Assam CM for new govt if he quits BJP:
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Saturday asked Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to quit the Bharatiya Janata Party and form a new government with his party’s support, while the Asom Gana Parishad said it may restore its alliance with the saffron party if the Citizenship Amendment Bill is scrapped.
Saikia, the leader of Opposition in Assam assembly, talking to a local TV news channel in Guwahati said, “In view of the current situation in the state following the Citizenship Amendment Bill giving rise to protests here, Sarbananda Sonowal should leave BJP and come out with even just 40 of his MLAs.”
“We will have Sonowal only as the chief minister of Assam again. We have 25 legislators in the 126-member House. We can take support from AGP and other parties to form the new state government,” said the Congress leader.
The current 14th Assembly has 61 Bharatiya Janata Party, 25 Congress, 14 AGP, 13 All India United Democratic Front, 12 Bodoland Peoples Front and one independent MLA.
Meanwhile, the AGP, which had snapped ties with the two-and-a-half-year-old Sonowal government on January 7 over the Centre introducing and passing the Bill in Lok Sabha, indicated before reporters in Golaghat that it may restore its ties with BJP in the state.
Asked if his party would renew its alliance with the saffron party, AGP president Atul Bora said, “If the government scraps the bill giving rise to the need to discuss the issue in our party forum and depending on the need of the political situation…we may reconsider our alliance with BJP”. “Cannot say anything now till the Bill is dropped. We will observe their activities and as of now take a wait and watch stand”. — PTI
09:03 Zeenat-ul-Islam, one of the most dreaded terrorists, killed in J&K:
Two terrorists, including the one of the dreaded and oldest Zeenat-ul-Islam, were killed on Saturday in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Katpora area in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district last evening after receiving specific information about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.
As the forces were conducting the searches, the terrorists fired upon them.
The forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter in which two terrorists were killed, he said.
Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, the official said, adding that no collateral damage has been reported.
One of them was identified as dreaded terrorist Zeenat-ul-Islam, who was associated with the terror group Al Badr, the official said, adding that the identity of the second terrorist is being ascertained.
Zeenat, considered as an improvised explosive device (IED) expert, was earlier associated with another terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, the official said. — PTI
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Source: Rediff