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LIVE! AIADMK veteran joins 'older brother' Panneerselvam's camp

Reply date for I-T queries on deposits extended till Feb 15:  

Government today extended the window for assessees receiving SMS or e-mail queries from the income tax department on cash deposits post demonetisation by 5 days to February 15. 

“Time limit for filing of online response to cash deposit data extended! Now you can file your details by February 15, 2017, #Operation Clean Money,” the I-T department said in a tweet.

On January 31, the tax department had launched ‘Operation Clean Money’ under which it had sent SMS and e-mails to 18 lakh assessees in the initial phase for suspicious cash deposits of Rs 5 lakh and above made during November 9-December 30, 2016.

These people had to reply to these queries by logging onto the e-filing portal of the I-T department within 10 days of receipt of communication.

Post demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes on November 8, the government had asked holders of such notes to deposit them in bank accounts by December 30.

The department has since garnered a large amount of data on deposits made in banks. It has also segregated the data for deposits between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 80 lakh and Rs 80 lakh and above.

AIADMK veteran joins ‘older brother’ Panneerselvam’s camp:  

Veteran AIADMK leader and party spokesperson C Ponnaiyan is the latest to join Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s camp.

Addressing media persons, Ponnaiyan says: “Panneerselvam is the only person who can lead the party, no one else can including Sasikala”

“In present situation, the person who has been with the party for so many years & assumed the duty of CM two times is only OPS.”

“Sasikala never allowed anyone to see Jayalalithaa at Apollo. I went to the hospital everyday but was not allowed to see her.”

“Panneerselvam is our older brother and he is our choice for Chief Minister post.”

“Only OPS has the capacity to lead the party. He was selected by Amma herself.”

Reliance Defence Q3 net loss narrows to Rs 133 crore:  

Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd’s net standalone net loss narrowed to Rs 132.7 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2016, on the back higher revenue from operations. 

The company had posted a net loss of Rs 293.6 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous fiscal, Reliance Defence and Engineering said in a filing to BSE.

Total income from operations more than doubled to Rs 122.7 crore from Rs 51.4 crore in the year-ago period.

Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd has the largest engineering infrastructure in India and is one of the largest in the world.

The company is the first private sector firm in India to obtain licence and contract to build warships.

Assessees receiving cash gifts or donations of Rs 20,000 or more from a person post cash ban need to give details to I-T department.

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Being Bal Thackeray’s son makes me the boss: Uddhav:  

Amid his high-voltage campaigning for the Mumbai civic polls, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today sought to assert his legitimacy in calling the shots in the party’s prime political space, invoking the legacy of his late father and party founder Bal Thackeray. 

“…Yes, I am. I definitely am the boss being (late) Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray’s son. Even they (BJP) have to accept that I am the boss as I also head a powerful organisation. But, these (BJP leaders) are the people who can merely level allegations, but have no worth,” Thackeray said in the second part of his interview in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

He alleged that the BJP-led governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre only tried to constantly pull the Sena’s leg, instead of supporting it in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. 

“All this is being done with political motives. Only if they stop pulling our leg all the time, it will be a big support to us,” Thackeray said.

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TV visuals show MLAs in Golden Bay surrounding Sasikala, seeking her blessings and pledging support to her.

ANI reports: Sasikala leaves Golden Bay resort after holding a meet with MLAs in Kuvathu

AIADMK power crisis: Security tightened at Raj Bhavan, heavy police deployment.

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Drama is coming to a close soon: OPS camp:  

K Pandiarajan, Tamil Nadu education minister, who on Saturday joined the O Panneerselvam camp makes loaded statements. 

He tells ANI, “Drama is coming to a close soon. I’m at least in touch with 20 of them (MLAs) so I don’t think phones are switched off.”

“Our number will be more than what it is today & it will land at 135.”

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Drama is coming to a close soon: OPS camp:  

K Pandiarajan, Tamil Nadu education minister, who on Saturday joined the O Panneerselvam camp makes loaded statements. 

He tells ANI, “Drama is coming to a close soon. I’m at least in touch with 20 of them (MLAs) so I don’t think phones are switched off.”

“Our number will be more than what it is today & it will land at 135.”

Sasikala reaches Golden Bay Resort in Kuvathur to meet MLAs

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PM lauds missile defence test, uses it to mock Oppn :  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lauded the successful test of interceptor missile and used the occasion to take a dig at opponents, saying they would now have to travel “very high” if they want proof of it.

Addressing an election rally, Modi congratulated the scientists for developing the defence system. 

He said the opposition would now come seeking the proof of the successful test.

“They (opposition) ask proof of surgical strikes. Now if they question this feat, they have to travel very high to check its authenticity,” he said at an election rally in Badaun, UP. 

His remarks came hours after India successfully test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system. 

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BHIM app is now on iOS platform:  

National Payments Corporation of India today said Bharat Interface for Money, the platform for making easy and quick payments, is available on Apple app store for download and use. 

The BHIM app on iOS platform is equipped with features such as pay to Aadhaar number, customer redressal mechanism with drop down menu, NPCI said in a statement. 

“The BHIM app will now cater to almost 100 per cent smartphone users in the country with the launch on iOS platform. This will ensure wider acceptance for digital transactions among consumers across all sections,” said NPCI managing director and CEO A P Hota.

The languages offered currently are English and Hindi. BHIM is a smart mobile phone based app that allows simple, easy and quick payment transactions using UPI. 

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Sasikala set to meet AIADMK MLAs at Koovathur resort:  

Soon after requesting the Tamil Nadu Governor to allot time to parade party MLAs supporting her, AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala today set out to meet the legislators staying at a nearby resort. 

She left from the Poes Garden residence to meet the MLAs staying at Koovathur near Chennai.

Sasikala is expected to hold discussions with the MLAs about the prevailing situation, party sources said. 

Earlier in the day, she had written to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, seeking an appointment with him today along with all MLAs supporting her “regarding the further course of action to form the government”.  

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RBI Guv nudges banks to reduce lending rates:  

RBI Governor Urjit Patel today exhorted banks to reduce their lending rates to push credit demand in laggard segments, saying banks have benefited from influx of low-cost deposits and its previous repo rate cuts. 

“One the amount of reduction in the repo rate that we have undertaken combined with the fact that banks have benefited immensely from the influx of deposits which are CASA deposits, that has come into the system. 

“And the weighted average lending rate reduction has been considerably less, given that we feel that there is some scope for further reduction in lending rates and if you see that for sectors like housing, personal etc the reduction has been much more than for other sectors by the same bank,” he said.

He expressed hope that there could be a cut in lending rates in some sectors where reduction has been relatively lower so far.

Earlier this week, RBI retained the repo rate, at which it lends to the system, at 6.25 per cent and the reverse repo rate at 5.75 per cent. 

However, the central bank had reduced its repo rate by a total 1.75 percentage points between January 2015 and September 2016.

With regard to inflation, Patel said there is no change in stance as far as retail inflation targeting is concerned.

Poll update: 45 per cent votes polled till 2 pm in UP

2 AIADMK Lok Sabha MPs join Panneerselvam camp:  

Caretaker Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam got a shot in the arm when two AIADMK Lok Sabha MPs today joined his camp. 

AIADMK MPs from Namakkal and Krishnagiri, P R Sundaram and K Ashok Kumar today extended support to Panneerselvam, who has raised a banner of revolt against AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala. 

He has also launched a signature campaign to convert the Poes Garden residence of his predecessor, the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, into a memorial.

He had earlier made an announcement in this regard. 

In a rarely seen intra-party political tussle in the AIADMK, Panneerselvam openly revolted against Sasikala on February 7, two days after she was elected the Legislature Party leader for her elevation as Chief Minister. 

He had alleged that he was forced to step down as chief minister to make way for Sasikala. 

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Sasikala ‘warns’: Will do what is needed after a point:  

More highlights of what Sasikala told media persons at Poes Garden: 

* “No one can shake our fort. Amma ran this party with many challenges. We will do the same. We are not going to be scared of anything. Legally, democratically, we will do everything.”

* “Amma is confident that I’ll look after AIADMK; Relentless work by Amma has made AIADMK 3rd largest party. Amma is with us now.”

* “As long as Amma stands by me, the maneuvering of a few people won’t bring me down.”

* “I have the responsibility to lead this party and this government.”

* “We can only be patient for a while. After that, we will get together and do what is needed.”

* “Amma is showing us betrayers of our party; People who think they can separate our party that has 1.5 cr people will only face defeat.”

Sangeet Som’s brother held for carrying gun inside polling booth:  

Controversial BJP leader Sangeet Som’s brother Gangan Som was today detained by police for carrying a pistol inside a polling booth in Meerut. 

Gagan reached the polling booth in Sardhana Assembly seat at 9am. The security personnel deployed there frisked him and found a pistol in his possession. He was immediately detained, police said.

Officials said that as per the poll code, those possessing licensed weapons are required to deposit them with the police. The permission to keep arms is granted in special cases only.

Sangeet is the sitting MLA from Sardhana and had shot to limelight for his controversial speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

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Sasikala writes to Guv, seeks appointment to prove majority:  

Tamil Nadu crisis: Sasikala writes letter to Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, seeks appointment to prove majority today itself.

In the letter, she also questioned the delay in the oath ceremony. (On the left: The full letter)

On Saturday, she came before media persons to say, “We are showing patience in the interest of democracy. But will do what is required after a point.”

“1.5 crore cadre have been left by Amma. A few people’s games will not be able to do anything.”

“Whoever attempts to divide us will destroy themselves. We will win.”

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TN crisis: Minister Ma Foi Pandiarajan joins OPS camp:  

In a crucial development in the ongoing power tussle in Tamil Nadu, state School Education Minister Ma Foi Pandiarajan is the latest to extend support to O Panneerselvam. 

Ma Foi had been in the Sasikala camp and had criticised Panneerselvam earlier for his rebellion.

Ma Foi is at present at OPS’s residence to offer his support.

“In the interest of the unity of AIADMK, I have decided to join OPS. Every MLA wishes that AIADMK stays together, so I invite all of them to join us,” he told media persons before meeting OPS.

Earlier in the day, Panneerselvam started off a signature campaign to turn Jayalalithaa’s ‘Veda Nilayam’ into a memorial.

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First photo in 25 years; SRK, Aamir’s selfie moment:  

The two biggest Khans of Bollywood Aamir and Shah Rukh finally came together for the first picture in 25 years.

Shah Rukh, 51, who is mostly clicked hanging out with good friend Salman Khan, took to Twitter to share buddy selfie with the “Dangal” star.

“Known each other for 25 years and this is the first picture we have taken together of ourselves. Was a fun night,” SRK captioned the photo.

In the picture both the actors are dressed in white and Aamir, 51, is seen sporting his “Thugs of Hindostan” look. 

SRK and Aamir attended the 50th birthday bash of entrepreneur Ajay Bijli. The party was attended by several Bollywood celebrities including Karan Johar, who clicked the picture of the two Khans with Ajay.

Sebi evolving as per needs of economy: Jaitley:  

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said Sebi is evolving as per the requirements of the economy and markets as a professional organisation, as he discussed his Budget initiatives with the markets regulator. 

After addressing Sebi’s board and top officials at a customary post-Budget meeting, Jaitley said he also discussed the future agenda for the capital markets regulatory body, including the evolving technological and policy changes. 

“Sebi is a professional organisation with a considerable experience in this line and has been evolving as per the needs of the economy and the markets itself,” Jaitley told reporters after his post-Budget address to Sebi’s board. 

“Primarily, we discussed issues relating to markets … subjects related to future agenda, some of which are Sebi’s own agenda because of various evolutions in markets and technologies and some of which are necessitated by Budget announcements…

“It is those subjects which we have discussed at the meeting today,” the minister said.

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PM Modi likes ‘peeping into bathrooms’, says Rahul:  

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his raincoat jibe against his predecessor Manmohan Singh and said that he is a peeping tom who loves to get a peek into other people’s bathroom. 

“The Prime Minister is fond of Google searching, peeping into others’ bathrooms. Let him do that in his free time but his main job is that of a Prime Minister in which he has been a cent per cent failure,” Gandhi said while addressing a joint press conference here with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Gandhi’s jibe come a day after Modi, while campaigning in the poll bound state, mocked the Congress leader for being the “most joked about politician”.

The Prime Minister had earlier attracted the wrath of the Congress over his “bathing wearing a raincoat” barb at his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

“The country’s biggest problem is lack of jobs. Modi promised two crore jobs but has not fulfilled even one per cent of his promise. Modi talks a lot about security, terrorism and surgical strikes.”

“But the result is we have suffered most number of casualties in the last seven years. Over 90 of our security personnel have been killed,” said Gandhi while referring to the Indian Army’s September 29 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied territory.

ANI reports: BJP wins all three MLC seats in UP where elections were held: Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Bareilly

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India’s iconic Ambassador brand sold to Peugot for Rs 80 crore:  

Ambassador, the iconic Indian car brand that till less than a decade ago carried both the Prime Minister and the common man, is being sold to French carmaker Peugeot.

The C K Birla Group-owned Hindustan Motors formalised the deal for Rs 80 crore on Friday. Production of Ambassador cars had stopped around three years ago.

“We have executed an agreement with the Peugeot SA Group for the sale of the brand Ambassador, including the trademarks… We intend to use the proceeds from the sale to clear dues of employees and lenders,” a CK Birla Group spokesperson told the Times of India.

To those who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, Ambassador wasn’t just a car; it was an inseparable part of India’s urban landscape.

Launch of PSLV-C37/Cartosat -2 Series satellite is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 9.28 am from Sriharikota.

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UP first phase: 12% voting till 10 am:  Around 12 per cent voting was recorded on Saturday in first phase of Uttar Pradesh till 10 am.

In volatile Western UP, Bulandshahr recorded 12 per cent voting and Muzaffarnagar 15 per cent.

Aligarh witnessed 10.5 per cent voting, whereas Agra saw 12 per cent.

Kasganj, Mathura and Shamli recorded 8.67 per cent , 12.29 per cent and 12.33 per cent voting respectively.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party won all three legisltaive council seats — Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Bareilly –in UP where elections were held. — ANI

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Chinese soldier who crossed border in 1962 reaches home:  Wang Qi, the Chinese soldier who crossed over to India post the 1962 war and raised a family in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, has arrived in Beijing along with his family members, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup informed.

“Two of our Mission officials are also travelling with Wang Qi and family to their hometown,” Swarup said.

Wang Qi, now 77, was caught when he entered the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962. He was later released from jail.

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‘Alliance between 2 youngsters’: Akhilesh, Rahul release CMP:  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi launch the alliance’s 10-point common minimum programme. 

Launching the programme, Akhilesh said, in a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that ‘no one should get so emotional or so angry during the election’.

He also said that ‘some people do Mann ki Baat but no Kaam ki Baat’, in another dig at the PM.

Rejecting the PM’s claims that this is an alliance between ‘two families’, the two leaders said that this is an alliance between two youngsters and their vision.

Following are some of the commitments under the CMP:

– 33 per cent reservation for women in assembly. 

– Free cycle to the girls of Class 9 to Class 12. 20 lakh youth to be trained for jobs.

– Free power to farmers. 

– Free homes to poor.

UP polls: Police has detained Gagan Som, brother of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sangeet Som, for carrying a pistol inside the polling booth in Sardhana, Meerut.

JUST IN: Fire breaks out in basement of Tata Cancer hospital in Mumbai. Four fire engines and 4 water tankers at the spot.

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UP votes: 10.56% polling in first phase so far:  

The first phase of Uttar Pradesh eections has recorded 10.56 per cent voting till 9 am.

Muzaffarnagar recorded 15 per cent voting, while Aligarh and Bulandshar recorded 10.5 per cent and 12 per cent voting respectively till 9 am.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of Pankaj Singh (Noida seat), son of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman Srikant Sharma is in fray, Mriganka Singh (Kairana), daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana — Sardhana and Thanabhawan respectively.

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UP votes: EVM glitches delay voting in Mathura, Baghpat:  Polling was delayed in booth number 42 in Mathura’s Govardhan as well as in booth numbers 119 and 120 in Baghpat on Saturday as Electronic Voting Machines were found non-operational.

Voting has begun for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Saturday morning.

The election process will be held in 73 assembly constituencies spear across 15 districts of the state. 

As many as 839 candidates are in fray in the first phase and votes are being cast at 26,823 polling stations.

Meanwhile in Baraut, officials at the polling booths offered red roses to women voters, saying the Election Commission have ordered them to do so.

The first phase will see 1,17,65,768 women voters. 

IMAGE: BJP candidate from Sardhana Sangeet Som flashes a victory sign after casting his vote on Saturday. Photograph: ANI

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Trump says considering signing new order on immigration:  

President Donald Trump has said he is considering issuing a ‘brand new’ executive order on immigration by next week, even though he expressed confidence that he will win the legal battle over the immigration ban on nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries.

“We will win that battle. The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order,” Trump told reporters travelling with him on Air Force One from Andrews Air Force Base to Florida.

Asked if his plan might be to issue a new executive order, Trump said: “It very well could be. We need speed for reasons of security, so it very well could be.”

Trump said that ‘in honour of the (9th US Circuit court) decision’ he will likely wait until next week to respond with any action.

“Perhaps Monday or Tuesday,” he said.

The new executive order on immigration would include security measures, Trump said.

“New security measures. We have very, very strong vetting. I call it extreme vetting and we’re going very strong on security. We are going to have people coming to our country that want to be here for good reason,” he said.

Speaking at the White House Trump said: “We will be doing something very rapidly to do with the additional security for our country. You’ll be seeing that sometime next week.”

Trump said there are tremendous threats to the country.

“We will not allow that to happen, I can tell you that right now. So we’ll be going forward and we’ll be doing things to continue to make our country safe. It will happen rapidly and we will not allow people into our country who are looking to do harm to our people,” he said.

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Uddhav questions Maria’s transfer during Sheena case probe:  

Needling the BJP which has made transparency its main plank for the BMC polls, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should reveal why former city police commissioner Rakesh Maria was transferred in the middle of the sensational Sheena Bora murder probe.

“You talk of transparency…Then tell everybody why Rakesh Maria was abruptly transferred while a crucial probe was on? And if Maria was guilty of some wrongdoing, why was no action been taken against him? What purpose did it serve to bring a new commissioner (Javed Ahmed) who in a few days was sent abroad,” Thackeray said while addressing a BMC poll rally in Mumbai.

Maria, who initially led the high-profile case and had also interrogated the accused, was shunted out of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner and promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards in September 2015. Maria recently retired from the service.

Thackeray further said had he broken the alliance with the BJP earlier, the chief minister’s post would have been with the Shiv Sena.

“We had been naive all this while but not any more. We cannot be with a party that uses photos of Chhatrapati Shivaji and (convicted criminal) Pappu Kalani on the same stage. Soon, they will start using photos of (underworld don) Dawood Ibrahim as well,” he said.

Thackeray said the development of Metro rail, the issue that the BJP is harping on, was actually initiated by the Congress government and that the BJP has only conducted the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremonies.

“Why is the BJP in a hurry to get votes on the works done by the Congress?” he asked. 

Source: Rediff