Press "Enter" to skip to content

LIVE! No brides for men in this MP village without water

13:50  I-T dept launches new facility to link Aadhaar with PAN:  The Income Tax department has launched a new e-facility to link a person’s Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN), a mandatory procedure for filing IT returns now.

The department’s e-filing website– https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/– has created a new link on its homepage making it “easy” to link the two unique identities of an individual. The link requires a person to punch in his PAN number, Aadhaar number and the “exact name as given in the Aadhaar card”.

“After verification from the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India), the linking will be confirmed. In case of any minor mismatch in Aadhaar name provided, Aadhaar OTP (one time password) will be required,” the department said in its advisory to taxpayers and individuals. The OTP will be sent on the registered mobile number and email of the individual.

13:29  Turns out, ‘Farrago of distortions and misrepresentations’ is not a Tharoor original. Read
13:24  Sonia’s health stable, likely to be discharged soon:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi, hospitalised for food poisoning, is progressing well and is likely to be discharged in a day or two, authorities at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said today. Gandhi, 69, who underwent a shoulder surgery in the same hospital last year, had been admitted on May 7.

“The health condition of Sonia Gandhi who was admitted on Sunday for food poisoning is stable. She is progressing well and may be discharged in a day or two,” said Dr D S Rana, Chairman, Board of Management, Ganga Ram.

image

13:21  No brides for men in this MP village without water :  Water scarcity in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district has created an unforeseen problem for young lads as families are not willing to marry their daughters in the village.

“A wedding was lately cancelled as there was an acute water problem in the area. Nobody is ready to marry off their daughters here,” a Buxwaha resident.

Buxwaha village of Chhatarpur district is facing a severe water crisis. A village with population of 1000 has no water pipelines. People therefore, have to travel far to get water. The place earlier had two hand pumps that have run dry.

Jassu Ahriwar’ son’s wedding was called off due to water scarcity.

Ahriwal told ANI, ” The girl’s family liked the boy and the family, but given the state of water supply, things did not work out between the two sides and wedding was cancelled.”

Panchayat Head Rajesh Prajapati blamed it on the policies of the state government and cited the dropped water levels in the area as two reasons for acute water shortage.

“Besides, this region is mountainous and has already been declared parched. It might be happening that young lads are facing issues with respect to marriages as you guys have reported. We will take care of it and ensure that the issue is resolved and people live a happy life thereafter,” Prajapati added.

Image: A resident said a wedding was fixed but cancelled after the bride’s family realised the village had no water.

13:11  How to get caught for murder. Throw severed head at police station :  In a gruesome incident, a 17-year-old youth was decapitated and his head thrown into the premises of a police station here, the police said today.

After going through the CCTV footage of cameras near the police station, three persons in the age group of 20-24 years were arrested today in connection with the incident, they said.

Interrogation revealed that the youth was hacked to death and beheaded by one of the accused at Bahour in Puducherry, last night, due to previous enmity, police said.

After decapitating him, they travelled on a two-wheeler with the head wrapped in a gunny bag before throwing it into the premises of the Reddichavavadi police station last night, the police said.

The police managed to track them down after going through the CCTV footage. The decapitated body was found near the Bahour lake, they said.

image

12:52  Macron’s wife’s to take a Michelle Obama style role in France :  Emmanuel Macron’s wife will break with tradition and take on an official role as First Lady in France’s government.Although Brigitte Macron will not be paid for her job in the incoming administration, the 64-year-old will have a formal position and head up an office with its own budget, in contrast with her predecessors, reports the Independent.

“When you’re elected president of the Republic, you live with someone, you give your days and nights, you give your public life and your private life,’ Mr Macron told French broadcaster TF1.

“So the person who lives with you must have a role and be recognised in that role.’

image

12:35  Make no mistake, we are at war!:  “India has both the wherewithal and the will to fight the enemy, but is living in a make believe world of its own since it is yet to accept that it is indeed at war,” says military historian Colonel Anil A Athale (retd). Read the column on Rediff.com.

image

12:26  Fugitive Justice Karnan may have crossed Indian border today :  Controversial Calcutta high court judge C S Karnan who was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to jail for six months has seemingly gone missing.

A five-member team of Kolkata Police is in search

Justice Karnans close aide and his legal adviser told the Indian Express that Justice Karnan is evading arrest and may have left the country this morning and will return only if the President of India gives him an appointment.

The Chennai Police were told that Justice Karnan had left the Chepauk government guest house on Wednesday morning to visit Kalahasti, a temple town. However, when his cellphone was tracked, it had indeed gone to Kalahasti, but not the judge. The Express reports that the judge headed north.

Justice Karnan’s aide Kumar told the Indian Express that he may have crossed the Indian border to Nepal or Bangladesh. However, a road route from Chennai to any Indian border will take a minimum journey of 36 hours.

On Wednesday evening, a five-member Kolkata Police team, that arrived from Kolkata, travelled from Chennai to Kalahasti in search of Justice Karnans whereabouts and reportedly came back as the Andhra Police was also unable to help them track the convict judge anywhere in the state borders.

image

11:58  Triple Talaq case: SC bench likely to hold hearings on Sat, Sun :  The triple talaq hearing assumes significance as the apex court has decided to hear the case during the summer vacation and is likely to sit on Saturdays and Sundays to expeditiously decide the contentious and sensitive issues arising in the matter.

It holds importance as the Allahabad High Court in its verdict pronounced in the last week of April, had held the practice of triple talaq as unilateral and bad in law.

The High Court verdict had come while dismissing a petition filed by one Aaqil Jamil whose wife had filed a criminal complaint against him alleging that he had tortured her for dowry and when his demands were not met, he gave her triple talaq.

The apex court had on March 30 said that the Muslim practices of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy are issues that are “very important” and involve “sentiments”.

Influential Muslim organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have opposed court’s adjudication of these matters, maintaining these practices stemmed from the Holy Quran and were not open to a court of law.

The Muslim women, who have filed the petitions, have challenged the practice of triple talaq in which the husband, quite often, pronounces talaq thrice in one go, sometimes even by phone or text message.

Nikah Halala is a practice intended to curb the incidence of divorce under which a man cannot remarry his former wife without her having to go through the process of marrying someone else, consummating it, getting divorced, observing the separation period called ‘Iddat’ and then coming back to him again.

11:49  AAP workers block road outside Election Commission over issue of alleged manipulation of EVMs.

11:34  The five-judge bench has started to hear the first petition which is of Shayara Banu, who suffered instant, oral and unilateral triple talaq in October last year after 15 years of marriage. She went ahead and challenged the very provision of instantaneous triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat) and polygamy and nikah halala.

image

11:25  SC to examine if triple talaq is fundamental to Islam:  Chief Justice of India JS Khehar asks if triple talaq is an enforceable right or a sacrosanct part of Islam.  The CJI asked whether triple talaq is in fact a fundamental part of Islam and if so it will not interfere. The SC said that it will keep the matter limited to the issue, whether triple talaq and halala are fundamental to the religion or not.

The All India Muslim Personal Board has said any hearing on triple talaq, halala or polygamy is not maintainable and is outside the purview of courts.

The practice is vociferously opposed by womens organisations across the country who complain of abuse and exploitation by their husbands.

At the same time, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) backs the practice saying it is a valid way to end a marriage even though it may be wrong. After an executive meeting last month in Lucknow, AIMPLB president Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi said Muslims have complete constitutional right to practise their personal law, which also put the responsibility on the community to protect it by fully adhering to it.

Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mehal says triple talaq is a part of Muslim personal law; Constitution gives the right to practice personal laws.

Image: BR Chopra’s acclaimed eighties film Nikaah dealt with the triple talaq.

10:55  SC to examine if triple talaq is fundamental to Islam:   Just in: The SC has said it will examine if triple talaq is fundamental to Islam.

Farzana Faiz, a petitioner in the case says they will accept Allah’s Sharia, not the Mullah’s sharia.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court has begun the hearing on a clutch of petitions on triple talaq, polygamy and ‘nikah halala’.

image

10:46  5-judge SC bench begins hearing in triple talaq case :  The five-judge bench of the Supreme Court has begun the hearing on a clutch of petitions on triple talaq, polygamy and ‘nikah halala’.

The five judges belong to five different religions indicating religious diversity in the apex court.

The bench will be led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, the first Sikh to hold the post. Justice Kurian Joseph, only the sixth Christian to be elevated to the Supreme Court, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit of the Hindu community, Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman of the Parsi community and Justice Abdul Nazeer, a Muslim, are the other four judges on the Bench.

The practice is vociferously opposed by womens organisations across the country who complain of abuse and exploitation by their husbands.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) backs the practice saying it is a valid way to end a marriage even though it may be wrong.

10:34  Sensex scales another peak of 30,346.69; Nifty at 9,450.65:   The BSE Sensex continued with its record setting spree to quote at an all-time high of 30,346.69 while the NSE Nifty scaled a new peak of 9,450.65 in opening trade today on sustained fund inflows, largely driven by forecast of a normal monsoon, amid positive Asian cues. The 30-share index rallied by 98.52 points, or 0.32 per cent, to hit a new peak of 30,346.69, breaking its previous record of 30,271.60 points (intra-day) touched in yesterday’s trade.
image

10:32  Wedding hall collapse: CM Vasundhara Raje likely to visit Bharatpur:  Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is likely to visit the wedding hall that collapsed last night killing 25 people and injuring 28 in Bharatpur.

District Magistrate N.K. Gupta said that the incident was triggered due to a thunderstorm and rainfall in the district.

“To protect themselves from the rain, some guests tried to stand under a wall, which subsequently collapsed, killing 22 and injuring over 28 people, out of which two have been critically injured. They have been hospitalised and are being attended to by a team of doctors,” he said.

The incident took place in Annapurna Marriage Home located on Sewar road in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur.

image

10:04  Ahead of triple talaq hearing, Muslim women chant Hanuman Chalisa for help:  Proving yet again that India’s ‘unity in diversity’ is intact, Muslim women in Varanasi were seen reciting the Hanuman Chalisa ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing of the batch of pleas filed to end triple talaq.

The women said they are praying to Hanuman ahead of the hearing, so that they get rid of this custom.

One of the Muslim women, Shabana said God and Allah both are same, it is the people on earth who have divided it.

“We are praying to Hanuman-ji to get rid of triple talaq, which is a trouble for us. We are praying so that the decision is taken in our favour. Everybody is same. We on earth have divided people. Ishwar, Allah all are same,” she told ANI.

Another victim of triple talaq, Nagma while narrating her ordeal said how her husband denied to give any money for her daughter after giving her divorce.

“I want my husband to be punished so that other men think twice before doing so,” she said.

One of the priests of the temple here said the victims of triple talaq are praying before Lord Hanuman to end ‘malpractice’ of the custom.

“The victims of triple talaq have faith in Hanuman-ji. They are in a very bad shape. In such a situation, they have prayed before Lord Hanuman that the Supreme Court ends this custom of triple talaq. May Lord Hanuman protect them,” he told ANI.

PM Modi asks Muslim community not to politicise triple talaq issue, urges them to initiate reform.

The apex court is set to begin its marathon hearing tomorrow over the batch of pleas by Muslim women condemning the custom.

Shayara Banu, the first petitioner to challenge the Muslim personal law sparked the fight amongst Muslim women against instantaneous triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat), polygamy and nikah-halala.

Her rights and of many others remain to be recognized as the apex court prepares for the hearings.

image

09:51  With Republic TV, only the Opposition is being chased:  “First on Times Now’; “First on Republic’.”Super (Mega) Expose’ (Times Now); “Super Exclusive’ (Republic).
“The nation wants to know’ (Times Now); “Why should the nation not know’ (Republic).
“Shashi Tharoor is on the run’ running away from us’ (Republic); “Are they running away from answers?’ (Times Now, #GandhiVIPSaas).
“Sensational impact’ (Times Now); “Arvind stunned’, “Tharoor ratttled’ (Republic) — so is the writer, hence the spelling error, but never mind that.
You see how little separates them?

Shailaja Bajpai’s excellent piece for the Indian Express. Do read

image

09:41  PM to visit Lanka today, says it reflects strong relationship:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his visit to Sri Lanka beginning today is a sign of a “strong relationship” between the two countries and brings to the fore the shared heritage of Buddhism. During his two-day visit, he will participate in the International Vesak Day celebrations, the biggest festival of Buddhists, inaugurate a hospital built with Indian assistance and address the Indian-origin Tamil community, besides attending some other programmes.

“This will be my second bilateral visit there in two years, a sign of our strong relationship,” he said in a Facebook post, hours before travelling to Sri Lanka.

“During my visit, I will join the International Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo on 12th May, where I will interact with leading Buddhist spiritual leaders, scholars and theologians,” Modi wrote.

He said it was an honour for him to join these celebrations with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. “My visit brings to the fore one of the most abiding links between India and Sri Lanka – the shared heritage of Buddhism,” he said.

Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Mahabodhi tree in Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka during his 2015 visit.

image

09:25  Encounter on between BSF and Naxals in Chhattisgarh:  Weeks after 25 CRPF men were killed by Naxals, an encounter has broken out between the Maoists and the Border Security Force personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Pankhajur. 

On April 25, Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and six wounded in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district in what was known as the deadliest attack by Naxalites targeting security forces this year.

The Naxalites mounted the assault around 12.25 pm in Kalapathar area of south Bastar region, one of the worst-hit by Left-wing extremism in the country.

The incident occurred near Burkapal village within Chintagufa police station limits, Sukma Additional Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla said.

08:54  JUST IN: Justice C S Karnan, sentenced to six months for contempt, likely to move SC today seeking recall of the conviction order

08:48  PM Modi to begin his two-day Sri Lanka visit today:  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his two-day Sri Lanka visit today to attend International Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the chief guest.

This will be Prime Minister Modi’s second Sri Lanka visit.

He had toured Sri Lanka in March 2015. However, this visit will be apolitical.

During his visit, the PM will also be attending the lamp lighting ceremony at Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple in Colombo. He will also be unveiling a plaque commemorating the foundation laying of the faculty of the Kandyan dance, which is being constructed with India’s grant assistance.

The PM will also be visiting the hilly regions of Sri Lanka that host tea plantations. He will be inaugurating a 150-bed multi-specialty hospital at Dikoya.

image

08:34   ‘Important announcement at 9 am’, tweets AAP’s sacked minister Kapil Mishra:  Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra, who is on a hunger strike since yesterday, tweeted this morning: “Important announcement at 9 am.”

Mishra was attacked on Wednesday evening by a man who arrived around 5.30 pm at his residence in Civil Lines, where the party rebel is on an indefinite hunger strike over corruption charges he has levelled against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party colleagues.

The sacked minister is demanding that the Aam Aadmi Party divulge details of foreign tours undertaken by five leaders of the party. 

Mishra, who kicked up a storm when he said he’d seen Kejriwal “accept Rs 2 crore in cash” from Public Work Department Minister Satyendra Jain, had on Tuesday submitted three complaints to the Central Bureau of Investigation about AAP leaders indulging in graft and other irregularities.

image

08:24  Yes, have been spoken to: Gopal Gandhi on Opposition hunt for President:  

Former administrator, diplomat and Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi Wednesday said that Opposition leaders have reached out to him with a proposal to field him as the joint Opposition candidate for the forthcoming Presidential elections. Gandhi is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Yes, I have been spoken to. But the conversations have been of a very preliminary nature. It would not be right for me to say anything beyond that, Gandhi told The Indian Express.

Sources in the Opposition said a broad consensus is emerging on two names: Gandhi and that of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. But many Opposition parties are not keen on a Congress nominee as the presidential candidate.

Read full story HERE
image

07:58  Woman killed as Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC:  

A woman has died and another man was injured in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera sector on Wednesday night.

Pakistani Army initiated indiscriminate firing from small arms and mortars along the Line of Control in Nowshera sector in Rajouri district around 10.30 pm yesterday.

This comes a week after an Army officer and a Border Security Force constable were killed in firing after Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing rockets along the Line of Control in Poonch district. A head constable and Junior commissioned officer were also seriously injured in the attack.

At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the Home Ministry said in a Right To Information or RTI reply last week.

image

01:01  FBI director fired after seeking wider Russia probe: Report:  

FBI Director James Comey sought to expand his agency’s probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 United States election before President Donald Trump fired him on Tuesday, Reuters reported quoting a congressional source.

Facing criticism from members of Congress, the Trump administration denied the firing was related to the FBI probe of the Trump 2016 presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Moscow to sway the election.

The Republican president, who met Russia’s foreign minister at the White House on Wednesday, defended his decision to abruptly fire Comey from a law-enforcement post he had held since 2013.

Source: Rediff