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After receiving the second deadline set by Governor Vajubhai Vala, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said the Governor's second letter has hurt him and asked Speaker KR Ramesh to handle the new directive.

&nbsp;"I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the Governor," Kumaraswamy said.&nbsp;

Furthermore, Kumaraswamy moved the apex court, questioning the deadlines set by the Governor one after another.

In his application, Kumaraswamy contended: "No such direction on trust vote could have been issued by Governor when confidence motion was already initiated."&nbsp;

After missing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-governor-issues-new-deadline-to-cm-kumaraswamy-for-floor-test-congress-moves-supreme-court-237114">the 1.30 pm deadline</a>, Kumaraswamy received a fresh directive from the Governor to hold the floor test to prove the majority of JD(S)-Congress government by 6pm today.

An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Congress has also moved the Supreme Court saying that its July 17 order compromises party’s right to issue whip to its MLAs.

The petition said the July 17 order was passed without even arraying the Congress Legislature Party which has 79 MLAs in the Assembly. It further said under the Tenth Schedule a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators.

The court had ruled that 15 MLAs from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-crisis-rebel-congress-jds-mlas-refuse-to-participate-in-trust-vote-on-thursday-236642">Congress and JD(S) </a>cannot be compelled to participate in the House proceedings.

Earlier in the day, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint.

"Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for the division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker.

"Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by the chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-governor-asks-chief-minister-to-hold-floor-test-on-friday-as-congress-jds-delay-trust-vote-236984">moved confidence motion in the state Assembly</a> at 11am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

After receiving the second deadline set by Governor Vajubhai Vala, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said the Governor's second letter has hurt him and asked Speaker KR Ramesh to handle the new directive.

After receiving the second deadline set by Governor Vajubhai Vala, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said the Governor's second letter has hurt him and asked Speaker KR Ramesh to handle the new directive. "I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the Governor," Kumaraswamy said. Furthermore, Kumaraswamy moved the apex court, questioning the deadlines set by the Governor one after another. In his application, Kumaraswamy contended: "No such direction on trust vote could have been issued by Governor when confidence motion was already initiated." After missing the 1.30 pm deadline, Kumaraswamy received a fresh directive from the Governor to hold the floor test to prove the majority of JD(S)-Congress government by 6pm today. An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order. Meanwhile, Congress has also moved the Supreme Court saying that its July 17 order compromises party’s right to issue whip to its MLAs. The petition said the July 17 order was passed without even arraying the Congress Legislature Party which has 79 MLAs in the Assembly. It further said under the Tenth Schedule a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators. The court had ruled that 15 MLAs from the Congress and JD(S) cannot be compelled to participate in the House proceedings. Earlier in the day, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint. "Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for the division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker. "Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by the chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy moved confidence motion in the state Assembly at 11am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers. Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers. (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka Governor's new deadline for floor test expires; Kumaraswamy, Congress move Supreme Court

The Bombay High Court on Friday sent a Goa beach shack worker to jail for 10 years over the sexual assault and killing of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008.

The Court ordered the maximum sentence against Samson D'Souza after finding him guilty on Wednesday of culpable homicide, sexual assault on a minor, provision of drugs and destruction of evidence.

The 15-year-old's bruised and half-naked body was found in shallow water on a beach in Goa. Her death and her mother Fiona MacKeown's fight for justice made international headlines, shining a spotlight on the seedy side of the popular resort destination as well as on India's sluggish justice system.

"Ten years is an appropriate punishment for anyone indulging in child abuse of this gravity," Vikram Varma, a lawyer for MacKeown, told AFP.

Special prosecutor Eijaz Khan sought the maximum term and opposed any&nbsp;leniency, arguing that D'Souza should have protected the minor girl.

"Instead they gave her drugs and liquor and finally left her to die on the beach, without informing anyone," said the prosecutor.

Khan also sought compensation for Keeling's mother for the "severe hardship and pain caused to her in a foreign land."

D'Souza, 39, was arrested soon after the killing and acquitted in 2016 along with another man Placido Carvalho when a Goa court ruled there was not enough evidence.&nbsp;

Carvalho's acquittal was upheld by the High Court on Wednesday.

"It's been a long 10 years of waiting for justice. It felt like they had sentenced us instead," MacKeown told AFP from Britain.&nbsp;

"It is an important verdict and I am glad justice has finally been served," the 55-year-old said.&nbsp;

Police initially dismissed Keeling's death as an accidental drowning but opened a murder investigation after MacKeown pushed for a second autopsy which proved she had been drugged and raped.

It showed that Keeling had suffered more than 50 injuries to her body.

The case was taken over by federal police who accused D'Souza and Carvalho of plying Keeling with a cocktail of drink and illegal drugs, including cocaine, before leaving her to die by dumping her unconscious in shallow water where she drowned.

The pair claimed the teenager died accidentally after taking drugs of her own volition.

The Bombay High Court on Friday sent a Goa beach shack worker to jail for 10 years over the sexual assault and killing of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008.

The Bombay High Court on Friday sent a Goa beach shack worker to jail for 10 years over the sexual assault and killing of British schoolgirl Scarlett Keeling on a Goa beach in 2008. The Court ordered the maximum sentence against Samson D'Souza after finding him guilty on Wednesday of culpable homicide, sexual assault on a minor, provision of drugs and destruction of evidence. The 15-year-old's bruised and half-naked body was found in shallow water on a beach in Goa. Her death and her mother Fiona MacKeown's fight for justice made international headlines, shining a spotlight on the seedy side of the popular resort destination as well as on India's sluggish justice system. "Ten years is an appropriate punishment for anyone indulging in child abuse of this gravity," Vikram Varma, a lawyer for MacKeown, told AFP. Special prosecutor Eijaz Khan sought the maximum term and opposed any leniency, arguing that D'Souza should have protected the minor girl. "Instead they gave her drugs and liquor and finally left her to die on the beach, without informing anyone," said the prosecutor. Khan also sought compensation for Keeling's mother for the "severe hardship and pain caused to her in a foreign land." D'Souza, 39, was arrested soon after the killing and acquitted in 2016 along with another man Placido Carvalho when a Goa court ruled there was not enough evidence. Carvalho's acquittal was upheld by the High Court on Wednesday. "It's been a long 10 years of waiting for justice. It felt like they had sentenced us instead," MacKeown told AFP from Britain. "It is an important verdict and I am glad justice has finally been served," the 55-year-old said. Police initially dismissed Keeling's death as an accidental drowning but opened a murder investigation after MacKeown pushed for a second autopsy which proved she had been drugged and raped. It showed that Keeling had suffered more than 50 injuries to her body. The case was taken over by federal police who accused D'Souza and Carvalho of plying Keeling with a cocktail of drink and illegal drugs, including cocaine, before leaving her to die by dumping her unconscious in shallow water where she drowned. The pair claimed the teenager died accidentally after taking drugs of her own volition.

Bombay High Court jails beach shack worker for 10 years in Scarlett Keeling death case

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far.

The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes.&nbsp;

Tremors were also felt in some parts of Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland among other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property.

Meanwhile, at least 37 people have lost their lives till now in floods and two landslide incidents in Assam. Approximately 53,52,107 people have been affected in 4,128 villages across 28 districts of the state. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far. The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes.

An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Friday evening hit Arunachal Pradesh. However, no casualties have been reported so far. The epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 64 km at northeast of Bomdila of West Kameng district in the state, according to USGS Big Quakes. Tremors were also felt in some parts of Assam, Dimapur in Nagaland among other areas. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property. Meanwhile, at least 37 people have lost their lives till now in floods and two landslide incidents in Assam. Approximately 53,52,107 people have been affected in 4,128 villages across 28 districts of the state. (With inputs from agencies)

Earthquake hits Arunachal Pradesh; tremors felt in Assam, Nagaland

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday issued a new deadline to chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to hold the floor test to prove the majority of JD(S)-Congress government.

In a letter to the chief minister, he asked him to hold&nbsp;the floor test in the Assembly by 6pm today. 
 
On Thursday, Governor, in a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asked him to hold the floor test by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-governor-asks-chief-minister-to-hold-floor-test-on-friday-as-congress-jds-delay-trust-vote-236984">1.30pm on Friday.</a>&nbsp;

An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Congress has moved the Supreme Court saying that its July 17 order compromises party’s right to issue whip to its MLAs. 
 
The petition said the July 17 order was passed without even arraying the Congress Legislature Party which has 79 MLAs in the Assembly. It further said under the Tenth Schedule a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators. 
 
The court had ruled that 15 MLAs from the Congress and JD-S cannot be compelled to participate in the House proceedings.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-crisis-chief-minister-hd-kumaraswamy-resumes-debate-as-trust-vote-deadline-nears-237056">Earlier in the day</a>, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint.

"Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for the division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker.

"Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by the chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-crisis-hd-kumaraswamy-moves-confidence-motion-to-prove-majority-of-jds-congress-government-236840">moved confidence motion</a> in the state Assembly at 11am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers.

He claimed that the dissenting legislators had moved the apex court with the BJP's assistance."A situation has been created so that people lose trust in us. Without any discussion they have wanted a trust vote", Kumaraswamy said.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah that a floor test in the House will not be appropriate until a clarification is attained on the Supreme Court order allowing freedom to the 15 rebel MLAs from participating in the House proceedings.

"If we go ahead with the confidence motion, if the whip is applicable and they (rebel MLAs) don't come to the house because of the SC order, it will be a big loss to the coalition government," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday issued a new deadline to chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to hold the floor test to prove the majority of JD(S)-Congress government.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday issued a new deadline to chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to hold the floor test to prove the majority of JD(S)-Congress government. In a letter to the chief minister, he asked him to hold the floor test in the Assembly by 6pm today. On Thursday, Governor, in a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asked him to hold the floor test by 1.30pm on Friday. An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order. Meanwhile, Congress has moved the Supreme Court saying that its July 17 order compromises party’s right to issue whip to its MLAs. The petition said the July 17 order was passed without even arraying the Congress Legislature Party which has 79 MLAs in the Assembly. It further said under the Tenth Schedule a political party has a constitutional right to issue a whip to its legislators. The court had ruled that 15 MLAs from the Congress and JD-S cannot be compelled to participate in the House proceedings. Earlier in the day, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint. "Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for the division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker. "Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by the chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy moved confidence motion in the state Assembly at 11am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers. He claimed that the dissenting legislators had moved the apex court with the BJP's assistance."A situation has been created so that people lose trust in us. Without any discussion they have wanted a trust vote", Kumaraswamy said. Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah that a floor test in the House will not be appropriate until a clarification is attained on the Supreme Court order allowing freedom to the 15 rebel MLAs from participating in the House proceedings. "If we go ahead with the confidence motion, if the whip is applicable and they (rebel MLAs) don't come to the house because of the SC order, it will be a big loss to the coalition government," he said. Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers. (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka Governor issues new deadline to chief minister Kumaraswamy for floor test; Congress moves Supreme Court

Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Thursday said that 27 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides in the state. The ASDMA released a statement saying that a total of 4,128 villages in 103 revenue circles of 28 districts has been affected due to floods till Thursday.

Assam Floods: Monsoon affect 29 out of 32 districts

Over 2.3 lakh pilgrims have completed the Amarnath Yatra since it started on July 1.

"As many as 2,32,860 pilgrims have had darshan at the shrine during the last 18 days," said officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

Authorities have made tight security arrangements for the safety of pilgrims during the 45-day long Amarnath Yatra.

Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah&nbsp;held a review meeting on security arrangements for the yatra. State Governor Satyapal Malik also was also present in the review meeting.&nbsp;

Before the Home Minister's visit, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh visited units deployed for security of Amarnath yatra and reviewed the security arrangements on both the axis of Baltal and Pahalgam.&nbsp;

The cave shrine situated at 3,888 metres above the sea-level in Kashmir Himalayas houses an ice stalagmite structure that symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

This year's Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 15 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.&nbsp;

As many as 2,85,006 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine last year, while the number of pilgrims was 3,52,771 in 2015, 3,20,490 in 2016 and 2,60,003 in 2017.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Over 2.3 lakh pilgrims have completed the Amarnath Yatra since it started on July 1. "As many as 2,32,860 pilgrims have had darshan at the shrine during the last 18 days," said officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

Over 2.3 lakh pilgrims have completed the Amarnath Yatra since it started on July 1. "As many as 2,32,860 pilgrims have had darshan at the shrine during the last 18 days," said officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). Authorities have made tight security arrangements for the safety of pilgrims during the 45-day long Amarnath Yatra. Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting on security arrangements for the yatra. State Governor Satyapal Malik also was also present in the review meeting. Before the Home Minister's visit, Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh visited units deployed for security of Amarnath yatra and reviewed the security arrangements on both the axis of Baltal and Pahalgam. The cave shrine situated at 3,888 metres above the sea-level in Kashmir Himalayas houses an ice stalagmite structure that symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva. This year's Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 15 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival. As many as 2,85,006 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine last year, while the number of pilgrims was 3,52,771 in 2015, 3,20,490 in 2016 and 2,60,003 in 2017. (With inputs from agencies)

Over 2.3 lakh pilgrims perform Amarnath Yatra

The future of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition is likely to be decided on Friday even as the deadline set by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai ended at 1.30pm today. 
 
Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint.

"Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker. 
 
"Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added 
 
Earlier in the day, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had asked the Speaker to decide on the floor test.

"We have already moved the confidence motion. I request the speaker to decide on whether the Governor can direct me to hold the floor test today," he said. 
 
Kumaraswamy asserted he would not misuse power to save his government. "Let's have discussion. You can still form government. Nothing urgent. You can do it on Monday or Tuesday also. I am not going to misuse power," Kumaraswamy told the BJP.

On Thursday, Governor, in a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asked him to hold the floor test by 1.30pm on Friday. "Though a message as contemplated under Article 175(2) is sent to the Speaker, I am informed that the House is adjourned today i.e, 18-07-2019. Under these circumstances, I require you to prove your majority on the floor of the house on or before 1.30 pm tomorrow" stated the Governor's letter.&nbsp;

An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to&nbsp;conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order.&nbsp;

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy moved confidence motion in the state Assembly at 11 am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers.

He claimed that the dissenting legislators had moved the apex court with the BJP's assistance."A situation has been created so that people lose trust in us. Without any discussion they have wanted a trust vote", Kumaraswamy said.

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah that a floor test in the House will not be appropriate until a clarification is attained on the Supreme Court order allowing freedom to the 15 rebel MLAs from participating in the House proceedings.

"If we go ahead with the confidence motion, if the whip is applicable and they (rebel MLAs) don't come to the house because of the SC order, it will be a big loss to the coalition government," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers.

BJP legislators staged a night-long sit-in at Vidhana Soudha, protesting against the Congress-JD(S) government dragging its feet on the trust vote.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The future of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition is likely to be decided on Friday even as the deadline set by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai ended at 1.30pm today.

The future of the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition is likely to be decided on Friday even as the deadline set by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai ended at 1.30pm today. Speaker Ramesh Kumar said that the directive of the Governor is applied to the chief minister and he cannot be forced by any time constraint. "Unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for division of votes for the floor test," said the Speaker. "Governor's order has to be followed or not, it has to be decided by chief minister because the letter was sent to him, so he has to decide," he further added Earlier in the day, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had asked the Speaker to decide on the floor test. "We have already moved the confidence motion. I request the speaker to decide on whether the Governor can direct me to hold the floor test today," he said. Kumaraswamy asserted he would not misuse power to save his government. "Let's have discussion. You can still form government. Nothing urgent. You can do it on Monday or Tuesday also. I am not going to misuse power," Kumaraswamy told the BJP. On Thursday, Governor, in a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asked him to hold the floor test by 1.30pm on Friday. "Though a message as contemplated under Article 175(2) is sent to the Speaker, I am informed that the House is adjourned today i.e, 18-07-2019. Under these circumstances, I require you to prove your majority on the floor of the house on or before 1.30 pm tomorrow" stated the Governor's letter. An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order. Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy moved confidence motion in the state Assembly at 11 am on Thursday to prove the majority of his government amidst rebellion by a section of the lawmakers. He claimed that the dissenting legislators had moved the apex court with the BJP's assistance."A situation has been created so that people lose trust in us. Without any discussion they have wanted a trust vote", Kumaraswamy said. Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah that a floor test in the House will not be appropriate until a clarification is attained on the Supreme Court order allowing freedom to the 15 rebel MLAs from participating in the House proceedings. "If we go ahead with the confidence motion, if the whip is applicable and they (rebel MLAs) don't come to the house because of the SC order, it will be a big loss to the coalition government," he said. Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed JD(S)-Congress coalition was delaying the trust vote fearing imminent defeat due to lack of majority numbers. BJP legislators staged a night-long sit-in at Vidhana Soudha, protesting against the Congress-JD(S) government dragging its feet on the trust vote. (With inputs from agencies)

Karnataka crisis: Heated debate on in Assembly as deadline set by Governor ends

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday said the TDP government's scams in the Polavaram project will be exposed soon.

"Chandrababu Naidu is misusing Assembly for his own selfish motives. The scams of TDP government will be exposed soon and they will be placed before the public," he said speaking in the House.

Responding to the ruckus created by the TDP MLAs over Polavaram issue, Reddy said, "Why TDP members are creating nuisance on Polavaram? Irrigation minister has been giving an explanation on this matter for the past three days. The government has constituted an experts committee to find out the misappropriations that took place in the construction of Polavaram project."

"Recently I have visited the project site and the work is stalled only due to the earlier government`s mismanagement. They did not complete the spillway works, later they started cofferdam which too they did not complete. With cofferdam, the width of river Godavari is reduced by 70 per cent. Now the flood water has to go through the remaining small area," he added.

Informing the assembly about his government's further steps, Reddy said that it is flood season from June to October in river Godavari and so Polavaram project works will start from November one.

For the first time reverse tendering will be adopted in the Polavaram project.

"The earlier TDP government had given contracts to those close to their party in the name of subcontracts. There are many scams in Polavaram construction. The then government has released mobilization advances to the tune of Rs 724 crores to Navayuga company, without completing any works," he further added.

"The previous government had brought contractors of their choice by nomination. A close relative of the then finance minister is also working as a subcontractor. This project is overflowing with scams. Within 15 days we will get all details of how much money are siphoned off," he said.

Reddy said that their government aims to supply water from the project by June 2021.

The work will be given to those who bid low, he added. According to the officials, if rebidding is done, 15 to 20 per cent of the amount can be saved in the work worth Rs 6500 crores.

Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar alleged that the previous TDP government did not do anything regarding the construction of Polavaram project.

"It somewhat focused on the construction of the project in last two years only and only 3,900 families were given rehabilitation out of more than 1 lakh families," he further added.

TDP MLA G Buchaiah Chowdary, while responding to the allegations, said that it was their government which actually worked on the construction of the project.

"Only a small portion of work was done until 2014 but actual project construction work was taken up only during TDP regime. He said that their government only had acquired land for the project and paid additional amounts. 71 per cent of head work construction work was completed during TDP regime only", he said.

During the discussion on Polavaram project, TDP MLAs started the slogan shouting. They created a ruckus throughout the question hour with slogans like 'We want justice'.

The sloganeering continued even during zero hour. Meanwhile, the speaker rejected an amendment motion introduced by TDP regarding Amaravati capital construction.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday said the TDP government's scams in the Polavaram project will be exposed soon. "Chandrababu Naidu is misusing Assembly for his own selfish motives.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday said the TDP government's scams in the Polavaram project will be exposed soon. "Chandrababu Naidu is misusing Assembly for his own selfish motives. The scams of TDP government will be exposed soon and they will be placed before the public," he said speaking in the House. Responding to the ruckus created by the TDP MLAs over Polavaram issue, Reddy said, "Why TDP members are creating nuisance on Polavaram? Irrigation minister has been giving an explanation on this matter for the past three days. The government has constituted an experts committee to find out the misappropriations that took place in the construction of Polavaram project." "Recently I have visited the project site and the work is stalled only due to the earlier government`s mismanagement. They did not complete the spillway works, later they started cofferdam which too they did not complete. With cofferdam, the width of river Godavari is reduced by 70 per cent. Now the flood water has to go through the remaining small area," he added. Informing the assembly about his government's further steps, Reddy said that it is flood season from June to October in river Godavari and so Polavaram project works will start from November one. For the first time reverse tendering will be adopted in the Polavaram project. "The earlier TDP government had given contracts to those close to their party in the name of subcontracts. There are many scams in Polavaram construction. The then government has released mobilization advances to the tune of Rs 724 crores to Navayuga company, without completing any works," he further added. "The previous government had brought contractors of their choice by nomination. A close relative of the then finance minister is also working as a subcontractor. This project is overflowing with scams. Within 15 days we will get all details of how much money are siphoned off," he said. Reddy said that their government aims to supply water from the project by June 2021. The work will be given to those who bid low, he added. According to the officials, if rebidding is done, 15 to 20 per cent of the amount can be saved in the work worth Rs 6500 crores. Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar alleged that the previous TDP government did not do anything regarding the construction of Polavaram project. "It somewhat focused on the construction of the project in last two years only and only 3,900 families were given rehabilitation out of more than 1 lakh families," he further added. TDP MLA G Buchaiah Chowdary, while responding to the allegations, said that it was their government which actually worked on the construction of the project. "Only a small portion of work was done until 2014 but actual project construction work was taken up only during TDP regime. He said that their government only had acquired land for the project and paid additional amounts. 71 per cent of head work construction work was completed during TDP regime only", he said. During the discussion on Polavaram project, TDP MLAs started the slogan shouting. They created a ruckus throughout the question hour with slogans like 'We want justice'. The sloganeering continued even during zero hour. Meanwhile, the speaker rejected an amendment motion introduced by TDP regarding Amaravati capital construction.

TDP government's scams will be exposed soon' says CM Jaganmohan Reddy

Congress general secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-to-visit-sonbhadra-to-meet-families-of-july-17-firing-victims-237044">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra </a>was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while she was on her to Sonbhadra to meet the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17.&nbsp;

She was detained after section Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code was imposed in the area just before her scheduled visit. Section 144 prohibits an assembly of more than four people in an area.&nbsp;

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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained in Narayanpur by Police. She was on her way to meet victims of firing case in Sonbhadra where section 144 has been imposed. Says 'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere.' <a href="https://t.co/YF2kIXA9DL">pic.twitter.com/YF2kIXA9DL</a>
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Apart from meeting the family members, Priyanka was also expected to visit the place of the incident.

The incident took place in Ubbha village of Ghorawal where the village head went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago.

However, he met with opposition from the villagers which triggered the firing allegedly by his aides leading to the deaths."Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

According to police, nine people were killed in the firing.

So far 29 criminals have been arrested till now in connection with the case, state chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a press conference today.

"A single barrel gun, 3 double-barrel guns and a rifle seized. Whoever is found responsible for this incident, strictest action will be taken against them," he added.

Five people were arrested on July 18 in connection with the case.

On the day of the incident, Priyanka Gandhi had criticised the state government over the law and order situation.

Taking to Twitter, she had said, "In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 Gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?"

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while she was on her to Sonbhadra to meet the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while she was on her to Sonbhadra to meet the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17. She was detained after section Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code was imposed in the area just before her scheduled visit. Section 144 prohibits an assembly of more than four people in an area. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained in Narayanpur by Police. She was on her way to meet victims of firing case in Sonbhadra where section 144 has been imposed. Says 'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere.' pic.twitter.com/YF2kIXA9DL — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 19, 2019 × Apart from meeting the family members, Priyanka was also expected to visit the place of the incident. The incident took place in Ubbha village of Ghorawal where the village head went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago. However, he met with opposition from the villagers which triggered the firing allegedly by his aides leading to the deaths."Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. According to police, nine people were killed in the firing. So far 29 criminals have been arrested till now in connection with the case, state chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a press conference today. "A single barrel gun, 3 double-barrel guns and a rifle seized. Whoever is found responsible for this incident, strictest action will be taken against them," he added. Five people were arrested on July 18 in connection with the case. On the day of the incident, Priyanka Gandhi had criticised the state government over the law and order situation. Taking to Twitter, she had said, "In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 Gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?"

Uttar Pradesh: Priyanka Gandhi detained on her way to meet firing victims

Congress general secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-to-visit-sonbhadra-to-meet-families-of-july-17-firing-victims-237044">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra </a>was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while she was on her to Sonbhadra to meet the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17.&nbsp;

She was detained after section Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code was imposed in the area just before her scheduled visit. Section 144 prohibits an assembly of more than four people in an area.&nbsp;

'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere,' said Priyanka Gandhi while she was detained by police in Narayanpur, 61.4 km away from Sonbhadra.&nbsp;

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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained in Narayanpur by Police. She was on her way to meet victims of firing case in Sonbhadra where section 144 has been imposed. Says 'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere.' <a href="https://t.co/YF2kIXA9DL">pic.twitter.com/YF2kIXA9DL</a>
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Apart from meeting the family members, Priyanka was also expected to visit the place of the incident.

The incident took place in Ubbha village of Ghorawal where the village head went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago.

However, he met with opposition from the villagers which triggered the firing allegedly by his aides leading to the deaths."Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

According to police, nine people were killed in the firing.

So far 29 criminals have been arrested till now in connection with the case, state chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a press conference today.

"A single barrel gun, 3 double-barrel guns and a rifle seized. Whoever is found responsible for this incident, strictest action will be taken against them," he added.

Five people were arrested on July 18 in connection with the case.

On the day of the incident, Priyanka Gandhi had criticised the state government over the law and order situation.

Taking to Twitter, she had said, "In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 Gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?"

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained in Uttar Pradesh on Friday while she was on her to Sonbhadra to meet the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17. She was detained after section Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code was imposed in the area just before her scheduled visit. Section 144 prohibits an assembly of more than four people in an area. 'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere,' said Priyanka Gandhi while she was detained by police in Narayanpur, 61.4 km away from Sonbhadra. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra detained in Narayanpur by Police. She was on her way to meet victims of firing case in Sonbhadra where section 144 has been imposed. Says 'I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere.' pic.twitter.com/YF2kIXA9DL — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 19, 2019 × Apart from meeting the family members, Priyanka was also expected to visit the place of the incident. The incident took place in Ubbha village of Ghorawal where the village head went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago. However, he met with opposition from the villagers which triggered the firing allegedly by his aides leading to the deaths."Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. According to police, nine people were killed in the firing. So far 29 criminals have been arrested till now in connection with the case, state chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a press conference today. "A single barrel gun, 3 double-barrel guns and a rifle seized. Whoever is found responsible for this incident, strictest action will be taken against them," he added. Five people were arrested on July 18 in connection with the case. On the day of the incident, Priyanka Gandhi had criticised the state government over the law and order situation. Taking to Twitter, she had said, "In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 Gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?"

Uttar Pradesh: Priyanka Gandhi detained on her way to meet families of July 17 firing victims

P Rajagopal, the founder of Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants, died in a Chennai hospital on Thursday, a week after he surrendred to serve life imprisonment in connection with a 2001 murder case.

Rajagopal had surrendered on July 10 after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-rejects-saravana-bhavan-founders-plea-seeking-time-to-surrender-in-murder-case-234235">the Supreme Court rejected his plea</a> seeking more time to surrender on medical grounds.

The apex court had, on March 29, convicted and sentenced him to rigorous life imprisonment for murdering one of his employees. He was directed to surrender by July 7. 
 
Watch: How lust and money led to spectacular fall of India’s ‘Dosa King’&nbsp;

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According to the prosecution, an astrologer advised Rajagopal to marry Jeevajothi, the daughter of a Saravana Bhavan employee, in order to become rich, following which he tried to woo her.&nbsp;

As he could not succeed in his plan, he hatched a criminal conspiracy to eliminate the employee of Saravana hotel, Prince Shantakumar, who was married to Jeevajothi.

Shantakumar was murdered in October 2001 and his dead body was found in Kodaikanal city of Tamil Nadu.

A Sessions Court had convicted Rajagopal and four others to ten years of imprisonment, but later the Madras high court set aside the Sessions court's order and increased the jail term to life term under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Rajagopal then challenged the HC's order before the apex court, which was rejected. Upholding the Madras HC judgement, the top court convicted and sentenced Rajagopal to life imprisonment.

(With inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

P Rajagopal, the founder of Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants, died in a Chennai hospital on Thursday, a week after he surrendred to serve life imprisonment in connection with a 2001 murder case.

P Rajagopal, the founder of Saravana Bhavan chain of restaurants, died in a Chennai hospital on Thursday, a week after he surrendred to serve life imprisonment in connection with a 2001 murder case. Rajagopal had surrendered on July 10 after the Supreme Court rejected his plea seeking more time to surrender on medical grounds. The apex court had, on March 29, convicted and sentenced him to rigorous life imprisonment for murdering one of his employees. He was directed to surrender by July 7. Watch: How lust and money led to spectacular fall of India’s ‘Dosa King’ × According to the prosecution, an astrologer advised Rajagopal to marry Jeevajothi, the daughter of a Saravana Bhavan employee, in order to become rich, following which he tried to woo her. As he could not succeed in his plan, he hatched a criminal conspiracy to eliminate the employee of Saravana hotel, Prince Shantakumar, who was married to Jeevajothi. Shantakumar was murdered in October 2001 and his dead body was found in Kodaikanal city of Tamil Nadu. A Sessions Court had convicted Rajagopal and four others to ten years of imprisonment, but later the Madras high court set aside the Sessions court's order and increased the jail term to life term under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Rajagopal then challenged the HC's order before the apex court, which was rejected. Upholding the Madras HC judgement, the top court convicted and sentenced Rajagopal to life imprisonment. (With inputs from ANI)

Saravana Bhavan founder P Rajagopal, serving life sentence, dies in Chennai

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday addressed the Rajya Sabha on the International Court of Justice's verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and appriciated him for his exemplary courage.

"The International Court of Justice (ICJ) by a vote of 15-1 upheld India's claim that Pakistan violates the Vienna Convention on several counts," said Union foreign minister in Rajya Sabha.

Watch: S Jaishankar briefs Rajya Sabha over ICJ's verdict

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"The ICJ has directed that Pakistan is under an obligation to inform Kulbhushan Jadhav without further delay of his rights and to provide Indian consular officers access to him in accordance with Vienna Convention," he added.

Yesterday, In a major win for India, the world court continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of "espionage", and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction.

India put intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through numerous diplomatic notes and demarches and letter by the External Affairs Minister over a sustained period for consular access and release of Mr Jadhav, as per government sources.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday addressed the Rajya Sabha on the International Court of Justice's verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and appriciated him for his exemplary courage.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday addressed the Rajya Sabha on the International Court of Justice's verdict in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and appriciated him for his exemplary courage. "The International Court of Justice (ICJ) by a vote of 15-1 upheld India's claim that Pakistan violates the Vienna Convention on several counts," said Union foreign minister in Rajya Sabha. Watch: S Jaishankar briefs Rajya Sabha over ICJ's verdict "The ICJ has directed that Pakistan is under an obligation to inform Kulbhushan Jadhav without further delay of his rights and to provide Indian consular officers access to him in accordance with Vienna Convention," he added. Yesterday, In a major win for India, the world court continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of "espionage", and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction. India put intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through numerous diplomatic notes and demarches and letter by the External Affairs Minister over a sustained period for consular access and release of Mr Jadhav, as per government sources.

Kulbhushan Jadhav has shown exemplary courage under very difficult circumstances: S Jaishankar

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-gets-24-below-average-rainfall-this-week-india-meteorological-department-230768">India's monsoon rains</a> were 20 per cent below average in the week ending on Wednesday, as rainfall was scanty over the central, western and southern parts of the country, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/assam-meghalaya-likely-to-receive-heavy-rainfall-india-meteorological-department-235428">India Meteorological Department</a> (IMD) said, raising concerns over the output of summer-sown crops.

Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth, as about 55 per cent of India's arable land is rain-fed, and agriculture forms about 15 per cent of a $2.5 trillion economy that is the third biggest in Asia.

Soybean- and cotton-growing central regions received 68 per cent less rainfall in the week, while the rubber- and tea-growing southern state of Kerala received 71 per cent lower rainfall, data from the weather office showed.

Overall, India has received rains that were 16 per cent less than average since the monsoon season began on June 1.&nbsp;

India's monsoon rains were 20 per cent below average in the week ending on Wednesday, as rainfall was scanty over the central, western and southern parts of the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, raising concerns over the output of summer-sown crops.

India's monsoon rains were 20 per cent below average in the week ending on Wednesday, as rainfall was scanty over the central, western and southern parts of the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, raising concerns over the output of summer-sown crops. Monsoon rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth, as about 55 per cent of India's arable land is rain-fed, and agriculture forms about 15 per cent of a $2.5 trillion economy that is the third biggest in Asia. Soybean- and cotton-growing central regions received 68 per cent less rainfall in the week, while the rubber- and tea-growing southern state of Kerala received 71 per cent lower rainfall, data from the weather office showed. Overall, India has received rains that were 16 per cent less than average since the monsoon season began on June 1.

India gets rainfall 20 per cent below average in latest week: IMD

The Supreme Court of India will now hear the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute case on August 2. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ordered the mediation panel to submit a detailed report in Supreme Court by July 31.

In the last hearing, the top court assured that if mediation talks failed to reach an amicable solution to resolve the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute, then the court will commence hearing the case on a day to day basis from July 25.&nbsp;

The original plaintiff had sought an early hearing in the case.

Senior lawyer SK Parasaran arguing for one of the applicants told the top court that mediation talks were neither making much progress nor able to bring any positive results.&nbsp;

However, senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan representing Muslim parties said that this was not the time to criticise the mediation panel.

“I don’t think it’s fair to criticise mediation panel’s proceedings. Parties cannot come to court asking to scrap the mediation talks on our account,'' he said.

To resolve the title dispute case, the apex court had appointed a mediation panel led by former Supreme Court judge FM Khalifullah.&nbsp;Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sri Ram Panchu are the other two members of the panel.&nbsp;While forming the panel court had asked the mediation panel to maintain utmost confidentiality and disallowed media from reporting the panel proceedings.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court of India will now hear the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute case on August 2. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ordered the mediation panel to submit a detailed report in Supreme Court by July 31.

The Supreme Court of India will now hear the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute case on August 2. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ordered the mediation panel to submit a detailed report in Supreme Court by July 31. In the last hearing, the top court assured that if mediation talks failed to reach an amicable solution to resolve the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute, then the court will commence hearing the case on a day to day basis from July 25. The original plaintiff had sought an early hearing in the case. Senior lawyer SK Parasaran arguing for one of the applicants told the top court that mediation talks were neither making much progress nor able to bring any positive results. However, senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan representing Muslim parties said that this was not the time to criticise the mediation panel. “I don’t think it’s fair to criticise mediation panel’s proceedings. Parties cannot come to court asking to scrap the mediation talks on our account,'' he said. To resolve the title dispute case, the apex court had appointed a mediation panel led by former Supreme Court judge FM Khalifullah. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sri Ram Panchu are the other two members of the panel. While forming the panel court had asked the mediation panel to maintain utmost confidentiality and disallowed media from reporting the panel proceedings.

Supreme Court to hear Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid title dispute case on August 2 

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/barry-weakens-but-us-officials-warn-of-heavy-rains-floods-tornadoes-236039">Heavy rains</a> continued to lash parts of Kerala on Thursday and the Indian Met Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the state.

According to the Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the intensity of rains will peak between July 18-20 with some really heavy rains being observed in pockets.&nbsp;

The remaining days are expected to record moderate to heavy amounts of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/monsoon-rains-wreaking-flood-havoc-across-south-asia-236353">Monsoon rain</a>.

The weather forecasting agency has also said that this spell may lead to the flood-like situation due to which red alert has already been issued by the state authorities.

Places which are likely to observe flooding rains are Punnalur, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Wayanad.

According to weather experts, Southwest Monsoon has been very disappointing so far as June ended with a deficiency of 44 per cent of rainfall.

Besides, the deficiency of the rainfall between June 1 to July 17 in the region is a whopping 47 per cent.

The weather experts believe that Kerala now requires heavy rains to fulfil the deficient figures if any. "But with the forecast of some really good rains, we could see the rainfall deficiency in the state coming down to some extent."

Heavy rains continued to lash parts of Kerala on Thursday and the Indian Met Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the state. According to the Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the intensity of rains will peak between July 18-20 with some really heavy rains being observed in pockets.

Heavy rains continued to lash parts of Kerala on Thursday and the Indian Met Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in the state. According to the Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the intensity of rains will peak between July 18-20 with some really heavy rains being observed in pockets. The remaining days are expected to record moderate to heavy amounts of Monsoon rain. The weather forecasting agency has also said that this spell may lead to the flood-like situation due to which red alert has already been issued by the state authorities. Places which are likely to observe flooding rains are Punnalur, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Wayanad. According to weather experts, Southwest Monsoon has been very disappointing so far as June ended with a deficiency of 44 per cent of rainfall. Besides, the deficiency of the rainfall between June 1 to July 17 in the region is a whopping 47 per cent. The weather experts believe that Kerala now requires heavy rains to fulfil the deficient figures if any. "But with the forecast of some really good rains, we could see the rainfall deficiency in the state coming down to some extent."

Red alert in Kerala, heavy rains to lash several areas

Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government, led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, will face its trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday.

The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly.

Kumaraswamy on Wednesday issued whip to all 37 MLAs of JD(S) including three rebel legislators Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath to be present in the Assembly at the time of trust vote.

Kumaraswamy has warned that if MLAs do not attend the House and vote against the party whip even after attending the session on the day of trust voting, action will be initiated under the rule of Anti-Defection Law and that MLA will be disqualified from his post.

Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who was amongst the dissident legislators, on Wednesday confirmed that he will remain in the party and vote in favour of Karnataka coalition government in the state Assembly.

Reddy, who along with nine Congress-JD(S) MLAs resigned on July 6, had said that he tendered his resignation due to party's internal matters.

Kumaraswamy had on sought permission from Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to face a floor test during the ongoing session of the Assembly.

A bench of Supreme Court comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose had observed that 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in the proceedings of the House.

It, however, added that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar cannot be forced to decide within a time frame on the resignations of the rebel MLAs.

Mukul Rohatgi, the lawyer of rebel MLAs, said: "Because of the trust vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court has said two important things -- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that may or may not go to the House tomorrow."

The plea was filed by Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkhiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, S T Somashekar, Arbail Sivaram Hebbar and Mahesh Kumathalli from the Congress and K Gopalaiah, H D Vishwanath and Narayan Gowda from the JDS.

Five other rebel MLAs — K Sudhakar, Roshan Baig, MTB Nagaraj, Muniratna and Anand Singh — had approached the court on July 13 contending they had resigned "voluntarily" and that their resignation must be accepted by the Speaker.

The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government had slumped into crisis after these MLAs resigned from the membership of the Assembly earlier this month.

The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.

Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government, led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, will face its trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday. The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly.

Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government, led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, will face its trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday. The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday issued whip to all 37 MLAs of JD(S) including three rebel legislators Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath to be present in the Assembly at the time of trust vote. Kumaraswamy has warned that if MLAs do not attend the House and vote against the party whip even after attending the session on the day of trust voting, action will be initiated under the rule of Anti-Defection Law and that MLA will be disqualified from his post. Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who was amongst the dissident legislators, on Wednesday confirmed that he will remain in the party and vote in favour of Karnataka coalition government in the state Assembly. Reddy, who along with nine Congress-JD(S) MLAs resigned on July 6, had said that he tendered his resignation due to party's internal matters. Kumaraswamy had on sought permission from Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to face a floor test during the ongoing session of the Assembly. A bench of Supreme Court comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose had observed that 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in the proceedings of the House. It, however, added that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar cannot be forced to decide within a time frame on the resignations of the rebel MLAs. Mukul Rohatgi, the lawyer of rebel MLAs, said: "Because of the trust vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court has said two important things -- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that may or may not go to the House tomorrow." The plea was filed by Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkhiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, S T Somashekar, Arbail Sivaram Hebbar and Mahesh Kumathalli from the Congress and K Gopalaiah, H D Vishwanath and Narayan Gowda from the JDS. Five other rebel MLAs — K Sudhakar, Roshan Baig, MTB Nagaraj, Muniratna and Anand Singh — had approached the court on July 13 contending they had resigned "voluntarily" and that their resignation must be accepted by the Speaker. The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government had slumped into crisis after these MLAs resigned from the membership of the Assembly earlier this month. The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.

Karnataka crisis: Kumaraswamy government to face trust vote today

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rescheduled the launch of its lunar probe, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-indias-lunar-mission-chandrayaan-2-235886">Chandrayaan-2</a>. The probe will now be launched on July 22.

"Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019," ISRO said in a tweet on Thursday morning.

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Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSLVMkIII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GSLVMkIII</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISRO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISRO</a>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1151727440667893760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to launch early on Monday (July 15), but the lift-off was cancelled almost an hour before the scheduled launch at 2:51am due to a technical snag.

"A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at T-56 minute. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later," ISRO said on Twitter after the launch as called off.

Watch: Brief history of every moon mission in the history of space exploration

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-brief-history-of-every-moon-mission-in-the-history-of-space-exploration-235702/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The fault in the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III rocket, which was supposed to take the lunar probe in space, has been rectified, the space agency said on Wednesday.

India successfully carried out its first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, nearly 11 years ago.

The US $146 million mission, if successful, would boost India's aspirations to catch up with global space leaders United States and China and put it in a better position to compete in the commercial space market.

A success would make India only the fourth country behind the United States, Russia and China to perform a "soft", or controlled, landing on the moon and put a rover on it.

This would be the third attempted moon landing this year after China's successful Chang'e-4 lunar probe and Israeli spacecraft Beresheet, which failed and crashed on to the moon in April.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rescheduled the launch of its lunar probe, the Chandrayaan-2. The probe will now be launched on July 22. "Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019," ISRO said in a tweet on Thursday morning.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has rescheduled the launch of its lunar probe, the Chandrayaan-2. The probe will now be launched on July 22. "Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019," ISRO said in a tweet on Thursday morning. Chandrayaan-2 launch, which was called off due to a technical snag on July 15, 2019, is now rescheduled at 2:43 pm IST on Monday, July 22, 2019. #Chandrayaan2 #GSLVMkIII #ISRO — ISRO (@isro) July 18, 2019 × Chandrayaan-2 was scheduled to launch early on Monday (July 15), but the lift-off was cancelled almost an hour before the scheduled launch at 2:51am due to a technical snag. "A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at T-56 minute. As a measure of abundant precaution, #Chandrayaan2 launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later," ISRO said on Twitter after the launch as called off. Watch: Brief history of every moon mission in the history of space exploration The fault in the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III rocket, which was supposed to take the lunar probe in space, has been rectified, the space agency said on Wednesday. India successfully carried out its first lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, nearly 11 years ago. The US $146 million mission, if successful, would boost India's aspirations to catch up with global space leaders United States and China and put it in a better position to compete in the commercial space market. A success would make India only the fourth country behind the United States, Russia and China to perform a "soft", or controlled, landing on the moon and put a rover on it. This would be the third attempted moon landing this year after China's successful Chang'e-4 lunar probe and Israeli spacecraft Beresheet, which failed and crashed on to the moon in April.

Chandrayaan-2 to be now launched on July 22, says ISRO

Indian warships escorting merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf will remain deployed for the longer term, officials with direct knowledge of the matter said, as tensions between Iran and Western powers rise.

But the two ships, backed by surveillance aircraft, will not be part of a military coalition that the United States is assembling to safeguard the waters off Iran near the Straits of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil moves, the two officials said.&nbsp;

Since June following attacks on tankers that the United States blamed on Iran and Iran-aligned fighters, a charged Tehran denies, the Indian navy ships have been escorting Indian-flagged vessels in and out of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

"This is not going to stop, the situation being what it is, we will be there for the foreseeable future," said an official with knowledge of naval deployments.

India's navy, which has traditionally operated closer to home waters, has over the past year or so begun deployments across the Indian Ocean stretching from the Malacca Strait in Southeast Asia to waters off Africa, largely as a response to China's expanding weight across the region.

But the maritime operation in the Gulf is also to heed US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's call that major buyers of Middle East oil protect their own tankers, a second Indian official with knowledge of India's policy on the region said.&nbsp;

The issue figured during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Trump on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan last month and Modi told the US&nbsp;leader he had sent ships to protect Indian-flagged vessels, the official said.&nbsp;

Trump has been putting pressure on European and Asian allies to shoulder security responsibilities and not depend on the United States alone.&nbsp;

Deepening regional tensions, Iran said on Thursday it had seized a foreign tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf, and the US&nbsp;military commander in the region said the United States would work "aggressively" to ensure free passage of vessels.

Refuelling

On Friday, US&nbsp;officials will speak to members of the Washington diplomatic corps about the new initiative to promote freedom of navigation and maritime security around the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department said.

New Delhi will not be formally joining such a force, in large measure because that would pit it directly against Iran, with which it has had historical political and energy ties. It also has never been part of foreign military task forces, preferring to work under the United Nations flag instead, the first official said.

India is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil after China.

"We will be carrying out the force protection measures on our own for Indian-flagged vessels. So far, nearly two dozen ships have been provided security," the official said.

But there is coordination with the US&nbsp;military with which India has a logistics support agreement, the official said.

Indian naval ships operating in the Gulf have been fuelled by the large fleet of US&nbsp;tankers and such assistance will remain because of the indefinite length of operation, the official said.&nbsp;

There have been no incidents so far involving Indian commercial shipping in the vital waterways.&nbsp;

"I surmise in a conflict we will be neutral. We will be drawn into it only if our shipping is hit," said former Indian naval officer Abhijit Singh, who heads the Maritime Policy Initiative think-tank at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation.

Singh said Indian navy ships had sailed in the Persian Gulf earlier though never exclusively to escort merchant marine.

About 15 Indian ships - destroyers, frigates, corvettes and large patrol vessels - are operating at the entry and exit points of the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Malacca Strait, through which much of China's trade and fuel is routed, to the Gulf of Aden in the west. 
&nbsp;

Indian warships escorting merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf will remain deployed for the longer term, officials with direct knowledge of the matter said, as tensions between Iran and Western powers rise.

Indian warships escorting merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf will remain deployed for the longer term, officials with direct knowledge of the matter said, as tensions between Iran and Western powers rise. But the two ships, backed by surveillance aircraft, will not be part of a military coalition that the United States is assembling to safeguard the waters off Iran near the Straits of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil moves, the two officials said. Since June following attacks on tankers that the United States blamed on Iran and Iran-aligned fighters, a charged Tehran denies, the Indian navy ships have been escorting Indian-flagged vessels in and out of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. "This is not going to stop, the situation being what it is, we will be there for the foreseeable future," said an official with knowledge of naval deployments. India's navy, which has traditionally operated closer to home waters, has over the past year or so begun deployments across the Indian Ocean stretching from the Malacca Strait in Southeast Asia to waters off Africa, largely as a response to China's expanding weight across the region. But the maritime operation in the Gulf is also to heed US President Donald Trump's call that major buyers of Middle East oil protect their own tankers, a second Indian official with knowledge of India's policy on the region said. The issue figured during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Trump on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan last month and Modi told the US leader he had sent ships to protect Indian-flagged vessels, the official said. Trump has been putting pressure on European and Asian allies to shoulder security responsibilities and not depend on the United States alone. Deepening regional tensions, Iran said on Thursday it had seized a foreign tanker smuggling fuel in the Gulf, and the US military commander in the region said the United States would work "aggressively" to ensure free passage of vessels. Refuelling On Friday, US officials will speak to members of the Washington diplomatic corps about the new initiative to promote freedom of navigation and maritime security around the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department said. New Delhi will not be formally joining such a force, in large measure because that would pit it directly against Iran, with which it has had historical political and energy ties. It also has never been part of foreign military task forces, preferring to work under the United Nations flag instead, the first official said. India is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil after China. "We will be carrying out the force protection measures on our own for Indian-flagged vessels. So far, nearly two dozen ships have been provided security," the official said. But there is coordination with the US military with which India has a logistics support agreement, the official said. Indian naval ships operating in the Gulf have been fuelled by the large fleet of US tankers and such assistance will remain because of the indefinite length of operation, the official said. There have been no incidents so far involving Indian commercial shipping in the vital waterways. "I surmise in a conflict we will be neutral. We will be drawn into it only if our shipping is hit," said former Indian naval officer Abhijit Singh, who heads the Maritime Policy Initiative think-tank at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. Singh said Indian navy ships had sailed in the Persian Gulf earlier though never exclusively to escort merchant marine. About 15 Indian ships - destroyers, frigates, corvettes and large patrol vessels - are operating at the entry and exit points of the Indian Ocean, stretching from the Malacca Strait, through which much of China's trade and fuel is routed, to the Gulf of Aden in the west.

Indian warships to stay longer in Persian Gulf, won't join US coalition

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is scheduled to move a trust vote in the state Assembly today. The Congress-Janata Dal Secular government in Karnataka received a big jolt on Wednesday when the Supreme Court ruled that the 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday.

D-Day for Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy

It was an anticlimactic Thursday in Karnataka as a combative <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-trust-vote-today-as-karnataka-assembly-gets-adjourned-bjp-mlas-call-for-overnight-sit-in-236961">Congress-JD(S) coalition delayed the trust vote</a> by another day. However, after a day of chaos, the Governor has intervened with a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asking him to hold the floor test by 1.30pm on Friday.&nbsp;

An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor Vajubhai Vala to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order. "Though a message as contemplated under Article 175(2) is sent to the Speaker, I am informed that the House is adjourned today i.e, 18-07-2019. Under these circumstances, I require you to prove your majority on the floor of the house on or before 1.30 pm tomorrow" stated the Governor's letter.&nbsp;

The letter will further fuel debate in the house, with arguments also raging over the ambiguity over the constitutional right of a party to issue whip to its members during a trust vote. A whip, when issued, compels members to attend the house on the day of trust vote and vote in favour of the said party.&nbsp;

However, the Supreme Court verdict on Wednesday stated that the rebelling MLAs (whose resignations are yet to be accepted) cannot be compelled to attend the session. "SC says 15 MLAs ought not to be compelled to participate in the ongoing session of the house and an option should be given to them to attend or opt out. The SC order is curtailing my right under the 10th schedule of the constitution... Without even making me a party, SC has given this order" said CLP leader Siddaramaiah. In response, "Let me make it abundantly clear that this office is not restraining you (CLP leader) from acting as per your role... If a member of the house needs a leave of absence from the house, he should write a letter to me. I am at liberty to scrutinise the reason and will decide on whether to grant or not grant leave" said Speaker Ramesh Kumar.&nbsp;

Adding to the woes of the coalition government, another MLA Shrimanth Patil from Kagwad constituency slipped out from the resort where all the Congress MLAs had been holed up since Friday. While Patil sent a suspicious-looking letter without date or letterhead to the Speaker citing ill-health, Congress cried foul and claimed to be in possession of documentary evidence that proves the BJP had whisked him away.&nbsp;

Shortly afterwards pictures of BJP leader Lakshman Savadi escorting MLA Patil to the airport surfaced, adding more ammunition to the high-octane drama inside the Karnataka assembly. "We were all with Shrimanth Patil last night and he had dinner with us. Later, I was informed he is missing from the resort. He was healthy, but look at what the BJP has done" said Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC President.&nbsp;

Later in the night, the BJP released a counter video showing Shrimanth Kumar with his son at a hospital in Mumbai. Amidst the arguments and counter-arguments, Ramesh Kumar directed the Home Minister to dig into the truth behind Patil’s sudden disappearance from Bengaluru and submit a report on the same. With Patil gone, the coalition seems to have lost 20 votes that it had in its favour just a month ago.&nbsp;

Even as the pitched battle was on in the house, Ramesh Kumar sought assistance from the Advocate General Udaya Holla on the ambiguity over whip and its impact on the trust vote. The details of the discussion, however, remain undisclosed. As the day was closing with no signs of a trust vote, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who hopes to be the next Chief Minister, thundered that his party leaders will stay put in the house all night as a mark of protest.&nbsp;

"Voting should take place at the earliest. Even the Governor has sent a message that the voting should have been completed by the end of the day. Without respecting the Governor’s words or the Supreme Court’s decision, they are discussing extraneous matters and using it as a delaying tactic. In protest the BJP has decided to go ahead with an overnight dharna inside the Vidhana Soudha" said Suresh Kumar, BJP leader.&nbsp;

In the 224 member house excluding the speaker, the coalition has 116 members. But looking at Thursday’s absentees, the house strength is down to 204, with the coalition having just 99 members, and the BJP sitting comfortably at 107. So then why is the coalition delaying the trust vote when the numbers clearly show the end is near? HD Kumaraswamy’s actions can be perceived in two ways. Firstly, he could be using the delay to pressurise the rebels with the threat of disqualification, hoping it will prompt them to return to the party fold. When an MLA gets disqualified he becomes ineligible to hold a ministership or position in the government until reelected.&nbsp;

Secondly, Congress and JD(S) are seeking to undo the Supreme Court order insulating the rebel MLAs, that does not compel them to attend the session despite a whip. If the Congress can get the Supreme Court to uphold the right of a party to issue whip to all its members(rebel or not), then the Congress &amp; JD(S) get solid grounds to move disqualification proceedings against the dissidents.&nbsp;

Currently, disqualification petitions have been submitted on relatively flimsy grounds of the MLAs skipping CLP meeting. Simply put, if Kumaraswamy knows he is going down, he might want to take those responsible down with him.&nbsp;

It was an anticlimactic Thursday in Karnataka as a combative Congress-JD(S) coalition delayed the trust vote by another day. However, after a day of chaos, the Governor has intervened with a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asking him to hold the floor test by 1.

It was an anticlimactic Thursday in Karnataka as a combative Congress-JD(S) coalition delayed the trust vote by another day. However, after a day of chaos, the Governor has intervened with a letter to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, asking him to hold the floor test by 1.30pm on Friday. An earlier letter to the Speaker by Governor Vajubhai Vala to conduct the floor test by the end of Thursday was merely dismissed as a suggestion and not an order. "Though a message as contemplated under Article 175(2) is sent to the Speaker, I am informed that the House is adjourned today i.e, 18-07-2019. Under these circumstances, I require you to prove your majority on the floor of the house on or before 1.30 pm tomorrow" stated the Governor's letter. The letter will further fuel debate in the house, with arguments also raging over the ambiguity over the constitutional right of a party to issue whip to its members during a trust vote. A whip, when issued, compels members to attend the house on the day of trust vote and vote in favour of the said party. However, the Supreme Court verdict on Wednesday stated that the rebelling MLAs (whose resignations are yet to be accepted) cannot be compelled to attend the session. "SC says 15 MLAs ought not to be compelled to participate in the ongoing session of the house and an option should be given to them to attend or opt out. The SC order is curtailing my right under the 10th schedule of the constitution... Without even making me a party, SC has given this order" said CLP leader Siddaramaiah. In response, "Let me make it abundantly clear that this office is not restraining you (CLP leader) from acting as per your role... If a member of the house needs a leave of absence from the house, he should write a letter to me. I am at liberty to scrutinise the reason and will decide on whether to grant or not grant leave" said Speaker Ramesh Kumar. Adding to the woes of the coalition government, another MLA Shrimanth Patil from Kagwad constituency slipped out from the resort where all the Congress MLAs had been holed up since Friday. While Patil sent a suspicious-looking letter without date or letterhead to the Speaker citing ill-health, Congress cried foul and claimed to be in possession of documentary evidence that proves the BJP had whisked him away. Shortly afterwards pictures of BJP leader Lakshman Savadi escorting MLA Patil to the airport surfaced, adding more ammunition to the high-octane drama inside the Karnataka assembly. "We were all with Shrimanth Patil last night and he had dinner with us. Later, I was informed he is missing from the resort. He was healthy, but look at what the BJP has done" said Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC President. Later in the night, the BJP released a counter video showing Shrimanth Kumar with his son at a hospital in Mumbai. Amidst the arguments and counter-arguments, Ramesh Kumar directed the Home Minister to dig into the truth behind Patil’s sudden disappearance from Bengaluru and submit a report on the same. With Patil gone, the coalition seems to have lost 20 votes that it had in its favour just a month ago. Even as the pitched battle was on in the house, Ramesh Kumar sought assistance from the Advocate General Udaya Holla on the ambiguity over whip and its impact on the trust vote. The details of the discussion, however, remain undisclosed. As the day was closing with no signs of a trust vote, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, who hopes to be the next Chief Minister, thundered that his party leaders will stay put in the house all night as a mark of protest. "Voting should take place at the earliest. Even the Governor has sent a message that the voting should have been completed by the end of the day. Without respecting the Governor’s words or the Supreme Court’s decision, they are discussing extraneous matters and using it as a delaying tactic. In protest the BJP has decided to go ahead with an overnight dharna inside the Vidhana Soudha" said Suresh Kumar, BJP leader. In the 224 member house excluding the speaker, the coalition has 116 members. But looking at Thursday’s absentees, the house strength is down to 204, with the coalition having just 99 members, and the BJP sitting comfortably at 107. So then why is the coalition delaying the trust vote when the numbers clearly show the end is near? HD Kumaraswamy’s actions can be perceived in two ways. Firstly, he could be using the delay to pressurise the rebels with the threat of disqualification, hoping it will prompt them to return to the party fold. When an MLA gets disqualified he becomes ineligible to hold a ministership or position in the government until reelected. Secondly, Congress and JD(S) are seeking to undo the Supreme Court order insulating the rebel MLAs, that does not compel them to attend the session despite a whip. If the Congress can get the Supreme Court to uphold the right of a party to issue whip to all its members(rebel or not), then the Congress & JD(S) get solid grounds to move disqualification proceedings against the dissidents. Currently, disqualification petitions have been submitted on relatively flimsy grounds of the MLAs skipping CLP meeting. Simply put, if Kumaraswamy knows he is going down, he might want to take those responsible down with him.

Karnataka Governor asks Chief Minister to hold floor test on Friday as Congress-JD(S) delay trust vote 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict regarding the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in Parliament today.&nbsp;

In a major win for India, the ICJ on Wednesday continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying, and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction.&nbsp;

India put intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through numerous diplomatic notes and demarches and letter by the External Affairs Minister (EAM) over a sustained period for consular access and release of Jadhav, as per government sources.

"India`s Stand on Vienna Convention and consular access was upheld. India will get access to Jadhav. India`s legal arguments were upheld, including the correctness of the decision to approach ICJ," they said.

Sources said that Jadhav is innocent and that "he was kidnapped from Iran, where he was residing and carrying on business after retiring from the Indian Navy. There is absolutely no clarification by Pakistan about the circumstances of his arrest".

India put up a formidable legal team led by Harish Salve. The ICJ agreed to India's viewpoint by issuing a binding order to Pakistan to prevent the execution of Jadhav.

The court also granted him consular access holding Pakistan guilty of violating the Vienna Convention. Reacting to the ICJ verdict, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that it is yet another manifestation of the Narendra Modi government's diplomatic efforts.

"A great day at the @CIJ_ICJ! The verdict is a victory of truth and protects human dignity. It is yet another manifestation of Modi Government`s diplomatic efforts and commitment to protecting all Indians. I congratulate Harish Salve ji for his stupendous efforts through the case," he tweeted.&nbsp;

Jadhav, 49, was purportedly "arrested" from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran, as claimed by Islamabad. India has held that Pakistan, which faces several problems on its border with Iran, has been using Jadhav's case to blame India for its problems in Balochistan. It has used proxy groups such as Jaish al Adl against Iran, while Iranian officials have spoken of Pakistan's sponsorship of terror activities along the Iran-Pakistan border. It was on March 25, 2016, that then Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, had informed the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad of Jadhav's "arrest."Since then, Pakistan has not offered any explanation as to why Islamabad took over three weeks to inform the Indian High Commissioner about Jadhav's arrest. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on April 11, 2017.&nbsp;

Following this, India on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.&nbsp;

India alleged that Pakistan is in breach of Article 36(1) (b) of the Vienna Convention, which obliged Pakistan to inform India of the arrest of Jadhav "without delay".&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict regarding the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in Parliament today.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict regarding the Kulbhushan Jadhav case in Parliament today. In a major win for India, the ICJ on Wednesday continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying, and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction. India put intense diplomatic pressure on Pakistan through numerous diplomatic notes and demarches and letter by the External Affairs Minister (EAM) over a sustained period for consular access and release of Jadhav, as per government sources. "India`s Stand on Vienna Convention and consular access was upheld. India will get access to Jadhav. India`s legal arguments were upheld, including the correctness of the decision to approach ICJ," they said. Sources said that Jadhav is innocent and that "he was kidnapped from Iran, where he was residing and carrying on business after retiring from the Indian Navy. There is absolutely no clarification by Pakistan about the circumstances of his arrest". India put up a formidable legal team led by Harish Salve. The ICJ agreed to India's viewpoint by issuing a binding order to Pakistan to prevent the execution of Jadhav. The court also granted him consular access holding Pakistan guilty of violating the Vienna Convention. Reacting to the ICJ verdict, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that it is yet another manifestation of the Narendra Modi government's diplomatic efforts. "A great day at the @CIJ_ICJ! The verdict is a victory of truth and protects human dignity. It is yet another manifestation of Modi Government`s diplomatic efforts and commitment to protecting all Indians. I congratulate Harish Salve ji for his stupendous efforts through the case," he tweeted. Jadhav, 49, was purportedly "arrested" from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran, as claimed by Islamabad. India has held that Pakistan, which faces several problems on its border with Iran, has been using Jadhav's case to blame India for its problems in Balochistan. It has used proxy groups such as Jaish al Adl against Iran, while Iranian officials have spoken of Pakistan's sponsorship of terror activities along the Iran-Pakistan border. It was on March 25, 2016, that then Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, had informed the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad of Jadhav's "arrest."Since then, Pakistan has not offered any explanation as to why Islamabad took over three weeks to inform the Indian High Commissioner about Jadhav's arrest. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on April 11, 2017. Following this, India on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter. India alleged that Pakistan is in breach of Article 36(1) (b) of the Vienna Convention, which obliged Pakistan to inform India of the arrest of Jadhav "without delay".

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to make statement on International Court of Justice verdict in Parliament today

Life came to a standstill around Tughlakabad-Prahladpur area of the national capital after incessant rains flooded roads in the vicinity on Thursday causing major inconvenience to the commuters.

The heavy downpour also caused water-logging around the underpass Railway Bridge in the said area of South Delhi causing massive traffic snarls.

Commuters were stuck for hours in a traffic jam due to deluged roads and underpasses."Every time heavy rain lashes the national capital, residents here have to bear the brunt as the pedestrians have to wade through knee-deep water in order to cross the road," a resident told ANI.

"My office is just ten minutes away from my place, but today it took me at least one hour to reach till this underpass area, due to severe waterlogged roads and traffic jam. The responsible authorities should immediately do something in this direction as it is majorly affecting the commuters," Ashish, a commuter told ANI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continuous rainfall for the city for the next two days with the possibility of minimum and maximum temperatures settling at 24 degree Celsius and 33 degree Celsius respectively.

Traffic snarls were also seen in major areas such as RK Puram, DND Flyover and Mehrauli road, Dhaula Kuan and Najafgarh road among others.

Several commuters took to social media sites to vent their anger about the prevailing situation, including lashing out at cab drivers who were making the most of the situation by inflating their rates.

Rainfall is predicted to continue as the monsoon trough is passing via the National Capital territory.

According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the Monsoon trough will start shifting northwards after 48 hours, thus leading to an increase in the rainfall activities over northern parts of Punjab, Haryana and Northwest Uttar Pradesh.

According to weathermen, this, however, will lead to a reduction in the Monsoon rains over Delhi and NCR area. The isolated localised spell of rain may occur due to the presence of high humidity in the atmosphere.

Moreover, the convective clouds may develop, thus giving on and off short spells of rain.&nbsp;

Life came to a standstill around Tughlakabad-Prahladpur area of the national capital after incessant rains flooded roads in the vicinity on Thursday causing major inconvenience to the commuters.

Life came to a standstill around Tughlakabad-Prahladpur area of the national capital after incessant rains flooded roads in the vicinity on Thursday causing major inconvenience to the commuters. The heavy downpour also caused water-logging around the underpass Railway Bridge in the said area of South Delhi causing massive traffic snarls. Commuters were stuck for hours in a traffic jam due to deluged roads and underpasses."Every time heavy rain lashes the national capital, residents here have to bear the brunt as the pedestrians have to wade through knee-deep water in order to cross the road," a resident told ANI. "My office is just ten minutes away from my place, but today it took me at least one hour to reach till this underpass area, due to severe waterlogged roads and traffic jam. The responsible authorities should immediately do something in this direction as it is majorly affecting the commuters," Ashish, a commuter told ANI. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continuous rainfall for the city for the next two days with the possibility of minimum and maximum temperatures settling at 24 degree Celsius and 33 degree Celsius respectively. Traffic snarls were also seen in major areas such as RK Puram, DND Flyover and Mehrauli road, Dhaula Kuan and Najafgarh road among others. Several commuters took to social media sites to vent their anger about the prevailing situation, including lashing out at cab drivers who were making the most of the situation by inflating their rates. Rainfall is predicted to continue as the monsoon trough is passing via the National Capital territory. According to Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency, the Monsoon trough will start shifting northwards after 48 hours, thus leading to an increase in the rainfall activities over northern parts of Punjab, Haryana and Northwest Uttar Pradesh. According to weathermen, this, however, will lead to a reduction in the Monsoon rains over Delhi and NCR area. The isolated localised spell of rain may occur due to the presence of high humidity in the atmosphere. Moreover, the convective clouds may develop, thus giving on and off short spells of rain.

Delhi rains: Water logging paralyses life in national capital

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that he sees "more consistency than difference" in India's policy towards China despite the change of governments and held that a diplomat, as well as a minister, follows the policy of the government of the day.

His remarks came in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour when senior Congress member and former union minister Ambika Soni sought to know from the diplomat-turned-politician that whether he has changed his point of view on China after becoming a minister.

"Many of us know that there are other contentious issues between the two countries (India-China). We are all familiar with the views of the present Foreign Minister when he was Ambassador to China and subsequently. His personal views helped the government of the day enormously in sorting out many contentious issues. Has he changed his point of view after becoming a minister," she asked.

Responding to it Jaishankar said, "As a Minister or as a diplomat, you follow the policy of the government of the day."He said as far as "our policy" towards China is concerned, "honestly, I see more consistency than difference".

"I think it is India's endeavour to engage China. They are our largest neighbour. Between us, our ability to get along will define the Asian century. So, I have always believed, both as a Diplomat and today as the External Affairs Minister, that India-China relations are critical for both countries," he said.

Jaishankar was replying to questions in the House for the first time after becoming the minister and Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu hailed him.

"Today was the first time that Dr&nbsp;Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, got a chance to answer in Parliament and he did it extremely well," Naidu remarked.

Replying to a supplementary whether India and China are going to limit the stockpile of nuclear weapons, the Minister said the issue was being discussed in the Conference on Disarmament.

"Any agreement that India will accede to will have to be non-discriminatory and concerning all the countries with nuclear weapons," he said.

Asked whether government initiated any step to enhance relations between the Armies of two countries on regional and global strategic issues, Jaishankar said India has a number of dialogues with China.

"The Prime Minister engages the President of China at an informal summit. I have a dialogue with my counterpart which takes place every year. At the military level, we have a very, very detailed engagement." "We do discuss both military and strategic issues. In fact, in Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue we did discuss issues like Iran, JCPOA and issues like the INF treaty. There is a very healthy and a very candid discussion on a range of subjects," he said.

To a question on Brahmaputra river, he said both the countries have a mechanism called "Expert Level Mechanism" which looks at transnational river water issues."

Two rivers are dealt with by them - Brahmaputra and Satluj. We do engage China on river water issues, specifically, on the Brahmaputra. China has constructed dams on the Brahmaputra which they describe as run-of-the-river dams. We monitor these dams very, very carefully.

"We have suggested to the Chinese side that the data that they give us should not only relate to the flood season but to the dry season as well. So, on the entire issue regarding rivers and, specifically, the Brahmaputra, we are in very, very close touch," he said.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that he sees "more consistency than difference" in India's policy towards China despite the change of governments and held that a diplomat, as well as a minister, follows the policy of the government of the day.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday that he sees "more consistency than difference" in India's policy towards China despite the change of governments and held that a diplomat, as well as a minister, follows the policy of the government of the day. His remarks came in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour when senior Congress member and former union minister Ambika Soni sought to know from the diplomat-turned-politician that whether he has changed his point of view on China after becoming a minister. "Many of us know that there are other contentious issues between the two countries (India-China). We are all familiar with the views of the present Foreign Minister when he was Ambassador to China and subsequently. His personal views helped the government of the day enormously in sorting out many contentious issues. Has he changed his point of view after becoming a minister," she asked. Responding to it Jaishankar said, "As a Minister or as a diplomat, you follow the policy of the government of the day."He said as far as "our policy" towards China is concerned, "honestly, I see more consistency than difference". "I think it is India's endeavour to engage China. They are our largest neighbour. Between us, our ability to get along will define the Asian century. So, I have always believed, both as a Diplomat and today as the External Affairs Minister, that India-China relations are critical for both countries," he said. Jaishankar was replying to questions in the House for the first time after becoming the minister and Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu hailed him. "Today was the first time that Dr Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, got a chance to answer in Parliament and he did it extremely well," Naidu remarked. Replying to a supplementary whether India and China are going to limit the stockpile of nuclear weapons, the Minister said the issue was being discussed in the Conference on Disarmament. "Any agreement that India will accede to will have to be non-discriminatory and concerning all the countries with nuclear weapons," he said. Asked whether government initiated any step to enhance relations between the Armies of two countries on regional and global strategic issues, Jaishankar said India has a number of dialogues with China. "The Prime Minister engages the President of China at an informal summit. I have a dialogue with my counterpart which takes place every year. At the military level, we have a very, very detailed engagement." "We do discuss both military and strategic issues. In fact, in Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue we did discuss issues like Iran, JCPOA and issues like the INF treaty. There is a very healthy and a very candid discussion on a range of subjects," he said. To a question on Brahmaputra river, he said both the countries have a mechanism called "Expert Level Mechanism" which looks at transnational river water issues." Two rivers are dealt with by them - Brahmaputra and Satluj. We do engage China on river water issues, specifically, on the Brahmaputra. China has constructed dams on the Brahmaputra which they describe as run-of-the-river dams. We monitor these dams very, very carefully. "We have suggested to the Chinese side that the data that they give us should not only relate to the flood season but to the dry season as well. So, on the entire issue regarding rivers and, specifically, the Brahmaputra, we are in very, very close touch," he said.

India's policy towards China consistent through governments: S Jaishankar

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-votes-to-set-aside-impeachment-resolution-against-trump-236765">US House votes to set aside impeachment resolution against Trump</a>

The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to sideline an impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump, effectively killing the measure for now but not burying the issue that has divided Democrats.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-crisis-karnataka-chief-minister-kumaraswamy-to-face-trust-vote-today-236772">Karnataka crisis: Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to face trust vote today</a>

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress JD(S) government will face the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unbowed-trump-intensifies-attacks-on-four-democratic-congresswomen-236766">Unbowed, Trump intensifies attacks on four Democratic congresswomen</a>

President Donald Trump intensified his vilification of four liberal lawmakers as un-American at a raucous rally on Wednesday, underscoring that the attacks will be a key part of his strategy for winning re-election in 2020.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-declares-ebola-outbreak-is-international-health-emergency-but-not-global-threat-236767">WHO declares Ebola outbreak is an international health emergency, but not global threat</a>

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a "public health emergency of international concern", saying the recent risk of its spread in the city of Goma and into Uganda had increased the threat.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-rejects-saudi-weapons-sales-trump-to-veto-236775">US House rejects Saudi weapons sales; Trump to veto</a>

Nearly a month after the Senate supported 22 resolutions disapproving of Trump's plan for billions of dollars in weapons sales despite Congress' objections, the House passed three of the 22, two on a vote of 238-190 and the third by a 237-190 margin, largely along party lines. 
&nbsp;

US House votes to set aside impeachment resolution against Trump The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to sideline an impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump, effectively killing the measure for now but not burying the issue that has divided Democrats.

US House votes to set aside impeachment resolution against Trump The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to sideline an impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump, effectively killing the measure for now but not burying the issue that has divided Democrats. Karnataka crisis: Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to face trust vote today Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress JD(S) government will face the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday. Unbowed, Trump intensifies attacks on four Democratic congresswomen President Donald Trump intensified his vilification of four liberal lawmakers as un-American at a raucous rally on Wednesday, underscoring that the attacks will be a key part of his strategy for winning re-election in 2020. WHO declares Ebola outbreak is an international health emergency, but not global threat The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a "public health emergency of international concern", saying the recent risk of its spread in the city of Goma and into Uganda had increased the threat. US House rejects Saudi weapons sales; Trump to veto Nearly a month after the Senate supported 22 resolutions disapproving of Trump's plan for billions of dollars in weapons sales despite Congress' objections, the House passed three of the 22, two on a vote of 238-190 and the third by a 237-190 margin, largely along party lines.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress JD(S) government will face the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday.&nbsp;

The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly, reported news agency ANI.

Kumaraswamy on Wednesday issued whip to all 37 MLAs of JD(S) including three rebel legislators Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath to be present in the Assembly at the time of trust vote.

Kumaraswamy warned of action under the rule of Anti-Defection Law against MLAs who do not attend the House or vote against the party whip even after attending the session on the day of trust voting.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who was amongst the dissident legislators, on Wednesday confirmed that he will remain in the party and vote in favour of Karnataka coalition government in the state Assembly.

Reddy, who along with nine Congress-JD(S) MLAs resigned on July 6, had said that he tendered his resignation due to party`s internal matters.

Kumaraswamy had on sought permission from Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to face a floor test during the ongoing session of the Assembly.

A Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose had observed that 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in the proceedings of the House. It, however, added that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar cannot be forced to take a decision within a time frame on the resignations of the rebel MLAs.

Mukul Rohatgi, the lawyer of rebel MLAs, said: "In view of the trust vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court has said two important things -- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that may or may not go to the House tomorrow."

The plea was filed by Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkhiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, S T Somashekar, Arbail Sivaram Hebbar and Mahesh Kumathalli from the Congress and K Gopalaiah, H D Vishwanath and Narayan Gowda from the JDS.&nbsp;

Five other rebel MLAs -- K Sudhakar, Roshan Baig, MTB Nagaraj, Muniratna and Anand Singh -- had approached the court on July 13 contending they had resigned "voluntarily" and that their resignation must be accepted by the Speaker.

The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government had slumped into crisis after these MLAs resigned from the membership of the Assembly earlier this month. The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.&nbsp;

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress JD(S) government will face the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday. The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly, reported news agency ANI.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress JD(S) government will face the trust vote in the state Assembly on Thursday. The discussion on the vote of confidence will start at around 11 am in the Assembly, reported news agency ANI. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday issued whip to all 37 MLAs of JD(S) including three rebel legislators Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath to be present in the Assembly at the time of trust vote. Kumaraswamy warned of action under the rule of Anti-Defection Law against MLAs who do not attend the House or vote against the party whip even after attending the session on the day of trust voting. Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, who was amongst the dissident legislators, on Wednesday confirmed that he will remain in the party and vote in favour of Karnataka coalition government in the state Assembly. Reddy, who along with nine Congress-JD(S) MLAs resigned on July 6, had said that he tendered his resignation due to party`s internal matters. Kumaraswamy had on sought permission from Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to face a floor test during the ongoing session of the Assembly. A Supreme Court bench comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose had observed that 15 rebel MLAs cannot be forced to take part in the proceedings of the House. It, however, added that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar cannot be forced to take a decision within a time frame on the resignations of the rebel MLAs. Mukul Rohatgi, the lawyer of rebel MLAs, said: "In view of the trust vote on Thursday, the Supreme Court has said two important things -- 15 MLAs will not be compelled to attend the House tomorrow. All 15 MLAs are given the liberty that may or may not go to the House tomorrow." The plea was filed by Pratap Gouda Patil, Ramesh Jarkhiholi, Byrati Basavaraj, BC Patil, S T Somashekar, Arbail Sivaram Hebbar and Mahesh Kumathalli from the Congress and K Gopalaiah, H D Vishwanath and Narayan Gowda from the JDS. Five other rebel MLAs -- K Sudhakar, Roshan Baig, MTB Nagaraj, Muniratna and Anand Singh -- had approached the court on July 13 contending they had resigned "voluntarily" and that their resignation must be accepted by the Speaker. The 13-month-old Congress-JDS government had slumped into crisis after these MLAs resigned from the membership of the Assembly earlier this month. The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated MLA. The halfway mark in the 225-member Assembly is 113.

Karnataka crisis: Chief Minister Kumaraswamy to face trust vote today

Calling Pakistan an "uncivilised" nation, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the world has seen that its Army was a "rogue Army".

The senior advocate's statement comes after being asked to respond on the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ) to continue its stay on the execution of the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying.

"The ICJ has judges from different parts of the world, including China, which has seen the charade. Pakistan is not a civilised nation and the world has seen its Army was a rogue Army. The ICJ said that Pakistan must review, it's a dignified way of saying they must recall that judgement and send Jadhav back to India," senior advocate, Rohatgi told ANI.

He continued, "The world has seen that what Pakistan was saying was completely wrong. There was no trial, a military trial was farcical. There was no legal assistance and no consular access. It was a trial in isolation."

The ICJ on Wednesday continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying, and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction.

Jadhav, 49, was purportedly "arrested" from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran, as claimed by Islamabad.

India has held that Pakistan, which faces several problems on its border with Iran, has been using Jadhav's case to blame India for its problems in Balochistan. It has used proxy groups such as Jaish al Adl against Iran, while Iranian officials have spoken of Pakistan's sponsorship of terror activities along the Iran-Pakistan border.

It was on March 25, 2016, that then Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, had informed the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad of Jadhav's "arrest."

Since then, Pakistan has not offered any explanation as to why Islamabad took over three weeks to inform the Indian High Commissioner about Jadhav's arrest.

Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on April 11, 2017.

Following this, India on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.

India alleged that Pakistan is in breach of Article 36(1) (b) of the Vienna Convention, which obliged Pakistan to inform India of the arrest of Jadhav "without delay".

Calling Pakistan an "uncivilised" nation, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the world has seen that its Army was a "rogue Army". The senior advocate's statement comes after being asked to respond on the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ) to continue its stay on the execution of the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying.

Calling Pakistan an "uncivilised" nation, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said the world has seen that its Army was a "rogue Army". The senior advocate's statement comes after being asked to respond on the verdict of International Court of Justice (ICJ) to continue its stay on the execution of the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying. "The ICJ has judges from different parts of the world, including China, which has seen the charade. Pakistan is not a civilised nation and the world has seen its Army was a rogue Army. The ICJ said that Pakistan must review, it's a dignified way of saying they must recall that judgement and send Jadhav back to India," senior advocate, Rohatgi told ANI. He continued, "The world has seen that what Pakistan was saying was completely wrong. There was no trial, a military trial was farcical. There was no legal assistance and no consular access. It was a trial in isolation." The ICJ on Wednesday continued its stay on the execution of the Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, held in a Pakistani jail on allegations of spying, and called for an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction. Jadhav, 49, was purportedly "arrested" from Balochistan by Pakistani security forces on March 3, 2016, after he allegedly entered the country from Iran, as claimed by Islamabad. India has held that Pakistan, which faces several problems on its border with Iran, has been using Jadhav's case to blame India for its problems in Balochistan. It has used proxy groups such as Jaish al Adl against Iran, while Iranian officials have spoken of Pakistan's sponsorship of terror activities along the Iran-Pakistan border. It was on March 25, 2016, that then Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, had informed the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad of Jadhav's "arrest." Since then, Pakistan has not offered any explanation as to why Islamabad took over three weeks to inform the Indian High Commissioner about Jadhav's arrest. Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on April 11, 2017. Following this, India on May 8, 2017, approached the ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter. India alleged that Pakistan is in breach of Article 36(1) (b) of the Vienna Convention, which obliged Pakistan to inform India of the arrest of Jadhav "without delay".

Pakistan an uncivilised nation, its Army was 'rogue': Former AG Rohatgi on Jadhav's verdict 

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