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Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case.

“Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police.

STF officers revealed that Islam was an active JMB member since 2010. He was very much acquainted with Maulana Yousuf and Ibrahim who were recently arrested by Kolkata Police.

Islam used to visit Mokimnagar Madrasa frequently, recruited locals and reportedly radicalized them. The recruits were later trained at the same Madrasa where arms training was imparted.

Just seven days ago, the STF had arrested another JMB operative Abdul Matin from Kerala who hailed from Assam’s Barpeta. He joined the JMB in 2010 when he used to study at the Madrasa.

On January 29, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had nabbed two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengal’s Hooghly district.

“NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today,” an official release from the NIA read.

Of the two arrested - Kader Kazi and Sajjad Ali - Kader was a close associate of Burdwan blast mastermind Kausar.

On October 2, 2014, an explosion was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the accidental blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion revealed that the JMB unit and sleeper cells were active in the state.

Several arrests were made by the Bengal Police, however, the investigation was later handed over to NIA.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case. “Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case. “Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police. STF officers revealed that Islam was an active JMB member since 2010. He was very much acquainted with Maulana Yousuf and Ibrahim who were recently arrested by Kolkata Police. Islam used to visit Mokimnagar Madrasa frequently, recruited locals and reportedly radicalized them. The recruits were later trained at the same Madrasa where arms training was imparted. Just seven days ago, the STF had arrested another JMB operative Abdul Matin from Kerala who hailed from Assam’s Barpeta. He joined the JMB in 2010 when he used to study at the Madrasa. On January 29, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had nabbed two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengal’s Hooghly district. “NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today,” an official release from the NIA read. Of the two arrested - Kader Kazi and Sajjad Ali - Kader was a close associate of Burdwan blast mastermind Kausar. On October 2, 2014, an explosion was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the accidental blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion revealed that the JMB unit and sleeper cells were active in the state. Several arrests were made by the Bengal Police, however, the investigation was later handed over to NIA.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force arrests another JMB operative in connection with Burdwan blast

Thirty-four people died in two adjoining districts allegedly after drinking spurious liquor at a village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, officials said Friday. 
At least 40 others needed medical treatment.

Most of the victims had consumed the liquor Thursday evening at the `tehravin', the 13th day of mourning after a relative's death in Balupur village, they said.

Sixteen of the victims died in that village, close to Roorkee, according to the Uttarakhand police.

Eighteen more deaths took place in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, which adjoins Uttarakhand, as people who had attended the ritual returned home, district magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey said.

But at least one man also brought some liquor pouches from Balupur and might have sold them in Saharanpur, officials said.

The Uttarakhand police too said that apart from the 16 deaths in their state, more people died in neighbouring Saharanpur. But they had confirmation of only nine deaths in the UP district from the liquor they consumed in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand government has suspended 17 administration and police personnel and ordered a magisterial probe. In Uttar Pradesh, 10 policemen have been suspended.

Saharanpur DM Alok Pandey said the victims from Nangal and adjoining villages in his district had gone to Balupur to take part in the ceremony on Thursday.

They were served liquor there in the evening.

The victims started taking ill during the night, officials from both Uttarakhand and UP said.

Many of the Saharanpur victims could not be admitted to hospital because the area was lashed by rain and hailstorms, Pandey said.

In the morning, they were brought to the district medical hospital for treatment.

The deaths in the villages in Haridwar and Uttarakhand districts took place over the day on Friday, even as the authorities warned people not to consume any liquor they might be carrying from Balupur.

Saharanpur authorities Friday night said 42 people were still being treated, but none of them was in a serious condition.

At least two others were being treated in Haridwar district, officials said. 
Pandey said a man identified as Pintu had brought 30 pouches of hooch from Balupur village, and may have sold them to others.

It is not immediately clear if some of the victims are among his customers. 
One of pouches has been found and sent for forensic examination.

The official said the post-mortem examination has been conducted on 11 of the 18 Saharanpur victims.

In an unrelated case, eight people have died over the week in eastern UP's Kushinagar district after drinking hooch, officials said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered departmental action against district excise officers of Kushinagar and Saharanpur, the state government said. He also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs two lakh each to the relatives of those killed.

In Uttarakhand, 13 excise department personnel have been placed under suspension in connection with the hooch tragedy, Haridwar District Magistrate Deepak Rawat said.

Four Uttarakhand police personnel, including the Jhabrera station house officer, have been placed under suspension.

Both states announced drives to curb the sale spurious liquor. 
&nbsp;

Thirty-four people died in two adjoining districts allegedly after drinking spurious liquor at a village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, officials said Friday. At least 40 others needed medical treatment.

Thirty-four people died in two adjoining districts allegedly after drinking spurious liquor at a village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, officials said Friday. At least 40 others needed medical treatment. Most of the victims had consumed the liquor Thursday evening at the `tehravin', the 13th day of mourning after a relative's death in Balupur village, they said. Sixteen of the victims died in that village, close to Roorkee, according to the Uttarakhand police. Eighteen more deaths took place in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district, which adjoins Uttarakhand, as people who had attended the ritual returned home, district magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey said. But at least one man also brought some liquor pouches from Balupur and might have sold them in Saharanpur, officials said. The Uttarakhand police too said that apart from the 16 deaths in their state, more people died in neighbouring Saharanpur. But they had confirmation of only nine deaths in the UP district from the liquor they consumed in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand government has suspended 17 administration and police personnel and ordered a magisterial probe. In Uttar Pradesh, 10 policemen have been suspended. Saharanpur DM Alok Pandey said the victims from Nangal and adjoining villages in his district had gone to Balupur to take part in the ceremony on Thursday. They were served liquor there in the evening. The victims started taking ill during the night, officials from both Uttarakhand and UP said. Many of the Saharanpur victims could not be admitted to hospital because the area was lashed by rain and hailstorms, Pandey said. In the morning, they were brought to the district medical hospital for treatment. The deaths in the villages in Haridwar and Uttarakhand districts took place over the day on Friday, even as the authorities warned people not to consume any liquor they might be carrying from Balupur. Saharanpur authorities Friday night said 42 people were still being treated, but none of them was in a serious condition. At least two others were being treated in Haridwar district, officials said. Pandey said a man identified as Pintu had brought 30 pouches of hooch from Balupur village, and may have sold them to others. It is not immediately clear if some of the victims are among his customers. One of pouches has been found and sent for forensic examination. The official said the post-mortem examination has been conducted on 11 of the 18 Saharanpur victims. In an unrelated case, eight people have died over the week in eastern UP's Kushinagar district after drinking hooch, officials said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered departmental action against district excise officers of Kushinagar and Saharanpur, the state government said. He also announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs two lakh each to the relatives of those killed. In Uttarakhand, 13 excise department personnel have been placed under suspension in connection with the hooch tragedy, Haridwar District Magistrate Deepak Rawat said. Four Uttarakhand police personnel, including the Jhabrera station house officer, have been placed under suspension. Both states announced drives to curb the sale spurious liquor.

Uttarakhand: 34 die after drinking Hooch in Haridwar village

With an eye on 25 Lok Sabha seats at stake in the northeast region with 14 seats in Assam alone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday not only reiterated his government’s resolve to address the problem of illegal migrants, but also showcased how his four and a half years’ rule at the Centre has accelerated the pace of development across all the eight states.

Prime Minister Modi, who addressed three mega-public-meetings in Guwahati, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and Agartala in Tripura after inaugurating a number of development projects and laying the foundation for many others in three states, slammed the previous regime at the Centre for ignoring the development of the northeast region.

At Agartala, he said, “Workers in the unorganised sector were merely used by the previous governments for their vote bank politics. We introduced Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan scheme which will provide an assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 from the age of 60 years to the workers.”

“All the partners of the 'Mahamilawatwalas’ (opposition parties) have learned that the youth of the country, the poor of the country, the farmers of the country have their own ambitions. The job of the ‘Mahamilawatwalas’ is only to heap abuses and more abuses on me. It is as if an Olympic game is on to deride Modi,” he said.

The BJP had won eight Lok Sabha seats from the region during the last Lok Sabha polls in 2014 out of which seven were from Assam, and one from Arunachal Pradesh—Kiren Rijiju, who is Union Minister of State for Home Affairs.&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah has set the target of winning 21 seats out of 25 in the coming Lok Sabha polls in the region—Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Nagaland.

In a bid to woo the tribal community of Tripura, Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said that his government has not only taken steps to strengthen the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) but would further ensure its self-reliance and adequate staff strength.

“Our government at the Centre has taken a step forward to fulfill the long-pending demand of strengthening the autonomous council (TTAADC). With the amendment in the law, we not only wish to make the council self-dependent but also want to increase the number of officers in the council,” he said after inaugurating Garjee-Belonia railway line.

Talking about development projects in the state, he said, “For the first time in Tripura, paddy was procured as per the minimum support price (MSP). Besides this, the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission were also implemented.”

He said the infrastructure projects inaugurated on Saturday in the state were a reflection of the HIRA model.

“I talked about the HIRA—Highway, I-way, Railway, Airway—model when I visited the state last time during the Assembly elections. All the infrastructure projects inaugurated today are a reflection of the HIRA model.”

In Guwahati, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-is-committed-to-implementing-assam-accord-pm-modi-196215">he promised to implement not only the Assam Accord</a>, which seeks identification and deportation of illegal migrants, but also to ensure the state becomes a hub of oil and natural gas.

Prime Minister Modi, who was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the north-east gas grid, said, “Thirty-six years have passed but the Assam Accord has not been implemented yet and only Modi-led government would fulfill this task.”

Reiterating his government’s resolve to ensure all-round development of northeast region (NER), he said, “Today is a new chapter in the history of the northeast and the fast-paced development of this region has been a top priority for my government.”

“Assam is on the path to progress. Our dedication to the northeast has been proven in the interim budget as allocation to the northeast region has been increased by more than 21 per cent,” he said, assuring the people to protect their culture, resources, and languages.

On the Citizenship Bill, PM Modi urged the people not be carried away by the rumours. He urged the political parties to stop playing with the emotions of the people of Assam for political gain and vote bank.&nbsp;

“Assam will not be harmed through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,” he said.

“We have inked Chitmahal agreement and are working towards completely sealing India-Bangladesh border,” he said, adding that his party was committed to freeing the country from infiltrators.&nbsp;

“The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was not being implemented earlier. Now our government is working under the supervision of the Supreme Court to implement the NRC,” he said.

The Assam Accord, a memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Central government led by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the leaders of the Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985. The core point of the accord was the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants from Assam, for which the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had been protesting since 1979.

Prime Minister also inaugurated Hollong modular gas processing plant in Tinsukia which will deliver 15 per cent of the total gas produced in Assam. He also inaugurated LPG capacity augmentation of mounted storage vessel in north Guwahati.

The foundation stone of NRL biorefinery at Numaligarh and a 729-km gas pipeline from Barauni-Guwahati passing through Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Assam was also laid by Prime Minister Modi on this occasion.

He said, “Numaligarh will be the largest among 12 biorefineries to be built across India. These facilities will transform Assam into oil and natural gas hub and boost India’s economy.”&nbsp;

“In the last four-and-half years, projects worth Rs 14,000 crore have been completed in the oil and gas sector alone in Assam,” he said.

He also laid the foundation stone of City Gas Distribution Networks in Kamrup, Cacher, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts. He said, “In 2014 there were around 25 lakh PNG connections which have now touched the mark of 46 lakh in just four years. The number of CNG refueling stations also increased from 950 to 1,500 during this period.”

In Itanagar, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for Greenfield Airport and Sela Tunnel. He also launched DD Arun Prabha Channel and unveiled several other development projects in the state from IG Park, Itanagar. Modi also inspected Loin Loom operations there.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, “Arunachal is the land of rising sun. It is the confidence of the country. Today I got an opportunity to unveil projects worth more than Rs 4,000 crore. Additional projects worth Rs 13,000 crore are in progress in the state.”

Criticising the previous regime for neglecting the region, Prime Minister Modi said, “Previous government neglected Arunachal Pradesh. We are here to change that. New India can only be built when north-east India is developed. Development is for uniting the regions and people.”&nbsp;

“Our government has allocated Rs 44,000 crore to Arunachal Pradesh, which is double of the amount provided by the previous governments.”&nbsp;

With an eye on 25 Lok Sabha seats at stake in the northeast region with 14 seats in Assam alone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday not only reiterated his government’s resolve to address the problem of illegal migrants, but also showcased how his four and a half years’ rule at the Centre has accelerated the pace of development across all the eight states.

With an eye on 25 Lok Sabha seats at stake in the northeast region with 14 seats in Assam alone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday not only reiterated his government’s resolve to address the problem of illegal migrants, but also showcased how his four and a half years’ rule at the Centre has accelerated the pace of development across all the eight states. Prime Minister Modi, who addressed three mega-public-meetings in Guwahati, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and Agartala in Tripura after inaugurating a number of development projects and laying the foundation for many others in three states, slammed the previous regime at the Centre for ignoring the development of the northeast region. At Agartala, he said, “Workers in the unorganised sector were merely used by the previous governments for their vote bank politics. We introduced Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan scheme which will provide an assured monthly pension of Rs 3,000 from the age of 60 years to the workers.” “All the partners of the 'Mahamilawatwalas’ (opposition parties) have learned that the youth of the country, the poor of the country, the farmers of the country have their own ambitions. The job of the ‘Mahamilawatwalas’ is only to heap abuses and more abuses on me. It is as if an Olympic game is on to deride Modi,” he said. The BJP had won eight Lok Sabha seats from the region during the last Lok Sabha polls in 2014 out of which seven were from Assam, and one from Arunachal Pradesh—Kiren Rijiju, who is Union Minister of State for Home Affairs. BJP president Amit Shah has set the target of winning 21 seats out of 25 in the coming Lok Sabha polls in the region—Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Nagaland. In a bid to woo the tribal community of Tripura, Prime Minister Modi on Saturday said that his government has not only taken steps to strengthen the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) but would further ensure its self-reliance and adequate staff strength. “Our government at the Centre has taken a step forward to fulfill the long-pending demand of strengthening the autonomous council (TTAADC). With the amendment in the law, we not only wish to make the council self-dependent but also want to increase the number of officers in the council,” he said after inaugurating Garjee-Belonia railway line. Talking about development projects in the state, he said, “For the first time in Tripura, paddy was procured as per the minimum support price (MSP). Besides this, the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission were also implemented.” He said the infrastructure projects inaugurated on Saturday in the state were a reflection of the HIRA model. “I talked about the HIRA—Highway, I-way, Railway, Airway—model when I visited the state last time during the Assembly elections. All the infrastructure projects inaugurated today are a reflection of the HIRA model.” In Guwahati, he promised to implement not only the Assam Accord, which seeks identification and deportation of illegal migrants, but also to ensure the state becomes a hub of oil and natural gas. Prime Minister Modi, who was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the north-east gas grid, said, “Thirty-six years have passed but the Assam Accord has not been implemented yet and only Modi-led government would fulfill this task.” Reiterating his government’s resolve to ensure all-round development of northeast region (NER), he said, “Today is a new chapter in the history of the northeast and the fast-paced development of this region has been a top priority for my government.” “Assam is on the path to progress. Our dedication to the northeast has been proven in the interim budget as allocation to the northeast region has been increased by more than 21 per cent,” he said, assuring the people to protect their culture, resources, and languages. On the Citizenship Bill, PM Modi urged the people not be carried away by the rumours. He urged the political parties to stop playing with the emotions of the people of Assam for political gain and vote bank. “Assam will not be harmed through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,” he said. “We have inked Chitmahal agreement and are working towards completely sealing India-Bangladesh border,” he said, adding that his party was committed to freeing the country from infiltrators. “The National Register of Citizens (NRC) was not being implemented earlier. Now our government is working under the supervision of the Supreme Court to implement the NRC,” he said. The Assam Accord, a memorandum of settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Central government led by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the leaders of the Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985. The core point of the accord was the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants from Assam, for which the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) had been protesting since 1979. Prime Minister also inaugurated Hollong modular gas processing plant in Tinsukia which will deliver 15 per cent of the total gas produced in Assam. He also inaugurated LPG capacity augmentation of mounted storage vessel in north Guwahati. The foundation stone of NRL biorefinery at Numaligarh and a 729-km gas pipeline from Barauni-Guwahati passing through Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Assam was also laid by Prime Minister Modi on this occasion. He said, “Numaligarh will be the largest among 12 biorefineries to be built across India. These facilities will transform Assam into oil and natural gas hub and boost India’s economy.” “In the last four-and-half years, projects worth Rs 14,000 crore have been completed in the oil and gas sector alone in Assam,” he said. He also laid the foundation stone of City Gas Distribution Networks in Kamrup, Cacher, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts. He said, “In 2014 there were around 25 lakh PNG connections which have now touched the mark of 46 lakh in just four years. The number of CNG refueling stations also increased from 950 to 1,500 during this period.” In Itanagar, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for Greenfield Airport and Sela Tunnel. He also launched DD Arun Prabha Channel and unveiled several other development projects in the state from IG Park, Itanagar. Modi also inspected Loin Loom operations there. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “Arunachal is the land of rising sun. It is the confidence of the country. Today I got an opportunity to unveil projects worth more than Rs 4,000 crore. Additional projects worth Rs 13,000 crore are in progress in the state.” Criticising the previous regime for neglecting the region, Prime Minister Modi said, “Previous government neglected Arunachal Pradesh. We are here to change that. New India can only be built when north-east India is developed. Development is for uniting the regions and people.” “Our government has allocated Rs 44,000 crore to Arunachal Pradesh, which is double of the amount provided by the previous governments.”

PM Modi pins hope on development works, Assam Accord to win electoral battle in north west

Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the BJP has made India’s politics bipolar which used to be unipolar earlier, while terming Janata Dal-United (JDU) as a natural ally of his party in Bihar.

“The Congress used to rule the roost in the country. It brought the culture of unipolar politics. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP were able to transform India’s unipolar politics into bipolar,” he said while speaking at the BJP’s ‘Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat Modi Ke Saath’ campaign in Bihar ahead of the general&nbsp;elections.

Praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi for their dedication towards the state’s development, Singh said, “JDU is a natural ally of the BJP. The state’s gross domestic product (GDP) has witnessed 10 per cent growth. Bihar has become a revenue surplus state.”

Hailing the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in strengthening India’s economy, Singh said that no one can deny the fact that the country’s economy has experienced immense growth under his leadership in the past four and a half years.

Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that Bihar, which used to be a centre of knowledge, has now become a centre of poverty, Singh said, “The Congress president should think twice before speaking. He should know that Bihar is the land of Lord Buddha. This state has given us several great scholars and leaders.”

Talking about high profile corruption cases, Singh said, “Whether Vijay Mallya or Nirav Modi, we will bring every loan defaulter back to India. Our efforts have set the ball rolling for the extradition of Vijay Mallya.”

Singh, while talking about the way Indian forces are now tackling terrorism and Naxalism, said, “Our forces are very well countering them. I have given orders to our soldiers that if Pakistan indulges in cross border firing, then they must retaliate strongly.”&nbsp;

Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the BJP has made India’s politics bipolar which used to be unipolar earlier, while terming Janata Dal-United (JDU) as a natural ally of his party in Bihar.

Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the BJP has made India’s politics bipolar which used to be unipolar earlier, while terming Janata Dal-United (JDU) as a natural ally of his party in Bihar. “The Congress used to rule the roost in the country. It brought the culture of unipolar politics. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the BJP were able to transform India’s unipolar politics into bipolar,” he said while speaking at the BJP’s ‘Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat Modi Ke Saath’ campaign in Bihar ahead of the general elections. Praising Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi for their dedication towards the state’s development, Singh said, “JDU is a natural ally of the BJP. The state’s gross domestic product (GDP) has witnessed 10 per cent growth. Bihar has become a revenue surplus state.” Hailing the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in strengthening India’s economy, Singh said that no one can deny the fact that the country’s economy has experienced immense growth under his leadership in the past four and a half years. Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that Bihar, which used to be a centre of knowledge, has now become a centre of poverty, Singh said, “The Congress president should think twice before speaking. He should know that Bihar is the land of Lord Buddha. This state has given us several great scholars and leaders.” Talking about high profile corruption cases, Singh said, “Whether Vijay Mallya or Nirav Modi, we will bring every loan defaulter back to India. Our efforts have set the ball rolling for the extradition of Vijay Mallya.” Singh, while talking about the way Indian forces are now tackling terrorism and Naxalism, said, “Our forces are very well countering them. I have given orders to our soldiers that if Pakistan indulges in cross border firing, then they must retaliate strongly.”

BJP has made India's unipolar politics bipolar: Rajnath Singh

Trinamool Congress MLA from Krishnaganj constituency, Satyajit Biswas, was shot dead by miscreants on Saturday in Bengal’s Nadia district.

Biswas was attending a Saraswati Puja celebration at Majdia-Fulbari area around 8 pm when some miscreants opened fire at him.

He was immediately rushed to the Krishnagar district hospital where he was declared dead. Doctors said that he succumbed to bullet injuries.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, his body has been sent for post mortem examination.

The incident took place after Biswas got down the stage after inaugurating the Saraswati puja event and was walking towards his car. Suddenly, several miscreants appeared and fired at him.

Trinamool Congress general secretary and state education minister Partha Chatterjee said, “We are not going to spare those who killed him. Those responsible for his death will be brought to book. BJP is responsible for this death. There are some ‘gaddars’ who have killed him.”

Chatterjee added that he has asked senior leaders of the party to reach the hospital immediately, adding that he may also leave for Nadia on Sunday.

TMC Nadia district president Gaurishankar Dutta directly blamed BJP leader Mukul Roy for the murder.&nbsp;

“Mukul Roy had been trying very hard to break TMC’s organisation in the district. This is a political murder and we are sure that this is the handiwork of the BJP,” said Dutta.

Mukul Roy couldn’t be reached over the phone for a comment.

On the other hand, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh termed the murder as a result of TMC factional feud and ruled out the allegations of BJP’s involvement.&nbsp;

“This is a politics of murder that has engulfed the state. In the last couple of months, each time a TMC leader or a supporter is killed, they blame our party. I want the truth to be revealed through the investigation and the guilty be punished,” said Ghosh. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, a huge contingent of police force has been rushed to the spot and a pistol has been recovered from the site.

Trinamool Congress MLA from Krishnaganj constituency, Satyajit Biswas, was shot dead by miscreants on Saturday in Bengal’s Nadia district. Biswas was attending a Saraswati Puja celebration at Majdia-Fulbari area around 8 pm when some miscreants opened fire at him.

Trinamool Congress MLA from Krishnaganj constituency, Satyajit Biswas, was shot dead by miscreants on Saturday in Bengal’s Nadia district. Biswas was attending a Saraswati Puja celebration at Majdia-Fulbari area around 8 pm when some miscreants opened fire at him. He was immediately rushed to the Krishnagar district hospital where he was declared dead. Doctors said that he succumbed to bullet injuries. Meanwhile, his body has been sent for post mortem examination. The incident took place after Biswas got down the stage after inaugurating the Saraswati puja event and was walking towards his car. Suddenly, several miscreants appeared and fired at him. Trinamool Congress general secretary and state education minister Partha Chatterjee said, “We are not going to spare those who killed him. Those responsible for his death will be brought to book. BJP is responsible for this death. There are some ‘gaddars’ who have killed him.” Chatterjee added that he has asked senior leaders of the party to reach the hospital immediately, adding that he may also leave for Nadia on Sunday. TMC Nadia district president Gaurishankar Dutta directly blamed BJP leader Mukul Roy for the murder. “Mukul Roy had been trying very hard to break TMC’s organisation in the district. This is a political murder and we are sure that this is the handiwork of the BJP,” said Dutta. Mukul Roy couldn’t be reached over the phone for a comment. On the other hand, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh termed the murder as a result of TMC factional feud and ruled out the allegations of BJP’s involvement. “This is a politics of murder that has engulfed the state. In the last couple of months, each time a TMC leader or a supporter is killed, they blame our party. I want the truth to be revealed through the investigation and the guilty be punished,” said Ghosh. Meanwhile, a huge contingent of police force has been rushed to the spot and a pistol has been recovered from the site.

West Bengal: Trinamool Congress MLA from Krishnaganj shot dead

India has slammed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for his comments on the situation of minorities in India, calling his remarks an "egregious insult to all citizens of India".

Raveesh Kumar, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said, "Pakistan’s Prime Minister has yet again demonstrated his lack of understanding about India’s secular polity and ethos. He overlooks the obvious fact that adherents of all faiths choose to live under the democratic polity and the progressive Constitution of India."

"India has eminent leaders of all faiths who occupy its highest Constitutional and official positions," Kumar added.&nbsp;

Pak prime minister Imran Khan was in Nankana Sahib on Saturday where he said, unlike India, his country doesn't treat its minorities as second class citizens.

India also highlighted the incident of the removal of Princeton University economist Atif Mian from Imran Khan-led Economic Advisory Council (EAC) owing to his minority Ahmadiyya background.

MEA said, "Pakistani citizens of non-Islamic faith are barred from occupying high Constitutional offices. The minorities are often turned away from government bodies like the Economic Advisory Council of their Prime Minister, even in ‘naya Pakistan'."

India said Pakistan "would do well to focus on its domestic challenges" and "improve conditions of its citizens rather than try and divert attention".

Pakistan has been trying to get a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support its ailing economy. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-pm-imran-khan-to-meet-imf-chief-lagarde-for-talks-on-bailout-196271">Imran Khan will be meeting IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Sunday</a> in Dubai for the same.&nbsp;

This is not the first time when Khan has raked the topic of minorities in India. In December, he said he will "show Modi government how to treat minorities".

On December 25, 2018, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Khan tweeted, "Naya Pakistan is Quaid’s Pakistan and will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/will-ensure-our-minorities-are-treated-as-equals-unlike-what-is-happening-in-india-imran-khan-186352">unlike what is happening in India</a>".

India has slammed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for his comments on the situation of minorities in India, calling his remarks an "egregious insult to all citizens of India".

India has slammed Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for his comments on the situation of minorities in India, calling his remarks an "egregious insult to all citizens of India". Raveesh Kumar, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said, "Pakistan’s Prime Minister has yet again demonstrated his lack of understanding about India’s secular polity and ethos. He overlooks the obvious fact that adherents of all faiths choose to live under the democratic polity and the progressive Constitution of India." "India has eminent leaders of all faiths who occupy its highest Constitutional and official positions," Kumar added. Pak prime minister Imran Khan was in Nankana Sahib on Saturday where he said, unlike India, his country doesn't treat its minorities as second class citizens. India also highlighted the incident of the removal of Princeton University economist Atif Mian from Imran Khan-led Economic Advisory Council (EAC) owing to his minority Ahmadiyya background. MEA said, "Pakistani citizens of non-Islamic faith are barred from occupying high Constitutional offices. The minorities are often turned away from government bodies like the Economic Advisory Council of their Prime Minister, even in ‘naya Pakistan'." India said Pakistan "would do well to focus on its domestic challenges" and "improve conditions of its citizens rather than try and divert attention". Pakistan has been trying to get a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support its ailing economy. Imran Khan will be meeting IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Sunday in Dubai for the same. This is not the first time when Khan has raked the topic of minorities in India. In December, he said he will "show Modi government how to treat minorities". On December 25, 2018, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Khan tweeted, "Naya Pakistan is Quaid’s Pakistan and will ensure that our minorities are treated as equal citizens, unlike what is happening in India".

Imran Khan criticises state of minorities in India; New Delhi calls his comments 'egregious insult to all citizens' 

Swine flu has so far claimed over 250 lives in the country this year so far with 30 more deaths due to the disease being reported in last three days till Thursday.

Rajasthan has recorded the maximum 96 deaths and 2,706<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maximum-cases-of-swine-flu-remain-unreported-in-india-195797"> H1N1 virus cases</a> till Thursday, followed by Gujarat which recorded 54 deaths and 1,187 cases, according to a Union health ministry data.

Punjab has reported 30 deaths and 301 cases while Madhya Pradesh reported 16 deaths and 81 cases. Maharashtra has recorded 13 deaths and 197 swine flu cases.

Delhi, which till January 28 was third in the number of swine flu cases recorded after Rajasthan and Gujarat, is now in the second position in terms of cases registering 1,409 cases and six deaths so far.

According to a report of the Directorate General of Health Services, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-in-grip-of-swine-flu-103-fresh-cases-on-thursday-official-195883">Delhi</a>, six people died of swine flu in the national capital this year and of them, one belonged to the national capital and the rest from other places.

Haryana and Telangana recorded 589 and 390 swine flu cases and both reported two deaths due to the disease.

With the number of swine flu cases going up, the health ministry has asked the states to bolster their surveillance for early detection of the disease and also keep beds reserved in hospitals to deal with acute cases which require ventilator facility.

States have also been advised to involve district collectors in enhancing public awareness and outbreak response, a health ministry statement said.

The guidelines for influenza vaccination and the details of manufacturers of vaccine provided by the Drug Controller General of India have been shared with all states. Communication material for preventive measures has also been shared. Video conferences are being held regularly to monitor the situation.

Advisory for preparedness to seasonal influenza A (H1N1) was issued and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and its state units have enhanced surveillance for Influenzas like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI).

The Drug Controller General of India has been asked to coordinate with drug manufacturers and monitor the availability of Oseltamivir, the medicine recommended by WHO, in various states.

The health ministry has recommended vaccination for healthcare workers and other priority groups. The guidelines for influenza vaccination have been shared with all states.&nbsp;

Swine flu has so far claimed over 250 lives in the country this year so far with 30 more deaths due to the disease being reported in last three days till Thursday.

Swine flu has so far claimed over 250 lives in the country this year so far with 30 more deaths due to the disease being reported in last three days till Thursday. Rajasthan has recorded the maximum 96 deaths and 2,706 H1N1 virus cases till Thursday, followed by Gujarat which recorded 54 deaths and 1,187 cases, according to a Union health ministry data. Punjab has reported 30 deaths and 301 cases while Madhya Pradesh reported 16 deaths and 81 cases. Maharashtra has recorded 13 deaths and 197 swine flu cases. Delhi, which till January 28 was third in the number of swine flu cases recorded after Rajasthan and Gujarat, is now in the second position in terms of cases registering 1,409 cases and six deaths so far. According to a report of the Directorate General of Health Services, Delhi, six people died of swine flu in the national capital this year and of them, one belonged to the national capital and the rest from other places. Haryana and Telangana recorded 589 and 390 swine flu cases and both reported two deaths due to the disease. With the number of swine flu cases going up, the health ministry has asked the states to bolster their surveillance for early detection of the disease and also keep beds reserved in hospitals to deal with acute cases which require ventilator facility. States have also been advised to involve district collectors in enhancing public awareness and outbreak response, a health ministry statement said. The guidelines for influenza vaccination and the details of manufacturers of vaccine provided by the Drug Controller General of India have been shared with all states. Communication material for preventive measures has also been shared. Video conferences are being held regularly to monitor the situation. Advisory for preparedness to seasonal influenza A (H1N1) was issued and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and its state units have enhanced surveillance for Influenzas like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI). The Drug Controller General of India has been asked to coordinate with drug manufacturers and monitor the availability of Oseltamivir, the medicine recommended by WHO, in various states. The health ministry has recommended vaccination for healthcare workers and other priority groups. The guidelines for influenza vaccination have been shared with all states.

Swine flu claims 250 lives in country this year

Robert Vadra, Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was on Saturday questioned for about eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad as he appeared before the agency for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ed-grills-vadra-for-third-time-in-one-week-in-money-laundering-case-196248">third consecutive day</a>.

Vadra arrived at the central probe agency's office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 10:45 AM in his private vehicle and left around 8:15 PM. He was given an hour-long break for lunch.

This is the third consecutive day that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-by-ed-in-money-laundering-probe-wife-priyanka-says-i-support-my-family-195658">businessman appeared before the agency</a>. It was not immediately clear if he has been asked to depose again.

After two sessions of questioning on February 6 and 7, officials said the investigating officer (IO) of the case wanted to put across more questions to Vadra in connection with the case and hence he was asked to depose again on Saturday.&nbsp;

While <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-calls-his-false-prosecution-a-political-witch-hunt-194530">Vadra</a> was quizzed for about five-and-a-half hours on Thursday, he was grilled for about 9 hours the next day.

Sources said Vadra was questioned on various aspects of his personal and business finances during the latest session.

It is understood that the last time Vadra was "confronted with" documents that the agency has obtained or seized as part of its probe in the case, including those linked to absconding defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

Vadra has also shared documents with the investigating officer of the case and has assured some more will be provided as and when he gets them, official sources had said.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency has told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.

Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

Sources said Vadra's statement was recorded under Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as was done on the last two occasions.

His appearance before the ED acquired political overtones after his wife Priyanka Gandhi, recently appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied him to the investigating agency's office on Wednesday while she picked him up after questioning on Thursday.

Robert Vadra, Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was on Saturday questioned for about eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad as he appeared before the agency for the third consecutive day.

Robert Vadra, Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, was on Saturday questioned for about eight hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad as he appeared before the agency for the third consecutive day. Vadra arrived at the central probe agency's office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 10:45 AM in his private vehicle and left around 8:15 PM. He was given an hour-long break for lunch. This is the third consecutive day that the businessman appeared before the agency. It was not immediately clear if he has been asked to depose again. After two sessions of questioning on February 6 and 7, officials said the investigating officer (IO) of the case wanted to put across more questions to Vadra in connection with the case and hence he was asked to depose again on Saturday. While Vadra was quizzed for about five-and-a-half hours on Thursday, he was grilled for about 9 hours the next day. Sources said Vadra was questioned on various aspects of his personal and business finances during the latest session. It is understood that the last time Vadra was "confronted with" documents that the agency has obtained or seized as part of its probe in the case, including those linked to absconding defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari. Vadra has also shared documents with the investigating officer of the case and has assured some more will be provided as and when he gets them, official sources had said. The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him. The agency has told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties. Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. Sources said Vadra's statement was recorded under Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as was done on the last two occasions. His appearance before the ED acquired political overtones after his wife Priyanka Gandhi, recently appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied him to the investigating agency's office on Wednesday while she picked him up after questioning on Thursday.

Robert Vadra questioned for 8 hours on third day of appearance before ED

Sri Lanka's opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday said in Bengaluru there was a "major breakdown" in bilateral relationship between India and his country after a new government was formed in New Delhi in 2014, but the opposition coalition he is heading now has a "good understanding" with India's ruling party.

He emphasised that the rule of thumb with regard to India-Sri Lanka relations should be that if an outgoing government has an adequate working relationship with his country, the incoming one should give due recognition to this.

"Past experience has shown that the danger of disruption in our bilateral relationship arises in the immediate aftermath of changes of government. Such easily avoidable disruptions have had serious consequences for both countries," he said.

"In 2014, the second major breakdown of bilateral relationships took place. Unfortunately, the working relationship that existed between my government and the outgoing government (UPA) did not roll over to the new government of India (NDA)," he said at the third edition of The Huddle, The Hindu's two-day annual conclave here.

Rajapakasa said the misunderstandings of the 1980s and 2014 were aberrations that could easily have been avoided and it is key the two countries evolve a mechanism to prevent these misunderstandings from arising.

The traditional government-to-government dealings alone cannot give shape to the two countries' future relations because the world is becoming more complex by the day, Rajapaksa said.&nbsp;

Political leaders would continue to play the most coveted role as they determine the policies -- foreign, economic, security, and a host of other policies -- and that would have bearing on the relations, he said.&nbsp;

Tangibles like these are easier to monitor and even control, but intangibles pose grave threats, Rajapaksa said.&nbsp;

"Political leaders and other societal leaders must always keep a tab on the intangibles. For instance, a wrong word from a leader would sour the relations as we have witnessed in the past," he said.

"Despite the snag of 2014, the opposition coalition that I am leading now in Sri Lanka has a good understanding with the ruling party in India," he added.

He said since the two countries are geographically in very close proximity, they have mutual obligation to ensure each other's security.

"Often, we have heard the Indian leaders emphasizing the need for Sri Lanka to ensure that the Sri Lankan soil is not used by any third party that would pose a threat to India. Similarly, we too would want India to ensure that...Any groups operating within Indian soil does not pose a threat to Sri Lanka," he said.

He also said in future bilateral relations, Indian Ocean maritime security too would be an important aspect in forging a well-founded strategy.&nbsp;

"In all these, I strongly believe that a vibrant, on-going dialogue between the two countries would ensure each other's national security. This dialogue as I have emphasized earlier should transcend the normal diplomatic boundaries and there are experiences such as the Troika that we could draw from," he said.

Forming such an entity is foremost in his party's plans for the future, he added.

"When addressing political stability, as we have seen in the recent past, this is one of the most crucial factors that would determine the character of our future relations. If any of our two countries has political turmoil and instability, foreign relations would be put on the back burner," he said.

He said both the States have always respected and stayed true to the Non-Aligned Movements' principles of sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, he said.&nbsp;

Rajapaksa was controversially appointed Sri Lanka prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena in October last year, triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis which lasted for over 50 days.

The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka later restored Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

Sri Lanka's opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday said in Bengaluru there was a "major breakdown" in bilateral relationship between India and his country after a new government was formed in New Delhi in 2014, but the opposition coalition he is heading now has a "good understanding" with India's ruling party.

Sri Lanka's opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday said in Bengaluru there was a "major breakdown" in bilateral relationship between India and his country after a new government was formed in New Delhi in 2014, but the opposition coalition he is heading now has a "good understanding" with India's ruling party. He emphasised that the rule of thumb with regard to India-Sri Lanka relations should be that if an outgoing government has an adequate working relationship with his country, the incoming one should give due recognition to this. "Past experience has shown that the danger of disruption in our bilateral relationship arises in the immediate aftermath of changes of government. Such easily avoidable disruptions have had serious consequences for both countries," he said. "In 2014, the second major breakdown of bilateral relationships took place. Unfortunately, the working relationship that existed between my government and the outgoing government (UPA) did not roll over to the new government of India (NDA)," he said at the third edition of The Huddle, The Hindu's two-day annual conclave here. Rajapakasa said the misunderstandings of the 1980s and 2014 were aberrations that could easily have been avoided and it is key the two countries evolve a mechanism to prevent these misunderstandings from arising. The traditional government-to-government dealings alone cannot give shape to the two countries' future relations because the world is becoming more complex by the day, Rajapaksa said. Political leaders would continue to play the most coveted role as they determine the policies -- foreign, economic, security, and a host of other policies -- and that would have bearing on the relations, he said. Tangibles like these are easier to monitor and even control, but intangibles pose grave threats, Rajapaksa said. "Political leaders and other societal leaders must always keep a tab on the intangibles. For instance, a wrong word from a leader would sour the relations as we have witnessed in the past," he said. "Despite the snag of 2014, the opposition coalition that I am leading now in Sri Lanka has a good understanding with the ruling party in India," he added. He said since the two countries are geographically in very close proximity, they have mutual obligation to ensure each other's security. "Often, we have heard the Indian leaders emphasizing the need for Sri Lanka to ensure that the Sri Lankan soil is not used by any third party that would pose a threat to India. Similarly, we too would want India to ensure that...Any groups operating within Indian soil does not pose a threat to Sri Lanka," he said. He also said in future bilateral relations, Indian Ocean maritime security too would be an important aspect in forging a well-founded strategy. "In all these, I strongly believe that a vibrant, on-going dialogue between the two countries would ensure each other's national security. This dialogue as I have emphasized earlier should transcend the normal diplomatic boundaries and there are experiences such as the Troika that we could draw from," he said. Forming such an entity is foremost in his party's plans for the future, he added. "When addressing political stability, as we have seen in the recent past, this is one of the most crucial factors that would determine the character of our future relations. If any of our two countries has political turmoil and instability, foreign relations would be put on the back burner," he said. He said both the States have always respected and stayed true to the Non-Aligned Movements' principles of sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, he said. Rajapaksa was controversially appointed Sri Lanka prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena in October last year, triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis which lasted for over 50 days. The Supreme Court in Sri Lanka later restored Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister.

There was major breakdown in India-Sri Lanka ties after change of government in 2014: Mahinda Rajapaksa

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the owner of a coal mine in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-to-hear-pil-on-rescue-efforts-for-trapped-miners-in-meghalaya-on-tuesday-195082">Meghalaya</a> where 15 people have been trapped for nearly two months saying he was responsible for the illegal mining due to which the mishap took place.

The top court directed that the owner of the mine be made a party in the pending petition seeking urgent steps for rescuing the miners trapped in the rat-hole mine since December 13 last year.&nbsp;

The illegal mine is located at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills district, about 3.7 km deep inside a forest and can be accessed after crossing three streams. It was flooded when water from the nearby Letein river gushed into it.

"The mishappening has taken place because of illegal mining in the concerned mines for which, obviously, the mine owner is responsible. It is, therefore, directed that notice be issued to the mine owner also, namely, Jrin Chullet @ Krip Chullet, R/O Village Narwan of District Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya," the bench said.

The top court sought the mine owner's reply by February 22 and directed the Meghalaya and Coal India Ltd. To furnish details of other illegal mines operating in the area.

It posted the matter for further hearing on February 22.

Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for petitioner Aditya N Prasad, said that the problem of de-watering the mines still persists.&nbsp;

He said that Kirloskar company has a sufficient number of 100 Horsepower capacity pumps and is even ready to supply the same.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre said that it these pumps would be airlifted to the nearest point of the site and with the help of the Army authorities, they will be installed at the earliest.

Advocate Karan Singh Bhati, appearing for Coal India Ltd. Said he wants to file a status report on behalf of the company.&nbsp;

On January 28, the apex court was informed that the body of a person, among the 15 miners trapped has been retrieved while another body was spotted by the Indian Navy.

The Centre had told the apex court that a body was recovered on January 24 during the rescue operation and on January 26, the Navy personnel spotted the second body at about 280 feet.

The petitioner's counsel had argued that 14 to 15 high-powered water pumps were required to de-water the mines.

The Centre had said that Army personnel were already involved in rescue operation along with officials of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy and other agencies.

Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat holes" as each just about fits one person.

In its status report filed in the top court, the Centre had said that crores of litres of water have been pumped out from the mine and remotely operated vehicles of the Indian Navy were already working in the rescue operation.

It had said Indian Air Force aircraft were also deployed for the rescue operation.

The status report said that the Meghalaya government is undertaking search and rescue operations and the Centre is supplementing the efforts by providing all necessary logistic support.

On January 16, remotely operated vehicles of Indian Navy detected a body at a depth of 210 feet in the flooded mine and efforts were made to retrieve it but the operation could not be completed as the body parts started disintegrating.

Earlier, the Centre had told the court that it has to "believe in miracles" for the 15 miners to come out alive.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the owner of a coal mine in Meghalaya where 15 people have been trapped for nearly two months saying he was responsible for the illegal mining due to which the mishap took place.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the owner of a coal mine in Meghalaya where 15 people have been trapped for nearly two months saying he was responsible for the illegal mining due to which the mishap took place. The top court directed that the owner of the mine be made a party in the pending petition seeking urgent steps for rescuing the miners trapped in the rat-hole mine since December 13 last year. The illegal mine is located at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills district, about 3.7 km deep inside a forest and can be accessed after crossing three streams. It was flooded when water from the nearby Letein river gushed into it. "The mishappening has taken place because of illegal mining in the concerned mines for which, obviously, the mine owner is responsible. It is, therefore, directed that notice be issued to the mine owner also, namely, Jrin Chullet @ Krip Chullet, R/O Village Narwan of District Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya," the bench said. The top court sought the mine owner's reply by February 22 and directed the Meghalaya and Coal India Ltd. To furnish details of other illegal mines operating in the area. It posted the matter for further hearing on February 22. Senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for petitioner Aditya N Prasad, said that the problem of de-watering the mines still persists. He said that Kirloskar company has a sufficient number of 100 Horsepower capacity pumps and is even ready to supply the same. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre said that it these pumps would be airlifted to the nearest point of the site and with the help of the Army authorities, they will be installed at the earliest. Advocate Karan Singh Bhati, appearing for Coal India Ltd. Said he wants to file a status report on behalf of the company. On January 28, the apex court was informed that the body of a person, among the 15 miners trapped has been retrieved while another body was spotted by the Indian Navy. The Centre had told the apex court that a body was recovered on January 24 during the rescue operation and on January 26, the Navy personnel spotted the second body at about 280 feet. The petitioner's counsel had argued that 14 to 15 high-powered water pumps were required to de-water the mines. The Centre had said that Army personnel were already involved in rescue operation along with officials of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy and other agencies. Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed "rat holes" as each just about fits one person. In its status report filed in the top court, the Centre had said that crores of litres of water have been pumped out from the mine and remotely operated vehicles of the Indian Navy were already working in the rescue operation. It had said Indian Air Force aircraft were also deployed for the rescue operation. The status report said that the Meghalaya government is undertaking search and rescue operations and the Centre is supplementing the efforts by providing all necessary logistic support. On January 16, remotely operated vehicles of Indian Navy detected a body at a depth of 210 feet in the flooded mine and efforts were made to retrieve it but the operation could not be completed as the body parts started disintegrating. Earlier, the Centre had told the court that it has to "believe in miracles" for the 15 miners to come out alive.

Supreme Court notice to owner of Meghalaya coal mine

Justice R Shankar of the Jharkhand High Court Friday referred the CBI's plea to increase the prison term of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and others in a fodder scam case to the chief justice for listing it in the appropriate bench.

The petition was listed for hearing by the bench of Justice Shankar, but during the hearing, the judge said he is referring it to the chief justice for sending it to a suitable bench.

The central probe agency has moved the high court after a special CBI court awarded three-year imprisonment to Prasad and three others - former IAS officers Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad, and RJD leader R K Rana - last year.

It had also sentenced former MP Jagdish Sharma to seven years in jail the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury in the early 1990s.

The CBI petition urged the high court to enhance the prison term of Prasad and the three others, as they had been booked for higher conspiracy charges.

Prasad is serving varying prison sentences after being convicted in four fodder scam cases by separate special CBI courts in Ranchi, and he is facing trial in a fifth fodder scam case. &nbsp;

Justice R Shankar of the Jharkhand High Court Friday referred the CBI's plea to increase the prison term of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and others in a fodder scam case to the chief justice for listing it in the appropriate bench.

Justice R Shankar of the Jharkhand High Court Friday referred the CBI's plea to increase the prison term of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and others in a fodder scam case to the chief justice for listing it in the appropriate bench. The petition was listed for hearing by the bench of Justice Shankar, but during the hearing, the judge said he is referring it to the chief justice for sending it to a suitable bench. The central probe agency has moved the high court after a special CBI court awarded three-year imprisonment to Prasad and three others - former IAS officers Beck Julius and Mahesh Prasad, and RJD leader R K Rana - last year. It had also sentenced former MP Jagdish Sharma to seven years in jail the case pertaining to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury in the early 1990s. The CBI petition urged the high court to enhance the prison term of Prasad and the three others, as they had been booked for higher conspiracy charges. Prasad is serving varying prison sentences after being convicted in four fodder scam cases by separate special CBI courts in Ranchi, and he is facing trial in a fifth fodder scam case.

Jharkhand HC judge refers to chief justice CBI plea to enhance Lalu Prasad's prison term

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party".

The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll".

"The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said.&nbsp;

The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls.

The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said.

After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015.

Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)."&nbsp;

In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)."&nbsp;

"EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted.

AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi Saturday cautioned people against "misleading calls" claiming deletion of their names from electoral rolls, a day after a BJP delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner and alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been making such phone calls. The statement from the poll panel drew sharp reaction from AAP national convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who said the Election Commission "must not be allowed to become agent of a political party". The office of the Delhi CEO, in the statement, said it had been brought to its notice that "large number of calls have been received from unknown persons/entities/sources by many citizens of Delhi telling them that their names have already been deleted in the electoral roll and the callers will get the same restored in the electoral roll". "The citizens of Delhi are hereby advised to beware of such misleading calls coming from unknown persons/entities/sources. The only authority to add or delete a name in the electoral roll is Electoral Registration Officer... Separate legal action as required/deemed appropriate is being taken," the statement said. The BJP delegation led by Union minister Vijay Goel had on Friday requested the Chief Election Commissioner to issue clarification on "bogus claims" by the AAP that names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi were deleted from electoral rolls. The Election Commission should come out with a press statement to "expose" lies spread by the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, Goel had said. After the poll panel came out with the final voter list in January, the AAP has launched sustained attacks on the BJP alleging its hand behind the "deletion" of names of 30 lakh voters, particularly of Purvanchali, Muslims and Bania communities, since the assembly election in Delhi in 2015. Reacting sharply to the statement by the poll panel, Kejriwal said on Twitter, "Incumbents come n go. EC is too precious an institution for Indian democracy. EC's integrity n credibility ought to be protected. EC must not be allowed to become agent of a political party (sic)." In a series of tweets, he said, "EC shud answer- 1. 22 lakh names wrongly deleted in Telangana- Didn't EC apologise? 2. Why were Jwala Gutta n her family names missing at polling centre tho they existed on EC website? (sic)." "EC gave AAP list of 24 lakh names deleted in Del 1. Del govt enqries in some deletions found them wrong?Why EC protecting those officers? 2. Why EC not allowing Del govt to do enquiries in all deletions? EC itself didn't conduct enquiries AAP won't allow telangana it in Del (sic)," he tweeted. AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha asserted that Kejriwal is fighting with the Election Commission and he will get every voter's name added to the electoral rolls that has been illegally deleted at the behest of the BJP.

Poll panel cautions Delhiites against 'misleading calls' over deletion of names from electoral rolls

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday said he would retire from politics if it was proven that the audio clip released by him about BJP state unit president BS Yeddyurappa's alleged toppling game was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-yeddyurappa-dismisses-audio-clips-released-on-him-by-cm-as-fake-196051">mimicry and concocted</a>.

Sticking to his charge that Yeddyurappa had tried to lure a JDS MLA with bribe and other offers, Kumaraswamy hit back at the state BJP strongman, who had said that the audio clip was 'fake' and a 'concocted story.'

Facing turmoil in the ruling coalition that has cast a shadow over the stability of his government, Kumaraswamy had Friday released the audio clip in which Yeddyurappa is purportedly trying to lure JDS MLA Naganagouda through his son.

"I am stating from this place... If it is proved that it was not Yeddyurappa who had spoken and that it is mimicry or parody by Kumaraswamy, then it is not about his retiring, I will retire," the chief minister said at Dharmastala, a holy place in Dakshina Kannada district.

Kumaraswamy also said that those who "played games" with the presiding deity of Dharmastala, Lord Manjunatha, would incur his wrath.

"Invoking the name of Lord Manjunatha Swamy, he could not get protection... He (Yeddyurappa) had to resign within one month (as chief minister)," the Chief Minister said. 
Kumaraswamy was apparently referring to a "truth test" face-off between him and Yeddyurappa in 2011 when the latter was the chief minister.

Yeddyurappa had challenged Kumaraswamy to prove the allegations of corruption and nepotism against him by taking the truth test before Lord Manjunatha and that he would also do the same.

He later retracted and just offered prayers.

Kumaraswamy, who visited the shrine later, pledged before the deity that he stood by the charges made by him against the Chief Minister in the last six to seven months.

According to the tradition followed at the temple, aggrieved parties stand before the deity and take a pledge on the issues they have been contesting, after payment of Rs 11 as fee.

As per the custom, the temple authorities only facilitate the exercise but do not interfere.

The political war over charges of horse-trading had escalated Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing the audio clip hours before presenting the Congress-JDS coalition government's budget for 2019-2020 in the assembly.

Yeddyurappa, who is at the vortex of the row over his alleged bid to poach the ruling coalition MLAs for the past few weeks, had dismissed the clip as "fake" and a "concocted story".

Kumaraswamy had said that during the purported conversation, Yeddyurappa had also spoken about a "Rs 50 crore offer to book" the assembly speaker.

In the clip, a male voice is heard offering money and ministerial berth, besides assuring Naganagouda's son Sharan Gouda about "taking care" of the Speaker and the judges in case of the anti- defection law being invoked.

Yeddyurappa had dismissed the claim by the chief minister that he had spoken in the audio about a "Rs 50 crore" offer to the assembly speaker.

"I will retire from politics if it (the allegation) is proved. If I had spoken like this (about the speaker), if it is proved, I will resign as an MLA and quit politics," he had said.&nbsp;

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday said he would retire from politics if it was proven that the audio clip released by him about BJP state unit president BS Yeddyurappa's alleged toppling game was mimicry and concocted.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Saturday said he would retire from politics if it was proven that the audio clip released by him about BJP state unit president BS Yeddyurappa's alleged toppling game was mimicry and concocted. Sticking to his charge that Yeddyurappa had tried to lure a JDS MLA with bribe and other offers, Kumaraswamy hit back at the state BJP strongman, who had said that the audio clip was 'fake' and a 'concocted story.' Facing turmoil in the ruling coalition that has cast a shadow over the stability of his government, Kumaraswamy had Friday released the audio clip in which Yeddyurappa is purportedly trying to lure JDS MLA Naganagouda through his son. "I am stating from this place... If it is proved that it was not Yeddyurappa who had spoken and that it is mimicry or parody by Kumaraswamy, then it is not about his retiring, I will retire," the chief minister said at Dharmastala, a holy place in Dakshina Kannada district. Kumaraswamy also said that those who "played games" with the presiding deity of Dharmastala, Lord Manjunatha, would incur his wrath. "Invoking the name of Lord Manjunatha Swamy, he could not get protection... He (Yeddyurappa) had to resign within one month (as chief minister)," the Chief Minister said. Kumaraswamy was apparently referring to a "truth test" face-off between him and Yeddyurappa in 2011 when the latter was the chief minister. Yeddyurappa had challenged Kumaraswamy to prove the allegations of corruption and nepotism against him by taking the truth test before Lord Manjunatha and that he would also do the same. He later retracted and just offered prayers. Kumaraswamy, who visited the shrine later, pledged before the deity that he stood by the charges made by him against the Chief Minister in the last six to seven months. According to the tradition followed at the temple, aggrieved parties stand before the deity and take a pledge on the issues they have been contesting, after payment of Rs 11 as fee. As per the custom, the temple authorities only facilitate the exercise but do not interfere. The political war over charges of horse-trading had escalated Friday with Kumaraswamy releasing the audio clip hours before presenting the Congress-JDS coalition government's budget for 2019-2020 in the assembly. Yeddyurappa, who is at the vortex of the row over his alleged bid to poach the ruling coalition MLAs for the past few weeks, had dismissed the clip as "fake" and a "concocted story". Kumaraswamy had said that during the purported conversation, Yeddyurappa had also spoken about a "Rs 50 crore offer to book" the assembly speaker. In the clip, a male voice is heard offering money and ministerial berth, besides assuring Naganagouda's son Sharan Gouda about "taking care" of the Speaker and the judges in case of the anti- defection law being invoked. Yeddyurappa had dismissed the claim by the chief minister that he had spoken in the audio about a "Rs 50 crore" offer to the assembly speaker. "I will retire from politics if it (the allegation) is proved. If I had spoken like this (about the speaker), if it is proved, I will resign as an MLA and quit politics," he had said.

Kumaraswamy says he will retire from politics if audio clip about Yeddyurappa is fake

India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-inaugurates-and-lays-foundation-of-projects-worth-rs-4000-crore-in-arunachal-pradesh-196172">Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh</a>, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India".

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other parts of India. This consistent position has been conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions."

China had strongly reacted to Prime Minister's Arunachal Pradesh visit on Saturday calling on the Indian side to "cherish the momentum" in ties and "refrain from actions" that may lead to "escalation of disputes".

In a statement on Chinese foreign ministry website, spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "China urges the Indian side to bear in mind the common interests of the two countries, respect the interests and concerns of the Chinese side, cherish the momentum of improvement in bilateral relations, and refrain from any action that may lead to the escalation of disputes or complicate the boundary question."

Hua added, "the Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' and is firmly opposed to the Indian leader's visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary". "China's position on the China-India boundary question is consistent and clear-cut," the Chinese spokesperson added.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-lays-foundation-of-greenfield-airport-inaugurates-another-airport-in-arunachal-pradesh-196217">PM Modi is in Arunachal Pradesh today</a>. He laid the foundation stone for the construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi and Sela Tunnel. He also dedicated a new DD Channel for Arunachal Pradesh - DD Arun Prabha at IG Park, Itanagar. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a permanent campus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Jote, Arunachal Pradesh.

China and India have been trying to reset the ties after the two-month-long Doklam crisis in 2017. The crisis had impacted the relationship between the two nations.&nbsp;

Chinese forces had tried to build a road on the Doklam plateau in Bhutan in 2017 which was stopped by the Indian Army leading to a two-month long standoff between both the countries.

Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the four times, starting with the informal summit in Wuhan in April. The Chinese President is set to visit India this year for the second informal summit.&nbsp;

India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India".

India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India". Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other parts of India. This consistent position has been conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions." China had strongly reacted to Prime Minister's Arunachal Pradesh visit on Saturday calling on the Indian side to "cherish the momentum" in ties and "refrain from actions" that may lead to "escalation of disputes". In a statement on Chinese foreign ministry website, spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "China urges the Indian side to bear in mind the common interests of the two countries, respect the interests and concerns of the Chinese side, cherish the momentum of improvement in bilateral relations, and refrain from any action that may lead to the escalation of disputes or complicate the boundary question." Hua added, "the Chinese government has never recognized the so-called 'Arunachal Pradesh' and is firmly opposed to the Indian leader's visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary". "China's position on the China-India boundary question is consistent and clear-cut," the Chinese spokesperson added. PM Modi is in Arunachal Pradesh today. He laid the foundation stone for the construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi and Sela Tunnel. He also dedicated a new DD Channel for Arunachal Pradesh - DD Arun Prabha at IG Park, Itanagar. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a permanent campus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) at Jote, Arunachal Pradesh. China and India have been trying to reset the ties after the two-month-long Doklam crisis in 2017. The crisis had impacted the relationship between the two nations. Chinese forces had tried to build a road on the Doklam plateau in Bhutan in 2017 which was stopped by the Indian Army leading to a two-month long standoff between both the countries. Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for the four times, starting with the informal summit in Wuhan in April. The Chinese President is set to visit India this year for the second informal summit.

Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to state

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modis-arunachal-visit-irks-china-new-delhi-slams-beijing-saying-the-northeastern-state-is-integral-inalienable-to-india-196228">Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modis-arunachal-visit-irks-china-new-delhi-slams-beijing-saying-the-northeastern-state-is-integral-inalienable-to-india-196228">state</a>

India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-trade-talks-resume-next-week-focus-on-intellectual-property-196249">US-China trade talks resume next week, focus on intellectual property</a>

US&nbsp;negotiators are preparing to press China next week on longstanding demands that it reform how it treats American companies' intellectual property in order to seal a trade deal that could prevent tariffs from rising on Chinese imports.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/twitter-ceo-and-senior-officials-refuse-to-appear-before-parliamentary-committee-196223">Twitter CEO and senior officials refuse to appear before Parliamentary Committee</a>

Twitter CEO and senior officials of the company have refused to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology on February 11, citing “short notice” of the hearing.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modis-arunachal-visit-irks-china-new-delhi-slams-beijing-saying-the-northeastern-state-is-integral-inalienable-to-india-196228">Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modis-arunachal-visit-irks-china-new-delhi-slams-beijing-saying-the-northeastern-state-is-integral-inalienable-to-india-196228">state</a>

India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arun-jaitley-returns-to-india-after-medical-treatment-from-us-says-delighted-to-be-back-home-196245">Delighted to be back home: Jaitley returns to India after medical treatment in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arun-jaitley-returns-to-india-after-medical-treatment-from-us-says-delighted-to-be-back-home-196245">US</a>

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who had been undergoing medical treatment in the United States, returned to India on Saturday. Upon his return, the minister tweeted, "Delighted to be back home".

Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to state India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India".

Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to state India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India". US-China trade talks resume next week, focus on intellectual property US negotiators are preparing to press China next week on longstanding demands that it reform how it treats American companies' intellectual property in order to seal a trade deal that could prevent tariffs from rising on Chinese imports. Twitter CEO and senior officials refuse to appear before Parliamentary Committee Twitter CEO and senior officials of the company have refused to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology on February 11, citing “short notice” of the hearing. Arunachal Pradesh is integral, inalienable to India: New Delhi slams Beijing's comments on PM Modi's visit to state India on Saturday slammed China for its comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, reiterating that the "state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India". Delighted to be back home: Jaitley returns to India after medical treatment in US BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who had been undergoing medical treatment in the United States, returned to India on Saturday. Upon his return, the minister tweeted, "Delighted to be back home".

News brief: Big stories of the day

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who had been undergoing medical treatment in the United States, returned to India on Saturday.

Upon his return, the minister tweeted, "Delighted to be back home".

Jaitley, who is currently without a portfolio, had last month flown to New York for the treatment after being reportedly diagnosed with soft tissue cancer which required surgery.

In his absence, the responsibility of the Finance Ministry was given to Union Minister Piyush Goyal who also presented the Interim Budget this year.

Although Jaitley was away from India in the past few weeks, he has remained active on Twitter and was regular with his blog posts. He also met reporters through a video call from New York and gave interviews on Budget.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Delighted to be back home.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1094174087071629313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Jaitley had stopped attending office at the beginning of April last year due to his kidney ailment. He was back in North Block - the seat of Finance Ministry - on August 23, 2018. Even then, Goyal had manned the Ministry for about 100 days.

The 66-year-old BJP leader&nbsp;underwent a renal transplant in May last year at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

Earlier in September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who had been undergoing medical treatment in the United States, returned to India on Saturday. Upon his return, the minister tweeted, "Delighted to be back home".

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who had been undergoing medical treatment in the United States, returned to India on Saturday. Upon his return, the minister tweeted, "Delighted to be back home". Jaitley, who is currently without a portfolio, had last month flown to New York for the treatment after being reportedly diagnosed with soft tissue cancer which required surgery. In his absence, the responsibility of the Finance Ministry was given to Union Minister Piyush Goyal who also presented the Interim Budget this year. Although Jaitley was away from India in the past few weeks, he has remained active on Twitter and was regular with his blog posts. He also met reporters through a video call from New York and gave interviews on Budget. Delighted to be back home. — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) February 9, 2019 × Jaitley had stopped attending office at the beginning of April last year due to his kidney ailment. He was back in North Block - the seat of Finance Ministry - on August 23, 2018. Even then, Goyal had manned the Ministry for about 100 days. The 66-year-old BJP leader underwent a renal transplant in May last year at the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. Earlier in September 2014, he underwent bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition. (With inputs from agencies)

Delighted to be back home: Jaitley returns to India after medical treatment in US

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar who was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-questions-kolkata-commissioner-rajeev-kumar-in-shillong-196175">questioned by the CBI on Saturday </a>in connection with Saradha chit fund scam will again be examined by the investigating agency on Sunday.

Along with him former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh will also be questioned by the CBI in Shillong.

Kumar&nbsp;was questioned at a highly secured agency's office at Oakland area.

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Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to be questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the CBI office in Shillong tomorrow as well, in connection with Saradha chit fund scam.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1094194112788484096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh to be questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at CBI office in Shillong tomorrow.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1094195535525732352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday had directed the Kolkata Police chief to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam, while making it clear that he will not be arrested.

The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency, some of which were "doctored".

The apex court directed him to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy".

CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence in Kolkata to question him on January 3 but their attempt was thwarted by the police, following which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a three-day dharna.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar who was questioned by the CBI on Saturday in connection with Saradha chit fund scam will again be examined by the investigating agency on Sunday.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar who was questioned by the CBI on Saturday in connection with Saradha chit fund scam will again be examined by the investigating agency on Sunday. Along with him former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh will also be questioned by the CBI in Shillong. Kumar was questioned at a highly secured agency's office at Oakland area. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to be questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the CBI office in Shillong tomorrow as well, in connection with Saradha chit fund scam. — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019 × Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kunal Ghosh to be questioned by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at CBI office in Shillong tomorrow. — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019 × The Supreme Court on Tuesday had directed the Kolkata Police chief to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam, while making it clear that he will not be arrested. The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency, some of which were "doctored". The apex court directed him to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy". CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence in Kolkata to question him on January 3 but their attempt was thwarted by the police, following which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a three-day dharna. (With inputs from agencies)

CBI to question Kolkata Commissioner Rajeev Kumar again on Sunday

Businessman Robert Vadra was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday for the third time in a week in Delhi in a money laundering case.

Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, reached ED’s office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi around 10.45 am on Saturday morning.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader and Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu reached Vadra's residence to meet him.

ED officials had quizzed Vadra on Wednesday and Thursday as well.

On Thursday, his questioning started at around 9.20 am. It was only around 9.20 pm that his wife and now Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra reached the ED office and thereafter, the duo headed back to their residence in their heavily guarded convoy as per their entitlements.

Vadra’s lawyer KTS Tulsi alleged that the ED was leaking information about his questioning. He claimed that the probe agency has nothing concrete against his client.

Vadra was questioned for around six hours for the first time on Wednesday.

The probe agency has alleged that Vadra owns several properties in the United Kingdom.

Led by a Joint Director, the ED team comprising a Deputy Director and five other officers questioned Vadra.

The Patiala House court has granted interim bail to Vadra on February 2 till February 16 in connection with the case.&nbsp;

Businessman Robert Vadra was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday for the third time in a week in Delhi in a money laundering case. Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, reached ED’s office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi around 10.

Businessman Robert Vadra was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday for the third time in a week in Delhi in a money laundering case. Vadra, son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, reached ED’s office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi around 10.45 am on Saturday morning. Earlier in the day, Congress leader and Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu reached Vadra's residence to meet him. ED officials had quizzed Vadra on Wednesday and Thursday as well. On Thursday, his questioning started at around 9.20 am. It was only around 9.20 pm that his wife and now Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra reached the ED office and thereafter, the duo headed back to their residence in their heavily guarded convoy as per their entitlements. Vadra’s lawyer KTS Tulsi alleged that the ED was leaking information about his questioning. He claimed that the probe agency has nothing concrete against his client. Vadra was questioned for around six hours for the first time on Wednesday. The probe agency has alleged that Vadra owns several properties in the United Kingdom. Led by a Joint Director, the ED team comprising a Deputy Director and five other officers questioned Vadra. The Patiala House court has granted interim bail to Vadra on February 2 till February 16 in connection with the case.

ED grills Vadra for third time in week in money laundering case

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-reaction-nothing-to-worry-said-manohar-parrikar-on-defence-ministrys-dissent-note-on-rafale-deal-196056">Rafale deal</a> was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

The party's remarks came after a report in The Hindu newspaper Friday claimed that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-issue-sitharaman-terms-news-item-distorted-wonders-if-doubts-are-being-created-deliberately-196122">Defence Ministry </a>had raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal between India and France.

The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Modi gave a speech on "patriotism" in Parliament on Thursday and defended the deal. "But the very next day, the 'black page' (document) came out, which silenced those raising patriotic slogans and thumping benches in the House," it said.

Without naming anyone, the Shiv Sena said that Modi was expected to answer if the deal was finalised to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

Referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism of the government on the Rafale issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked why the opposition should be blamed for it.

"The opponents may perish (politically), but truth will stay alive," it said.

"The prime minister made the oft-repeated allegation (in Parliament) that the Congress does not want strengthening of the defence services. And the next day, documents surface, showing how extreme Modi's personal interest in the deal was. What to make out of it?" the Sena asked.

"Modi was directly 'dealing' in the Rafale transactions. Key people like defence minister, defence secretary were kept away from it. Modi himself took decisions on issues like prices of Rafale (planes) and who would get its contract. Hence, he will have to face allegations and criticism," it claimed.

"How does seeking explanations on issues of national security become criticism of the country," the party asked.

Modi had Thursday said in Parliament that the opposition could criticise him and the BJP, but not the nation over the issue.

The Sena on Saturday further alleged that the definitions of nationalism and patriotism stood "changed" under the current BJP-led regime.

"Those who sing paeans of Rafale deal are patriots, while those raising questions about its pricing are being labelled as traitors now," it claimed.

The BJP's warring ally added that people of the country would keep asking questions till they get a satisfactory answer on why a plane costing Rs 500 crore was bought at Rs 1,600 crore.

It also said that Modi had ruled the country single-handedly for the past four-and-half years. "Yet, blaming the Congress for issues such as price rise and corruption is akin to shrouding own (the government's) failures," it said.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the Rafale deal was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether the Rafale deal was meant to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist. The party's remarks came after a report in The Hindu newspaper Friday claimed that the Defence Ministry had raised strong objections to "parallel discussions" conducted by the PMO during the negotiations over the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale deal between India and France. The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Modi gave a speech on "patriotism" in Parliament on Thursday and defended the deal. "But the very next day, the 'black page' (document) came out, which silenced those raising patriotic slogans and thumping benches in the House," it said. Without naming anyone, the Shiv Sena said that Modi was expected to answer if the deal was finalised to strengthen the Air Force or a financially-troubled industrialist. Referring to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism of the government on the Rafale issue, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked why the opposition should be blamed for it. "The opponents may perish (politically), but truth will stay alive," it said. "The prime minister made the oft-repeated allegation (in Parliament) that the Congress does not want strengthening of the defence services. And the next day, documents surface, showing how extreme Modi's personal interest in the deal was. What to make out of it?" the Sena asked. "Modi was directly 'dealing' in the Rafale transactions. Key people like defence minister, defence secretary were kept away from it. Modi himself took decisions on issues like prices of Rafale (planes) and who would get its contract. Hence, he will have to face allegations and criticism," it claimed. "How does seeking explanations on issues of national security become criticism of the country," the party asked. Modi had Thursday said in Parliament that the opposition could criticise him and the BJP, but not the nation over the issue. The Sena on Saturday further alleged that the definitions of nationalism and patriotism stood "changed" under the current BJP-led regime. "Those who sing paeans of Rafale deal are patriots, while those raising questions about its pricing are being labelled as traitors now," it claimed. The BJP's warring ally added that people of the country would keep asking questions till they get a satisfactory answer on why a plane costing Rs 500 crore was bought at Rs 1,600 crore. It also said that Modi had ruled the country single-handedly for the past four-and-half years. "Yet, blaming the Congress for issues such as price rise and corruption is akin to shrouding own (the government's) failures," it said.

PM should answer if Rafale deal meant to strengthen IAF or industrialist: Shiv Sena

An NGO has sent a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding it frame guidelines to regulate the functioning of online social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The legal notice by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) states that if the Election Commission fails to act the matter will be taken to court.

This development has come to light after CASC in its representation to the then Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat sought mandatory registration of WhatsApp groups formed by political parties or candidates with the Election Commission.

Election Commission had come up with its first instructions for social media on October 25 2013.

An NGO has sent a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding it frame guidelines to regulate the functioning of online social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

An NGO has sent a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding it frame guidelines to regulate the functioning of online social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The legal notice by the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) states that if the Election Commission fails to act the matter will be taken to court. This development has come to light after CASC in its representation to the then Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat sought mandatory registration of WhatsApp groups formed by political parties or candidates with the Election Commission. Election Commission had come up with its first instructions for social media on October 25 2013.

Notice sent to ECI to frame guidelines for social media sites

The body of a policeman, who was missing following an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/five-cops-among-seven-dead-in-kashmir-avalanche-196075">avalanche near Jawahar Tunnel</a> in Kulgam district two days ago, was found on Saturday, taking the death toll in the incident to eight, police said.

The body was extricated by a search and rescue team this morning, a police official said.

An avalanche hit a police post in the north portal of Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district on Thursday evening. While 10 cops were able to rush to safety, 10 others were trapped.

Bodies of five policemen and two prisoners were retrieved by the search and rescue team on Friday, he said.&nbsp;

While two cops were rescued, another was missing.

Heavy snowfall across Kashmir on Wednesday and Thursday has triggered avalanches and snowslides at many places in the hilly areas of the valley.&nbsp;

The body of a policeman, who was missing following an avalanche near Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district two days ago, was found on Saturday, taking the death toll in the incident to eight, police said.

The body of a policeman, who was missing following an avalanche near Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district two days ago, was found on Saturday, taking the death toll in the incident to eight, police said. The body was extricated by a search and rescue team this morning, a police official said. An avalanche hit a police post in the north portal of Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district on Thursday evening. While 10 cops were able to rush to safety, 10 others were trapped. Bodies of five policemen and two prisoners were retrieved by the search and rescue team on Friday, he said. While two cops were rescued, another was missing. Heavy snowfall across Kashmir on Wednesday and Thursday has triggered avalanches and snowslides at many places in the hilly areas of the valley.

J&K: One more cop dies in Kulgam avalanche incident, toll mounts to eight

All about Basant Panchami - the festival of spring

The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy that hit Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;rose to 70 on Saturday.

More people died of the hooch they drank at a Haridwar village in Uttarakhand, the officials said on Saturday.

Twenty-four of the victims died in Balupur and its neighbouring villages in Haridwar district, the official added.

Forty-six others, who had come home to the adjoining Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, after drinking the spurious liquor in Balupur on Thursday night, are also dead.

Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased who died after consuming illicit liquor in Roorkee.&nbsp;An additional aid of Rs 50,000 will be given to the people who are in critical condition.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced to give a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs each to the kin of the deceased &amp; Rs.50,000 each to those who are in a critical condition after consumption of illicit liquor in Roorkee. <a href="https://t.co/1O3plzHE7r">pic.twitter.com/1O3plzHE7r</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1094165019837685763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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(With inputs from agencies)

The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy that hit Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh rose to 70 on Saturday. More people died of the hooch they drank at a Haridwar village in Uttarakhand, the officials said on Saturday.

The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy that hit Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh rose to 70 on Saturday. More people died of the hooch they drank at a Haridwar village in Uttarakhand, the officials said on Saturday. Twenty-four of the victims died in Balupur and its neighbouring villages in Haridwar district, the official added. Forty-six others, who had come home to the adjoining Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, after drinking the spurious liquor in Balupur on Thursday night, are also dead. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath have announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased who died after consuming illicit liquor in Roorkee. An additional aid of Rs 50,000 will be given to the people who are in critical condition. Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat has announced to give a compensation of Rs. 2 lakhs each to the kin of the deceased & Rs.50,000 each to those who are in a critical condition after consumption of illicit liquor in Roorkee. pic.twitter.com/1O3plzHE7r — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019 × (With inputs from agencies)

Death toll in hooch tragedy rises to 70 in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh

Twitter CEO and senior officials of the company have refused to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/parliamentary-committee-calls-officials-of-government-twitter-to-discuss-citizens-rights-on-social-media-195435">appear before the Parliamentary Committee</a> on Information Technology on February 11, citing “short notice” of the hearing.

The Committee had called Twitter via an official letter on February 1 to discuss issues concerning the use of social media.

The letter sent to Twitter by the Parliamentary Committee stated,&nbsp;"It may be noted that the Head of the Organisation has to appear before the Committee", sources said.

It further stated that "He/She may be accompanied by another representative," the sources added.&nbsp;

The Committee has also called officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) for the meeting.

The Committee meeting was scheduled to be held on February 7 and later postponed to February 11 to allow the Twitter CEO and senior officials more time to make themselves available, the sources said.

Twitter cited "short notice of the hearing" as their reason despite being given 10 days to travel, they added.

The Committee received a letter on February 7 from Vijaya Gadde, Twitters global lead for Legal, Policy, Trust&nbsp;and&nbsp;Safety stating that "No one who engages publicly for

Twitter India makes enforcement decisions with respect to our rules for content or accounts in India."

Deputing a junior employee to represent Twitter at the Parliamentary IT Committee has not gone down well with Indian lawmakers especially since they have no decision making authority as stated in the Twitter letter by Gadde.

“The lack of seriousness and disregard shown by Twitter to India's Parliament is not new. Social Media Tech CEO's have evaded answers and tried to avoid Parliamentary hearings in Singapore and the US Congress previously,” a source noted.

This comes at a time when there are growing concerns about&nbsp;safeguarding&nbsp;citizens data privacy and election interference through social media platforms.&nbsp;

Twitter CEO and senior officials of the company have refused to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology on February 11, citing “short notice” of the hearing.

Twitter CEO and senior officials of the company have refused to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Information Technology on February 11, citing “short notice” of the hearing. The Committee had called Twitter via an official letter on February 1 to discuss issues concerning the use of social media. The letter sent to Twitter by the Parliamentary Committee stated, "It may be noted that the Head of the Organisation has to appear before the Committee", sources said. It further stated that "He/She may be accompanied by another representative," the sources added. The Committee has also called officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) for the meeting. The Committee meeting was scheduled to be held on February 7 and later postponed to February 11 to allow the Twitter CEO and senior officials more time to make themselves available, the sources said. Twitter cited "short notice of the hearing" as their reason despite being given 10 days to travel, they added. The Committee received a letter on February 7 from Vijaya Gadde, Twitters global lead for Legal, Policy, Trust and Safety stating that "No one who engages publicly for Twitter India makes enforcement decisions with respect to our rules for content or accounts in India." Deputing a junior employee to represent Twitter at the Parliamentary IT Committee has not gone down well with Indian lawmakers especially since they have no decision making authority as stated in the Twitter letter by Gadde. “The lack of seriousness and disregard shown by Twitter to India's Parliament is not new. Social Media Tech CEO's have evaded answers and tried to avoid Parliamentary hearings in Singapore and the US Congress previously,” a source noted. This comes at a time when there are growing concerns about safeguarding citizens data privacy and election interference through social media platforms.

Twitter CEO and senior officials refuse to appear before Parliamentary Committee

The CBI began <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-to-question-kolkata-police-commissioner-rajeev-kumar-on-february-9-in-shillong-195887">questioning the Kolkata Police </a>chief on Saturday at highly secured agency's office here in connection with chit fund scam cases, officials said.

Kolkata Police <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-questions-kolkata-commissioner-rajeev-kumar-in-shillong-196175">Commissioner Rajeev Kumar,</a> his counsel Biswajit Deb and senior IPS officers Javed Shamim and Murlidhar Sharma arrived at the probe agency's office at 11 am, they said.

Kumar's counsel and the two IPS officers were asked to leave the CBI office within 30 minutes, they said.

Kumar is being interrogated at the highly secured CBI office at Oakland area in the Meghalaya capital where three senior CBI sleuths from Delhi reached on Friday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had directed the Kolkata Police chief to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam while making it clear that he will not be arrested.

The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency, some of which were "doctored".

The apex court directed him to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy".

CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence in Kolkata to question him on January 3 but their attempt was thwarted by the police, following which, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a three-day dharna.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The CBI began questioning the Kolkata Police chief on Saturday at highly secured agency's office here in connection with chit fund scam cases, officials said. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, his counsel Biswajit Deb and senior IPS officers Javed Shamim and Murlidhar Sharma arrived at the probe agency's office at 11 am, they said.

The CBI began questioning the Kolkata Police chief on Saturday at highly secured agency's office here in connection with chit fund scam cases, officials said. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, his counsel Biswajit Deb and senior IPS officers Javed Shamim and Murlidhar Sharma arrived at the probe agency's office at 11 am, they said. Kumar's counsel and the two IPS officers were asked to leave the CBI office within 30 minutes, they said. Kumar is being interrogated at the highly secured CBI office at Oakland area in the Meghalaya capital where three senior CBI sleuths from Delhi reached on Friday. The Supreme Court on Tuesday had directed the Kolkata Police chief to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam while making it clear that he will not be arrested. The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency, some of which were "doctored". The apex court directed him to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy". CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence in Kolkata to question him on January 3 but their attempt was thwarted by the police, following which, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a three-day dharna.

CBI begins quizzing Kolkata Police chief in Shillong

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-will-inaugurate-several-projects-in-arunachal-pradesh-195705">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> Saturday laid the foundation stone for construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near here and inaugurated an upgraded and retrofitted Airport at Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh.

Speaking at a public function at IG Park here, the prime minister said this was probably for the first time that an airport was being inaugurated in a state while the foundation stone of another was being laid on the same day.

Inaugurating the Tezu airport in the Lohit district through remote, the PM said the airport will connect Guwahati, Jorhat and Hollongi.

He said fruit and flowers of the region can reach any market of the country in a few hours with the Tezu airport becoming functional at a cost of Rs 125 crore.

Terming tourism industry as a money spinner for the state, the prime minister said that with the coming up of the greenfield airport and rail network, tourism industry would flourish and many unemployed youths would get employment opportunities.

Modi said flights under the UDAN scheme will start from Tezu airport.

 
The greenfield airport at Hollongi will be a great help to the people Itanagar as at present the nearest airport to Itanagar is at Lilabari in Assam at a distance of 80 km.

The airport at Hollongi will reduce the distance by a fourth. In addition to providing better connectivity to the region, the airport will also unravel the tourism potential of the state.

The airport will boost the economic growth of the region and will be of strategically important to the nation.

The airport will have various sustainability features like a green belt along approach road to act as a noise barrier, rainwater harvesting, use of energy efficient equipment, officials said.

The ambitious greenfield airport project in the state has been pending for several years due to controversies over site selection, they said.

Initially, Karsingsa was selected as the site for the greenfield airport but due to some technicalities, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to find some other site, officials said.

On the request of the state government, a Central joint inspection committee visited Itanagar to study the feasibility of the site during 2017 and recommended Hollongi for the greenfield airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday laid the foundation stone for construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near here and inaugurated an upgraded and retrofitted Airport at Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday laid the foundation stone for construction of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near here and inaugurated an upgraded and retrofitted Airport at Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking at a public function at IG Park here, the prime minister said this was probably for the first time that an airport was being inaugurated in a state while the foundation stone of another was being laid on the same day. Inaugurating the Tezu airport in the Lohit district through remote, the PM said the airport will connect Guwahati, Jorhat and Hollongi. He said fruit and flowers of the region can reach any market of the country in a few hours with the Tezu airport becoming functional at a cost of Rs 125 crore. Terming tourism industry as a money spinner for the state, the prime minister said that with the coming up of the greenfield airport and rail network, tourism industry would flourish and many unemployed youths would get employment opportunities. Modi said flights under the UDAN scheme will start from Tezu airport. The greenfield airport at Hollongi will be a great help to the people Itanagar as at present the nearest airport to Itanagar is at Lilabari in Assam at a distance of 80 km. The airport at Hollongi will reduce the distance by a fourth. In addition to providing better connectivity to the region, the airport will also unravel the tourism potential of the state. The airport will boost the economic growth of the region and will be of strategically important to the nation. The airport will have various sustainability features like a green belt along approach road to act as a noise barrier, rainwater harvesting, use of energy efficient equipment, officials said. The ambitious greenfield airport project in the state has been pending for several years due to controversies over site selection, they said. Initially, Karsingsa was selected as the site for the greenfield airport but due to some technicalities, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to find some other site, officials said. On the request of the state government, a Central joint inspection committee visited Itanagar to study the feasibility of the site during 2017 and recommended Hollongi for the greenfield airport.

PM lays foundation of greenfield airport, inaugurates another Airport in Arunachal Pradesh

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