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A day after former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed hope of becoming the CM of the state once again,&nbsp; he clarified that he only meant that his party would come back to power in the next assembly elections.

"You can think whatever you want, but I said we will come to power in next election," PTI quoted him as saying.

In response, his successor HD Kumaraswamy said on Saturday that anybody can become chief minister in a democratic system.&nbsp;

Kumaraswamy told media, "Anybody can become a Chief Minister in this democracy. It is a democratic system," ANI quoted.&nbsp;

On Friday, while addressing the crowd in Hassan, Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said that with the blessing of the people of the state he would once again take over as chief minister.&nbsp;

"I thought people will bless me once again and make me the chief minister. Unfortunately, I lost, but this is not the end. In politics wins and losses are common," he asserted.However, later

Earlier, Siddaramaiah's comments doubting the longevity of the JD(S)-Congress ministry and his differences over budget presentation had cast a shadow on the coalition.

 
&nbsp;

On Friday, while addressing the crowd in Hassan, Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said that with the blessing of the people of the state he would once again take over as chief minister.

A day after former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed hope of becoming the CM of the state once again, he clarified that he only meant that his party would come back to power in the next assembly elections. "You can think whatever you want, but I said we will come to power in next election," PTI quoted him as saying. In response, his successor HD Kumaraswamy said on Saturday that anybody can become chief minister in a democratic system. Kumaraswamy told media, "Anybody can become a Chief Minister in this democracy. It is a democratic system," ANI quoted. On Friday, while addressing the crowd in Hassan, Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said that with the blessing of the people of the state he would once again take over as chief minister. "I thought people will bless me once again and make me the chief minister. Unfortunately, I lost, but this is not the end. In politics wins and losses are common," he asserted.However, later Earlier, Siddaramaiah's comments doubting the longevity of the JD(S)-Congress ministry and his differences over budget presentation had cast a shadow on the coalition.

Karnataka: Siddaramaiah clarifies CM comment, Kumaraswamy responds

External Affairs Minister (EAM), Sushma Swaraj on embarked on a&nbspfor a four-day visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, news agency ANI&nbspreported.&nbsp

Swaraj will&nbspco-chair the 16th meeting of the Joint Commission along with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh in Vietnam.&nbsp

She will also call upon Vietnam`s Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

On August 27, the EAM will inaugurate the third edition of the Indian Ocean Conference.&nbsp

The EAM will on August 29 head to Cambodia, where she will hold bilateral meetings with the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister, Prak Sokhonn.&nbsp

Swaraj will also meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and President of Senate Say Chhum.

"The visit of EAM to Vietnam and Cambodia will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues and advance our strategic engagement with these countries and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Swaraj participated in the World Hindi Conference in Mauritius. She also visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and held bilateral meetings there.&nbsp

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Swaraj will co-chair the 16th meeting of the Joint Commission along with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh in Vietnam.

External Affairs Minister (EAM), Sushma Swaraj on embarked on a&nbspfor a four-day visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, news agency ANI&nbspreported. Swaraj will&nbspco-chair the 16th meeting of the Joint Commission along with her Vietnamese counterpart, Pham Binh Minh in Vietnam. She will also call upon Vietnam`s Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc. On August 27, the EAM will inaugurate the third edition of the Indian Ocean Conference. The EAM will on August 29 head to Cambodia, where she will hold bilateral meetings with the Cambodian Foreign Affairs Minister, Prak Sokhonn. Swaraj will also meet Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and President of Senate Say Chhum. "The visit of EAM to Vietnam and Cambodia will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues and advance our strategic engagement with these countries and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Earlier this month, Swaraj participated in the World Hindi Conference in Mauritius. She also visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and held bilateral meetings there. Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj embarks on a two-nation visit to Vietnam and Cambodia pic.twitter.com/BENw6DvYAw — ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2018 ×

Sushma Swaraj embarks on 4-day visit to Vietnam, Cambodia

The Enforcement Directorate today told a Delhi court that there was enough evidence to take cognisance of its charge sheet and summon RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and others as accused in connection with the IRCTC hotels allotment money laundering case.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar reserved his order on whether to summon Prasad, his wife, their son former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav as accused for September 11.

The ED's special public prosecutor Atul Tripathy told the court that the agency had gathered enough evidence against the accused and had submitted them along with the chargesheet.

"These evidence are enough to take cognisance of the charge sheet and summoned those named in them as accused," the counsel said.

In the charge sheet filed yesterday, the ED had also named RJD member PC Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, a firm Lara Projects and 10 others in the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The agency said Lalu Prasad and IRCTC officials allegedly misused their position for granting sub-lease of the rights of two railway hotels at Puri and Ranchi to Sujata Hotel Pvt. Ltd. owned by Kochhars.

In lieu of the hotels sub-lease, 358 decimal of prime plot of land in Patna was transferred to Ms Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd (a company owned by family of P C Gupta who is a close associate of Prasad and an MP from RJD) in February 2005 at a rate which was much less than the then prevailing circle rates.

"The said company possessing valuable chunk of land gradually got transferred to Rabri Devi and her son Tejashwi by way of share purchase at nominal prices.

"The funds used to acquire the land had dubious origin and had been laundered through 151 group of companies belonging to P C Gupta by using an NBFC named&nbspAbhishek Finance Company Limited," the agency charged.

Subsequently, the shares of Delight Marketing Company Private Limited, it said, were acquired by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi at less than fair market value.

"It is noteworthy that the funds used for acquisition of shares by Rabri Devi are questionable and individuals from whom Tejashwi had purchased shares denied any knowledge of holding them," it said.

The ED said it has attached assets worth over&nbspRs.&nbsp44 crore in this case till now.

The CBI too had filed a charge sheet in this case sometime back.

The CBI FIR had alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister in UPA-I government, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, the wife of Prem Chand Gupta, who was also a former union minister.

The ED registered the criminal case against his family members and others under the PMLA, based on this CBI FIR.

The ED is investigating the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to the officials.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P.K. Goel.

The CBI FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as "quid pro quo".&nbsp

Special Judge Arvind Kumar reserved his order on whether to summon Prasad, his wife, their son former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav as accused for September 11.

The Enforcement Directorate today told a Delhi court that there was enough evidence to take cognisance of its charge sheet and summon RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and others as accused in connection with the IRCTC hotels allotment money laundering case. Special Judge Arvind Kumar reserved his order on whether to summon Prasad, his wife, their son former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav as accused for September 11. The ED's special public prosecutor Atul Tripathy told the court that the agency had gathered enough evidence against the accused and had submitted them along with the chargesheet. "These evidence are enough to take cognisance of the charge sheet and summoned those named in them as accused," the counsel said. In the charge sheet filed yesterday, the ED had also named RJD member PC Gupta and his wife Sarla Gupta, a firm Lara Projects and 10 others in the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency said Lalu Prasad and IRCTC officials allegedly misused their position for granting sub-lease of the rights of two railway hotels at Puri and Ranchi to Sujata Hotel Pvt. Ltd. owned by Kochhars. In lieu of the hotels sub-lease, 358 decimal of prime plot of land in Patna was transferred to Ms Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd (a company owned by family of P C Gupta who is a close associate of Prasad and an MP from RJD) in February 2005 at a rate which was much less than the then prevailing circle rates. "The said company possessing valuable chunk of land gradually got transferred to Rabri Devi and her son Tejashwi by way of share purchase at nominal prices. "The funds used to acquire the land had dubious origin and had been laundered through 151 group of companies belonging to P C Gupta by using an NBFC named&nbspAbhishek Finance Company Limited," the agency charged. Subsequently, the shares of Delight Marketing Company Private Limited, it said, were acquired by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi at less than fair market value. "It is noteworthy that the funds used for acquisition of shares by Rabri Devi are questionable and individuals from whom Tejashwi had purchased shares denied any knowledge of holding them," it said. The ED said it has attached assets worth over&nbspRs.&nbsp44 crore in this case till now. The CBI too had filed a charge sheet in this case sometime back. The CBI FIR had alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister in UPA-I government, handed over the maintenance of two IRCTC hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, the wife of Prem Chand Gupta, who was also a former union minister. The ED registered the criminal case against his family members and others under the PMLA, based on this CBI FIR. The ED is investigating the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to the officials. Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director P.K. Goel. The CBI FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as "quid pro quo".

Enough evidence to summon Lalu Yadav in IRCTC case, says probe agency

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said an irrigation project costing Rs. 112 crore will be implemented in a phased manner in Sirsa district to make available water to its tail-end villages.

Addressing a rally at Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa, he said the first phase of the project would start with remodelling of the Bhakhra Main Branch and about 30 villages of the district would directly benefit from this project.

Sufficient irrigation water would be made available to the farmers in the district, he was quoted as saying in an official release.

Reiterating the Haryana government's resolve to get its legitimate share of river waters through the Sutlej Yamuna link, Mr Khattar said until the state got its rightful share, equitable water supply would be ensured right up to the tail-ends through canal water.

The chief minister said pending claims of farmers of Bhiwani and Sirsa districts amounting to Rs. 200 crore on account of crop damage due to while fly attack would be released within 10 days and necessary instructions have been issued in this regard.

He also said sub-tehsil Goriwala would be accorded the status of tehsil and that development works worth Rs. 70 crore would be executed in the villages of Mandi Dabwali Assembly constituency.

Hitting out at the opposition for describing the ruling BJP an "inexperienced party", Mr Khattar said, "In the last four years, it has been proved that we are running a better government than them. We have been able to keep a tab on corruption and works which were undertaken at a cost of Rs. 100 crore earlier are now being done for Rs. 85 crore."

He claimed the BJP would win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana next year and also form government in the state by winning 70 seats in the Assembly elections.

"Be it the state government or the Central government, there are no charges of corruption against any lawmaker or minister. Instead of asking us about development works, the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) should tell what they have done for the state during their tenures (in the government)," Mr Khattar said.

The chief minister said after taking the reins of the state government in 2014, the BJP has changed the rule of "Kharchi and Parchi" (money and approach) by eliminating corruption, hooliganism and the system of middlemen.&nbsp

Addressing a rally at Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa, he said the first phase of the project would start with remodelling of the Bhakhra Main Branch and about 30 villages of the district would directly benefit from this project.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said an irrigation project costing Rs. 112 crore will be implemented in a phased manner in Sirsa district to make available water to its tail-end villages. Addressing a rally at Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa, he said the first phase of the project would start with remodelling of the Bhakhra Main Branch and about 30 villages of the district would directly benefit from this project. Sufficient irrigation water would be made available to the farmers in the district, he was quoted as saying in an official release. Reiterating the Haryana government's resolve to get its legitimate share of river waters through the Sutlej Yamuna link, Mr Khattar said until the state got its rightful share, equitable water supply would be ensured right up to the tail-ends through canal water. The chief minister said pending claims of farmers of Bhiwani and Sirsa districts amounting to Rs. 200 crore on account of crop damage due to while fly attack would be released within 10 days and necessary instructions have been issued in this regard. He also said sub-tehsil Goriwala would be accorded the status of tehsil and that development works worth Rs. 70 crore would be executed in the villages of Mandi Dabwali Assembly constituency. Hitting out at the opposition for describing the ruling BJP an "inexperienced party", Mr Khattar said, "In the last four years, it has been proved that we are running a better government than them. We have been able to keep a tab on corruption and works which were undertaken at a cost of Rs. 100 crore earlier are now being done for Rs. 85 crore." He claimed the BJP would win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana next year and also form government in the state by winning 70 seats in the Assembly elections. "Be it the state government or the Central government, there are no charges of corruption against any lawmaker or minister. Instead of asking us about development works, the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) should tell what they have done for the state during their tenures (in the government)," Mr Khattar said. The chief minister said after taking the reins of the state government in 2014, the BJP has changed the rule of "Kharchi and Parchi" (money and approach) by eliminating corruption, hooliganism and the system of middlemen.

Rs 112 crore irrigation project to be implemented in Sirsa: Haryana CM

<a href="wionews.com/sports/asian-games-hima-das-muhammed-anas-win-silver-medals-in-400m-event-161687">Asian Games: Hima Das, Muhammed Anas win silver medals in 400m event</a>

Indian sprinter Hima Das on Sunday clinched the silver medal in the women’s 400m race at the ongoing Asian Games 2018. Das came second to Salwa Naser to clock 50.79s and broke her own national record, which she set yesterday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/social-media-platforms-will-not-be-allowed-to-abuse-election-process-says-prasad-161665">Social media platforms will not be allowed to abuse election process, says Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>

India has taken "serious note" of reported data misuse of social media platforms and such tools will never be allowed to abuse the election process for extraneous means, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/stalin-files-nomination-papers-set-to-become-dmk-president-161675">Stalin files nomination papers, set to become DMK president</a>

DMK working president M K Stalin, who is set to be elected the party president, filed his nomination for the post at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters, in Chennai in Tamil Nadu today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emmerson-mnangagwa-sworn-in-as-president-of-zimbabwe-161667">Emmerson Mnangagwa </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emmerson-mnangagwa-sworn-in-as-president-of-zimbabwe-161667">sworn</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emmerson-mnangagwa-sworn-in-as-president-of-zimbabwe-161667"> in as president of Zimbabwe</a>

Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday after winning a bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/judiciary-ec-rbi-being-torn-apart-under-bjp-govt-rahul-in-uk-161677">Judiciary, EC, RBI being 'torn apart' under BJP govt: Rahul Gandhi in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/judiciary-ec-rbi-being-torn-apart-under-bjp-govt-rahul-in-uk-161677">UK</a>

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the judiciary, the election commission and the RBI are being "torn apart" under the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted every Indian by saying no development had happened before 2014.

&nbsp

Asian Games: Hima Das, Muhammed Anas win silver medals in 400m event Indian sprinter Hima Das on Sunday clinched the silver medal in the women’s 400m race at the ongoing Asian Games 2018. Das came second to Salwa Naser to clock 50.79s and broke her own national record, which she set yesterday. Social media platforms will not be allowed to abuse election process, says Ravi Shankar Prasad India has taken "serious note" of reported data misuse of social media platforms and such tools will never be allowed to abuse the election process for extraneous means, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said. Stalin files nomination papers, set to become DMK president DMK working president M K Stalin, who is set to be elected the party president, filed his nomination for the post at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters, in Chennai in Tamil Nadu today. Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as president of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa was officially sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday after winning a bitterly contested election that marked the country's first vote since Robert Mugabe was ousted from power. Judiciary, EC, RBI being 'torn apart' under BJP govt: Rahul Gandhi in UK Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the judiciary, the election commission and the RBI are being "torn apart" under the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted every Indian by saying no development had happened before 2014.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The recent occurrence of extreme rainfall events and associated floods in Kerala that killed many and rendered thousands homeless were due to climate change, a noted climate expert said on Sunday.

Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General of New Delhi-based advocacy group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the dam management system in the country will have to be "re-evaluated" taking into account the repeat occurrence of extreme rainfall events and associated flash floods.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/opinion-kerala-floods-a-man-made-disaster-160841">Opinion: Kerala floods a man-made disaster</a>

"The floods in Kerala were caused by climate change and the disaster was exacerbated by bad development practises, particularly on Western Ghats and other ecologically sensitive regions of Kerala," Bhushan told PTI.

Over 290 people were killed and lakhs of people have been displaced due to the heavy rains and floods in Kerala.

He also said the extreme rainfall events and associated flash floods occurred in this century in many parts of the country including in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Chennai, were triggered by climate change.

Bhushan, who was honoured with ozone award by the UN Environment Programme last year for providing policy and research support to the negotiations for the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, said the dam management system should be re-evaluated taking into account the climate change issue.

"Considering that the temperature is rising, considering that there is a clear indication that the extreme rainfall event is repeated, we will now have to re-evaluate our dam management practises," he said.

He also advocated for a much better forecasting system and much better warning system to save lives of people from the extreme climate change-related incidents.

Bhushan, who has attended several climate conferences organised by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said destruction of Western Ghats had huge impact on Kerala.

He urged the Central and state governments to take steps to implement the Madhav Gadgil committee report or Kasturirangan committee report on the biodiversity-rich hill region.

"Large-scale deforestation, mining and construction are happening, hurting the ecology of Kerala. Such harmful practises will increase the intensity of disaster damages in Kerala," he said.

"This floods would have happened in any case. The destruction of Western Ghats and other ecological areas in Kerala made its impact worse," Bhushan said.

He said it was quite clear that protection of the Western Ghats, wetlands, protection of backwaters, rivers, streams and other ecologically fragile areas were "very very important for the ecological security of Kerala."

Environmentalists argue that the miseries and destruction caused by the rains and floods in Kerala would have been less severe if the government had taken the initiative to implement the recommendations made in the Gadgil Committee report on preservation of the Western Ghats.

The Gadgil Committee report had been a point of debate in the state ever since it was submitted in 2011 with all major political parties showing reluctance in accepting and implementing the recommendations in toto following protests from local people in high range areas.

Even the Kasturirangan report, which studied the recommendations of Madhav Gadgil report, has also not received total support from politicians, religious leaders and local people in the state.

'The floods in Kerala were caused by climate change and the disaster was exacerbated by bad development practises, particularly on Western Ghats and other ecologically sensitive regions of Kerala,' Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) told PTI

The recent occurrence of extreme rainfall events and associated floods in Kerala that killed many and rendered thousands homeless were due to climate change, a noted climate expert said on Sunday. Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director General of New Delhi-based advocacy group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said the dam management system in the country will have to be "re-evaluated" taking into account the repeat occurrence of extreme rainfall events and associated flash floods. Opinion: Kerala floods a man-made disaster "The floods in Kerala were caused by climate change and the disaster was exacerbated by bad development practises, particularly on Western Ghats and other ecologically sensitive regions of Kerala," Bhushan told PTI. Over 290 people were killed and lakhs of people have been displaced due to the heavy rains and floods in Kerala. He also said the extreme rainfall events and associated flash floods occurred in this century in many parts of the country including in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Chennai, were triggered by climate change. Bhushan, who was honoured with ozone award by the UN Environment Programme last year for providing policy and research support to the negotiations for the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, said the dam management system should be re-evaluated taking into account the climate change issue. "Considering that the temperature is rising, considering that there is a clear indication that the extreme rainfall event is repeated, we will now have to re-evaluate our dam management practises," he said. He also advocated for a much better forecasting system and much better warning system to save lives of people from the extreme climate change-related incidents. Bhushan, who has attended several climate conferences organised by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said destruction of Western Ghats had huge impact on Kerala. He urged the Central and state governments to take steps to implement the Madhav Gadgil committee report or Kasturirangan committee report on the biodiversity-rich hill region. "Large-scale deforestation, mining and construction are happening, hurting the ecology of Kerala. Such harmful practises will increase the intensity of disaster damages in Kerala," he said. "This floods would have happened in any case. The destruction of Western Ghats and other ecological areas in Kerala made its impact worse," Bhushan said. He said it was quite clear that protection of the Western Ghats, wetlands, protection of backwaters, rivers, streams and other ecologically fragile areas were "very very important for the ecological security of Kerala." Environmentalists argue that the miseries and destruction caused by the rains and floods in Kerala would have been less severe if the government had taken the initiative to implement the recommendations made in the Gadgil Committee report on preservation of the Western Ghats. The Gadgil Committee report had been a point of debate in the state ever since it was submitted in 2011 with all major political parties showing reluctance in accepting and implementing the recommendations in toto following protests from local people in high range areas. Even the Kasturirangan report, which studied the recommendations of Madhav Gadgil report, has also not received total support from politicians, religious leaders and local people in the state.

Kerala floods: Climate expert advocate for steps to protect ecologically-sensitive Western Ghats

The Congress on Sunday accused the government of attempting to carry out "360-degree profiling" of citizens, and claimed that the DNA profiling bill was violative of the privacy and autonomy of people.

Accusing the government of repeatedly displaying "intrusive and nosy behaviour", Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the BJP-led government wants "an India that is defined by them".&nbsp

"This government...Has repeatedly made attempts at doing 360- degree profiling of its citizens. Surveillance breeds conformity...," Singhvi said.

The DNA profiling bill, based on the one prepared by the Law Commission recently, states that national and regional DNA databanks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, accused, suspects, under-trials, missing persons and unidentified human remains.

Noting that the "big brother syndrome" is deeply embedded in this government, Singhvi gave examples where the government tried to intrude into the privacy of its citizens.

"The example of Aadhaar misuse.... A perfectly valid comprehensive structure was brought by us, but the government distorted it and made it a snooping device," Singhvi claimed.&nbsp

Moreover, collection of data through "tainted global firms" such as Cambridge Analytica is another example of the government trying to attack the privacy of its citizens.

"The government introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha and quickly sensing the opposition across political spectrum in different states they withdrew it and then introduced it in Lok Sabha late night..., clearly trying to go by strength," he said.

He also raised the question of protection of data under the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill or the DNA profiling bill.&nbsp

"This huge DNA laboratory to collect DNA...How is it safeguarded in the laboratory. No provision has been made to safeguard, protect it. There is also no provision in the bill of how long would the government get to store this sensitive data," he claimed.&nbsp

"The government of India must respond and give us answers as to why it is not able to wait for data protection act. The country should be told of all the details for the basic objective behind this bill. Ample safeguard of comprehensive nature must be added," the Congress leader said.&nbsp

The DNA profiling bill, based on the one prepared by the Law Commission recently, states that national and regional DNA databanks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, accused, suspects, under-trials, missing persons and unidentified human remains.

The Congress on Sunday accused the government of attempting to carry out "360-degree profiling" of citizens, and claimed that the DNA profiling bill was violative of the privacy and autonomy of people. Accusing the government of repeatedly displaying "intrusive and nosy behaviour", Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the BJP-led government wants "an India that is defined by them". "This government...Has repeatedly made attempts at doing 360- degree profiling of its citizens. Surveillance breeds conformity...," Singhvi said. The DNA profiling bill, based on the one prepared by the Law Commission recently, states that national and regional DNA databanks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, accused, suspects, under-trials, missing persons and unidentified human remains. Noting that the "big brother syndrome" is deeply embedded in this government, Singhvi gave examples where the government tried to intrude into the privacy of its citizens. "The example of Aadhaar misuse.... A perfectly valid comprehensive structure was brought by us, but the government distorted it and made it a snooping device," Singhvi claimed. Moreover, collection of data through "tainted global firms" such as Cambridge Analytica is another example of the government trying to attack the privacy of its citizens. "The government introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha and quickly sensing the opposition across political spectrum in different states they withdrew it and then introduced it in Lok Sabha late night..., clearly trying to go by strength," he said. He also raised the question of protection of data under the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill or the DNA profiling bill. "This huge DNA laboratory to collect DNA...How is it safeguarded in the laboratory. No provision has been made to safeguard, protect it. There is also no provision in the bill of how long would the government get to store this sensitive data," he claimed. "The government of India must respond and give us answers as to why it is not able to wait for data protection act. The country should be told of all the details for the basic objective behind this bill. Ample safeguard of comprehensive nature must be added," the Congress leader said.

DNA profiling bill will violate autonomy and privacy of citizens: Congress

Dangerous trends have started surfacing on the militancy front in Jammu and Kashmir with nearly 130 youths joining various terror outfits this year, the highest since 2010, and a majority of them affiliating themselves with groups ideologically aligned with the Al-Qaeda, officials said here.

According to data compiled till July 31, around 131 youths have joined various terror outfits with South Kashmir's Shopian district contributing the maximum of 35 so far. The number of local recruits last year was 126.

The officials say that many youngsters are joining the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group which claims support of Al-Qaeda and is headed by Zaqir Rashid Bhat alias Zaqir Musa, who hails from a village in the Tral area of Pulwama district.

The acceptance of this group is steadily increasing as Musa emerged as the only militant who ended the 27-year-old show of separatists leaders from Hurriyat Conference and threatened them of beheading if they termed Kashmir as a political issue.

Musa's slogan of "Shariyat ya Shahadat" (Enforcing Islamic law or death) has replaced many age-old pro-Pakistan slogans, feel the officials who have been monitoring the security situation in the Kashmir Valley.

The 24-year-old engineering college drop-out has been able to capture the imagination of youths, especially after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016.

He was good at studies as well as sports and had represented the state in inter-state carom championship, recalls a senior police official, adding this is one of the reasons that he has started emerging as a hero to many youths in the Valley.

Believed to have been influenced by Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemini-American preacher killed by allied forces attack in Afghanistan in September 2011, Musa has been mainly focussing on recruitment for his outfit and brainwashing the youths to pick up arms.&nbsp

Awlaki too was considered the brain behind recruitment for Al-Qaeda.

His motivational skills left terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba also in a fix when he was able to draw Abu Dujana into his group, the officials said. Abu Dujana was killed.

Though the Jammu and Kashmir Police has time and again termed Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind as a non-starter in the valley, the growing popularity and graffiti of his name and slogans have taken maximum spaces of towns and villages.

ISJK, an affiliate of the banned ISIS, was also a source of attraction for youths but after the killing of its chief Dawood Sofi, the group does not find many takers.

The officials of security agencies said the highly-volatile South Kashmir comprising Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam and Awantipora districts continued to contribute more youths to the militant groups and together these five districts have contributed over 100 youth to various terror groups operating in the Kashmir Valley.

This year's figures were the highest since 2010, according to a recent data presented in the state assembly and Parliament.

There has been a steady rise in the number of youths taking up arms in the valley since 2014 onwards as compared to the period from 2010 to 2013 when the figure stood at 54, 23, 21 and 6 respectively. In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark of 88 in 2016, the data showed.&nbsp

According to data compiled till July 31, around 131 youths have joined various terror outfits with South Kashmir's Shopian district contributing the maximum of 35 so far. The number of local recruits last year was 126.

Dangerous trends have started surfacing on the militancy front in Jammu and Kashmir with nearly 130 youths joining various terror outfits this year, the highest since 2010, and a majority of them affiliating themselves with groups ideologically aligned with the Al-Qaeda, officials said here. According to data compiled till July 31, around 131 youths have joined various terror outfits with South Kashmir's Shopian district contributing the maximum of 35 so far. The number of local recruits last year was 126. The officials say that many youngsters are joining the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group which claims support of Al-Qaeda and is headed by Zaqir Rashid Bhat alias Zaqir Musa, who hails from a village in the Tral area of Pulwama district. The acceptance of this group is steadily increasing as Musa emerged as the only militant who ended the 27-year-old show of separatists leaders from Hurriyat Conference and threatened them of beheading if they termed Kashmir as a political issue. Musa's slogan of "Shariyat ya Shahadat" (Enforcing Islamic law or death) has replaced many age-old pro-Pakistan slogans, feel the officials who have been monitoring the security situation in the Kashmir Valley. The 24-year-old engineering college drop-out has been able to capture the imagination of youths, especially after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016. He was good at studies as well as sports and had represented the state in inter-state carom championship, recalls a senior police official, adding this is one of the reasons that he has started emerging as a hero to many youths in the Valley. Believed to have been influenced by Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemini-American preacher killed by allied forces attack in Afghanistan in September 2011, Musa has been mainly focussing on recruitment for his outfit and brainwashing the youths to pick up arms. Awlaki too was considered the brain behind recruitment for Al-Qaeda. His motivational skills left terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba also in a fix when he was able to draw Abu Dujana into his group, the officials said. Abu Dujana was killed. Though the Jammu and Kashmir Police has time and again termed Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind as a non-starter in the valley, the growing popularity and graffiti of his name and slogans have taken maximum spaces of towns and villages. ISJK, an affiliate of the banned ISIS, was also a source of attraction for youths but after the killing of its chief Dawood Sofi, the group does not find many takers. The officials of security agencies said the highly-volatile South Kashmir comprising Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam and Awantipora districts continued to contribute more youths to the militant groups and together these five districts have contributed over 100 youth to various terror groups operating in the Kashmir Valley. This year's figures were the highest since 2010, according to a recent data presented in the state assembly and Parliament. There has been a steady rise in the number of youths taking up arms in the valley since 2014 onwards as compared to the period from 2010 to 2013 when the figure stood at 54, 23, 21 and 6 respectively. In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark of 88 in 2016, the data showed.

Locals joining militancy in Kashmir highest since 2010; Ghazwat-ul-Hind gaining ground

India has taken "serious note" of reported data misuse of social media platforms and such tools will never be allowed to abuse the election process for extraneous means, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

According to an official statement, Prasad, speaking at the plenary of the G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial meeting in Salata, Argentina, also emphasised that the purity of democratic process should never be compromised and promised that India will take measures to deter and punish those who seek to vitiate the process.

"...Prasad also said that India had taken a serious note of reported misuse of social media platform data...Such platforms will never be allowed to abuse election process for extraneous means...," the release said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the issue of abuse of social media platforms has been under scanner in India over the last few months and the government has resolved to take tough action to prevent any platform misuse.

In fact, the CBI has recently initiated a preliminary enquiry against British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook.

Meanwhile, speaking at the G-20 event, Prasad also mooted that a part of revenue generated by digital platforms need to be reinvested in host markets, the official release said.

The IT minister said that the borderless nature of cyber world posed limitless potential for trade and commerce but only a safe and secure cyberspace can yield benefits of digital transformation for the global economy.

He cautioned that nefarious use of internet is a reality that needs to be countered by concerted action, the official release added.&nbsp;

Prasad further said that the use of cyber mediums to spread radical thought posed a challenge that needed to be addressed both domestically through better regulations as well as international cooperation.&nbsp;

Assuring that India is taking all possible steps to make the cyberspace safe, he warned that instances of cybercrime or cyber threat will be dealt with severely by the government.

Outlining India's concerns about data protection and individual privacy, Prasad said that while privacy cannot prohibit innovation it can neither become the shield for the corrupt or terrorists.&nbsp;

He noted that the Supreme Court, while upholding the right to privacy has also elaborated these aspects and hence a fine balance needs to be struck between data availability, innovation, anonymity and privacy.&nbsp;

Data is needed to improve business but that data must be anonymous, objective, and taken with consent, he added.

India's digital infrastructure is powered by 1.21 billion mobile phones (including 450 million smartphones), nearly 500 million internet subscribers and broadband availability, he said adding the programmes like biometric identifier Aadhaar and Common Services Centres have further strengthened the county's digital prowess.

Terming Digital India as a mass movement, he said that its digital story was one of inclusion and empowerment.

The Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was chaired by Andres Ibarra, Argentine Minister of Modernisation, and Lino Baranao, Argentine Minister for Science, Technology and Innovative Production, and attended by 33 heads of delegation.&nbsp;

Prasad, speaking at the plenary of the G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial meeting in Salata, Argentina, also emphasised that the purity of democratic process should never be compromised and promised that India will take measures to deter and punish those who seek to vitiate the process

India has taken "serious note" of reported data misuse of social media platforms and such tools will never be allowed to abuse the election process for extraneous means, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said. According to an official statement, Prasad, speaking at the plenary of the G-20 Digital Economy Ministerial meeting in Salata, Argentina, also emphasised that the purity of democratic process should never be compromised and promised that India will take measures to deter and punish those who seek to vitiate the process. "...Prasad also said that India had taken a serious note of reported misuse of social media platform data...Such platforms will never be allowed to abuse election process for extraneous means...," the release said. It is pertinent to mention here that the issue of abuse of social media platforms has been under scanner in India over the last few months and the government has resolved to take tough action to prevent any platform misuse. In fact, the CBI has recently initiated a preliminary enquiry against British political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica for alleged illegal personal data harvesting of Indians from Facebook. Meanwhile, speaking at the G-20 event, Prasad also mooted that a part of revenue generated by digital platforms need to be reinvested in host markets, the official release said. The IT minister said that the borderless nature of cyber world posed limitless potential for trade and commerce but only a safe and secure cyberspace can yield benefits of digital transformation for the global economy. He cautioned that nefarious use of internet is a reality that needs to be countered by concerted action, the official release added. Prasad further said that the use of cyber mediums to spread radical thought posed a challenge that needed to be addressed both domestically through better regulations as well as international cooperation. Assuring that India is taking all possible steps to make the cyberspace safe, he warned that instances of cybercrime or cyber threat will be dealt with severely by the government. Outlining India's concerns about data protection and individual privacy, Prasad said that while privacy cannot prohibit innovation it can neither become the shield for the corrupt or terrorists. He noted that the Supreme Court, while upholding the right to privacy has also elaborated these aspects and hence a fine balance needs to be struck between data availability, innovation, anonymity and privacy. Data is needed to improve business but that data must be anonymous, objective, and taken with consent, he added. India's digital infrastructure is powered by 1.21 billion mobile phones (including 450 million smartphones), nearly 500 million internet subscribers and broadband availability, he said adding the programmes like biometric identifier Aadhaar and Common Services Centres have further strengthened the county's digital prowess. Terming Digital India as a mass movement, he said that its digital story was one of inclusion and empowerment. The Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting was chaired by Andres Ibarra, Argentine Minister of Modernisation, and Lino Baranao, Argentine Minister for Science, Technology and Innovative Production, and attended by 33 heads of delegation.

Social media platforms will not be allowed to abuse election process, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

Shivpal Yadav on Sunday said that he has been waiting for the past one-and-a-half years to get a "responsible position" in the party."

I have been waiting for a responsible position in the party. It has been 1.5 years and I am still waiting. I believe all party members should unite and fight in upcoming 2019 general elections," Shivpal Yadav said.

Meanwhile, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said that no one honours him now and maybe people will honour him after his demise.

Talking about the same, Shivpal Yadav said: "I respect Netaji. I was always with him and will always be there with him."&nbsp

&nbsp

'I have been waiting for a responsible position in the party. It has been 1.5 years and I am still waiting. I believe all party members should unite and fight in upcoming 2019 general elections,' Shivpal Yadav said

Shivpal Yadav on Sunday said that he has been waiting for the past one-and-a-half years to get a "responsible position" in the party." I have been waiting for a responsible position in the party. It has been 1.5 years and I am still waiting. I believe all party members should unite and fight in upcoming 2019 general elections," Shivpal Yadav said. Meanwhile, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said that no one honours him now and maybe people will honour him after his demise. Talking about the same, Shivpal Yadav said: "I respect Netaji. I was always with him and will always be there with him."

Shivpal Yadav awaits a responsible position in Samajwadi Party

Describing the debate on holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls together a healthy sign for democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it was an appropriate tribute to former premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee who changed the country's political culture.

He said efforts were afoot and discussions being held about simultaneously holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls.&nbsp

"The government and the opposition&nbspboth are putting forth their view points. This is a good development and a healthy sign for our democracy.&nbsp

"I must say that developing healthy traditions for a sound democracy, making constant efforts to strengthen democracy, encouraging open-minded debates would also be an appropriate tribute to Atalji," Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

Political parties are divided on the issue of simultaneous polls.&nbsp

BJP, its NDA partners Shiromani Akali Dal, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti have supported it.

The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and the JD(S) have opposed the proposal.&nbsp

The parties have given their response to the Law Commission, which is set to come out with a legal framework required to hold the mammoth exercise.

Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat had recently said there are no chances of holding the two polls together without a legal framework. "Koi chance nahi," he had said.&nbsp

"The lawmakers will take at least a year to frame a law that can be enforceable...," Rawat had said.

If simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are held in 2019, the EC will require nearly 24 lakh EVMs, double the number required to hold only the Parliamentary polls.

During their discussion with the Law Commission on May 16 this year on the issue of holding simultaneous polls, EC officials had said they would need around Rs 4,500 crore to buy nearly 12 lakh additional electronic voting machines (EVMs) and an equal number voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines.&nbsp&nbsp &nbsp&nbsp

In his address, the prime minister said the country will remain grateful to Vajpayee for bringing good governance into the mainstream.&nbsp

"But, I just want to touch upon one more facet of Atalji's legendary personality and that is the political culture which Atalji gave to India, his efforts in the direction of bringing about the changes in our political culture, his efforts to mould it into an organised framework and which proved very beneficial for India and a bigger benefit will accrue in days to come," Modi said.

He said the 91st constitutional amendment law brought in 2003 restricted the size of cabinets in states to 15 per cent of the total seats in the legislative assembly.

"For many years in India, the political culture of forming a very large cabinet was being misused to constitute jumbo cabinets not only to create a divide, but also to appease political leaders. Atalji changed it. "This effort of his resulted in saving of money as well as of resources. This also helped in improving efficiency," Modi said.&nbsp

He said the constitutional amendment also ensured that the limit under the anti-defection law was enhanced from one-thirds to two-thirds. "Besides, clear guidelines were defined to disqualify the defector," the prime minister said.

Describing Vajpayee as a "true patriot," he said it was during his tenure that the timing of presenting the budget was changed from 5 pm to 11 am.&nbsp

Earlier, as was the British tradition, the Budget used to be presented at 5 pm because in London, Parliament used to start working at that time.&nbsp

In 2001, the Vajpayee government changed the time of presenting the budget to 11 am.&nbsp

He said the framing of the Flag Code in 2002 was another "freedom" for India as it brought the national flag closer to the masses.&nbsp

"A number of such rules have been included in this code which made it possible to unfurl the tricolour in public places. This provided a chance to more and more of our countrymen to unfurl our national flag. Thus, he brought our beloved tricolour closer to the common man," Modi said.&nbsp

While BJP, its NDA partners Shiromani Akali Dal, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti have supported it. The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and the JD(S) have opposed the proposal of simultaneous polls

Describing the debate on holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls together a healthy sign for democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said it was an appropriate tribute to former premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee who changed the country's political culture. He said efforts were afoot and discussions being held about simultaneously holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls. "The government and the opposition&nbspboth are putting forth their view points. This is a good development and a healthy sign for our democracy. "I must say that developing healthy traditions for a sound democracy, making constant efforts to strengthen democracy, encouraging open-minded debates would also be an appropriate tribute to Atalji," Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address. Political parties are divided on the issue of simultaneous polls. BJP, its NDA partners Shiromani Akali Dal, AIADMK, Samajwadi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti have supported it. The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Telugu Desam Party, Left parties and the JD(S) have opposed the proposal. The parties have given their response to the Law Commission, which is set to come out with a legal framework required to hold the mammoth exercise. Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat had recently said there are no chances of holding the two polls together without a legal framework. "Koi chance nahi," he had said. "The lawmakers will take at least a year to frame a law that can be enforceable...," Rawat had said. If simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are held in 2019, the EC will require nearly 24 lakh EVMs, double the number required to hold only the Parliamentary polls. During their discussion with the Law Commission on May 16 this year on the issue of holding simultaneous polls, EC officials had said they would need around Rs 4,500 crore to buy nearly 12 lakh additional electronic voting machines (EVMs) and an equal number voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines. In his address, the prime minister said the country will remain grateful to Vajpayee for bringing good governance into the mainstream. "But, I just want to touch upon one more facet of Atalji's legendary personality and that is the political culture which Atalji gave to India, his efforts in the direction of bringing about the changes in our political culture, his efforts to mould it into an organised framework and which proved very beneficial for India and a bigger benefit will accrue in days to come," Modi said. He said the 91st constitutional amendment law brought in 2003 restricted the size of cabinets in states to 15 per cent of the total seats in the legislative assembly. "For many years in India, the political culture of forming a very large cabinet was being misused to constitute jumbo cabinets not only to create a divide, but also to appease political leaders. Atalji changed it. "This effort of his resulted in saving of money as well as of resources. This also helped in improving efficiency," Modi said. He said the constitutional amendment also ensured that the limit under the anti-defection law was enhanced from one-thirds to two-thirds. "Besides, clear guidelines were defined to disqualify the defector," the prime minister said. Describing Vajpayee as a "true patriot," he said it was during his tenure that the timing of presenting the budget was changed from 5 pm to 11 am. Earlier, as was the British tradition, the Budget used to be presented at 5 pm because in London, Parliament used to start working at that time. In 2001, the Vajpayee government changed the time of presenting the budget to 11 am. He said the framing of the Flag Code in 2002 was another "freedom" for India as it brought the national flag closer to the masses. "A number of such rules have been included in this code which made it possible to unfurl the tricolour in public places. This provided a chance to more and more of our countrymen to unfurl our national flag. Thus, he brought our beloved tricolour closer to the common man," Modi said.

Debate on simultaneous polls a healthy sign of democracy; tribute to Vajpayee: PM Modi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday&nbsp;alleged that the judiciary, the election commission and the RBI are being "torn apart" under the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted every Indian by saying no development had happened before 2014.

Addressing members of the Indian Overseas Congress here, he said the prime minister insulted every Indian by saying that no development activity happened in the last 70 years.

"India shows the future to the world. The people of India made this possible, and the Congress helped them. If the prime minister says nothing had happened before he assumed office, he is not commenting on the Congress, he is insulting every person of the country," Gandhi said.

The Congress president alleged that at present, Dalits, farmers, tribal people, minorities, the poor in India are told that they will not get anything, and "if they raise their voice, they are beaten up".

Gandhi claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act has been "destroyed and scholarships have been discontinued".

"Today in India, people are discriminated against on the basis of caste and religion. Marginalised are betrayed, while people like Anil Ambani benefit," he alleged.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government on the multi-billion Rafale deal, Gandhi said that the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been manufacturing aircraft for the last 50 years, but the contract was given to "someone who floated his company just 19 days before the deal".

"Nobody will get anything. Only Ambani will get everything. This man has accrued a debt of Rs 45,000 crore," the Congress president alleged.

Gandhi and the Congress party have been attacking the BJP government for allegedly inking the deal at a much higher price than the one the previous UPA regime had negotiated to benefit Anil Ambani.

Facing allegations of getting undue benefits from the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal, Ambani-led Reliance Group has sent legal notices to several Congress leaders asking them to "cease and desist" from levelling such charges.

Reliance Group has denied the allegations relating to the deal under which France's Dassault is supplying the fighter jets and has entered into a joint venture with an Ambani-led group's firm to meet its offset requirement of the contract.

Ambani recently wrote to Gandhi on the deal saying his party has been "misinformed, misdirected and misled" by "malicious vested interests and corporate rivals" on the issue.

Gandhi said, "when the farmers of Karnataka and Telangana ask for loan waiver, PM Modi says this is not our policy. India's handful of richest businessmen have NPAs (Non Performing Assets) of Rs 12.5 lakh crore, but the prime minister says nothing".

He alleged that the prime minister kept quiet "when his own party's MLA raped a woman and when Nirav Modi ran away with people's money".

"Institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India, which are the walls of our country, are being torn apart now," Gandhi alleged.

It was the first time that four senior-most judges of the apex court come out in public earlier this year to say they were not being allowed to work, he said.

"I do not use bad language for the prime minister. And if you have listened to the debate on the Rafale deal in Parliament, you would have seen that the PM could not answer my questions," the 48-year-old leader said.

Gandhi said China creates 50,000 jobs a day, while India creates only 450 during that period, and unemployment was a pressing issue.

"Our farmers need help. Our youth needs education, elderly people need healthcare. But, there is no discussion on the issues of farmers, education and healthcare," he said.

Lauding the contribution of non-resident Indians in the development of the country, Gandhi said, "Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru were all NRIs. They travelled the world and helped India with new perspectives".&nbsp;

The Congress president alleged that at present, Dalits, farmers, tribal people, minorities, the poor in India are told that they will not get anything, and "if they raise their voice, they are beaten up".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the judiciary, the election commission and the RBI are being "torn apart" under the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has insulted every Indian by saying no development had happened before 2014. Addressing members of the Indian Overseas Congress here, he said the prime minister insulted every Indian by saying that no development activity happened in the last 70 years. "India shows the future to the world. The people of India made this possible, and the Congress helped them. If the prime minister says nothing had happened before he assumed office, he is not commenting on the Congress, he is insulting every person of the country," Gandhi said. The Congress president alleged that at present, Dalits, farmers, tribal people, minorities, the poor in India are told that they will not get anything, and "if they raise their voice, they are beaten up". Gandhi claimed that the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act has been "destroyed and scholarships have been discontinued". "Today in India, people are discriminated against on the basis of caste and religion. Marginalised are betrayed, while people like Anil Ambani benefit," he alleged. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government on the multi-billion Rafale deal, Gandhi said that the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been manufacturing aircraft for the last 50 years, but the contract was given to "someone who floated his company just 19 days before the deal". "Nobody will get anything. Only Ambani will get everything. This man has accrued a debt of Rs 45,000 crore," the Congress president alleged. Gandhi and the Congress party have been attacking the BJP government for allegedly inking the deal at a much higher price than the one the previous UPA regime had negotiated to benefit Anil Ambani. Facing allegations of getting undue benefits from the multi-billion dollar Rafale deal, Ambani-led Reliance Group has sent legal notices to several Congress leaders asking them to "cease and desist" from levelling such charges. Reliance Group has denied the allegations relating to the deal under which France's Dassault is supplying the fighter jets and has entered into a joint venture with an Ambani-led group's firm to meet its offset requirement of the contract. Ambani recently wrote to Gandhi on the deal saying his party has been "misinformed, misdirected and misled" by "malicious vested interests and corporate rivals" on the issue. Gandhi said, "when the farmers of Karnataka and Telangana ask for loan waiver, PM Modi says this is not our policy. India's handful of richest businessmen have NPAs (Non Performing Assets) of Rs 12.5 lakh crore, but the prime minister says nothing". He alleged that the prime minister kept quiet "when his own party's MLA raped a woman and when Nirav Modi ran away with people's money". "Institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India and the Reserve Bank of India, which are the walls of our country, are being torn apart now," Gandhi alleged. It was the first time that four senior-most judges of the apex court come out in public earlier this year to say they were not being allowed to work, he said. "I do not use bad language for the prime minister. And if you have listened to the debate on the Rafale deal in Parliament, you would have seen that the PM could not answer my questions," the 48-year-old leader said. Gandhi said China creates 50,000 jobs a day, while India creates only 450 during that period, and unemployment was a pressing issue. "Our farmers need help. Our youth needs education, elderly people need healthcare. But, there is no discussion on the issues of farmers, education and healthcare," he said. Lauding the contribution of non-resident Indians in the development of the country, Gandhi said, "Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru were all NRIs. They travelled the world and helped India with new perspectives".

Judiciary, EC, RBI being 'torn apart' under BJP govt: Rahul Gandhi in UK

DMK working president M K Stalin, who is set to be elected the party president, filed his nomination for the post at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters, in Chennai in Tamil Nadu today.

Senior leader and party principal secretary Duraimurugan filed the nomination for the post of treasurer, hitherto held by Stalin.

They are likely to be elected during the party's General Council meeting on August 28 in Chennai.

The process to elect Stalin as DMK chief following the death of his father and party chief M Karunanidhi began with the 65-year-old leader formally filing his nomination for the post.

Before filing the papers, Stalin, Duraimurugan and senior party colleagues T R Baalu and A Raja visited Dayalu Ammal, Karunanidhi's wife, at her Gopalapuram residence.

Later they also met party veteran and general secretary K Anbhazhagan and headed straight to the memorials of DMK founder and former Chief Minister C N Annadurai and Karunanidhi at the Marina beach-front and paid floral tributes, party sources said.

Stalin, who was given a rousing reception on his arrival by partymen at the party headquarters formally, submitted the nomination papers to DMK Organising Secretary R S Bharathi.

Also, the names of Stalin and Duraimurugan were proposed by all 65 DMK district secretaries for the post of president and treasurer respectively.

Talking to reporters, Raja said Stalin and Duraimurugan would be elected "unanimously" at the General Council meet.

Sibling rivalry between Stalin and his elder brother M K Alagiri came to the fore recently, when the latter claimed that true loyalists of Karunanidhi were with him.

Alagiri, who was expelled from the party by Karunanidhi in 2014, has been questioning the leadership of Stalin. He has announced he would lead a peace rally in Chennai on September 5, to the mausoleum of Karunanidhi.

Stalin, the younger son of Karunanidhi, had held several party posts, including that of treasurer and youth-wing secretary.

His journey in the party began early when he campaigned in the 1967 elections as a 14-year-old school student. He became the party's youth-wing secretary in 1984.

He was put in prison under Maintenance of Internal Security Act in 1976 during Emergency.

Stalin's growth has been steady and he became party deputy general secretary in 2003. He was re-elected treasurer for the second five-year term in January 2015.

He became an MLA for the first time in 1989 from Thousand Lights constituency in the city from where he was re-elected thrice.

In 2006, he became the Municipal Administration Minister in the DMK government and went on to become the Deputy Chief Minister in 2009.&nbsp

Sibling rivalry between Stalin and his elder brother M K Alagiri came to the fore recently, when the latter claimed that true loyalists of Karunanidhi were with him.

DMK working president M K Stalin, who is set to be elected the party president, filed his nomination for the post at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters, in Chennai in Tamil Nadu today. Senior leader and party principal secretary Duraimurugan filed the nomination for the post of treasurer, hitherto held by Stalin. They are likely to be elected during the party's General Council meeting on August 28 in Chennai. The process to elect Stalin as DMK chief following the death of his father and party chief M Karunanidhi began with the 65-year-old leader formally filing his nomination for the post. Before filing the papers, Stalin, Duraimurugan and senior party colleagues T R Baalu and A Raja visited Dayalu Ammal, Karunanidhi's wife, at her Gopalapuram residence. Later they also met party veteran and general secretary K Anbhazhagan and headed straight to the memorials of DMK founder and former Chief Minister C N Annadurai and Karunanidhi at the Marina beach-front and paid floral tributes, party sources said. Stalin, who was given a rousing reception on his arrival by partymen at the party headquarters formally, submitted the nomination papers to DMK Organising Secretary R S Bharathi. Also, the names of Stalin and Duraimurugan were proposed by all 65 DMK district secretaries for the post of president and treasurer respectively. Talking to reporters, Raja said Stalin and Duraimurugan would be elected "unanimously" at the General Council meet. Sibling rivalry between Stalin and his elder brother M K Alagiri came to the fore recently, when the latter claimed that true loyalists of Karunanidhi were with him. Alagiri, who was expelled from the party by Karunanidhi in 2014, has been questioning the leadership of Stalin. He has announced he would lead a peace rally in Chennai on September 5, to the mausoleum of Karunanidhi. Stalin, the younger son of Karunanidhi, had held several party posts, including that of treasurer and youth-wing secretary. His journey in the party began early when he campaigned in the 1967 elections as a 14-year-old school student. He became the party's youth-wing secretary in 1984. He was put in prison under Maintenance of Internal Security Act in 1976 during Emergency. Stalin's growth has been steady and he became party deputy general secretary in 2003. He was re-elected treasurer for the second five-year term in January 2015. He became an MLA for the first time in 1989 from Thousand Lights constituency in the city from where he was re-elected thrice. In 2006, he became the Municipal Administration Minister in the DMK government and went on to become the Deputy Chief Minister in 2009.

Stalin files nomination papers, set to become DMK president

Expenses incurred on the security cover of BJP president Amit Shah cannot be disclosed, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has held citing RTI Act exemption clauses of "personal information" and "safety".

The commission has denied the appeal of a petitioner who had also sought to know the rules governing extension of security cover to a private individual and the authorities, which foot the bill of such cover to a private individual.

The application was filed by Deepak Juneja on July 5, 2014, when Shah was not a member of the Rajya Sabha.

He had also sought to know the list of people who have been given security by the government.

The information was denied by the Home Ministry citing Section 8(1)(g) that exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person.

The ministry had also cited Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, which exempts information that is personal, would cause unwarranted invasion of privacy and is not linked to any "public activity".

In its previous order in the matter, the CIC had upheld denial of information as it was not disclosed before Parliament.

Juneja challenged the CIC order in the Delhi High Court where Justice Vibhu Bakhru set aside the transparency panel's order stating that the commission was first required to examine whether information sought by the petitioner was exempted under clauses (g) and (j) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act.

It lobbed the matter before the CIC again to consider private contentions in the light of the exemption clauses of Section 8(1) of the act.

The commission again heard Juneja and the Home Ministry in the matter.

Juneja submitted that the grant of security cover to eminent persons under threat is the duty of the state in cases where the beneficiary holds a high office as they cannot perform their vital functions while reeling under threat, Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad noted in the order.

However, the appellant submits that defraying cost of elite Z+ security cover to private persons must not be from the state exchequer, Azad pointed out.

"Amit Shah, who happens to be the national president of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has been granted Z+ security cover by the MHA since July 2014 despite him not being holding any constitutional or statutory office," Juneja said, adding that since it was public money he has the right to know.

The ministry said the respondent's contention is that revelation of expenses incurred in providing security cover would reveal the intricacies, and magnitude and rigour of security cover.

It said rules governing the entitlement of grant of security cover and process of threat assessment among others are framed in consultation with central security agencies, which are exempted from the purview of the RTI Act, and disclosure would nullify the exemptions.

"Judicial notice can be taken of the fact that the protectees are already facing the highest level of threat and that is why they have been accorded with the highest level of security cover," Azad, a former IB special director, held.

He said revelation of names of protectees if not adding on to the danger to their life or physical safety would be counterproductive to the efficacy of security cover.

The names of private Z+ protectees are personal since they do not owe the security cover to their public office but private position in life, the information commissioner said.

"The public eminence of the private person, threat perception, and the potential harm... Are key determinative factors while granting security cover," he said.

He said the identity, specific threat perception analysis among other factors are personal information of a protectee who does not hold a public office.

"The right to know, in such a case, must make way for the right to privacy of the individual and the efficiency of governance since the same furthers the concept of 'practical regime' of the RTI as conceptualised in the preamble of the RTI Act," Azad said.

He also cited last year's Supreme Court order on Right to Privacy to buttress his argument.

On December 9, 2015, the list of protectees in political and judicial field was disclosed in a Rajya Sabha question by the Home Ministry, hence making a further case for not disclosing it, Azad said.&nbsp

The commission has denied the appeal of a petitioner who had also sought to know the rules governing extension of security cover to a private individual and the authorities, which foot the bill of such cover to a private individual.

Expenses incurred on the security cover of BJP president Amit Shah cannot be disclosed, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has held citing RTI Act exemption clauses of "personal information" and "safety". The commission has denied the appeal of a petitioner who had also sought to know the rules governing extension of security cover to a private individual and the authorities, which foot the bill of such cover to a private individual. The application was filed by Deepak Juneja on July 5, 2014, when Shah was not a member of the Rajya Sabha. He had also sought to know the list of people who have been given security by the government. The information was denied by the Home Ministry citing Section 8(1)(g) that exempts from disclosure information that would endanger the life or physical safety of any person. The ministry had also cited Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, which exempts information that is personal, would cause unwarranted invasion of privacy and is not linked to any "public activity". In its previous order in the matter, the CIC had upheld denial of information as it was not disclosed before Parliament. Juneja challenged the CIC order in the Delhi High Court where Justice Vibhu Bakhru set aside the transparency panel's order stating that the commission was first required to examine whether information sought by the petitioner was exempted under clauses (g) and (j) of Section 8(1) of the RTI Act. It lobbed the matter before the CIC again to consider private contentions in the light of the exemption clauses of Section 8(1) of the act. The commission again heard Juneja and the Home Ministry in the matter. Juneja submitted that the grant of security cover to eminent persons under threat is the duty of the state in cases where the beneficiary holds a high office as they cannot perform their vital functions while reeling under threat, Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad noted in the order. However, the appellant submits that defraying cost of elite Z+ security cover to private persons must not be from the state exchequer, Azad pointed out. "Amit Shah, who happens to be the national president of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has been granted Z+ security cover by the MHA since July 2014 despite him not being holding any constitutional or statutory office," Juneja said, adding that since it was public money he has the right to know. The ministry said the respondent's contention is that revelation of expenses incurred in providing security cover would reveal the intricacies, and magnitude and rigour of security cover. It said rules governing the entitlement of grant of security cover and process of threat assessment among others are framed in consultation with central security agencies, which are exempted from the purview of the RTI Act, and disclosure would nullify the exemptions. "Judicial notice can be taken of the fact that the protectees are already facing the highest level of threat and that is why they have been accorded with the highest level of security cover," Azad, a former IB special director, held. He said revelation of names of protectees if not adding on to the danger to their life or physical safety would be counterproductive to the efficacy of security cover. The names of private Z+ protectees are personal since they do not owe the security cover to their public office but private position in life, the information commissioner said. "The public eminence of the private person, threat perception, and the potential harm... Are key determinative factors while granting security cover," he said. He said the identity, specific threat perception analysis among other factors are personal information of a protectee who does not hold a public office. "The right to know, in such a case, must make way for the right to privacy of the individual and the efficiency of governance since the same furthers the concept of 'practical regime' of the RTI as conceptualised in the preamble of the RTI Act," Azad said. He also cited last year's Supreme Court order on Right to Privacy to buttress his argument. On December 9, 2015, the list of protectees in political and judicial field was disclosed in a Rajya Sabha question by the Home Ministry, hence making a further case for not disclosing it, Azad said.

Security expenses on BJP chief can't be disclosed: Central Information Commission

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to share details of request to Malaysia seeking extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, being probed in India for alleged terror charges, citing RTI clauses that bars disclosure of information received in confidence from foreign government, among others.

In response to an RTI application filed by this PTI correspondent, the ministry said there are 160 extradition requests from India pending with various foreign countries.

To a query seeking details of extradition request made by India and response received from Malaysia, it said the information cannot be provided pursuant to Section 8 (1) (a) (f) and (h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.

The Section (h) bars disclosure of information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders.&nbsp

As per Section (f) of the transparency law, information received in confidence from foreign government&nbspcannot be disclosed.

The Section 8 (1) (a) bars information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence.

The MEA was asked to provide copy of letter or request made to Malaysia seeking extradition of Naik and also the copy of any communication response from that government.

Naik, who left India in July, 2016, is wanted for alleged terror and money laundering charges.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had last month said that India's request to Malaysia to extradite Naik was under active consideration of that country.

India has an extradition treaty with Malaysia.

In January, the MEA made a formal request to Malaysia to deport Naik.

Naik, who is in Malaysia, in a statement published in Malaysian newspapers in July, had thanked Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for examining his case from an "unbiased perspective".

Mahathir, who had met the radical Indian cleric last month, has made it clear that his government will not easily give in to India's demand to deport Naik.

We do not easily follow the demands of others. We must look at all factors before we respond," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

"Otherwise, someone will become a victim," the prime minister had said.

Mahathir had also said that Malaysia will not deport Naik back to India, as long as he does not create problems in the country. The previous Malaysian government had granted Naik permanent resident status.

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), that probes terror cases, had last year filed a charge sheet in a court against Naik for allegedly inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities.

It had first registered a case against Naik under anti-terror laws in 2016.

Naik is also under investigation for issuing hate speeches that reportedly inspired a deadly terror attack on a popular cafe in Dhaka in 2016.

Naik's Mumbai-based non-government organisation, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been declared an unlawful association by the Union Home Ministry.&nbsp

In January, the MEA made a formal request to Malaysia to deport Naik.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has refused to share details of request to Malaysia seeking extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, being probed in India for alleged terror charges, citing RTI clauses that bars disclosure of information received in confidence from foreign government, among others. In response to an RTI application filed by this PTI correspondent, the ministry said there are 160 extradition requests from India pending with various foreign countries. To a query seeking details of extradition request made by India and response received from Malaysia, it said the information cannot be provided pursuant to Section 8 (1) (a) (f) and (h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Section (h) bars disclosure of information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders. As per Section (f) of the transparency law, information received in confidence from foreign government&nbspcannot be disclosed. The Section 8 (1) (a) bars information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state, relation with foreign state or lead to incitement of an offence. The MEA was asked to provide copy of letter or request made to Malaysia seeking extradition of Naik and also the copy of any communication response from that government. Naik, who left India in July, 2016, is wanted for alleged terror and money laundering charges. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had last month said that India's request to Malaysia to extradite Naik was under active consideration of that country. India has an extradition treaty with Malaysia. In January, the MEA made a formal request to Malaysia to deport Naik. Naik, who is in Malaysia, in a statement published in Malaysian newspapers in July, had thanked Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for examining his case from an "unbiased perspective". Mahathir, who had met the radical Indian cleric last month, has made it clear that his government will not easily give in to India's demand to deport Naik. We do not easily follow the demands of others. We must look at all factors before we respond," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. "Otherwise, someone will become a victim," the prime minister had said. Mahathir had also said that Malaysia will not deport Naik back to India, as long as he does not create problems in the country. The previous Malaysian government had granted Naik permanent resident status. India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), that probes terror cases, had last year filed a charge sheet in a court against Naik for allegedly inciting youth to take up terror activities, giving hate speeches and promoting enmity between communities. It had first registered a case against Naik under anti-terror laws in 2016. Naik is also under investigation for issuing hate speeches that reportedly inspired a deadly terror attack on a popular cafe in Dhaka in 2016. Naik's Mumbai-based non-government organisation, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has been declared an unlawful association by the Union Home Ministry.

MEA refuses to share details on extradition request of Zakir Naik to Malaysia

Two different courts on Saturday rejected bail pleas filed by ex-Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma and her husband Chandrashekhar Verma in association with the recovery of cartridges from her in-law's residence after the CBI conducted a raid as a part of an ongoing investigation in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal.

An <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/manju-verma-husband-booked-under-arms-act-in-bihar-shelter-home-rapes-160269">FIR was registered</a> against Manju Verma and her husband on August 18 under the Arms Act after the recovery of 50 live cartridges from her in-law's house at Arjun Tola village during a raid, Cheria Bariarpur police station SHO Ranjit Kumar Rajak said.

Police said the live cartridges are of different firearms.

The<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/muzaffarpur-shelter-home-case-cbi-searches-premises-of-former-bihar-minister-manju-verma-159725"> searches were spread</a> across three residences of former Social Welfare Minister Verma in Patna and one each in Motihari and Bhagalpur, they said.&nbsp;

Former minister Manju Verma's prayer was turned down by the court of district judge Diwan Abdul Aziz Khan, while that of her husband was dismissed by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) (V) Raj Kishore Rai.

Advocates appearing for the couple submitted before the courts that they live in Patna and they rarely visit the house at Arjun Tola in Begusarai.

Manju Verma had <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/muzaffarpur-shelter-home-case-media-opposition-created-uproar-says-manju-verma-after-resigning--157886">resigned</a> as social welfare minister following a disclosure that her husband Chandrashekhar Verma had spoken to the prime accused in the scandal, Brajesh Thakur, 17 times between January and June this year.

(With PTI inputs)&nbsp;

An FIR was registered against Manju Verma and her husband on August 18 under the Arms Act after the recovery of 50 live cartridges from her in-law's house at Arjun Tola village during a raid.

Two different courts on Saturday rejected bail pleas filed by ex-Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma and her husband Chandrashekhar Verma in association with the recovery of cartridges from her in-law's residence after the CBI conducted a raid as a part of an ongoing investigation in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal. An FIR was registered against Manju Verma and her husband on August 18 under the Arms Act after the recovery of 50 live cartridges from her in-law's house at Arjun Tola village during a raid, Cheria Bariarpur police station SHO Ranjit Kumar Rajak said. Police said the live cartridges are of different firearms. The searches were spread across three residences of former Social Welfare Minister Verma in Patna and one each in Motihari and Bhagalpur, they said. Former minister Manju Verma's prayer was turned down by the court of district judge Diwan Abdul Aziz Khan, while that of her husband was dismissed by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) (V) Raj Kishore Rai. Advocates appearing for the couple submitted before the courts that they live in Patna and they rarely visit the house at Arjun Tola in Begusarai. Manju Verma had resigned as social welfare minister following a disclosure that her husband Chandrashekhar Verma had spoken to the prime accused in the scandal, Brajesh Thakur, 17 times between January and June this year. (With PTI inputs)

Bihar shelter home case: Court rejects bail pleas of ex-minister Manju Verma, husband

After immense damage caused due to devastating floods , Kerala is staring at a 4 to 5 per cent decline in footfalls if the tourism sector does not pick up from October, a senior tourism official has said.

The state is reeling under the impact of floods, the worst since the 1924 deluge. 265 people have been killed and 1.5 million people have been&nbsp;forced into relief camps.

The busiest airport in Kochi has been shut since August 16 and is expected to resume operations only from August 29. Kochi and Ernakulum regions, which have been under the waters for almost two weeks, alone account for around 52 per cent of all tourism in the state, according to a Car Rating report.

"We had a good first quarter with a full 17 per cent growth. However, the second quarter saw a 14 per cent decline in footfalls due to the Nipa virus that struck the state in April-May," Kerala Tourism director P Bala Kiran told PTI over phone from Thiruvananthapuram.

"August and September were completely washed&nbsp;out as we saw huge cancellations due to the massive floods, which will impact business in the tourist state," he said.

However, he said, if things start picking up from October, there may still be growth.

"If things do not pick up in October, we are likely to witness a 4 to 5 per cent decline over last year," he warned.

Kerala had witnessed 10.94 per cent growth in 2017, compared to the previous year, with 1.91 million foreign travelers and 14.6 million domestic tourists visiting the state. Tourism contributes over 10 per cent to the state GDP.

Kerala is staring at a 4 to 5 per cent decline in footfalls if the tourism sector does not pick up from October, a senior tourism official has said.

After immense damage caused due to devastating floods , Kerala is staring at a 4 to 5 per cent decline in footfalls if the tourism sector does not pick up from October, a senior tourism official has said. The state is reeling under the impact of floods, the worst since the 1924 deluge. 265 people have been killed and 1.5 million people have been forced into relief camps. The busiest airport in Kochi has been shut since August 16 and is expected to resume operations only from August 29. Kochi and Ernakulum regions, which have been under the waters for almost two weeks, alone account for around 52 per cent of all tourism in the state, according to a Car Rating report. "We had a good first quarter with a full 17 per cent growth. However, the second quarter saw a 14 per cent decline in footfalls due to the Nipa virus that struck the state in April-May," Kerala Tourism director P Bala Kiran told PTI over phone from Thiruvananthapuram. "August and September were completely washed out as we saw huge cancellations due to the massive floods, which will impact business in the tourist state," he said. However, he said, if things start picking up from October, there may still be growth. "If things do not pick up in October, we are likely to witness a 4 to 5 per cent decline over last year," he warned. Kerala had witnessed 10.94 per cent growth in 2017, compared to the previous year, with 1.91 million foreign travelers and 14.6 million domestic tourists visiting the state. Tourism contributes over 10 per cent to the state GDP.

After devastating floods, Kerala looking at 5% fall in tourist inflow: Official

This is the second attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader. He was earlier attacked in New York.

President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Manjit Singh GK was attacked in California allegedly by pro-Khalistan individuals, during which one of his associates was injured. Singh, who had traveled to California following a visit to New York, said the purpose of his visit was to hold discussions among the Sikh community about the 550th birthday anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, to be commemorated next year. This is the second attack on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader. He was earlier attacked in New York. Singh was visiting the main Gurudwara in Yuba City, California yesterday when he said, a group of 30-35 people supporting the 'Khalistan 2020 referendum' attacked him. "I am hurt. They pushed me and kicked me brutally. It was a brutal murderous attack," he told PTI over phone from California. He said one of his associates has been hospitalised while the police has arrested three people in connection with the attack. The DSGMC chief said that the attack will not deter or intimidate him. "We are not going to shy away," he said, adding that those demanding Khalistan can continue their fight but resorting to violence is not the answer. "We will not be part of this fight for Khalistan," he said. #WATCH: Akali Dal leader & Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee member Manjeet Singh GK attacked, face blackened outside a Gurdwara in California. 3 people have been arrested in connection with the attack. #USA (25.08.18) pic.twitter.com/HdhnlJn8zP — ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2018 × Meanwhile, 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ), a group demanding justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims and supporting the 'Khalistan 2020 referendum, in a statement issued through its legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, accused Singh and his supporters of "instigating violent attacks on pro-Khalistan activists" who were "peacefully protesting" in the SAD leader's presence in Yuba City Gurdwara. Pannun said the SFJ has also filed a complaint against Singh with the US Department of Justice for violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) laws. He said SFJ filed the complaint against Singh for holding, attending and addressing political gatherings in the US in violations of FARA laws. "We will now ask US Immigration to take notice of illegal activities of Singh and make him inadmissible to the United States," he said.

Video: Akali Dal leader Manjit Singh attacked by pro-Khalistan supporters in California

Alarmed by the recent reports of two persons allegedly committing suicide in north Bengal after receiving invitations to join online killer game 'Momo Challenge', the state administration has started taking precautionary steps to combat the threat.

Besides sending directives to police stations in the districts, the administration has also asked educational institutes to keep a tab on the behavioural pattern of students, an official told PTI.

"It (Momo challenge) is growing everyday. After the Blue Whale challenge, now we are facing this killer Momo Game Challenge. Links of this 'game' is getting circulated mostly through WhatsApp. We have alerted officials in the district to keep a tab on this matter," he said.

The killer 'game' features a creepy image of a girl with distorted face and eyes bulging out called the "Mother Bird by Link Factory".

It is alleged that the Momo Challenge has claimed lives of two persons at Kurseong in Darjeeling district -- Manish Sarki (18) on August 20 and Aditi Goyal (26) the next day.

Police suspect that both of them were into the online killer game which led them to take the ultimate step.

"It is a growing menace and we are getting reports of an increasing number of people, mostly youths, getting invitation on their WhatsApp from unidentified numbers to play the 'game'," the official said.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that people who have shown the slightest of sign of depression or a desire to commit suicide were targeted, he said.

On August 21, Jalpaiguri resident Kabita Rai received an invitation to "play" the "death game", following which she had lodged a police complaint, the official said, adding a college student from the district was detained in connection with the complaint.

Another woman, an IT professional and a mother of an eight-year-old boy, in the state capital received a similar invitation, following which she approached the Kolkata Police cyber cell.

"I chose not to reply to the invitation as advised by one of my friends. On Thursday night I found the invitation on my WhatsApp. I knew about the 'game' and because I have a kid I was scared," Rajashree Upadhyay said.

The official said till date, most of the complaints were reported from Jalpaiguri, Kurseong, West Midnapore districts, and it was only last week that one was reported from Kolkata.

"We have sought help from cyber experts on how to tackle the menace. A list of dos and don'ts have been shortlisted and sent for distribution in all districts to create awareness among people," he said.

Cyber expert Sandeep Sengupta, the managing director of the Indian School of Ethical Hacking, said, "Administrators who are running the Game hack social media numbers of the players and blackmail them through other social networking sites."

"They keep a tab on the status people post on social networking sites and choose those who are showing suicidal tendency for sending them an invite to play the game."

Sengupta advised people not to accept any invitation to play the "game" from any unknown number and not to click on any unidentified link.

"Frequent change of password of email accounts and other social networking sites is necessary. People must be very cautious about their posts on those sites and once they get any invitation from any particular number on their WhatsApp, they must straightaway block it," he said.

The official said once an invitation to play the killer game is received, people should immediately inform local police station.

"Parents in the northern districts as well as in other parts of the state are scared about the 'Momo Challenge'. We want them to be alert and to keep an eye on what their wards are doing while being online through their mobile phones.

"They should be stopped from playing any sort of game which has a possibility to lead them to the 'Momo Game Challenge'," he said.

Educational institutes in all districts have been sent special requests to keep a eye on the students, the official said.

The Momo Challenge is thought to have claimed the lives of two persons in Kurseong in Darjeeling district — Manish Sarki (18) on August 20 and Aditi Goyal (26) the following day.

Alarmed by the recent reports of two persons allegedly committing suicide in north Bengal after receiving invitations to join online killer game 'Momo Challenge', the state administration has started taking precautionary steps to combat the threat. Besides sending directives to police stations in the districts, the administration has also asked educational institutes to keep a tab on the behavioural pattern of students, an official told PTI. "It (Momo challenge) is growing everyday. After the Blue Whale challenge, now we are facing this killer Momo Game Challenge. Links of this 'game' is getting circulated mostly through WhatsApp. We have alerted officials in the district to keep a tab on this matter," he said. The killer 'game' features a creepy image of a girl with distorted face and eyes bulging out called the "Mother Bird by Link Factory". It is alleged that the Momo Challenge has claimed lives of two persons at Kurseong in Darjeeling district -- Manish Sarki (18) on August 20 and Aditi Goyal (26) the next day. Police suspect that both of them were into the online killer game which led them to take the ultimate step. "It is a growing menace and we are getting reports of an increasing number of people, mostly youths, getting invitation on their WhatsApp from unidentified numbers to play the 'game'," the official said. Preliminary investigation has revealed that people who have shown the slightest of sign of depression or a desire to commit suicide were targeted, he said. On August 21, Jalpaiguri resident Kabita Rai received an invitation to "play" the "death game", following which she had lodged a police complaint, the official said, adding a college student from the district was detained in connection with the complaint. Another woman, an IT professional and a mother of an eight-year-old boy, in the state capital received a similar invitation, following which she approached the Kolkata Police cyber cell. "I chose not to reply to the invitation as advised by one of my friends. On Thursday night I found the invitation on my WhatsApp. I knew about the 'game' and because I have a kid I was scared," Rajashree Upadhyay said. The official said till date, most of the complaints were reported from Jalpaiguri, Kurseong, West Midnapore districts, and it was only last week that one was reported from Kolkata. "We have sought help from cyber experts on how to tackle the menace. A list of dos and don'ts have been shortlisted and sent for distribution in all districts to create awareness among people," he said. Cyber expert Sandeep Sengupta, the managing director of the Indian School of Ethical Hacking, said, "Administrators who are running the Game hack social media numbers of the players and blackmail them through other social networking sites." "They keep a tab on the status people post on social networking sites and choose those who are showing suicidal tendency for sending them an invite to play the game." Sengupta advised people not to accept any invitation to play the "game" from any unknown number and not to click on any unidentified link. "Frequent change of password of email accounts and other social networking sites is necessary. People must be very cautious about their posts on those sites and once they get any invitation from any particular number on their WhatsApp, they must straightaway block it," he said. The official said once an invitation to play the killer game is received, people should immediately inform local police station. "Parents in the northern districts as well as in other parts of the state are scared about the 'Momo Challenge'. We want them to be alert and to keep an eye on what their wards are doing while being online through their mobile phones. "They should be stopped from playing any sort of game which has a possibility to lead them to the 'Momo Game Challenge'," he said. Educational institutes in all districts have been sent special requests to keep a eye on the students, the official said.

After 2 reported deaths, Bengal grapples with suicide game 'Momo Challenge'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind greeted the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Sunday.&nbsp;

PM Modi took to Twitter and wished the people, saying: "सभी देशवासियों को रक्षाबंधन के पावन पर्व की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। Greetings on Raksha Bandhan." ("Wishing all the countrymen a very happy Raksha Bandhan.")

The President, in his message, expressed the desire of strengthening the sense of brotherhood among people.

"Raksha Bandhan par sabhi desh vasiyon ko badhai. Iss parv ka ullaas humare beech bhaichaare ki bhavna ko majboot banaye aur hume aisa samaaj banana ki prerna de jahan mahilaon, visheshkar balikaon ki suraksha aur garima ka hamesha sammaan kiya jata ho- Rashtrapati Kovind," he tweeted. (I wish all the countrymen on the occasion Raksha Bandhan. I hope the festival would strengthen the feeling of brotherhood amongst us and would inspire us to become a society where women, especially girls are safe and their dignity is respected- President Kovind.)

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सभी देशवासियों को रक्षाबंधन के पावन पर्व की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। Greetings on Raksha Bandhan.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1033535450475053060?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Greetings to all fellow citizens on Raksha Bandhan. May the spirit of this festival strengthen fraternal feelings and inspire us to live in a society defined by universal respect for the security and dignity of women, especially of girl children <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1033528417902370818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today greeted people on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

"Heartiest greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan. Inspired by the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore, we observe this day as 'Sanskriti Dibas' in Bangla," Banerjee wrote on Twitter.

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Heartiest greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan. Inspired by the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore, we observe this day as ‘Sanskriti Dibas’ in Bangla
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/1033521782488064000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also extended his good wishes and said the festival strengthens the support base of relationship.

"The festival symbolises not only the deep love between a sister and a brother but also strengthens the support base of relationship. All brothers and sisters observe the ceremony with affection, respect, faith and deep wish for mutual wellness," he said in a statement.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, continuing with their annual ritual, members of the Muslim Women Foundation (MWF) in Varanasi are making rakhis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.&nbsp;

Nazima Ansari, one of the MWF members said, “The Muslim women from our foundation living in Banaras (also known as Varanasi) had first sent rakhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in 2013. Since then, this ritual has been continuing."&nbsp;

Ansari said that the women at the MWF consider him as an elder brother and father-like figure. She said, "We consider Narendra Modi-ji as an elder brother and father-like figure. Hence, like every year, we are sending him rakhi this year too with a hope that he would continue to protect us and help us at the time of need."&nbsp;

The President, in his message, expressed the desire of strengthening the sense of brotherhood among people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind greeted the country on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Sunday. PM Modi took to Twitter and wished the people, saying: "सभी देशवासियों को रक्षाबंधन के पावन पर्व की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। Greetings on Raksha Bandhan." ("Wishing all the countrymen a very happy Raksha Bandhan.") The President, in his message, expressed the desire of strengthening the sense of brotherhood among people. "Raksha Bandhan par sabhi desh vasiyon ko badhai. Iss parv ka ullaas humare beech bhaichaare ki bhavna ko majboot banaye aur hume aisa samaaj banana ki prerna de jahan mahilaon, visheshkar balikaon ki suraksha aur garima ka hamesha sammaan kiya jata ho- Rashtrapati Kovind," he tweeted. (I wish all the countrymen on the occasion Raksha Bandhan. I hope the festival would strengthen the feeling of brotherhood amongst us and would inspire us to become a society where women, especially girls are safe and their dignity is respected- President Kovind.) सभी देशवासियों को रक्षाबंधन के पावन पर्व की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं। Greetings on Raksha Bandhan. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2018 × Greetings to all fellow citizens on Raksha Bandhan. May the spirit of this festival strengthen fraternal feelings and inspire us to live in a society defined by universal respect for the security and dignity of women, especially of girl children #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 26, 2018 × West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today greeted people on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. "Heartiest greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan. Inspired by the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore, we observe this day as 'Sanskriti Dibas' in Bangla," Banerjee wrote on Twitter. Heartiest greetings to all my brothers and sisters on the occasion of Rakhi Bandhan. Inspired by the ideals of Rabindranath Tagore, we observe this day as ‘Sanskriti Dibas’ in Bangla — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 26, 2018 × Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi also extended his good wishes and said the festival strengthens the support base of relationship. "The festival symbolises not only the deep love between a sister and a brother but also strengthens the support base of relationship. All brothers and sisters observe the ceremony with affection, respect, faith and deep wish for mutual wellness," he said in a statement. Meanwhile, continuing with their annual ritual, members of the Muslim Women Foundation (MWF) in Varanasi are making rakhis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Nazima Ansari, one of the MWF members said, “The Muslim women from our foundation living in Banaras (also known as Varanasi) had first sent rakhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in 2013. Since then, this ritual has been continuing." Ansari said that the women at the MWF consider him as an elder brother and father-like figure. She said, "We consider Narendra Modi-ji as an elder brother and father-like figure. Hence, like every year, we are sending him rakhi this year too with a hope that he would continue to protect us and help us at the time of need."

President Kovind, Prime Minister Modi wish country on Raksha Bandhan

After immense damage caused due to devastating floods , Kerala is staring at a 4 to 5 percent decline in footfalls if the tourism sector does not pick up from October, a senior tourism official has said.

The state is reeling under the impact of floods, the worst since the 1924 deluge. 265 people have been killed and 1.5 million people have been&nbspforced into relief camps.

The busiest airport in Kochi has been shut since August 16 and is expected to resume operations only from August 29. Kochi and Ernakulum regions, which have been under the waters for almost two weeks, alone account for around 52 per cent of all tourism in the state, according to a Car Rating report.

"We had a good first quarter with a full 17 per cent growth. However, the second quarter saw a 14 per cent decline in footfalls due to the Nipa virus that struck the state in April-May," Kerala Tourism director P Bala Kiran told PTI over phone from Thiruvananthapuram.

"August and September were completely washed&nbspout as we saw huge cancellations due to the massive floods, which will impact business in the tourist state," he said.

However, he said, if things start picking up from October, there may still be growth.

"If things do not pick up in October, we are likely to witness a 4 to 5 per cent decline over last year," he warned.

Kerala had witnessed 10.94 per cent growth in 2017, compared to the previous year, with 1.91 million foreign travelers and 14.6 million domestic tourists visiting the state. Tourism contributes over 10 per cent to the state GDP.

After immense damage caused due to devastating floods , Kerala is staring at a 4 to 5 percent decline in footfalls if the tourism sector does not pick up from October, a senior tourism official has said. The state is reeling under the impact of floods, the worst since the 1924 deluge. 265 people have been killed and 1.5 million people have been&nbspforced into relief camps. The busiest airport in Kochi has been shut since August 16 and is expected to resume operations only from August 29. Kochi and Ernakulum regions, which have been under the waters for almost two weeks, alone account for around 52 per cent of all tourism in the state, according to a Car Rating report. "We had a good first quarter with a full 17 per cent growth. However, the second quarter saw a 14 per cent decline in footfalls due to the Nipa virus that struck the state in April-May," Kerala Tourism director P Bala Kiran told PTI over phone from Thiruvananthapuram. "August and September were completely washed&nbspout as we saw huge cancellations due to the massive floods, which will impact business in the tourist state," he said. However, he said, if things start picking up from October, there may still be growth. "If things do not pick up in October, we are likely to witness a 4 to 5 per cent decline over last year," he warned. Kerala had witnessed 10.94 per cent growth in 2017, compared to the previous year, with 1.91 million foreign travelers and 14.6 million domestic tourists visiting the state. Tourism contributes over 10 per cent to the state GDP.

After devastating floods, Kerala may see a decline in tourism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured justice to Muslim women through Triple Talaq Bill.

While addressing the nation in the 47th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, the Prime Minister said, "The Triple Talaq bill was passed in Lok Sabha, but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. But, I would like to assure Muslim women that the entire nation is there with them and we will ensure that they get justice."

The BJP has been accusing the Congress of stalling the passage of the landmark Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 29, 2017. The Bill is yet to be introduced in the upper House of the Parliament.

The Congress-led Opposition, however, has demanded that the Bill should be sent to the Select Committee for further scrutiny.

Responding to a question by ANI on Congress stonewalling the Triple Talaq Bill in courts and in the Parliament, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, at an event in London, said "We have an issue with the criminalisation (part of the Bill) but we have not stonewalled anything. Our issue is with the criminalisation aspect."

The Bill proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife through Triple Talaq, in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.&nbsp 
&nbsp

he Bill proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife through Triple Talaq, in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured justice to Muslim women through Triple Talaq Bill. While addressing the nation in the 47th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, the Prime Minister said, "The Triple Talaq bill was passed in Lok Sabha, but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. But, I would like to assure Muslim women that the entire nation is there with them and we will ensure that they get justice." The BJP has been accusing the Congress of stalling the passage of the landmark Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha on December 29, 2017. The Bill is yet to be introduced in the upper House of the Parliament. The Congress-led Opposition, however, has demanded that the Bill should be sent to the Select Committee for further scrutiny. Responding to a question by ANI on Congress stonewalling the Triple Talaq Bill in courts and in the Parliament, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, at an event in London, said "We have an issue with the criminalisation (part of the Bill) but we have not stonewalled anything. Our issue is with the criminalisation aspect." The Bill proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim man who divorces his wife through Triple Talaq, in any form of spoken, written or by electronic means such as email, SMS, and WhatsApp.

Will ensure Muslim women get justice: PM on Triple Talaq bill

People from all over the country were seen coming together to collect relief materials and provide monetary help for the flood victims.

Acid attack survivors collect relief material for Kerala flood victims

Delhi will soon see the "most beautiful foot-over bridge" after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday announced that about 75 per cent&nbsp;construction work of the skywalk at the ITO area has been completed.&nbsp;

The inauguration is likely to be held in September end or early October. Construction of the 600-meter skywalk began in November last year.&nbsp;

The total worth of the project is about Rs 54 crore.

Sisodia said that the skywalk would be a "beautiful infrastructure" which will benefit 30,000 pedestrians.&nbsp;

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Around 25 major office complexes, two Metro stations, seven major arterial roads and the Tilak Bridge Railway Station are located in and around ITO which will be connected through the skywalk.

"The work began in April, about 75 per cent work is over, and by September end or first week of October, it should be ready. This along with the Signature Bridge slated to open in October, would be two new gifts to the people of Delhi before Diwali," PTI quoted Sisodia as saying.

"From metro stations in New Delhi, people would be able to go directly to nearby locations, like ITO, Tilak Marg and Supreme Court, etc, without the need to step out on to the street from the stations," he added.

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The skywalk which was approved by Delhi government in 2017 has a unique design feature of helical type circular rings.

Sisodia took to Twitter to showcase photographs and status of the skywalk. He tweeted, “Also, skywalk is going to be a ‘pride place to visit’ for every Delhi citizen. Above the hustle bustle of ITO, it truly feels like walking in the sky.”

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Also, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SkyWalkITO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SkyWalkITO</a> is going to be a 'pride place to visit' for every Delhi cisltizen. 
 
Above the hustle bustle of ITO, it truly feels like walking in the sky. 
 
A view from metro train. <a href="https://t.co/8vDCpWeLFy">pic.twitter.com/8vDCpWeLFy</a>
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) <a href="https://twitter.com/msisodia/status/1033311052665159680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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As part of the skywalk project, a 60-metre-long foot overbridge (FOB) will also be constructed on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg near Hans Bhawan.&nbsp;

<img alt="DlcNUf4W0AACvaR.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="648" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/DlcNUf4W0AACvaR.jpg" width="1152" />

Around 25 major office complexes, two Metro stations, seven major arterial roads and the Tilak Bridge Railway Station are located in and around ITO which will be connected through the skywalk.

Delhi will soon see the "most beautiful foot-over bridge" after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday announced that about 75 per cent construction work of the skywalk at the ITO area has been completed. The inauguration is likely to be held in September end or early October. Construction of the 600-meter skywalk began in November last year. The total worth of the project is about Rs 54 crore. Sisodia said that the skywalk would be a "beautiful infrastructure" which will benefit 30,000 pedestrians. Around 25 major office complexes, two Metro stations, seven major arterial roads and the Tilak Bridge Railway Station are located in and around ITO which will be connected through the skywalk. "The work began in April, about 75 per cent work is over, and by September end or first week of October, it should be ready. This along with the Signature Bridge slated to open in October, would be two new gifts to the people of Delhi before Diwali," PTI quoted Sisodia as saying. "From metro stations in New Delhi, people would be able to go directly to nearby locations, like ITO, Tilak Marg and Supreme Court, etc, without the need to step out on to the street from the stations," he added. The skywalk which was approved by Delhi government in 2017 has a unique design feature of helical type circular rings. Sisodia took to Twitter to showcase photographs and status of the skywalk. He tweeted, “Also, skywalk is going to be a ‘pride place to visit’ for every Delhi citizen. Above the hustle bustle of ITO, it truly feels like walking in the sky.” Also, #SkyWalkITO is going to be a 'pride place to visit' for every Delhi cisltizen. Above the hustle bustle of ITO, it truly feels like walking in the sky. A view from metro train. pic.twitter.com/8vDCpWeLFy — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) August 25, 2018 × As part of the skywalk project, a 60-metre-long foot overbridge (FOB) will also be constructed on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg near Hans Bhawan.

Delhi 'skywalk' to be inaugurated in late September, early October

Anil D Ambani has resigned as the Director of Reliance Naval and Engineering Ltd (RNAVAL), a company official said on Saturday.

As per an official statement from company secretary Paresh Rathod, Ambani resigned in compliance with provisions of Section 165 of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribing the limit on directorships to only 10 public companies.

"Pursuant to Regulation 30 read with Schedule Ill Part A of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("the Listing Regulations"), we hereby inform that Shri Anil D Ambani has resigned as Director of the Company with effect from August 25, 2018, in compliance with provisions of Section 165 of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribing the limit on directorships to only 10 public companies," the statement read.

Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited operates the country`s largest integrated shipbuilding facility and has obtained a license and contract to build warships.

It has the largest engineering infrastructure in India and is one of the largest in the world.

As per an official statement from company secretary Paresh Rathod, Ambani resigned in compliance with provisions of Section 165 of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribing the limit on directorships to only 10 public companies.

Anil D Ambani has resigned as the Director of Reliance Naval and Engineering Ltd (RNAVAL), a company official said on Saturday. As per an official statement from company secretary Paresh Rathod, Ambani resigned in compliance with provisions of Section 165 of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribing the limit on directorships to only 10 public companies. "Pursuant to Regulation 30 read with Schedule Ill Part A of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("the Listing Regulations"), we hereby inform that Shri Anil D Ambani has resigned as Director of the Company with effect from August 25, 2018, in compliance with provisions of Section 165 of the Companies Act, 2013, prescribing the limit on directorships to only 10 public companies," the statement read. Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited operates the country`s largest integrated shipbuilding facility and has obtained a license and contract to build warships. It has the largest engineering infrastructure in India and is one of the largest in the world.

Anil Ambani resigns as Director of Reliance Naval and Engineering Ltd

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India would not tolerate crimes against women. Modi was addressed the country on the 47th edition of his&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-will-not-tolerate-crimes-against-women-pm-modi-on-mann-ki-baat-161607">"Mann ki Baat" </a>radio programme.&nbsp;

"India will not tolerate crimes against women. It’s for this reason that Parliament passed stricter laws against rape, and passed an amendment to make child rape punishable by death penalty," Modi said. &nbsp;

The parliament earlier this month passed stringent legislation prescribing the&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/parliament-passes-bill-to-ensure-death-penalty-for-child-rapists-157434">death penalty</a> to those convicted of raping children below the age of 12.

The prime minister's remarks in today's episode of "Mann ki Baat" followed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's accusation&nbsp;Modi has not spoken out against crimes against women and children.&nbsp;

"The Prime Minister speaks on everything, but does not utter a word when crimes are committed against women in Uttar Pradesh and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states. No action is taken against the accused if he is a member of their party," Gandhi had said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/even-a-single-incident-is-one-too-many-modi-on-lynchings-crimes-against-women-158579">Even a single incident is one too many: Modi on lynchings, rapes</a>

Continuing his tirade against PM Modi, Gandhi had previously lashed out at him for not speaking up on violence against women and children, especially after the <a href="http://wionews.com/features/no-culprit-will-be-spared-complete-justice-will-be-done-pm-modi-130294">Kathua and Unnao rape incidents</a>,&nbsp;saying it was "unacceptable" and India was waiting for him to come forward and talk about it.

Directly addressing the Prime Minister on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi also asked why accused rapists and murderers were "protected" by the state.&nbsp;

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Mr Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable. 
 
1. What do YOU think about the growing violence against women & children? 
 
2. Why are accused rapists and murderers protected by the state? 
 
India is waiting.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpeakUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpeakUp</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/984733748347490304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following Gandhi's comments, PM Modi broke&nbsp;his silence and said that the daughters of the country who have suffered will definitely get justice and that his government will do everything possible to ensure that, in regards to the Kathua and Unnao case.&nbsp;

“In the last two days, the two incidents which have made news are definitely shameful for any civilised society,” PTI quoted Modi as saying in Delhi. &nbsp;

Gandhi has also attacked the Modi government over <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/in-germany-rahul-gandhi-blames-gst-demonetisation-and-unemployment-for-lynchings-160965">lynching incidents</a> and attacks on Dalits in the past, saying that the ruling alliance was weakening support structures meant for the weaker sections.

Meanwhile, in the latest edition of "Mann ki Baat" on Sunday, PM Modi also spoke about the Triple Talaq bill and assured that justice is served to all Muslim women in the country.&nbsp;

"The triple talaq bill was passed in Lok Sabha but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. But, I would like to assure Muslim women that the entire nation is there with them and will ensure that they get justice," he said.&nbsp;

Modi's remarks in today's episode of 'Mann ki Baat' came following Congress President Rahul Gandhi's accusations on him being tightlipped on crimes against women and children in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India would not tolerate crimes against women. Modi was addressed the country on the 47th edition of his "Mann ki Baat" radio programme. "India will not tolerate crimes against women. It’s for this reason that Parliament passed stricter laws against rape, and passed an amendment to make child rape punishable by death penalty," Modi said. The parliament earlier this month passed stringent legislation prescribing the death penalty to those convicted of raping children below the age of 12. The prime minister's remarks in today's episode of "Mann ki Baat" followed Congress President Rahul Gandhi's accusation Modi has not spoken out against crimes against women and children. "The Prime Minister speaks on everything, but does not utter a word when crimes are committed against women in Uttar Pradesh and other Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states. No action is taken against the accused if he is a member of their party," Gandhi had said. Also read: Even a single incident is one too many: Modi on lynchings, rapes Continuing his tirade against PM Modi, Gandhi had previously lashed out at him for not speaking up on violence against women and children, especially after the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents, saying it was "unacceptable" and India was waiting for him to come forward and talk about it. Directly addressing the Prime Minister on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi also asked why accused rapists and murderers were "protected" by the state. Mr Prime Minister, your silence is unacceptable. 1. What do YOU think about the growing violence against women & children? 2. Why are accused rapists and murderers protected by the state? India is waiting.#SpeakUp — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 13, 2018 × Following Gandhi's comments, PM Modi broke his silence and said that the daughters of the country who have suffered will definitely get justice and that his government will do everything possible to ensure that, in regards to the Kathua and Unnao case. “In the last two days, the two incidents which have made news are definitely shameful for any civilised society,” PTI quoted Modi as saying in Delhi. Gandhi has also attacked the Modi government over lynching incidents and attacks on Dalits in the past, saying that the ruling alliance was weakening support structures meant for the weaker sections. Meanwhile, in the latest edition of "Mann ki Baat" on Sunday, PM Modi also spoke about the Triple Talaq bill and assured that justice is served to all Muslim women in the country. "The triple talaq bill was passed in Lok Sabha but could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha. But, I would like to assure Muslim women that the entire nation is there with them and will ensure that they get justice," he said.

India will not tolerate crimes against women: PM Modi

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