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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in no-nonfidence motion in parliament on Friday.

AAP issued the whip to its MPs after a&nbsp;delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha.

A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha.

Led by TDP Parliamentary Party leader Y.S. Chowdary, state Ministers T.G. Venkatesh, K. Narayana and Narsimha Rao met Kejriwal to seek the Aam Aadmi Party`s (AAP) support in both houses of Parliament against the Modi government.&nbsp;

The team handed over a letter from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Kejriwal along with a booklet which centres around the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chowdary told the media that Kejriwal agreed with the TDP`s views and termed their problems as genuine.&nbsp;

The Shiv Sena will vote against the no-confidence motion. The party has issued a whip for its MPs, directing them to support the Central Government. As per the sources, BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone over the no-confidence motion.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hinted that the AIADMK is unlikely to support the no-confidence motion.

The Andhra Pradesh TDP government on Wednesday moved the no-confidence motion over special category status issue to the state. On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted TDP`s no-confidence motion and scheduled it for discussion on Friday.

The BJP today made light of the Congress's claim that the Opposition had the numbers to back its no-confidence motion against the government.

Asked about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar took a dig at her, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak."

Kumar also recalled that Gandhi, as the then Congress chief in 1999, had claimed to have the support of 272 MPs, the majority mark in the Lok Sabha, after the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the government had the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one went by Indian mathematics and wondered if Sonia Gandhi knew some other mathematics.

According to sources in the ruling party, it is confident of getting the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when the opposition-backed no-confidence motion is put to vote tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote in favour of No Confidence Motion

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday issued a whip, directing its MPs to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in no-nonfidence motion in parliament on Friday. AAP issued the whip to its MPs after a delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha. A delegation of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders on Thursday sought support from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the no-confidence motion against the Modi government tabled by them in the Lok Sabha. Led by TDP Parliamentary Party leader Y.S. Chowdary, state Ministers T.G. Venkatesh, K. Narayana and Narsimha Rao met Kejriwal to seek the Aam Aadmi Party`s (AAP) support in both houses of Parliament against the Modi government. The team handed over a letter from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Kejriwal along with a booklet which centres around the denial of special category status to Andhra Pradesh by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Chowdary told the media that Kejriwal agreed with the TDP`s views and termed their problems as genuine. The Shiv Sena will vote against the no-confidence motion. The party has issued a whip for its MPs, directing them to support the Central Government. As per the sources, BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone over the no-confidence motion. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hinted that the AIADMK is unlikely to support the no-confidence motion. The Andhra Pradesh TDP government on Wednesday moved the no-confidence motion over special category status issue to the state. On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Wednesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted TDP`s no-confidence motion and scheduled it for discussion on Friday. The BJP today made light of the Congress's claim that the Opposition had the numbers to back its no-confidence motion against the government. Asked about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's claim that the Opposition had numbers, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar took a dig at her, saying, "Sonia Gandhi's maths is weak." Kumar also recalled that Gandhi, as the then Congress chief in 1999, had claimed to have the support of 272 MPs, the majority mark in the Lok Sabha, after the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the government had the strength in the House to defeat the motion if one went by Indian mathematics and wondered if Sonia Gandhi knew some other mathematics. According to sources in the ruling party, it is confident of getting the support of as many as 314 MPs in the Lok Sabha, when the opposition-backed no-confidence motion is put to vote tomorrow.

AAP issues whip, directs its MPs to vote against Modi government in no-confidence motion

Delhi high court on Friday described Jawaharlal Nehru University's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular.&nbsp

Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing.

Former JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya had moved the Delhi High Court against the fine imposed on him by a high-level panel of the university in connection with a 2016 incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging.

The JNU's high-level inquiry committee recently upheld a fine of Rs 10,000 imposed on Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the February 9, 2016 incident.

The JNU panel had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event against Afzal Guru's hanging during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

The five-member panel had also imposed a financial penalty on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms.

The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel’s decision. On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar and in some cases the penalty was reduced.

Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event. All three are out on bail.

Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing.

Delhi high court on Friday described Jawaharlal Nehru University's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular. Setting aside the JNU's move to penalise Kanhaiya Kumar for breach of discipline, the court asked JNU to decide the matter after a proper hearing. Former JNU students’ union (JNUSU) president Kanhaiya had moved the Delhi High Court against the fine imposed on him by a high-level panel of the university in connection with a 2016 incident during which anti-India slogans were allegedly raised at an event to protest Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s hanging. The JNU's high-level inquiry committee recently upheld a fine of Rs 10,000 imposed on Kanhaiya Kumar in connection with the February 9, 2016 incident. The JNU panel had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar, the then students' union president, in connection with the campus event against Afzal Guru's hanging during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. The five-member panel had also imposed a financial penalty on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms. The students had then moved the Delhi High Court, which had directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel’s decision. On July 5, the university had revealed that the panel upheld its decision against Khalid and Kumar and in some cases the penalty was reduced. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition in connection with the controversial event. All three are out on bail.

JNU's order against Kanhaiya Kumar illegal, irrational and irregular: Delhi HC

Hours after Congress president hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that Rahul showed to the world how a "Jadu ki Jhappi can stop the winds of hatred".

"Nischhal prem ki jadoo ki ek jhappi nafrat ki aandhi ko kaise rok sakti hai yeh RahulGandhi ji ne dikhaya. Akhir Rahul ji ne Congress ke mohabbat ka aina Modi ji ko dikha hi diya: (Today Rahul Gandhi showed to the world how a magical and loving hug can stop the winds of hatred. Rahul Gandhi has shown us. Rahul Gandhi has shown the loving face of Congress to Narendra Modi)," Surjewala told.

Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session.

Earlier, Surjewala took to Twitter and praised Rahul for giving hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after his speech and said they will always spread love in exchange of hatred.

Surjewala also targetted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that Rahul's revelations in the Lok Sabha on various issues has jolted the party.

He added that theBJP MP's were not even able to answer the issues, raised by the Congress chief.

Rahul, during his nearly 15-minute stormy speech, today attacked Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, Rafale deal.

Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session.

Hours after Congress president hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that Rahul showed to the world how a "Jadu ki Jhappi can stop the winds of hatred". "Nischhal prem ki jadoo ki ek jhappi nafrat ki aandhi ko kaise rok sakti hai yeh RahulGandhi ji ne dikhaya. Akhir Rahul ji ne Congress ke mohabbat ka aina Modi ji ko dikha hi diya: (Today Rahul Gandhi showed to the world how a magical and loving hug can stop the winds of hatred. Rahul Gandhi has shown us. Rahul Gandhi has shown the loving face of Congress to Narendra Modi)," Surjewala told. Rahul earlier today hugged Prime Minister Modi after he concluded his speech in Lok Sabha during Parliament monsoon session. Earlier, Surjewala took to Twitter and praised Rahul for giving hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha after his speech and said they will always spread love in exchange of hatred. Surjewala also targetted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that Rahul's revelations in the Lok Sabha on various issues has jolted the party. He added that theBJP MP's were not even able to answer the issues, raised by the Congress chief. Rahul, during his nearly 15-minute stormy speech, today attacked Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, Rafale deal.

Congress lauds Rahul's 'Jadu ki Jhappi'

The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate&nbsp;Justice KM Joseph's&nbsp;as an apex court judge.

The five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that there was "nothing adverse" regarding the suitability of Justice Joseph as has been pointed out in the letters of the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The resolution of the Collegium meeting held on July 16 and uploaded today said that the two letters written by the Prasad to the CJI while returning the recommendation of Joseph were "carefully considered".

The resolution said, "We have carefully considered the observations made by the Law Minister in his letters dated April 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, addressed to the Chief Justice of India referring back, for reconsideration, the recommendation made by us on 10th January 2018 for appointment of Mr&nbsp;Justice K M Joseph, Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, as Judge of the Supreme Court."&nbsp;

"The Collegium, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the aforesaid two letters, resolves to reiterate the aforementioned recommendation, especially since nothing adverse regarding the suitability of Justice K M Joseph has been pointed out in the aforesaid letters," it resolution said.&nbsp;

Besides the CJI, other members of the Collegium are justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri.&nbsp;

Justice Joseph's name was recommended by the collegium in January along with senior advocate of the top court and top court judge Justice Indu Malhotra.

The Centre cleared Justice Malhotra's file, but sent Justice Joseph's file back to the collegium and asked it to reconsider its recommendation.

KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has argued that Justice Joseph is being "punished" because gave an unfavourable verdict against BJP in 2016 while&nbsp;hearing the challenge to governor's rule in Uttarakhand, imposed by central government.

With today's recommendation, it binds the centre to accept it and clear ways to elevate Joseph to the top court.

(With inputs from news agencies) 
 
 
&nbsp;

KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years.

The Supreme Court Collegium reiterated on Friday to elevate Justice KM Joseph's as an apex court judge. The five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that there was "nothing adverse" regarding the suitability of Justice Joseph as has been pointed out in the letters of the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The resolution of the Collegium meeting held on July 16 and uploaded today said that the two letters written by the Prasad to the CJI while returning the recommendation of Joseph were "carefully considered". The resolution said, "We have carefully considered the observations made by the Law Minister in his letters dated April 26, 2018, and April 30, 2018, addressed to the Chief Justice of India referring back, for reconsideration, the recommendation made by us on 10th January 2018 for appointment of Mr Justice K M Joseph, Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court, as Judge of the Supreme Court." "The Collegium, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the aforesaid two letters, resolves to reiterate the aforementioned recommendation, especially since nothing adverse regarding the suitability of Justice K M Joseph has been pointed out in the aforesaid letters," it resolution said. Besides the CJI, other members of the Collegium are justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and A K Sikri. Justice Joseph's name was recommended by the collegium in January along with senior advocate of the top court and top court judge Justice Indu Malhotra. The Centre cleared Justice Malhotra's file, but sent Justice Joseph's file back to the collegium and asked it to reconsider its recommendation. KM Joseph is currently serving as the chief justice of Uttarakhand high court. Before his appointment to Uttarakhand, he has served as judge of Kerala High Court form more than nine years. Meanwhile, the Opposition has argued that Justice Joseph is being "punished" because gave an unfavourable verdict against BJP in 2016 while hearing the challenge to governor's rule in Uttarakhand, imposed by central government. With today's recommendation, it binds the centre to accept it and clear ways to elevate Joseph to the top court. (With inputs from news agencies)

SC Collegium reiterates Justice KM Joseph for elevation

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday.

Following the attack, Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over his allegations that BJP has termed "false allegations."

A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy.

The privilege motion&nbsp;can be moved against an individual, any in-house committee or even the entire house.&nbsp;

During Rahul Gandhi's nearly 15 minutes of a stormy speech that was interrupted several times by BJP members, Gandhi focused his attack on issues where he felt the NDA government had failed since 2014.&nbsp;

However, after his scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhis-gandhigiri-a-hug-wink-and-pappu-talk-153181">Gandhi walked up to him, hugged </a>and shook hands.

Speaking during the No-Confidence Motion, Gandhi charged the government of causing hardships to the common man through its policies.&nbsp;

"Youth in India trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his every speech, he (PM) said he will give jobs to two crore youth but only four lakh people have got jobs, rest are still unemployed," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

He compared the status of employment with China which gives jobs to 50,000 people in 24 hours.

Criticising the government for demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said that the government policies have impacted several businesses.&nbsp;

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's attack on BJP, Union minister of Punjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "I asked Rahul Gandhi what you have done today? because he (Rahul Gandhi) had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/HiCsCVnCVb">pic.twitter.com/HiCsCVnCVb</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1020245698216833026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Senior Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kirron Kher said,"Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there".

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Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there: Kirron Kher, BJP MP<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoCofidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoCofidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/nKN1ghaB0m">pic.twitter.com/nKN1ghaB0m</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1020247079241756673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Narendra Modi will speak on No-Confidence Motion after 6:30 pm new agency ANI reported.

A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government on several fronts including demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST), unemployment, women safety and Rafale deal during a debate on the No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on Friday. Following the attack, Bharatiya Janata Party will move a privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over his allegations that BJP has termed "false allegations." A privilege motion is a notice by any member of either House of a state legislature or Parliament, against anyone who is accused of breach of privilege that parliament MPs enjoy. The privilege motion can be moved against an individual, any in-house committee or even the entire house. During Rahul Gandhi's nearly 15 minutes of a stormy speech that was interrupted several times by BJP members, Gandhi focused his attack on issues where he felt the NDA government had failed since 2014. However, after his scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi walked up to him, hugged and shook hands. Speaking during the No-Confidence Motion, Gandhi charged the government of causing hardships to the common man through its policies. "Youth in India trusted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his every speech, he (PM) said he will give jobs to two crore youth but only four lakh people have got jobs, rest are still unemployed," Gandhi said. He compared the status of employment with China which gives jobs to 50,000 people in 24 hours. Criticising the government for demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi said that the government policies have impacted several businesses. Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's attack on BJP, Union minister of Punjab, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "I asked Rahul Gandhi what you have done today? because he (Rahul Gandhi) had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'." #WATCH: Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal says,"I asked Rahul Gandhi aaj kaunsa karke aaye hai? Because he had earlier called Punjabis 'nashedis'. #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/HiCsCVnCVb — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × Senior Bollywood actress and BJP MP Kirron Kher said,"Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there". Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed, he can't target our ministers without any proof. He was doing drama in the house and hugging Modi ji. I think his next step will be Bollywood. We will have to send him there: Kirron Kher, BJP MP#NoCofidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/nKN1ghaB0m — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × Meanwhile, Narendra Modi will speak on No-Confidence Motion after 6:30 pm new agency ANI reported.

BJP to move privilege motion against Rahul Gandhi over speech

The Supreme Court on Friday said that auto companies cannot sell four-wheelers and two-wheelers from September 1 in the country without a mandatory third party insurance for a period of two years and five years respectively.

Amicus Curiae (AC) Gaurav Agarwal said that the third party insurance is provided when bikes or cars are brought for the first time. But they are not carried over the following year.&nbsp;

There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance.

Insurance companies contended that it was not possible to take third party insurance sum for 20 years at one go. Later a committee referred that third-party car insurance can be extended for three years and five years for two-wheelers or motorcycles.

The Central government, on the other hand, contended that people are usually not keen to take third-party insurance because it pushes up the insurance premium of their vehicles

There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance.

The Supreme Court on Friday said that auto companies cannot sell four-wheelers and two-wheelers from September 1 in the country without a mandatory third party insurance for a period of two years and five years respectively. Amicus Curiae (AC) Gaurav Agarwal said that the third party insurance is provided when bikes or cars are brought for the first time. But they are not carried over the following year. There are some 66 per cent vehicles which don't have third party insurance. Insurance companies contended that it was not possible to take third party insurance sum for 20 years at one go. Later a committee referred that third-party car insurance can be extended for three years and five years for two-wheelers or motorcycles. The Central government, on the other hand, contended that people are usually not keen to take third-party insurance because it pushes up the insurance premium of their vehicles

Can't sell 4-wheelers from September without mandatory insurance for two years: SC

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched into a full-throated attack of Prime Minister Modi on Friday in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government.&nbsp

To start with, Rahul reminded Modi of his pre-poll promise — the creation of 2 crore jobs.&nbsp

As Rahul has done earlier, he compared India's job creation figures with China's, telling Modi that China creates 50,000 jobs for its youth (notice the emphasis on the youth, they are expected to form a large chunk of the voting population in 2019) every 24 hours while India creates only 400.&nbsp

Jobs, new jobs, are India's single-most pressing need of the hour. And India needs a million jobs a month — that's how many people join the work force every 30-odd days.&nbsp

So how many jobs is India creating at the moment? Nobody really knows.&nbsp

The Modi government recently told its ministries and departments to start adding up the numbers (the elections are around the corner). The official figure that emerged was 3 million jobs in the last six months but independent agencies say the figure is lower. So what we've got so far has been debate.&nbsp

Expect it to continue till the elections.&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation, saying jobs are created by small and medium industry but Modi did untold damage to exactly those sections of the economy by removing 86% of the cash in circulation at the time from the economy.&nbsp

And he reminded Modi of his promise accruing from demonetisation — that Modi would deposit Rs 15 lakh in every Jan Dhan account.&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Rafale deal. Rahul said the defence minister had said India had a secrecy pact with France on the Rafale deal. But that he had personally met the French president who told him no such pact existed.&nbsp

"The Defence Minister has clearly spoken an untruth," Rahul said.&nbsp

Expect much more of the same in Rahul's run up to the 2019 election campaign.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation and the Rafale deal. His speech today is expected to be a preview of his 2019 election campaign

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched into a full-throated attack of Prime Minister Modi on Friday in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government. To start with, Rahul reminded Modi of his pre-poll promise — the creation of 2 crore jobs. As Rahul has done earlier, he compared India's job creation figures with China's, telling Modi that China creates 50,000 jobs for its youth (notice the emphasis on the youth, they are expected to form a large chunk of the voting population in 2019) every 24 hours while India creates only 400. Jobs, new jobs, are India's single-most pressing need of the hour. And India needs a million jobs a month — that's how many people join the work force every 30-odd days. So how many jobs is India creating at the moment? Nobody really knows. The Modi government recently told its ministries and departments to start adding up the numbers (the elections are around the corner). The official figure that emerged was 3 million jobs in the last six months but independent agencies say the figure is lower. So what we've got so far has been debate. Expect it to continue till the elections. Rahul also attacked Modi on demonetisation, saying jobs are created by small and medium industry but Modi did untold damage to exactly those sections of the economy by removing 86% of the cash in circulation at the time from the economy. And he reminded Modi of his promise accruing from demonetisation — that Modi would deposit Rs 15 lakh in every Jan Dhan account. Rahul also attacked Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Rafale deal. Rahul said the defence minister had said India had a secrecy pact with France on the Rafale deal. But that he had personally met the French president who told him no such pact existed. "The Defence Minister has clearly spoken an untruth," Rahul said. Expect much more of the same in Rahul's run up to the 2019 election campaign.

No-confidence motion: Rahul reminds Modi of jobs promise, again compares India's job creation to China's 

Congress president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-monsoon-session-of-parliament-begins-modi-says-govt-open-to-discussion-on-all-issues-152543">Rahul Gandhi,48, stole everyone's heart on the floor </a>of the house when he went ahead and hugged PM Modi after his speech on the no-confidence vote.&nbsp;

It was Rahul's speech in the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-confidence-motion-shiv-sena-boycotts-parliamentary-work-153139"> middle when he said PM </a>"can't look into my eyes" which attracted everyone's attention, literally meaning in Hindi, the Congress president said: "Pradhanmantri apni aankh meri aankh mein nahi daal sakte”, which in literal English means: PM Modi can't see into my eyes.

The PM naturally couldn't hide his laughter.

Just after hugging the Prime Minister, Rahul winked which was gleefully caught by Lok Sabha cameras.&nbsp;

"I can see that because the Prime Minister has not been truthful," Rahul said even as the PM smiled.

The normally candid Congress president who is known to fire at will whenever he is addressing issues related to the BJP, said in a light-hearted manner that "Aap logon ke andar mere liye nafrat hai. Aap mujhe Pappu aur bohot gaaliyan dekar bula sakte hain. Lekin mere andar aapke liye nafrat nahi hai,"&nbsp;meaning " you have hatred for me, you can call me Pappu and abuse me but I don't have any hatred for you.

The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India"

As Rahul Gandhi spoke social media went berserk with the "hug" getting the most reactions. Rahul's moment of Gandhigiri wasn't lost on anyone as he sought to keep his aggression at bay after attacking the BJP-led government on various issues including women's rights, rights of Dalit and Adivasis.

The defiant Congress president led the charge on the no-confidence vote as the debate started in earnest taking on the issue of farmers, accusing the government of 'jumla strike' on Minimum Support Price(MSP). The Congress president attacked BJP president Amit Shah as well accusing him of living in "fear of losing power".

The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India"

Congress president Rahul Gandhi,48, stole everyone's heart on the floor of the house when he went ahead and hugged PM Modi after his speech on the no-confidence vote. It was Rahul's speech in the middle when he said PM "can't look into my eyes" which attracted everyone's attention, literally meaning in Hindi, the Congress president said: "Pradhanmantri apni aankh meri aankh mein nahi daal sakte”, which in literal English means: PM Modi can't see into my eyes. The PM naturally couldn't hide his laughter. Just after hugging the Prime Minister, Rahul winked which was gleefully caught by Lok Sabha cameras. "I can see that because the Prime Minister has not been truthful," Rahul said even as the PM smiled. The normally candid Congress president who is known to fire at will whenever he is addressing issues related to the BJP, said in a light-hearted manner that "Aap logon ke andar mere liye nafrat hai. Aap mujhe Pappu aur bohot gaaliyan dekar bula sakte hain. Lekin mere andar aapke liye nafrat nahi hai," meaning " you have hatred for me, you can call me Pappu and abuse me but I don't have any hatred for you. The unrelenting Congress president took direct shots at Modi saying a lot of money goes into "marketing of the Prime Minister of India" As Rahul Gandhi spoke social media went berserk with the "hug" getting the most reactions. Rahul's moment of Gandhigiri wasn't lost on anyone as he sought to keep his aggression at bay after attacking the BJP-led government on various issues including women's rights, rights of Dalit and Adivasis. The defiant Congress president led the charge on the no-confidence vote as the debate started in earnest taking on the issue of farmers, accusing the government of 'jumla strike' on Minimum Support Price(MSP). The Congress president attacked BJP president Amit Shah as well accusing him of living in "fear of losing power".

Rahul Gandhi's 'Gandhigiri': A hug, wink and 'Pappu' talk

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha by surprise when he hugged Prime Minister Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion.

Forty-eight-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister.

"You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don't have an iota of hatred against you," Rahul said in a sharp attack on the government.

PM Modi was initially shocked, but was later seen smiling and shaking hands with Rahul.

The PM and his party often use the 'pappu' jibe calling the Congress president politically immature. Today, the Congress president hit back at PM Modi for his "jumla strike".

Rahul Gandhi's gesture has left Twitter in splits. Sample this:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Rahul Gandhi Says "Main Pyaar ki bhavna nikalunga"- leader of opposition or Love Charger MSG baba? 
 
Then he undermines decorum of Parliament & Parliamentary protocol & rules of debate ! 
 
Immature & childish behaviour! Has no sense of seriousness! Is <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> a joke?
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/1020227210765045760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
RT if you think Rahul Gandhi is the best thing to have happened to BJP.
— Rishi Bagree ?? (@rishibagree) <a href="https://twitter.com/rishibagree/status/1020226485892919296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Can u believe it...The government with a "majority" disrupted Rahul Gandhi's speech. If this is not a moral victory for the Congress ..What is !! The house had to be adjourned as the ..Read it correctly MAJORITY PARTY was disrupting the house !!
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) <a href="https://twitter.com/tehseenp/status/1020219173325164545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The last few times Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament, it was ‘memorable’... Today will be another day! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhookampAaneWalaHai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhookampAaneWalaHai</a> <a href="https://t.co/9we6iEB4Sf">pic.twitter.com/9we6iEB4Sf</a>
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) <a href="https://twitter.com/amitmalviya/status/1020141870247227393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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The Lok Sabha is holding a debate on no-confidence motion which was accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday.

The motion was been moved by BJP's former ally TDP on Wednesday.

&nbsp;

Forty-four-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha by surprise when he hugged Prime Minister Modi during a debate on the no-confidence motion. Forty-eight-year-old Rahul was leading the opposition charge attacking the government on various issues when he took a jibe at PM Modi and the BJP for their 'pappu' comment and walked across the Lok Sabha hall to hug the Prime Minister. "You can abuse me, you can call me Pappu, but I don't have an iota of hatred against you," Rahul said in a sharp attack on the government. PM Modi was initially shocked, but was later seen smiling and shaking hands with Rahul. The PM and his party often use the 'pappu' jibe calling the Congress president politically immature. Today, the Congress president hit back at PM Modi for his "jumla strike". Rahul Gandhi's gesture has left Twitter in splits. Sample this: Rahul Gandhi Says "Main Pyaar ki bhavna nikalunga"- leader of opposition or Love Charger MSG baba? Then he undermines decorum of Parliament & Parliamentary protocol & rules of debate ! Immature & childish behaviour! Has no sense of seriousness! Is #NoConfidenceMotion a joke? — Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) July 20, 2018 × RT if you think Rahul Gandhi is the best thing to have happened to BJP. — Rishi Bagree ?? (@rishibagree) July 20, 2018 × Can u believe it...The government with a "majority" disrupted Rahul Gandhi's speech. If this is not a moral victory for the Congress ..What is !! The house had to be adjourned as the ..Read it correctly MAJORITY PARTY was disrupting the house !! — Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) July 20, 2018 × The last few times Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament, it was ‘memorable’... Today will be another day! #BhookampAaneWalaHai pic.twitter.com/9we6iEB4Sf — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 20, 2018 × The Lok Sabha is holding a debate on no-confidence motion which was accepted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday. The motion was been moved by BJP's former ally TDP on Wednesday.

No-confidence motion: Rahul Gandhi's 'jaadu ki jhappi' for PM Modi leaves Twitter in splits

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract.

Participating in the debate on the 'No Confidence Motion' against the government, Gandhi also accused Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman of speaking "untruth" in the deal.

"The Defence Minister has spoken 'untruth'....The French prime minister has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the Indian and the French governments," he said demanding that the Prime Minister must answer why this contract was given to a particular businessman after taking it away from the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd.

"Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged.

Rising in support of the motion, he said the TDP like many others was "a victim of BJP's political weapon called 'jumla (gimmick) strike'." The TDP had moved the motion against the NDA government.

"You are a victim of the 21st-century political weapon. The political weapon is the 'Jumla strike'. There are many many more victims like you," he said, adding that the farmers, the youth, the Dalits, tribals and women are also the victims of this weapon of the government.

The Congress chief referred to the amount of Rs 15 lakh that was promised to every Indian by the BJP before coming to power after bringing in all black money stashed abroad, and termed it as "Jumla strike number one'.

Raising the issue of joblessness which he termed as 'jumla strike 2', Gandhi said against the promise of providing two crore jobs every year, only 4 lakh jobs have been created. He also alleged that unemployment was at its peak in last four years under Modi.

He said loans of corporates worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore were waived by the Modi government, which did not agree to loan waivers for farmers.

He also raised the issue of prime minister's foreign tours and accused him of not raising the Doikalam issue during his 'without-agenda' China visit.

When some members of the treasury benches tried to intervene and accuse him of speaking "unsubstantiated facts", he retorted saying "daro mat, daro mat...Sach se daro mat" (Don't be afraid of the truth).

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the NDA government in Lok Sabha over unfulfilled promises and questioned the Rafale deal demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why he allegedly favoured a particular businessman in the contract. Participating in the debate on the 'No Confidence Motion' against the government, Gandhi also accused Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman of speaking "untruth" in the deal. "The Defence Minister has spoken 'untruth'....The French prime minister has personally told me that there is no secret pact between the Indian and the French governments," he said demanding that the Prime Minister must answer why this contract was given to a particular businessman after taking it away from the Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd. "Everybody understands the relationship the prime minister has with certain people. Everybody understands the amount of money that goes into the marketing of the prime minister and everybody knows who have funded that. One of those people was given the Rafale contract.. The gentleman benefitted to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore," he alleged. Rising in support of the motion, he said the TDP like many others was "a victim of BJP's political weapon called 'jumla (gimmick) strike'." The TDP had moved the motion against the NDA government. "You are a victim of the 21st-century political weapon. The political weapon is the 'Jumla strike'. There are many many more victims like you," he said, adding that the farmers, the youth, the Dalits, tribals and women are also the victims of this weapon of the government. The Congress chief referred to the amount of Rs 15 lakh that was promised to every Indian by the BJP before coming to power after bringing in all black money stashed abroad, and termed it as "Jumla strike number one'. Raising the issue of joblessness which he termed as 'jumla strike 2', Gandhi said against the promise of providing two crore jobs every year, only 4 lakh jobs have been created. He also alleged that unemployment was at its peak in last four years under Modi. He said loans of corporates worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore were waived by the Modi government, which did not agree to loan waivers for farmers. He also raised the issue of prime minister's foreign tours and accused him of not raising the Doikalam issue during his 'without-agenda' China visit. When some members of the treasury benches tried to intervene and accuse him of speaking "unsubstantiated facts", he retorted saying "daro mat, daro mat...Sach se daro mat" (Don't be afraid of the truth).

Rahul attacks government in Lok Sabha, raises Rafale deal

Over 50 Indian nationals detained in a US prison after they illegally entered into the country are not being handcuffed, a legal advocacy group volunteer who has been meeting the detainees on a regular basis said today.

Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now.

"It was not my statement that immigrants detained at (a federal prison in) Sheridan (Oregon) have been kept in handcuffs and chains since their arrival or that they are in handcuffs and chains 24/7 now. My statement has been misconstrued by the media," Navneet Kaur, a community college professor, said in a statement.

Kaur who has been volunteering with the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab in providing legal aid to more than 50 Indian prisoners in Sheridan jail said her account is based on her visit to the prison and meetings with these detainees.

Her main role is to provide translation to the detainees, a majority of whom are from Punjab and speak only Punjabi.

"On July 14, 2018, during the 105th year celebration held in commemoration of the Ghadar Party in Astoria, Oregon, I spoke against the grave violations of human rights experienced by immigrants detained by ICE in America. My statement was based on the accounts I have heard during my visits to the federal detention center in Sheridan, Oregon.

"I gave a few examples of such violations including not giving them access to legal representation, keeping them in prison cells 22 hours a day, keeping them handcuffed and chained for a 24-hour period upon the arrival etc," Kaur said.

It is her understanding that "conditions" at the federal detention center in Sheridan have improved since the immigrants' initial arrival in late May 2018, she said

"This was only made possible by coming together of all faith communities and efforts made by Innovation Law Lab attorneys and Public Defenders office," she said.

"Nonetheless, the practice of detaining immigrants is inhumane. Though the men may not be in physical handcuffs and chains now, they are still confined to a prison," Kaur said.

In a separate statement, APANO's South Asian Sheridan Support Committee alleged that over 100 migrants are being detained in this prison as a direct result of the Trump administration's unjust, no exceptions immigration policy.

"Imagine crossing the globe and presenting yourself at the US/Mexico border seeking asylum. And then ending up incarcerated in a federal jail in Sheridan, Oregon. No one speaks your language. You can't wear a turban, an article of clothing central to your religious practice," the non-profit organisation said in a statement.

"For more than 50 men from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and other countries, this is their reality. Fleeing political unrest and gang violence in their home countries, they came to the US seeking safety and protection. And they ended up in a medium security prison," AAPNO and the South Asian Sheridan Support Committee said.

According to AAPNO all of these men have been offered legal support by lawyers at the Innovation Law Lab and will begin the first step of their asylum hearing, known as the 'fear assessment', this week.

"The bad news is all 121 men currently have deportation orders because of the Trump administration's violent commitment to detain and deport, these detainees will likely be held at Sheridan even after they pass their fear assessment," it said.

Meanwhile, an official from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco visited the Sheridan prison to have a first-hand assessment of the condition of Indians detained in the prison.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in an email to North American Punjabi Association has said that it is processing all detainees in accordance with US immigration law.

"ICE has met with all detainees to advise them of their rights to speak with their consular representatives. Detainees have access to legal representation," Melissa Nitsch, Community Relations Officer told NAPA.

"Any asylum claims are forwarded promptly to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum office in San Francisco. Interviews are underway by USCIS, and determinations of credible fear are at the discretion of USCIS (not ICE)," Nitsch said.

The Indian Embassy here did not respond to questions on how many Indian detainees opted for consular access.&nbsp;

Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now

Over 50 Indian nationals detained in a US prison after they illegally entered into the country are not being handcuffed, a legal advocacy group volunteer who has been meeting the detainees on a regular basis said today. Media reports had claimed that the Indian immigrants, seeking asylum in the US fearing religious and political persecution back home, are being treated like criminals in a federal prison in Oregon where they have been detained for the past several weeks now. "It was not my statement that immigrants detained at (a federal prison in) Sheridan (Oregon) have been kept in handcuffs and chains since their arrival or that they are in handcuffs and chains 24/7 now. My statement has been misconstrued by the media," Navneet Kaur, a community college professor, said in a statement. Kaur who has been volunteering with the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab in providing legal aid to more than 50 Indian prisoners in Sheridan jail said her account is based on her visit to the prison and meetings with these detainees. Her main role is to provide translation to the detainees, a majority of whom are from Punjab and speak only Punjabi. "On July 14, 2018, during the 105th year celebration held in commemoration of the Ghadar Party in Astoria, Oregon, I spoke against the grave violations of human rights experienced by immigrants detained by ICE in America. My statement was based on the accounts I have heard during my visits to the federal detention center in Sheridan, Oregon. "I gave a few examples of such violations including not giving them access to legal representation, keeping them in prison cells 22 hours a day, keeping them handcuffed and chained for a 24-hour period upon the arrival etc," Kaur said. It is her understanding that "conditions" at the federal detention center in Sheridan have improved since the immigrants' initial arrival in late May 2018, she said "This was only made possible by coming together of all faith communities and efforts made by Innovation Law Lab attorneys and Public Defenders office," she said. "Nonetheless, the practice of detaining immigrants is inhumane. Though the men may not be in physical handcuffs and chains now, they are still confined to a prison," Kaur said. In a separate statement, APANO's South Asian Sheridan Support Committee alleged that over 100 migrants are being detained in this prison as a direct result of the Trump administration's unjust, no exceptions immigration policy. "Imagine crossing the globe and presenting yourself at the US/Mexico border seeking asylum. And then ending up incarcerated in a federal jail in Sheridan, Oregon. No one speaks your language. You can't wear a turban, an article of clothing central to your religious practice," the non-profit organisation said in a statement. "For more than 50 men from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China and other countries, this is their reality. Fleeing political unrest and gang violence in their home countries, they came to the US seeking safety and protection. And they ended up in a medium security prison," AAPNO and the South Asian Sheridan Support Committee said. According to AAPNO all of these men have been offered legal support by lawyers at the Innovation Law Lab and will begin the first step of their asylum hearing, known as the 'fear assessment', this week. "The bad news is all 121 men currently have deportation orders because of the Trump administration's violent commitment to detain and deport, these detainees will likely be held at Sheridan even after they pass their fear assessment," it said. Meanwhile, an official from the Indian Consulate in San Francisco visited the Sheridan prison to have a first-hand assessment of the condition of Indians detained in the prison. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in an email to North American Punjabi Association has said that it is processing all detainees in accordance with US immigration law. "ICE has met with all detainees to advise them of their rights to speak with their consular representatives. Detainees have access to legal representation," Melissa Nitsch, Community Relations Officer told NAPA. "Any asylum claims are forwarded promptly to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asylum office in San Francisco. Interviews are underway by USCIS, and determinations of credible fear are at the discretion of USCIS (not ICE)," Nitsch said. The Indian Embassy here did not respond to questions on how many Indian detainees opted for consular access.

Indian detainees in US not handcuffed, says volunteer

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the&nbsp;no-confidence motion.

The decision was&nbsp;announced&nbsp;just hours before the proceedings of the session began.

Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul confirmed that the party will not take part in Parliament work today. "We are boycotting parliamentary work today and we have not even signed our attendance," he said.

A day before, it was reported that the Shiv Sena would vote against the no-confidence motion and that the party had issued whip to its MPs directing them to support the central government.

However, it was later clarified&nbsp;that no whip was issued to vote one way or another and the final decision was left on Party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The Parliament is holding a discussion othe n no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

The motion was moved by BJP's former ally TDP on the first day of the monsoon session.

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the no-confidence motion

BJP alliance partner Shiv Sena has decided to boycott the Parliament which was holding the discussion on the no-confidence motion. The decision was announced just hours before the proceedings of the session began. Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul confirmed that the party will not take part in Parliament work today. "We are boycotting parliamentary work today and we have not even signed our attendance," he said. A day before, it was reported that the Shiv Sena would vote against the no-confidence motion and that the party had issued whip to its MPs directing them to support the central government. However, it was later clarified that no whip was issued to vote one way or another and the final decision was left on Party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The Parliament is holding a discussion othe n no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. The motion was moved by BJP's former ally TDP on the first day of the monsoon session.

No-confidence motion: Shiv Sena boycotts Parliament for the day

India saw a major reduction in the number of new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and people living with HIV from 2010 to 2017 on the back of sustained and focused efforts, according to a UN report which warned that the epidemic was growing in Pakistan.

The Joint UN Agency on AIDS (UNAIDS) report titled 'Miles to go-closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices' said Asia and the Pacific regions have made strong inroads with its HIV response.

Sustained and focused efforts to reach key populations have led to major reductions in HIV infections in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam between 2010 and 2017.&nbsp;

The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines.

In India, new HIV infections dropped from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017, AIDS-related deaths from 160,000 to 69,000 and people living with HIV from 2,300,000 to 2,100,000 in the same time period, the report said.

India has an approved social protection strategy, policy or framework that is being implemented, it said.

Successive surveys in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Vietnam also indicate that attitudes towards people living with HIV have improved creating safer working conditions for sex workers and engaging them closely in the design and implementation of programmes make a huge difference, it said.

The report underscored the public health benefits of decriminalising sex work.

It found that countries that had decriminalised at least some aspects of sex work have fewer sex workers living with HIV than countries that criminalise all aspects of sex work.&nbsp;

Modelling based on data from Canada, India and Kenya indicates that the decriminalisation of sex work could avert 33?46 per cent of HIV infections over the course of a decade.

The report cited the example of Karnataka, where advocacy work with senior police officials, sensitisation workshops and the inclusion of HIV and human rights topics in pre-service curricula led to significant decreases in the arrest of female sex workers, especially during police raids.

Before the interventions, half (50 per cent) of the 4,110 surveyed female sex workers said they had been arrested or detained at some point during police raids, that proportion shrank to 20 per cent after the interventions, the report said.

Referring to the initiative sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of HIV in India, the report said the Avahan programme in Karnataka and other States remained a "sterling example" of the impact of combining condom programming with community empowerment and structural improvements that tackle stigma, violence and unsafe working environments.

UNAIDS, however, issued a stark wake-up call for nations, warning that the global response to HIV is at a precarious point.

At the halfway point to the 2020 targets, the report warned that the pace of progress was not matching global ambition.

"We are sounding the alarm", said Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

"Entire regions are falling behind, the huge gains we made for children are not being sustained, women are still most affected, resources are still not matching political commitments and key populations continue to be ignored. All these elements are halting progress and urgently need to be addressed head-on," Sidibe said.

Global new HIV infections have declined by just 18 per cent in the past seven years, from 2.2 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2017, the report noted.

Although this is nearly half the number of new infections compared to the peak in 1996 (3.4 million), the decline is not quick enough to reach the target of fewer than 500,000 by 2020.

In 2017, an estimated 36.9 million people globally were living with HIV and 21.7 million people were accessing treatment, it said.

The report also shows that key populations are not being considered enough in HIV programming.

Key populations and their sexual partners account for 47 per cent of the new HIV infections worldwide and 97 per cent of new HIV infections in eastern Europe and central Asia, where one third of new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs.

"The right to health for all is non-negotiable," said Sidibe.

"Sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, prisoners, migrants, refugees and transgender people are more affected by HIV but are still being left out from HIV programmes. More investments are needed in reaching these key populations," Sidibe added.&nbsp;

The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines

India saw a major reduction in the number of new HIV infections, AIDS-related deaths and people living with HIV from 2010 to 2017 on the back of sustained and focused efforts, according to a UN report which warned that the epidemic was growing in Pakistan. The Joint UN Agency on AIDS (UNAIDS) report titled 'Miles to go-closing gaps, breaking barriers, righting injustices' said Asia and the Pacific regions have made strong inroads with its HIV response. Sustained and focused efforts to reach key populations have led to major reductions in HIV infections in Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam between 2010 and 2017. The report, however, warned that the global new HIV infections were not declining fast enough. It also noted that the epidemics were expanding in Pakistan and the Philippines. In India, new HIV infections dropped from 120,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2017, AIDS-related deaths from 160,000 to 69,000 and people living with HIV from 2,300,000 to 2,100,000 in the same time period, the report said. India has an approved social protection strategy, policy or framework that is being implemented, it said. Successive surveys in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Vietnam also indicate that attitudes towards people living with HIV have improved creating safer working conditions for sex workers and engaging them closely in the design and implementation of programmes make a huge difference, it said. The report underscored the public health benefits of decriminalising sex work. It found that countries that had decriminalised at least some aspects of sex work have fewer sex workers living with HIV than countries that criminalise all aspects of sex work. Modelling based on data from Canada, India and Kenya indicates that the decriminalisation of sex work could avert 33?46 per cent of HIV infections over the course of a decade. The report cited the example of Karnataka, where advocacy work with senior police officials, sensitisation workshops and the inclusion of HIV and human rights topics in pre-service curricula led to significant decreases in the arrest of female sex workers, especially during police raids. Before the interventions, half (50 per cent) of the 4,110 surveyed female sex workers said they had been arrested or detained at some point during police raids, that proportion shrank to 20 per cent after the interventions, the report said. Referring to the initiative sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of HIV in India, the report said the Avahan programme in Karnataka and other States remained a "sterling example" of the impact of combining condom programming with community empowerment and structural improvements that tackle stigma, violence and unsafe working environments. UNAIDS, however, issued a stark wake-up call for nations, warning that the global response to HIV is at a precarious point. At the halfway point to the 2020 targets, the report warned that the pace of progress was not matching global ambition. "We are sounding the alarm", said Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS. "Entire regions are falling behind, the huge gains we made for children are not being sustained, women are still most affected, resources are still not matching political commitments and key populations continue to be ignored. All these elements are halting progress and urgently need to be addressed head-on," Sidibe said. Global new HIV infections have declined by just 18 per cent in the past seven years, from 2.2 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2017, the report noted. Although this is nearly half the number of new infections compared to the peak in 1996 (3.4 million), the decline is not quick enough to reach the target of fewer than 500,000 by 2020. In 2017, an estimated 36.9 million people globally were living with HIV and 21.7 million people were accessing treatment, it said. The report also shows that key populations are not being considered enough in HIV programming. Key populations and their sexual partners account for 47 per cent of the new HIV infections worldwide and 97 per cent of new HIV infections in eastern Europe and central Asia, where one third of new HIV infections are among people who inject drugs. "The right to health for all is non-negotiable," said Sidibe. "Sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, prisoners, migrants, refugees and transgender people are more affected by HIV but are still being left out from HIV programmes. More investments are needed in reaching these key populations," Sidibe added.

India sees major reduction in HIV infections: UN report

Amidst rainfall, rescuers today continued to remove the debris of the two <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/greater-noida-building-collapse-ex-gratia-announced-for-deceaseds-kin-152753">buildings that collapsed in Greater Noida</a> killing at least nine people, including women and a toddler.

They have deployed heavy machines to clear the rubble but were moving cautiously to avoid harming anyone trapped under the debris. They, however, said most of the debris has been cleared and the possibility of anyone being trapped there appeared remote.

A six-floor <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/greater-noida-building-collapse-death-toll-goes-up-to-9-152754">under-construction building</a> had crashed on a five-storey building next to it in Shahberi village under Bisrakh police station area on Tuesday night.

Since then, the rescue operation has continued. Sniffer dogs were deployed to detect signs of life under the debris.

"We have cleared most of the debris and checked the remaining for any signs of life. There hardly appears any indication of anyone being trapped but we are still taking all caution," NDRF Deputy Commandant Rajkamal Malik told PTI.

The National Disaster Response Force is leading the operation. Paramedics, police officials and fire department personnel were also present at the site.

Five NDRF teams - between 200 to 250 personnel - were pressed into service on late Tuesday night, Malik said.

A body was retrieved from the rubble yesterday morning, while the other eight were pulled out Wednesday night.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Awneesh Kumar was at the site and supervising the rescue operation.

Akhilesh Tripathi, station house officer of Bisrakh police station, said five people have been arrested in connection with the case and raids were being conducted to nab other accused.

Altogether, 24 people have been named in the FIR. Charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

An officer on Special Duty in Greater Noida Development Authority, Vibha Chahal, has been removed from her post.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of two other officials, project manager V P Singh and assistant project manager Akhtar Abbas Zaidi, for dereliction of duty.

Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh has ordered an investigation, to be completed within 15 days.

A six-storey building under construction had crashed into an adjacent five-storey building. Both buildings fell. Officials had earlier said rescue operations would be completed by Thursday

Amidst rainfall, rescuers today continued to remove the debris of the two buildings that collapsed in Greater Noida killing at least nine people, including women and a toddler. They have deployed heavy machines to clear the rubble but were moving cautiously to avoid harming anyone trapped under the debris. They, however, said most of the debris has been cleared and the possibility of anyone being trapped there appeared remote. A six-floor under-construction building had crashed on a five-storey building next to it in Shahberi village under Bisrakh police station area on Tuesday night. Since then, the rescue operation has continued. Sniffer dogs were deployed to detect signs of life under the debris. "We have cleared most of the debris and checked the remaining for any signs of life. There hardly appears any indication of anyone being trapped but we are still taking all caution," NDRF Deputy Commandant Rajkamal Malik told PTI. The National Disaster Response Force is leading the operation. Paramedics, police officials and fire department personnel were also present at the site. Five NDRF teams - between 200 to 250 personnel - were pressed into service on late Tuesday night, Malik said. A body was retrieved from the rubble yesterday morning, while the other eight were pulled out Wednesday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police Awneesh Kumar was at the site and supervising the rescue operation. Akhilesh Tripathi, station house officer of Bisrakh police station, said five people have been arrested in connection with the case and raids were being conducted to nab other accused. Altogether, 24 people have been named in the FIR. Charges include culpable homicide not amounting to murder. An officer on Special Duty in Greater Noida Development Authority, Vibha Chahal, has been removed from her post. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the suspension of two other officials, project manager V P Singh and assistant project manager Akhtar Abbas Zaidi, for dereliction of duty. Gautam Budh Nagar District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh has ordered an investigation, to be completed within 15 days.

Greater Noida buildings collapse: Amidst rain, rescue operations enter day 3

Paresh Rawal, the actor-turned-politician, took another cheap shot at Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday.&nbsp;

Rawal said that if Rahul spoke today at the debate on the no-confidence motion without reading, and without fumbling, then the earth would shake.&nbsp;

For good measure, he added a few more criteria.&nbsp;

He said that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Agar aaj Rahul ji bina padhe, bina fumble kare, bina ghalti kare 15 minute bolenge toh dharti zaroor hilegi, hilegi bhi kya, naachegi: Paresh Rawal,BJP MP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoConfidenceMotion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoConfidenceMotion</a> <a href="https://t.co/EwGCtOlxRe">pic.twitter.com/EwGCtOlxRe</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1020195193344045056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The comment may have been an allusion to one of Rajiv Gandhi's most well-known remarks. Rahul's father Rajiv had, after Indira Gandhi's death, said that "when a giant tree falls, the Earth shakes".&nbsp;

Delhi's anti-Sikh riots had taken place soon after that.&nbsp;

Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East, has also attacked Rahul in the past. He has also retweeted a fake tweet attributed to Rahul Gandhi

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<a href="https://t.co/wsziXbZmdK">pic.twitter.com/wsziXbZmdK</a>
— Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) <a href="https://twitter.com/SirPareshRawal/status/999702621924614144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The tweet later turned out to have been tampered with.&nbsp;

Rawal added that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance.

Paresh Rawal, the actor-turned-politician, took another cheap shot at Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday. Rawal said that if Rahul spoke today at the debate on the no-confidence motion without reading, and without fumbling, then the earth would shake. For good measure, he added a few more criteria. He said that if Rahul did not fumble, and made no mistakes while speaking for 15 minutes, then not only would the earth shake, but it would also dance. Agar aaj Rahul ji bina padhe, bina fumble kare, bina ghalti kare 15 minute bolenge toh dharti zaroor hilegi, hilegi bhi kya, naachegi: Paresh Rawal,BJP MP #NoConfidenceMotion pic.twitter.com/EwGCtOlxRe — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018 × The comment may have been an allusion to one of Rajiv Gandhi's most well-known remarks. Rahul's father Rajiv had, after Indira Gandhi's death, said that "when a giant tree falls, the Earth shakes". Delhi's anti-Sikh riots had taken place soon after that. Rawal, who is MP from Ahmedabad East, has also attacked Rahul in the past. He has also retweeted a fake tweet attributed to Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/wsziXbZmdK — Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) May 24, 2018 × The tweet later turned out to have been tampered with.

No-confidence motion: Paresh Rawal says if Rahul speaks without notes, Earth will shake

Security forces today killed at least eight naxals, including four women, in a fierce encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a senior police official said.

A cache of firearms, including two Insas rifles, was recovered from the encounter site.

The gunbattle took place around 6 am in a forest area near Timinar and Pusnar villages along the boundary of Bijapur and Dantewada districts, Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force launched the operation from Dantewada yesterday in the forest area, he said.

While the security men were cordoning off the forest areas in Timinar and Pusnar villages in Bijapur, around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides today, he said.

The gunbattle lasted for about two hours, following which naxals fled into the core forest area, the DIG said.

"After guns fell silent, bodies of seven naxals, including three women, were initially recovered from the spot," he said.

Later, one more body of a woman naxal was found, he said.

Two Insas rifles, two .303 rifles, a 12 bore gun and a few muzzle loading guns were also recovered, the DIG said.

More details would be known when security forces return to their camp, he added.&nbsp;

A cache of firearms, including two Insas rifles, was recovered from the encounter site.

Security forces today killed at least eight naxals, including four women, in a fierce encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, a senior police official said. A cache of firearms, including two Insas rifles, was recovered from the encounter site. The gunbattle took place around 6 am in a forest area near Timinar and Pusnar villages along the boundary of Bijapur and Dantewada districts, Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the Special Task Force launched the operation from Dantewada yesterday in the forest area, he said. While the security men were cordoning off the forest areas in Timinar and Pusnar villages in Bijapur, around 450 km from the state capital Raipur, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides today, he said. The gunbattle lasted for about two hours, following which naxals fled into the core forest area, the DIG said. "After guns fell silent, bodies of seven naxals, including three women, were initially recovered from the spot," he said. Later, one more body of a woman naxal was found, he said. Two Insas rifles, two .303 rifles, a 12 bore gun and a few muzzle loading guns were also recovered, the DIG said. More details would be known when security forces return to their camp, he added.

Chhattisgarh: 8 naxals killed in encounter with security forces, say police

The Delhi high court on Thursday directed the Jawaharlal Nehru University not to take any coercive steps till tomorrow against its student Umar Khalid, who was rusticated and slapped with a fine of Rs 20,000 in connection with a 2016 incident of alleged anti-India slogans being raised at an event.

Justice Siddharth Mridul issued notice to JNU on a plea by Khalid challenging the penalty imposed on him by an appellate authority of the university on July 4 in connection with the incident.&nbsp;

The court said the matter be listed tomorrow along with another plea filed by JNU's former students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, on whom Rs 10,000 fine has been imposed by the appellate authority.

During the hearing, Khalid's counsel said the urgency was that two weeks time was given by the authorities to pay the fine amount.

JNU's counsel said Khalid has been rusticated for one semester starting from July 23.

The court said there cannot be any urgency as far as depositing of fine was concerned and added, "in the meantime, JNU shall not take any coercive steps against the petitioner (Khalid)".&nbsp;

The court had yesterday directed the varsity not to take any coercive step against Kumar, who has also challenged the penalty.&nbsp;

Both of them have sought direction to quash the office order of July 4 passed by the JNU through the chief proctor.

Kumar has alleged in the plea that there were serious lapses towards observing the principles of natural justice and violation of the high court's earlier order.

On February 9, 2016, a poetry event was held at JNU in connection with the third anniversary of Afzal Guru's hanging for his role in the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

A high-level panel of JNU had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar. It also suggested that Khalid be rusticated in connection with the incident. Besides, financial penalty was imposed on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms.

The students had then moved the high court, which had on October 12 last year directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel's decision.

On July 5, the university stated that the appellate authority had upheld the decision against Khalid and Kumar, and in some cases, the penalty had been reduced.

Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested on charges of sedition in connection with the 2016 controversial event, are out on bail.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Justice Siddharth Mridul issued notice to JNU on a plea by Khalid challenging the penalty imposed on him by an appellate authority of the university on July 4 in connection with the incident

The Delhi high court on Thursday directed the Jawaharlal Nehru University not to take any coercive steps till tomorrow against its student Umar Khalid, who was rusticated and slapped with a fine of Rs 20,000 in connection with a 2016 incident of alleged anti-India slogans being raised at an event. Justice Siddharth Mridul issued notice to JNU on a plea by Khalid challenging the penalty imposed on him by an appellate authority of the university on July 4 in connection with the incident. The court said the matter be listed tomorrow along with another plea filed by JNU's former students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar, on whom Rs 10,000 fine has been imposed by the appellate authority. During the hearing, Khalid's counsel said the urgency was that two weeks time was given by the authorities to pay the fine amount. JNU's counsel said Khalid has been rusticated for one semester starting from July 23. The court said there cannot be any urgency as far as depositing of fine was concerned and added, "in the meantime, JNU shall not take any coercive steps against the petitioner (Khalid)". The court had yesterday directed the varsity not to take any coercive step against Kumar, who has also challenged the penalty. Both of them have sought direction to quash the office order of July 4 passed by the JNU through the chief proctor. Kumar has alleged in the plea that there were serious lapses towards observing the principles of natural justice and violation of the high court's earlier order. On February 9, 2016, a poetry event was held at JNU in connection with the third anniversary of Afzal Guru's hanging for his role in the attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. A high-level panel of JNU had in 2016 recommended a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kumar. It also suggested that Khalid be rusticated in connection with the incident. Besides, financial penalty was imposed on 13 other students for violation of disciplinary norms. The students had then moved the high court, which had on October 12 last year directed the university to place the matter before an appellate authority to review the panel's decision. On July 5, the university stated that the appellate authority had upheld the decision against Khalid and Kumar, and in some cases, the penalty had been reduced. Kumar, Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, arrested on charges of sedition in connection with the 2016 controversial event, are out on bail.

Delhi high court asks JNU not to take coercive step against Umar Khalid

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that Puducherry being a Union Territory has no control over "services" and its officers belong to a separate cadre controlled by the central government.&nbsp

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was told by Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre, that it is the Union of India that exercises control through its representative or administrator on the Union Territory (UT).&nbsp

"As far as services are concerned they have a special cadre of officers and not the All India cadre of IAS or IPS. The officers are from separate cadres like the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS)," the AG said.&nbsp

The Centre is leaving no stone unturned to buttress its stand and has decided to field three senior advocates Harish Salve, C Aryaman Sundaram and Rakesh Dwivedi to defend it in the matters related to disputes with the Delhi government, including that of control over services.&nbsp

The bench was hearing pleas filed by two Congress leaders S Dhanalakshmi and K Lakshminarayanan, challenging the "unilateral" decision of the Centre to appoint the three BJP members as MLAs in the assembly.&nbsp

The Congress leaders have challenged the Madras high court decision of March 22 by which it had upheld the nomination of BJP members V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy to the Assembly by the Centre and their swearing-in by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on July 4 last year, over which the Congress government had protested.&nbsp

It had also held as invalid the speaker's order cancelling the nominations of the MLAs.

Venugopal during the hearing before the apex court said that as per the Constitutional scheme every UT shall be administrated through the President and its delegatee who can be an administrator or the lieutenant governor (L-G).&nbsp

He said, "It is not a federal unit which could function independent of the central government. It has no autonomy or autonomous powers".&nbsp

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Centre in a notification has said lawyers Salve, Sundaram and Dwivedi will defend it in the matters related to the disputes with the Delhi government.

Yesterday, the Delhi government had told the apex court that its functioning is "completely paralysed" and it can't order transfer or posting of officers despite the recent Constitution bench verdict on the national capital's administration.

The court said it is in the know-how of things and the matter will be taken on July 26 for hearing.

"Functioning of the government is completely paralysed. We cannot post officers, we cannot transfer officers despite the recent constitution bench verdict which has explained every aspect. These issues needs to be adjudicated at the earliest," senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the Delhi government had said.

A five-judge Constitution bench had recently laid down broad parameters for the governance of the national capital, which has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014.

The bench had clarified that issues regarding various notifications issued by the Delhi government in exercise of its administrative and legislative powers would be dealt with separately by an appropriate smaller bench.

A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was told by Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre, that it is the Union of India that exercises control through its representative or administrator on the Union Territory (UT).

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that Puducherry being a Union Territory has no control over "services" and its officers belong to a separate cadre controlled by the central government. A bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was told by Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, appearing for Centre, that it is the Union of India that exercises control through its representative or administrator on the Union Territory (UT). "As far as services are concerned they have a special cadre of officers and not the All India cadre of IAS or IPS. The officers are from separate cadres like the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS)," the AG said. The Centre is leaving no stone unturned to buttress its stand and has decided to field three senior advocates Harish Salve, C Aryaman Sundaram and Rakesh Dwivedi to defend it in the matters related to disputes with the Delhi government, including that of control over services. The bench was hearing pleas filed by two Congress leaders S Dhanalakshmi and K Lakshminarayanan, challenging the "unilateral" decision of the Centre to appoint the three BJP members as MLAs in the assembly. The Congress leaders have challenged the Madras high court decision of March 22 by which it had upheld the nomination of BJP members V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathy to the Assembly by the Centre and their swearing-in by Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on July 4 last year, over which the Congress government had protested. It had also held as invalid the speaker's order cancelling the nominations of the MLAs. Venugopal during the hearing before the apex court said that as per the Constitutional scheme every UT shall be administrated through the President and its delegatee who can be an administrator or the lieutenant governor (L-G). He said, "It is not a federal unit which could function independent of the central government. It has no autonomy or autonomous powers". Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Centre in a notification has said lawyers Salve, Sundaram and Dwivedi will defend it in the matters related to the disputes with the Delhi government. Yesterday, the Delhi government had told the apex court that its functioning is "completely paralysed" and it can't order transfer or posting of officers despite the recent Constitution bench verdict on the national capital's administration. The court said it is in the know-how of things and the matter will be taken on July 26 for hearing. "Functioning of the government is completely paralysed. We cannot post officers, we cannot transfer officers despite the recent constitution bench verdict which has explained every aspect. These issues needs to be adjudicated at the earliest," senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the Delhi government had said. A five-judge Constitution bench had recently laid down broad parameters for the governance of the national capital, which has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014. The bench had clarified that issues regarding various notifications issued by the Delhi government in exercise of its administrative and legislative powers would be dealt with separately by an appropriate smaller bench.

Puducherry has no control over 'services', officers are of separate cadre: Centre to SC

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday termed the mob lynching incidents "unfortunate" as he emphasised on social media being misused to spread fake news.

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh said that the Centre has directed social media sites to regulate norms accordingly to curb the issue.

"These are unfortunate incidents. We had issued an advisory on this recently, and one in 2016 also. Social media being used to spread fake news and rumours is also a reason. We have asked social sites for regulation," Singh said.

Rajnath Singh further asked state governments to take "appropriate actions" as he was answering a question raised by KC Venugopal of the Congress party during Zero Hour.

Following the Home Minister's statement, the Congress party which has been protesting against the BJP on the matter staged a walkout from the house along with RJD and CPI-M members.

Expressing dissatisfaction to the entire issue, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP, Shashi Tharoor said, "The home minister's statement in Lok Sabha on mob lynching was not satisfactory at all, that is why we staged a walkout from the House. This is not a game of ping-pong that states and Centre keep shifting responsibilities."

Earlier in the day, the Congress raised slogans against Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha for garlanding men convicted of lynching a meat trader in Jharkhand recently.

Congress leader KC Venugopal asked why one of the members of the Union Council of Ministers was found "garlanding" the mob lynching accused.&nbsp;

According to media reports, this year, at least 20 people&nbsp;have died in lynching cases across the country so far.

(With inputs from ANI)

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh said that the Centre has directed social media sites to regulate norms accordingly to curb the issue.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday termed the mob lynching incidents "unfortunate" as he emphasised on social media being misused to spread fake news. Addressing the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh said that the Centre has directed social media sites to regulate norms accordingly to curb the issue. "These are unfortunate incidents. We had issued an advisory on this recently, and one in 2016 also. Social media being used to spread fake news and rumours is also a reason. We have asked social sites for regulation," Singh said. Rajnath Singh further asked state governments to take "appropriate actions" as he was answering a question raised by KC Venugopal of the Congress party during Zero Hour. Following the Home Minister's statement, the Congress party which has been protesting against the BJP on the matter staged a walkout from the house along with RJD and CPI-M members. Expressing dissatisfaction to the entire issue, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP, Shashi Tharoor said, "The home minister's statement in Lok Sabha on mob lynching was not satisfactory at all, that is why we staged a walkout from the House. This is not a game of ping-pong that states and Centre keep shifting responsibilities." Earlier in the day, the Congress raised slogans against Civil Aviation Minister Jayant Sinha for garlanding men convicted of lynching a meat trader in Jharkhand recently. Congress leader KC Venugopal asked why one of the members of the Union Council of Ministers was found "garlanding" the mob lynching accused. According to media reports, this year, at least 20 people have died in lynching cases across the country so far. (With inputs from ANI)

Rajnath's statement on mob lynching not satisfactory: Shashi Tharoor

Trai on Thursday revamped the regulations on pesky calls and spam as it spelt out new rules mandating subscribers' consent for receiving telemarketing messages, news agency PTI reported.

The regulator also asked telecom operators to ensure that commercial communication takes place only through registered senders.

"...A complete overhaul of the regulation had become unavoidable. The objective of the regulation notified today is to effectively deal with the nuisance of spam experienced by the subscribers," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement.

The regulations provide for registration of senders, registration of headers (that segregate different types of messages), and, more importantly, registration of subscribers' consent.

"Unscrupulous telemarketers today override the stated preference of the subscriber by claiming consent that may have been surreptitiously obtained. New regulations provide the subscriber with complete control over their consent and the ability to revoke the consent already granted, at their option," Trai statement added.

The registration of subscriber consent will put an end to "major abuse of the current regulations", it noted.

Trai said that every access provider should establish 'Customer Preference Registration Facility (CPRF)' and make necessary arrangements to facilitate customers by providing ways and means to record consent (or its revocation) related to commercial communication.&nbsp;

Also, Trai has introduced the concept of registered templates for both SMS and voice communication to prevent deliberate mixing of promotional messages into the transactional stream.&nbsp;

"This will give relief to subscribers who feel targeted by unwanted communication today," the regulator added.

Violations under various category will attract a penalty ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50 lakh, based on the type of offence.

The regulations also involve adoption of blockchain or the Distributed Ledger Technology, to ensure regulatory compliance while allowing innovation in the market.

These measures will bring in the flexibility and speed "necessary to combat the spammers who continually change their tactics and morph their identities to escape detection" said Trai.

Terming its fix for pesky calls "user friendly and automated", the regulator said that the technological advancements will smoothen processes and reduce the cost of compliance.

"The infrastructure may be outsourced and shared, while the unbundling of the functions allows third-party provider to compete for providing best quality solutions at lowest cost. Considering the large volume of messages (between 20 to 30 billion per month), the per unit cost of compliance would be negligible," it said.&nbsp;

The regulations provide for registration of senders, registration of headers (that segregate different types of messages), and, more importantly, registration of subscribers' consent.

Trai on Thursday revamped the regulations on pesky calls and spam as it spelt out new rules mandating subscribers' consent for receiving telemarketing messages, news agency PTI reported. The regulator also asked telecom operators to ensure that commercial communication takes place only through registered senders. "...A complete overhaul of the regulation had become unavoidable. The objective of the regulation notified today is to effectively deal with the nuisance of spam experienced by the subscribers," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement. The regulations provide for registration of senders, registration of headers (that segregate different types of messages), and, more importantly, registration of subscribers' consent. "Unscrupulous telemarketers today override the stated preference of the subscriber by claiming consent that may have been surreptitiously obtained. New regulations provide the subscriber with complete control over their consent and the ability to revoke the consent already granted, at their option," Trai statement added. The registration of subscriber consent will put an end to "major abuse of the current regulations", it noted. Trai said that every access provider should establish 'Customer Preference Registration Facility (CPRF)' and make necessary arrangements to facilitate customers by providing ways and means to record consent (or its revocation) related to commercial communication. Also, Trai has introduced the concept of registered templates for both SMS and voice communication to prevent deliberate mixing of promotional messages into the transactional stream. "This will give relief to subscribers who feel targeted by unwanted communication today," the regulator added. Violations under various category will attract a penalty ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50 lakh, based on the type of offence. The regulations also involve adoption of blockchain or the Distributed Ledger Technology, to ensure regulatory compliance while allowing innovation in the market. These measures will bring in the flexibility and speed "necessary to combat the spammers who continually change their tactics and morph their identities to escape detection" said Trai. Terming its fix for pesky calls "user friendly and automated", the regulator said that the technological advancements will smoothen processes and reduce the cost of compliance. "The infrastructure may be outsourced and shared, while the unbundling of the functions allows third-party provider to compete for providing best quality solutions at lowest cost. Considering the large volume of messages (between 20 to 30 billion per month), the per unit cost of compliance would be negligible," it said.

Trai revamps regulations on pesky calls and spam

Two Indian-origin individuals are among 10 shortlisted by Britain's ruling Conservative party as prospective candidates to run for London mayor in 2020 against Labour's Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan.&nbsp

Lucknow-born businesswoman Ruby McGregor-Smith joins the race alongside British Sikh politician Kulveer Ranger, both of whom will go head to head with the others at hustings next month before a vote on the final candidate by October.

It's time for a Mayor who will re-ignite the possibility, opportunity and the confidence of the greatest city on earth. That's why I'm running to be London's Mayor, McGregor said in reference to her bid yesterday.

The 55-year-old peer in the House of Lords made history as the first Indian-origin woman to run a FTSE-250 company, Mitie Group, nearly a decade ago. She was awarded a Commander of British Empire (CBE) honour by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for services to business and promoting diversity.

''Our wonderful capital and our great country have given me everything and now I want to repay that debt,'' she said.

She will compete with Ranger, a former transport adviser in the London Mayor's office, who also made the Tory shortlist for the mayoral race held every four years.

''I was born here, grew up, studied, have worked in and for London. I am proud and humbled to be part of this list,''&nbsphe said.

The Tories said all 10 people on the shortlist came "from a wide range of backgrounds, including business, politics and the charity sector".

At the last mayoral elections in May 2016, Labour's Khan defeated the Conservative party candidate Zac Goldsmith, brother of Jemima Khan - the ex-wife of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. The Green Party's Sian Berry was third in the 2016 race and Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon came fourth.&nbsp

Boris Johnson, who recently resigned as UK foreign secretary, was the last Conservative Mayor of London, following election victories in 2008 and 2012.&nbsp

Lucknow-born businesswoman Ruby McGregor-Smith joins the race alongside British Sikh politician Kulveer Ranger, both of whom will go head to head with the others at hustings next month before a vote on the final candidate by October.

Two Indian-origin individuals are among 10 shortlisted by Britain's ruling Conservative party as prospective candidates to run for London mayor in 2020 against Labour's Pakistan-origin Sadiq Khan. Lucknow-born businesswoman Ruby McGregor-Smith joins the race alongside British Sikh politician Kulveer Ranger, both of whom will go head to head with the others at hustings next month before a vote on the final candidate by October. It's time for a Mayor who will re-ignite the possibility, opportunity and the confidence of the greatest city on earth. That's why I'm running to be London's Mayor, McGregor said in reference to her bid yesterday. The 55-year-old peer in the House of Lords made history as the first Indian-origin woman to run a FTSE-250 company, Mitie Group, nearly a decade ago. She was awarded a Commander of British Empire (CBE) honour by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 for services to business and promoting diversity. ''Our wonderful capital and our great country have given me everything and now I want to repay that debt,'' she said. She will compete with Ranger, a former transport adviser in the London Mayor's office, who also made the Tory shortlist for the mayoral race held every four years. ''I was born here, grew up, studied, have worked in and for London. I am proud and humbled to be part of this list,''&nbsphe said. The Tories said all 10 people on the shortlist came "from a wide range of backgrounds, including business, politics and the charity sector". At the last mayoral elections in May 2016, Labour's Khan defeated the Conservative party candidate Zac Goldsmith, brother of Jemima Khan - the ex-wife of Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan. The Green Party's Sian Berry was third in the 2016 race and Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon came fourth. Boris Johnson, who recently resigned as UK foreign secretary, was the last Conservative Mayor of London, following election victories in 2008 and 2012.

Two Indian-origin candidates join race for London Mayor

A 30-year-old cab driver working with ride hailing firm Uberride-hailingd for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger, news agency PTI reported quoting police sources.

The incident took place Tuesday evening in suburban Khar, police said.

The driver was arrested the same day, they added.

The cab was near the Khar subway when the incident happened, police said. The woman, in her 20s, was travelling from Chembur to her residence in Khar, a senior official of the Khar police station said.

The cab driver Sadanand told the passenger that he was taking an alternate route due to water-logging in the subway, police said. When the woman refused, he abused her and asked her to get out of the cab, they added.

The woman then approached the Khar police station, after which an FIR was registered, the official said.

"Based on the complaint, we booked the driver under sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC and arrested him the same day," the official said.

The Uber spokesperson was unavailable for comment.&nbsp;

The incident took place Tuesday evening in suburban Khar, police said.

A 30-year-old cab driver working with ride hailing firm Uberride-hailingd for allegedly misbehaving with a woman passenger, news agency PTI reported quoting police sources. The incident took place Tuesday evening in suburban Khar, police said. The driver was arrested the same day, they added. The cab was near the Khar subway when the incident happened, police said. The woman, in her 20s, was travelling from Chembur to her residence in Khar, a senior official of the Khar police station said. The cab driver Sadanand told the passenger that he was taking an alternate route due to water-logging in the subway, police said. When the woman refused, he abused her and asked her to get out of the cab, they added. The woman then approached the Khar police station, after which an FIR was registered, the official said. "Based on the complaint, we booked the driver under sections 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of IPC and arrested him the same day," the official said. The Uber spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

Mumbai: Uber driver arrested for 'misbehaving' with woman passenger

India continues to engage with China on a number of fronts including New Delhi's bid for Nuclear suppliers group(NSG) membership.

In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, MoS MEA VK Singh said,"Government is engaged with all NSG members including China at the appropriate levels for a decision on India’s application for membership of the group." The most recent talks were held in Beijing on April 10, 2018.&nbsp;

The development comes at a time when India&nbsp;and China&nbsp;have been talking to each other to iron out differences.

PM Modi is likely to meet Chinese President XI Jinping in Johannesburg on the sidelines of BRICS summit.

This will be the third&nbsp;meet between both the two leaders in just matter of three&nbsp;months. Both met first in April during the "informal summit"&nbsp;in Wuhan, then in June for the SCO summit.

India has been the member of three&nbsp;out of four export control regimes. The three regimes are Wassenaar arrangement, Australia group and Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR).

USA and France continue to strongly support India’s membership but Bejing has been a tough nut to crack. Bejing has been demanding Pakistan&nbsp;entry into the elite club.

Earlier in June meeting of NSG in Latvia, the grouping in a release had said that it "discussed the NSG relationship with India".

USA and France continue to strongly support India’s membership

India continues to engage with China on a number of fronts including New Delhi's bid for Nuclear suppliers group(NSG) membership. In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, MoS MEA VK Singh said,"Government is engaged with all NSG members including China at the appropriate levels for a decision on India’s application for membership of the group." The most recent talks were held in Beijing on April 10, 2018. The development comes at a time when India and China have been talking to each other to iron out differences. PM Modi is likely to meet Chinese President XI Jinping in Johannesburg on the sidelines of BRICS summit. This will be the third meet between both the two leaders in just matter of three months. Both met first in April during the "informal summit" in Wuhan, then in June for the SCO summit. India has been the member of three out of four export control regimes. The three regimes are Wassenaar arrangement, Australia group and Missile Technology Control Regime(MTCR). USA and France continue to strongly support India’s membership but Bejing has been a tough nut to crack. Bejing has been demanding Pakistan entry into the elite club. Earlier in June meeting of NSG in Latvia, the grouping in a release had said that it "discussed the NSG relationship with India".

India engaging with everyone including China over NSG membership: Government

India and Ghana on Wednesday signed two agreements in an effort to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed that two MOUs on Cultural Exchange Programme and on cooperation between Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority were signed.

"Following the meeting between EAM @sushmaswaraj and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana Shirley Botchwey, two MOUs on Cultural Exchange Programme and on cooperation between Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority were signed," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Botchwey, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, is on a four-day visit to India, having arrived in the country on Monday.

She met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, following which both held delegation-level talks respectively.

According to Kumar, the two ministers discussed enhancing cooperation in development cooperation, capacity building, trade and investment and people-to-people relationship.

He wrote on Twitter, "Cementing our connect with Africa! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Ghana Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey lead the delegation-level talks. Two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in development cooperation, capacity building, trade and investment and people-to-people relationship."

Swaraj also hosted a lunch in honour for the visiting Ghanaian Foreign Minister.

India-Ghana relations have traditionally been warm and close, based on a common history, shared vision and values. Ghana is one of India's important partners in West Africa.

"While bilateral trade stands at $ 3.5 billion, other important aspects of our relations are investments (India is the second largest investor in Ghana), development partnership, defence cooperation, capacity building, cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts," as per a statement by MEA.

A sizeable Indian community, numbering around 10,000, resides in Ghana.

Botchwey, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, is on a four-day visit to India, having arrived in the country on Monday

India and Ghana on Wednesday signed two agreements in an effort to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Taking to his Twitter handle, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar confirmed that two MOUs on Cultural Exchange Programme and on cooperation between Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority were signed. "Following the meeting between EAM @sushmaswaraj and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana Shirley Botchwey, two MOUs on Cultural Exchange Programme and on cooperation between Bureau of Indian Standards and Ghana Standards Authority were signed," he wrote on the micro-blogging site. Botchwey, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, is on a four-day visit to India, having arrived in the country on Monday. She met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, following which both held delegation-level talks respectively. According to Kumar, the two ministers discussed enhancing cooperation in development cooperation, capacity building, trade and investment and people-to-people relationship. He wrote on Twitter, "Cementing our connect with Africa! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Ghana Foreign Minister Shirley Botchwey lead the delegation-level talks. Two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in development cooperation, capacity building, trade and investment and people-to-people relationship." Swaraj also hosted a lunch in honour for the visiting Ghanaian Foreign Minister. India-Ghana relations have traditionally been warm and close, based on a common history, shared vision and values. Ghana is one of India's important partners in West Africa. "While bilateral trade stands at $ 3.5 billion, other important aspects of our relations are investments (India is the second largest investor in Ghana), development partnership, defence cooperation, capacity building, cultural cooperation and people-to-people contacts," as per a statement by MEA. A sizeable Indian community, numbering around 10,000, resides in Ghana.

India, Ghana ink 2 MoUs to enhance bilateral ties

The government on Thursday shot off another notice to WhatsApp asking it to come out with effective solutions to curb the menace of fake news beyond just labelling forwards.&nbsp

It also warned the company that mediums used for propagation of rumours are liable to be treated as 'abettors' and can face legal consequences if they remain "mute spectators".

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been under fire from the Indian government over the fake news and false information being circulated on its messaging platform.&nbsp

Such messages have incited mob-fury, triggering multiple cases of lynching across the country.&nbsp

The government had in the past too issued a stern warning to the company to clamp down on hoax messages designed to "provoke" and "instigate" people.

"When rumours and fake news get propagated by mischief mongers, the medium used for such propagation cannot evade responsibility and accountability. If they remain, mute spectators, they are liable to be treated as abettors and thereafter face consequent legal action," the IT Ministry said in a statement today.

The ministry said it has approached WhatsApp to bring more effective solutions to the table, to ensure greater "accountability and facilitate enforcement of the law" beyond the existing efforts towards labelling forwards and identifying fake news. 
"It has been conveyed to them in unmistakable terms that it is a very serious issue which deserves a more sensitive response," the ministry said.

Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today informed the Rajya Sabha that he will hold a discussion with stakeholders, including political parties, to evolve a policy to deal with the misuse of social media.

Prasad had earlier told WhatsApp that the platform "cannot evade accountability and responsibility".

In response, WhatsApp announced a new feature to let its users identify the messages that are forwarded.&nbsp

The messaging service also brought out a full-page advertisement in leading newspapers, first in the series of its user awareness campaign, giving "easy tips" to decide if the information received is indeed true.

At the same time, WhatsApp had informed the Centre that fake news, misinformation and hoaxes can be checked by the government, civil society and technology companies "working together".

Outlining steps it has taken to curb abuse of its platform, WhatsApp -- in its response to the first notice sent by the IT Ministry -- had said that it has the ability to prevent spam but since it cannot see the content of private messages, blocking can be done only based on user reports.

WhatsApp had also told the government that it is "horrified by these terrible acts of violence" and its strategy to deal with the situation involves giving people the controls and information they need to stay safe while working pro-actively to prevent misuse of the service.

Rumours on WhatsApp have sparked off a spate of incidents involving mob fury, including one where five men were lynched on the suspicion of being child lifters in Maharashtra's Rainpada village of Dhule district. More recently, a man was beaten to death, while three others were injured after a mob attacked them suspecting them to be child-lifters, near Bidar in Karnataka.

The Supreme Court, earlier this week, asked parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to become a new norm.

It also warned the company that mediums used for propagation of rumours are liable to be treated as 'abettors' and can face legal consequences if they remain 'mute spectators'.

The government on Thursday shot off another notice to WhatsApp asking it to come out with effective solutions to curb the menace of fake news beyond just labelling forwards. It also warned the company that mediums used for propagation of rumours are liable to be treated as 'abettors' and can face legal consequences if they remain "mute spectators". Facebook-owned WhatsApp has been under fire from the Indian government over the fake news and false information being circulated on its messaging platform. Such messages have incited mob-fury, triggering multiple cases of lynching across the country. The government had in the past too issued a stern warning to the company to clamp down on hoax messages designed to "provoke" and "instigate" people. "When rumours and fake news get propagated by mischief mongers, the medium used for such propagation cannot evade responsibility and accountability. If they remain, mute spectators, they are liable to be treated as abettors and thereafter face consequent legal action," the IT Ministry said in a statement today. The ministry said it has approached WhatsApp to bring more effective solutions to the table, to ensure greater "accountability and facilitate enforcement of the law" beyond the existing efforts towards labelling forwards and identifying fake news. "It has been conveyed to them in unmistakable terms that it is a very serious issue which deserves a more sensitive response," the ministry said. Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today informed the Rajya Sabha that he will hold a discussion with stakeholders, including political parties, to evolve a policy to deal with the misuse of social media. Prasad had earlier told WhatsApp that the platform "cannot evade accountability and responsibility". In response, WhatsApp announced a new feature to let its users identify the messages that are forwarded. The messaging service also brought out a full-page advertisement in leading newspapers, first in the series of its user awareness campaign, giving "easy tips" to decide if the information received is indeed true. At the same time, WhatsApp had informed the Centre that fake news, misinformation and hoaxes can be checked by the government, civil society and technology companies "working together". Outlining steps it has taken to curb abuse of its platform, WhatsApp -- in its response to the first notice sent by the IT Ministry -- had said that it has the ability to prevent spam but since it cannot see the content of private messages, blocking can be done only based on user reports. WhatsApp had also told the government that it is "horrified by these terrible acts of violence" and its strategy to deal with the situation involves giving people the controls and information they need to stay safe while working pro-actively to prevent misuse of the service. Rumours on WhatsApp have sparked off a spate of incidents involving mob fury, including one where five men were lynched on the suspicion of being child lifters in Maharashtra's Rainpada village of Dhule district. More recently, a man was beaten to death, while three others were injured after a mob attacked them suspecting them to be child-lifters, near Bidar in Karnataka. The Supreme Court, earlier this week, asked parliament to consider enacting a new law to effectively deal with incidents of mob lynching, saying "horrendous acts of mobocracy" cannot be allowed to become a new norm.

Government slams WhatsApp again over mob lynching cases

Despite American pressure on Tehran and on New Delhi to cut its oil imports from Iran, India has come out and said it will have independent ties with Iran.

In a written reply in the Lok sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh said, "India’s bilateral relations with Iran stand on their own and are not influenced by India’s relations with any third country." He added that "both sides are engaged in developing a long-term partnership in energy deepening of trade and investment cooperation and an early and full operations of Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar."

The answer comes a little after Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-iran-exploring-ways-of-working-around-us-sanctions-iran-deputy-foreign-minister-to-wion-152365">Dr Seyyed Abbas Araghchi visited New Delhi</a> and met Foreign Secretary Shri Vijay Gokhale. India and Iran exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including efforts being made by various parties to address issues that have arisen over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the Iran nuclear deal.

India has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue, with the resolution respecting Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

Interestingly, the US Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Marshall Billingslea, was also in Delhi. The treasury department, in reply to a WION question, said Billingslea was in Delhi to talk on a "range of bilateral issues including countering terrorism finance, the regulation of virtual currency, Iran, and other AML/CFT issues."

India and US will hold the first 2+2 dialogue — between India's external affairs and defence ministers and the US' secretaries of state and defence — in September in which talk of Iran and Russia is expected to dominate. The dialogue was postponed in July since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Pyongyang. 
&nbsp

'India’s bilateral relations with Iran stand on their own and are not influenced by India’s relations with any third country,' Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh said in written reply in the Lok Sabha

Despite American pressure on Tehran and on New Delhi to cut its oil imports from Iran, India has come out and said it will have independent ties with Iran. In a written reply in the Lok sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh said, "India’s bilateral relations with Iran stand on their own and are not influenced by India’s relations with any third country." He added that "both sides are engaged in developing a long-term partnership in energy deepening of trade and investment cooperation and an early and full operations of Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar." The answer comes a little after Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Seyyed Abbas Araghchi visited New Delhi and met Foreign Secretary Shri Vijay Gokhale. India and Iran exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including efforts being made by various parties to address issues that have arisen over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the Iran nuclear deal. India has always maintained that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through dialogue, with the resolution respecting Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Interestingly, the US Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Marshall Billingslea, was also in Delhi. The treasury department, in reply to a WION question, said Billingslea was in Delhi to talk on a "range of bilateral issues including countering terrorism finance, the regulation of virtual currency, Iran, and other AML/CFT issues." India and US will hold the first 2+2 dialogue — between India's external affairs and defence ministers and the US' secretaries of state and defence — in September in which talk of Iran and Russia is expected to dominate. The dialogue was postponed in July since US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Pyongyang.

Despite American pressure, India says it will have independent ties with Iran

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