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<a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094">'I believe in NATO but </a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094">US</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/i-believe-in-nato-trump-151094"> treated very unfairly on trade,' says Trump</a>

At the end of the first session of the two-day NATO summit, US President Donald Trump at a press conference said that he "believes in NATO". Addressing reporters in Brussels, the US president said the US will hold trade talks with the EU next week over trade.&nbsp;

<a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/us-oil-exports-to-india-soar-ahead-of-sanctions-on-iran-151111">US oil exports to India soar ahead of sanctions on Iran</a>

US crude oil exports to India hit a record in June and so far this year are almost double last year's total as the Asian nation's refiners move to replace supplies from Iran and Venezuela in a win for the Trump administration.

<a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131">India's June inflation at </a><a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131">five-month</a><a href="http://wionews.com/business-%26-economy/retail-inflation-at-five-month-high-of-5-in-june-151131"> high, industrial growth falls to 3.2</a>%

India's retail inflation rose to a five-month high of 5 per cent in the month of June as compared to 4.87 per cent in May, as suggested by the data from the Central Statistics Office.The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) moderated to 3.2 percent in May as compared to 4.9 per cent in April.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/congress-disapproves-of-tharoors-hindu-pakistan-remark-tells-leaders-to-choose-words-carefully-151116">Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully</a>

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred".

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/money-laundering-scam-zardari-likely-to-appear-before-supreme-court-151074">Money-laundering scam: Zardari likely to appear before Supreme Court</a>

Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is expected to appear before the Supreme Court in connection with a money laundering scam.

'I believe in NATO but US treated very unfairly on trade,' says Trump At the end of the first session of the two-day NATO summit, US President Donald Trump at a press conference said that he "believes in NATO". Addressing reporters in Brussels, the US president said the US will hold trade talks with the EU next week over trade. US oil exports to India soar ahead of sanctions on Iran US crude oil exports to India hit a record in June and so far this year are almost double last year's total as the Asian nation's refiners move to replace supplies from Iran and Venezuela in a win for the Trump administration. India's June inflation at five-month high, industrial growth falls to 3.2% India's retail inflation rose to a five-month high of 5 per cent in the month of June as compared to 4.87 per cent in May, as suggested by the data from the Central Statistics Office.The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) moderated to 3.2 percent in May as compared to 4.9 per cent in April. Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred". Money-laundering scam: Zardari likely to appear before Supreme Court Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari is expected to appear before the Supreme Court in connection with a money laundering scam.

News brief: Big stories of the day

In one of his columns contributing to Italian weekly magazine L' Espresso in 2010 and posthumously collected and published as 'Chronicles of a Liquid Society' in English in 2017, Umberto Eco (1932-2016) an academician, novelist and leading philosopher of contemporary Europe wrote - "I'm not on Twitter, not on Facebook the Italian constitution allows me not to be. But there is evidently a false Twitter account in my name, as there seems to be for other well-known people. I once met a woman whose eyes brimmed with gratitude as she explained how she read me all the time on Twitter and sometimes even corresponded with me. I tried telling her that it was a false me, but she gazed back as though I were telling her I wasn't really who I am. If I was on Twitter, then I existed. Twittero ergo sum."&nbsp;

I tweet, therefore I am.

Most likely, the soul of 16th century French philosopher Rene Descartes must not have felt offended with this spoof of his counterpart of the 20th century when he had theorised this path-breaking axiom in his epochal work 'Discourse on the Method', saying, "Cogito ergo sum," meaning famously hereby, "I think therefore I am."

Having been impressed with how wittily Umberto Eco remarked upon his age of social media, one might intend to think how Marshall McLuhan - a seminal scholar, professor of English by livelihood at St Michael's College, University of Toronto, and author of 'The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of a Typographic Man' (1962) and most famously known for 'Understanding Media: The Extension of Man' (1964) - would have expressed his opinion upon the present-day state of social media and the angst and anxieties it has caused.

"The medium is the message,'' is the phrase which made McLuhan reckoned as one the most influential philosophers and post-modernist thinkers of the 20th century. So, forget the content of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and other ancillary social media platforms we, hitherto, are changed men with altered 'sense-ratios or patterns of perception', with no impact of media content alone on us but through the whole media itself. In his field of vision, electronic media is nothing but an extension of our central nervous system. The crescendo of electronic media has brought us to the newer generational forms of social media where by having a structural capacity of organising a posse in no time with 'electric speed of information' as McLuhan suggested, it has mutated us either as mobster or beguiled countless youths as hatemongers. These are the portents he had hinted about electronic age of information decades back when social media was yet to be conceived.

The world is unlucky in this sense that McLuhan died on the eve of New Year, December 31, 1980 - seven years after Martin Cooper had engineered a 1 kg bare Motorola cell phone for us, but quiet premature, before he could see and critically examine how few grams weighed present day cell phone by its covenant with divergent social media apps has tribalised the globe, whereas TV as a cool medium had introduced a kind of 'rigor mortis into the politic'. For TV in particular and electronic media in general, which he profoundly evaluated, he had quoted Howard K Smith, an American journalist and TV anchor, that, "The networks are delighted if you go into a controversy or 14,000 miles away. They don't want real controversy, real dissent at home." Shouldn't it explain sufficiently our irresistible interest in the things like wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Though the wedding was not a controversy at all notwithstanding few general curiosities of us like who were the invitees there! Oh lucky ones!

Though McLuhan is not amongst us now question is whether his work, especially his path-breaking book 'Understanding Media', published in 1964 by McGraw-Hill, could help us in understanding present day media. He devoted his whole life in understanding it, even coining myriads of idioms like 'Global Village' and many others. Though he lives not to see the impacts of media especially its newest extension - social media - upon 21st century societies, his prophetic prescience proves him unflinchingly assiduous in his philosophic work.

Are few deviated ones amongst us not lynching their fellow people using WhatsApp and Facebook vigilantism, as recently reported from many states of North-East and states of Central and North India, casting ordinary and innocent people sometimes as child abductors or cattle smugglers? Are we not belligerent to charge upon each other as a group sometimes or as individuals often relying, and without knowing their veracity upon totally illogical and designed pieces of information being spread through many social media platforms? Where in our society does the crater for this volcano of violence lie? In one of his letters jotted in the penultimate year of his life on April 5 1979 to his friend Clare Boothe Luce, McLuhan wrote that on the telephone or on the air, man is in every sense discarnate existing as an abstract image, a figure without body. When discarnate, man has no identity and not subject to natural law. As electronic information moved at the speed of light, man is a nobody, when deprived of his identity, man becomes violent in diverse ways. "Violence is the quest for identity." 
&nbsp; 
One may wish to differ with McLuhan's notion with regard to 'violent impact' of media on society as a whole or as an individual, but what makes him relevant is his understanding of this collision of man with the mediums and that this collision is not the first one for mankind. Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady. The same was attempted to prove by Professor Eric Havelock in his formative work, 'Preface To Plato'(1963). Homer, the composer of 'Iliad' and Odyssey represents the pre-literate society of Greeks. Information in Homer's Greek is fundamentally a memory the sweetest thing for humans, as were our four Vedas for Indian society but things changed as the medium changed. Prof Havelock stated in his book that between Homer and Plato, the method of storage began to alter. "Information became alphabetised. Eye supplanted the ear as the chief organ for this purpose." That is why Plato hated poets, as they tend to reduce every experience of mind to memory thus obstructing rational examination of an object. Homer's time lost its relevance with regard to the age of Plato in terms of change in communicative media. Again, with the Guttenberg-invented printing press, 'sense-ratios' of societies were bound to alter. Newspapers gave us individualism, radio (which McLuhan called a 'tribal drum') tribalism, and TV, which he called in a letter to one of his colleagues 'as radioactive as radium', a kind of in-depth involvement. All these media in their respective phases changed our 'sense-ratios', if we may borrow Mcluhanian phrase, but the question remains in what way the social media (upon which McLuhan sadly was not alive to comment) has re-calibrated our ratios of sensibilities. Have we reached finally the phase he had presaged as the 'technological simulation of human consciousness'. Today, technology is omnipresent. It is ubiquitous for all of us whether we like it or not. A society with loss of privacy whom a renowned professor of sociology, Zygmunt Bauman, christens a "confessional society promoting self-exposure" with a pressure of being seen for everyone.

So, if the Facebook spies upon us, Umberto Eco long before the formal confession of Mark Zuckerberg, had satirised in 2014 in one of his articles for L'Espresso that for the first time in the history of mankind, those who are being spied upon are helping the spies to make their work easier and gain satisfaction from being observed as they live.

But what worries a reasonable man of today vis a vis an enforcement agency like the police, for that matter, is not the aesthetic transfiguration of human appearance through high mega-pixel mobile phone cameras or his/her narcissistic fondness of selfies. The subject of concern lies with the capacity in the hands of anti-social elements of making a mob in the open or through a closed WhatsApp group, which necessarily comes handy to them to fulfil their task of hate peddling. And this is what is happening in subterranean way and therefore posing a serious challenge to police and other state agencies alike to find a perfect counter to it. Even with the success of finding a legal or structural solution, residues of problematic are yet to persist in form of contamination with irrationality, bigotry and a complete wash-off of logic for which not only the content, but also the medium is no less reprehensible. If caught on time (which is rather difficult) one can force someone to add, reduce or mend the content in some way or other, but no law or no police on the earth can change the layout of medium. As McLuhan had quoted Mallarme in one of his letters and in his essays too that for the modern press miracle comes first, rationality later. This is the point where 'global village' is doomed to capitulate or at least seems to stumble, and this is what McLuhan had stated oracularly that there are no moral values at the speed of light and no legal structures for information at this speed will hold up any longer. We have come far ahead from the world of printed text with a bullock-cart speed. In a letter dated February 24,1957, to the then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, McLuhan wrote, "… at electric speed we all are disembodied. On the phone we are instantly present but minus our bodies. There is corresponding loss of personal identity and responsibility which creates separatism both in private life and family life and in all institutional existence."

Nonetheless, McLuhan didn't miss to overlook the positive side of new era of electric media. In democratic societies, instant electric communication 'turned-on' subalterns like 'Negros' in America, for whom according to McLuhan there was no 'Industrial Age', or no 19th century. "They started with electric information," he wrote to Hubert Humphrey, the Vice President of USA in the winters of 1967. Has not social media done the same in different contexts in Third World countries is a topic for detailed academic research.

The popularity of McLuhan's book 'Understanding Media' was such that it's paperback edition, published in 1965, sold around 1 lakh copies in the same year. In response to the critique of some of his notions in an Interview given to Weekend Magazine on January 4,1967, he had said that he was simply a pattern-watcher. For him, TV itself (not its content only) was polluting. "It goes right into the nervous system," he replied, on being asked how to handle it. What he would have commented on being asked for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had he been alive in 21st century, as Umberto Eco said about Twitter. In his final times, the cell phone was evolving and TV had attained adulthood. But his ideas were infallibly prophetic with regard to the impact of media for future generations. To Peter Drucker, a famous Australian educationist, he said once in his correspondence, "Electronic man is the first since Neolithic times to live in a man-made environment, an information environment."

Involvement has taken its place. Under electric conditions there is no escape for anyone.

(Dharmendra Singh is an IPS officer of the 2006 batch, and is part of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.)

(This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/the-journey-from-social-media-to-violence-is-irresistible-and-we-are-living-it-2124152.html">original article</a>) 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady.

In one of his columns contributing to Italian weekly magazine L' Espresso in 2010 and posthumously collected and published as 'Chronicles of a Liquid Society' in English in 2017, Umberto Eco (1932-2016) an academician, novelist and leading philosopher of contemporary Europe wrote - "I'm not on Twitter, not on Facebook the Italian constitution allows me not to be. But there is evidently a false Twitter account in my name, as there seems to be for other well-known people. I once met a woman whose eyes brimmed with gratitude as she explained how she read me all the time on Twitter and sometimes even corresponded with me. I tried telling her that it was a false me, but she gazed back as though I were telling her I wasn't really who I am. If I was on Twitter, then I existed. Twittero ergo sum." I tweet, therefore I am. Most likely, the soul of 16th century French philosopher Rene Descartes must not have felt offended with this spoof of his counterpart of the 20th century when he had theorised this path-breaking axiom in his epochal work 'Discourse on the Method', saying, "Cogito ergo sum," meaning famously hereby, "I think therefore I am." Having been impressed with how wittily Umberto Eco remarked upon his age of social media, one might intend to think how Marshall McLuhan - a seminal scholar, professor of English by livelihood at St Michael's College, University of Toronto, and author of 'The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of a Typographic Man' (1962) and most famously known for 'Understanding Media: The Extension of Man' (1964) - would have expressed his opinion upon the present-day state of social media and the angst and anxieties it has caused. "The medium is the message,'' is the phrase which made McLuhan reckoned as one the most influential philosophers and post-modernist thinkers of the 20th century. So, forget the content of Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and other ancillary social media platforms we, hitherto, are changed men with altered 'sense-ratios or patterns of perception', with no impact of media content alone on us but through the whole media itself. In his field of vision, electronic media is nothing but an extension of our central nervous system. The crescendo of electronic media has brought us to the newer generational forms of social media where by having a structural capacity of organising a posse in no time with 'electric speed of information' as McLuhan suggested, it has mutated us either as mobster or beguiled countless youths as hatemongers. These are the portents he had hinted about electronic age of information decades back when social media was yet to be conceived. The world is unlucky in this sense that McLuhan died on the eve of New Year, December 31, 1980 - seven years after Martin Cooper had engineered a 1 kg bare Motorola cell phone for us, but quiet premature, before he could see and critically examine how few grams weighed present day cell phone by its covenant with divergent social media apps has tribalised the globe, whereas TV as a cool medium had introduced a kind of 'rigor mortis into the politic'. For TV in particular and electronic media in general, which he profoundly evaluated, he had quoted Howard K Smith, an American journalist and TV anchor, that, "The networks are delighted if you go into a controversy or 14,000 miles away. They don't want real controversy, real dissent at home." Shouldn't it explain sufficiently our irresistible interest in the things like wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Though the wedding was not a controversy at all notwithstanding few general curiosities of us like who were the invitees there! Oh lucky ones! Though McLuhan is not amongst us now question is whether his work, especially his path-breaking book 'Understanding Media', published in 1964 by McGraw-Hill, could help us in understanding present day media. He devoted his whole life in understanding it, even coining myriads of idioms like 'Global Village' and many others. Though he lives not to see the impacts of media especially its newest extension - social media - upon 21st century societies, his prophetic prescience proves him unflinchingly assiduous in his philosophic work. Are few deviated ones amongst us not lynching their fellow people using WhatsApp and Facebook vigilantism, as recently reported from many states of North-East and states of Central and North India, casting ordinary and innocent people sometimes as child abductors or cattle smugglers? Are we not belligerent to charge upon each other as a group sometimes or as individuals often relying, and without knowing their veracity upon totally illogical and designed pieces of information being spread through many social media platforms? Where in our society does the crater for this volcano of violence lie? In one of his letters jotted in the penultimate year of his life on April 5 1979 to his friend Clare Boothe Luce, McLuhan wrote that on the telephone or on the air, man is in every sense discarnate existing as an abstract image, a figure without body. When discarnate, man has no identity and not subject to natural law. As electronic information moved at the speed of light, man is a nobody, when deprived of his identity, man becomes violent in diverse ways. "Violence is the quest for identity." One may wish to differ with McLuhan's notion with regard to 'violent impact' of media on society as a whole or as an individual, but what makes him relevant is his understanding of this collision of man with the mediums and that this collision is not the first one for mankind. Mediums have always shattered societies. Transition of man from one technology to the next one has never been simple and steady. The same was attempted to prove by Professor Eric Havelock in his formative work, 'Preface To Plato'(1963). Homer, the composer of 'Iliad' and Odyssey represents the pre-literate society of Greeks. Information in Homer's Greek is fundamentally a memory the sweetest thing for humans, as were our four Vedas for Indian society but things changed as the medium changed. Prof Havelock stated in his book that between Homer and Plato, the method of storage began to alter. "Information became alphabetised. Eye supplanted the ear as the chief organ for this purpose." That is why Plato hated poets, as they tend to reduce every experience of mind to memory thus obstructing rational examination of an object. Homer's time lost its relevance with regard to the age of Plato in terms of change in communicative media. Again, with the Guttenberg-invented printing press, 'sense-ratios' of societies were bound to alter. Newspapers gave us individualism, radio (which McLuhan called a 'tribal drum') tribalism, and TV, which he called in a letter to one of his colleagues 'as radioactive as radium', a kind of in-depth involvement. All these media in their respective phases changed our 'sense-ratios', if we may borrow Mcluhanian phrase, but the question remains in what way the social media (upon which McLuhan sadly was not alive to comment) has re-calibrated our ratios of sensibilities. Have we reached finally the phase he had presaged as the 'technological simulation of human consciousness'. Today, technology is omnipresent. It is ubiquitous for all of us whether we like it or not. A society with loss of privacy whom a renowned professor of sociology, Zygmunt Bauman, christens a "confessional society promoting self-exposure" with a pressure of being seen for everyone. So, if the Facebook spies upon us, Umberto Eco long before the formal confession of Mark Zuckerberg, had satirised in 2014 in one of his articles for L'Espresso that for the first time in the history of mankind, those who are being spied upon are helping the spies to make their work easier and gain satisfaction from being observed as they live. But what worries a reasonable man of today vis a vis an enforcement agency like the police, for that matter, is not the aesthetic transfiguration of human appearance through high mega-pixel mobile phone cameras or his/her narcissistic fondness of selfies. The subject of concern lies with the capacity in the hands of anti-social elements of making a mob in the open or through a closed WhatsApp group, which necessarily comes handy to them to fulfil their task of hate peddling. And this is what is happening in subterranean way and therefore posing a serious challenge to police and other state agencies alike to find a perfect counter to it. Even with the success of finding a legal or structural solution, residues of problematic are yet to persist in form of contamination with irrationality, bigotry and a complete wash-off of logic for which not only the content, but also the medium is no less reprehensible. If caught on time (which is rather difficult) one can force someone to add, reduce or mend the content in some way or other, but no law or no police on the earth can change the layout of medium. As McLuhan had quoted Mallarme in one of his letters and in his essays too that for the modern press miracle comes first, rationality later. This is the point where 'global village' is doomed to capitulate or at least seems to stumble, and this is what McLuhan had stated oracularly that there are no moral values at the speed of light and no legal structures for information at this speed will hold up any longer. We have come far ahead from the world of printed text with a bullock-cart speed. In a letter dated February 24,1957, to the then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, McLuhan wrote, "… at electric speed we all are disembodied. On the phone we are instantly present but minus our bodies. There is corresponding loss of personal identity and responsibility which creates separatism both in private life and family life and in all institutional existence." Nonetheless, McLuhan didn't miss to overlook the positive side of new era of electric media. In democratic societies, instant electric communication 'turned-on' subalterns like 'Negros' in America, for whom according to McLuhan there was no 'Industrial Age', or no 19th century. "They started with electric information," he wrote to Hubert Humphrey, the Vice President of USA in the winters of 1967. Has not social media done the same in different contexts in Third World countries is a topic for detailed academic research. The popularity of McLuhan's book 'Understanding Media' was such that it's paperback edition, published in 1965, sold around 1 lakh copies in the same year. In response to the critique of some of his notions in an Interview given to Weekend Magazine on January 4,1967, he had said that he was simply a pattern-watcher. For him, TV itself (not its content only) was polluting. "It goes right into the nervous system," he replied, on being asked how to handle it. What he would have commented on being asked for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had he been alive in 21st century, as Umberto Eco said about Twitter. In his final times, the cell phone was evolving and TV had attained adulthood. But his ideas were infallibly prophetic with regard to the impact of media for future generations. To Peter Drucker, a famous Australian educationist, he said once in his correspondence, "Electronic man is the first since Neolithic times to live in a man-made environment, an information environment." Involvement has taken its place. Under electric conditions there is no escape for anyone. (Dharmendra Singh is an IPS officer of the 2006 batch, and is part of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.) (This article was first published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: The journey from social media to violence is irresistible, and we are living it

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for failing its duty to dispose of the garbage accumulated in the national capital and not taking effective steps to handle it.

Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, while admonishing the L-G for not attending a crucial meeting on the disposal of garbage issue, observed, "You (L-G) say, I have the power. I am a superman."

The Apex Court expressed its displeasure with the failure of the L-G office for claiming power over the municipal corporations' offices but not taking effective steps to handle the garbage issue.

The Supreme Court division bench, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, was hearing the issue.

On many occasions in previous hearings, the top court wanted to know from the concerned authorities with respect to the disposal of garbage.

The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the "mountain loads of garbage" in Delhi.

Recently, the SC ruled that the L-G has no independent power to make decisions and is bound by the elected government's aid and advice.

The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the 'mountain loads of garbage' in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Thursday criticised the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for failing its duty to dispose of the garbage accumulated in the national capital and not taking effective steps to handle it. Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, while admonishing the L-G for not attending a crucial meeting on the disposal of garbage issue, observed, "You (L-G) say, I have the power. I am a superman." The Apex Court expressed its displeasure with the failure of the L-G office for claiming power over the municipal corporations' offices but not taking effective steps to handle the garbage issue. The Supreme Court division bench, headed by Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur, was hearing the issue. On many occasions in previous hearings, the top court wanted to know from the concerned authorities with respect to the disposal of garbage. The Supreme Court's reaction came a day after it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to clarify who could be held responsible for clearing the "mountain loads of garbage" in Delhi. Recently, the SC ruled that the L-G has no independent power to make decisions and is bound by the elected government's aid and advice.

Delhi LG rapped by Supreme Court over garbage disposal issue

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that the <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/bjp-should-say-on-record-that-they-do-not-believe-in-hindu-rashtra-shashi-tharoor-151065">Congress party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus</a> of the country by using the word 'Hindu Pakistan'.

"Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi.

Reacting on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's `Hindu Pakistan` remark, Patra said, "His comment is an insult to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan."

"Shashi Tharoor says that if BJP forms government in 2019 then India will become 'Hindu Pakistan', there can be no more objectionable subject for India than this," he added.

Tharoor had earlier said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.

Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, "Stop this fear being mongering Rahul Gandhi. India is not going to take this easily. You have been constantly instilling the seeds of fear mongering among the people of this country. This is shameful act to denigrate India by saying 'Hindu Pakistan'."

The BJP spokesperson also said that Congress party leaders are degrading India's image by engaging in cheap politics.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor, on Wednesday, stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution, which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

He said that if re-elected, the BJP will "tear apart" the constitution and will write a new one "which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities and create a Hindu Pakistan."

Criticising Tharoor's statement, Patra had earlier also demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi's apology.

Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said, "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor said. Congress was responsible for creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India."

Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus.&nbsp

'Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country,' BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that the Congress party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country by using the word 'Hindu Pakistan'. "Using the word 'Hindu Pakistan', the Congress Party has attacked India's democracy and the Hindus of the country," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference in Delhi. Reacting on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's `Hindu Pakistan` remark, Patra said, "His comment is an insult to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan." "Shashi Tharoor says that if BJP forms government in 2019 then India will become 'Hindu Pakistan', there can be no more objectionable subject for India than this," he added. Tharoor had earlier said that if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections it will create a condition leading to the formation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'. Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Patra said, "Stop this fear being mongering Rahul Gandhi. India is not going to take this easily. You have been constantly instilling the seeds of fear mongering among the people of this country. This is shameful act to denigrate India by saying 'Hindu Pakistan'." The BJP spokesperson also said that Congress party leaders are degrading India's image by engaging in cheap politics. Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor, on Wednesday, stated that the BJP will write a new Constitution, which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected. He said that if re-elected, the BJP will "tear apart" the constitution and will write a new one "which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities and create a Hindu Pakistan." Criticising Tharoor's statement, Patra had earlier also demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi's apology. Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said, "Rahul Gandhi must apologise for what Shashi Tharoor said. Congress was responsible for creation of Pakistan because of its ambitions yet again it has gone ahead to demean India and defame Hindus of India." Patra also took to Twitter and said that the Congress doesn't lose any opportunity to demean India and defame Hindus.

Congress has attacked India's democracy: BJP on Tharoor's remark

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers.

Silver followed suit and slipped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg owing to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

Marketmen said apart from a weak global trend, falling demand from local jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market kept the precious metal lower.

Globally, gold fell 1.12 per cent to US $ 1,241 an ounce and silver by 1.53 per cent to US $ 415.78 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 140 each to Rs 31,210 and Rs 31,060 per ten gram, respectively. The precious metal had lost Rs 300 in the last two days.

Sovereign, however, remained unaltered at Rs 24,800 per piece of eight gram.

Tracking gold, silver ready dropped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 380 to Rs 39,230 per kg.

Silver coins, however, maintained a steady trend at Rs 75,000 for buying and Rs 76,000 for selling of 100 pieces.&nbsp;

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers

Gold shed Rs 140 to Rs 31,210 per ten gram today in line with a subdued trend overseas and muted demand from local jewellers. Silver followed suit and slipped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg owing to reduced offtake by industrial units and coin makers. Marketmen said apart from a weak global trend, falling demand from local jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market kept the precious metal lower. Globally, gold fell 1.12 per cent to US $ 1,241 an ounce and silver by 1.53 per cent to US $ 415.78 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purity fell by Rs 140 each to Rs 31,210 and Rs 31,060 per ten gram, respectively. The precious metal had lost Rs 300 in the last two days. Sovereign, however, remained unaltered at Rs 24,800 per piece of eight gram. Tracking gold, silver ready dropped by Rs 470 to Rs 40,030 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 380 to Rs 39,230 per kg. Silver coins, however, maintained a steady trend at Rs 75,000 for buying and Rs 76,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Gold falls on weak global cues, lacklustre demand

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred".

Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan".

Congress' communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala, in a series of tweets, said, "India's values and fundamentals are an unequivocal guarantee of our civilisational role & set us apart from the divisive idea of Pakistan."

"All Congress leaders must realise this historic responsibility bestowed upon us while choosing words and phraseology to reject BJP's hatred," he said.

Surjewala attacked the Modi Government, alleging that it thrives upon "an unprecedented atmosphere of division, bigotry, hatred, intolerance and polarisation" for the last four years.

He asserted that the Congress represents India's civilisational values of pluralism, diversity, compassion and harmony between faiths and ethnicities.

Responding to a question, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters that irrespective of the government that comes to power, Indian democracy will never allow the country to become Pakistan.

"Congress advises each of its leaders and workers to exercise restraint, caution and choose their words and statements wisely. And remember that the Indian National Congress stands for a pluralistic multi-cultural, multi-faith society," Shergill said.

"Every worker of the Congress should not be provoked by the BJP's polarising and dividing statements and that is the basic difference between us and them," he said.

The BJP today demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over Tharoor's remarks and said the MP had insulted India's democracy and Hindus.

"It is an abuse and highly objectionable statement to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan. It is an insult to our democracy and Hindus," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at the party office.

Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who made the remarks yesterday, today said in a Facebook post that a state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place would be a Hindu Pakistan.

Shergill said India was far ahead of Pakistan and the Congress had made a "very valuable contribution" in this regard.

"I would like to say that, despite the fact that till date the prime minister has never opened his mouth or given an apology on the objectionable remarks of the BJP leaders, despite the fact that the BJP invites Pakistan's ISI into India, despite the fact that the BJP thanks Pakistan for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the fact that the BJP ministers garland criminals, India can never become Pakistan, irrespective of the government," he said.&nbsp

Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a 'Hindu Pakistan'.

The Congress on Thursday disapproved of remarks by its MP Shashi Tharoor that if the BJP is voted to power, it will pave the way for the creation of a "Hindu Pakistan", and cautioned its leaders to choose words carefully while rejecting the saffron party's "hatred". Tharoor kicked up a huge row with his remarks yesterday that if voted to power again, the BJP will rewrite the Constitution and pave the way for creation of a "Hindu Pakistan". Congress' communication in-charge Randeep Surjewala, in a series of tweets, said, "India's values and fundamentals are an unequivocal guarantee of our civilisational role & set us apart from the divisive idea of Pakistan." "All Congress leaders must realise this historic responsibility bestowed upon us while choosing words and phraseology to reject BJP's hatred," he said. Surjewala attacked the Modi Government, alleging that it thrives upon "an unprecedented atmosphere of division, bigotry, hatred, intolerance and polarisation" for the last four years. He asserted that the Congress represents India's civilisational values of pluralism, diversity, compassion and harmony between faiths and ethnicities. Responding to a question, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill told reporters that irrespective of the government that comes to power, Indian democracy will never allow the country to become Pakistan. "Congress advises each of its leaders and workers to exercise restraint, caution and choose their words and statements wisely. And remember that the Indian National Congress stands for a pluralistic multi-cultural, multi-faith society," Shergill said. "Every worker of the Congress should not be provoked by the BJP's polarising and dividing statements and that is the basic difference between us and them," he said. The BJP today demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi over Tharoor's remarks and said the MP had insulted India's democracy and Hindus. "It is an abuse and highly objectionable statement to compare the world's sixth largest economy with Pakistan. It is an insult to our democracy and Hindus," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference at the party office. Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, who made the remarks yesterday, today said in a Facebook post that a state with a dominant majority religion that seeks to put its minorities in a subordinate place would be a Hindu Pakistan. Shergill said India was far ahead of Pakistan and the Congress had made a "very valuable contribution" in this regard. "I would like to say that, despite the fact that till date the prime minister has never opened his mouth or given an apology on the objectionable remarks of the BJP leaders, despite the fact that the BJP invites Pakistan's ISI into India, despite the fact that the BJP thanks Pakistan for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, despite the fact that the BJP ministers garland criminals, India can never become Pakistan, irrespective of the government," he said.

Congress disapproves of Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, tells leaders to choose words carefully

India's foreign ministry on Thursday cleared its position on Afghanistan&nbsp;stating&nbsp;it will not advise North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members&nbsp;as the summit&nbsp;shifts its attention to the Afghanistan conflict.

The MEA said that the Afghanistan Led forces and the people of Afghanistan should take their own&nbsp;decision.

"I think we are not going to advice NATO members; our position is that Afghanistan Led forces and people should take decision:,&nbsp;MEA said in a press conference.

Dominated by the&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/world/nato-holds-an-emergency-session-on-trump-defence-spending-demands-sources-151073">demands of Donald Trump</a>, NATO leaders are expected to shift their attention to Afghanistan conflict on the second day of the summit on Thursday.

Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani will also be present on the second day of the talks. According to media reports, NATO's Secretary General&nbsp;Jens Stoltenberg is hoping that the bloc will agree to fund Afghani security forces until 2024.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May had already committed on Tuesday to send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan which will take the total number of UK troops to 1,090.

Last year in September, the US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces -- bringing its total to 15,000.&nbsp;

According to further reports, US officials have said that Washington is also planning a strategic review. In 2017 Trump had agreed to remain involved in the long-going conflict of the war-torn country.

Taliban is active in 70% of Afghanistan and it continues to threaten more territory to control, BBC reported earlier.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's has been demanding NATO allies to increase defence spending by up to 4% of their annual GDP output. Current NATO states are working towards a target of 2%.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The MEA said that the people of Afghanistan and Afghanistan led forces should take the decision

India's foreign ministry on Thursday cleared its position on Afghanistan stating it will not advise North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members as the summit shifts its attention to the Afghanistan conflict. The MEA said that the Afghanistan Led forces and the people of Afghanistan should take their own decision. "I think we are not going to advice NATO members; our position is that Afghanistan Led forces and people should take decision:, MEA said in a press conference. Dominated by the demands of Donald Trump, NATO leaders are expected to shift their attention to Afghanistan conflict on the second day of the summit on Thursday. Afghanistan's President, Ashraf Ghani will also be present on the second day of the talks. According to media reports, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is hoping that the bloc will agree to fund Afghani security forces until 2024. Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May had already committed on Tuesday to send 440 more troops to serve in non-combat roles in Afghanistan which will take the total number of UK troops to 1,090. Last year in September, the US also committed an extra 3,000 troops to support Afghan forces -- bringing its total to 15,000. According to further reports, US officials have said that Washington is also planning a strategic review. In 2017 Trump had agreed to remain involved in the long-going conflict of the war-torn country. Taliban is active in 70% of Afghanistan and it continues to threaten more territory to control, BBC reported earlier. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's has been demanding NATO allies to increase defence spending by up to 4% of their annual GDP output. Current NATO states are working towards a target of 2%.

India clears stand as NATO summit shifts focus on Afghan conflict

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;visited ailing Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad at his residence in Patna.

Lalu, who was out of parole in May to attend his elder son Tej Pratap`s wedding, is on a six-week bail on health grounds.

He is suffering from a heart condition, for which he was recently admitted to New Delhi`s All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Following his meeting with Lalu Prasad, Gehlot tweeted a picture with him, saying: "Visited Sh Lalu Prasad Yadav Ji at his residence in #Patna, #Bihar... I wish him a speedy recovery."Gehlot is in Patna to attend the 100th birth anniversary of former Bihar Chief Minister, Late Satyendra Narayan Sinha.

On Thursday, he also attended a meeting with Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee.

Congress, RJD and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) were part of the Grand Alliance during Bihar Assembly polls in 2015, in which RJD emerged as the single largest party with 80 seats, while JD-U got 71 and Congress 27.

Following Nitish Kumar snapping ties from the Grand Alliance, RJD and Congress are now working for a larger alliance at both the national level for 2019 general elections and the state elections in 2020.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Lalu Prasad suffering from a heart condition for which he is on a six-week bail on health grounds

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Thursday visited ailing Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad at his residence in Patna. Lalu, who was out of parole in May to attend his elder son Tej Pratap`s wedding, is on a six-week bail on health grounds. He is suffering from a heart condition, for which he was recently admitted to New Delhi`s All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Following his meeting with Lalu Prasad, Gehlot tweeted a picture with him, saying: "Visited Sh Lalu Prasad Yadav Ji at his residence in #Patna, #Bihar... I wish him a speedy recovery."Gehlot is in Patna to attend the 100th birth anniversary of former Bihar Chief Minister, Late Satyendra Narayan Sinha. On Thursday, he also attended a meeting with Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee. Congress, RJD and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) were part of the Grand Alliance during Bihar Assembly polls in 2015, in which RJD emerged as the single largest party with 80 seats, while JD-U got 71 and Congress 27. Following Nitish Kumar snapping ties from the Grand Alliance, RJD and Congress are now working for a larger alliance at both the national level for 2019 general elections and the state elections in 2020.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot meets Lalu Prasad in Patna

In its hearing on Thursday,&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-lgbt-community-forced-to-live-in-fear-says-supreme-court-151054">Supreme Court said that the LGBT community is forced to live in fear</a>. The apex court also added that because of family and societal pressures, the LGBT community is "forced to marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma".&nbsp;

The court is hearing petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. The petitions are being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality&nbsp;</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">not</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">&nbsp;a psychiatric disorder</a>

As&nbsp;the Supreme Court gave out its views, social media was also flooded with reactions on Section 377.

Here are some of the social media reactions:

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Apologies to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBT</a> Community.. if there feelings are hurt when a fellow Panelist Ansar Raza took a very extreme position of saying 
"LGBT leave India" 
 
I apologise.. (thou i didnt say & would never even think of it) 
 
Hurting people like this pains me too :-( 
 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> is for all
— Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulEaswar/status/1016735863974199296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In honor of the political activists who want to put pedophiles and sex workers into the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBT</a> group, I suggest we have people who like to be spanked put in black community, swingers in the Hispanic community & chubby chasers in Asian community. 
 
How does that feel?
— The Gay Trumpocrat (@PaulObrienUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulObrienUSA/status/1017256929251520512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;A donor-supported legal services organization called the Section 377 as an attack on the identity of the LGBT.

The tweet read, "#Section377 KVV: By tagetting conduct, section 377 actually targets identity. #LGBT persons cannot express themselves and Art. 19(1)(a) protects all rights to dress, choose partner and express their personality. Therefore section 377 violates freedom of speech".

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Section377?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Section377</a> KVV: By tagetting conduct, section 377 actually targets identity. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBT</a> persons cannot express themselves and Art. 19(1)(a) protects all rights to dress, choose partner and express their personality. Therefore section 377 violates freedom of speech.
— sflc.in (@SFLCin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SFLCin/status/1017327082379141121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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I SUPPORT TRANS RIGHTS 
 
I have A Lot Of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Transgender?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Transgender</a> followers & one of my friends is Trans I support them unconditionally if you have a problem with that Fu*k off!!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheResistance?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheResistance</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TransAlly?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TransAlly</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TransIsBeautiful?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TransIsBeautiful</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeYourself?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeYourself</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotHate?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotHate</a> <a href="https://t.co/iMgAAYFUv4">pic.twitter.com/iMgAAYFUv4</a>
— DΔX™ (@Dax_x98) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dax_x98/status/1017275164327849984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Calling the attraction between the same sex as "natural feeling" a user wrote that "being a Bi or straight does not have anything to do with religion".&nbsp;

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Bi or straight or whatever.. Getting attracted to same or different sex is my natural feel..it don't even have anything to do with religion. I don't want to feel arrested inside my four walls..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LGBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LGBT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Section377?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Section377</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/proudbi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#proudbi</a>
— Pooja Iyengar (@hithisispooja) <a href="https://twitter.com/hithisispooja/status/1016727714156314625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Section377?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Section377</a> it's funny to see all these ignorant men being worried that gay men would be hitting on them. First of all ain't nobody is interested in your ugly ass also now you know how indian women have been feeling all this time! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SupremeCourt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SupremeCourt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lgbt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lgbt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoveisLove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LoveisLove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyPride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyPride</a>
— Felis Fella (@FelisFella) <a href="https://twitter.com/FelisFella/status/1016638695577972736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court it would leave the matter of deciding the constitutionality of Section 377 to the "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violation-of-human-rights-says-petitioners-counsel-as-sc-hears-pleas-against-section-377-150452">wisdom of the court</a>". The Supreme Court replied that, subject to arguments, it intended to rule that people should not be prosecuted for having gay sex.&nbsp;

To which the government replied that the court should stick to ruling on Section 377, but not go any further into questions of, say, marriage or property rights.&nbsp;

The court is hearing petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. The petitions are being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra

In its hearing on Thursday, Supreme Court said that the LGBT community is forced to live in fear. The apex court also added that because of family and societal pressures, the LGBT community is "forced to marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma". The court is hearing petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. The petitions are being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Also read: Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality not a psychiatric disorder As the Supreme Court gave out its views, social media was also flooded with reactions on Section 377. Here are some of the social media reactions: Apologies to #LGBT Community.. if there feelings are hurt when a fellow Panelist Ansar Raza took a very extreme position of saying "LGBT leave India" I apologise.. (thou i didnt say & would never even think of it) Hurting people like this pains me too :-( #India is for all — Rahul Easwar (@RahulEaswar) July 10, 2018 × In honor of the political activists who want to put pedophiles and sex workers into the #LGBT group, I suggest we have people who like to be spanked put in black community, swingers in the Hispanic community & chubby chasers in Asian community. How does that feel? — The Gay Trumpocrat (@PaulObrienUSA) July 12, 2018 × A donor-supported legal services organization called the Section 377 as an attack on the identity of the LGBT. The tweet read, "#Section377 KVV: By tagetting conduct, section 377 actually targets identity. #LGBT persons cannot express themselves and Art. 19(1)(a) protects all rights to dress, choose partner and express their personality. Therefore section 377 violates freedom of speech". #Section377 KVV: By tagetting conduct, section 377 actually targets identity. #LGBT persons cannot express themselves and Art. 19(1)(a) protects all rights to dress, choose partner and express their personality. Therefore section 377 violates freedom of speech. — sflc.in (@SFLCin) July 12, 2018 × I SUPPORT TRANS RIGHTS I have A Lot Of #Transgender followers & one of my friends is Trans I support them unconditionally if you have a problem with that Fu*k off!!!#TheResistance #TransAlly #TransIsBeautiful #LGBT #BeYourself #NotHate pic.twitter.com/iMgAAYFUv4 — DΔX™ (@Dax_x98) July 12, 2018 × Calling the attraction between the same sex as "natural feeling" a user wrote that "being a Bi or straight does not have anything to do with religion". Bi or straight or whatever.. Getting attracted to same or different sex is my natural feel..it don't even have anything to do with religion. I don't want to feel arrested inside my four walls..#LGBT #Section377 #proudbi — Pooja Iyengar (@hithisispooja) July 10, 2018 × #Section377 it's funny to see all these ignorant men being worried that gay men would be hitting on them. First of all ain't nobody is interested in your ugly ass also now you know how indian women have been feeling all this time! #SupremeCourt #lgbt #LoveisLove #Gay #HappyPride — Felis Fella (@FelisFella) July 10, 2018 × In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. On Wednesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court it would leave the matter of deciding the constitutionality of Section 377 to the "wisdom of the court". The Supreme Court replied that, subject to arguments, it intended to rule that people should not be prosecuted for having gay sex. To which the government replied that the court should stick to ruling on Section 377, but not go any further into questions of, say, marriage or property rights.

Social media explodes as Supreme Court hears Section 377

Nearly 100 teams comprising about 4,500 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in 71 locations across the country to deal with floods and heavy rains.

Additional teams are also on standby in all NDRF battalions and will be mobilised as per demand.

The NDRF has deployed 97 teams at 71 locations in at least 14 states across the country for rescue and relief operations of flood-affected people-a, a Home Ministry official said.&nbsp;

A team of NDRF comprises 45 personnel.

The force is in constant touch with the India Metrological Department (IMD), the Central Water Commission (CWC) and other agencies. Battalion commanders are in touch with state authorities to render all possible assistance in time of crisis, the official said.

A 24x7, NDRF control room in Delhi is closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

The disaster emergency force is fully geared up to face any eventuality arising due to floods and has mobilised its resources at vulnerable locations across the country.

To mitigate the impact of the disasters which may be triggered due to heavy rains during the monsoon season, the NDRF has deployed its rescue and relief teams in vulnerable areas across the country, the official said.

The deployment has been made with keeping in view the vulnerability profile and in consultation with the state and local administration.

Meanwhile, NDRF teams have evacuated 68 people from Manikpur and 411 from Nalasopara, Palghar in Maharashtra to safer places, another official said.&nbsp;

The water level had risen in low lying areas in Palghar due to incessant rains.

NDRF has deployed its rescue and relief teams in vulnerable areas across the country.

Nearly 100 teams comprising about 4,500 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in 71 locations across the country to deal with floods and heavy rains. Additional teams are also on standby in all NDRF battalions and will be mobilised as per demand. The NDRF has deployed 97 teams at 71 locations in at least 14 states across the country for rescue and relief operations of flood-affected people-a, a Home Ministry official said. A team of NDRF comprises 45 personnel. The force is in constant touch with the India Metrological Department (IMD), the Central Water Commission (CWC) and other agencies. Battalion commanders are in touch with state authorities to render all possible assistance in time of crisis, the official said. A 24x7, NDRF control room in Delhi is closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock. The disaster emergency force is fully geared up to face any eventuality arising due to floods and has mobilised its resources at vulnerable locations across the country. To mitigate the impact of the disasters which may be triggered due to heavy rains during the monsoon season, the NDRF has deployed its rescue and relief teams in vulnerable areas across the country, the official said. The deployment has been made with keeping in view the vulnerability profile and in consultation with the state and local administration. Meanwhile, NDRF teams have evacuated 68 people from Manikpur and 411 from Nalasopara, Palghar in Maharashtra to safer places, another official said. The water level had risen in low lying areas in Palghar due to incessant rains.

100 NDRF teams deployed in 71 locations across the country to deal with floods

Cooking gas (LPG) subsidy has jumped by over 60 per cent in last two months as the government maintains price line despite rising international rates, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh said.

All LPG consumers have to buy fuel at market price. The government, however, subsidises 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each per households in a year by providing the subsidy amount directly in bank accounts of users.

"Subsidy amount (transferred in bank accounts) was Rs 159.29 per cylinder in May and it was raised to Rs 204.95 in June and to Rs 257.74 per cylinder this month," he said.

The higher subsidy was meant to keep rates of subsidised LPG in check, Singh added.

International rates of LPG, which was used as a benchmark for pricing of domestic fuel, have been on the run since June. Non-subsidised or market priced LPG price was Rs 653.50 per 14.2-kg bottle in the national capital in May, which rose to Rs 698.50 (Rs 48 per cylinder) in June.

This month price has further risen by Rs 55.50 to Rs 754 in Delhi.

Non-subsidised LPG is the one that consumers buy after exhausting their quota of below market rate fuel. It is also bought by those who have voluntarily given up subsidy and by commercial establishments.

"While LPG prices have shot up, subsidised LPG rates haven't," Singh said, adding that only the minor tax part has been passed on to consumers.

As per tax rules, GST on LPG has to be calculated at the market rate of the fuel. The government may choose to subsidise a part of the price but tax will have to be paid at market rates.

This has meant that GST is calculated every month on the rate at which domestic non-subsidised LPG is priced. With rates on the rise, the tax has also risen, resulting in a minor increase in rates for subsidised users, he said.

Subsidised LPG was priced at Rs 491.21 per cylinder in May, which rose to Rs 493.55 in June and Rs 496.26 this month, Singh noted.

"The increase is mainly on account of GST on the revised price of Domestic Non-Subsidised LPG," he said.

As a result of higher global rates, the price of non-subsidised LPG in Delhi will increase by Rs 55.50 per cylinder.

"The balance Rs 52.79 (Rs 55.50 minus Rs 2.71) is being compensated to the customer by an increase in subsidy transfer to their bank account. Accordingly, the subsidy transfer in the customer's bank account has been increased to Rs 257.74 per cylinder in July as against Rs 204.95 per cylinder in June. Thus the domestic LPG customer is protected against the increase in international prices of LPG," he said.

Oil firms revise LPG price on 1st of every month based on average benchmark rate and foreign exchange rate in the previous month.&nbsp;

International rates of LPG, which was used as a benchmark for pricing of domestic fuel, have been on the run since June. Non-subsidised or market priced LPG price was Rs 653.50 per 14.2-kg bottle in the national capital in May, which rose to Rs 698.50 (Rs 48 per cylinder) in June

Cooking gas (LPG) subsidy has jumped by over 60 per cent in last two months as the government maintains price line despite rising international rates, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) Chairman Sanjiv Singh said. All LPG consumers have to buy fuel at market price. The government, however, subsidises 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each per households in a year by providing the subsidy amount directly in bank accounts of users. "Subsidy amount (transferred in bank accounts) was Rs 159.29 per cylinder in May and it was raised to Rs 204.95 in June and to Rs 257.74 per cylinder this month," he said. The higher subsidy was meant to keep rates of subsidised LPG in check, Singh added. International rates of LPG, which was used as a benchmark for pricing of domestic fuel, have been on the run since June. Non-subsidised or market priced LPG price was Rs 653.50 per 14.2-kg bottle in the national capital in May, which rose to Rs 698.50 (Rs 48 per cylinder) in June. This month price has further risen by Rs 55.50 to Rs 754 in Delhi. Non-subsidised LPG is the one that consumers buy after exhausting their quota of below market rate fuel. It is also bought by those who have voluntarily given up subsidy and by commercial establishments. "While LPG prices have shot up, subsidised LPG rates haven't," Singh said, adding that only the minor tax part has been passed on to consumers. As per tax rules, GST on LPG has to be calculated at the market rate of the fuel. The government may choose to subsidise a part of the price but tax will have to be paid at market rates. This has meant that GST is calculated every month on the rate at which domestic non-subsidised LPG is priced. With rates on the rise, the tax has also risen, resulting in a minor increase in rates for subsidised users, he said. Subsidised LPG was priced at Rs 491.21 per cylinder in May, which rose to Rs 493.55 in June and Rs 496.26 this month, Singh noted. "The increase is mainly on account of GST on the revised price of Domestic Non-Subsidised LPG," he said. As a result of higher global rates, the price of non-subsidised LPG in Delhi will increase by Rs 55.50 per cylinder. "The balance Rs 52.79 (Rs 55.50 minus Rs 2.71) is being compensated to the customer by an increase in subsidy transfer to their bank account. Accordingly, the subsidy transfer in the customer's bank account has been increased to Rs 257.74 per cylinder in July as against Rs 204.95 per cylinder in June. Thus the domestic LPG customer is protected against the increase in international prices of LPG," he said. Oil firms revise LPG price on 1st of every month based on average benchmark rate and foreign exchange rate in the previous month.

LPG subsidy jumps 60% as government maintains prices to help consumers

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to maintain transparency and accountability in its functioning as he voiced concern over corruption in the organisation.

Naidu said that even though it looked "odd" for the Vice President to talk about the issue, it was important as Prime Minister Narendra Modi waged a war against corruption and a campaign was underway to eliminate it.

The Vice President was addressing the employees on the 164th CPWD Day here.

"There are two things worrying me about CPWD because I have experience (as a former Urban Development Minister). One, chances of corruption here and there. It looks odd the VP of India is addressing this...But this an important thing as the Prime Minister has waged a war on corruption. A massive campaign is going on and it requires to acquire much more momentum."

"As a minister, I see the files about the suspension, increment... This is not a good commemoratory on the functioning of the organisation. There are a few black sheep but the black sheep will be visible. Please take care to see and introspect that we do not get into the murky thing," he said.

Naidu was equally concerned over the delay in project execution, asserting the employees need to maintain transparency and accountability.

"Make CPWD one of the best organisations. It is time to re-introspect and rededicate yourself to the organisation. We are here for a mission and not for commission," he said.

In January 2015, Naidu as the then Urban Development Minister had also raised his concerns over the functioning of the organisation, asking the employees to strive for a change in public perception about CPWD.

According to Urban Development Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, projects worth Rs 15,000 crore was executed by the body in 2017.

The Vice President suggested CPWD engineers, architects and planners to take up the green initiative in a big way and make water conservation and rainwater harvesting an integral component for all future buildings being executed by the organisation. This initiative should be made mandatory, he said.

"You should never compromise on quality and always strive to meet the expectations of your clients. The most important aspect is to maintain timelines in the execution of projects. You must continually strive to innovate and improvise your work methodology and be a credible leader in the area of your activities," he said.

Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons urged CPWD to contribute to the growth of the tourism sector with world-class infrastructure in cities which would attract foreign tourist. He said his ministry plans to generate USD 100 billion in the next five years from foreign tourist arrivals.&nbsp;

Naidu said that even though it looked "odd" for the Vice President to talk about the issue, it was important as Prime Minister Narendra Modi waged a war against corruption and a campaign was underway to eliminate it

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to maintain transparency and accountability in its functioning as he voiced concern over corruption in the organisation. Naidu said that even though it looked "odd" for the Vice President to talk about the issue, it was important as Prime Minister Narendra Modi waged a war against corruption and a campaign was underway to eliminate it. The Vice President was addressing the employees on the 164th CPWD Day here. "There are two things worrying me about CPWD because I have experience (as a former Urban Development Minister). One, chances of corruption here and there. It looks odd the VP of India is addressing this...But this an important thing as the Prime Minister has waged a war on corruption. A massive campaign is going on and it requires to acquire much more momentum." "As a minister, I see the files about the suspension, increment... This is not a good commemoratory on the functioning of the organisation. There are a few black sheep but the black sheep will be visible. Please take care to see and introspect that we do not get into the murky thing," he said. Naidu was equally concerned over the delay in project execution, asserting the employees need to maintain transparency and accountability. "Make CPWD one of the best organisations. It is time to re-introspect and rededicate yourself to the organisation. We are here for a mission and not for commission," he said. In January 2015, Naidu as the then Urban Development Minister had also raised his concerns over the functioning of the organisation, asking the employees to strive for a change in public perception about CPWD. According to Urban Development Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, projects worth Rs 15,000 crore was executed by the body in 2017. The Vice President suggested CPWD engineers, architects and planners to take up the green initiative in a big way and make water conservation and rainwater harvesting an integral component for all future buildings being executed by the organisation. This initiative should be made mandatory, he said. "You should never compromise on quality and always strive to meet the expectations of your clients. The most important aspect is to maintain timelines in the execution of projects. You must continually strive to innovate and improvise your work methodology and be a credible leader in the area of your activities," he said. Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons urged CPWD to contribute to the growth of the tourism sector with world-class infrastructure in cities which would attract foreign tourist. He said his ministry plans to generate USD 100 billion in the next five years from foreign tourist arrivals.

Naidu voices concern over corruption in CPWD asks employees to maintain transparency, accountability

A day after<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/india-will-become-a-hindu-pakistan-if-bjp-comes-to-power-in-2019-shashi-tharoor-150941"> sparking controversy over his comment on BJP</a>, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday challenged the Bhartiya Janata Party and asked them to say on record that they do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra.

Tharoor said, "If BJP does not believe in Hindu Rashtra concept then they should say it on record that we do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra but in a secular republic. This would end the debate".

His comments came a day after Tharoor raked up a controversy saying that if the BJP comes to power again in 2019,&nbsp;it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan.

Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, Mr Tharoor further said that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected.

He said,"If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one".

"That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan and that isn't what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and great heroes of freedom struggle fought for," he added.

&nbsp;

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If BJP does not believe in Hindu Rashtra concept then they should say it on record that we do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra but in a secular republic. This would end the debate: Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP <a href="https://t.co/LAt4xEzhMh">pic.twitter.com/LAt4xEzhMh</a>
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&nbsp;

His comments came a day after Tharoor raked up a controversy saying that if the BJP comes to power again in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan

A day after sparking controversy over his comment on BJP, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday challenged the Bhartiya Janata Party and asked them to say on record that they do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra. Tharoor said, "If BJP does not believe in Hindu Rashtra concept then they should say it on record that we do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra but in a secular republic. This would end the debate". His comments came a day after Tharoor raked up a controversy saying that if the BJP comes to power again in 2019, it will compromise with the Indian Constitution and create a Hindu Pakistan. Addressing an event in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, Mr Tharoor further said that the BJP will write a new Constitution which will pave the way for a nation, much like Pakistan, where rights of minorities are not respected. He said,"If they (BJP) win a repeat in the Lok Sabha, our democratic constitution as we understand it, will not survive as they will have all the elements they need to tear apart the constitution of India and write a new one". "That new one will be the one which will enshrine principles of Hindu Rashtra, that will remove equality for minorities, that'll create a Hindu Pakistan and that isn't what Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad and great heroes of freedom struggle fought for," he added. If BJP does not believe in Hindu Rashtra concept then they should say it on record that we do not believe in a Hindu Rashtra but in a secular republic. This would end the debate: Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP pic.twitter.com/LAt4xEzhMh — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2018 ×

Watch: Shashi Tharoor asks BJP to say on record that they do not believe in Hindu Rashtra

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took another dig at BJP saying the people are no better off than they were 4 years ago.

I believe in accepting all faiths, I am a proud Hindu: S Tharoor

The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled by several kings. One of the key places to relive that history is Srinagar's Shri Pratap museum.&nbsp

The museum is one of the oldest in India and was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1889.

The museum was recently in the news after an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga was brought back from Germany and placed here. The idol was handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel after their talks in New Delhi on October 6, 2015.&nbsp

"The idol of goddess Durga travelled to Germany and was handed over to the government of India by the German chancellor," says Iqbal Ahmad, the museum's assistant curator.&nbsp

The idol was stolen from a temple in Pulwama in South Kashmir in the 1990's.&nbsp

The Indian government traced it to the Linden museum in Stuttgart in 2012, after which they approached the German authorities.&nbsp

The authorities at Shri Pratap museum date the idol back to the eighth century AD when sculpture art flourished in the Valley. Kashmir's sculpture art was influenced mainly by the Gandhara and Gupta schools of art.&nbsp

The museum was ruined by the 2014 floods but most of the artefacts in were saved.&nbsp

Not only does the museum contains several sculptures and idols of Hindu gods and goddesses but it also displays abundant antique objects from various corners of Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan (which is now in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir).

Munir-Ul-Islam, Director, Archives, Archaeology & Museums, says the museum is among the oldest in the country. "This museum is 4th or 5th in India with the large collection of coins. We have 70,000 coins, right from the inception of coins in the human history," he says.&nbsp

There are, at the moment, fewer tourists visting the museum but it continues to remain a reminder of the glorious past of the Kashmir valley where every ruler made his mark, from the Mughals to the Dogras.&nbsp

The museum was recently in the news after an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga was brought back from Germany — it had been stolen from a temple in South Kashmir in the 1990's — and placed here

The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled by several kings. One of the key places to relive that history is Srinagar's Shri Pratap museum. The museum is one of the oldest in India and was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1889. The museum was recently in the news after an idol of the Hindu goddess Durga was brought back from Germany and placed here. The idol was handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel after their talks in New Delhi on October 6, 2015. "The idol of goddess Durga travelled to Germany and was handed over to the government of India by the German chancellor," says Iqbal Ahmad, the museum's assistant curator. The idol was stolen from a temple in Pulwama in South Kashmir in the 1990's. The Indian government traced it to the Linden museum in Stuttgart in 2012, after which they approached the German authorities. The authorities at Shri Pratap museum date the idol back to the eighth century AD when sculpture art flourished in the Valley. Kashmir's sculpture art was influenced mainly by the Gandhara and Gupta schools of art. The museum was ruined by the 2014 floods but most of the artefacts in were saved. Not only does the museum contains several sculptures and idols of Hindu gods and goddesses but it also displays abundant antique objects from various corners of Kashmir, including Gilgit-Baltistan (which is now in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). Munir-Ul-Islam, Director, Archives, Archaeology & Museums, says the museum is among the oldest in the country. "This museum is 4th or 5th in India with the large collection of coins. We have 70,000 coins, right from the inception of coins in the human history," he says. There are, at the moment, fewer tourists visting the museum but it continues to remain a reminder of the glorious past of the Kashmir valley where every ruler made his mark, from the Mughals to the Dogras.

Srinagar's Shri Pratap museum: A place to relive Kashmir's history

The Supreme Court said Thursday the the LGBT community is forced to live in fear. It added that because of family and societal pressures, the LGBT community is "forced marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma".&nbsp;

The court is hearing petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. The petitions are being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.&nbsp;

Lawyer Ashok Desai, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the court that "homosexuality is not new to our Indian culture". And that "many countries have accepted homosexuality".

Also read: <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality </a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">not</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692"> a psychiatric disorder</a>

It was Justice DY Chandrachud who said "there is deep rooted trauma involved in the society, which forces the LGBT community to be in fear."&nbsp;

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Section 377 matter: Justice Chandrachud said 'there is deep rooted trauma involved in the society, which forces the LGBT community to be in fear'
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Justice Indu Malhotra said that "because of family and societal pressures, they (the LGBT community) are forced to marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma."

Malhotra added that the "community feels inhibited to go for medical aid due to prejudices involved against them."&nbsp;

Section 377 had been struck down by the Delhi High Court in 2009. The court called it "unconstitutional".&nbsp;

But the judgement was set aside by the Supreme Court in 2013, which said the onus to change the law lay with Parliament.&nbsp;

In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court it would leave the matter of deciding the constitutionality of Section 377 to the "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violation-of-human-rights-says-petitioners-counsel-as-sc-hears-pleas-against-section-377-150452">wisdom of the court</a>". The Supreme Court replied that, subject to arguments, it intended to rule that people should not be prosecuted for having gay sex.&nbsp;

To which the government replied that the court should stick to ruling on Section 377, but not go any further into questions of, say, marriage or property rights.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court is hearing petitions against Section 377 which says homosexuality is a crime. On Wednesday, the Centre told the SC it would leave the matter of deciding the constitutionality of Section 377 to the 'wisdom of the court'

The Supreme Court said Thursday the the LGBT community is forced to live in fear. It added that because of family and societal pressures, the LGBT community is "forced marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma". The court is hearing petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. The petitions are being heard by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Lawyer Ashok Desai, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the court that "homosexuality is not new to our Indian culture". And that "many countries have accepted homosexuality". Also read: Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality not a psychiatric disorder It was Justice DY Chandrachud who said "there is deep rooted trauma involved in the society, which forces the LGBT community to be in fear." Section 377 matter: Justice Chandrachud said 'there is deep rooted trauma involved in the society, which forces the LGBT community to be in fear' — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2018 × Justice Indu Malhotra said that "because of family and societal pressures, they (the LGBT community) are forced to marry the opposite sex and it leads to bi-sexuality and mental trauma." Malhotra added that the "community feels inhibited to go for medical aid due to prejudices involved against them." Section 377 had been struck down by the Delhi High Court in 2009. The court called it "unconstitutional". But the judgement was set aside by the Supreme Court in 2013, which said the onus to change the law lay with Parliament. In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. On Wednesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court it would leave the matter of deciding the constitutionality of Section 377 to the "wisdom of the court". The Supreme Court replied that, subject to arguments, it intended to rule that people should not be prosecuted for having gay sex. To which the government replied that the court should stick to ruling on Section 377, but not go any further into questions of, say, marriage or property rights.

Section 377: LGBT community forced to live in fear, says Supreme Court

Thirteen Amarnath pilgrims injured after the minibus they were travelling in rammed into a parked truck near Birma Bridge in Udhampur, according to an ANI report. The driver is reported to have fled from the spot. More details on the same are awaited.

Jitendra Singh, Udhampur MP and MoS PMO quoted in the ANI report said, "In constant touch with DC Udhampur and administration since morning. All injured Amarnath pilgrims are out of danger and admitted to District Hospital. All necessary help being provided. Most of them belong to Jhansi and surrounding parts of UP"&nbsp;

On the previous day, two pilgrims died due to cardiac arrest near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath while another was killed in a road accident in Pulwama district, taking the death toll in this year’s pilgrimage to 20.

The Amarnath Yatra resumed on July 9, after a day-long suspension allegedly due to fear of law and order problems on the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.&nbsp;

It came as a huge relief to thousands of pilgrims who were stranded over the last few days owing to various reasons. The inclement weather condition being one of the primary reasons, why the yatra on Baltal and Pahalgam routers were suspended for a few days.

The Amarnath Yatra resumed on July 9, after a day-long suspension allegedly due to fear of law and order problems on the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani.

Thirteen Amarnath pilgrims injured after the minibus they were travelling in rammed into a parked truck near Birma Bridge in Udhampur, according to an ANI report. The driver is reported to have fled from the spot. More details on the same are awaited. Jitendra Singh, Udhampur MP and MoS PMO quoted in the ANI report said, "In constant touch with DC Udhampur and administration since morning. All injured Amarnath pilgrims are out of danger and admitted to District Hospital. All necessary help being provided. Most of them belong to Jhansi and surrounding parts of UP" On the previous day, two pilgrims died due to cardiac arrest near the holy cave shrine of Amarnath while another was killed in a road accident in Pulwama district, taking the death toll in this year’s pilgrimage to 20. The Amarnath Yatra resumed on July 9, after a day-long suspension allegedly due to fear of law and order problems on the second death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. It came as a huge relief to thousands of pilgrims who were stranded over the last few days owing to various reasons. The inclement weather condition being one of the primary reasons, why the yatra on Baltal and Pahalgam routers were suspended for a few days.

Amarnath Yatra: 13 pilgrims injured after minibus rams into parked truck

Nearly 330 passengers had a narrow escape after two IndiGo planes averted a mid-air collision over the Bangalore airspace&nbsp;on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a probe into the incident, industry sources said.

The aircraft involved in the incident were operating on Coimbatore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Cochin routes.

An IndiGo spokesperson confirmed the incident. The Hyderabad-bound plane had 162 passengers while the other aircraft was carrying 166 passengers.

Sources said the vertical separation between the two aircraft was only about 200 feet and a mid-air collision was averted after the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alarms went off.

Sources said Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has started an investigation into the incident that happened on July 10.

"The TCAS-Resolution Advisory system was triggered on two of our aircraft operating Coimbatore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Cochin routes, respectively, on July 10, 2018.

"Following the normal procedure, this has been reported to the regulator," the airline spokesperson said in a statement.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the aviation regulator.

Sources said the vertical separation between the two aircraft was only about 200 feet and a mid-air collision was averted after the Traffic Collision Avoidance System alarms went off.

Nearly 330 passengers had a narrow escape after two IndiGo planes averted a mid-air collision over the Bangalore airspace on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch a probe into the incident, industry sources said. The aircraft involved in the incident were operating on Coimbatore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Cochin routes. An IndiGo spokesperson confirmed the incident. The Hyderabad-bound plane had 162 passengers while the other aircraft was carrying 166 passengers. Sources said the vertical separation between the two aircraft was only about 200 feet and a mid-air collision was averted after the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alarms went off. Sources said Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has started an investigation into the incident that happened on July 10. "The TCAS-Resolution Advisory system was triggered on two of our aircraft operating Coimbatore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Cochin routes, respectively, on July 10, 2018. "Following the normal procedure, this has been reported to the regulator," the airline spokesperson said in a statement. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the aviation regulator.

Narrow escape after 2 IndiGo planes almost crash over Bangalore airspace

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reprimanded principal Naheed Usmani of Rabia Girls Public School for locking up kindergarten students over an alleged delay in the payment of fees.

Speaking with us, Kejriwal, who visited the school along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, assured the students' parents that stringent action would be taken against the authorities.

"Both Delhi government and Police will take action. This kind of a thing will not be tolerated in future," he said.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Delhi CM Kejriwal reprimands principal of Rabia Public School Naheed Usmani, says, "Both Delhi govt & Police will take action. This kind of a thing will not be tolerated in future." The school had allegedly detained kindergarten students on July 9 over non-payment of fees. <a href="https://t.co/nYniZhqOpa">pic.twitter.com/nYniZhqOpa</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1017287157206212608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On a related note, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had issued notices to the Delhi Police and the Education Department seeking factual reports over alleged confinement of children in the basement Rabea Girls&nbsp;Public School.

Taking suo moto cognisance of the matter, the DCW sought details of action taken by them against the school authorities.

It has also asked the Delhi Police and the State Education Department to respond by July 17.

A few kindergarten students were allegedly locked up in the basement of the school building on July 9 for not clearing their fees.

However, the school authorities denied the reports and said that the students were asked to sit in the activity room for few hours.

A few kindergarten students were allegedly locked up in the basement of the school building on July 9 for not clearing their fees.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reprimanded principal Naheed Usmani of Rabia Girls Public School for locking up kindergarten students over an alleged delay in the payment of fees. Speaking with us, Kejriwal, who visited the school along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, assured the students' parents that stringent action would be taken against the authorities. "Both Delhi government and Police will take action. This kind of a thing will not be tolerated in future," he said. #WATCH Delhi CM Kejriwal reprimands principal of Rabia Public School Naheed Usmani, says, "Both Delhi govt & Police will take action. This kind of a thing will not be tolerated in future." The school had allegedly detained kindergarten students on July 9 over non-payment of fees. pic.twitter.com/nYniZhqOpa — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2018 × On a related note, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) had issued notices to the Delhi Police and the Education Department seeking factual reports over alleged confinement of children in the basement Rabea Girls Public School. Taking suo moto cognisance of the matter, the DCW sought details of action taken by them against the school authorities. It has also asked the Delhi Police and the State Education Department to respond by July 17. A few kindergarten students were allegedly locked up in the basement of the school building on July 9 for not clearing their fees. However, the school authorities denied the reports and said that the students were asked to sit in the activity room for few hours.

Kejriwal reprimands principal over confinement of school girls

India on Wednesday night did not allow entry to British national and lawyer Lord Alexander Carlile, a counsel for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia after he landed at Delhi airport on the grounds that he did not have a valid visa and his intended activity was "incompatible" with the purpose of his visit.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson said, “Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018, without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa. His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival.”

Carlile is one of the international lawyers, who has been engaged by Zia’s party to defend her and her son Tareq Zia, in corruption cases. He was expected to address the media on Thursday afternoon in a hotel in Delhi.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson said, “Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018, without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa. His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival.”

Carlile is one of the international lawyers, who has been engaged by Zia’s party to defend her and her son Tareq Zia, in corruption cases.

He was scheduled to hold a press conference along with Khaleda's legal team and members of the top brass of the BNP at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi on July 13, where he was expected to discuss his client Khaleda Zia's jail sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

Khaleda Zia has nearly three dozen criminal cases filed against her which the BNP insists are part of a plot to keep her and her family out of politics.

India on Wednesday night did not allow entry to British national and lawyer Lord Alexander Carlile, a counsel for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia after he landed at Delhi airport on the grounds that he did not have a valid visa and his intended activity was "incompatible" with the purpose of his visit. The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson said, “Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018, without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa. His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival.” Carlile is one of the international lawyers, who has been engaged by Zia’s party to defend her and her son Tareq Zia, in corruption cases. He was expected to address the media on Thursday afternoon in a hotel in Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson said, “Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018, without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa. His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival.” Carlile is one of the international lawyers, who has been engaged by Zia’s party to defend her and her son Tareq Zia, in corruption cases. He was scheduled to hold a press conference along with Khaleda's legal team and members of the top brass of the BNP at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi on July 13, where he was expected to discuss his client Khaleda Zia's jail sentence in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

Khaleda Zia's British lawyer denied entry into India

The World O Meter website which provides current data relating to world population shows that the current world population is over 7 billion.

The population shown on the website, while writing this article, showed 7,635,187, 770.

While the births in the current year accounted for over 74 million, the deaths for the year was recorded over 152,555.

The net population growth recorded this year was over 43 million.&nbsp;

The website showed that China with a population of over 1,415,045,928 ranked first in the list of most populated countries.

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The second place was occupied by India with over 1,354,051,854 population.

While China accounts for 18.54 per cent of the world population, India accommodates 17.74 per cent.&nbsp;

Following this US, Indonesia, Brazil occupied the next three positions.

According to the website, Holy See with a population of 801 was counted under the least populated.&nbsp;

The website showed that China with a population of over 1,415,045,928 ranked first in the list of most populated countries

The World O Meter website which provides current data relating to world population shows that the current world population is over 7 billion. The population shown on the website, while writing this article, showed 7,635,187, 770. While the births in the current year accounted for over 74 million, the deaths for the year was recorded over 152,555. The net population growth recorded this year was over 43 million. The website showed that China with a population of over 1,415,045,928 ranked first in the list of most populated countries. × The second place was occupied by India with over 1,354,051,854 population. While China accounts for 18.54 per cent of the world population, India accommodates 17.74 per cent. Following this US, Indonesia, Brazil occupied the next three positions. According to the website, Holy See with a population of 801 was counted under the least populated.

India accounts for 17.74% of 7 billion world population

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, will resume hearing a batch of petitions against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises homosexual activities.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists have expressed faith in the Supreme Court and hope for a favourable ruling, shortly ahead of the commencement of the hearing.

Speaking with us, LGBT activist Ranjitha Sinha welcomed the Centre's decision to leave the matter of the constitutionality of Section 377 to the Supreme Court.

"The good thing is that the Centre has sidelined itself from the matter which means no political parties will get a chance to interfere in the matter. Those political leaders who are saying that Article 377 is a threat to national security should read the mythology and history as well because of this exit since past. We have full faith on the Supreme Court," she said.

Echoing similar sentiments, another LGBT activist, Bappa Aditya Mukherjee said, "It's an extremely hopeful step the way it's moving day by day because it means that the government has set aside itself from the decision and therefore the populist mode of operation has stopped. It is a critical part which they have left to the Constitutional validity, which is the Supreme Court's area of work."

"Now, the Supreme Court has much more space to operate and from the government, it actually saying that you are the right institution to figure out whether it's constitutional and do not leave it to the Parliament to decide whether it's constitutional or unconstitutional or scrap it," Bappa added.

The Centre on Wednesday told the Apex Court that it would leave it to the wisdom of its judges to decide the constitutional validity of Section 377.

The notion was put forth by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Centre before the five-judge constitution bench of the top court, as it hearing of pleas on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code gets underway.

Earlier in 2009, the Delhi High Court had decriminalised Section 377, but the order was later set aside by a Supreme-Court bench.

Section 377 deals with "unnatural offences," and holds "whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."&nbsp;

LGBT activists have expressed faith in the Supreme Court and hope for a favourable ruling, shortly ahead of the commencement of the hearing.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, will resume hearing a batch of petitions against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which criminalises homosexual activities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists have expressed faith in the Supreme Court and hope for a favourable ruling, shortly ahead of the commencement of the hearing. Speaking with us, LGBT activist Ranjitha Sinha welcomed the Centre's decision to leave the matter of the constitutionality of Section 377 to the Supreme Court. "The good thing is that the Centre has sidelined itself from the matter which means no political parties will get a chance to interfere in the matter. Those political leaders who are saying that Article 377 is a threat to national security should read the mythology and history as well because of this exit since past. We have full faith on the Supreme Court," she said. Echoing similar sentiments, another LGBT activist, Bappa Aditya Mukherjee said, "It's an extremely hopeful step the way it's moving day by day because it means that the government has set aside itself from the decision and therefore the populist mode of operation has stopped. It is a critical part which they have left to the Constitutional validity, which is the Supreme Court's area of work." "Now, the Supreme Court has much more space to operate and from the government, it actually saying that you are the right institution to figure out whether it's constitutional and do not leave it to the Parliament to decide whether it's constitutional or unconstitutional or scrap it," Bappa added. The Centre on Wednesday told the Apex Court that it would leave it to the wisdom of its judges to decide the constitutional validity of Section 377. The notion was put forth by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the Centre before the five-judge constitution bench of the top court, as it hearing of pleas on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code gets underway. Earlier in 2009, the Delhi High Court had decriminalised Section 377, but the order was later set aside by a Supreme-Court bench. Section 377 deals with "unnatural offences," and holds "whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine."

Anti-gay sex law: Activists hopeful, SC to resume hearing

Former Vice President of India Hamid Ansari speaks to WION on his new book " Dare I Question". He has flagged various topics in his book but he has stressed on importance of secularism and plurality. Watch the video to know more:

WION Exclusive: Former Vice President Hamid Ansari speaks about his book " Dare I Question"

The Centre has told the Supreme Court it will let the court decide whether or not to decriminalise gay sex.&nbsp;

The court had on Tuesday begun hearing a clutch of petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime.&nbsp;

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday told the five-judge constitution bench hearing the petitions that the government would leave the constitutionality&nbsp;of Section 377 to the court.&nbsp;

"We leave validity of Section 377, so far as it relates to consensual acts between two adults, to wisdom of court," PTI quoted Mehta as saying.&nbsp;

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ASG Tushar Mehta tells the five-judge constitution bench of SC that the Centre will leave the matter of constitutionality of Section 377 to be decided by the Court.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1016928717149532160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The court said it intended to rule, subject to arguments, that two consenting adults, even if engaged in "unnatural sex", will not be liable for prosecution.

The Centre in turn urged the court not to deal with issues like gay marriage, and property and inheritance rights for that would have several repercussions.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692">not</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/section-377-indian-psychiatric-society-says-homosexuality-not-a-psychiatric-disorder-150692"> a psychiatric disorder</a>

Section 377 had been struck down by the Delhi High Court in 2009. The court called it "unconstitutional".&nbsp;

But the judgement was set aside by the Supreme Court in 2013, which said the onus to change the law lay with Parliament.&nbsp;

In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the petitioners' counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, told the court that "as society changes, <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/violation-of-human-rights-says-petitioners-counsel-as-sc-hears-pleas-against-section-377-150452">values change</a>".&nbsp; And that "what was moral 160 years ago might not be moral today."&nbsp;

The court had on Tuesday begun hearing a clutch of petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court it will let the court decide whether or not to decriminalise gay sex. The court had on Tuesday begun hearing a clutch of petitions against Section 377, which says homosexuality is a crime. Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Wednesday told the five-judge constitution bench hearing the petitions that the government would leave the constitutionality of Section 377 to the court. "We leave validity of Section 377, so far as it relates to consensual acts between two adults, to wisdom of court," PTI quoted Mehta as saying. ASG Tushar Mehta tells the five-judge constitution bench of SC that the Centre will leave the matter of constitutionality of Section 377 to be decided by the Court. — ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2018 × The court said it intended to rule, subject to arguments, that two consenting adults, even if engaged in "unnatural sex", will not be liable for prosecution. The Centre in turn urged the court not to deal with issues like gay marriage, and property and inheritance rights for that would have several repercussions. Also read: Indian Psychiatric Society says homosexuality not a psychiatric disorder Section 377 had been struck down by the Delhi High Court in 2009. The court called it "unconstitutional". But the judgement was set aside by the Supreme Court in 2013, which said the onus to change the law lay with Parliament. In January this year, the country's top court agreed to hear a clutch of petitions which said the law had led to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. On Tuesday, the petitioners' counsel, Mukul Rohatgi, told the court that "as society changes, values change". And that "what was moral 160 years ago might not be moral today."

Section 377: Govt tells SC it will let court decide on decriminalising gay sex

Around 16 school girls from kindergarten were allegedly locked up inside the basement of a Delhi school for not clearing their fees.

Delhi: Kindergarten kids punished for not paying school fees; Locked in basement

The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated disciplinary action against 2010-batch IAS exam topper Shah Faesal for his tweet about frequent rapes which was seen by the Centre's Department of Personnel and Training as his failure to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in discharge of duties.

In a notice to Faesal, the General Administration Department said, "You have allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in the discharge of official duty and thus acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant. "

The GAD initiated the disciplinary proceedings at the request of the Centre's Department of Personnel and Training, sources said.

Faesal had posted a tweet saying, "Population +patriarchy +illiteracy +alcohol +porn +technology +anarchy = rapistan".

This post drew the ire of the DoPT.

The IAS officer, who is currently pursuing a mid-career masters programme in the US, brushed aside the notice.

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Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. 
The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience. 
I'm sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change. <a href="https://t.co/ssT8HIKhIK">pic.twitter.com/ssT8HIKhIK</a>
— Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahfaesal/status/1016683369004982272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience."

"I'm sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change," Faesal wrote on his twitter handle while posting the copy of the notice with it.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah commenting on the issue said the DoPT seemed to be determined to chase Faesal out of civil service.

"Looks like the DOPT is determined to chase @shahfaesal out of the civil services. The last line of this page is shocking & unacceptable where they question Faesal's integrity & honesty. How is a sarcastic tweet dishonest? How does it make him corrupt?" he asked in a tweet.

Shah Faesal, the 2010 IAS exam topper, had tweeted: 'Population +patriarchy +illiteracy +alcohol +porn +technology +anarchy = rapistan'. 'You have allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in the discharge of official duty,' the Department of Personnel and Training wrote to him

The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated disciplinary action against 2010-batch IAS exam topper Shah Faesal for his tweet about frequent rapes which was seen by the Centre's Department of Personnel and Training as his failure to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in discharge of duties. In a notice to Faesal, the General Administration Department said, "You have allegedly failed to maintain absolute honesty and integrity in the discharge of official duty and thus acted in a manner unbecoming of a public servant. " The GAD initiated the disciplinary proceedings at the request of the Centre's Department of Personnel and Training, sources said. Faesal had posted a tweet saying, "Population +patriarchy +illiteracy +alcohol +porn +technology +anarchy = rapistan". This post drew the ire of the DoPT. The IAS officer, who is currently pursuing a mid-career masters programme in the US, brushed aside the notice. Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience. I'm sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change. pic.twitter.com/ssT8HIKhIK — Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) July 10, 2018 × "Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience." "I'm sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change," Faesal wrote on his twitter handle while posting the copy of the notice with it. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah commenting on the issue said the DoPT seemed to be determined to chase Faesal out of civil service. "Looks like the DOPT is determined to chase @shahfaesal out of the civil services. The last line of this page is shocking & unacceptable where they question Faesal's integrity & honesty. How is a sarcastic tweet dishonest? How does it make him corrupt?" he asked in a tweet.

IAS officer tweets 'rapistan', government initiates disciplinary action against him

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