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BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday arrived in Jammu to address a rally to mark "historic martyrdom anniversary" of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, days after his party's decision to withdraw support from the PDP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah, who is on a day-long trip to the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, was accorded a rousing reception with party's youth wing taking out a bike rally from the airport to the state guest house.&nbsp;

His public address will be significant as he is expected to touch on evolving political situation in the state following the party's withdrawal of support from the Mehbooba Mufti government on Tuesday.

The state is now under governor's rule.&nbsp;

Shah was accompanied by state party president Ravinder Raina and other senior leaders.

On June 20, Raina had said Shah will pay homage to the founder member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, on his martyrdom day and would also check the preparedness of the state unit of the party for the upcoming parliamentary election.

The BJP observes June 23 as Mookerjee's 'Balidan Diwas'.

Shah would chair the party's election committee meeting to discuss the issues for the next election. He will also hold meetings with digital media and social media volunteers, and participate in other organisational events. The strategy of the party for the next year's Lok Sabha elections is part of the discussions as the party is prepared to face the elections, a BJP leader said.&nbsp;

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Last yr when I came to J&K, we were in a coalition govt. Today, President's rule is imposed here since we took back our support. Political parties regret when their govt falls but BJP is the only party which raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. It shows BJP's patriotism:A Shah <a href="https://t.co/4DvENqzEPZ">pic.twitter.com/4DvENqzEPZ</a>
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On June 20, Raina had said Shah will pay homage to the founder member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, on his martyrdom day and would also check the preparedness of the state unit of the party for the upcoming parliamentary election

BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday arrived in Jammu to address a rally to mark "historic martyrdom anniversary" of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, days after his party's decision to withdraw support from the PDP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah, who is on a day-long trip to the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, was accorded a rousing reception with party's youth wing taking out a bike rally from the airport to the state guest house. His public address will be significant as he is expected to touch on evolving political situation in the state following the party's withdrawal of support from the Mehbooba Mufti government on Tuesday. The state is now under governor's rule. Shah was accompanied by state party president Ravinder Raina and other senior leaders. On June 20, Raina had said Shah will pay homage to the founder member of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, on his martyrdom day and would also check the preparedness of the state unit of the party for the upcoming parliamentary election. The BJP observes June 23 as Mookerjee's 'Balidan Diwas'. Shah would chair the party's election committee meeting to discuss the issues for the next election. He will also hold meetings with digital media and social media volunteers, and participate in other organisational events. The strategy of the party for the next year's Lok Sabha elections is part of the discussions as the party is prepared to face the elections, a BJP leader said. Last yr when I came to J&K, we were in a coalition govt. Today, President's rule is imposed here since we took back our support. Political parties regret when their govt falls but BJP is the only party which raised slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. It shows BJP's patriotism:A Shah pic.twitter.com/4DvENqzEPZ — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2018 ×

Shah in Jammu, first visit after pulling out of coalition in Jammu and Kashmir

Rebel BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari's son Akhilesh has founded a political outfit named 'Bharat Vahini Party' to contest the Assembly polls in Rajasthan.

The party will work with an aim to contest election on all 200 Assembly seats under the leadership of Ghanshyam Tiwari, founder and president of the party Akhilesh Tiwari said.

The party is going to organise its first state meeting of leaders and workers in Jaipur on July 3, he said, adding that 2,000 workers will take part in the meeting.

He said 10 representatives from each Assembly seat have been invited.

Representatives and workers currently working for Deen Dayal Vahini, an organisation that Ghanshyam Tiwari had founded, will be joining the new political party, Akhilesh Tiwari said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has registered the 'Bharat Vahini Party', allowing it to field its candidates in the Assembly polls.

The political group had applied for party's registration on December 11, 2017.

Assembly polls in the state are due later this year.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has registered the 'Bharat Vahini Party', allowing it to field its candidates in the Assembly polls

Rebel BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari's son Akhilesh has founded a political outfit named 'Bharat Vahini Party' to contest the Assembly polls in Rajasthan. The party will work with an aim to contest election on all 200 Assembly seats under the leadership of Ghanshyam Tiwari, founder and president of the party Akhilesh Tiwari said. The party is going to organise its first state meeting of leaders and workers in Jaipur on July 3, he said, adding that 2,000 workers will take part in the meeting. He said 10 representatives from each Assembly seat have been invited. Representatives and workers currently working for Deen Dayal Vahini, an organisation that Ghanshyam Tiwari had founded, will be joining the new political party, Akhilesh Tiwari said. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has registered the 'Bharat Vahini Party', allowing it to field its candidates in the Assembly polls. The political group had applied for party's registration on December 11, 2017. Assembly polls in the state are due later this year.

Rebel BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari, his son float new party to contest Rajasthan polls

The ideals of Mahatma Gandhi were still relevant, <a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/seychelles-president-in-india-focus-on-defence-ties-146373">Seychelles President Danny Faure</a> said on Saturday in Ahmedabad, adding that the principle of non-violence should be taught to children across the world.

The visiting leader of Seychelles also paid rich tributes to the icon of India's freedom movement.

Faure, who <a href="http://wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-seychelles-president-on-a-six-day-india-visit-strategic-defence-ties-on-agenda-146398">landed in Gujarat last evening as part of his India tour</a>, visited the Sabarmati Ashram Saturday, where Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930.

"The principle of non-violence is what we need to teach the children of our world and what was expressed by Gandhi many years ago remains relevant even Saturday-- an eye for an eye will make the world blind," the president of the island nation wrote in the visitors' book at the ashram.

Ashram trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai and secretary Amrut Modi showed him around the premises, which house an archive, an exhibition centre and the "Hriday Kunj", the place where Gandhi used to live.

"Faure showed a keen interest about the life and times of Gandhiji. He sought to know why Gandhiji chose Ahmedabad and what exactly did he do during his long stay in Ahmedabad.

"He also wanted to know the details about the Dandi March (a civil disobedience movement against the British rule), which was started from the ashram," Modi told reporters.

Faure also tried his hands on the spinning wheel (charkha) at the ashram and understood the process of producing Khadi strands.

He was gifted two books on Gandhian philosophy by the ashram. In return, Faure gifted a book on his country, Modi said.

Earlier, Faure visited the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA), where he held a meeting with the institute's director, Errol D'Souza. He also visited the heritage campus of the top business school, a release from the IIMA said.

From the Sabarmati Ashram, Faure headed to the Gujarat Forensic Science University (GFSU) in Gandhinagar, where he interacted with 18 police officers from Seychelles who are undergoing training at the institute.

Faure was apprised of the various facilities at the GFSU such as the Cyber Defence Centre, the Ballistic Research Centre and Asia's first bulletproof testing unit for armed vehicles, a release from the university said.

Impressed by these facilities, the president expressed willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his country and the GFSU in the cyber defence and security sector, the release added.

Before leaving for Goa, Faure, along with his delegation, visited the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, where Governor O P Kohli hosted a lunch for him.

Faure's visit comes on the heels of his government's announcement earlier this month that a joint project with India to develop a naval base at Seychelles' Assumption Island would not move forward.&nbsp

Faure, who landed in Gujarat last evening as part of his India tour, visited the Sabarmati Ashram Saturday, where Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930

The ideals of Mahatma Gandhi were still relevant, Seychelles President Danny Faure said on Saturday in Ahmedabad, adding that the principle of non-violence should be taught to children across the world. The visiting leader of Seychelles also paid rich tributes to the icon of India's freedom movement. Faure, who landed in Gujarat last evening as part of his India tour, visited the Sabarmati Ashram Saturday, where Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930. "The principle of non-violence is what we need to teach the children of our world and what was expressed by Gandhi many years ago remains relevant even Saturday-- an eye for an eye will make the world blind," the president of the island nation wrote in the visitors' book at the ashram. Ashram trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai and secretary Amrut Modi showed him around the premises, which house an archive, an exhibition centre and the "Hriday Kunj", the place where Gandhi used to live. "Faure showed a keen interest about the life and times of Gandhiji. He sought to know why Gandhiji chose Ahmedabad and what exactly did he do during his long stay in Ahmedabad. "He also wanted to know the details about the Dandi March (a civil disobedience movement against the British rule), which was started from the ashram," Modi told reporters. Faure also tried his hands on the spinning wheel (charkha) at the ashram and understood the process of producing Khadi strands. He was gifted two books on Gandhian philosophy by the ashram. In return, Faure gifted a book on his country, Modi said. Earlier, Faure visited the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA), where he held a meeting with the institute's director, Errol D'Souza. He also visited the heritage campus of the top business school, a release from the IIMA said. From the Sabarmati Ashram, Faure headed to the Gujarat Forensic Science University (GFSU) in Gandhinagar, where he interacted with 18 police officers from Seychelles who are undergoing training at the institute. Faure was apprised of the various facilities at the GFSU such as the Cyber Defence Centre, the Ballistic Research Centre and Asia's first bulletproof testing unit for armed vehicles, a release from the university said. Impressed by these facilities, the president expressed willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his country and the GFSU in the cyber defence and security sector, the release added. Before leaving for Goa, Faure, along with his delegation, visited the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, where Governor O P Kohli hosted a lunch for him. Faure's visit comes on the heels of his government's announcement earlier this month that a joint project with India to develop a naval base at Seychelles' Assumption Island would not move forward.

Children of the world must be taught about non-violence: Seychelles president

A team of CB-CID officials on Saturday arrived in Tuticorin to conduct an on-the-spot probe, inspection and assessment of the areas where the anti-Sterlite protesters 'resorted to violence,' leading to police firing that claimed 13 lives on May 22 and 23.

The officials inspected the collectorate where government vehicles were torched, and the Sterlite quarters, where two-wheelers were set ablaze, police said.

In addition, the sleuths visited the godown of the Food Corporation of India, Anna Nagar, Terespuram, V V D signal, Pani Maya Matha church etc and collected material evidence from the places, they said.

Some cartridges used by the police and live bullets were seized at the spot where the firing took place, the police said.

CB-CID Superintendent of Police, Praveen Kumar Abhihnav, who is camping here, said more than 100 people were injured in the violence and subsequent police firing.

Five cases have been registered.

Each case was being investigated by an official in the rank of DSP, and 20 inspectors were deputed for the probe, he said.

The Tamil Nadu government had last month ordered a CB-CID probe into the violence during the anti-Sterlite protest in Tuticorin and police firing that left 13 dead.

Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 after protests by residents demanding closure of the copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent, in the port city.

The officials inspected the collectorate where government vehicles were torched, and the Sterlite quarters, where two-wheelers were set ablaze, police said

A team of CB-CID officials on Saturday arrived in Tuticorin to conduct an on-the-spot probe, inspection and assessment of the areas where the anti-Sterlite protesters 'resorted to violence,' leading to police firing that claimed 13 lives on May 22 and 23. The officials inspected the collectorate where government vehicles were torched, and the Sterlite quarters, where two-wheelers were set ablaze, police said. In addition, the sleuths visited the godown of the Food Corporation of India, Anna Nagar, Terespuram, V V D signal, Pani Maya Matha church etc and collected material evidence from the places, they said. Some cartridges used by the police and live bullets were seized at the spot where the firing took place, the police said. CB-CID Superintendent of Police, Praveen Kumar Abhihnav, who is camping here, said more than 100 people were injured in the violence and subsequent police firing. Five cases have been registered. Each case was being investigated by an official in the rank of DSP, and 20 inspectors were deputed for the probe, he said. The Tamil Nadu government had last month ordered a CB-CID probe into the violence during the anti-Sterlite protest in Tuticorin and police firing that left 13 dead. Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 after protests by residents demanding closure of the copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent, in the port city.

Tamil Nadu: CB-CID sleuths in Tuticorin to probe violence, police firing

Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday condemned the incident of a bank branch manager in the state's Buldhana district allegedly demanding sexual favours from a farmer's wife in order to clear a crop loan.

Chavan called it a "shame" and a "blot" on a progressive state like Maharashtra.

Rajesh Hivase, bank manager with the Central Bank of India in Buldhana, was booked on Thursday after a woman, who had applied for a crop loan with the bank at Datala village in Malakapur tehsil, filed a complaint.

According to the police, Hivase had taken the contact details of the woman, when she had visited the bank along with her husband, and then called her later that day demanding sexual favours in return for processing the loan application.

Later, police said, Hivase sent a peon to the woman's house to get her to agree to his demands.

The woman recorded the banker's conversation which she later submitted to the police while lodging a complaint against Hivase on Thursday, police said.

Speaking on the issue, Chavan today said, "Farmers are not getting loan waiver or crop insurance and cannot even avail crop loans. The incident of a branch manager seeking sexual favours from a farmer's wife in lieu of processing a loan is shocking and condemnable."

The Congress' state unit chief also demanded that the government try the case in a fast track court and punish the guilty as quickly as possible.

A case has been registered against the banker and the peon under relevant sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and further probe was underway, police said.

Rajesh Hivase, bank manager with the Central Bank of India in Buldhana, was booked on Thursday after a woman, who had applied for a crop loan with the bank at Datala village in Malakapur tehsil, filed a complaint

Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday condemned the incident of a bank branch manager in the state's Buldhana district allegedly demanding sexual favours from a farmer's wife in order to clear a crop loan. Chavan called it a "shame" and a "blot" on a progressive state like Maharashtra. Rajesh Hivase, bank manager with the Central Bank of India in Buldhana, was booked on Thursday after a woman, who had applied for a crop loan with the bank at Datala village in Malakapur tehsil, filed a complaint. According to the police, Hivase had taken the contact details of the woman, when she had visited the bank along with her husband, and then called her later that day demanding sexual favours in return for processing the loan application. Later, police said, Hivase sent a peon to the woman's house to get her to agree to his demands. The woman recorded the banker's conversation which she later submitted to the police while lodging a complaint against Hivase on Thursday, police said. Speaking on the issue, Chavan today said, "Farmers are not getting loan waiver or crop insurance and cannot even avail crop loans. The incident of a branch manager seeking sexual favours from a farmer's wife in lieu of processing a loan is shocking and condemnable." The Congress' state unit chief also demanded that the government try the case in a fast track court and punish the guilty as quickly as possible. A case has been registered against the banker and the peon under relevant sections of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and further probe was underway, police said.

Banker demanding sexual favours from farmer's wife shocking: Congress leader Ashok Chavan

At least seven persons were killed and 24 others injured when a truck carrying them fell into a rivulet near Rajula town of Amreli district, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place late last night when people from Mahuva town in Bhavnagar district were returning home from Amreli after attending a marriage ceremony, they said.

The driver of the truck lost control over the vehicle due to which it veered off the bridge and fell into the water body, police said.

“At least seven people, including three women, were killed, while 24 others sustained injuries when the truck fell into the rivulet near Rajula town of Amreli district,” Nirlipt Rai, Superintendent of Police of Amreli, said.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, he said.

The deceased were identified as Kesarben Baraiya, Jaysukh Shiyani, Samjuben Arjanbhai, Bhanuben Kanabhai, Bharatbhai Lakhabhai, Haresh Jesa and Shobhaben Rameshbhai, police said.

A complaint has been lodged against the truck driver, who fled from the spot after the mishap, police said.

The driver of the truck lost control over the vehicle due to which it veered off the bridge and fell into the water body, police said

At least seven persons were killed and 24 others injured when a truck carrying them fell into a rivulet near Rajula town of Amreli district, police said on Saturday. The incident took place late last night when people from Mahuva town in Bhavnagar district were returning home from Amreli after attending a marriage ceremony, they said. The driver of the truck lost control over the vehicle due to which it veered off the bridge and fell into the water body, police said. “At least seven people, including three women, were killed, while 24 others sustained injuries when the truck fell into the rivulet near Rajula town of Amreli district,” Nirlipt Rai, Superintendent of Police of Amreli, said. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, he said. The deceased were identified as Kesarben Baraiya, Jaysukh Shiyani, Samjuben Arjanbhai, Bhanuben Kanabhai, Bharatbhai Lakhabhai, Haresh Jesa and Shobhaben Rameshbhai, police said. A complaint has been lodged against the truck driver, who fled from the spot after the mishap, police said.

7 people killed in road accident in Gujarat

Hundreds of fliers were stranded at&nbsp;Delhi's IGI airport on Saturday afternoon as nearly two dozen Air India flights got delayed after a technical glitch in the check-in software hampered the operations, an airline spokesperson said.

The software malfunction was rectified after around 15-30 minutes, but it affected operations for around an hour and a half, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm when check-in and other services were handled manually.&nbsp;

The departure timings of as many as 23 flights were affected and the delays owing to the software malfunction stretched from 15-30 minutes, the spokesperson said.

Recently, flight operations were affected at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI)&nbsp;on Friday due to the severe heat — the temperature touched 44.9 degrees Celsius in Palam.&nbsp;

Due to heatwave conditions, services were delayed in the afternoon for nearly three hours as authorities waited for the sun to lower.

The departure timings of as many as 23 flights were affected and the delays owing to the software malfunction stretched from 15-30 minutes, the spokesperson said.

Hundreds of fliers were stranded at Delhi's IGI airport on Saturday afternoon as nearly two dozen Air India flights got delayed after a technical glitch in the check-in software hampered the operations, an airline spokesperson said. The software malfunction was rectified after around 15-30 minutes, but it affected operations for around an hour and a half, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm when check-in and other services were handled manually. The departure timings of as many as 23 flights were affected and the delays owing to the software malfunction stretched from 15-30 minutes, the spokesperson said. Recently, flight operations were affected at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Friday due to the severe heat — the temperature touched 44.9 degrees Celsius in Palam. Due to heatwave conditions, services were delayed in the afternoon for nearly three hours as authorities waited for the sun to lower.

23 Air India flights delayed at Delhi's IGI Airport due to technical glitch

In a veiled attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was spreading "lies, confusion and pessimism", whereas his government was working for the welfare of people.

Addressing a public meeting after launching the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, "People trust the BJP and its government. Those spreading lies, confusion and pessimism are cut off from the ground reality."

The prime minister paid tributes to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said it was his vision to strengthen education, health, finance, and security.

"His vision was to impart skills to the youth and give them opportunity so that they become capable of serving the country. Programmes like Startup, Make in India are a reflection of his ideas," he said.

"It was unfortunate that to glorify one family, deliberate attempts were made to belittle the contributions of other towering personalities in the country," he said.

Targeting the Congress, Modi said the party which ruled the country for maximum years never trusted the people and their hard work.&nbsp;

"They did not trust the strength of the country. In the last four years, we never spoke of frustration and dismay. We are the ones who are marching ahead with confidence," he said.

Modi said in the last four years at the Centre and 13 years in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP had worked for the uplift and empowerment of poor, farmers and deprived sections of society.

He said when the Congress ruled the state, Madhya Pradesh was called a BIMARU state.

"The Congress never saw this as an insult to the people of the state. The BJP had worked hard to remove this tag," he added.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MadhyaPradesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MadhyaPradesh</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Rajgarh to inaugurate the Mohanpura Irrigation Project. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Governor Anandiben Patel also present there. <a href="https://t.co/58aG2vlFdj">pic.twitter.com/58aG2vlFdj</a>
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Addressing a public meeting after launching the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, 'People trust the BJP and its government. Those spreading lies, confusion and pessimism are cut off from the ground reality'

In a veiled attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it was spreading "lies, confusion and pessimism", whereas his government was working for the welfare of people. Addressing a public meeting after launching the Mohanpura Irrigation Project in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, Modi said, "People trust the BJP and its government. Those spreading lies, confusion and pessimism are cut off from the ground reality." The prime minister paid tributes to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee and said it was his vision to strengthen education, health, finance, and security. "His vision was to impart skills to the youth and give them opportunity so that they become capable of serving the country. Programmes like Startup, Make in India are a reflection of his ideas," he said. "It was unfortunate that to glorify one family, deliberate attempts were made to belittle the contributions of other towering personalities in the country," he said. Targeting the Congress, Modi said the party which ruled the country for maximum years never trusted the people and their hard work. "They did not trust the strength of the country. In the last four years, we never spoke of frustration and dismay. We are the ones who are marching ahead with confidence," he said. Modi said in the last four years at the Centre and 13 years in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP had worked for the uplift and empowerment of poor, farmers and deprived sections of society. He said when the Congress ruled the state, Madhya Pradesh was called a BIMARU state. "The Congress never saw this as an insult to the people of the state. The BJP had worked hard to remove this tag," he added. #MadhyaPradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Rajgarh to inaugurate the Mohanpura Irrigation Project. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan & Governor Anandiben Patel also present there. pic.twitter.com/58aG2vlFdj — ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2018 ×

Opposition spreading lies and pessimism, BJP govt working for people's welfare: PM Modi

India on Friday made its first official move to clampdown against big bank loan defaulters under a new law as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a court against liquor baron Vijay Mallya seeking to declare him a 'fugitive offender' and to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore.

Officials said the agency filed an application before a Mumbai court under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that empowers it to confiscate all assets of an absconding loan defaulter.

The application accessed by PTI seeks to immediately confiscate about Rs 12,500 crore assets of Mallya and his companies, both movable and immovable.

The ED has furnished evidences in its two charge sheets, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past,&nbspto make a case for seeking a fugitive offender tag for Mallya from the court.

Mallya is contesting these money laundering charges in London as part of India's efforts to extradite him from there and face the legal system here in connection with an overall alleged loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore of various banks.

As per the existing process of law under the PMLA, the ED can confiscate the assets only after the trial in a case finishes which usually takes many years.

The Modi government brought the fugitive ordinance as "there have been instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts, anticipating the commencement, or during the pendency, of criminal proceedings," the government said.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12 but couldn't be taken up due to logjam in Parliament over different issues.

With Parliament being adjourned sine die, an ordinance was proposed.

The Union Cabinet on April 21 approved the ordinance and the President gave his assent to promulgation of the same a day later.

The ordinance makes provisions for special courts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 to declare a person as a fugitive economic offender and order immediate confiscation of assets.

"A Fugitive Economic Offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution," the government said.

Cases of frauds, cheque dishonour or loan default of over Rs 100 crore would come under the ambit of this ordinance.

The ordinance offers necessary constitutional safeguards in terms of providing hearing to the person through counsel, allowing him time to file a reply, serving notice of summons to him, whether in India or abroad and appeal before the high court.

Officials said the agency filed an application before a Mumbai court under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that empowers it to confiscate all assets of an absconding loan defaulter

India on Friday made its first official move to clampdown against big bank loan defaulters under a new law as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved a court against liquor baron Vijay Mallya seeking to declare him a 'fugitive offender' and to confiscate his assets worth Rs 12,500 crore. Officials said the agency filed an application before a Mumbai court under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that empowers it to confiscate all assets of an absconding loan defaulter. The application accessed by PTI seeks to immediately confiscate about Rs 12,500 crore assets of Mallya and his companies, both movable and immovable. The ED has furnished evidences in its two charge sheets, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the past,&nbspto make a case for seeking a fugitive offender tag for Mallya from the court. Mallya is contesting these money laundering charges in London as part of India's efforts to extradite him from there and face the legal system here in connection with an overall alleged loan default of over Rs 9,000 crore of various banks. As per the existing process of law under the PMLA, the ED can confiscate the assets only after the trial in a case finishes which usually takes many years. The Modi government brought the fugitive ordinance as "there have been instances of economic offenders fleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts, anticipating the commencement, or during the pendency, of criminal proceedings," the government said. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12 but couldn't be taken up due to logjam in Parliament over different issues. With Parliament being adjourned sine die, an ordinance was proposed. The Union Cabinet on April 21 approved the ordinance and the President gave his assent to promulgation of the same a day later. The ordinance makes provisions for special courts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 to declare a person as a fugitive economic offender and order immediate confiscation of assets. "A Fugitive Economic Offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution," the government said. Cases of frauds, cheque dishonour or loan default of over Rs 100 crore would come under the ambit of this ordinance. The ordinance offers necessary constitutional safeguards in terms of providing hearing to the person through counsel, allowing him time to file a reply, serving notice of summons to him, whether in India or abroad and appeal before the high court.

ED seeks fugitive offender tag for Mallya in first case under new legislation

The Indian mission in the US has established contact with two immigration detention centres where nearly 100 Indians, mostly from Punjab, are detained for illegally entering the country through its southern border.

According to officials, around 40-45 Indians are at a federal detention centre in the Southern American State of New Mexico while 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs and Christians, are held in Oregon.

The Indian Embassy in a statement said it has established contacts with both the detention facilities.&nbsp;

"A consular official has visited the detention facility in Oregon and another one is scheduled to visit the detention facility in New Mexico. We are monitoring the situation," the&nbsp;statement said.

More than a dozen of them are being held at the New Mexico centre for months. And the rest of the Indians were brought to this detention centre about a week ago.

Most of the detainees at the federal facilities are asking for asylum claiming that they "experienced violence or persecution" in their home country.

Satnam Singh Chahal, of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), believes that thousands of Indians, with overwhelming majority of them being from Punjab, are languishing in jails in the US.

According to information obtained by NAPA through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) between three years of 2013, 2014 and 2015, more than 27,000 Indians were apprehended at the US border. Of these, over 4,000 were women and 350 were children.&nbsp;

Many of them, it is reported, are still languishing in jails.&nbsp;

According to a FOIA request in 2015, more than 900 Indians were in various federal prisons on charges of illegally staying in the country.

Chahal alleged that there is a nexus of human traffickers, officials and politicians in Punjab, who encourage young Punjabis to leave their homes to illegally enter the US and charge Rs 35-50 lakhs from each individual.

"Human trafficking is a criminal act which affects the global community and consequently Punjabis are too victims of this episode. The Punjabis enthusiasm to migrate to affluent countries in search of greener pastures has given the traffickers to exploit them," he said.

"Using different modus operandi, people of different backgrounds involved in human trafficking and often put the lives of their clients in considerable danger. Failure to reach their promised destination leads to deportation, exploitation, indebtedness, imprisonment and even death," he rued.

He urged the Punjab government to strictly enforce human trafficking laws that have been passed by the State Assembly in recent years.

According to immigration attorney Akansha Kalra the largest number of Indians who enter the US illegally are from Punjab and Gujarat.&nbsp;

Sharing her experience from her practice at an event organised by the Hindu American Foundation early this week, Kalra said that young Indians in 20s are crossing the border.

"They pay around Rs 35-40 lakhs to human smugglers just to help them cross the border. With this kind of administration's policy, hopefully they would get deterred by it. But so far they keep on coming," she said during fourth annual HAF Policy Conference at the US Capitol.

"They (Punjabi boys) use the same script that was used in the 80s," she said, narrating the experience of her visits to one of these detention centres in Pennsylvania, which has several of illegal Indians being detained.

Most of these Indians get nabbed at the Mexico border, get processed in Texas and then shipped out to the Pennsylvania detention centre, which is one of the largest of such detention facilities in the US.

President Donald Trump yesterday reversed his controversial decision on immigration by signing an executive order to end the separation of immigrant families on the US-Mexico border, following widespread protests against the move of his administration to separate children from their parents who illegally enter the country.

Around 40-45 Indians are at a federal detention centre in the Southern American State of New Mexico while 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs and Christians, are held in Oregon.

The Indian mission in the US has established contact with two immigration detention centres where nearly 100 Indians, mostly from Punjab, are detained for illegally entering the country through its southern border. According to officials, around 40-45 Indians are at a federal detention centre in the Southern American State of New Mexico while 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs and Christians, are held in Oregon. The Indian Embassy in a statement said it has established contacts with both the detention facilities. "A consular official has visited the detention facility in Oregon and another one is scheduled to visit the detention facility in New Mexico. We are monitoring the situation," the statement said. More than a dozen of them are being held at the New Mexico centre for months. And the rest of the Indians were brought to this detention centre about a week ago. Most of the detainees at the federal facilities are asking for asylum claiming that they "experienced violence or persecution" in their home country. Satnam Singh Chahal, of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), believes that thousands of Indians, with overwhelming majority of them being from Punjab, are languishing in jails in the US. According to information obtained by NAPA through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) between three years of 2013, 2014 and 2015, more than 27,000 Indians were apprehended at the US border. Of these, over 4,000 were women and 350 were children. Many of them, it is reported, are still languishing in jails. According to a FOIA request in 2015, more than 900 Indians were in various federal prisons on charges of illegally staying in the country. Chahal alleged that there is a nexus of human traffickers, officials and politicians in Punjab, who encourage young Punjabis to leave their homes to illegally enter the US and charge Rs 35-50 lakhs from each individual. "Human trafficking is a criminal act which affects the global community and consequently Punjabis are too victims of this episode. The Punjabis enthusiasm to migrate to affluent countries in search of greener pastures has given the traffickers to exploit them," he said. "Using different modus operandi, people of different backgrounds involved in human trafficking and often put the lives of their clients in considerable danger. Failure to reach their promised destination leads to deportation, exploitation, indebtedness, imprisonment and even death," he rued. He urged the Punjab government to strictly enforce human trafficking laws that have been passed by the State Assembly in recent years. According to immigration attorney Akansha Kalra the largest number of Indians who enter the US illegally are from Punjab and Gujarat. Sharing her experience from her practice at an event organised by the Hindu American Foundation early this week, Kalra said that young Indians in 20s are crossing the border. "They pay around Rs 35-40 lakhs to human smugglers just to help them cross the border. With this kind of administration's policy, hopefully they would get deterred by it. But so far they keep on coming," she said during fourth annual HAF Policy Conference at the US Capitol. "They (Punjabi boys) use the same script that was used in the 80s," she said, narrating the experience of her visits to one of these detention centres in Pennsylvania, which has several of illegal Indians being detained. Most of these Indians get nabbed at the Mexico border, get processed in Texas and then shipped out to the Pennsylvania detention centre, which is one of the largest of such detention facilities in the US. President Donald Trump yesterday reversed his controversial decision on immigration by signing an executive order to end the separation of immigrant families on the US-Mexico border, following widespread protests against the move of his administration to separate children from their parents who illegally enter the country.

Nearly 100 Indians held at 2 detention centres in US, India establishes contact

Three terrorists and one policeman have been killed in an encounter in Anantnag's Srigufwara encounter, according to a police officer. The encounter is still underway, he added.&nbsp;

''The encounter started in early hours of the morning. There was information about 3-4 terrorists' presence. Three bodies (of terrorists) are being retrieved. One Policeman is reportedly martyred and 2 civilians are injuries,'' news agency ANI reported quoting Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid. &nbsp;

According to Vaid, the slain terrorists were affiliated to Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).

Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in Srinagar and Anantnag due to an ongoing encounter in Anantnag's Srigufwara area.

A gunfight broke out between the security forces and militants on Friday morning.&nbsp;

Police said security forces laid a cordon around Srigufwara village following specific information about the presence of militants there.

"As the security forces tightened the cordon around hiding militants, they fired, triggering an encounter," a police officer reportedly said.&nbsp;

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Encounter started in early hours of the morning, there was information of 3-4 terrorists' presence. 3 bodies (of terrorists) are being retrieved. 1 Policeman is reportedly martyred & 2 civilians are injuries: J&K DGP S.P. Vaid on encounter underway in Anantnag's Srigufwara <a href="https://t.co/HrxmS3nMDo">pic.twitter.com/HrxmS3nMDo</a>
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Internet services have been suspended in Srinagar and Anantnag due to an ongoing encounter in Anantnag's Srigufwara area

Three terrorists and one policeman have been killed in an encounter in Anantnag's Srigufwara encounter, according to a police officer. The encounter is still underway, he added. ''The encounter started in early hours of the morning. There was information about 3-4 terrorists' presence. Three bodies (of terrorists) are being retrieved. One Policeman is reportedly martyred and 2 civilians are injuries,'' news agency ANI reported quoting Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid. According to Vaid, the slain terrorists were affiliated to Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK). Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in Srinagar and Anantnag due to an ongoing encounter in Anantnag's Srigufwara area. A gunfight broke out between the security forces and militants on Friday morning. Police said security forces laid a cordon around Srigufwara village following specific information about the presence of militants there. "As the security forces tightened the cordon around hiding militants, they fired, triggering an encounter," a police officer reportedly said. Encounter started in early hours of the morning, there was information of 3-4 terrorists' presence. 3 bodies (of terrorists) are being retrieved. 1 Policeman is reportedly martyred & 2 civilians are injuries: J&K DGP S.P. Vaid on encounter underway in Anantnag's Srigufwara pic.twitter.com/HrxmS3nMDo — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2018 ×

Jammu and Kashmir: Bodies of 3 terrorists retrieved, 1 policeman killed in Anantnag encounter

Delhiites on Friday woke up to another hot morning with the minimum temperature settling at 30 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average, reported news agency PTI.&nbsp

According to the MeT department, humidity level recorded at 8.30 am was 52 per cent.

The weatherman has predicted light rains in some areas of the national capital in the evening.

"The skies may turn partly cloudy later in the day. There is also a possibility of light rains in the evening," an official of the department said.

The official said that the maximum temperature is expected to settle at 43 degrees Celsius.

Yesterday, the minimum temperature recorded was 30.9 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature settled at 42 degrees Celsius.&nbsp

The weatherman has predicted light rains in some areas of the national capital in the evening.

Delhiites on Friday woke up to another hot morning with the minimum temperature settling at 30 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average, reported news agency PTI. According to the MeT department, humidity level recorded at 8.30 am was 52 per cent. The weatherman has predicted light rains in some areas of the national capital in the evening. "The skies may turn partly cloudy later in the day. There is also a possibility of light rains in the evening," an official of the department said. The official said that the maximum temperature is expected to settle at 43 degrees Celsius. Yesterday, the minimum temperature recorded was 30.9 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature settled at 42 degrees Celsius.

Delhi: Hot morning in city, light rains expected in some areas

Five women working for a charity in Khunti district, in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand were abducted and allegedly gang-raped at gunpoint, police said on Friday.

The women alleged in their complaint that they were performing a play to raise awareness about human trafficking in the largely tribal Khunti district on Tuesday when they were abducted.

The assailants shot videos of the attack and threatened the women if they went to the police, they said.

The women worked for the non-governmental organisation Asha Kiran which is supported by a local Christian missionary group, police officer Rajesh Prasad said.

"We have been questioning several people," Prasad added.

Police have also rounded up some supporters of Pathalgadi, an anti-establishment self-rule movement popular in several tribal villages.

Pathalgadi supporters resent outsiders and do not allow them to enter or settle in their area.

Khunti is also a hotbed of Maoists, who have been waging a decades-long insurgency mainly for land rights.

Prasad said the women had undergone medical tests and that police were awaiting the results.

Jharkhand has especially been in the spotlight after three teenagers were raped and burnt alive in separate incidents last month.

Police said the women had undergone medical tests and that police were awaiting the results.

Five women working for a charity in Khunti district, in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand were abducted and allegedly gang-raped at gunpoint, police said on Friday. The women alleged in their complaint that they were performing a play to raise awareness about human trafficking in the largely tribal Khunti district on Tuesday when they were abducted. The assailants shot videos of the attack and threatened the women if they went to the police, they said. The women worked for the non-governmental organisation Asha Kiran which is supported by a local Christian missionary group, police officer Rajesh Prasad said. "We have been questioning several people," Prasad added. Police have also rounded up some supporters of Pathalgadi, an anti-establishment self-rule movement popular in several tribal villages. Pathalgadi supporters resent outsiders and do not allow them to enter or settle in their area. Khunti is also a hotbed of Maoists, who have been waging a decades-long insurgency mainly for land rights. Prasad said the women had undergone medical tests and that police were awaiting the results. Jharkhand has especially been in the spotlight after three teenagers were raped and burnt alive in separate incidents last month.

Five charity workers allegedly gang-raped at gunpoint in Jharkhand

In a major setback to investigation agencies, Italy refused to extradite Carlo Gerosa, an alleged middleman in AgustaWestland bribery scandal, saying it did not have any mutual legal assistance treaty with India.

After the recent development, the CBI approached the External Affairs Ministry, citing provisions under which he could be extradited to India even in the absence of legal assistance treaty between the two countries, sources said.

Carlo Valentino Ferdinando Gerosa (71), an Italian and Swiss national, was believed to be a key player in the bribery scandal as the process of manipulating the specifications for VVIP helicopter deal allegedly started after a meeting between him and cousins of former IAF chief S P Tyagi, they said.

Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against Gerosa, they said.&nbsp

He was apprehended by authorities in Italy on the basis of the RCN in connection with its money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case.

Gerosa was one of the three alleged middlemen wanted in this case and his interrogation and statement was very important for both the ED and the CBI who were probing the case.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore for securing the deal.

It was alleged that the three middlemen, Gerosa, Guido Haschke and Christian Michel," managed to"&nbspmake inroads into the IAF in order to influence and subvert its stand regarding reducing the service ceiling of helicopters from 6,000 m to 4,500 m in 2005 after which AgustaWestland became eligible to supply a dozen helicopters for VVIP flying duties.

The ED and the CBI had also issued Letters Rogatory to multiple countries to gather more leads and evidence in this case.

Letters Rogatory are requests issued by courts on the request of an investigation agency when it wants information from another country.&nbsp

After the recent development, the CBI approached the External Affairs Ministry, citing provisions under which he could be extradited to India even in the absence of legal assistance treaty between the two countries, sources said

In a major setback to investigation agencies, Italy refused to extradite Carlo Gerosa, an alleged middleman in AgustaWestland bribery scandal, saying it did not have any mutual legal assistance treaty with India. After the recent development, the CBI approached the External Affairs Ministry, citing provisions under which he could be extradited to India even in the absence of legal assistance treaty between the two countries, sources said. Carlo Valentino Ferdinando Gerosa (71), an Italian and Swiss national, was believed to be a key player in the bribery scandal as the process of manipulating the specifications for VVIP helicopter deal allegedly started after a meeting between him and cousins of former IAF chief S P Tyagi, they said. Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against Gerosa, they said. He was apprehended by authorities in Italy on the basis of the RCN in connection with its money laundering probe in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case. Gerosa was one of the three alleged middlemen wanted in this case and his interrogation and statement was very important for both the ED and the CBI who were probing the case. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore for securing the deal. It was alleged that the three middlemen, Gerosa, Guido Haschke and Christian Michel," managed to"&nbspmake inroads into the IAF in order to influence and subvert its stand regarding reducing the service ceiling of helicopters from 6,000 m to 4,500 m in 2005 after which AgustaWestland became eligible to supply a dozen helicopters for VVIP flying duties. The ED and the CBI had also issued Letters Rogatory to multiple countries to gather more leads and evidence in this case. Letters Rogatory are requests issued by courts on the request of an investigation agency when it wants information from another country.

Italy refuses to extradite AgustaWestland middleman

Telecom giant Airtel today tried to downplay the incident wherein a customer blatantly asked for a 'Hindu representative' to resolve her issue, and she even got a response.

The statement released by Airtel claimed that one customer executive taking up the case of another without checking his colleague's religious identity was being misconstrued as the company's acceptance of religious discrimination.

Airtel said that it did not change the representative as an obligation to the customer. The Hindu representative took up the service request because his Muslim colleague, who was earlier dealing with the customer, was not logged in.

This appears unconvincing because the telecom operator had given a lukewarm response on Monday as well after it landed in a huge controversy.

It's only when the incident went viral on social media and people started criticising the company for switching executives based on customer's religious preference, the company issued a clarification on Twitter,&nbsp; "We absolutely do not differentiate between customers, employees and partners on the basis of caste or religion."

By bowing down to an offensive discriminatory request, the company has given an idea that for it only revenue matters, and not sentiments.

A leading telecommunications company like Airtel should set an example for others, by prohibiting any discrimination based on religion, caste and ethnicity. Company employees should be made aware of the types of discrimination that need to be objected to.

Also, it should understand that a simple sorry always works, and is way better than an unconvincing cover-up.

Last month, Starbucks faced backlash over the treatment of black customers at some of its stores. Without any delay, the coffee chain closed its 8,000 US stores to provide unconscious-bias training to its employees.

In another instance, JW Mariott Marquis Hotel in Dubai where celebrity chef Atul Kochhar successfully ran his restaurant Rang Darbar, was quick to distance itself from chef's 'anti-Islam' remark when he trolled actress Priyanka Chopra for Hindu terror plot in her serial Quantico.&nbsp;

Following massive outrage, the hotel terminated Kochhar's contract.

Ola too faced a similar crisis when a cab driver refused to ferry Muslim customer to Jamia Nagar. After the man shared his ordeal on social media, Ola had to put out a statement that it doesn't support any sort of discrimination.&nbsp;

This trend clearly indicates that consumers expect brands to be responsible and take stand against hate speech and bigotry. Hence, there is an urgent need for organisations to put in place proper anti-discrimination policies.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

A leading telecommunications company like Airtel should set an example for others.

Telecom giant Airtel today tried to downplay the incident wherein a customer blatantly asked for a 'Hindu representative' to resolve her issue, and she even got a response. The statement released by Airtel claimed that one customer executive taking up the case of another without checking his colleague's religious identity was being misconstrued as the company's acceptance of religious discrimination. Airtel said that it did not change the representative as an obligation to the customer. The Hindu representative took up the service request because his Muslim colleague, who was earlier dealing with the customer, was not logged in. This appears unconvincing because the telecom operator had given a lukewarm response on Monday as well after it landed in a huge controversy. It's only when the incident went viral on social media and people started criticising the company for switching executives based on customer's religious preference, the company issued a clarification on Twitter, "We absolutely do not differentiate between customers, employees and partners on the basis of caste or religion." By bowing down to an offensive discriminatory request, the company has given an idea that for it only revenue matters, and not sentiments. A leading telecommunications company like Airtel should set an example for others, by prohibiting any discrimination based on religion, caste and ethnicity. Company employees should be made aware of the types of discrimination that need to be objected to. Also, it should understand that a simple sorry always works, and is way better than an unconvincing cover-up. Last month, Starbucks faced backlash over the treatment of black customers at some of its stores. Without any delay, the coffee chain closed its 8,000 US stores to provide unconscious-bias training to its employees. In another instance, JW Mariott Marquis Hotel in Dubai where celebrity chef Atul Kochhar successfully ran his restaurant Rang Darbar, was quick to distance itself from chef's 'anti-Islam' remark when he trolled actress Priyanka Chopra for Hindu terror plot in her serial Quantico. Following massive outrage, the hotel terminated Kochhar's contract. Ola too faced a similar crisis when a cab driver refused to ferry Muslim customer to Jamia Nagar. After the man shared his ordeal on social media, Ola had to put out a statement that it doesn't support any sort of discrimination. This trend clearly indicates that consumers expect brands to be responsible and take stand against hate speech and bigotry. Hence, there is an urgent need for organisations to put in place proper anti-discrimination policies. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Airtel incident emphasises on need for brands to take a firm stand against religious bigotry

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled her visit to China just hours before leaving on Friday night.

According to sources, the Chinese government did not get back to her regarding the event details which was to be held in Beijing.

In a series of tweets, the chief minister said the External Affairs ministry had recommended a visit under the exchange programme with the international department of Communist Party of China(CPC).

"I appreciated the recommendation for me to lead the delegation to China under the exchange programme since the interest of my country is involved, I wish to visit China sometime during last week of June," the chief minister tweeted.

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It has now been intimated by our Ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the Exchange Programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the Exchange Programme is of no use.
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"Till yesterday, everything was going on well, but unfortunately, the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings at the appropriate level as informed by our Ambassador in China," she said, adding "a programme was chalked out, based on which we planned our visit in the coming week."

"It has now been intimated by our ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the exchange programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the exchange programme is of no use," the upset chief minister declared.

"Although our ambassador in China had tried his best to make the programme a success, non-confirmation of the political meetings at the appropriate level as proposed by the Indian ambassador to China, at the last moment, has unfortunately compelled us to cancel the visit," she ruefully added, however asserting that she wished to continue friendship between Indian and China in the interest of both countries.

In a series of tweets, the chief minister said the External Affairs ministry had recommended a visit under the exchange programme

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled her visit to China just hours before leaving on Friday night. According to sources, the Chinese government did not get back to her regarding the event details which was to be held in Beijing. In a series of tweets, the chief minister said the External Affairs ministry had recommended a visit under the exchange programme with the international department of Communist Party of China(CPC). "I appreciated the recommendation for me to lead the delegation to China under the exchange programme since the interest of my country is involved, I wish to visit China sometime during last week of June," the chief minister tweeted. It has now been intimated by our Ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the Exchange Programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the Exchange Programme is of no use. — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 22, 2018 × "Till yesterday, everything was going on well, but unfortunately, the Chinese side could not confirm the political meetings at the appropriate level as informed by our Ambassador in China," she said, adding "a programme was chalked out, based on which we planned our visit in the coming week." "It has now been intimated by our ambassador in China that the political meetings at the appropriate level under the exchange programme could not be confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of my visit with a delegation to China under the exchange programme is of no use," the upset chief minister declared. "Although our ambassador in China had tried his best to make the programme a success, non-confirmation of the political meetings at the appropriate level as proposed by the Indian ambassador to China, at the last moment, has unfortunately compelled us to cancel the visit," she ruefully added, however asserting that she wished to continue friendship between Indian and China in the interest of both countries.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee cancels China visit after Beijing fails to confirm event details

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the Essel Group's Yo1 Wellness Centre in New York, a 1,310-acre resort focusing on health, fitness and natural healing.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the august gathering via video conferencing.&nbsp;

"Yoga is not just about some asanas, it's a philosophy, a way of life," said PM Modi.

"Yoga has become a mass movement in the past three years," he added.

"I wish you (Essel Group) all the very best for the venture. Thank you very much," he said.

The centre, founded by media mogul Subhash Chandra, has state-of-art facilities and is a wellness destination that will offer therapies based on ancient Indian yoga and 'pranayam' &nbsp;techniques.&nbsp;

<img alt="yo1-centre.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="645" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/yo1-centre.jpg" width="1170" />

(The Yo1 centre in New York.)

A dream project of Subhash Chandra, the centre is built on the Catskills Mountain in southeastern New York. It will provide employment to at least 500 people and indirect employment to more than 1500 people.&nbsp;

In an effort to acknowledge this unique effort, the New York State Assembly honoured Subhash Chandra on Wednesday evening, a day before 4th International Yoga Day.

"A dream is coming true. I would like to congratulate the whole world community on this International Day of Yoga," said Subhash Chandra.

The Essel Group's mantra is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the world is one family and it's taking India's values of holistic living to the world with a new initiative. Yo1 will provide a 360-degree holistic experience to Americans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the Essel Group's Yo1 Wellness Centre in New York, a 1,310-acre resort focusing on health, fitness and natural healing. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the august gathering via video conferencing. "Yoga is not just about some asanas, it's a philosophy, a way of life," said PM Modi. "Yoga has become a mass movement in the past three years," he added. "I wish you (Essel Group) all the very best for the venture. Thank you very much," he said. The centre, founded by media mogul Subhash Chandra, has state-of-art facilities and is a wellness destination that will offer therapies based on ancient Indian yoga and 'pranayam' techniques. (The Yo1 centre in New York.) A dream project of Subhash Chandra, the centre is built on the Catskills Mountain in southeastern New York. It will provide employment to at least 500 people and indirect employment to more than 1500 people. In an effort to acknowledge this unique effort, the New York State Assembly honoured Subhash Chandra on Wednesday evening, a day before 4th International Yoga Day. "A dream is coming true. I would like to congratulate the whole world community on this International Day of Yoga," said Subhash Chandra.

PM Modi inaugurates Essel Group's Yo1, largest nature cure centre in US

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider a plea for increasing the retirement age of government doctors from 58 years to 65 years.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha gave the direction while disposing of a PIL from K Purushotham, the Associate Professor of Medicine at the Madras Medical College and General Hospital here.

The bench in its June 18 order noted that it appeared from the affidavit in support of the petition that the Medical Council of India has approved, modified and amended the age of retirement of government doctors and several states had increased the age of superannuation to 65 years.

It directed the Tamil Nadu government officials including the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary to consider the representation of the petitioner by giving him and other doctors a hearing.

Making clear that it had not gone into the merits of the contentions in the representation by the petitioner, the bench said the doctors may be heard through a representative.

The petitioner, who had made a representation to the authorities concerned on November 23, 2017 on increasing the retirement age, said there were around 800 other government doctors in his age group who will benefit by enhancement of the superannuation age.

He also said several states, including Odisha and Haryana, had raised the retirement age beyond 60 years and hence the Tamil Nadu government could emulate them.

Such a course would benefit and be useful to emerging medical students and also for the general public in getting services of qualified and experienced medical doctors.&nbsp;

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha gave the direction while disposing of a PIL from K Purushotham, the Associate Professor of Medicine at the Madras Medical College and General Hospital

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider a plea for increasing the retirement age of government doctors from 58 years to 65 years. The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha gave the direction while disposing of a PIL from K Purushotham, the Associate Professor of Medicine at the Madras Medical College and General Hospital here. The bench in its June 18 order noted that it appeared from the affidavit in support of the petition that the Medical Council of India has approved, modified and amended the age of retirement of government doctors and several states had increased the age of superannuation to 65 years. It directed the Tamil Nadu government officials including the Chief Secretary and the Health Secretary to consider the representation of the petitioner by giving him and other doctors a hearing. Making clear that it had not gone into the merits of the contentions in the representation by the petitioner, the bench said the doctors may be heard through a representative. The petitioner, who had made a representation to the authorities concerned on November 23, 2017 on increasing the retirement age, said there were around 800 other government doctors in his age group who will benefit by enhancement of the superannuation age. He also said several states, including Odisha and Haryana, had raised the retirement age beyond 60 years and hence the Tamil Nadu government could emulate them. Such a course would benefit and be useful to emerging medical students and also for the general public in getting services of qualified and experienced medical doctors.

High Court asks Tamil Nadu government to consider plea for raising retirement age of doctors

Justice Jasti Chelameswar, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, who led three senior judges to an unprecedented press conference, mounting a virtual revolt against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, will demit office today (June 22) after a nearly seven-year tenure in the top court.

Along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, he had raised questions on "selective" allocation of cases, including the sensitive case of special CBI judge B H Loya, who died on December 1, 2014.

The press meet on January 12 , the first in the chequered history of the Supreme Court, had sent waves in the court's corridors and caught the nation by surprise.

In hard-hitting remarks, Justice Chelameswar had said, "Many things that are less than desirable happened in the last few months."

Unless this institution (Supreme Court) is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country, or any country. The survival of a democracy, it is said, the hallmark of a good democracy, is an independent and impartial judge,? he had said.

Justice Chelameswar, who turns 65 tomorrow, was part of the nine-judge bench that gave the historic verdict declaring right to privacy a fundamental right.

In a separate but concurring verdict, Justice J&nbspChelameswar had said in August last year that fundamental rights were the only constitutional firewall to prevent State's interference with those core freedoms constituting liberty of a human being.&nbsp

The right to privacy was certainly one of the core freedoms which was to be defended, he had said, noting that it was part of liberty within the meaning of that expression in Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty).

Justice Chelameswar, who was also part of the five-judge Constitution bench led by Justice J S Khehar that had scrapped the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act to deal with appointments in higher judiciary, was the lone dissenting judge.

He had observed that "proceedings of the Collegium were absolutely opaque and inaccessible both to public and history".

Opposing the Collegium system of judges appointing judges, he had taken a decision after the 2016 NJAC verdict to opt out of the Supreme Court Collegium meetings till the highest judiciary ushered in transparency.&nbsp

However, later he took part in Collegium meetings.&nbsp

In one of its meetings, the five-member collegium, including him, had recently agreed in principle to reiterate the name of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph for Supreme Court judgeship after the Centre had returned the file seeking re-consideration.&nbsp

Justice Chelameswar was also part of the bench that had struck down controversial section 66A of the Information Technology Act which provided the law enforcement agencies the power to arrest a person for posting offensive contents on web the grounds of violation of fundamental rights.&nbsp

He was also heading the three-judge bench that had referred the pleas against Aadhaar to the larger bench while making it clear that no person shall be deprived of social benefits due to want of the 12-digit national unique identification number (Aadhaar).&nbsp

In an unusual step, Justice Chelameswar had refused the invitation of the Supreme Court Bar Association to participate in a farewell function.

However, he followed the tradition and sat on the bench along with CJI Misra on May 18, his last working day in the apex court before it closed for the summer vacation.

He also was lauded by top lawyers for his judicial approach, with former law minister Shanti Bhushan even equating him with Justice H R Khanna, the lone dissenting voice in a verdict that had upheld the suspension of fundamental rights during the Emergency.

He batted for transparency in the functioning of the Collegium. Once, he refused to attend Collegium meetings.

Later, the Collegium resolved to post on the court's website its recommendations on judicial appointments, transfers and elevations for public consumption.

Recently, a bench comprising justices Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer ruled that politicians, their spouses and dependents would now have to declare their sources of income, along with their assets, for contesting elections.

In another landmark judgement, the apex court had passed a slew of measures to reform the electoral process, observing that the "purity" of electoral process was fundamental to the "survival of a healthy democracy".

Born on June 23, 1953 at Pedda Muttevi, Movya Mandal in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, he had his early education at Hindu High School at Machilipatnam in Krishna district and graduated in Physics from Loyola College in Chennai (then Madras). He attained his law degree from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, in 1976.

He was designated as a senior counsel in1995 and appointed as additional advocate general of Andhra Pradesh on October 13, 1995.

Justice Chelameswar was elevated as additional dudge of Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 23, 1997 and as judge with effect from May 17, 1999.&nbsp

He was elevated as chief justice of the Gauhati High Court on May 3, 2007 and later transferred to the Kerala High Court.&nbsp

He assumed charge as the chief justice of Kerala High Court on March 17, 2010.

Justice Chelameswar was elevated as a judge to the Supreme Court on October 10, 2011. 
&nbsp

Along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, he had raised questions on 'selective' allocation of cases, including the sensitive case of special CBI judge B H Loya, who died on December 1, 2014

Justice Jasti Chelameswar, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, who led three senior judges to an unprecedented press conference, mounting a virtual revolt against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, will demit office today (June 22) after a nearly seven-year tenure in the top court. Along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, he had raised questions on "selective" allocation of cases, including the sensitive case of special CBI judge B H Loya, who died on December 1, 2014. The press meet on January 12 , the first in the chequered history of the Supreme Court, had sent waves in the court's corridors and caught the nation by surprise. In hard-hitting remarks, Justice Chelameswar had said, "Many things that are less than desirable happened in the last few months." Unless this institution (Supreme Court) is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country, or any country. The survival of a democracy, it is said, the hallmark of a good democracy, is an independent and impartial judge,? he had said. Justice Chelameswar, who turns 65 tomorrow, was part of the nine-judge bench that gave the historic verdict declaring right to privacy a fundamental right. In a separate but concurring verdict, Justice J&nbspChelameswar had said in August last year that fundamental rights were the only constitutional firewall to prevent State's interference with those core freedoms constituting liberty of a human being. The right to privacy was certainly one of the core freedoms which was to be defended, he had said, noting that it was part of liberty within the meaning of that expression in Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty). Justice Chelameswar, who was also part of the five-judge Constitution bench led by Justice J S Khehar that had scrapped the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act to deal with appointments in higher judiciary, was the lone dissenting judge. He had observed that "proceedings of the Collegium were absolutely opaque and inaccessible both to public and history". Opposing the Collegium system of judges appointing judges, he had taken a decision after the 2016 NJAC verdict to opt out of the Supreme Court Collegium meetings till the highest judiciary ushered in transparency. However, later he took part in Collegium meetings. In one of its meetings, the five-member collegium, including him, had recently agreed in principle to reiterate the name of Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice K M Joseph for Supreme Court judgeship after the Centre had returned the file seeking re-consideration. Justice Chelameswar was also part of the bench that had struck down controversial section 66A of the Information Technology Act which provided the law enforcement agencies the power to arrest a person for posting offensive contents on web the grounds of violation of fundamental rights. He was also heading the three-judge bench that had referred the pleas against Aadhaar to the larger bench while making it clear that no person shall be deprived of social benefits due to want of the 12-digit national unique identification number (Aadhaar). In an unusual step, Justice Chelameswar had refused the invitation of the Supreme Court Bar Association to participate in a farewell function. However, he followed the tradition and sat on the bench along with CJI Misra on May 18, his last working day in the apex court before it closed for the summer vacation. He also was lauded by top lawyers for his judicial approach, with former law minister Shanti Bhushan even equating him with Justice H R Khanna, the lone dissenting voice in a verdict that had upheld the suspension of fundamental rights during the Emergency. He batted for transparency in the functioning of the Collegium. Once, he refused to attend Collegium meetings. Later, the Collegium resolved to post on the court's website its recommendations on judicial appointments, transfers and elevations for public consumption. Recently, a bench comprising justices Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer ruled that politicians, their spouses and dependents would now have to declare their sources of income, along with their assets, for contesting elections. In another landmark judgement, the apex court had passed a slew of measures to reform the electoral process, observing that the "purity" of electoral process was fundamental to the "survival of a healthy democracy". Born on June 23, 1953 at Pedda Muttevi, Movya Mandal in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, he had his early education at Hindu High School at Machilipatnam in Krishna district and graduated in Physics from Loyola College in Chennai (then Madras). He attained his law degree from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, in 1976. He was designated as a senior counsel in1995 and appointed as additional advocate general of Andhra Pradesh on October 13, 1995. Justice Chelameswar was elevated as additional dudge of Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 23, 1997 and as judge with effect from May 17, 1999. He was elevated as chief justice of the Gauhati High Court on May 3, 2007 and later transferred to the Kerala High Court. He assumed charge as the chief justice of Kerala High Court on March 17, 2010. Justice Chelameswar was elevated as a judge to the Supreme Court on October 10, 2011.

Supreme Court judge Jasti Chelameswar to demit office today

Popular Tamil actor Vijay's upcoming movie with director AR Murugadoss has been titled 'Sarkar.' 
 
The first look of the movie, produced by Kalanidhi Maran's Sun Pictures, was released on Thursday hours before the superstar's birthday. Vijay turned 44 on Friday, 22 June.&nbsp; 
 
The Vijay-Murugadoss duo had earlier churned out hits like 'Thuppakki' and 'Kaththi.'

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sarkar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sarkar</a> <a href="https://t.co/czi9c9zoQ1">pic.twitter.com/czi9c9zoQ1</a>
— Vijay (@actorvijay) <a href="https://twitter.com/actorvijay/status/1009775953675878400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sarkar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sarkar</a> 2nd Look !! <a href="https://t.co/XoiXHxleGQ">pic.twitter.com/XoiXHxleGQ</a>
— Vijay (@actorvijay) <a href="https://twitter.com/actorvijay/status/1009866077088636928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Double Oscar winner A R Rahman will be scoring music for the film. 
 
Vijay's last movie was 'Mersal', which had courted controversy with the state BJP unit raising objections to "incorrect references" to the Goods and Services Tax in the film.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

The actor shared two posters of the upcoming film.

Popular Tamil actor Vijay's upcoming movie with director AR Murugadoss has been titled 'Sarkar.' The first look of the movie, produced by Kalanidhi Maran's Sun Pictures, was released on Thursday hours before the superstar's birthday. Vijay turned 44 on Friday, 22 June. The Vijay-Murugadoss duo had earlier churned out hits like 'Thuppakki' and 'Kaththi.' #Sarkar pic.twitter.com/czi9c9zoQ1 — Vijay (@actorvijay) June 21, 2018 × #Sarkar 2nd Look !! pic.twitter.com/XoiXHxleGQ — Vijay (@actorvijay) June 21, 2018 × Double Oscar winner A R Rahman will be scoring music for the film. Vijay's last movie was 'Mersal', which had courted controversy with the state BJP unit raising objections to "incorrect references" to the Goods and Services Tax in the film. (With PTI inputs)

Ahead of his birthday, Vijay shares the first look of his next film 'Sarkar'

The first India-US '2+2 dialogue' will be held on July 6 and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to the US to take part in the meeting that is likely to focus on strengthening strategic and defence ties, reports news agency PTI.

The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

Swaraj and Sitharaman will take part in the first meeting of the '2+2 Dialogue' with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James N Mattis on July 6, the statement added.

This new dialogue format was agreed upon between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June 2017.

The meeting will focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defence cooperation as the US and India jointly confront global challenges, according to the US State Department.

Earlier this year, the '2+2 dialogue' had been postponed due to uncertainty over the confirmation of Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's new Secretary of State. Pompeo was later confirmed as Secretary of State in April.

The dialogue is seen as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The first India-US '2+2 dialogue' will be held on July 6 and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will travel to the US to take part in the meeting that is likely to focus on strengthening strategic and defence ties, reports news agency PTI. The two sides are expected to share perspectives on strengthening their strategic and security ties and exchange views on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Swaraj and Sitharaman will take part in the first meeting of the '2+2 Dialogue' with US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James N Mattis on July 6, the statement added. This new dialogue format was agreed upon between the two sides during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June 2017. The meeting will focus on strengthening strategic, security, and defence cooperation as the US and India jointly confront global challenges, according to the US State Department. Earlier this year, the '2+2 dialogue' had been postponed due to uncertainty over the confirmation of Mike Pompeo as President Donald Trump's new Secretary of State. Pompeo was later confirmed as Secretary of State in April. The dialogue is seen as a vehicle to elevate the strategic relationship between the two countries. (With PTI inputs)

Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman to visit United States for 1st 2+2 dialogue

Sorry ladies, Sumeet Vyas is taken. For those who have nursed a crush on the actor since his 'Permanent Roommates' days, there is news. The actor is all set to tie the knot with his girlfriend, actress Ekta Kaul in September this year.&nbsp; 
 
The actor's last release 'Veere Di Wedding' has just catapulted him to the big league and the actor has some very interesting projects- both on web and feature films- coming up. But first, the actor will be wrapping up his pending work and heading to Jammu in September to get married.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier there were reports about their engagement but the couple had denied the reports by releasing a press statement.&nbsp;

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Now, as per reports in a daily, Sumeet and Ekta are all set to get married. The couple's families met each other earlier and discussed the wedding.&nbsp; <a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a>

A source close to the couple said, "Ekta’s family, many of whom are based in Jammu, are preparing for a traditional Kashmiri ceremony. The final details of the wedding are being currently locked. The bride-to-be has been calling friends from the industry asking them to lock their dates for the mid-September nuptials."&nbsp;

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The couple has been in a relationship for the past one year although they have known each other for many years. "We first met years ago while shooting for a promo of a show which never took off. Then, both of us got busy with our respective lives. Last year, we bumped into each other at a friend’s party and then again when I was hosting a cricket-based reality show in which she was one of the players," Sumeet had said in an earlier interview to a magazine.&nbsp; 
 
The actor was earlier married to actress Shivani Tanksale but they got divorced in 2017. Sumeet maintains that the two have remained friends and their separation was amicable.&nbsp; 
 
There has been no official confirmation from the Sumeet or Ekta on their wedding yet.&nbsp;

The two will be 'permanent roommates' soon.

Sorry ladies, Sumeet Vyas is taken. For those who have nursed a crush on the actor since his 'Permanent Roommates' days, there is news. The actor is all set to tie the knot with his girlfriend, actress Ekta Kaul in September this year. The actor's last release 'Veere Di Wedding' has just catapulted him to the big league and the actor has some very interesting projects- both on web and feature films- coming up. But first, the actor will be wrapping up his pending work and heading to Jammu in September to get married. Earlier there were reports about their engagement but the couple had denied the reports by releasing a press statement. A post shared by Sumeet Vyas (@sumeetvyas) on Jun 15, 2018 at 9:28pm PDT × Now, as per reports in a daily, Sumeet and Ekta are all set to get married. The couple's families met each other earlier and discussed the wedding. × A source close to the couple said, "Ekta’s family, many of whom are based in Jammu, are preparing for a traditional Kashmiri ceremony. The final details of the wedding are being currently locked. The bride-to-be has been calling friends from the industry asking them to lock their dates for the mid-September nuptials." A post shared by Ekta Kaul (@ektakaul11) on Jun 18, 2018 at 10:23pm PDT × A post shared by Ekta Kaul (@ektakaul11) on Jun 1, 2018 at 11:16pm PDT × The couple has been in a relationship for the past one year although they have known each other for many years. "We first met years ago while shooting for a promo of a show which never took off. Then, both of us got busy with our respective lives. Last year, we bumped into each other at a friend’s party and then again when I was hosting a cricket-based reality show in which she was one of the players," Sumeet had said in an earlier interview to a magazine. The actor was earlier married to actress Shivani Tanksale but they got divorced in 2017. Sumeet maintains that the two have remained friends and their separation was amicable. There has been no official confirmation from the Sumeet or Ekta on their wedding yet.

'Veere Di Wedding' star Sumeet Vyas all set to tie the knot with Ekta Kaul

A Palghar native near here has lodged a police complaint seeking prosecution of Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly disclosing on Twitter the identity of two minor boys assaulted by a farmer for diving into his well.

Complainant Sanjeev Joshi of Dahanu in Palghar district has sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi allegedly for making "objectionable comments and sharing videos of the boys on his tweeter handle on June 15."

When contacted, Dahanu police station in-charge, Inspector Janardan Parabkar confirmed having received the complaint.

In his complaint, Joshi demanded that Gandhi is booked under provisions of IT Act.

The complainant claimed that around 73,000 netizens had read Gandhi's post and 9,389 of them re-tweeted it.

A video purportedly showing two minor boys from a backward community being stripped and beaten up for swimming in a well belonging to a farmer from other caste in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra had gone viral last week.

Gandhi had tweeted about the incident tagging the video, and blamed the BJP and the RSS for rising atrocities against backward classes.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had on June 19 issued a notice to Gandhi and Twitter for 'disclosing' the identity of the two boys.&nbsp

Complainant Sanjeev Joshi of Dahanu in Palghar district has sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi allegedly for making 'objectionable comments and sharing videos of the boys on his tweeter handle on June 15'

A Palghar native near here has lodged a police complaint seeking prosecution of Congress president Rahul Gandhi for allegedly disclosing on Twitter the identity of two minor boys assaulted by a farmer for diving into his well. Complainant Sanjeev Joshi of Dahanu in Palghar district has sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi allegedly for making "objectionable comments and sharing videos of the boys on his tweeter handle on June 15." When contacted, Dahanu police station in-charge, Inspector Janardan Parabkar confirmed having received the complaint. In his complaint, Joshi demanded that Gandhi is booked under provisions of IT Act. The complainant claimed that around 73,000 netizens had read Gandhi's post and 9,389 of them re-tweeted it. A video purportedly showing two minor boys from a backward community being stripped and beaten up for swimming in a well belonging to a farmer from other caste in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra had gone viral last week. Gandhi had tweeted about the incident tagging the video, and blamed the BJP and the RSS for rising atrocities against backward classes. The Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had on June 19 issued a notice to Gandhi and Twitter for 'disclosing' the identity of the two boys.

Plaint against Rahul for 'disclosing' minor assault victims' identity

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra directed on Friday that biometric attendance system was to be made compulsory for all Government employees.

He further said that any government employee not enrolled under the system will not be able to draw any salary.

The discussions were raised in an all-party meeting between the governor and the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

The meeting which was called to discuss measures for restoring peace in the state was attended by Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of National Conference, President of State Congress unit Ghulam Ahmad Mir, General secretary of Peoples Democratic Party Dilawar Mir, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sat Sharma, President of Peoples Democratic Front Hakim Yasin and many others.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was not present in the meeting but called on Vohra during the day.

After reviewing the security preparations of Amarnath Yatra, the governor also assured&nbspthe peaceful conduct of the Amarnath Yatra.&nbsp

The Governor's Rule in the state came into effect after Mehbooba Mufti resigned as Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister following the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) exit from its alliance with the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JammuKashmir?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JammuKashmir</a> Governor NN Vohra has directed that biometric attendance system be made mandatory for all Govt employees Direction states that no salary would be drawn in favour of Govt employees if they don’t get enrolled in biometric system.
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&nbsp

He further said that any government employee not enrolled under the system will not be able to draw any salary

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra directed on Friday that biometric attendance system was to be made compulsory for all Government employees. He further said that any government employee not enrolled under the system will not be able to draw any salary. The discussions were raised in an all-party meeting between the governor and the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. The meeting which was called to discuss measures for restoring peace in the state was attended by Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of National Conference, President of State Congress unit Ghulam Ahmad Mir, General secretary of Peoples Democratic Party Dilawar Mir, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sat Sharma, President of Peoples Democratic Front Hakim Yasin and many others. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was not present in the meeting but called on Vohra during the day. After reviewing the security preparations of Amarnath Yatra, the governor also assured&nbspthe peaceful conduct of the Amarnath Yatra. The Governor's Rule in the state came into effect after Mehbooba Mufti resigned as Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister following the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) exit from its alliance with the People's Democratic Party (PDP). #JammuKashmir Governor NN Vohra has directed that biometric attendance system be made mandatory for all Govt employees Direction states that no salary would be drawn in favour of Govt employees if they don’t get enrolled in biometric system. — ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2018 ×

J&K: Biometric attendance system to be made compulsory for all government employees, says Governor NN Vohra

BJP chief Amit Shah&nbsp;counselled social media savvy workers and supporters of his party's Delhi unit to avoid committing "mistake" of posting fake items online to avoid losing credibility among people, sources said.&nbsp;

In an address to "social media warriors", including party workers and supporters, of the BJP, Shah also asked them to highlight the achievements of the four years of the Modi government.

"The party president asked us to avoid committing mistake of posting fake pictures, data and messages on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. He said such action endangers our credibility before the people," said a participant, seeking anonymity.

The meeting held at the NDMC convention centre here was attended by around 300 party workers and supporters having more than 10,000 followers on social media platforms.

The interactions with "social media warriors" was planned in view of growing significance of online platforms in creating perception, which is important in politics, he said.

The BJP president also advised the workers to use their social media posts in analysing and comparing the works and achievements of the Modi government with those of Congress regimes, he said.

The BJP chief also insisted on expanding reach on social media by encouraging the workers to increase the number of their followers and ensure "maximum" visibility of their posts and tweets, the source added.

Shah also attended the SC Morcha and core group meetings of the Delhi BJP. The core group meeting started late in the evening and continued till night.

Party sources said that the "road map" for the 2019 election was discussed in the meeting of the Core group that serves as the key decision-making body of the Delhi BJP.

In an address to 'social media warriors', including party workers and supporters, of the BJP, Shah also asked them to highlight the achievements of the four years of the Modi government

BJP chief Amit Shah counselled social media savvy workers and supporters of his party's Delhi unit to avoid committing "mistake" of posting fake items online to avoid losing credibility among people, sources said. In an address to "social media warriors", including party workers and supporters, of the BJP, Shah also asked them to highlight the achievements of the four years of the Modi government. "The party president asked us to avoid committing mistake of posting fake pictures, data and messages on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. He said such action endangers our credibility before the people," said a participant, seeking anonymity. The meeting held at the NDMC convention centre here was attended by around 300 party workers and supporters having more than 10,000 followers on social media platforms. The interactions with "social media warriors" was planned in view of growing significance of online platforms in creating perception, which is important in politics, he said. The BJP president also advised the workers to use their social media posts in analysing and comparing the works and achievements of the Modi government with those of Congress regimes, he said. The BJP chief also insisted on expanding reach on social media by encouraging the workers to increase the number of their followers and ensure "maximum" visibility of their posts and tweets, the source added. Shah also attended the SC Morcha and core group meetings of the Delhi BJP. The core group meeting started late in the evening and continued till night. Party sources said that the "road map" for the 2019 election was discussed in the meeting of the Core group that serves as the key decision-making body of the Delhi BJP.

Avoid posting 'fake' items on social media: Shah tells BJP workers

Over 11,000 students took admission in various colleges of the Delhi University after the first cut-off list, almost six times the number last year, an official said.

The last day of the admission process for the first-cut-offs finished today.

According to a university official, out of over 56,000 seats, over 11,000 were filled which was a record-breaking number. Last year, around 2,000 seats were filled.&nbsp

The top five colleges where students took admission were Hindu College, where 785 seats were filled, followed by Gargi College, where 674 seats were filled, Miranda House, where 628 seats were filled, Lady Shri Ram College, where 579 seats were filled, and Shaheed Bhagat

Singh College where 575 seats were filled, according to data shared by the varsity.&nbsp

The top courses were BCom (Hons) in which 1401 seats were filled, followed by BA (Programme) in which 1,371 seats were filled, with the third most popular course being BA (Hons) Political Science where 1,004 seats were filled.&nbsp

The other top courses were BA (Hons) History where 819 seats were filled and BCom where 807 seats were filled, the data stated.&nbsp

On June 19, which was day one of admissions, the Delhi University's server came under severe pressure and the DigiLocker, a government-owned public cloud storage where certificates and documents were stored, was not integrated with the varsity portal.

The second day and the third day of the admissions went off smoothly, said officials.&nbsp

The second cut-off is expected on June 24 and the officials are expecting a huge rush at that time.&nbsp

According to the admission rules, applicants need to study the cut-off list, select courses and colleges on the university website, take printout of the admission slip and finally approach the respective colleges with the slip and required documents.

Today was also the last day of ECA trials for almost 18,000 students.&nbsp

The Delhi University announced its first cut-off list on June 18 for merit-based undergraduate courses in the 2018-19 academic year, recording a drop in the minimum required marks as compared to last year.

The varsity threw open its admission portal for aspirants of various undergraduate courses on May 15. The registration for these courses ended on June 7.

The last day of the admission process for the first-cut-offs finished today

Over 11,000 students took admission in various colleges of the Delhi University after the first cut-off list, almost six times the number last year, an official said. The last day of the admission process for the first-cut-offs finished today. According to a university official, out of over 56,000 seats, over 11,000 were filled which was a record-breaking number. Last year, around 2,000 seats were filled. The top five colleges where students took admission were Hindu College, where 785 seats were filled, followed by Gargi College, where 674 seats were filled, Miranda House, where 628 seats were filled, Lady Shri Ram College, where 579 seats were filled, and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College where 575 seats were filled, according to data shared by the varsity. The top courses were BCom (Hons) in which 1401 seats were filled, followed by BA (Programme) in which 1,371 seats were filled, with the third most popular course being BA (Hons) Political Science where 1,004 seats were filled. The other top courses were BA (Hons) History where 819 seats were filled and BCom where 807 seats were filled, the data stated. On June 19, which was day one of admissions, the Delhi University's server came under severe pressure and the DigiLocker, a government-owned public cloud storage where certificates and documents were stored, was not integrated with the varsity portal. The second day and the third day of the admissions went off smoothly, said officials. The second cut-off is expected on June 24 and the officials are expecting a huge rush at that time. According to the admission rules, applicants need to study the cut-off list, select courses and colleges on the university website, take printout of the admission slip and finally approach the respective colleges with the slip and required documents. Today was also the last day of ECA trials for almost 18,000 students. The Delhi University announced its first cut-off list on June 18 for merit-based undergraduate courses in the 2018-19 academic year, recording a drop in the minimum required marks as compared to last year. The varsity threw open its admission portal for aspirants of various undergraduate courses on May 15. The registration for these courses ended on June 7.

Over 11,000 admissions after DU's first cut off list, 6 times more than 2017

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