Archives for 2018

Vyapam case: FIR ordered against Digvijay, Kamal Nath, Scindia

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

A Special Court here has ordered an FIR against Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath and Vyapam scam whistleblower Prashant Pandey on a petition filed by BJP’s legal cell advocate Santosh Sharma.

Judge Suresh Singh, late on Wednesday, ordered Shyamla Hills Police Station to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) against the four and furnish a detailed report on the matter by November 13.

The court order has come on the BJP activist’s petition which alleged that the Congress leaders had submitted forged documents in connection with the Vyapam case. They were also accused of trying to mislead and manipulate the Supreme Court and the High Court.

It may be recalled that Digvijay had filed a petition in a Bhopal court and attached a 27,000-page chargesheet with it in connection with the Vyapam case. The next hearing on the matter is due.

The Vyapam scam pertains to college admissions and government recruitments and involves several politicians, businessmen and officials, in Madhya Pradesh.

Imposters were employed to write papers, exam hall seating arrangements were manipulated and forged answer sheets were supplied by bribing officials.

(IANS)

Nifty below 11,000-mark, Sensex down 230 points ahead of F&O expiry

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

The key Indian equity indices traded on a negative note during the afternoon session on Thursday, reversing all the initial gains, with the NSE Nifty50 falling below the psychological level of 11,000 points.

Investors turned cautious ahead of the September futures and options (F&O) contracts expiry.

The indices, however, opened in the green as the rupee appreciated earlier after the government raised the import duty on 19 non-essential items on Wednesday in order to arrest its fall and to curb the widening current account deficit.

Almost all the sectors were under selling pressure led by finance, banking and healthcare stocks. However, IT stocks gained due to a weakening rupee. At 1.34 p.m., rupee traded around 72.72 per US dollar, against the previous close of 72.61.

Index-wise, the NSE Nifty50 traded at 10,965.45 points (1.34 p.m.), lower by 88.35 points or 0.80 per cent from the previous close.

The BSE Sensex, which had opened at 36,691.93 points, traded at 36,308.70 points, down 233.57 points or 0.64 per cent from the previous close of 36,542.27 points.

So far, it has touched an intra-day high of 36,711.62 points and a low of 36,255.73.

(IANS)

Bollywood Buzz

September 27, 2018 by Shaheen Raaj

Anushka Sharma Reveals Her Love For Chanderi In Sui Dhaaga – Made In India

Anushka Sharma plays a sincere, ambitious embroiderer from the heartland of India in Yash Raj Film’s entertainer Sui Dhaaga – Made in India releasing tomorrow.

Anushka’s character in the film Sui Dhaaga – Made In India becomes self-reliant by using her talent of embroidering & makes a name for herself in her community along with her husband, Mauji, who is a tailor.

Together from being unemployed, they become success stories by putting their skills to good use.

While prepping for her role as Mamta in the film, Anushka Sharma was deeply moved with the skills, dreams & aspirations of the weavers & the artisans from rural India.

“Anushka was shooting in Chanderi for Sui Dhaaga – Made In India and one day she requested the team to set up a meeting with the local weavers. Chanderi weavers are known the world over & their skill is admired & raved. Anushka met up with some of the weavers & heard their life stories which were truly inspirational.”

Anushka then expressed her fascination for Chanderi sarees & requested them to bring their collections. She spent a couple of hours with them looking through their designs & to their huge surprise, she bought around 35 Chanderi sarees from them! She shopped for her family, took some for gifting. She also bought a lot for herself. In her own way, Anushka would be spreading the life stories of these talented weavers with her immediate family & friends. She has also taken down all their phone numbers for future.”

Sui Dhaaga – Made In India brings together National Award winning producer-director combo of Maneesh Sharma & Sharat Katariya after their blockbuster Dum Laga Ke Haisha. The film is a special salute to the inherent entrepreneurial spirit that the youths of India & our local artisans have.

A film about finding love & respect through self-reliance, Varun Dhawan is paired opposite Anushka Sharma who plays an embroiderer in the film. Both champion actors, Varun Dhawan & Anushka Sharma have been paired for the 1st time ever and are definitely the most-awaited on-screen jodis of the year 2018.

Yash Raj Films’ entertainer Sui Dhaaga – Made in India is all set to release on 28th Sept this year, just before Gandhi Jayanti.

SC rejects plea for Constitution Bench on Ayodhya dispute

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea for referring the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute to a larger Constitutional Bench and decided that a newly set up three-judge bench will hear the case from October 29.

“No case has been made out to refer the case to the Constitution Bench,” Justice Ashok Bhushan said reading out the judgement on behalf of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and on his own behalf.

However, Justice Abdul Nazeer wanted the case to be referred to a bigger Constitution Bench.

(IANS)

1,000 still stranded in Himachal, rescue enters Day 3

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

With the weather clearing up on Thursday search and rescue operation for over 1,000 people, mostly tourists, began early in the Himachal Pradesh hills for the third day.
Two Chetak helicopters additionally deployed along with three the Indian Air Force’s sped up the rescue in the Lahaul Valley in the Middle Himalayas. The rescue operation started at 7 a.m., an official said.

Nearly 500 people were still reported to be stuck in Suraj Tal lake and Zingzing Bar areas along Keylong-Leh road.

Over 300 labourers of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the Ministry of Defence, involved in construction of roads in forward areas have also been stranded since September 22 following incessant rains that lead to a number of landslides severing road links.

The BRO is making every effort to provide food items and medicines to those still stuck but have somehow been reached.

So far a total of 898 persons have been rescued to safety till Wednesday and they included 12 foreigners, Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Nanda said here.

“Over 700 people have been rescued by road via the Rohtang tunnel in the past two days. We expect to rescue another 200 by road on Thursday,” a senior government functionary monitoring the rescue operation told IANS.

Nanda said packets of eatables have been air dropped at Kunzam Pass.

Most people who got stuck at the Baralacha Pass were travelling to and from Manali to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state suffered losses totalling approximately Rs 1,250 crore due to the heavy rains.

Modi has assured the state of all possible central assistance.

Early snowfall in the higher reaches, cloud burst and heavy rains devastated large parts of the state from September 22 to 24. Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti were the worst affected.

Heavy snowfall on the Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) has cut off the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys affecting a large number of tourists and hampering water and electricity supply. They have been stranded at number of isolated locations.

The BRO has been clearing the snow from various roads on a war footing. Some stretches had over eight feet of snow.

(IANS)

Maldives’ President-elect invites Modi to attend oath-taking

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

The Maldives’ President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend his oath-taking ceremony in November.

Solih’s spokesperson Mariya Ahmed Didi said on Wednesday that Modi was invited to the ceremony during a telephonic conversation between the two sides following Solih’s victory in the presidential elections on Sunday, The Edition reported.

Solih, the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s candidate, emerged victorious over incumbent President Abdulla Yameen. He will be sworn in on November 17 and his term is expected to continue until 2023.

India welcomed the election result and both sides agreed to work closely to strengthen bilateral relations.

The spokesperson said Modi had also invited Solih to make an official visit to India, which was accepted by the latter.

The atoll nation’s relations with India grew strained during Yameen’s rule, with tensions peaking after India criticized Male’s refusal to enforce a Supreme Court ruling quashing the convictions of nine opposition figures, among them former President Mohamed Nasheed.

(IANS)

Just two days for BBMP polls.

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

With just two days to go for the election of the new mayor, Congress leaders are divided over the party candidate.

As per the notification issued by the urban development department, the Mayor’s post has been reserved for a woman (general). Gangambike Mallikarjun (Jayanagar- Lingayat) and Sowmya Shivakumar (Shantinagar- OBC) are in the race for the mayor post.

Gangambike is supported by the Congress heavyweights including Ramalinga Reddy, Shamanur Shivashankarappa etc. She is playing the lingayat card stating that since last 45 years no lingayat has become the city mayor.

But Sowmya with the support for DCM G Parameshwar and Shantinagar MLA Haris is also posing tough competition. A meeting convened by KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao with the corporators and the leaders failed to yield a result.

“The issue has been referred to former CM Siddaramaiah who will take a final decision in this regard,” said sources.

The JDS is also yet to announce its Deputy mayor candidate. Meanwhile, the BJP is likely to field its candidates for both the posts with the support of a few independent corporators.

PTI

Cabinet expansion only after Oct 10 : KPCC President.

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

The state Congress leadership has spilt the beans on cabinet expansion, but along with the date the mindset of the majority of the elected representatives to is out. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dinesh Gundurao said that the cabinet expansion will be carried out only after October 10 as the inauspicious ‘Mahalaya Amavasya’ falls on October 10.

“Even though I don’t believe in the concept of auspicious and inauspicious days, many leaders are staunch believers of the same. So we have decided to take up the expansion after October 10,” he said that the posts of the corporation and boards too will be carried out simultaneously.

He also stated that there is no confusion in the party. “This government will last for five years. There are no dissidence activities,” he said.

“Filling up of the corporations and board chairman posts will also be carried out simultaneously along with the cabinet expansion,” he said.

He also informed that soon leaders will visit each district and hold a meeting with the activists. “Based on the input we receive the party will finalize its candidates,” he added.

PTI

Antigua assures India it will extradite Mehul Choksi

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman

Antigua and Barbuda has assured India that it will extradite fugitive jewellery merchant Mehul Choksi as soon as the legal formalities are over, according to External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

The assurance was conveyed by Antigua’s Foreign Minister Chet Greene when he met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Kumar told reporters.

Greene, who had requested the meeting, told her that Prime Minister Gaston Alfonso Browne and the government were fully behind complying with India’s request for extraditing Choksi, Kumar said.

Sushma Swaraj asked that he be extradited expeditiously and Greene said there were internal legal and court procedures that had to be gone through to comply with the nation’s laws and as soon as they were taken care of Antigua would extradite him, according to Kumar.

Choksi, who is wanted in India over his alleged involvement in a scheme that defrauded Punjab National Bank of $2 billion, has reportedly taken the citizenship of the Caribbean island nation.

(IANS)

Sushma Swaraj, Iran Foreign Minister discuss US sanctions against Tehran

September 27, 2018 by Nasheman