Breaking News, March 12 | HIGHLIGHTS

The BJP on Sunday alleged the Arvind Kejriwal government's "inaction" was the reason for the water shortage and supply of dirty water in Delhi. The BJP made the allegation a day after Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, flagging the "miserable hygiene and sanitary conditions" at the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant which supplies drinking water to large parts of the national capital.

Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has resigned from the Congress. Reacting to Reddy's resignation, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said those who got everything from the party and finished the Andhra Pradesh Congress now leave for the BJP. Reddy was the last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
In a letter dated March 11 and addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Reddy wrote, "Please accept this letter as my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress." Reddy had earlier resigned from the Congress in 2014 over the then UPA government's decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and carve out Telangana.
He had floated his own political outfit Jai Samaikyandhra Party but returned to the Congress in 2018.

At least 20 ration dealers were suspended, and license of 17 shops cancelled after irregularities were detected in their operations during a surprise inspection, an official statement said here on Sunday. As many as 202 PDS dealers were also served a show-cause notice by authorities concerned as part of the surprise check. On the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, the inspection was carried out in about 1,400 public distribution system (PDS) shops across the state, the statement said. Soren had received several complaints of irregularities against PDS shops. Of the 17 PDS shops that lost license, 13 are in Lohardaga, three in Hazaribag and one in Pakur, the release said.

Several right-wing organisations on Sunday took out a morcha in Bhayandar township near Mumbai demanding action by the Maharashtra government against "love jihad and land jihad". This "Hindu Jan Arkosh Morcha" was the latest in a series of such rallies taken out earlier at various locations in Maharashtra and other locations. Speaking at the rally in Bhayandar, part of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, the leaders of the morcha claimed the cases of "love jihad and land jihad" are on the rise and demanded intervention by the state government. "Love jihad" is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage. Hindutva bodies term "land jihad" as the conspiracy to acquire land parcels by Muslims.

Gunmen killed at least 16 people during an attack in northwest Nigeria, the government said Sunday. The assailants stormed the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in Kaduna state and opened fire Saturday after a confrontation with police at a checkpoint, Yabo Ephraim, a spokesperson for the local government told The Associated Press. Authorities imposed a curfew in the area after the attack. The attackers were ethnic Fulani, a group of mostly nomadic pastoralists who have been embroiled in a long conflict with farmers over limited access to water and land, Ephraim said.

Lufthansa flight, which had faced severe turbulence mid-air earlier in the first week of this month, reportedly ordered passengers to delete all photos and videos of the incident. READ MORE

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday wished speedy recovery to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who was being treated for a small ulcer in the stomach.
Rao on Sunday visited a private super-specialty hospital here following abdominal discomfort and a small ulcer in the stomach was found during medical tests, the hospital said.
"Wish honb Chief Minister #KCR garu @TelanganaCMO speedy recovery & get well soon," the Governor tweeted. The ulcer is being treated and all his other parameters are normal, it said.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a man wanted in a 2014 case for allegedly attacking the husband of a woman who had accused self-styled godman Asaram Bapu's son of rape, an official said on Sunday. The accused was arrested from Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh, he said. The man, who worked at an ashram of the jailed godman at Susner in the neighbouring state, had allegedly attacked the husband of the woman who had registered a rape case against Asaram's son Narayan Sai in 2013. Sai is lodged at Surat jail, serving a life sentence in the same case.

As many as 16 fishermen of Tamil Nadu, who were fishing near the Palk Strait, were arrested on Sunday by the Sri Lankan Navy, officials said. The arrested fishermen were taken by the Lankan Naval personnel for handing them over to authorities in their country, they said. Their two boats have also been seized and taken away, they added.

Three men robbed a laptop, an LED TV, and Rs 12,000 cash from a private school in Saraswati enclave here after tying up the school guard with a rope, police said on Sunday. The robbery took place around 4 am Saturday morning in the CHS Public School in Sector 10 area, they said. A complaint in the matter was filed by school operator Meenu Bala, a resident of Harsaru. According to the complaint, Rajaram, the school guard, was sleeping inside the school when three men barged inside and tied him with a rope on the very cot he was sleeping on.

A two-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an unidentified person inside a residential society here, police said on Sunday. The victim sustained serious injuries in her private parts and was rushed to the civil hospital here from where she was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, they said. An FIR has been registered under the POCSO Act at the Kherki Daula police station, police said. Police suspect a truck driver to be the accused in the incident, officials said. The incident took place around 2 pm on Sunday inside the premises of a high rise society in Sector 81, police said, adding that the victim is the daughter of a domestic help.

"India is not only the largest democracy but is the mother of democracy...it's unfortunate that in London questions were raised about India's democracy...Some people are constantly questioning India's democracy...," said PM Modi in Karnataka's Hubballi-Dharwad while hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his speech during recent visit to London.

Speaking to India TV in its show Sawaal To Bannta Hai, BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "allegations that Lalu Prasad Yadav is being harassed are wrong... not one, but many cases are registered against him. Lalu Yadav used the railways for family's profits."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday targeted Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on democracy in the country at an international forum and said no power in the world can harm India's democratic traditions. Without naming Gandhi and referring to the Congress leader's remarks made in London -- that structures of Indian democracy are under "brutal attack", Modi termed it an insult to 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara, the people of Karnataka, India's great traditions and its citizens. The PM's statement is being seen with political significance, as Basaveshwara is highly revered in Karnataka, especially by the dominant Lingayat community who form the major vote base of the ruling BJP. Modi was on his sixth visit this year to Karnataka, where Assembly elections are due by May.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 helicopter made a precautionary landing at Peelwa village near Jodhpur, Rajasthan on Sunday. Checks were carried out by officials and later it safely took off and has now reached the Phalodi air base, IAF officials said.

 A 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an unidentified person here, police said on Sunday. A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the accused, they said. According to the complaint, the victim who is resident of a village falling under the Shergarh police station limits, had gone to graze goats in the fields on Saturday evening with another girl, said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rajkumar Aggarwal.

Opposition leaders will hold a meeting Monday morning to firm up their floor strategy for the second leg of the Budget session as they gear up to corner the government on issues such as alleged misuse of probe agencies and the Adani row. The opposition leaders are expected to meet at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's office in the Parliament complex around 10 am, sources said. The Congress MPs will gather at the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson's office shortly thereafter to deliberate on the party's strategy, they said.

The Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government over the action taken against officials involved in the security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5, 2022. READ MORE

At least six people, including two women and a child, were killed and 29 others injured on Sunday when a bus they were travelling in crashed into a hillside in Nepal’s Sindhuli district, police said. The bus carrying 34 passengers from Okhaldhunga to Kathmandu met with the accident in Phikkal Rural Municipality-4 along the Mid-Hill Highway.
Three men, two women and a child died on the spot, police said. According to the preliminary investigation, the accident occurred when the bus crashed into the hillside after the driver lost control of the vehicle, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Chiranjeevi Dahal.b

The Centre has opposed same-sex marriages in the country saying that it is not comparable with the Indian family unit concept of a husband, a wife, and children. READ MORE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to social reformer Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal on his birth anniversary, saying he devoted himself to serving others and nurturing a society that is inclusive and just. Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal was a thinker and social reformer of the 19th century. "Tributes to Sri Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal on his birth anniversary. He devoted himself to serving others and nurturing a society that is inclusive and just," Modi said in a tweet. "He undertook numerous efforts to empower the downtrodden as well. His thoughts keep inspiring people across generations," Modi said.

Actor-turned-politician, Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman would face fresh charges for speaking against migrant workers, a senior police official said today.  
A case was registered against the NTK leader by Erode (Karungalpalayam) police on February 22, 2023 for making 'derogatory remarks' against a community while addressing a public meeting in the western city on February 13.

India is likely to account for more than a fifth of incremental global consumption for chemicals over the next two decades as domestic demand is projected to rise to USD 1,000 billion by 2040, McKinsey said in a report. In the report titled 'India: The next chemicals manufacturing hub', McKinsey said the country's chemical industry has been a global outperformer in demand growth and shareholder wealth creation over the last decade. "It now stands poised to play an increasingly dominant role across both consumption and manufacturing in the global arena," it said.

The Centre has proposed that the country's apex drug regulatory body, CDSCO, be empowered to regulate the manufacture of drugs or cosmetics, instead of the state drug regulators as is the practice currently, according to the revised draft of a bill that has been sent for inter-ministerial consultations. However, the sale of drugs, cosmetics and medical devices will continue to be regulated by the respective state governments, according to the revised draft of the New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023, which seeks to replace the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.

A couple and their three children were killed when a fire broke out in their hut in Haramau village early Sunday, police said. A woman also sustained serious burns in the blaze. The deceased were identified as Satish (27), a labourer, his wife Kajal (24), their sons Sunny (7), Sandeep (4) and daughter Gudia (2), Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) BBGTS Murthy said.

A key member of an interstate gang that allegedly stole antique items and jewellery from the Rao Madho Singh Museum in the Kota Garh Palace has been arrested, police said. Arun Taiwatia (28), a resident of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from Ghaziabad on Friday. On Saturday, he was produced before a court in Kota that sent him to seven days' police custody, Superintendent of Police (Kota City) Sharad Choudhary said.

Two persons were killed and 19 injured when a speeding bus rammed into a tractor-trolley near Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha city on Sunday, officials said. The accident took place near Sanchi, around 8 km from Vidisha city, in the early hours of the day, they said. At least 21 injured victims were brought to the medical college hospital, of which a 70-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man died, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Vaibhav Jain said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to include former West Bengal chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray's south-Kolkata residence on its list of heritage buildings, councillor Sandip Ranjan Bakshi said on Saturday. Built in 1900, Ray's residence, a two-storey red brick structure, is considered to be a landmark in Hazra area. "This is the house where Ray hosted personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Pandit Ravi Shankar. It is a part of history.

 Increasing participation of women in social awareness programmes of the RSS will be discussed at the organisation's annual general body meeting, Sangh joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said here on Sunday. The three-day annual general body meeting of the RSS started here on Sunday during which it will take stock of the work done by it and its affiliates in the last one year, and also decide its course of action for the next one year. Vaidya also said that the RSS will pass a resolution to mark completion of 75 years of India's Independence while emphasising on self-reliance.

It was a sunny morning in Delhi with the minimum temperature settling at 15.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity recorded at 8:30 am was 77 per cent, they said. The weather office has forecast partly cloudy skies for the day with the maximum temperature likely to settle around 33 Degrees Celsius.

The RSS on Sunday paid tributes to late Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, socialist leader Sharad Yadav and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan at its annual general body meeting in Samalkha, Haryana. The three-day annual general body meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began here on Sunday, with the organisation paying homage to political leaders and noted personalities who died in the last one year. The list contained more than 100 names, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav and Bhushan.

Reversing their selling trend, foreign investors have infused over Rs 13,500 crore in the Indian equities so far this month primarily driven by bulk investment from US-based GQG Partners in the Adani Group companies. This came following a net outflow of Rs 5,294 crore in February and Rs 28,852 crore in January. Prior to that, FPIs made a net investment of Rs 11,119 crore in December, data with the depositories showed.

Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, Asia's largest Tulip garden, ensconced between Dal Lake and Zabarwan Hills is in full bloom and ready to welcome tourists form next week. "Preparations like gardening, engineering, fungicide treatment, nutrient spraying and minor repair which we do before the tulip show are going," Inam-ul-Rehman, Incharge of the Tulip garden, told the media. The garden, which has become a well-known landmark across the country, will be open to the public from March 19.

Three people were arrested in the district after more than 250 kg of sandalwood was recovered, police said Sunday. The market price of the recovered sandalwood is about Rs 15 lakh. Kannauj Superintendent of Police (SP), Kunwar Anupam Singh, said police raided one Mushahid Raza's house in village Dudwa Buzurg on Saturday and recovered 256 kg of sandalwood kept in six sacks.
 

Army troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) recovered small arms and narcotics from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said. Two pistols, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and heroin was among the recoveries made, they said. They said the recovery was made by the troops from the forward area of Lam in Nowshera sector during an early morning search operation.

Hot on the heels of the disappointing Green Comet, astronomers have just discovered a new comet with the potential to be next year’s big story – C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). Although it is still more than 18 months from its closest approach to Earth and the Sun, comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS already has social media buzzing, with optimistic articles being written about how it could be a spectacular sight.

China on Sunday reappointed Yi Gang as head of the central bank in an effort to reassure entrepreneurs and financial markets by showing continuity at the top while other economic officials change. Yi, whose official title is governor of the People's Bank of China, plays no role in making monetary policy, unlike his counterparts in other major economies. His official duties lie in “implementing monetary policy,” or carrying out decisions made by a policymaking body whose membership is a secret.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has urged government employees on hunger strike to press for a hike in DA to end their stir, calling upon stakeholders to come together for an acceptable way out of the imbroglio. Protesting employees of 18 organisations, who have been demanding that their dearness allowance be raised to the level of central government employees, had also called for a total strike on Friday. 

A key annual meeting of the RSS leadership will begin here Sunday, with the deliberations focusing on how to create an atmosphere of social harmony, motivating people to perform their duties and making them self-reliant. The three-day meeting will also review the progress of the organisation's expansion plan for the centenary of its foundation in 2025, head of media relations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sunil Ambekar had said.

An Uttar Pradesh Police constable allegedly shot himself dead with his service weapon here, officials said. Hapur Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Verma, said that Constable Ankit Kumar took the extreme step on Saturday. Kumar (25), a resident of Bijnor district, was transferred from Moradabad to Hapur police lines in February.

A fire broke out in a house at Suleman Nagar, Kirari area in New Delhi. According to Delhi Fire Service, one person was killed in the incident. It further stated that three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire has been brought under control.