LIVE: It's not 1962 anymore, will give a befitting reply, says Arunachal CM

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5:52 PM

Sikhs hold protest in Delhi against sealing of Gurudwara in Pakistan

A large number of people from the Sikh community in New Delhi staged a protest on Tuesday over the act of sealing Gurudwara Shaheed Bhai Taru situated at Naulakha in Lahore in Pakistan.

 

Members of the main organiser group, Jag Aasra Guru Ott (JAGO) party, along with several other angered Sikhs marched towards the Pakistan High Commission and submitted their memorandum to the officials.

 

Leading the protest Manjit Singh GK, the president of JAGO, said, "The JAGO party and Sikhs of Delhi have come here to protest against the Pakistan government who have put the lock on the historical gurudwara of Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh. The land and property of Gurudwara have already been taken by the land mafia. The Pakistan government should remove that lock and hand over the keys to Sikh communities or the Pakistan Gurudwara Prabandhak committee."

 

The debate regarding the existence of the Gurdwara in Naulakha, Lahore, has raged for a long time.

5:44 PM

Who is 'Pappu' now? Mahua Moitra's jibe at Centre over fall in industrial output, other economic indicators

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday cited government data showing industrial contraction to question the Centre's handling of the economy and asked "who is the 'Pappu' now?"

Participating in a debate in Lok Sabha on demands for additional grants for 2022-23, the firebrand TMC leader said, "This government and the ruling party coined the term Pappu. You use it to denigrate and signify extreme incompetence. But the statistics tell us who the actual Pappu is."

Moitra accused the Narendra Modi government of spreading "falsehood" about India's growth and appealed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to take control of the economy, which, according to the TMC leader, is going downhill.

 

5:31 PM

Tawang faceoff: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu says it's not 1962 anymore

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister pema Khandu has said it is no longer 1962 and the Indian Army will give a beffitting a response to anyone attempting to transgress into the Indian territory.

His remarks come hours after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament that the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Tawang sector of the state happened on December 9, resulting in minor injuries to some soldiers on both sides. Singh said the matter has been taken up with China on a diplomatic level and the troops have disengaged in the area.

In a tweet, Khandu said Yangtse, where the troops of the two countries clashed, comes under his assembly constituency and he meets the Indian soldiers defending the LAC every year and the villagers. In Hindi, he added that the Indian soldiers were responding to any threat with an iron fist.

5:15 PM

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar drops hints he may pass on mantle to Tejashwi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dropped further hints that he was looking forward to passing on the mantle to his young deputy Tejashwi Yadav, leaders emerging from a meeting of legislators of the ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' said.

 

The septuagenarian JD(U) supremo, once again, ruled himself out as a prime ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha polls even as he maintained that a "united opposition" could defeat the Narendra Modi-led BJP in 2024.

 

"The chief minister pointed towards Tejashwi ji and said he is the leader of the future, under whose leadership the 2025 assembly polls in the state would be fought," said Mahboob Alam, the legislature party leader of the CPI(ML) Liberation which supports the government from outside.

 

He also said, "We are of the view that it will benefit the grand alliance which is fighting the communal forces represented by the BJP. Tejashwi ji is a young and energetic leader".

5:12 PM

SC judge Trivedi recuses from hearing Bilkis Bano's plea against early release of convicts

Supreme Court judge Bela M Trivedi on Tuesday recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case by the state government.

 

As soon as a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi sat for the day, Justice Rastogi announced his sister judge will not like to hear the case.

 

"List the matter before a bench in which one of us is not a member," the bench headed by Justice Rastogi ordered without specifying any reason for the recusal of justice Trivedi.

 

Advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bilkis Bano, said her only predicament is that winter vacation of the court is approaching and she wants the matter to be heard at an earlier date.

 

The top court said a new bench will be constituted and the matter will be taken up thereafter.

 

4:47 PM

Congress leader Raja Pateria arrested over 'kill Modi' remark, sent to judicial custody

Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Raja Pateria was arrested on Tuesday for his controversial 'be ready to kill Modi to save the Constitution' remark about the prime minister. He was produced in a court at Pawai in Panna district which refused to grant him bail and sent him in 14-day judicial custody, said his lawyer Govind Narayan Baghel. They will file an appeal in the higher court, the lawyer added.

Pateria was arrested by the police from his residence in Hata town in Damoh district.

"A police team went to his house around 5.30 am to inform him about the arrest. They took him to Pawai (in Panna district) around 7 am," Hata sub divisional officer of police Virendra Bahadur Singh told PTI.

MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra said two more IPC sections -- 115 and 117 -- were added to the FIR registered against him.

The state Congress, meanwhile, issued a show-cause notice to Pateria, terming his remarks extremely objectionable.

4:40 PM

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury reacts to Amit Shah's Rajiv Gandhi Foundation charge

4:26 PM

Liquor ban has failed completely in Bihar, says JD-U MLA Sanjeev Kumar

JD(U) MLA Sanjeev Kumar blamed his own government for the poor implementation of liquor ban in Bihar, on Tuesday, day one of the winter session of the state assembly.

"Liquor ban has completely failed in Bihar and Dalit and extremely backward class people are becoming the victims of the law. We need to review the law again," Kumar, the MLA of Parbatta constituency in Khagaria district, said. "The liquor prohibition law in Bihar is foolproof but its implementation is under question. Due to the illegal nexus of police and mafias, liquor consignments are coming in large numbers in trucks and available everywhere in the state," Kumar said.

BJP leaders have planned to target the seven-party government of Bihar on the poor implementation of liquor ban, unemployment, rising crime and corruption in various departments during the winter session.

 

4:09 PM

Parliament panel to discuss Delhi airport congestion with DIAL CEO

A Parliamentary panel will take up the issue of congestion at Delhi airport with the CEO of airport operator DIAL on December 15 amid passengers facing long waiting hours, according to the committee's chairman Vijayasai Reddy.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture will be holding the meeting with Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, the CEO of the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

The panel will take up the issue of congestion at the meeting on December 15, Reddy told reporters.

The panel is to hear the views of the DIAL CEO and the Chairman of the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO) on the 'development of greenfield and brownfield airports and issues pertaining to civil enclaves in defence airports', according to the notice.

3:57 PM

Kerala assembly passes bill for removing governor as chancellor of universities

The Kerala assembly on Tuesday passed the University Laws (Amendment) Bill to replace the governor as the chancellor of universities in the state and appoint eminent academicians in the top post, while the opposition UDF boycotted the House for not accepting its suggestions regarding the bill.

The bill was passed after hours-long discussions during which the Congress-led UDF said it was not opposed to the removal of the governor as chancellor, but he should be selected from amongst retired Supreme Court judges and former Kerala High Court chief justices.

The opposition also said there need not be different chancellors for each of the universities and that the selection panel should comprise the chief minister, leader of opposition and the Kerala high court chief justice.

 

3:26 PM

No one can capture even 1 inch of land till Modi govt is in power: Amit Shah

No one can capture one inch of land till the Narendra Modi government is in power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday.

"I want to say it clearly till the time the BJP government led by Prime Minister Modi is in power, no one can capture an inch of our land," Shah said.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament House, Shah also said the Congress had raised the border issue in Parliament to avoid questions on the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation's FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] cancellation.

The foundation, he alleged, had got Rs 1.35 crore from the Chinese embassy. Its registration was cancelled as this was not according to FCRA rules, he said.

"India's permanent seat in the UN Security Council was sacrificed because of Nehru's love for China," Shah said.

3:17 PM

Sino-India border situation 'generally stable', says China but silent on Tawang clash

China on Tuesday said the situation was "generally stable" along its border with India, days after the troops of the two countries clashed in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, resulting in minor injuries to some soldiers on both sides.
 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also said the two sides have maintained smooth communication on border-related issues through diplomatic and military channels. Wang, however, declined to provide details of the December 9 clash.

Asked about the incident during a media interaction, Wang said: “As far as we know, the current border situation between China and India is generally stable”. "As for the specific questions you mentioned, I suggest you refer to the competent authorities," Wang added.

 

The Chinese Defence Ministry has not reacted to the incident so far.

3:13 PM

Don't talk to media during interim bail for sister's wedding: Delhi court tells Khalid

A Delhi court has granted bail for a week to activist and former JNU student Umar Khalid, an accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, to attend the marriage of his sister, but directed him to not talk to the media or give interviews

 

Khalid had moved an application seeking interim bail for two weeks from December 20 to January 3. 
 

While ordering Khalid's release on bail on Monday, the court imposed the conditions.

"In view of the marriage of the real younger sister of the accused, this court is inclined to grant interim bail for attending the marriage-related functions. Regarding apprehensions of prosecution, those can be taken care of by attaching conditions in the bail," Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat said in the order, which was accessed on Tuesday.

3:02 PM

Congress to mark 100 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra with concert in Jaipur

To mark 100 days of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress will organise a concert in Jaipur on Friday with a live performance from singer Sunidhi Chauhan, AICC general-secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.

 

The yatra started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and has so far covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February 2023.

 

The 'Bharat Jodo Concert' will be attended by Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi. "The yatra will complete 100 days on December 16 and it will be a milestone," Ramesh said. He added that a huge public meeting would be held in Alwar on December 19.

3:00 PM

Indian Navy chief Admiral Hari Kumar in Sri Lanka on four-day visit

Indian Navyy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar is on a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka during which he is scheduled to call on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of State for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon.

 

He arrived in Colombo on Monday on an invitation by Sri Lankan Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. He was recieved by his Sri Lankan counterpart Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera.

 

During his visit, the CNS also is slated to meet Defence Secretary, Chief of Defence Staff and Service Commanders and will also be the chief guest at the passing out parade of Naval and Maritime Academy, Trincomalee, on Thursday, Indian High Commission in Colombo stated.

 

"The visit of CNS symbolises strong relations and close cooperation between the two countries, with Sri Lanka being accorded the status of 'Priority One' partner by India," the statement said.

 

"It would strengthen the existing bilateral maritime relations between the two countries and areas of common security concern and enhancing capacity and capability building initiatives towards ensuring peace in the region would be discussed during the visit. The visit is also indicative of the growing camaraderie and friendship between the two nations in line with India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy," the mission added.

 

2:34 PM

Walked out from RS as govt refused clarifications on Rajnath statement on Tawang clash: Kharge

On the opposition walkout just after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh concluded his address on the faceoff in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress president and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said there was no point in sitting in the House if they are not given clarifications.

Members of the CPI, CPI-M, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP and JMM joined the Congress members in the walkout.

"The opposition repeatedly asked for a debate on the Chinese transgression, but the government refused to allow it. The defence minister left without giving any clarification to the House. This is not good for the nation," Kharge told reporters.

However, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said since the matter was sensitive in nature, no clarifications would be allowed. He also cited several instances in the past when no clarifications were allowed in the House on sensitive issues.

 

2:28 PM

PM Modi to attend NEC golden jubilee celebrations in Shillong on Dec 18: Sangma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Meghalaya on Sunday to attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the North Eastern Council (NEC), Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday. Sangma also said that the prime minister will be in the state capital for just three hours.

 

"The prime minister is visiting Shillong on December 18. He will be attending the golden jubilee celebrations of the North Eastern Council here," Sangma told PTI on the sidelines of a meeting.

All details and the security arrangements are being put in place, he said.

 

 

2:17 PM

Islamic State group claims attack on hotel in heart of Afghan capital

The militant Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a coordinated attack on a hotel in Afghanistan's capital that left three assailants dead and at least two of the hotel guests injured as they tried to escape by jumping out from a window.

 

The attack on the Kabul Longan Hotel on Monday afternoon sent plumes of smoke rising from the 10-storey building in the heart of Kabul, according to images posted on social media. Residents reported explosions and gunfire.

 

Taliban forces rushed to the area and blocked all roads leading to the site in the central Shar-e Naw neighbourhood. Khalid Zadran, the Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the attack lasted several hours, followed by a clean-up operation.

 

Hours later, the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group a key rival of the Taliban since they seized power in Afghanistan over a year ago claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

2:14 PM

IAF closely monitoring situation along LAC in Arunachal Pradesh after China faceoff

The Indian Air Force is closely monitoring the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh following an attempt by the Chinese PLA troops last week to unilaterally change the status quo in Tawang sector of the border state, according to a report by PTI.

Citing people familiar with the development, the agency reported that the IAF has also stepped up its overall surveillance in the region in view of the Chinese attempt of transgression on Dec 9, adding it follows standard operation procedures that included scrambling of fighter jets in case of specific security concerns.

 

"The situation is being monitored closely by both the IAF and the Army," said one of the people cited above.

 

The people indicated that the IAF has increased the frequency of the sorties by its combat jets in the region.

 

On Monday, the Indian Army said troops from the two sides clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector and the face-off led to "minor injuries" to a few personnel from both sides".

 

2:00 PM

BSE says added 1 crore investors in 148 days to reach 12 crore mark

Leading stock exchange BSE on Tuesday said it has added 1 crore registered investor accounts to its platform in a span of 148 days, taking the total count to 12 crore.

 

The exchange added one crore investors' accounts between July 18 and December 13, the exchange said in a statement.

 

In comparison, the exchange took 124, 91, 85 and 107 days for the previous milestones of 11 crore, 10 crore, 9 crore and 8 crore, respectively.

 

"BSE crossed the milestone of 12 crore registered users based on Unique Client Code (UCC) on December 13, 2022," the exchange said.

 

Of the 12 crore users, 42 per cent fall in the 30 to 40 age brackets, followed by 23 per cent in 20-30 years and 11 per cent in the 40-50 age bracket.

1:58 PM

MP Congress issues show-cause notice against Pateria, seeks reply in 3 days

Madhya Pradesh Congress has issued a show-cause notice to its party leader Raja Pateria for using objectionable and condemnable words for Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a meeting. According to the notice, the party has asked him to reply within three days why he should not be expelled.

Pateria was heard saying on Sunday, "PM Modi will end elections, divide people on the basis of religion and Dalits face the biggest threat under his regime. You should be ready to carry out 'Modi ki hatya' if you want to save the Constitution".

Later Pateria clarified that hatya (which in hindi means kill) was metaphorically used by him "in the sense of defeating him".

PCC chief Kamal Nath told ANI, "I strongly condemn this type of statement. Congress is a party of Mahatma Gandhi's ideology. The matter is in the court, we will accept whatever the court will decide. We have given show cause notice to Pateria."

1:29 PM

India will be first to hold satellite spectrum auction: Trai chairman

India will be the first country to auction spectrum for satellite communication, and it should be designed to attract investments in the sector, telecom regulator Trai chairman PD Vaghela said on Tuesday.

 

Speaking at a Broadband India Forum summit on SatCom, Vaghela said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will soon make recommendations to make permissions required for satellite communication from various ministries -- Information and Broadcasting, Space and Telecom -- seamless to enhance ease of doing business in the sector.

 

He also said Trai has received a reference from the Department of Telecommunication for the spectrum required to be put to auction and associated aspects of satellite-based communication.

 

"I think India will be the first to handle the issue of auctioning the space base spectrum. We are working on it," Vaghela said.

 

Trai will be coming out with some sort of model for the auction of space spectrum, he added.

 

1:25 PM

Indigo asks passengers to reach Delhi airport 3.5 hrs prior to departures

Amid the increased rush of air-passengers, Indigo has issued a travel advisory asking passengers to reach the Delhi airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departures. The airline has also asked passengers to carry only one piece of hand baggage weighing 7 kg for a smooth security check.

 

The Delhi airports are experiencing high footfalls and the check-in and boarding time are expected to be longer than usual. Passengers are requested to reach the airport at least 3.5 hours prior to domestic departures, and to carry only one piece of hand baggage weighing 7 kg for a smooth security check," Indigo tweeted.

 

1:16 PM

Rajya Sabha pays rich tributes to 2001 Parliament attack martyrs

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday remembered the valour and bravery of the martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack while paying rich tributes to them.

The members also stood in silence for a few moments as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the attack.

Soon after the proceedings of the House started, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said December 13 will always be remembered as the grimmest day in the history of independent India.

He said 21 years ago on this day in 2001, terrorists attacked this sacred temple of democracy, but security personnel displayed courage and valour to defend and protect Parliament and foil the audacious attempt of terrorists to strike at the very soul of our nation.

The victims of the attack included five Delhi police personnel, a woman CRPF trooper, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener. A journalist who was injured died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

1:13 PM

Row over citizenship law: SC asks lawyers to decide issues for adjudication

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the counsel for the contesting parties to decide issues for adjudication in a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam.

 

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, that the petitions needed to be segregated and the issues needed to be formulated for adjudication.

 

The bench, also comprising justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and P S Narasimha, agreed to the submissions that the petitions be kept for directions on January 10 next year for issuing the directions with regard to laying down parameters for the hearing.

"We are going to resolve how the matters have to be segregated. We will sit together and resolve this. Just put it on after vacation," Sibal said.

 

The counsel would segregate the cases which fall for decision before this court into distinct categories and the order in which the arguments are to be made, the bench said, adding We will keep it for directions.

1:09 PM

Experts say 10% of major medicinal plants in India facing extinction threat

As much as 10% of 900 major medicinal plant species found in India are facing the threat of extinction, according to experts.

Only 15% of medicinal plants which are endemic to India are cultivated while the rest are simply sourced from forests, the experts said at the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) in Panaji that concluded on Sunday.

J A C S Rao, CEO of the State Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Board, Chhattisgarh, said the earth is losing one potential medicinal plant every two years at an extinction rate that is hundred times faster than the natural process. About 10% of the 900 major medicinal plants in India fall under the "threatened" category, he said.

12:54 PM

'Not good' for govt to share data in aggregated form: Amitabh Kant

India's G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Tuesday pitched for the dissemination of data by the government in a granular form and said that sharing aggregated information is "not good".

 

Addressing a G-20 development working group meeting in Mumbai, Kant said data is a key aspect to help any country meet her developmental goals and added that India has benefitted from the same.

 

Stressing on the importance of ensuring quality of data, the former civil servant who till recently worked as the chief executive of the government think-tank Niti Aayog made the reference to data aggregation practices by the government.

 

"Government data are provided as aggregates, which is not good. We should break down the aggregation," Kant said.

12:51 PM

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says no doubt China has its eyes on Tawang

Following the border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says he has no doubt that China "has its eyes on Tawang".

"No doubt China has its eyes on Tawang. We've to be very alert there. I think what our Army did yesterday had the support of entire country," Tharoor tells ANI.

"I told the defence minister that they should show the world that India is one and every member of every party is with the Army on this," he adds.

 

12:41 PM

Oppn leaders walk out of Lok Sabha after Rajnath Singh concludes statement

Some opposition leaders walk out of Lok Sabha after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh concludes his address on Arunachal clash.

The faceoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers happened on December 9, when Chinese troops tried to enter a disputed area in Tawang. 

The defence minister said some soldiers were injured on both sides in the clash. The matter has been taken at the diplomatic level with China, he added.  

12:23 PM

SC grants pre-arrest bail to businessman Raj Kundra, others in pornography case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to businessman Raj Kundra and others, including actors Sherlyn Chopra and Poonam Pandey, in connection with an FIR against them for allegedly distributing pornographic videos.

A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna also directed Kundra and the other accused to cooperate in the investigation.

"Having heard the counsel for the parties, we are of the view that the petitioners may be granted anticipatory bail," the bench said.

Senior advocate R Basant, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that a chargesheet has already been filed in the case and the accused are cooperating with the police in the investigation.

The top court earlier granted interim protection from arrest to Kundra in the case.