"Resorting To Cheap Politics": BJP Hits Out At DMK Over Language Row

The BJP's Tamil Nadu chief, K Annamalai, on Saturday accused the ruling DMK government of "doing politics" over Hindi and Tamil languages after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark that Hindi must be accepted and embraced by one and all without any opposition triggered a war of words between the two parties.

On state minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin condemning Amit Shah's statement, advocating the acceptance of Hindi as a medium of communication, Annamalai said, "Stalin knows neither Hindi nor English. So he didn't understand what Amit Shah said."

The BJP state chief said Amit Shah made it very clear that education in all states should be imparted in the mother tongue.

"DMK is still resorting to cheap politics on Hindi and Tamil languages. Stalin and his ministers have nothing else to talk about and have, hence, resorted to making statements on matters without understanding them," Annamalai said at a rally in Madurai on Saturday.

Earlier, on Friday, Union Home Minister, presiding over the 38th meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language in New Delhi, said Hindi must be accepted without opposition even if the pace of the acceptance is slow, according to media reports.

Amit Shah added that Hindi was not in competition with other languages and the country will be enriched and empowered if all Indian languages are promoted and accepted.

In response, Chief Minister MK Stalin said they wouldn't be "enslaved" by Hindi.

"I strongly denounce Union Home Minister @AmitShah's audacious push for Hindi acceptance. It's a blatant attempt to subjugate non-Hindi speakers. Tamil Nadu rejects any form of Hindi hegemony and imposition. Our language and heritage define us - we won't be enslaved by Hindi!," Stalin tweeted on Saturday.

While calling for the acceptance of Hindi, the Union Home Minister and the BJP stalwart pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invokes Tamil pride on his overseas visits.

Annamalai said he was certain that the DMK will not fare well in next year's general elections and will, in fact, end up losing the polls.

On Supreme Court staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over the use of the surname 'Modi', he said it was good that the decks have been cleared for the Congress leader to return to the Parliament.

"The more Rahul Gandhi speaks in Parliament, the better it will be for the Bharatiya Janata Party as we will only get stronger," the BJP leader said, in a jibe at the Congress leader.

Further, accusing the ruling party in the state of "looting" resources meant for public good, Annamalai said, "(Minister) Senthil Balaji, who is in prison (in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam) is still being paid a salary. If the DMK ministers bring out all the money they have looted, the debt of Tamil Nadu, as well as the country, could be paid off."

He also hit out at CM Stalin for not raising the Cauvery water dispute, a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, during the second Opposition meeting in Congress-ruled Karnataka.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/NIpsHW5

Read More

Dukes To Investigate Controversial Ball Change During 5th Ashes Test

The Ashes 2023 saw an extremely controversial moment taking place in the fifth and final Test at the Oval. It erupted over England's ball change on Day 4, which several Australia players felt was not in the right spirit. The 36-over-old ball was changed for a new one but Australia complained that the new ball was shinier and harder than what it should have been. The change of ball proved to be a turning point as Australia lost wickets in quick succession and were ultimately defeated by 49 runs.

As per the latest report, Dukes -- the manufacturing company of the ball that is being used in Test matches in England -- is set to investigate the matter.

"I'm going to investigate myself, because it affects me ... my name is at stake so it's important they don't misallege something wrong with the ball," Dilip Jajodia, the owner of British Cricket Limited, the company which manufactures the Dukes ball, told Code Sports.

"I can't imagine they would risk putting a ball in there with a different date on it," the owner said, adding, "Frankly the match referee should be on top of it. We do bang that number in quite hard, so even if the gold comes off, the ball is imprinted. It wouldn't be easy to get rid of it. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not likely."

After the ball changing saga hogged a lot of attention with the former and current cricketers also commenting on the issue, the International Council had put out a clarification on how the process take place.

"The ICC does not comment on the decisions taken by umpires in matches. We can, however, confirm that all balls are pre-selected before the start of every match and when the situation calls for it, the match officials choose the ball that is closest to the condition of the ball that is being replaced," a spokesperson for the global cricket governing body said.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/FfIJsBm

Read More

Looking Into Possible Pak Connection: Haryana Cop To NDTV Over Violence

The Haryana Police are looking into possible Pakistan connection in the communal clashes that broke out in Nuh district and spread to other areas, including Gurugram. The police said they will not comment on the key details of this line of investigation, but confirmed possible links with Pakistan.

Nuh and Mewat region, where the clashes took place, are returning to normal slowly, Haryana Police ADG (Law and Order) Mamata Singh told NDTV.

"The special investigation team is looking into this angle and the probe is still on. We can't comment more on this matter at the moment," Ms Singh told NDTV when asked about videos of the violence on YouTube driven by Pakistan-based handles.

So far 106 first information reports (FIRs) have been filed and over 216 people have been arrested; 24 FIRs are against social media posts and four people have been arrested for content that possibly led to violence.

The state authorities today razed dozens of illegal structures on the third day of the demolition drive in violence-hit Nuh district, with officials saying some of them were owned by those allegedly involved in the recent clashes.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij rejected opposition claims into alleged intelligence failure over the violence that broke out when a Hindu procession was going from one temple to another.

"The structures of people who have encroached upon government land are being demolished. The possibility that some of them were involved in the violence cannot be ruled out," Ms Singh told NDTV.

At least 70 per cent of shops near Nuh medical college belong to Hindus; they have been here for many years, the shopkeepers said.

The district administration on Saturday also bulldozed illegal constructions at 12 different places including on 2.6 acres of land around Nalhar Medical College.

"These were illegal constructions. Notices were already given to owners of the demolished structures. The owners of some illegal structures were also involved in the violence during the Braj Mandal religious yatra. The demolition drive will continue," Sub Divisional Magistrate Ashwani Kumar said.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/cpzWsiM

Read More

Area Where Manipur Mass Burial Planned Is Sericulture Farm: Eviction Notice

The Manipur government sent an eviction notice to a village chief in May 2022 to remove encroachments from state land in Bishnupur district's Torbung village - the same site where hill-majority Kukis on Thursday planned a mass burial of those who died in the ethnic clashes.

A copy of the eviction notice, which NDTV has seen, says the land that the village chief had encroached upon by building a road belongs to the state, and it has been used by the government's flagship sericulture project to make silk.

Sericulture is a lucrative local industry with a long history in Manipur, and the state's silk is known for its fine quality.

"... Shri Kamsei (village chief)... is encroaching on state land/sericulture farm... by way of construction of road at the centre off the state land/farm," the state government said in the eviction notice served on May 24, 2022.

"... It has become expedient to issue eviction notice to all illegal encroachers to protect and preserve the government land and properties in public interest," the notice said.

The government gave him three days to remove the encroachments, failing which eviction action would happen.

This eviction notice is significant in the current context, as the Kuki-Zo-Chin tribes want to bury victims of the ethnic clashes from their community in Torbung.

A petition in the Manipur High Court, however, requested for the mass burial at Torbung to be stopped, claiming the Kukis want to occupy government land under the guise of honouring victims of the ethnic clashes.

Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan of the Manipur High Court, in an urgent 6 am hearing on Thursday, ordered the state authorities to ensure status quo is maintained.

The Meiteis also said they suspect the Kukis would lay claim to new land by turning it into a remembrance site.

"What's stopping the Kukis from burying the bodies in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur? So it seems like they want to create more tension," a legal source told NDTV, asking not to be identified.

The Manipur revenue department's records, copies of which NDTV has seen, shows this area comes under Bishnupur district and its official name is "98 Torbung". These documents are being submitted in the court.

Violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 between the Kuki tribe and the Meiteis over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. Over 170 have been killed and thousands have been internally displaced.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/Rdz9LSU

Read More

"Abduction At Gunpoint": Imran Khan's Party Moves High Court Over Arrest

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court terming the arrest of its chief, Imran Khan, "abduction at gunpoint".

Petitioner Umair Niazi, the PTI's additional secretary general, requested the court to take up his petition without delay and direct the Punjab Police and the government to produce the former prime minister before it to ensure his safety.

"The government has kept Mr Khan in illegal custody. Imran Khan was attending a meeting at his Zaman Park residence at 12:45 pm today when some 200 policemen barged into the house and abducted him at gunpoint. They are keeping him in illegal custody," the petitioner said, requesting the court to take up the petition on Saturday itself and order authorities to produce him before the court.

Mr Niazi alleged the police "kidnapped" Imran Khan without showing him the court order of his conviction in the Toshakhana case. Mr Khan was taken to an undisclosed location, thereby, it is requested to produce him before the Lahore High Court, Mr Niazi pleaded.

Earlier in the day, 70-year-old Khan was arrested from his Lahore home after the Islamabad trial court convicted him in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in jail.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court Bar Association condemned the conviction of Imran Khan, saying, "It is a slaughter of justice and violation of law pertaining to a fair trial".

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/2WOCgYV

Read More

Boss Receives Drunk Text From Employee, Their Wholesome Chat Is Now Viral

An employee sent a late-night drunk text to his boss, admitting to him that he felt lucky to have found such a good manager, and now the heartwarming communication between the two has gone viral on social media. 

Taking to microblogging site X, the boss, who goes by the name Sidhant, shared a screenshot of the unexpected text exchange, where the drunk employee expressed their deep appreciation for their boss. "Boss I am drunk, but let me tell you this. thank you for trusting me. thank you pushing me harder alwatys. A good manager is more difficult to get than a good company. So I am that lucky. So appreciate yourself eh. bye :P (sic)," the employee wrote.

Moved by the message, Mr Sidhant couldn't help but share it with his followers. "Drunk text from ex is okay but have you ever received drunk texts like these?" he jokingly wrote in the caption of the post. 

Take a look below: 

Drunk text from ex is okay but have you ever received drunk texts like these? pic.twitter.com/rvkaGMYqLl

— Siddhant (@siddhantmin) August 4, 2023

Internet users were quick to respond to the now-viral tweet with warmth and affection. Several users praised the boss for his positive influence. 

"As someone who has always had only & only bad / embarrassingly incompetent bosses, I want to thank you for being a good person. This person is so lucky & I feel that 2nd hand happiness," commented one user. "This made me wish you were my boss. They're lucky to have you! You're doing something right," said another.

A third user hilariously wrote, "This should be printed & included in your CV, if & when you search for a new job," while another added, "You know it's honest when the alcohol brings it out of you! Reflects on your leadership @siddhantmin. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing..." 

Also Read | Bengaluru Start-Up Lays Off 18 Employees, Co-Founders Offer To Help Find New Jobs

Meanwhile, in the following post, Mr Sidhant shared details about his team and how he built it from scratch. He also praised his employee who had texted him by referring to him as "one of the best Frontend engineers I have worked with". 

"I feel it's time to add some context to this: Guys, I lead engineering at One Impression. My team is a close-knit team of 13 high-energy engineers solving real problems for content creators around the globe. I'm the first tech guy at OI and I've built this team from scratch. We are very proud of our culture and the work we do. This team has been working very closely with me every single day for the last 24 months and the person who texted me this is one of the best Frontend engineers I have ever worked with," Mr Sidhant tweeted. 

Since being shared on Friday, the boss' post has accumulated more than 3,500 likes and over 202,000 views. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/gymobAR

Read More

Centre Delays Import Restrictions On Laptops, Tablets Till October 31

In a relief for electronic companies, the government today deferred the plan to curb laptop and tablet imports by three months. Companies will have time until October 31 to secure a licence to import the devices, the government said in a notification.

"Import consignments can be cleared till October 31 withouta licence and a government permit would be required for clearance of import from November 1," the government said.

It added that a "liberal transitional arrangement is provided for import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers and servers ... till October 31, 2023".

This is a partial reversal from a surprise decision on Thursday to impose the licensing requirement with immediate effect, which had prompted calls for a delay.

The government said the restrictions were imposed for security reasons and the need to promote domestic manufacturing. The move will also curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea and also allow the Centre to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming, officials said.

Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said the move was aimed to "ensure trusted hardware and systems" and reduce dependence on imports.

The announcement had caught the industry off guard, forcing tech giants to begin emergency engagements with the government about how to quickly obtain licenses at a period of heightened consumer interest with Diwali shopping season just around the corner.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/D82fh3g

Read More

"See How Many Hours...": M Kharge On Rahul Gandhi's Return To Parliament

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said while just 24 hours were taken to disqualify Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha after his conviction in a defamation case, it is to be seen how long will it take to reinstate him after the Supreme Court relief.

Addressing a press conference alongside Gandhi soon after the top court stayed the conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, Kharge, "It is a day of happiness, democracy has won, Constitution has won, Satymeva Jayate." Welcoming the Supreme Court ruling, Kharge said the Constitution is alive and this is an example that one can get justice.

"This is the victory of the common people. This is not just Rahul Gandhi's victory, this is the victory of all the people of the country, victory of democracy and of constitutional principles," he said.

"The person who fights for truth, for the country's interest, to strengthen the country, for the youth of the country, against rising prices, the person who fights and makes people aware, who walked 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and met various people, I think their prayers are with us and it is therefore victory of the people," Kharge said.

"To disqualify him everything happened in 24 hours, now let us see in how many hours he is reinstated," he said.

The Supreme Court's stay on Gandhi's conviction, paves the way for revival of his Lok Sabha membership.

The Lok Sabha speaker can now revive his membership on his own or Gandhi, armed with the top court order, can seek restoration of his status as an MP.

A three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar said no reason was given by the trial court judge while convicting Gandhi except that he was admonished by the top court in a contempt case.

The top court had closed the contempt proceedings against Gandhi for wrongly attributing to it his "chowkidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale case, with a warning to be more careful in future after the senior Congress leader tendered an unconditional apology.

The term of the 17th Lok Sabha ends in May 2024.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/XYwmbT9

Read More

"As Hot As A Jacuzzi": World's Oceans Record Hottest Surface Temperature

The world's oceans set a new temperature record this week, raising concerns about knock-on effects on the planet's climate, marine life and coastal communities.

The temperature of the oceans' surface rose to 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.7 Fahrenheit) on Friday, according to European Union climate observatory data.

The previous record was 20.95C in March 2016, a spokeswoman for the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service told AFP.

The samples tested excluded polar regions.

Oceans have absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat produced by human activity since the dawn of the industrial age, according to scientists.

This excess heat continues to accumulate as greenhouse gases -- mainly from burning oil, gas and coal -- continue to accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere.

Globally, the average ocean temperature has been besting seasonal heat records on a regular basis since April.

"The ocean heatwave is an immediate threat to some marine life," said Piers Forster of the International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds.

"We are already seeing coral bleaching in Florida as a direct result and I expect more impacts will surface."

The overheating of the oceans is predicted to have other effects on marine plant and animal life too, including on the migration of certain species and the spread of invasive species.

This could threaten fish stocks and thus undermine food security in certain parts of the globe.

Warmer oceans are also less capable of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), reinforcing the vicious cycle of global warming.

And higher temperatures are likely to come, since the El Nino phenomenon, which tends to warm waters up, has only just begun.

Scientists expect the worst effects of the current El Nino to be felt at the end of 2023 and continue into subsequent years.

Like bath water

"While there are certainly short-term factors, the main long-term cause is without a doubt the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere caused by human activity, primarily by the burning of fossil fuels," said Rowan Sutton, director of climate research at the University of Reading.

The latest figures follow a string of record highs around the world.

On Monday, temperatures of 38.3C -- as hot as a jacuzzi -- were recorded off the Florida coast, which could be a world record high for a point measurement if the figure is confirmed.

Last week, the surface waters of the North Atlantic rose to a record-high average temperature of 24.9C, according to provisional data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The North Atlantic usually only reaches its peak temperature in September

Since March, the month when the North Atlantic begins to warm up after winter, temperatures have been higher than in previous years and the gap with past records has continued to widen in recent weeks.

The region has become a key point for observing the heating of the world's oceans.

Earlier in July, the Mediterranean Sea broke its daily heat record, with a median temperature of 28.71C, according to Spain's leading maritime research centre.

Marine heatwaves have become twice as frequent since 1982, according to a 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

By 2100, they could be 10 times more intense than they were at the beginning of the 20th century if pollutant emissions are not reduced.

The use of coal, oil and gas is expected to be at the centre of debates in the upcoming United Nations climate talks, dubbed COP28, scheduled to take place at the end of the year in Dubai.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/yKx9dF0

Read More

Karnataka Minister Praises Delhi's Mohalla Clinics, Then Does A U-Turn

Hours after praising the AAP government's Mohalla Clinic initiative, Karnataka Health Minister and Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday said it is "overhyped" and he was left "disappointed" after a visit to one such facility.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in a statement, alleged that Mr Rao received a phone call after praising the mohalla clinic initiative and thereafter changed his stance.

Mr Rao alone can clarify why his statement changed from praising the mohalla clinic to criticising it, the AAP said, adding it was "unfortunate".

The Congress and the AAP are members of the opposition INDIA bloc.

On Friday, Mr Rao visited an 'Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic' at Panchsheel Park in Delhi. He was accompanied by Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and Karnataka Bhavan medical officer Karthik, according to an official statement.

Almost four hours after praising the mohalla clinic initiative, Gundu Rao made a U-turn.

"Visited a mohalla clinic in Delhi with hardly any people there. Our clinics in Karnataka have more facilities, including a laboratory, to do immediate tests for patients," the Congress leader tweeted. "I guess it is overhyped and I came back feeling disappointed," he said on Twitter.

During the visit, the Karnataka minister saw the facilities at the mohalla clinic and enquired about the welfare of staffers.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to the Panchsheel Park mohalla clinic, Mr Rao had praised the mohalla clinic model and said that it is functioning "very well".

"I had heard a lot about mohalla clinics and I wanted to see them personally. I wanted to discuss how they (AAP government) are implementing the health policies," he had told reporters.

"In southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, health has always been a priority. Every state has got something good that we can learn from. We have something similar (to mohalla clinics)... we have 'namma clinics'. We wanted to see how we can improve our system. I saw the mohalla clinic and it is functioning very well People are also appreciating it," he had said.

The AAP said the comparison between the mohalla clinic and namma clinic is "unjust".

"Dinesh Gundu Rao received a phone call. Following the call, he mentioned an important meeting and left the location. A while later, he tweeted criticising the mohalla clinic. However, only Dinesh Rao can clarify why his statement changed from praising the mohalla clinic to criticising it after the phone call.

"In his tweet, he claimed that Namma Clinic in Karnataka had better infrastructure than Mohalla Clinic. To verify this claim, Aam Aadmi Party's Karnataka team visited a Namma Clinic in his constituency.

"They found that both Namma Clinic and Primary Health Centre were located adjacent to each other. People mentioned that the Primary Health Centre had been closed for a long time. Namma Clinic, in reality, is just a name. It was initiated by the BJP government. The clinic provides only primary treatment for some illnesses like fever. Patients are referred to other hospitals...," the AAP said.

The comparison between Namma Clinic and Delhi's Mohalla Clinic is unjust, the AAP said, adding mohalla clinics are well-equipped and treatment is provided free of cost.

The claim made by Rao that Namma Clinic's infrastructure is superior to Mohalla Clinic is "false". Namma Clinic lacks good facilities, it alleged.

The Delhi government's mohalla clinic is a neighbourhood facility for providing free primary healthcare to residents. The mohalla clinic programme is among the flagship initiatives of the Arvind Kejriwal government to boost the primary healthcare system in Delhi.

In his interaction with reporters during his visit to the Panchsheel Park mohalla clinic, the Congress minister was also asked whether this visit was planned since they are allies now, to which he said this is a "department" matter and not a "political" one.

"Alliance is a different issue and a political one. We will go to other states. Rajasthan has a health policy. It can be a BJP state also (where we can visit). That is the concept of federalism," he said.

Slamming the BJP-led Centre, he said that it "is creating a situation where this approach of working together is getting lost".

"They look at opposition-ruled states as enemies. Politically they give trouble and they even trouble the state governments. The (services) ordinance is overruling people's issues. If you weaken an elected government it weakens democracy. Exchange of views is something that is good and should be done always. I have also extended invitation to Delhi health minister to see what is being done on various fronts (in Karnataka)," he told reporters.

Mr Bharadwaj said his Karnataka counterpart told him about how good the hospitals are in the southern state. "We will also visit his state. All states should learn from each other. I am very happy that they have come here," he said.

Earlier in the day, quote-tweeting Mr Bharadwaj's tweets on Gundu Rao's visit, Mr Kejriwal had said Delhi will learn from the good work done by the Karnataka government.

"Karnataka health minister visits Delhi mohalla clinics. We welcome him and his team. We all have to learn from each other. Delhi will also learn from the good work done by Karnataka govt," he had tweeted.

Currently, there are more than 500 mohalla clinics in the national capital that offer free primary healthcare services to patients, including 212 different types of medical tests. 

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/DAuF7Xd

Read More

Mutton By Chef Lalu Yadav On Menu For Dinner With Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Yadav met over dinner today, hours after Mr Gandhi's conviction in the "Modi surname" defamation case was stayed by the Supreme Court, paving the way for his return to parliament as an MP.

After a very public photo session, where the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief was seen giving a bouquet of pastel flowers to Mr Gandhi, both went in for a dinner of mutton cooked by the RJD chief himself.

The meeting at RJD MP Misa Bharti's Delhi residence, where Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav was also present, is significant as the newly formed opposition bloc INDIA is set to meet in Mumbai later this month.

Though Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Yadav discussed much politics, the two spent quite some time in small talk and enjoying their meal, people familiar with the matter said.

Lalu Yadav arranged for desi mutton and spices to be brought from Bihar for the occasion and showed the Congress leader how mutton is cooked in Bihar's special style, sources said.

Bihar's Champaran mutton is known for its unique cooking style and flavours.

Mr Gandhi also asked about the RJD chief's health.

आज @RahulGandhi जी ने RJD अध्यक्ष @laluprasadrjd जी से उनके दिल्ली स्थित निवास पर मुलाकात की। pic.twitter.com/NMXa4jP8hi

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 4, 2023

The Supreme Court's big relief to Rahul Gandhi has paved the way for his re-entry in parliament. The big questions now are how long the Lok Sabha secretariat takes to restore his membership and whether he will be able to participate in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the government, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

On the legal front, the Congress leader has challenged the March order of a Surat trial court in the 2019 criminal defamation case, which had led to his disqualification. The Sessions Court in Surat will hear his appeal against the ruling - which had convicted him and sentenced him to two years in prison - on August 21.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/D9sinMe

Read More

"Sometimes I Think Of Leaving Chief Minister Post But...": Ashok Gehlot

"I sometimes think of leaving but the post of chief minister is not leaving me," Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said on Thursday almost tongue-in-cheek.

The Congress veteran's remark came in response to a woman from Alwar who expressed her wish to see Mr Gehlot continuing as the chief minister after the assembly elections slated for later this year.

"The post of CM...I sometimes think of leaving but the post of chief minister is not leaving me. Let's see what happens going ahead," he said.

Mr Gehlot's remark, though made on a lighter note, assumes significance as he has been engaged in a power tussle with his former deputy Sachin Pilot since the last assembly elections in 2018.

During her interaction with the chief minister, Dholi Devi, the woman from Alwar, also expressed her gratitude to him for launching the Chiranjeevi health insurance scheme under which she underwent heart transplant at a private hospital free of cost.

On Indian Organ Donation Day, the chief minister interacted with some organ transplant recipients through video conference.

He also laid the foundation or inaugurated various medical institutions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/8tEwyXc

Read More

6 Indians Onboard Bus That Fell Down Ravine In Mexico, 17 Killed: Report

At least 17 people died in western Mexico when a passenger bus plunged off a highway into a ravine in the early hours of Thursday, a state official said, adding that 22 more had been injured but were in a stable condition.

The rescue has been "extremely difficult", said Jorge Benito Rodriguez, the security and civil protection secretary for Nayarit state, as the ravine was some 50 meters (164 ft) deep.

Fourteen adults and three children were killed, he said, adding it was not clear what had caused the bus, carrying about 40 passengers towards Tijuana, to go off the road.

Earlier on Thursday, Nayarit's Civil Protection and Firefighters had shared photos of ambulances lining the highway and uniformed officials in the ravine below, as first respondents worked to move the passengers from the site.

The bus, part of the Elite passenger line, crashed near Barranca Blanca on the highway outside state capital Tepic, the officials said.

A source from Nayarit's firefighting service said six Indian citizens had been aboard the bus.

Neither the bus company nor Mexico's migration institute immediately responded to a request for comment.

Just last month, another bus crash in the southern state of Oaxaca left 29 people dead, and in February, another bus carrying migrants from South and Central America crashed in central Mexico, killing 17.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/XzY1AwW

Read More