The Congress’ manifesto committee, headed by senior leader P Chidambaram, will visit Mumbai on October 27 to interact with industry representatives, the party said on Wednesday.
City Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said the committee, set up to draft the party’s manifesto for the next year’s Lok Sabha elections, is meeting various stakeholders across the country.
The main committee led by Chidambaram, a former finance minister, will meet representatives of industry, trade, the banking sector and the investor community, while a sub-committee will visit the city on October 23 and interact with civic activists on urban issues, Nirupam said.
This sub-committee will be headed by former Union minister Selja Kumari, he said.
Senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina on Wednesday sought action against “mischievous elements” who are trying to defame the Aligarh Muslim University and the Jawaharlal Nehru University besides bringing a bad name to Jammu and Kashmir.
Raina, who is the president of BJP’s J&K unit, however, did not identify the “mischievous elements”.
“There are some mischievous elements in the AMU and the JNU who are trying to defame these institutions of learning. The name of Jammu and Kashmir crops up each time whenever there a controversy,” he said.
Raina said he was pained over such happenings and asked for action against such “bad elements” so that the peaceful atmosphere is not vitiated.
He was replying to a question on the revocation of the suspension order of two Kashmiri students by the AMU on Tuesday.
Two Kashmiri students — Wasim Ayub Malik and Abdul Hasib Meer — were suspended last Friday for allegedly participating in an aborted Namaaz-e-Janaza (prayer meeting) in the university campus for slain Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Manan Bashir Wani.
Wani, an AMU student who quit his PhD course in Allied Geology and joined the militant ranks in January this year, was killed in an encounter in Kupwara district last week.
The BJP leader said, “A terrorist is a terrorist and anyone who supports him is a traitor.”
“Our policy is crystal clear and we have full faith in democracy. We are Indian and anybody who tries to destabilise the nation will be dealt with iron hands,” he said.
Describing the killing of three Lashker-e-Toiba terrorists in Srinagar on Wednesday as a “major success”, Raina said Kashmir will get rid of terrorism “very soon”.
“The one who takes up arms and tries to kill unarmed civilians or goes to Pakistan and comes back with arms and explosives will meet death. Terrorists, separatists or anybody, who is conspiring against the nation, will be shown no mercy,” he added.
Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Ashish Pandey in connection with the Hyatt hotel brawl case.
On Tuesday, Delhi Police took suo moto cognizance of a video in which a man, later identified as Ashish Pandey, son of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Rakesh Pandey, was seen brandishing a gun in premises of Hyatt hotel in the national capital, following a brawl with Kanwar Gaurav – son of ex-Congress MLA Kanwar Karan Singh. The incident happened on the night of October 13.
The Delhi Police is coordinating with the Lucknow Police in this case, since Ashish is from Lucknow, however, his ancestral house is in Akbarpur. ASP (Assistant Superintendent of Police) Akbarpur, Ashok Kumar Rai earlier said, “As per information, Ashish Pandey hasn’t come here. Required assistance will be provided to Delhi Police and Lucknow Police.”
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anand Kumar informed that search and investigation by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police are being carried out to arrest Ashish Pandey. The procedure for cancelling his arms license has also been initiated.
Rajasthan BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, who is the son of former Union minister Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday ahead of assembly elections in the state.
Singh met Congress president Rahul Gandhi before joining the party in the presence of leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Avinash Pande and Randeep Surjewala.
The party announced the move at a press conference.
Congress leaders believe his joining the party will help bring in Rajput votes in the assembly polls.
As agitating devotees took to the streets in large numbers over the Sabarimala issue, the opposition BJP and Congress Wednesday joined their stir at Pamba and Nilackal, the entry points to the hill shrine.
With the issue of women of all age groups being allowed into the Lord Ayyappa temple taking a political turn, the BJP and Congress have extended support to devotees who are protesting against the CPI(M)-led LDF government’s decision to implement the verdict and not file a review petition.
The base camps of Pamba and Nilackal witnessed intensified protests as the Lord Ayyappa temple opens for the five-day monthly pooja this evening, for the first time after the landmark top court verdict.
The Left front government termed the agitation as “politically motivated” and said it would be met politically.
Police evicted members of tantri (head priest) family, including elderly women, and the Pandalam royals who were protesting at Pamba, reciting Ayyappa ‘mantras’.
After their eviction, a group of BJP leaders began the ‘namajapa’ (prayer) meet at the same venue.
BJP state general secretaries, K Surendran, M T Ramesh and Shobha Surendran were among those who led the prayer meet.
They alleged that the police removed the members of the traditional tantri and royal families without any provocation.
BJP state president Sreedharan Pillai observed a fast at the district headquarter, Pathanamthitta, as part of the saffron party’s second phase of agitation on the Sabarimala issue.
Thousands of party activists had marched to the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on October 15 against the LDF government’s decision to implement the court verdict disregarding sentiments of devotees.
State Congress working president K Sudhakaran led party workers in the protest at Nilackal to express solidarity with believers.
State Devaswom Minister, Kadakampally Surendran, who held a review meeting at Sannidhanam (temple complex) on the three-month-long Mandalam-Makaravilakku-festival beginning from November 17, said the government would face the agitation politically.
“The government is only implementing the court order,” he told reporters at the Sannidhanam. He also alleged that the BJP-RSS was trying to create tension in the state and destroy the peaceful atmosphere for “political gains.” “We know very well the agenda of RSS and BJP,” he said adding the LDF government had no intention to have any confrontation with the believers.
The Minister also condemned the alleged attack on media personnel.
Vijayan on Tuesday had stated that there was an attempt to destroy the secular mind of people of Kerala in the name of Sabarimala issue.
He had also criticised the Congress and said the party had joined hands with the RSS and BJP in the agitation.
The Election Commission has urged the government to slash the cap on anonymous donations to political parties from the present Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000 to usher in more transparency, a move which comes months ahead of Lok Sabha elections due next year.
In a letter to the Legislative Department of the law ministry last week, the commission pointed out that while its demand to cap cash donations to parties to Rs 2,000 per person has been accepted and made part of the Finance Act, another demand to cap anonymous donations to Rs 2,000 is still pending.
The poll panel had written to the government in the middle of 2017 to amend Section 29C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to put a cap of anonymous donations. The letter sent last week is a reiteration reminding the government that its demand has not yet been acted upon.
“The commission feels that since donations up to Rs 20,000 can be kept anonymous and need not declared, there is a possibility that cash will also be accepted. This runs contrary to the bar on accepting cash donations beyond Rs 2,000,” explained a functionary.
There is no constitutional or statutory prohibition on receipt of anonymous donations by political parties. But there is an “indirect partial ban” on anonymous donations through the requirement of declaration of donations under Section 29C of The Representation of the People Act.
But, such declarations are mandated only for contributions above Rs 20,000.
According to Section 29 C of the law, the treasurer of a political party shall every financial year prepare a report on the contribution “in excess” of Rs 20,000 received by it from any person.
As per the proposed amendment sent by the commission to the government, “anonymous contributions above or equal to the amount of Rs two thousand should be prohibited.”
MJ Akbar on Wednesday resigned as the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs amidst strong criticism over multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.
“Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs. I am deeply grateful to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country,” Akbar said in a statement issued after his resignation.
The latest development comes after 20 women, one after another, came forward and alleged Akbar of sexually harassing them in his journalistic days. The storm around journalist-turned-politician gathered momentum after #MeToo campaign raged in India.
The 67-year-old had been facing flak over the allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women, with opposition parties mounting attack on the government and demanding is ouster.
On returning from an official visit to Nigeria on Sunday, Akbar refrained from speaking on the allegations and said, “There will be a statement later on.”
Later on Monday, he filed a defamation case against Priya Ramani – one of the first women, who publicly accused Akbar, her former boss, of sexual misconduct.
The Mahindra group and Ford Motor on Wednesday strengthened their ongoing strategic alliance by signing two new agreements, under which they will jointly develop connected vehicle solutions and the domestic firm will supply powertrains to the American firm’s domestic unit.
The definitive agreements on powertrain sharing and connected car solutions reinforce the progress made in the strategic alliance between the two companies, first announced in September 2017 and followed up with five agreements in March 2018.
“Under the definitive agreement on powertrain sharing, Mahindra will develop and supply a low-displacement petrol engine to Ford India for use in its present and future vehicles, starting in 2020.
“The BS-VI compliant powertrain will help Ford extend and strengthen its existing offering of petrol engines, that currently includes the all-new three-cylinder TiVCT family,” Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) said in a statement Wednesday, adding the agreement on connected solutions will see them jointly develop solutions to be deployed across Mahindra and Ford products.
The companies also announced joint development of a telematics control unit.
“Today’s announcement further builds on the commitments made so far, leading to a fruition of exciting new opportunities. We are confident to meet customer expectations by working together on a number of joint development areas. Going forward, we will continue to identify the synergies that exist between the two companies,” said Pawan Goenka, managing director, M&M.
The agreements signed earlier this year include leveraging their respective strengths on product development for the domestic market and emerging markets, including co-development of compact SUVs and electric vehicles.
Actor-director Nandita Das Tuesday broke her silence over the sexual harassment allegations against her father, noted painter Jatin Das, stating that she will continue to lend support to the #MeToo movement.
A woman, who is the co-founder of a paper-making company, Tuesday came forward to claim that she was sexually harassed 14 years ago by Jatin Das, allegations which the painter dismissed as “vulgar”.
In a Facebook post, Nandita said despite the “disturbing” allegations against her father, she would continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the women coming forward with stories of abuse and harassment.
She also warned that women need to be “sure” about their allegations before accusing someone.
“As a strong supporter of the #MeToo movement, I want to reiterate that I will continue to add my voice to it, despite the disturbing allegations made against my father, which he has categorically denied,” she wrote on the social networking site.
“I have maintained from the very start that this is the time we all need to listen, so that women (and men) feel safe to speak up. At the same time, it is also important to be sure about allegations so as not to dilute the movement,” the actor said.
Nandita said she has received support from “friends and strangers – who are concerned and are trusting my integrity”.
“I do believe truth will prevail. And that is all I have to say on this matter,” she asserted.
Actor Kangana Ranaut says she would not want her children and loved ones to lead a life full of struggles like hers.
The 31-year-old actor, who plays Rani Laxmibai in “Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi”, said Monday it has been a tough journey for her.
“Rani Laxmibai had to fight so much. I would not wish that life for anyone I love. Also, I won’t want my children to have the kind of life I have had. I don’t know why but I have to fight for everything in my life,” Kangana told reporters.
“I don’t get anything without fighting for it. I am neither proud, nor ashamed, I’m pretty fine with how my life is. But if you ask me if I want this for my children or my loved ones, then no,” she added.
The actor was speaking at the wrap party of the biopic, directed by Krish.
Kangana took over the project as the original director was unavailable to reshoot the period drama.
The actor said initially found the process difficult but later things fell into place.
“Every film has its own journey and so does ‘Manikarnika’. It’s true that there were some problems in the beginning but we are strong and hence we had a chance to celebrate it. We have all struggled a lot to complete the project.
“It’s good for me because it was accidental that I had to direct rest of the portions. I was initially taken aback. But when I began the process, I started enjoying it. We were not getting dates of other actors too. But everything has a story behind it. In the end, it has been pretty fine.
