Security has been beefed up in the curfew-bound summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Independence Day celebrations tomorrow.
Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers across Srinagar as Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the Independence Day celebration event in the state, has been turned into a virtual fortress.
“All the roads leading to Bakshi stadium have been sealed and heavy deployment of security forces has been carried out enroute to ensure peaceful celebrations tomorrow,” a police official said.
Although there were no inputs about the possibility of militant attacks to disrupt the celebrations, the security grid is not taking any chances, he said.
“The usual security drill is being followed but some extra measures have been put in place to ensure no mob violence takes place around the venues in Srinagar or elsewhere in the Valley,” he added.
Due to the ongoing unrest in Kashmir that began on July 9 following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, mobile telephone and internet services have already been snapped.
In the past, the mobile phone and mobile internet services used to be disabled for few hours during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations as a precautionary measure to prevent militants from using these devices to trigger explosions.PTI
Controversial Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rasheed was today detained as police foiled his proposed 72-hour-long sit-in to protest the “insensitivity” of the Centre towards Kashmir.
Rasheed was detained along with many of his supporters, a spokesman of his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) said.
Police swung into action as soon as Rasheed and his supporters started the sit-in at Press Colony here.
He was taken to police station Kothi Bagh, the spokesman said.
The controversial MLA had announced he will hold the 72-hour sit-in against the “insensitivity” of Union government towards Kashmir.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the Los Angeles airport for questioning by the US immigration department.
“I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks,” Khan tweeted.
Khan, 50, in another tweet said, “The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons.”
The State Department could not immediately make any comment on why the Indian super star was detained at the Los Angeles airport.
This is not the first time that Khan has been detained at a US airport.
Khan was detained at New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials in 2012. The US customs and border protection authorities had expressed “profound” apologies for the Shah Rukh Khan’s detention then.
In 2009 also, Khan was also detained by US immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name came up on a computer alert list.
The productivity of the Lok Sabha was higher than the Rajya Sabha in the Monsoon session which ended today but its performance was less than what it had achieved in the Budget session.
Terming the performance of the two Houses as “good”, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said while the productivity of the Lok Sabh was recorded at 110.84 per cent, that of the Rajya Sabha was 99.54 per cent.
But according to data compiled by PRS Legislative, the productivity of the lower house in the Budget session was 121 per cent. The Rajya Sabha had recorded a productivity of 91 per cent, lower than what it achieved in the latest session.
The highlights of the Monsoon session were passage of the GST bill and unanimous resolutions in both Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Kashmir, he said.
“Each week, there was one discussion,” he said adding that Lok Sabha took up four discussions — on situation in Kashmir Valley, price rise, atrocities on Dalits and Sustainable Development Goals.
The Rajya Sabha, he said, took up six short duration discussions on situation in the Kashmir Valley, price rise, atrocities on Dalits, status of implementation of the AP Reorganisation Act, developments in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh leading to change in governments and the draft National Education Policy.
While 14 bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha, 15 were passed. The Rajya Sabha passed 14 bills, while one — The Maternity Benefit (amendment) Bill, 201 was introduced.
Parliament passed a total of 15 bills, including the one on GST.
While two bills which replaced as many ordinances on the common medical entrance exam were passed, the one which sought to replace an ordinance on amendments to the Enemy Property Act could not be cleared. The ordinance is set to lapse in the coming days.
A 65-year-old man was today killed when his two-wheeler was allegedly hit by a car in which Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia was travelling near here, police said.
The accident occurred at Puthiyakavu on the Kochi-Allapuzha stretch of a national highway when Scindia was going in a chauffeur-driven car to attend a function at Cherthala after arriving at Kochi from New Delhi, they said.
After the incident, the Congress leader in a tweet said “Devastated – sad loss of life – unfortunate accident betw Cochin-Allepy. Arranged for hospital immediately – on way to meet bereaved family!”.
Police identified the deceased as Sasi, a resident of Puthiyakavu locality.
Though Sasi was rushed to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to injuries, police said.
After handing over the car to the police, Scindia left in another car, K C Venugopal, Congress MP from Alappuzha, said adding his colleague would later call on the bereaved family.
Besides the former union minister, three other Congress workers were in the car when the mishap occurred, Venugopal said.PTI
Curfew in many parts and separatist-sponsored strike disrupted normal life for the 30th straight day Sunday in Kashmir Valley where violence has so far left 54 persons dead and more than 6,000 others injured.
The violence in the Valley began on 9 July, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Curfew remains in force in six police station areas of Srinagar—Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, Safakadal, Maharajgunj and Batamaloo Sunday as precautionary measure to maintain law and order, a police official said.
He said curfew was also in force in two towns of Budgam district Chadoora and Khansahib, two towns of Kupwara Handwara and Langate and Anantnag town.
The official, however, said restrictions will remain in force in other areas of the Valley. Restrictions on the assembly of four or more people continue to remain in effect in rest of the Valley, he said.
Normal life in the Valley remained affected for the 30th consecutive day due to the curbs imposed by the authorities and separatist sponsored strike against the killing of civilians in the security forces action during clashes which erupted in the wake of Wani’s killing.
Mobile internet services continued to remain snapped in the entire Valley where the outgoing facility on prepaid connections is also barred.
The separatist camp has extended the shutdown call in Kashmir till 12 August and has asked the people to organize sanitation drive in their localities and hospitals..PTI
Sachin Tendulkar has met International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on the sidelines of the Rio Olympics here, which the Indian cricket icon termed as “wonderful”.
Tendulkar, who is here as a goodwill ambassador for the Indian contingent, sat alongside Bach as the two watched the opening day of rugby sevens, which has made an Olympic return after a 92-year-absence.
“Wonderful spending time with Mr Thomas Bach, IOC president at #Rio2016 @olympics,” tweeted Tendulkar after meeting the IOC chief yesterday.
Tendulkar is keenly tracking the performance of the Indian athletes in Rio and was seen supporting tennis players Sania Mirza and Prarthna Thombare from the stands.
He watched the women’s doubles match alongside Leander Paes, who had lost his men’s doubles first round match partnering Rohan Bopanna yesterday.PTI
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan today wished his friends from the film industry, Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, a Happy Friendship’s Day.
The 73-year-old “Piku” star shared a few pictures of himself along with the two veteran actors on his Twitter page, captioning it, “Happy friendship day… ever.”
Bachchan and Dharmendra, 80, redefined the bond of friendship on screen with the 1975 blockbuster “Sholay”, where they played best friends and partners-in-crime Jai and Veeru.
Bachchan posted a shot in which he is holding a photoframe having his and Dharmendra’s still from “Sholay”.
“Kuch pal yadgar ho jaate hain… Humesha ke liye…
(Some moments become memorable forever) Happy Friendship Day.”
He shared another picture, showing him greeting his “Dostana” co-star Sinha, 70, with a bouquet.
Referring to Sinha’s famous dialogue ‘Khamosh’, Bachchan wrote, “Aye dost teri dosti ki kami, Har pal mehsoos hoti hai… Jab sunte hai KHAMOSH! lafz kisiki juban se. Tumhari yaad aapne aap aajati hai.PTI
The shift in monetary policy stance to target inflation is “credit positive” for India’s sovereign rating as it will help keep price rise pressures under check, Moody’s Investors Service said today.
The government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, has notified the 5-year inflation target at 4 per cent, with an upper and lower tolerance limit of 2 per cent.
Moody s Investors Service Senior VP Marie Diron said the inflation target is a credit positive re-affirmation of the commitment to keeping inflation at moderate levels.
“The changes to the monetary policy regime of the last two years mark a step towards greater policy transparency and predictability, both of which should help in policy transmission and hence monetary policy effectiveness,” she said.
Diron said an explicit inflation target can help anchor inflation expectations and hence actual inflation at moderate levels.
“At a time when large increases in wages are implemented in the public sector, moderate inflation expectations could help prevent spillovers to wage and price settings in other, sectors,” she added.
The government has already notified the 2.57-time hike in basic salary of one crore government employees and pensioners as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The pay hike has been made effective from January 1, 2016.
Also, the arrears arising from implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations will be paid in their August salaries.
Based on the notified inflation target, the proposed interest rate setting panel or Monetary Policy Committee would take its monetary policy decisions going forward.
“Sustained moderate inflation would contribute to macroeconomic stability and help prevent a repetition of the short marked cycles of the past,” Diron said.
MPC will set interest rates by majority, with a casting vote for the central bank governor in the event of a tie.
Out of six members of MPC, three will be from RBI — the Governor, who will be the ex-officio Chairperson, a deputy governor and an executive director.
The other three members will be appointed by the central government on the recommendations of a search-cum-selection committee, which will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary.PTI
Trial court judges are expected to “remain sensitive” while recording statements of children and required to take active part within the boundaries of law to elicit truth, the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice S P Garg observed this while dismissing an appeal filed by a man challenging a judgement passed by a trial court last year which had sentenced him to five-year jail under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl.
“The presiding officer is expected to remain sensitive particularly when a child of tender age is under examination.
While conducting trial, court is not required to sit as a silent spectator but to take active part within the boundaries of law to bring on record the relevant facts for the purpose of eliciting truth,” the court said.
The court said that sentence awarded to the 42-year-old man was based upon “fair reasoning” and the crime committed by him was “horrible” as he had “ravished” the child who was like his own daughter.
“The accusations are very specific, certain and clear.
What else can be expected from a child aged around five years? Her statement on material and vital facts remained unchallenged,” the judge noted in his order.
According to the police, the man had sexually assaulted the child in April 2014 when she had gone to his house.
During the trial, he had denied the allegations and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case.
His counsel argued before the high court that trial court had ignored the inconsistencies in the statements of the prosecution witnesses and overlooked the fact that child was not competent to depose and she had given the statement at her mother’s behest.
While dismissing his appeal, the high court said there were no valid reasons to suspect the version of the girl and to discredit her testimony.
“The appellant (man) exploited her (child’s) innocence and betrayed the trust of her family members as neighbour. The appeal lacks in merits and is dismissed,” the court said.PTI
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