Jammu and Kashmir: Friction between PDP, BJP over delay in granting of package
People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti is expected to meet Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Monday to discuss a special package for Jammu and Kashmir, estimated to be worth Rs 70,000 crore. PDP officials said that the delay in the granting of the package by the BJP-led Central government had caused friction between the two parties. The officials said that state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had assured the PDP that a sum of Rs 1,000 crore would be made available to the state by mid-July. However, the officials said that Drabu would now meet Union Finance Ministry officials on Tuesday over the matter. Senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said that the party was very concerned over the situation as the economic conditions in the state had worsened. He added that while the people of the state had accepted the coalition between the PDP and the BJP “with a lot of reluctance”, they had done so hoping that the partnership would help the state’s economic recovery.
Punjab: Gurdaspur attack terrorists wore gloves made in Pakistan
A panel of doctors conducting the postmortem of three militants involved in an attack in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab found a "Made in Pakistan" label on a glove worn by one of the gunmen. According to reports, the police officials investigating the case had missed the label but the doctors found it while making the inventory. Officials said that the Punjab police was working closely with the Intelligence Bureau, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force to reveal further details about the militants. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the militants had infiltrated India from Pakistan along the Punjab border. The gunmen killed seven people during their 12-hour-long attack on the police station last week
Rajasthan: Asaram shown as saint in school book
Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, currently in jail over sexual assault charges, features in a chapter on saints in a Class III textbook used by a school in the Jodhpur district of Rajsathan. Following severe criticism from the parents of students over the issue, officials from the Jodhpur education department said that they would conduct a fair probe into the matter. Meanwhile, the publishers of the book said that they were withdrawing its stock to prepare a new edition of the text, which would not feature Asaram. The publishing house added that there had been no case registered against the godman when the book was first published. Asaram, who has been in prison since August 2013, was arrested after a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Allahabad High Court seeking the quashing of a case against him for an allegedly inflammatory speech he gave while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh last year. State government advocate Rishad Murtaza said that the case was lodged against Kejriwal in Musafirkhana police station of Amethi, which had directed him to be present before the judicial magistrate. Murtaza said that the case was registered under Section 125 of Representation of People's Act, which deals with the offence promoting enmity between various groups on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community. Kejriwal's petition is likely to be heard by Justice Mahendra Dayal on August 3. The AAP chief had campaigned for party candidate Kumar Vishwas, who had taken on Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani in the Amethi constituency of the state.
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Sunday said that the Crime Branch of the Goa Police had decoded several messages related to bribe demands made by various officials. “There were several messages related to demanding of bribe in the Louis Berger bribery case which have been tracked during the investigation,” Parsekar said. The Crime Branch has recorded the statements of several employees of United States firm Louis Berger and has also arrested A Wachasunder, who headed the Japan International Cooperation Agency water project in the state. The US firm has been charged with bribing Indian officials with several crores of rupees to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Guwahati. Earlier, the Crime Branch had also interrogated former Goa Chief Minister and Congress leader Digamabar Kamat in connection with the scam.
People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti is expected to meet Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Monday to discuss a special package for Jammu and Kashmir, estimated to be worth Rs 70,000 crore. PDP officials said that the delay in the granting of the package by the BJP-led Central government had caused friction between the two parties. The officials said that state Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had assured the PDP that a sum of Rs 1,000 crore would be made available to the state by mid-July. However, the officials said that Drabu would now meet Union Finance Ministry officials on Tuesday over the matter. Senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar said that the party was very concerned over the situation as the economic conditions in the state had worsened. He added that while the people of the state had accepted the coalition between the PDP and the BJP “with a lot of reluctance”, they had done so hoping that the partnership would help the state’s economic recovery.
Punjab: Gurdaspur attack terrorists wore gloves made in Pakistan
A panel of doctors conducting the postmortem of three militants involved in an attack in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab found a "Made in Pakistan" label on a glove worn by one of the gunmen. According to reports, the police officials investigating the case had missed the label but the doctors found it while making the inventory. Officials said that the Punjab police was working closely with the Intelligence Bureau, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force to reveal further details about the militants. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the militants had infiltrated India from Pakistan along the Punjab border. The gunmen killed seven people during their 12-hour-long attack on the police station last week
Rajasthan: Asaram shown as saint in school book
Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, currently in jail over sexual assault charges, features in a chapter on saints in a Class III textbook used by a school in the Jodhpur district of Rajsathan. Following severe criticism from the parents of students over the issue, officials from the Jodhpur education department said that they would conduct a fair probe into the matter. Meanwhile, the publishers of the book said that they were withdrawing its stock to prepare a new edition of the text, which would not feature Asaram. The publishing house added that there had been no case registered against the godman when the book was first published. Asaram, who has been in prison since August 2013, was arrested after a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her at his ashram in Jodhpur.
Uttar Pradesh: Kejriwal moves Allahabad High Court
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Allahabad High Court seeking the quashing of a case against him for an allegedly inflammatory speech he gave while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh last year. State government advocate Rishad Murtaza said that the case was lodged against Kejriwal in Musafirkhana police station of Amethi, which had directed him to be present before the judicial magistrate. Murtaza said that the case was registered under Section 125 of Representation of People's Act, which deals with the offence promoting enmity between various groups on the grounds of religion, race, caste and community. Kejriwal's petition is likely to be heard by Justice Mahendra Dayal on August 3. The AAP chief had campaigned for party candidate Kumar Vishwas, who had taken on Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Smriti Irani in the Amethi constituency of the state.
Goa: Messages used to seek bribe in Louis Berger case decoded
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Sunday said that the Crime Branch of the Goa Police had decoded several messages related to bribe demands made by various officials. “There were several messages related to demanding of bribe in the Louis Berger bribery case which have been tracked during the investigation,” Parsekar said. The Crime Branch has recorded the statements of several employees of United States firm Louis Berger and has also arrested A Wachasunder, who headed the Japan International Cooperation Agency water project in the state. The US firm has been charged with bribing Indian officials with several crores of rupees to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Guwahati. Earlier, the Crime Branch had also interrogated former Goa Chief Minister and Congress leader Digamabar Kamat in connection with the scam.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!