The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a petition seeking a review of its verdict dismissing the need of an inquiry into the Rafale deal. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said he would consider advocate Prashant Bhushan’s plea for an urgent hearing, and set up a bench to hear the matter.
Thousands of farmers in Maharashtra are on their way from Nashik to Mumbai in a repeat of last year’s Kisan Long March. The All India Kisan Sabha claimed the Maharashtra government has not fulfilled its promises to farmers after the protest march in March 2018.
Here are the biggest stories of the day so far:
India will stop its share of water to Pakistan, says Nitin Gadkari a week after Pulwama attack
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday announced that India has decided to stop its share of water that used to flow to Pakistan. The moves comes amid strained ties between the two countries in the aftermath of last week’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the attack.
Bhima Koregaon case: Pune police file supplementary chargesheet against five activists
The Pune police on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against human rights activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader Ganapathy in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, PTI reported.
Triple talaq ordinance approved by President Ram Nath Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday approved the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Second Ordinance, 2019. The ordinance makes the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence.
2019 polls: If Kejriwal wants alliance, he should directly speak to me, says Sheila Dikshit
Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said the Aam Aadmi Party had never approached her outfit for an alliance in the national Capital for the Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to be held this summer. Her statement came a day after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed he was tired of trying to convince the Congress for an alliance.
EPFO hikes interest rate from 8.55% to 8.65%, says Union minister Santosh Gangwar
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation board has recommended raising the interest rate for six crore subscribers of the Employees’ Provident Fund for 2018-’19, Minister of State for Labour minister Santosh Gangwar said. The interest rate earlier was 8.55%.
‘Congress is trying to weaken morale of the country and Army,’ claims Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday criticised the Congress for flinging accusations at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the wake of last week’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. Forty CRPF personnel died in the attack, which was carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.
BSP-Samajwadi Party announce seat sharing details in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati gets one seat more
The Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party alliance will each contest from 38 and 37 seats in the upcoming General Elections, party leaders Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav announced on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh holds 80 seats in the Lok Sabha.
Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti say India-Saudi statement resonates with their message against war
Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah on Thursday welcomed the joint statement issued by India and Saudi Arabia on extremism and terrorism is in line with their message against war.
India should play Pakistan in World Cup, can continue to avoid bilateral ties: Sunil Gavaskar
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar wants India to play against Pakistan in the World Cup amid speculations of a boycott due to the terror attack in Pulwama.
Centre holds telecom firms responsible for obscene text messages sent to journalists, seeks action
The Centre has directed leading telecom operators to take immediate action against 19 users who sent obscene text messages to journalists Ravish Kumar and Abhisar Sharma, and also said that the companies must take the onus to act against such communication.
Home ministry approves air travel for paramilitary forces to and from Srinagar
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday approved air travel of all personnel of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces moving between Delhi and Srinagar, and Jammu and Srinagar on official duty, transfer, or on leave.
Sunanda Pushkar death case: Delhi court adjourns hearing to March 7
A Delhi Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the Sunanda Pushkar death case till March 7. Pushkar was the wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is accused of abetting her suicide.
Jammu-Srinagar highway remains closed for second day after five landslides overnight
The Jammu-Srinagar highway remained closed for the second consecutive day on Thursday following five landslides triggered by heavy rains and snowfall in Ramban district of the state. Over 600 vehicles have been stranded on the highway in Ramban, Udhampur and Jammu districts.
‘We want Kashmir, but don’t want Kashmiris’: P Chidambaram says the irony is depressing
Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday criticised Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy who had tweeted in support of boycotting “everything Kashmiri” following the Pulwama attack, in which 40 armed forces personnel were killed.
Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha’s ‘U-turn’ will not guarantee him a party ticket, says BJP state chief
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bihar unit chief Nityanand Rai on Wednesday said making a “U-turn” would not guarantee a party ticket to Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Reliance Communications asks lenders to release Rs 260 crore from tax refunds directly to Ericsson
Reliance Communications on Thursday said it had requested its lenders to urgently approve the release Rs 260 crore received from income tax refunds directly to Swedish multinational telecom and networking firm Ericsson.
‘Modi was shooting for a film at Corbett park for hours after Pulwama attack,’ claims Congress
The Congress party on Thursday criticised the “misplaced priorities” of the Narendra Modi government in the wake of the terror attack in Pulwama last week, and claimed that for the prime minister, the “lust for power holds more importance than soldiers”. The party claimed that Modi was busy shooting for a film till hours after the attack on February 14.
Pulwama: SC to hear plea on Friday against alleged attacks on Kashmiri students
Several Kashmiri students were reportedly harassed and beaten up in the Dehradun over the weekend. Since then, many Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand have temporarily left the state. Nearly 300 Kashmiri students have fled to Jammu and Delhi from colleges in Uttarakhand after large-scale eviction from their campuses.
Rafale deal: SC agrees to hear review plea, request for perjury proceedings against officials
On Monday, Bhushan, along with former Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, had moved the top court to seek perjury proceedingsagainst officials of the central government for allegedly submitting “false or misleading” data about the Rafale jet deal. They had also filed a review petition last month challenging the court’s earlier judgement.
Devendra Fadnavis says prime minister’s post has been booked for 2019, 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Actor Riteish Deshmukh had asked which politician from Maharashtra can become the prime minister, mentioning Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Gadkari and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. “Let me tell you, this question does not arise, because the post for prime minister has already been booked,” Fadnavis said.
Four months after fireworks curbs, Supreme Court surprised that ‘green crackers’ still do not exist
The Centre told the court that the chemical composition of eco-friendly fireworks had not yet been finalised and that the National Environment Engineering Research Institute needed three more months to finish examining the matter, reported The Times of India. A bench headed by Justice AK Sikri pulled up the institute for the delay despite an assurance given in August 2018.
Narendra Modi arrives in South Korea on two-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties
Modi, in a statement ahead of his visit, said South Korea is a “valued friend” and an important partner for the government’s Make in India, Start Up India and Clean India initiatives.
Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi claims Vajpayee government wanted him to continue ‘secret killings’
Gogoi claimed that his predecessor, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who was the chief minister of Assam from 1996 to 2001, had authorised secret killings of United Liberation Front of Asom cadre, The Hindu reported. Vajpayee was prime minister from 1998 to 2004.
Gujarat: Over 1,000 children died since 2014 at hospital run by Adani Foundation, says government
The number of children who died at the hospital was 188 in 2014-’15 and 187 the next year. It grew to 208 in 2016-’17, and further to 276 in the year after that. In 2018-’19 so far, 159 children have died, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said in response to a question by a Congress MLA.
Lok Sabha elections: Arvind Kejriwal says he is tired of convincing Congress to forge alliance
“We are tired of convincing the Congress to form an alliance, but they do not understand,” Kejriwal said at a public rally in Delhi. “If there is an alliance, the BJP will lose all the seven Lok Sabha seats it currently has in Delhi.”
Saudi Arabia to release 850 Indian prisoners after crown prince meets Narendra Modi
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners languishing in its jails, India said after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The crown prince made the decision on a request from Modi.
Pulwama attack: J&K government withdraws security of 18 separatists, including Geelani, Yasin Malik
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday announced it has withdrawn security cover from 18 Kashmiri separatist leaders. On Sunday, it had removed security of five separatists – Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Shah, Hashim Qureshi, Bilal Lone and Abdul Ghani Bhat.
Kisan long march: Thousands of farmers begin protest march from Nashik to Mumbai
Thousands of farmers who assembled at Mumbai Naka in Maharashtra’s Nashik on Wednesday began marching to the state capital on Wednesday evening in a repeat of last year’s “Long March”. Farmers from 23 districts across Maharashtra joined the march which was flagged off from Nashik.
Vande Bharat Express: India’s fastest train vandalised for third time in two months
The Vande Bharat Express was vandalised in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday for the third time in two months. Northern Railway spokesperson Deepak Kumar said some miscreants pelted stones at the train near Tundla in UP’s Firozabad district. No one was injured, he added.
Supreme Court orders eviction of more than 10 lakh Adivasi and forest-dwelling families
The Supreme Court has ordered the eviction of more than 10 lakh families of Adivasis and other forest-dwellers from forestlands across 16 states. The order came after the top court heard petitions challenging the validity of the Forest Rights Act on February 13.
Tamil Nadu: Congress and DMK announce alliance for Lok Sabha elections
The Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday announced an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The parties had contested together in the 2016 Assembly elections and the last General Election held in 2014.