Top news: Over 1 lakh people excluded from additional Assam NRC list

Here are the day’s biggest stories:

West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee asks CPI(M) and Congress to join her fight against BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked all opposition parties – the Left Front and the Congress – to work together in the state to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party. “The people of the state are witnessing in Bhatpara what happens if you vote for the BJP,” Banerjee said in the state Assembly.

Government using tactics to suppress media, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says in Lok Sabha

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the government of using suppressive tactics against the media. Chowdhury alleged that the government was undemocratic and was suffering from megalomania as it used advertisements to pressure the media

Minorities safer than ever under PM Modi’s leadership, claims BJP leader KJ Alphons

Bharatiya Janata Party leader KJ Alphons on Wednesday claimed that minorities in the country have never been safer than now, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He claimed that five years ago, people were saying Christians will be beaten up and churches will be burnt if the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power.

It is unfortunate that 15th Finance Commission has no member from the south, says Karnataka minister

Karnataka minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said it was unfortunate that the five-member 15th Finance Commission has no representative from South India. “It is unfortunate that the Centre could not find one capable person from South India to serve in the five-member 15th Finance Commission,” he tweeted.

‘There is a limit to arrogance’: PM attacks Congress in Rajya Sabha for questioning people’s mandate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Congress insulted voters by questioning the veracity of electronic voting machines. Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Rajya Sabha, Modi called the Opposition party arrogant for questioning people’s choice.

Mike Pompeo and S Jaishankar discuss frosty bilateral trade relations, S-400 deal and Iran

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he differed with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the current impasse in trade relations between the two countries but added that the difference should be taken “in the spirit of friendship”. Pompeo said he was hopeful of resolving the matter.

Centre appoints new R&AW and IB chiefs, grants NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant two-year extension

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant was on Wednesday granted a two-year extension. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extended Kant’s tenure from June 30, 2019, to June 30, 2021.

Pulwama attack: There was no intelligence failure, Centre tells Lok Sabha

The government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that there was no intelligence failure in the Pulwama terror attack. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishen Reddy said “all agencies are working in a coordinated manner and the intelligence inputs are shared among various agencies on a real-time basis”.

Sterling Biotech: ED seizes assets over Rs 9,000 crore in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday attached assets worth over Rs 9,000 crore in connection with the money laundering case it has been investigating against Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company Sterling Biotech. The firm is allegedly involved in a multi-crore bank fraud case.

Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son thrashes municipal officer with cricket bat

In a video clip of the incident, Akash Vijayvargiya is seen attacking the municipal officer who was part of an anti-encroachment drive in Indore. The BJP legislator hit the officer with a cricket bat and chased him even as security personnel tried to stop Vijayvargiya.

In India, 31.4% children under the age of five will be stunted by 2022: UN report

Stunting, a measure of chronic malnutrition, in children in India under the age of five has reduced at a rate of about 1% per year in the last decade, according to a report released by the United Nations World Food Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics. At the current rate, 31.4% children will be stunted by 2022.

AgustaWestland case: Supreme Court stays Delhi HC order allowing Rajeev Saxena to travel abroad

The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed an order passed by the Delhi High Court allowing businessman Rajeev Saxena to travel abroad on medical grounds. Saxena, who was allegedly a middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, had turned an approver in a money laundering case related to it.

Delhi: Rebel AAP MLA moves Supreme Court against disqualification notice issued for joining BJP

Rebel Aam Aadmi Party MLA Devinder Sehrawat on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the disqualification notice issued to him by the Delhi Secretariat under the anti-defection law for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. The matter was placed before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and BR Gavai for urgent listing.

J&K man arrested for allegedly posting derogatory comment about slain Assamese jawan’s wife

The Assam Police have arrested a man from Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly posting an obscene comment about the wife of a Central Reserve Police Force jawan killed in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand last month. Sunil Kalita, the CRPF jawan, was a native of Kamrup district of Assam.

Delhi HC refuses urgent hearing to plea seeking appointment of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused an urgent hearing to a petition seeking direction to the Lok Sabha speaker to appoint a Leader of the Opposition in the House. “Looking at the relief sought, there is no urgency,” a bench of Justices Jyoti Singh and Manoj Ohri said. The judges listed the plea for hearing before an appropriate bench on July 8.

J&K: Security forces kill suspected militant in Tral town, recover arms and ammunition

A police spokesperson told PTI that security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Branpatri forest area of Tral, following a tip-off about the presence of militants in the area. The militants opened fire on the police personnel, who retaliated.

Assam NRC: Over 1 lakh people excluded from additional list

The “additional exclusion list” is available at designated NRC Seva Kendras and the offices of the deputy commissioners, sub-divisional officers and circle officers, News18 reported The list can also be accessed at nrcassam.nic.in.

Asia-Pacific Group of 55 countries endorses India’s candidature for non-permanent UNSC seat

A video message identified all 55 countries and thanked them. Among the other countries which endorsed India are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

Parliament: PM Narendra Modi to address Rajya Sabha today

There will be further discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the president’s address in Parliament on Wednesday. A number of bills are likely to come up for discussion, including The Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill, and the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill.

PM Modi, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meet to discuss ties, strategic partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday in New Delhi. Pompeo arrived in the city on Tuesday evening for a three-day visit to India. “Working together to further deepen our strategic partnership,” said External Affairs spokesperson on the meeting between Modi and Pompeo.

TMC MP Derek O’Brien claims Facebook blocked anti-BJP content during Lok Sabha elections

“Facebook’s senior management in India are de facto campaign managers for the BJP,” O’Brien claimed. He held up a book titled The Real Face of Facebook in India. “You won’t read about this in the newspaper because this tells a sordid story,” he said.

Haryana cow protection law: Cabinet approves provisions granting police more power

The existing Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, prohibits cow slaughter, trafficking and sale of beef in the state. Earlier, only officers of the sub-divisional magistrate rank and above were only allowed to seize vehicles used to smuggle cattle.

J&K: Court rebukes police for arresting editor 26 years after warrant was issued, grants bail

A local court in Srinagar on Tuesday granted bail to Ghulam Jeelani Qadri, the editor and owner of an Urdu newspaper who was arrested in a midnight raid at his home on Monday on the basis of a 26-year-old warrant. The chief judicial magistrate asked the Jammu and Kashmir Police what they had been doing all these years, and sought a detailed report by July 31 on the action taken.

Bihar encephalitis deaths: 19 people booked for blocking road in Vaishali district last week

The Bihar Police on Tuesday filed a first information report against 19 people of Harivanshpur village in Vaishali district for blocking traffic on the Hajipur-Muzaffarpur highway on June 18 to protest against the death of seven children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.

Bengal: TMC leader returns Rs 2.27 lakh ‘cut money’ to villagers after Mamata Banerjee’s warning

Trilochan Mukherjee, a Trinamool Congress booth president of Chatra village in Suri Block 2, returned Rs 1,617 each to 141 villagers. According to PTI, Mukherjee had taken the money in exchange for jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, but The Hindu reported that he had collected the money to dig a canal.

Amit Shah to visit Kashmir today, security for Amarnath Yatra on agenda: Reports

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday for his first trip to the state since being appointed to the Cabinet, reports said. The home minister will review the security situation in the state ahead of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, and the progress of the Centre’s development projects.

Narendra Modi attacks Congress in Parliament, says Opposition is no longer connected to the roots

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the Opposition, claiming that it no longer has a connect with the grassroots in India. The prime minister was responding to President Ram Nath Kovind’s address in Parliament.

Jharkhand mob attack: Rahul Gandhi calls it ‘blot on humanity’

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called the mob attack on 24-year-old Tabrej Ansari in Jharkhand as a “blot on humanity”. This came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Opposition in Parliament and reminded Congress about the “dark days” of the Emergency, saying it’s a “blot on the democracy” that will never fade.

Haryana: As video of Dalit man being beaten goes viral, two men detained

The Haryana Police on Monday detained two people for allegedly beating up a Dalit man at Bajana Kalan village in Sonipat district. The incident happened a month ago. Some reports had claimed that the man was beaten up as part of a punishment because he had washed his cattle in a waterbody used by so-called upper caste communities. The police, however, dismissed this. They claimed that two residents of the village, Mohit and Jitendra, beat the victim up because he had refused to work on their farm.

Tamil Nadu: Rajya Sabha elections to fill six vacancies in the state to be held on July 18

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced that biennial elections to fill six vacancies in Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu will be held on July 18. The terms of six Rajya Sabha members will end on July 24.