Top news: Police book Unnao rape accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar after complainant’s car crash

‘Priyanka will be perfect choice’: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh on next Congress president

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said that Congress General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi would be a perfect choice for the party’s president post. He also claimed that Gandhi would get full-fledged support if she was chosen to take up the role.

Pakistan summons India’s deputy high commissioner over ‘unprovoked ceasefire violations’

Pakistan on Monday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to condemn the alleged “unprovoked ceasefire violations” across the Line of Control, which resulted in the death of a woman. It alleged that Indian forces along the LoC and the working boundary were “continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons”.

Lok Sabha passes National Medical Commission Bill, Rajya Sabha clears law curbing Ponzi schemes

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the National Medical Commission Bill, that will replace the 63-year-old Medical Council of India to reform the medical education sector. The Rajya Sabha also passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Scheme Bill, 2019, after a discussion. The bill, which had been passed by the Lok Sabha on July 24, seeks to put in place a mechanism by which poor depositors will get back their money lost in Ponzi schemes.

Odisha gets Geographical Indication tag for its rasagola

Odisha was on Monday given the Geographical Indication tag for its version of the rasagola, the GI Registry Chennai said. This came after authorities had ruled that the sweet originated in West Bengal in 2017. Odisha and West Bengal have staked claim to the GI registration of rasagola and have fought over it since 2015.

UP: FIR against BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, nine others after Unnao rape complainant’s car crash

A first information report was registered on Monday in connection with the car crash of the Unnao rape complainant in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday afternoon. The FIR has named Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Manoj Singh Sengar and eight others in the incident which killed two of the complainant’s relatives.

Trinamool Congress launches ‘Didike Bolo’ campaign in West Bengal to address grievances

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday launched a mega outreach programme for the Trinamool Congress to connect to the grassroots. Apart from launching a party helpline number and a website to address people’s grievances, Banerjee announced that her party leaders and workers would spend time with local people.

‘Bigg Boss’ Tamil contestant jokes about molesting women on buses, Chinmayi Sripaada calls him out

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada on Sunday called out reality television show Bigg Boss Tamil after a contestant joked about molesting women on public transport.

Amarnath Yatra resumes from Jammu and Pahalgam, remains suspended from Baltal

The Amarnath Yatra resumed on Monday from Jammu and Pahalgam base camps but remained suspended from Baltal route. It was suspended on Sunday after the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was closed because of mudslides in the Ramban and Banihal route in Jammu division.

Venkaiah Naidu dismisses Opposition’s allegation about ‘hurried passage of bills’

Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the allegation that the Opposition’s voice was being smothered in the House, and claimed empirical evidence proved that the accusation was wrong.

Maharashtra minister claims 50 Congress, NCP legislators are in touch with BJP to switch sides

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan on Sunday claimed that Congress and Nationalist Congress Party MLAs were in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party wanting to switch sides ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

J&K: Infant killed in cross-border firing in Poonch district

A 10-day-old baby died on Sunday night hours after he was injured in cross-border firing in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. The baby, who had not yet been named, had suffered injuries along with his mother.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa wins trust vote, Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigns soon after

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday won the confidence motion moved by him in a special session in the Assembly called for his government to prove his majority. He won the floor test through a voice vote. Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigned from his post following the trust vote, saying that he had tried to maintain “the dignity of office to the best of my ability”.

‘Systematic attempts to eliminate Unnao rape survivor’: Leaders allege conspiracy behind car crash

Several political leaders on Monday alleged a conspiracy behind the car crash involving the Unnao rape survivor in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday afternoon. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said the incident was shocking. “Where has the CBI probe in this case reached?” she asked on Twitter. “Why is the accused MLA still in the BJP?”

Anandiben Patel takes oath as UP governor, Lalji Tandon replaces her in Madhya Pradesh

Former Gujarat Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anandiben Patel on Monday took oath as the governor of Uttar Pradesh. Former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik was present at the ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow. Patel was earlier the governor of Madhya Pradesh.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s party displays election banners featuring him with Narendra Modi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has displayed banners featuring his pictures with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Tel Aviv ahead of snap elections on September 17. Posters of Netanyahu with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have also been put up at the party’s headquarters. The Hebrew text on top of the posters reads: “Netanyahu, in a league of his own”.

Maratha quotas: Supreme Court to consider urgent hearing of pleas against reservation

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider urgently hearing five petitions against the Bombay High Court’s decision to uphold reservations for the Maratha community in educational institutions and jobs in public services in Maharashtra.

With almost 3,000 tigers, Modi claims India has achieved target of doubling population 4 years early

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018 and said the country now has nearly 3,000 tigers now. July 29 is International Tiger Day. “Today, we reaffirm our commitment towards protecting the tiger,” Modi said after releasing the report. “Results of the just declared tiger census would make every Indian happy. Nine years ago, it was decided in St Petersburg [Russia] that target of doubling tiger population will be 2022. We completed this target 4 years early.”

Supreme Court agrees to hear Vijay Mallya’s plea against confiscation of his properties on Friday

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya’s petition against the confiscation of his properties on Friday. Mallya had moved the top court on Saturday. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submission by Mallya’s lawyer FS Nariman. The senior lawyer sought adjournment of hearing on the petition questioning the confiscation of properties. The bench said it will hear the plea on August 2.

UP: 15-year-old Muslim boy allegedly set on fire in Chandauli for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’

Unidentified individuals allegedly set a 15-year-old Muslim boy on fire in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday for refusing to chant “Jai Shri Ram”. The boy is undergoing treatment at the Kabir Chaura hospital in Varanasi. However, the police denied that the boy was forced to chant the religious slogan and claimed the boy gave different statements to different people.

Lok Sabha: Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan apologises for sexist remark against BJP’s Rama Devi

Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan on Monday apologised in the Lok Sabha for his sexist remarks against Bharatiya Janata Party member Rama Devi last week. “I did not have any wrong feelings towards the Chair,” Khan said. “The whole House is aware of my conduct. Despite all this, if the Chair thinks my statements were derogatory, I apologise.”

Kerala: Youth Congress workers ‘purify’ spot where Dalit MLA held a sit-in protest

Workers of the Youth Congress in Kerala allegedly “purified” a spot where a Dalit MLA had held a sit-in protest in Thrissur district on Saturday. In a police complaint on Sunday, the MLA, Geetha Gopi, said the act was casteist.

UP: Family of Unnao rape survivor claims accused MLA planned car crash that killed her aunts

The family of the teenager who had accused Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of rape last year have blamed the legislator’s men for Sunday’s car crash in which she was injured. The 19-year-old was critically injured on Sunday when her car was hit by a truck in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli district. The teen and her lawyer are in serious condition, while two of her aunts died. The injured are undergoing treatment in Lucknow.

I-T Department finds stashed foreign assets worth Rs 200 crore in searches against political group

The Income Tax Department on Sunday said it found stashed foreign assets worth over Rs 200 crore and tax evasion of at least Rs 30 crore by a group involving persons “occupying responsible political positions”. The department said it searched 13 premises linked to the group in Haryana, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh on July 23.

Karnataka: Trust vote to be held in Assembly today, BJP issues whip to MLAs

Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 14 rebel legislators from the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress on Sunday. Three others were disqualified on Thursday. All 17 rebel MLAs who withdrew their support to the Congress -Janata Dal (Secular) alliance were disqualified till the end of the Assembly’s term in 2023.

Uttar Pradesh: Retired Army captain beaten to death in Amethi

“When they objected and tried to alert other villagers, the assailants tied them up and started hitting Amanullah with sticks,” Prahlad Singh, a police officer, said, according to the Hindustan Times. “An injury on the head proved fatal.” Singh said the accused stole the scrap after killing Amanullah.

Trump’s offer to mediate in Kashmir is ‘more than expected’, says Pakistan foreign minister

Qureshi said on Sunday that India’s adamant attitude about Kashmir can cost it heavily as the situation in the state is deteriorating, Radio Pakistanreported. The Pakistan foreign minister also claimed that India had initiated US mediation in Kashmir, but the Narendra Modi-led government was now backtracking due to protests in political circles.

Jammu and Kashmir: Centre is trying to create ‘fear psychosis’, claims ex-MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid

He demanded that the Centre clarify on rumours that additional security forces are to be deployed in the state. “The government should respond to rumours being spread not only by various quarters, but also by government officials over the deployment of additional forces and intentions of the Centre,” Rashid said in Srinagar.

BJP dismisses Opposition’s claim that Parliament has been passing bills without scrutiny

The BJP said the government sent 17 bills to Parliamentary committees between 2014 and 2019, compared to just five during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance government from 2009 to 2014. BJP General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Bhupender Yadav claimed that the Opposition has a problem with the fact that Parliament has enhanced its productive hours and is performing “better than ever”.