Top news: Amit Shah vows to bring Citizenship Bill before NRC in West Bengal

NRC will be implemented in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee spreading lies about it, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the central government will implement the National Register of Citizens in West Bengal, but added that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill would be passed first to provide citizenship to all Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist refugees, PTI reported. On his first visit to West Bengal as a Union minister, Shah made the remarks while addressing an event called NRC-Jagran Abhiyan in in the state’s capital city Kolkata.

Online banking operations of some private lenders not working, users complain on social media

Online banking operations of some private lenders were not working on Tuesday, leading to anxiety among users, The Economic Times reported. Some Twitter users said that they were finding it difficult to log in to the net banking apps of lenders such as Yes Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC First Bank.

Bengaluru: BJP candidate M Goutham Kumar elected mayor

Bharatiya Janata Party corporator M Goutham Kumar was elected the mayor of Bengaluru on Tuesday, PTI reported. Kumar defeated Congress candidate RS Sathyanarayana to win the post in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council elections.

India loses 5% of corporate revenue as firms shift profits to tax havens, shows research

A database created by researchers showed that nearly 40% of the profits earned by multinational corporations in the world are moved to tax havens every year. In India, 5% of corporate revenue is lost due to this shifting of profits to tax havens, the study showed.

J&K: ‘Personal liberty must be balanced against national security,’ says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it was important to balance the personal liberty of individuals with national security concerns while hearing petitions challenging the restrictions placed on media and communications since August in Jammu and Kashmir, Bar and Benchreported.

Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar’s judicial custody extended till October 15

A court in Delhi on Tuesday extended till October 15 the judicial custody of Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar in connection with a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate, PTI reported. The court also allowed the investigating agency to question him in Tihar jail, where he is currently lodged, on October 4 and 5.

Uttar Pradesh: Police to identify ‘illegal’ Bangladeshis, other foreigners in state

The Uttar Pradesh police will soon launch a drive to identify undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh and other foreign countries in an attempt to strengthen internal security, PTI reported on Tuesday.

Malegaon blasts case: Mumbai court rejects NIA plea for in camera trial, media restrictions

A special court in Mumbai on Tuesday dismissed the National Investigating Agency’s petition to allow in camera hearings in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case and restrict the media from reporting on the trial, The Indian Express reported. A group of 11 journalists, from several media organisations, had submitted an intervention against the investigating agency’s plea for media restrictions.

NRC: Law schools across India launch legal aid clinic to assist people excluded from final list

Law schools across India on Tuesday launched a collaborative legal aid clinic to help people excluded from the National Register of Citizens in Assam. As many as 3.3 crore people had applied for the exercise.

Bhima Koregaon case: After CJI, another SC judge recuses himself from hearing Gautam Navlakha’s plea

Supreme Court judge BR Gavai on Tuesday recused himself from hearing activist Gautam Navlakha’s plea to quash a first information report filed against him in the Bhima Koregaon case, ANI reported. This came a day after Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi recused himself from the case.

Maharashtra polls: BJP names 125 candidates in first list, Devendra Fadnavis fielded from Nagpur

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced its first list of 125 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. It has fielded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from Nagpur South West.

Permanent peace in Kashmir will allow soldiers to ‘enjoy scenic views’, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for scrapping Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status, saying he paid a “true tribute” to almost 35,000 soldiers killed in the region over the decades, PTI reported on Monday.

The Union home minister, who addressed the 27th Raising Day event of the Rapid Action Force in Ahmedabad, said it was time to bring permanent peace to Kashmir Valley so that soldiers can enjoy its scenic views instead of putting their lives in danger

#MeToo: PR consultant Suhel Seth drops out of literary festival a day after social media outrage

Inkpot India Conclave on Tuesday said public relations consultant and columnist Suhel Seth will not speak at their literary meet because of his travel commitments and impending fatherhood. Seth was earlier listed as one of the patrons of the conclave despite facing accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women.

Saradha case: Former Kolkata police chief granted anticipatory bail by Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday provided anticipatory bail to former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Saradha chit fund case, ABP Ananda reported. The court agreed to Kumar’s plea but said he would have to cooperate with the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is conducting inquiries in the case.

Toll in UP and Bihar floods rises to 151, more rain forecast

Several parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh continued to remain inundated on Tuesday as the toll in rain-related incidents since last week rose to 151, PTI reported. At least 111 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, while 40 deaths have been reported from Bihar.

J&K: SC grants Centre four weeks to file response to pleas challenging revocation of special status

A five-judge Supreme Court Constitution Bench on Tuesday granted the Centre four weeks to file its response to a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of Constitution, reported Bar and Bench. The Constitution Bench will hear the matter next on November 14.

Supreme Court sets aside Bombay HC order against Devendra Fadnavis in false election affidavit case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Bombay High Court order exonerating Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of charges of failing to provide details of two pending criminal cases against him in his 2014 Assembly election affidavit, PTI reported. The chief minister may have to face trial for allegedly suppressing the criminal cases against him.

Supreme Court allows Centre’s review against dilution of SC/ST Act

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Centre’s review petition challenging the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, reported Bar and Bench. The bench said directions issued were not called for and were not within the parameters of Article 142 of Constitution.

‘Thank you for covering up for PM Modi’s incompetence’: Rahul Gandhi targets S Jaishankar

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday sarcastically thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for covering up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “incompetence”. This came hours after Jaishankar dismissed claims that Modi’s “Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar” slogan at the “Howdy, Modi” rally in Houston last week was an endorsement of United States President Donald Trump’s re-election bid.

‘Absolutely absurd’: Harsh Vardhan rejects IMA’s call to remove state hospitals from Ayushman Bharat

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday rejected Indian Medical Association’s demand to remove government hospitals from the purview of the central government’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance programme, PTI reported. The minister said the statement of the doctors’ body lacked “any basis or vision”.

J&K: ‘Only 200 to 250 people are in preventive detention,’ claims BJP leader Ram Madhav

Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav has said there are “only 200 to 250 people” in preventive detention in Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported on Monday. “They have been kept under preventive detention respectfully, some in five-star guest houses, some in five-star hotels,” he said at an event in New Delhi.

‘Do not misinterpret PM Modi’s ‘Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar’ slogan,’ S Jaishankar tells media

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Monday dismissed claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ab ki baar, Trump sarkar” slogan at the “Howdy, Modi” rally in Houston last week was an endorsement of United States President Donald Trump’s re-election bid next year, PTI reported. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Washington DC.

The Union minister said Modi had merely referred to what Trump had said during his presidential campaign in an address to the Indian diaspora in the United States.

J&K pleas: Constitution Bench to hear today petitions challenging Centre’s decisions

A five-judge Supreme Court Constitution Bench on Tuesday will hear a clutch of petitions challenging the ongoing lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir and other related matters. On Monday, the court had postponed the hearings by a day and said the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi did not have the time to hear the pleas.

PMC Bank: Case filed against top executives, lender estimated to have lost Rs 4,300 crore

The Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police has filed a first information report against officials of Mumbai-based Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank and realty developer Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited, or HDIL, for loan default reportedly up to Rs 4,300 crore, PTI reported on Monday. A special investigation team has been formed to conduct inquiries into the case, the police added.

Raghuram Rajan says suppression of dissent is a ‘sure-fire recipe’ for policy failure

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan said on Sunday that people in authority should tolerate criticism, as suppression of dissent is a “sure-fire recipe” for policy mistakes. In a post on LinkedIn, Rajan said that what makes India strong is its culture of diversity, debate and tolerance. “What makes it weak is narrow-mindedness, obscurantism, and divisiveness,” Rajan wrote.

BJP, Shiv Sena finalise alliance for Maharashtra Assembly elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena on Monday finalised an alliance for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, PTI reported, quoting state minister Chandrakant Patil. The BJP leader told reporters in Mumbai that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray will soon announce the division of seats. The Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Shiv Sangram Sanghatana and Rayat Kranti Sena will be the other members of the alliance.

India gets its highest rainfall since 1994 this monsoon season: IMD

The India Meteorological Department said on Monday that the country recorded its highest rainfall since 1994 in this year’s official monsoon season, The Indian Express reported. The monsoon was “above normal” this year, the weather department said.

However, monsoon remains active in some parts of the country, and its withdrawal is likely to commence from northwest India around October 10, the IMD said. This could be the longest recorded delay in the monsoon’s withdrawal, according to the weather department.