Top news: India’s industrial production declined 1.1% in August

Here are the day’s top stories:

Maharashtra: Six central university students expelled after event to write protest letters to Modi

Six students were expelled by a central university in Maharashtra on Wednesday after they held protests against the administration’s decision to block them from writing letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about incidents of mob lynching. The Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, had on Wednesday issued an order, denying permission for an event in the premises where students would write such letters.

Industrial output contracted 1.1% in August, shows government data

India’s industrial output contracted 1.1% in August compared to the same month last year, government data showed on Friday. The cumulative industrial growth over the April-August period stood at 2.4%. Fifteen out of the 23 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed a decline in output in August as compared to the same month last year, the government said.

Delhi: Air quality slips to ‘poor’ category, Arvind Kejriwal blames stubble burning in other states

The air quality in Delhi slipped into the “poor” category early on Friday, with the Central Pollution Control Board’s Air Quality Index reading 228 at 1 am. The air quality in the national capital had been “satisfactory” before Dussehra, and fell into the “poor” category only on Thursday evening.

Rahul Gandhi pleads not guilty in defamation case over ‘Amit Shah murder accused’ remark, gets bail

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday pleaded not guilty in a criminal defamation suit filed against him for calling Union Home Minister Amit Shah a “murder accused”. The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate RB Etaliya in Ahmedabad granted Gandhi bail on a bond of Rs 10,000.

INX Media case: P Chidambaram to be produced before ED on Monday for questioning, says court

A court in Delhi issued a production warrant against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case filed by the Enforcement Directorate, PTI reported. The agency had approached the court to seek Chidambaram’s custody as it needs to interrogate him.

Ranbaxy ex-promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, three others sent to four-day police custody

A court in Delhi on Friday sent former Ranbaxy promoters Shivinder Singh, his elder brother Malvinder Singh and three others to four days in police custody in a Rs 740 crore fraud case. The other accused in the case are Kavi Arora, Sunil Godhwani and Anil Saxena.

Xi Jinping arrives in Chennai for summit with Modi, to travel to Mahabalipuram soon

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai at 2 pm on Friday to attend the two-day informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coastal town of Mahabalipuram.

Kashmir resolution is ‘open to interpretation’, says UK leader Jeremy Corbyn

United Kingdom’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday said that some parts of the party’s emergency resolution on Jammu and Kashmir were “open to misinterpretation”. This came after widespread criticism from the Indian community in the country against the party’s resolution that sought international intervention in the Kashmir matter.

Xi Jinping arrives in Chennai for summit with Modi, to travel to Mahabalipuram later today

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai at 2 pm on Friday to attend the two-day informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will be held at the coastal town of Mahabalipuram. He was received by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Speaker P Dhanapal, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. The Chinese president went to the ITC Grand Chola around 2.30 pm from the airport.

Tibetans protesting against Chinese president detained outside Chennai hotel

The police on Friday detained five Tibetans who were protesting against Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit outside the ITC Grand Chola hotel in Chennai. This came hours before Xi and Modi will meet for their second informal summit in the coastal town of Mahabalipuram near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. The Chinese president, who arrived in Chennai this afternoon, is scheduled to stay at the ITC Grand Chola.

‘Congress and NCP work for their families, BJP-Shiv Sena for India,’ Amit Shah says in Maharashtra

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday criticised the Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra, alleging that they work to serve the interests of the families that control them. “The people of Maharashtra have a choice to make,” Shah said at an election rally in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district. “The Congress and NCP work for the welfare of their respective families, whereas the BJP and Shiv Sena have only the country’s interest in their mind.”

Aircel-Maxis: Delhi HC seeks response of Chidambaram & his son after ED challenges anticipatory bail

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in connection with a petition challenging their anticipatory bail in the Aircel-Maxis case. The Enforcement Directorate had on Thursday filed the challenge in the Delhi High Court. P Chidambaram has been lodged in Tihar jail since September 5 in connection with the INX Media case.

Auto industry crisis: Passenger vehicle sales declined 23.7% in September, shows data

Passenger vehicle sales fell for the 11th straight month in September, registering a 23.7% decline, showed data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. This is one of the worst slowdowns to have disrupted the automobile industry.

‘Show your 56-inch chest to Xi Jinping, tell him to vacate land in PoK,’ Kapil Sibal tells PM Modi

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday mockingly asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show his “56-inch chest” by telling Chinese President Xi Jinping to vacate land in “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir”.

Over Rs 4 crore seized in raids against Karnataka Congress leader G Parameshwara, others: Reports

Income tax officials on Friday said they recovered nearly Rs 5 crore in raids against former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and others. The raids were carried out in relation to the allegations that Parameshwara misused his position in the government for “personal gains”.

Maharashtra Assembly elections: Supriya Sule says there is no question of Congress-NCP merger

Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule on Thursday ruled out any possible merger with the Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The MP said her father Sharad Pawar had already made it clear that alliance with Congress was not on the cards.

Ayodhya case: Muslim group prefers out-of-court settlement, says land should be gifted to Centre

A Muslim group said that the Ayodhya land dispute case should be resolved through an out-of-court settlement and suggested that the community should hand over the plot to the Centre as a “goodwill gesture”. The group “Indian Muslims for peace” issued the statement after a meeting on Thursday in which they decided to favour a settlement.

UP: Seven killed as bus runs over pilgrims sleeping on roadside in Bulandshahr, say reports

Seven people were crushed to death when a private bus ran over them in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district on Friday morning. The driver of the bus is absconding, said the police. The accident took place when the victims – four women and three children – were sleeping on a pavement near Ganga ghat in Narora town.

Noted saxophone player Kadri Gopalnath dies at 69 in Mangaluru

Famous saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath died at a private hospital in Mangaluru in Karnataka early on Friday. He was 69. Gopalnath, one of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone, is among the few Carnatic musicians to have performed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

After trading barbs over Kashmir, Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi to meet today

Chinese President Xi Jinping will reach Chennai around 2 pm on Friday for the second India-China informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This came two days after Xi met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Beijing, during which they spoke about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi and Xi will visit the 7th century Shore Temple in the town of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Kashmir: Jeremy Corbyn’s version of meeting ‘twisted’, says UK unit of Congress

The United Kingdom unit of the Indian Overseas Congress on Thursday called Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s version of their discussions on Kashmir “twisted” and said the situation in the state is an internal matter of India. Indian Overseas Congress Spokesperson Sudhakar Goud said his team also expressed its opposition to the emergency resolution on Jammu and Kashmir that the Labour Party adopted at its annual conference in September.

Oil firms tell Air India to make monthly payment by October 18; threaten to stop supply otherwise

Public sector oil companies on Thursday issued an ultimatum to Air India, asking it to make the monthly lump sum payment by October 18, failing which fuel supply to the national carrier at six airports will be stopped. In a letter to Air India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited said: “The outstanding has not come down considerably in the absence of the committed monthly lump sum payment.”

Gurugram: Bajrang Dal member shot by alleged cow smugglers

The Manesar district convenor of the Bajrang Dal was on Wednesday shot in the chest while he was chasing alleged cow smugglers in Gurugram. The man, identified as Monu, was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The police said the incident took place around 3 am after Monu received a tip about four cows allegedly being transported illegally.