The air quality of Delhi worsened to “severe” category on Tuesday. A fall in temperatures makes the air cold and heavy, leading to accumulation of pollutants near the ground.
The Nationalist Congress Party’s leaders will meet in a short while, even as the party awaits the Congress’ response to the possibility of an NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena government in the state. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has given the Sharad Pawar-led party time till 8.30 pm on Tuesday to stake claim.
A 30-year-old woman from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu was seriously injured on Monday after she fell off her scooter while trying to manoeuvre around a flagpole of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Bhima Koregaon case: Court rejects Gautam Navlakha’s anticipatory bail, interim protection pleas
A Pune Sessions Court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail application of activist Gautam Navlakha, who is an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, ANI reported. The court also denied a three-day interim protection to Navlakha, paving the way for his arrest in the case. Last week, the activist had moved the sessions court with an anticipatory bail plea after the Bombay High Court asked him to approach the lower court. The Supreme Court’s interim protection granted to Navlakha came to an end on Tuesday.
Court issues bailable warrant against Shashi Tharoor for ‘scorpion on a shivling’ comment about Modi
A Delhi court on Monday issued a bailable warrant against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor after he failed to appear in a criminal defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajiv Babbar against his remarks that an unidentified Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader had compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a “scorpion sitting on a Shivling”, PTI reported.
Maharashtra: Governor recommends President’s Rule even as NCP has time till 8.30 pm to stake claim
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday recommended President’s Rule in the state as the impasse over the government formation continued. The Shiv Sena moved the Supreme Court against the governor’s order declining the party time to provide letters in support of its claim to form the government.
Bru refugees: Supreme Court lawyer issues legal notice to six Tripura officials for stopping rations
A Supreme Court lawyer representing Bru refugees in Tripura has issued a legal notice to six officials of the Tripura government for stopping ration supplies to the internally displaced persons since October 1. Advocate Ali Zia Kabir Choudhary said the stoppage of ration supplies to the refugees in relief camps has so far led to six starvation deaths.
Jammu and Kashmir: Train services between Baramulla and Srinagar resume
Train services in Kashmir resumed on Tuesday, more than three months after they were suspended following the Centre’s decision to revoke the region’s special status. Some minibuses plied between Batwara and Batamaloo, officials said, adding that services of private vehicles such as cabs and auto-rickshaws were smooth in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir: Suspected militant killed in gunfight with security forces in Ganderbal district
A suspected militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Tuesday. An Army soldier was injured in the gunfight and taken to a medical facility for treatment.
Bengaluru: Congress leader DK Shivakumar admitted in hospital with high blood pressure
Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who is on bail in a money laundering case, was on Tuesday admitted to the Apollo Hospitals in Bengaluru’s Seshadripuram area for high blood pressure. The previous day, he reportedly complained of restlessness and back pain.
Jharkhand elections: Lok Janshakti Party to contest alone, says Chirag Paswan
Lok Janshakti Party National President Chirag Paswan said on Tuesday that his party will contest the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections on its own. In a tweet, Paswan said the party will field candidates on 50 out of 81 seats, and the first list will be announced by Tuesday evening.
Honda plant in Manesar shut indefinitely as protest against sacking of contractual workers continues
Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Private Limited on Monday indefinitely shut operations at its plant in Manesar in Haryana because of an ongoing strike by contractual workers, Hindustan Times reported. Production at the plant has been hit since November 5, when more than 1,500 workers went on strike to protest against the retrenchment of around 650 colleagues. The move to the shut down the plant came after talks between the management and the union leaders failed to find a solution.
Ex-Punjab CM Beant Singh assassination: Convict’s death penalty commuted to life term, say reports
The Union Home Ministry has commuted the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, ANI reported. Rajoana, who was sentenced to death in 2007, will now undergo life imprisonment.
Delhi’s air quality slips into ‘severe’ category due to below-normal temperature
The air quality in Delhi slipped into the “severe” category once again on Tuesday morning. The 24-hour-average overall Air Quality Index for the national Capital was 417 at 11 am, compared with a “very poor” reading of 360 on Monday evening, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
Ex-Army officer’s death in Tihar Jail: Police claim he was in touch with Chinese person
The Delhi Police said Captain Mukesh Chopra, a discharged officer of the Indian Army who fell to his death in Tihar Jail on November 7, was in touch with a Chinese person through a social media app, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. This comes at a time when Chopra’s lawyer and brother have accused the police of branding him a Chinese spy and questioned the circumstances of his death.
Son of EC Ashok Lavasa, who dissented with poll code verdicts on Modi and Shah, comes under ED lens
Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s son Abir Lavasa and a company in which he is a director are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, The Indian Express reported on Monday. Abir Lavasa is the fifth member from Lavasa’s family to have come under the lens of central agencies in the last few months.
Rajasthan: More than 1,000 migratory birds found dead near Sambhar Lake in Jaipur
Close to 1,500 migratory birds died under mysterious circumstances around Sambhar Lake in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, PTI reported on Monday. Local residents claimed the number of dead birds could be as high as 5,000.
Maharashtra: NCP leaders to meet shortly as they await Congress’ response
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday invited the Nationalist Congress Party, the third largest party in the Assembly, to stake claim to form a government by Tuesday night. The top two parties – the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena – have failed in their efforts to do so in the last few days.
Coimbatore: Woman severely injured after truck crushes her legs, AIADMK flagpole blamed
A 30-year-old woman from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu was seriously injured on Monday after she fell off her scooter while trying to manoeuvre around a flagpole of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, The Hindu reported on Tuesday. Rajeswari’s legs were then crushed by an oncoming truck.
BJP says it got over Rs 700 crore in donations through cheques and online payments in 2018-’19
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said it received over Rs 700 crore in donation through cheques and online payments in the 2018-’19 financial year, PTI reported. Of this, the Tatas-controlled Progressive Electoral Trust gave Rs 356 crore in donation, while the Prudent Electoral Trust, said to be India’s richest trust, granted donations of Rs 54.25 crore, the party told the Election Commission.
J&K: Militants and separatists took advantage of Article 370, Centre tells Supreme Court
The Centre on Monday justified its decision to scrap the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court. It told the court that militants and separatist elements took advantage of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
Maharashtra governor invites NCP to form government after rejecting Sena’s request for extra time
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday invited the Nationalist Congress Party, the third largest party in the state, to stake claim to form government after he rejected the Shiv Sena’s request for extra time to get letters of support.
Industrial output contracts 4.3% in September, falls for second month in a row
Industrial output contracted 4.3% in September compared to the same month last year, government data showed on Monday. This is even slower than the 1.1% contraction in August, which was the worst figure in six years. The output had grown 4.6% in July, and 4.8% in September 2018.