Top news: Sabarimala case to go to larger SC bench for review, Rafale inquiry plea rejected again

Here are the day’s top stories:

Maharashtra would have been spared if Shah had told Modi about ‘50:50 formula’, claims Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed that if Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the power-sharing agreement between the two parties “in time”, Maharashtra would have not gone through a turmoil over government formation. The state was placed under President’s Rule earlier this week as no party was able to stake claim to form government since the Assembly election results were announced on October 24.

Haryana: Khattar government inducts 10 ministers, 17 days after CM and his deputy took oath

The Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana on Thursday inducted 10 ministers, PTI reported. Of these, eight were from the Bharatiya Janata Party, one from the Jannayak Janta Party and one MLA was an Independent. The Haryana Assembly elections were held on October 21 for the 90-member Assembly, and the results were declared on October 24. The BJP won 40 seats, the Congress 31 seats and the Jannayak Janta Party 10 seats, while Independents won the rest.

Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR remain ‘severe’, students urge PM Modi to take action

The air quality in the national Capital remained in the “severe” category on Thursday. The 24-hour-average reading of the overall Air Quality Index for Delhi was 463 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. Visuals from around the India Gate and the Rashtrapati Bhavan showed the area enveloped in a thick haze of smog.

Aatish Taseer’s OCI status: Over 260 artists, activists urge India to review cancellation of card

More than 260 writers, journalists, artists and activists have urged the Indian government to review its decision to revoke writer and journalist Aatish Taseer’s Overseas Citizenship of India card. The letter said that the Indian government was likely retaliating against Taseer for his critical coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Lok Sabha elections. They were referring to Taseer’s cover story in TIME Magazine in May describing Modi as India’s “divider in chief”.

Rafale deal: Rahul Gandhi calls for JPC inquiry, Congress says SC verdict allows criminal probe

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the Rafale fighter jet deal, hours after the Supreme Court dismissed a review petition of its December 2018 judgment upholding the purchase of 36 Rafale jets by the government.

Article 370: Supreme Court defers hearing of pleas to December 10

The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed the hearing of the petitions challenging the abrogation of the special constitutional status of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Justice NV Ramana, asked the lawyers to put together one common compilation of all the materials related to the pleas to ensure the proceedings are easier.

‘Recent Supreme Court verdicts need to be studied studiously,’ says Sitaram Yechury

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said recent Supreme Court verdicts needed to be “studied studiously”. Earlier in the day, the top court delivered its verdicts on two review petitions – one challenging its December 2018 judgement rejecting the need for an inquiry into the Rafale fighter jet deal, and another against the September 2018 verdict to allow women of all ages into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.

Aviation authority suspends GoAir pilot who veered off runway onto grass at Bengaluru airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended an expatriate pilot who veered off the runway while landing at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday. The plane, which had flown in from Nagpur and carried 180 people on board, veered off from the runway onto a patch of grass. Following this, the pilot was forced to execute a dangerous take-off, and land in Hyderabad, the diversionary airport for the Airbus A320 plane.

‘We have been vindicated’: Former IAF chief Dhanoa commends Supreme Court verdict on Rafale deal

Former Indian Air Force chief BS Dhanoa on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court decision to uphold its earlier verdict that had cleared the central government in the controversial Rafale defence deal.

UP: Amethi district magistrate transferred after he allegedly misbehaved with BJP leader’s relative

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday transferred Amethi District Magistrate Prashant Sharma, a day after a video on social media showed him allegedly misbehaving with the relative of a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader. In the video, Sharma was seen involved in an altercation with a relative of Vijay Kumar Singh alias Sonu Singh, who was murdered on Tuesday. Singh was the son of BJP leader Shivnayak Singh.

Moody’s lowers India’s projected growth rate to 5.6% in current financial year

International credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday lowered India’s projected Gross Domestic Product growth rate to 5.6% for the 2019-’20 financial year. The company had earlier predicted India would grow 5.8%.

‘Rahul Gandhi and Congress must apologise and seek forgiveness,’ says BJP after Rafale verdict

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said the Congress and its former President Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the country for alleging corruption in the Rafale defence deal, and calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar. Prasad’s reaction came hours after the Supreme Court rejected pleas for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the agreement and dismissed review petitions challenging its December 2018 verdict.

Sabarimala: Temple priest, BJP and Congress hail SC decision to refer review pleas to larger Bench

The chief priest of Sabarimala temple on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to refer the review petitions challenging its 2018 verdict to a larger seven-judge Bench. Last year, the court had allowed the entry of women of all ages into the hilltop shrine, infuriating believers. “God heard the prayers of millions of believers,” Kandararu Rajeevaru told Hindustan Times.

Wholesale inflation eased to 0.16% in October – lowest in 40 months

India’s wholesale price inflation eased to 0.16% in October from 0.33% in September, data released by the government showed on Thursday. The inflation rate in July and August was 1.08%, then a two-year low. The inflation in October was the lowest in 40 months, BloombergQuint reported.

Maharashtra: ‘President’s Rule is a scripted act, Fadnavis shedding crocodile tears,’ says Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena on Thursday alleged that the imposition of President’s Rulein Maharashtra was a “scripted act” and hit out at Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for giving them just 24 hours to garner support to prove its majority to form the government, PTI reported.

IIT-Madras student suicide: DMK chief Stalin demands ‘fair, transparent and independent’ probe

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President MK Stalin on Thursday demanded a “fair, transparent and independent probe” into the alleged suicide of a student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, NDTV reported.

Group that sponsored MEPs’ travel to J&K linked to India-based global fake news lobby network: NGO

The little-known organisation that allegedly sponsored the Kashmir visit of the unofficial European Union delegation last month is linked to an international fake news network managed by an “Indian influence network”, EU-based non-governmental organisation EU DisinfoLabclaimed on Wednesday. The network has more than 265 fake news websites in over 65 countries and works to serve New Delhi’s interests, the organisation’s investigation showed.

Karnataka: 16 disqualified MLAs join BJP a day after SC allows them to contest bye-polls

Sixteen of the 17 disqualified Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) legislators in Karnataka on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, a day after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest next month’s bye-elections. R Roshan Baig, who was earlier in the Congress, was the only one who did not move to the ruling party.

Lawyers Collective case: SC refuses to stay interim protection granted to advocates Jaising, Grover

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay a Bombay High Court order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation not to take coercive steps against senior lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover and their non-governmental organisation Lawyers Collective in a case related to alleged violation of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, Live Law reported. The CBI had moved the top court last month against the interim relief granted by the High Court to the lawyers on July 25.

Rahul Gandhi’s ‘chowkidar’ remark: SC closes contempt case, asks him to be careful in future

The Supreme Court on Thursday closed Bharatiya Janata Party leader Meenakshi Lekhi’s criminal contempt petition against former Congress President Rahul Gandhi for attributing the “chowkidar chor hai” slogan to the court, reported Bar and Bench. However, the bench issued a word of caution to the Congress leader that he should be more careful in future.

Rafale case: SC rejects review pleas for lack of merit, again dismisses plea for CBI inquiry

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the review petitions challenging its December 2018 judgement that rejected the need for a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the Rafale fighter jet deal. The court had reserved its verdict on May 10, Live Law reported.

Sabarimala case: In 3:2 verdict, Supreme Court decides to send review petitions to larger bench

The Supreme Court on Thursday decided that a larger bench should again consider the matter of the entry of all women into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. The court was giving its verdict on review petitions filed against the September 2018 verdict of a five-judge bench to allow women of all ages into the shrine.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be chief guest at Republic Day celebrations in 2020

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations next year, an official statement said. Bolsonaro accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation on Wednesday when they met on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in Brasilia.

Supreme Court verdicts on review pleas in Rafale, Sabarimala cases on Thursday

The Supreme Court will on Thursday deliver its verdicts on two review petitions – one challenging its December 2018 judgement rejecting the need for an inquiry into the Rafale fighter jet deal, and another against the September 2018 verdict to allow women of all ages into Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.

Supreme Court doubts correctness of Aadhaar judgement, refers it to a larger bench

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday raised doubts over the correctness of the Aadhaar judgement delivered last year and has referred the validity of the law being passed as a money bill to a larger seven-judge bench, Bar and Bench reported. The top court held this while referring the passage of Finance Act 2017 as money bill to a larger bench earlier in the day.

Ayodhya verdict: Bangladesh media reports claiming Modi congratulated SC judges are fake, says India

India on Wednesday dismissed as fake news a letter being circulated in Bangladesh claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated outgoing Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi over the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya title dispute case.

Schools in Delhi-NCR to be closed for next two days as air quality plummets

Schools in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad will remain closed on Thursday and Friday as pollution levels touched hazardous levels. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority on Wednesday advised the Delhi government and other authorities in the National Capital Region to close schools in the city for the next two days. The panel, set up by the Supreme Court, has also asked industries using coal and other such fuels to remain closed till November 15.

Shiv Sena did not object before polls when BJP said Fadnavis will be CM if alliance wins: Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday pinned the blame on the Shiv Sena for the collapse of their alliance in Maharashtra. His comments came a day after President’s Rule was imposed in the state as none of the parties managed to fetch the support of the required number of legislators to form government.

‘Chowkidar chor hai’ remark: SC to deliver verdict on contempt plea against Rahul Gandhi tomorrow

The Supreme Court will on Thursday deliver its verdict on a criminal contempt petition against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for attributing his “chowkidar chor hai” comment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the top court.