Obama praises teen shooting survivors fighting for gun control

On the fifth day of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Indian visit, Narendra Modi has welcomed the former to the country via a tweet. 

Aam Aadmi Party MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal, arrested for allegedly assaulting Delhi chief secretary, were today sent to Tihar Jail for 14 days in judicial custody by a Delhi court, which reserved its order on their bail pleas for tomorrow.

The two MLAs on the expiry of their one-day judicial custody were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Shefali Barnala Tondon who heard their bail applications.

The court had yesterday rejected the demand of the police to interrogate them in its custody and kept the bail matter for today as the prosecution wanted to place some documents before it.

The court had yesterday termed the alleged assault on the chief secretary was a 'highly sensitive' case.

The magistrate had refused the plea of the Delhi Police to quiz them in custody for two days, saying the legislators were ready to cooperate in the investigation and no case property was to be recovered from them, which was the basic purpose of police custody.

The two MLAs were arrested in connection with the alleged assault on the bureaucrat during a meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence on the night of February 19.

While Jarwal, an MLA from Deoli, was arrested on Tuesday night, Khan was taken into custody yesterday afternoon.  -- PTI

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash. Photograph: PTI Photo

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan says he held a "secret" meeting with his contemporary and friend Rajinikanth about his entry into politics and decided to maintain dignity even if they became rivals later. While Haasan launched his party Makkal Neethi Mayyam in Madurai yesterday,


Rajinikanth had announced in December that he will enter politics. Writing in his weekly series in Tamil magazine 'Ananda Vikatan', Haasan, however, did not reveal when the meeting happened. But he disclosed that they spoke on the issue of his political entry during the shoot of 'Bigg Boss', anchored by Haasan.


'Bigg Boss' was then being shot at a private studio at suburban Poonamallee, he added. Rajinikanth was shooting for his upcoming film "Kaala" in a nearby location, Haasan said, adding he made the proposal for the meeting.


"Shall we meet secretively I asked... we later sat inside a car and discussed. I spoke about the decisions I had made," Haasan said in an apparent reference to his political plunge. He said he proposed the meeting as he wanted his one time co-star to be in the know about his decision to enter politics before the others knew about it. Rajinikanth "asked with surprise," when Haasan took such a decision, the actor-director said.


To this Haasan told his 'friend,' that he was mentally prepared about the plunge a long time ago but was implementing it now. "We decided that there shall be no compromise in dignity for whatever reason. I told him that even if we are in opposing camps, the respect (for each other) should be maintained," he said, adding, it was akin to a 'yudh dharma.' Rajinikanth endorsed his views, saying "of course, Kamal," the "Vishwaroopam" maker said. -- PTI

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who today returned to Panaji after being discharged from a Mumbai hospital, said he would carry on with his regular duties, but his interaction with the public will be limited for some time as advised by doctors. 


Parrikar, who was admitted in the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a pancreatic ailment since February 15, presented the Budget and also chaired a state Cabinet meeting upon his return.


In a press statement, Parrikar said the overwhelming love shown by people has strengthened his conviction that Goa and Goans are his "extended family".


"I thank everyone who wished me for my speedy recovery through messages, letters and prayers at various temples, churches, mosques and in other ways," Parrikar said. "I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of your love and affection. It fortifies my conviction that Goa and Goans are my extended family. It is your wishes and prayers which have helped (me) to serve the state and the nation today...," he said in the statement.


"For complete recovery, I have been advised by the doctors some precautions in the immediate short term. During this period my interaction with the public will be limited. I will be discharging my regular duties and obligations as the chief minister of the state," he said. -- PTI

Scam-hit Punjab National Bank today asked billionaire diamond jeweller Nirav Modi to come up with a concrete and implementable plan to settle the loss caused to it by fraudulent issuance of Letter of Undertakings through one of its branches. PNB said this in its response to a mail written by Nirav Modi, who allegedly cheated the bank of Rs 11,400 crore in connivance with a few bank officials.


"You were getting LoUs issued illegally and in an unauthorized way through few bank officials. At no stage such facilities were extended by our bank to your three partner firms," sources said citing mail response sent by PNB General Manager (international banking division) Ashwini Vats to Nirav Modi.


When the illegal activities of Nirav Modi surfaced, the bank brought them to the notice of the law enforcement agencies as they apparently violated FEMA and anti-money laundering law, sources said. "Your commitment and undertaking for sparing of the total liability was not backed by providing upfront amounts and timelines. However, should you have any concrete and implementable plan, do revert back," the mail said.


Nirav Modi in his letter to the bank had said that the over-zealousness on the part of the bank to deal with the issue destroyed his jewellery brand and also jeopardised his ability to clear the dues.


"The erroneously cited liability resulted in a media frenzy which led to immediate search and seizure of operations, and which in turn resulted in Firestar International and Firestar Diamond International effectively ceasing to be going-concerns... This thereby jeopardised our ability to discharge the dues of the group to the banks.


"In the anxiety to recover your dues immediately, despite my offer (on February 13, a day before the public announcement, and on 15, your actions have destroyed my brand and the business and have now restricted your ability to recover all the dues leaving a trail of unpaid debts," Modi said in its letter to the bank.


The Rs 11,400 crore fraud perpetuated by Modi is being investigated by various investigative agencies including the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. -- PTI

Shares of scam-hit Punjab National Bank today came under selling pressure, falling over 2 per cent, after witnessing marginal gains in the past two sessions.


The stock went down 2.09 per cent to end at Rs 114.65 on BSE. During the day, it lost 2.90 per cent to Rs 113.70. At NSE, shares of the company slipped 2.30 per cent to close at Rs 114.60.


In terms of equity volume, 27.98 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 4 crore shares changed hands at NSE during the day. Since February 12 till February 19, the stock had fallen almost 28 per cent.


State-owned PNB today said it has followed lawful avenues to recover its dues following Rs 11,400 crore swindling of funds allegedly by jewellery designer Nirav Modi and associates.


The PSU bank also asked Modi to come up with a concrete and implementable plan to settle the loss. PNB had disclosed about the scam on February 14 through a regulatory filing.


Meanwhile, PNB will move out of NSE's Nifty Midcap 100 index in April. The changes were announced yesterday by India Index Services and Products Ltd (IISL), an arm of National Stock Exchange as part of its periodic review. -- PTI

Prince Harry and his fiance Meghan Markle have been sent white powder claiming to be anthrax in a malicious hoax. The package was intercepted by officials at Kensington Palace and found to be harmless by police, who have launched an investigation, the Evening Standard reported. Read more

The Congress' Mumbai unit chief, Sanjay Nirupam, today said that 300 workers and some leaders, who had left the party to join the BJP, had returned.


Calling it a "ghar wapsi" (homecoming), Nirupam said that the move also reflected the sentiments of the people, adding that Delhi leader, Arvinder Singh Lovely, who had joined the BJP, had also returned. He said, "The faulty way in which the BJP functions has become quite evident with prominent leaders coming back to the Congress.


It takes a strong leadership and transparent administration for any party to function. The leaders who have grown up with the Congress' policies of honesty cannot work in the corrupt environment of the BJP," he claimed.


Nirupam said that the Congress' victory in recent bypolls in Rajasthan and its commendable performance in the Gujarat assembly elections had begun to change the tide for the party. He said that these leaders lost faith in the BJP due to its insensitivity to the plight of farmers and common citizens and due to the "ineptness" of the BJP government beset with scams. -- PTI

All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal holds a presser in Guwahati, speaks on Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat's remarks. Excerpts:

- We respect General Rawat a lot but I think he has been misinformed and misguided.

- If the Army chief is saying that demographic change is happening in Assam, then it is the government's job to check it. We are the only party which said that shoot anyone who infiltrates into our borders.

- People say we are a Muslim party which is false. We've always given 20-25 seats to our Hindu brothers in all elections. Muslim brothers had also laid down their lives in the freedom struggle. We're Indians. Let us live with the dignity of an Indian.

- Whenever I meet Union home minister (Rajnath Singh), he meets me warmly and addresses me as 'Badruddin bhai'. If we were anti-national would he welcome me?

- Have asked for time to meet the President, the prime minister and the Union home minister. Our MLA delegation will meet and clarify our position.   -- ANI

The Delhi high court today rejected a plea seeking penal action against the producers and director of Bollywood movie Padmaavat for alleged glorification of the practice of 'sati'.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar dismissed the plea saying the petitioner should have approached the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) at an appropriate time.

"The film stands released without any complaints and it is already in public domain. If the petitioner was having any complaint with regard to the issue raised in his writ petition, he should have made complaint before the CBFC at an appropriate time. We find no merit in the petition. The same is dismissed." the court said.

A PIL by social activist Swami Agnivesh had sought deletion of the scenes that depict the practice of 'sati'.

'Sati' is an obsolete funeral custom where a widow immolates herself on her husband's pyre and the law prohibits it.

The court had earlier observed that according to one of the disclaimers in the film, it is a work of fiction and therefore, it does not show any intention or animus on the part of the producers or director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, to propagate the practice.

The petition, filed through advocate Mehmood Pracha, had sought directions to the Delhi Police to lodge FIR against Ajit Andhare, one of the producers, and Bhansali.

Central government standing counsel Manish Mohan, who appeared for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the censor board, had opposed the plea, saying the movie was certified for public viewing after considering all the aspects.

The court had said that in the present day and age, it was "hesitant to accept" the petitioner's claim that someone would follow such a practice just by seeing the movie.

The high court on January 25 had rejected a Rajasthan-based group's plea seeking quashing of the certification granted to the film, saying the Supreme Court had permitted its release. -- PTI

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to a dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi.


"Obviously, we take this extremely seriously. He should never have received an invitation. As soon as we received the information we resciended it. A member of Parliament had included this individual," Trudeau said.


Canadian Member of Parliament Randeep S Sarai has taken responsibility for inviting Atwal to Trudeau's reception dinner in New Delhi, which is scheduled to take place later today.


"I alone facilitated his request to attend this important event. I should have exercised better judgment, and I take full responsibility for my actions," Sarai said in a statement, which Canadian journalist Abigail Bimman shared on Twitter.


Raveesh Kumar, the MEA spokesperson weighed on the matter saying, "There are two aspects to it -- presence & Visa. The Canadian side has already clarified that the invitation has been withdrawn. About the visa, I don't know how it happened. We will ascertain information from our Commission."


Jaspal Atwal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist, who was active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, was invited for a formal dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi.


He was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986 for which he was convicted with three others.


Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is on a visit to India, has been under immense pressure to answer concerns about Sikh separatism in Canada. 

One of the reasons for the defeat of the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA coalition in 2004 was the election slogan: "India Shining'. Instead, a better slogan would have been "India Rising', as L.K. Advani later admitted.


There's a fundamental problem in politicians trumpeting their success and saying "I did it'. Once the story is over, the audience moves on to something else. It looks for other, newer stories.A successful election slogan doesn't seek to end the story but keeps you hooked to it. When a movie ends, you don't even wait to see the credits before you get up and leave. But a TV series ends with some suspense that makes you want to watch the next episode. That is also how successful politicians present their work.

Read the report here

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday said Head of Finance Department of Firestar Group of Companies of Nirav Modi, Vipul Ambani was fully aware of the fraudulent and illegal Letter of Undertakings in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud case.


The LoUs were issued by retired Deputy Manager of Punjab National Bank Brady House branch in Mumbai, Gokulnath Setty, in conspiracy and guidance of celebrity jeweller and his other employees.


Ambani in his aforesaid capacity as Finance Head was also visiting and meeting not only the officials of Brady House PNB, but also the officials of PNB Circle, Zonal office at Mumbai and Head Office in New Delhi.


His knowledge of the fraudulent transactions is proved from the fact that on Wednesday, during the searches in this case at the office of Firestar Group of Companies at Peninsula Business Park at Mumbai's Lower Parel, the applications of fraudulent LoUs made to PNB by the three firms of Nirav Modi- Diamonds 'R" US, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds- were seized. -- ANI


Image: Vipul Ambani, President (finance) of Nirav Modis Firestar Diamond being taken to the special CBI court on Wednesday

Goa CM Manohar Parrikar puts to rest morbid rumours of his illness as he presents the budget in the state assembly.


Parrikar, who was recently hospitalised in Mumbai, was discharged from Lilavati Hospital and reached Goa at 11:40 am by a special flight. He left for Panaji for his residence and then


The Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly began on February 19.

The government is considering implementing stringent auditing standards by notifying Section 132 of the Companies Act, 2013, in the wake of the 1.77 billion dollar Punjab National Bank fraud.


Government sources told ANI that implementing this section would enable the creation of a National Financial Reporting Authority that would give the government regulatory control over Chartered Accountants and audit firms to penalise them for their misconduct.


As per current provisions, CAs and audit firms function as per guidelines issued under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949. Any case of misconduct or corrupt practices is administered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.


During the demonetisation drive, five CAs were found guilty of misconduct, out of which four were suspended for three months and fined Rs. 1 lakh each.


However, once Section 132 of Companies Act 2013 gets notified, the government will be able to exercise greater control over matters relating to accounting and auditing standards.Section 132 provides for a fine of up to ten times the fee received by auditing firms and five times the fee received for CAs. It also has the power to suspend corrupt officials for a period of six months to ten years. 

Unlike his sister Ivanka, Trump Jr. is not a formal member of the White House. He's technically just a businessman running the Trump Organization on behalf of his father.But by delivering a foreign policy speech, Trump Jr. is signaling to Indians that he's in their country as a businessman and as a surrogate for the US government. If any wealthy Indians were on the fence about whether it was worth buying a condo just to talk to Trump Jr. about, say, trade policy, the fact that he's delivering that speech should make it seem worthwhile. Trump Jr. is sending a clear signal that he wants to talk policy.

Read the full report here.

Allahabad High Court rejects petition seeking re investigation into UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's alleged role in the 2007 riots in Gorakhpur.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was today discharged from the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he was undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment. Parrikar has arrived in Goa after the discharge. Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Michael Lobo confirmed this development. Parrikar was being treated in Mumbai for pancreatitis since February 15.


The annual Budget is scheduled to be tabled in the Goa Legislative Assembly today. However, it is still not clear whether Parrikar would table it or not, Lobo said. "Parrikar has arrived in Goa. It is a good piece of news that he has been discharged. But it is not still clear whether he would be tabling the budget ," Lobo told reporters outside the Assembly.


"Parrikar has so much willpower that he has recovered, and if he thinks that he should table the budget, he will come and do it," he said. After landing in Goa, Parrikar went to his residence in Panaji. -- PTI

Fifty-nine percent of the candidates for the February 27 Assembly elections in Nagaland are crorepatis with JD(U) nominee Ramongo Lotha being the richest among them with a total wealth of Rs 38.92 crore, an analysis of the affidavits revealed. The Association of Democratic Reforms, which analysed the affidavits of 193 aspirants out of a total of 196 candidates, found out that 114 candidates are crorepatis.


Image: The PM campaigning in Nagaland

The Indian Army on Thursday clarified its Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks on drawing a comparison between the growth speed of Bharatiya Janata Party and an Assamese political party, saying, "There is nothing political or religious in the talk. The Army Chief just mentioned amalgamation and development in the seminar on North-East organised at DRDO Bhawan on 21 February," army said.


On Wednesday, General Rawat remarked that Assam's All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) "has grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. There is a party called AIUDF. They have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years. When we talk of Jan Sangh with two MPs and where they have reached, AIUDF is moving at a faster pace in the state of Assam," General Rawat, said at the North East Region of India- Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders Summit, conducted on Wednesday. -- ANI

In the wake of the continuous ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force on Thursday said that Pakistan restores to incessant firing across the border because they don't want India to have a peaceful atmosphere.


"Pakistan doesn't want India to have a peaceful atmosphere. This is why they do such violations. There was a ceasefire violation yesterday too," Sonali Mishra, Inspector General of BSF told ANI.


Mishra further averred that the BSF and Army have given a befitting reply to the attackers."BSF and Army gave a befitting reply and according to our reliable sources there are two casualties on their side," added Mishra.


Earlier in the day, Pakistan Army restored to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Charunda Uri sector. -- ANI

An Indian Sikh man's turban was ripped by a white man shouting "Muslim go back" in an apparent racist attack outside the UK parliament, according to a media report.


Ravneet Singh, 37, who is from Punjab, was waiting to enter the Portcullis House, part of the British Parliamentary Estate, to meet Sikh Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi when the assault took place yesterday.


Singh said he was waiting in the queue when the man, who was shouting "Muslim go back", approached him and tried to remove his turban, a religious headgear.


"I was in the queue outside Portcullis House and this guy ran up to us. Just before we got to the entrance he came up to me and attacked me. "He was pulling at my turban strongly. It half moved and I grabbed it. Before he could do anything else I shouted at him and he ran," Singh was quoted as saying by The Independent.


Singh said the man made a "racist comment" in another language that he did not understand. "He was a white man, but he didn't sound English. He said something like 'Muslim go back'," he added. Dhesi, who was to host Singh,
expressed "disgust" at the incident and sought action against the culprit.


"Disgusted to discover today that someone filled with hatred tried to pull off the turban of one of my guests standing in line outside @UKParliament. I hope the @metpoliceuk /authorities will take urgent action," Dhesi tweeted.


According to the report, the police have confirmed being alerted at 5.20 pm about the assault outside the building adjacent to the Houses of Parliament, which is home to offices for MPs and their staff. Police said no arrest has been made so far and they were probing the case. The Sikh community in the UK has often been the mistaken target of hate crimes against Muslims that surged after the 9/11 attack in the US. -- PTI

The Supreme Court today asked if a roving inquiry could be ordered into the "issue of consent" between two adults who married at will and if the Kerala High Court order annulling the marriage of Hadiya, an alleged victim of 'love jihad', was justified.


The questions from a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud came during the hearing of the Kerala conversion case.


"What troubles us is that whether there can be a roving inquiry into the issue of consent between two adults who have agreed to marry," the bench said.


Whether the high court was justified in nullifying the marriage is a pure question of law, it added. "Marriage and investigation are two different things. As far as marriage is concerned, it does not warrant any investigation. Investigation has nothing to do with it. You can investigate any other thing," the court said.


Hadiya, the 25-year-old woman who is at the centre of an alleged love jihad controversy, had on Tuesday filed an affidavit before the top court claiming that she willingly converted to Islam and wants to live with her husband Shafin Jahan.


The matter had come to fore when Jahan had challenged the Kerala High Court's order annulling his marriage with Hadiya and sending her to her parents' custody.


On November 27 last year, the apex court had freed Hadiya from her parents' custody and sent her to college to pursue her studies, even as she had pleaded that she should be allowed to go with her husband. -- PTI

In a huge and well-deserved victory for The Caravan magazine, the Delhi High Court vacates the injunction against the February 2011 cover story on Arindam Chaudhuri and IIPM.  For a background on the what happened, read this.

Chaudhari had filed the case after the magazine published an article titled Sweet smell of success How Arindam Chaudhuri made a fortune of the aspirations and insecurities of Indias middle classes. A civil court in Silchar, Assam had granted Chaudhari a preliminary injunction, directing Caravan to remove the article in question from its website, reports the Bar & Bench.

A transfer petition filed in the Supreme Court praying that the case be shifted to the Delhi High Court was granted, and the case came up before the Bench of Justice Manmohan.

Appearing for Chaudhari in the Delhi High Court, Advocate Nishit Kush contended that the magazine carried a morphed image of Chaudhari, showing him as a magician/soothsayer with the intent to portray him as a trickster.

It was further stated that derogatory comments were made against him without any basis and with an intent to create a negative image of Chaudhari amongst the general public.

Canada PMO on the invitation to Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, which has come as a huge embarrassment to their government especially after Justin Trudeau has categorically told Punjab CM Amarinder Singh that Canada will neither provide a safe harbour for terrorists or separatists.

The PMO statement: "This individual( Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal) should never have been invited to any event on the program, and his invitation has been rescinded. We are in the process of looking into how this occurred. That said, it's important to be clear that he is not part of official delegation to PMs visit to India, nor was he invited by the Prime Ministers Office. As is the case with international trips, individuals sometimes travel on their own to the location of the visit."

Convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, who was active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau at an event in Mumbai on February 20, during the Canadian first family's visit to India.

Jaspal was also invited for a formal dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner on Thursday.

However, the invite has now been rescinded.


Image: Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi, photographed with Jaspal Atwal (right) in Mumbai on February 20.

EAM Sushma Swaraj greets the Foreign Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland ahead of the FM-level Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.  

AIUDF MLA, Aminul Islam, on Army chief's statement: AIUDF is working for the downtrodden. this is why our popularity is growing faster than BJP. We are hopeful that people of Assam irrespective of caste & creed, will accept AIUDF and our party will come to power soon.

The Canadian High Commission on Thursday confirmed that the invitation to Khalistani terrorist to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reception has been rescinded.


"The High Commission has rescinded Mr. Atwal's invitation. We do not comment on matters related to the PM's security," Canadian Consulate in Mumbai told ANI.


Jaspal, a convicted Khalistani terrorist, who was active in the banned International SikhYouth Federation, was invited for a formal dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner, scheduled to take place later in the day, Canada's CBC News reported earlier.


Jaspal Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986. -- ANI

Army reacts: There is nothing political or religious in the talk. Army Chief just mentioned amalgamation & development in the seminar on North-East organised at DRDO Bhawan on 21 Feb '18.

Badruddin Ajmal, chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam, tweets: "Gen Bipin Rawat has made a political statement, shocking! Why is it a concern for the Army Chief that a political party, based on democratic & secular values, is rising faster than BJP? Alternative parties like AIUDF, AAP have grown because of the misgovernance of big parties. By making such statement, isn't the Chief of Army Staff indulging into politics which is against the constitutional mandate given to him. @rashtrapatibhvn @PMOIndia please take note."

A "planned" influx of people from Bangladesh into the Northeast is taking place as part of a proxy warfare by Pakistan with support from China with an aim to keep the area disturbed, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today said.


Referring to reports of increase in Muslim population in several districts of Assam, the Army Chief also talked about Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) in the state, observing that its growth has been "faster" than that of the BJP in the 1980s.


"A planned immigration is taking place because of our western neighbour. They will always try and ensure that this area is taken over, playing the proxy dimension of warfare," General Rawat said, talking about the influx of people from Bangladesh into the Northeast.


He was addressing a conference on bridging gaps and securing borders in the Northeast region.


"I think the proxy game is very well played by our western neighbour, supported by our northern border (China) to keep the area disturbed. We will continue to see some migration happening. The solution lies in identifying the problem and holistically looking at it," he said.


Influx of illegal Bangladeshis is a major issue in Assam and the state government is now coming out with a national register of citizens to find out those living illegally in the state.


"There is a party called AIUDF. If you look at it, they have grown in a faster time-frame than the BJP grew over the years," he said, while referring to the BJP winning only 2 seats in 1984. "The AIDUF is moving at a faster pace in Assam."


The AIUDF, which was formed in 2005 with an aim to champion the cause of Muslim community, currently has three parliamentarians in Lok Sabha and 13 legislators in the state assembly.


The Army chief said the solution to the problem lies in ensuring development of the region by taking a holistic approach."I do not think you can now change the population dynamics of the area. If it was five districts to eight to nine, inversion has taken place whichever be the government," he said while referring to reports that Muslim majority has increased from five to nine districts in Assam.The Army chief said efforts should be to "amalgamate" the people living in the region and then try and "start identifying those creating trouble for us".


"The government is looking at the Northeast in correct perspective, and if that happens, time will not be far that we will be able to amalgamate the region and ensure development. And with development comes the control of the people who are residing in this area," he said.


General Rawat said the centre is seriously taking several measures to ensure development of the region. "The development will finally happen in the area. That should take care of lot of things."He said, "We will have more problem in segregating people. Yes some people will have to be identified who are creating trouble for us."


The Army chief said migration is also taking place from Bangladesh because of shrinking land space in the country due to various reasons including floods. He said the government must send a message that peace will lead to development in the region, adding enough development has not taken place in Mizoram though it is a peaceful state.

Nirav Modi's Rolls Royce Ghost seized by the ED today.

The Porsche Panamera belonging to Nirav Modi seized by the Enforcement Directorate.

Narendra Modi lands in Dimapur for the Assembly Elections in Nagaland. 

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday seized nine cars belonging to jeweller Nirav Modi and his companies, in connection with the Punjab National Bank fraud case.


The cars seized by the agency include a Rolls Royce Ghost, a Porsche Panamera, two Mercedes Benz GL 350 CDIs, three Honda cars, a Toyota Fortuner and a Toyota Innova.


Mutual funds and shares worth Rs 7.80 crore of Nirav Modi and Rs 86.72 crore of those belonging to Mehul Choksi Group were also frozen by the agency.


Earlier on Wednesday, the Income Tax department attached Rs. 145.74 crore found in several bank accounts belonging to jeweller Nirav Modi.


Till date, the IT department has attached a total of 141 bank accounts/Fixed Deposits of the group.


Representational image of a Rolls Royce Ghost Series II, which in 2014 cost Rs 4.50 crore.

In a mammoth tragedy two Saturdays ago, a speeding train in Assam killed three baby elephants and two adult elephants on the railway track at night.


The elephants were crossing the track in a forested area. Locals say, that because the baby elephants did not move seeing the oncoming train, they were flanked by the adults who took the brunt of the train, but were unable to save them.


The driver tried applying the brakes, but it was too late.


Ten days before the tragedy in Assam, a group of wildlife conservationists sent a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to act on the rising elephant deaths due to train collisions.


The letter listed measures that the government needs to undertake urgently to save these gentle giants.


"The government does not seem to care and until that happens we will keep seeing such tragedies happen again and again," Debi Goenka, founder, Conservation Action Trust, and a signatory to the letter, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. Read the full interview here.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has started following some senior Congress leaders on Twitter of late, triggering speculation over his sudden interest in the party that he was once close to and had later drifted away from.


After following Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party's official Twitter handle, he began following senior party like leaders P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and CP Joshi from this month. He recently also started following party leaders Manish Tewari, Shakeel Ahmed, Sanjay Nirupam, Randeep Surjewala Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Jha on the micro-blogging site.


Bachchan, who was once close to the Nehru-Gandhi family and was a friend of Rajiv Gandhi, is currently the brand ambassador of Gujarat. He has over 33.1 million followers on Twitter and follows only 1,689 people.


His sudden love for the Congress and some other opposition leaders has taken the party by surprise. Some other opposition leaders whom the actor has started following recently, include RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his daughter Misa Bharti, JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar, CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury.


He also follows the RJD's official Twitter handle, NC's Omar Abdullah and NCP's Supriya Sule. The AAP leaders he started following recently are Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Sanjay Singh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan. Manish Tewari, who was one of the Congress leaders recently followed by the actor, thanked him but did not say anything more on its timing and political significance.

The superstar also follows a number of BJP leaders. Of late, he started following ministers Nitin Gadkari and Suresh Prabhu. --  PTI


Image courtesy: Amitabh Bachchan's Twitter page.

Pakistani troops today fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian soldiers to retaliate, an Army official said. The Pakistani troops opened unprovoked firing at Indian posts in the Hajipeer area of the Uri sector in Baramulla district this morning, the official said.


He said Indian soldiers are retaliating the aggression from across the LoC effectively and in equal measure. No casualties have been reported in the incident so far,  he added. -- PTI

And another picture of the Trudeaus at Jama Masjid, Delhi. 

Delhi: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his family arrives at Jama Masjid, Delhi. Seems to have finally ditched desi attire for a suit. All through Trudeau and his family's public appearances in India since they arrived in India on February 17 have always been in Indian clothes including the over-the-top bridegroom-like sherwani he wore to the Bollywood party on February 20.

In the wake of the Punjab National Bank fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday sealed the residence of Gili India Limited director Aniyath Shivraman at Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district.


The ED also seized several important documents related to the Punjab National Bank. Meanwhile, all four people, accused of cheating the Punjab National bank to the tune of Rs 11, 400 crores, were sent to police custody on Wednesday.


A special Central Bureau of Investigation court sent all the four, including celebrity jewellery designer Nirav Modi's Firestar Diamond President Vipul Ambani, to custody till March 5.The PNB detected a 1.77 billion dollar (Rs 11,400) scam, in which jeweller Nirav Modi acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders. -- ANI

A convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal, who was active in the banned International Sikh Youth Federation, posed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau at an event in Mumbai on February 20, during the Canadian first family's visit to India.


Jaspal was also invited for a formal dinner with the Canadian Prime Minister, hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner on Thursday.


However, the invite is being rescinded now, as per reports of Canada's CBC News."I can confirm that the High Commission is in the process of rescinding Mr Atwal's invitation," PMO spokeswoman Eleanore Catenaro said, as per the report.


Atwal has also been photographed with the Canadian Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi in Mumbai on February 20.


Jaspal Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of Punjab minister, Malkiat Singh Sidhu, on Vancouver Island in 1986.


At the time of the 1986 shooting, he was a Sikh separatist active in the pro-Khalistan International Sikh Youth Federation. He and three others were convicted in 1987 of trying to kill Malkiat Singh Sidhu.


Trudeau, who is in India on a week-long State visit, has been under pressure throughout his tour to answer Indian concerns about Sikh separatism in Canada. -- ANI


Image: Convicted Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal poses with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Trudeau.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez has written a letter to the US Ambassador to India to ensure that the son of the US president, who is visiting India, is not given any special treatment by the diplomatic mission, except for the one required by the security.


Menendez wrote a letter, as he said that he was concerned about a speech  at a business summit by Donald J Trump Jr which may send a "mistaken message that he is speaking on behalf of Donald Trump".


The 40-year-old son of the US President is currently on a business trip India. He is executive vice president of the Trump Organization which is developing a number of high profile properties in various parts of India.


"Given the potential to confuse Mr Trump's private business visit with having an official governmental purpose, I write to ensure that the US embassy presence in India will have no role in supporting Mr Trump or the Trump Organization during his time in India, other than that necessary to provide security support for the US Secret Service," the New Jersey Senator said in a letter to US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster.


"I expect that the US State Department, including  US Embassy Delhi, will treat Mr Trump no differently than it would any other American individual visiting on private business, and will take every effort to avoid any perception of special treatment or a conflict of interest," he said as he listed a series of questions to Juster on the visit of the son of the US president.


The Trump Administration has said that Donald J Trump Jr is on a personal; business visit to India. In his letter, Menendez also raised concerns about his scheduled speech on Indo-Pacific relations at the Global Business Summit in Delhi on Friday.


"Given that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and multiple government ministers will speak at the same event, I am concerned that Mr Trump's speech will send the mistaken message that he is speaking on behalf of the President, the Administration or the United States government, not as a private individual, or that he is communicating official American policy," Menendez said. -- PTI

The rupee weakened by 30 paise to trade at a three-month low of 65.06 against the US dollar in the opening session today due to increased demand for the greenback from importers amid heavy foreign fund outflows.


The dollar's gain against major world currencies, after US Federal Reserve minutes hinted at hiking interest rates faster than expectations, also impacted the rupee sentiment, a currency dealer said.


Strengthening US dollar and increased outflows from domestic capital market have weighed on the are weighing on the domestic currency. -- PTI