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Sat, 07 December 2024

South Korea President survives impeachment

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

22:48 South Korea President survives impeachment

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday narrowly escaped impeachment over the outrage following his brief declaration of martial law.

The National Assembly voted on the opposition-led motion, but most lawmakers from Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote, despite massive protests outside the parliament, YONHAP news agency reported.

Yoon had earlier apologised publicly for his martial law declaration, stating that 'he will leave to the ruling party decisions about his term and stabilisation of state affairs'.

The PPP lawmakers largely stood by their party's stance to avoid a repeat of the 2016 impeachment crisis of President Park Geun-hye, which led to a conservative party divide and a liberal victory in the 2017 presidential election, as per YONHAP news agency.

Following Yoon's martial law decision raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining half of his single, five-year term.

Now he legal risks and renewed attempts to force him out of office as the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said 'it will table the impeachment motion again next week'.

According to YONHAP news agency, hundreds of thousands of people gathered outside the National Assembly on Saturday, calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's removal from office.

This comes after Yoon's attempt to impose martial law, which has sparked widespread outrage.

Prosecutors, the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials have all launched probes into Yoon and senior officials involved in the martial law decree, seeking to press charges of insurrection and abuse of power, among others.

DP leader Lee Jae-myung has accused Yoon of being 'the mastermind behind rebellion', calling for authorities to take necessary procedures for a swift investigation into him.

Under the law, crimes of rebellion are exceptions to the presidential immunity to prosecution, as reported by the YONHAP news agency.

Notably, South Korea is facing a challenging time, with some lawmakers proposing a constitutional amendment to shorten President Yoon Suk Yeol's term and transfer more power to the prime minister, the government's No. 2 post, who holds a largely ceremonial role.

The political turmoil comes at a challenging time for South Korea, as it is working to strengthen alliances with the United States and other partners to counter growing threats from North Korea amid its deepening military ties with Russia.

Yoon had planned to meet Trump shortly after his inauguration on Janurary 20, but that prospect now seems uncertain, the YONHAP report added. -- ANI

Allahabad HC

21:28 HC to hear plea in another mosque-temple dispute

In yet another litigation related to mosque-temple disputes, the Allahabad high court is likely to hear next week a petition filed by the management committee of Jaunpur's Atala Mosque against the orders of the lower court allowing registration of a suit which claimed that the structure was originally a Hindu temple.

The suit was filed before a Jaunpur court by the Swaraj Vahini Association (SVA) and Santosh Kumar Mishra.

It sought the 'disputed' property be declared 'Atala Devi Mandir' and followers of the Sanatan religion be allowed the right of worship there.

On November 8, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal directed SVA and Mishra to file their reply within three weeks to the plea by the mosque committee and asked the petitioner to file a rejoinder affidavit within a week.

In the suit, the SVA had prayed for the possession of the structure and sought a mandatory injunction to restrain non-Hindus from entering the property.

The plaintiffs had also sought permission to sue under Order 1 Rule 8 CPC in a representative capacity.

Under Order 1 Rule 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) dealing with a representative suit, one or more persons can sue or defend on behalf of all persons having the same interest in a suit.

This prayer was allowed in May this year and the same was upheld by an order of the District Judge in August this year. Both the orders have been challenged in the petition before the high court.

The high court observed that a petition challenging the earlier passed on May 29, 2024, was rejected on August 12, 2024, by the district court solely on the grounds of non-maintainability.

The court said, 'Matter requires consideration. Let a counter affidavit be filed by both the respondents within a period of three weeks.'

The mosque management committee pleaded before the High Court that the complaint was defective, as the plaintiff SVA, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, was not a juristic person and, thus, was not competent to file the suit in a representative capacity.

Further, the society's bylaws do not authorise it to engage in litigation of this nature, it claimed.

Several litigations filed in various courts related to temple-mosque disputes have come into the limelight including on Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Ajmer Dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti and Budaun's Jama Masjid Shamsi, where petitioners have claimed that these were built after destroying ancient temples and sought permission to offer Hindu prayers there.

Violence during protests against a court-ordered survey in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal claimed four lives on November 24. -- PTI

20:44 Delhi polls: BJP leaders make beeline for AAP

'Uncertainty' over Delhi Assembly poll tickets has prompted half a dozen Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to cross over to Aam Aadmi Party while many more could soon make the switch, saffron party leaders said on Saturday.

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due in February.

The BJP, which has been out of power since 1998, was routed by AAP in the 2015 and the 2020 elections, managing three and eight seats, respectively.

In recent weeks, six BJP leaders who unsuccessfully contested the 2020 polls joined AAP and the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has already fielded three of them.

Three others -- Pravesh Ratan, Jitender Singh Shunty and Surinder Pal Singh Bittu -- are also likely to be fielded by AAP.

Ratan was defeated by Raaj Kumar Anand, a former minister in the AAP government, in the Patel Nagar seat by a margin of more than 30,000 votes.

Shunty and Bittu are likely to replace AAP heavyweights Ram Niwas Goel and Dilip Pandey, respectively. Goel, the speaker in the outgoing assembly, represents the Shahdara seat while Pandey is the Timarpur MLA.

Bittu joined AAP -- which is eyeing a third term in the assembly -- earlier this week.

Earlier, Brahm Singh Tanwar, BB Tyagi and Anil Jha joined the ruling party and were fielded from the Chhatarpur, Laxmi Nagar and the Kirari constituencies.

Tanwar and Jha had lost the 2020 polls from the same seats by narrow margins.

"The exit of mid-level functionaries and leaders from the BJP will continue as there is uncertainty over being considered for tickets due to factors such as outsiders being given priority and delay in announcement of candidates," said a senior party leader.

The process may speed up as AAP is actively scouting for potential candidates from the BJP with experience to replace its sitting MLAs facing anti-incumbency, he claimed.

A BJP frontal organisation in-charge said, "I have been associated with the BJP for two decades. I have been asking for a ticket to contest the assembly polls since the last two elections. I am not sure my name is even being considered this time and it forces me to take some decision about my future career."

A party office-bearer rued that a number of prominent leaders from the Congress and AAP who recently joined the BJP were being considered as frontrunners for tickets.

There are more than a dozen leaders from both parties who are now in the BJP.

These former MLAs with experience of contesting multiple elections were once considered as threats to the aspirations of local BJP ticket-seekers.

These leaders include Arvinder Singh Lovely, Naseeb Singh, Tarvinder Marwah, Neeraj Basoya and Raaj Kumar Chahuhan -- all former MLAs who quit the Congress to join the BJP in recent months. Lovely is a former Delhi Congress president and minister in the city government.

AAP leaders now in the BJP include former ministers Kailash Gahlot and Anand, and ex-MLAs Kartar Singh, Manoj Kumar and ND Sharma. -- PTI

The Supreme Court has constituted a special bench to hear a batch of PILs challenging the validity of certain provisions of a 1991 law that prohibits filing a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan is likely to hear the matter on December 12 at 3.30 pm.

The top court is seized of the pleas, including one filed by Ashwini Upadhyay who has prayed that sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 be set aside.

Among the various reasons submitted was the contention that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group.

The matter will be heard in the backdrop of several suits filed in various courts, including related to Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, claiming that these were built after destroying ancient temples and seeking permission to offer Hindu prayers there.

The Muslim side in most of these cases have cited the 1991 law to argue that such suits are not maintainable.

As many as six petitions, including those filed by former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, have been filed against the provisions of the 1991 law.

While former Union minister Swamy wanted the apex court to 'read down' certain provisions to enable Hindus to stake claim over the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, Upadhyay claimed the entire statute was unconstitutional and no question of reading down arises.

The doctrine of reading down a law is generally used to save a statute from being struck down on account of its unconstitutionality.

On the other hand, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind had cited the five-judge Constitution bench judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title case, noting the reference to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, to argue that the law cannot be set aside now.

The top court had on March 12, 2022, sought the Centre's response to the plea filed by Upadhyay challenging the validity of certain provisions of the law.

The petition alleged that the 1991 law creates an 'arbitrary and irrational retrospective cut-off date' of August 15, 1947, for maintaining the character of the places of worship or pilgrimage against encroachment done by 'fundamentalist-barbaric invaders and law-breakers'.

The 1991 law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The law had made only one exception -- on the dispute pertaining to the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid in Ayodhya. -- PTI

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Bhaskar Jadhav on Saturday claimed there is no provision in the law which talks about the appointment of the leader of opposition in Maharashtra legislature merely on the strength of the party.

"I have given a letter to the legislature secretary seeking details of the provision of law under which the leader of the opposition is appointed. I met the state legislature secretary and he has not found any provision regarding that," Jadhav told reporters.

There is a provision to give the post of LOP to the largest party, he said.

Jadhav said although the speaker can approve the LOP's post, the government has to support it.

"I am confident that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with the deputy CMs will approve the LOP post," Jadhav said.

Usually, according to convention, for the LOP's post, the opposition party has to win 10 per cent seats. But no party has been able to get the required number.

About the appointment of LOP in the assembly, NCP-SP president Sharad Pawar said MVA parties cannot insist that they get the post as they don't have required numbers.

Jadhav also demanded the deputy speaker's post for the opposition.

He recalled that in 1999, Shiv Sena-BJP made a mistake of breaking convention and fielding a nominee for the speaker's post, which was otherwise an unopposed contest.

In response, then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh declined the deputy speaker's post for not following the convention.

Jadhav said new conventions can be set by giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition. -- PTI

The Class XII student who allegedly shot dead the principal of his school in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district is 'remorseless' and appears to be a 'psychopath', an official connected to the probe claimed on Saturday.

The 17-year-old boy shot principal SK Saxena (55) of Dhamora Government High School near the institution's toilet at around 1.30 pm on Friday and had then escaped from the spot along with a classmate on the deceased's scooter, police said.

Saxena died instantly and the alleged shooter was held from the district's border with Uttar Pradesh some hours later. The firearm used in the crime was recovered from him.

"The accused is saying principal Saxena used to scold him so he shot him dead. He claimed the principal often chided him and told him not to indulge in 'goondaism' in school. The teen accused appears to be a psychopath. He is undergoing medical tests," the investigator, on condition of anonymity, told PTI.

The accused, a student of the Arts stream, is not at all regretful of his deed, the investigator added.

Meanwhile, police detained the classmate who had fled from the spot on the deceased's scooter along with the accused.

While the accused has claimed this classmate had come to stop him from shooting the principal, Superintendent of Police Agam Jain said the latter was being questioned to find out whether he was innocent or had a role to play.

"This classmate was detained at 2pm today. He is a relative of the accused. After fleeing on the scooter with the accused, he had gone home before fleeing into a jungle nearby possibly out of fear," Jain said.

Asked about the locally-made pistol used in the crime, Jain said the accused has named a man from his village who had moved to Morena district and then to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, where he died two months ago.

"This man he has named is two years senior to him. We are verifying details," Jain added.

On Friday, the SP had said the accused had skipped school and was spotted by Saxena near its gate. The principal admonished him, following which the accused allegedly committed the crime, Jain had said.

The toilet, where he shot Saxena, is near the main gate, the official had informed.

Saxena was principal of Dhamora Government High School for the past five years, in charge district education officer R P Prajapati had said a day earlier. -- PTI

18:55 SP's central leadership for Oppn unity: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed that no enthusiasm or overt joy was visible among the people of Maharashtra after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti coalition's landslide victory in the November 20 assembly elections.

Speaking at a press conference at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, Pawar said the Opposition need not worry, but it should go back to the people after the setback.

The Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance will work to ensure that the government kept all its pre-poll promises including increasing the financial assistance for women under the Ladki Bahin scheme to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500, he said.

"No enthusiasm is visible in the people after the Mahayuti's massive mandate," said the veteran politician whose party could win only 10 seats in the 288-member assembly.

On Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi announcing that his party was pulling out of the MVA alliance over the Shiv Sena-UBT on Friday hailing those who demolished Babri Masjid in December 1992, Pawar said the central leadership of the SP was firm on maintaining the Opposition unity.

About the appointment of Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Pawar said the MVA parties can not insist that they get the post as they don't have required numbers. -- PTI

Congress leader Sam Pitroda's smartphone, laptop and server have been repeatedly hacked over the past few weeks with hackers issuing threats and demanding tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, according to a mail sent to those on his mailing list.

'They have warned that, if unpaid, they will launch a smear and misinformation campaign to tarnish my reputation by contacting people in my network,' Pitroda said in the email.

'I want to bring to your attention a critical matter: my laptop, smartphone, and server have been repeatedly hacked and severely compromised over the past few weeks,' it read.

In the email addressed to family and friends, the Indian Overseas Congress chief urged them 'not to open' any emails or messages that appear to be about him from any unknown mail ID or mobile number, not to click on any links and not to download any attachments.

He added that these might contain malware that could compromise their devices.

Pitroda further said that he was travelling but planned to take immediate action upon his return to Chicago.

'This will include replacing outdated hardware, upgrading software and implementing robust new security measures to safeguard my digital presence. I sincerely apologise for any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause. Thank you for your understanding and vigilance,' he said in the email. -- PTI

18:06 Mahindra renames EV brand amid trademark clash

Mahindra & Mahindra on Saturday said it has decided to rename its new electric vehicle brand as 'BE 6' but noted that it will continue to contest strongly in court with InterGlobe Aviation for the trademark 'BE 6e'.

InterGlobe Aviation, which owns IndiGo airlines, has taken the automaker to court over the usage of 6E in its new EV brand.

'Our priority and focus is on ensuring an excellent experience for our customers as we take our product to the market. We would not like to get distracted from our vision of popularising electric transport in India,' M&M said in a press release.

It further said, 'We also find it unseemly that two large, Indian multinationals should engage in a distracting and unnecessary conflict when in fact we should be championing each other's growth and expansion.'

Hence, the company is taking the decision to brand its product as 'BE 6', it added.

'We, however, do believe the claim by IndiGo is baseless and if not challenged, will set an unhealthy precedent of monopolising alpha-numeric 2-character marks, despite our mark being distinctive and different. This will be enormously constraining for all companies across industries and sectors,' it said.

'We will thus continue to strongly contest this in court and reserve our right to the brand name BE 6e,' it added.

M&M said in the past, Tata Motors had objected to InterGlobe using the IndiGo mark, given their Tata Indigo car brand.

'InterGlobe continues to use the mark IndiGo in a different industry and business. We, therefore, find their objection to BE 6e to be inconsistent with their own previous conduct,' it added.

Mahindra revealed its electric origin SUVs the BE 6e and XEV 9e on November 26, 2024.

Mahindra said it has applied for trademark registration under class 12 (vehicles) for 'BE 6e' as a part of its electric origin SUV portfolio.

The mark 'BE' is already registered with Mahindra in Class 12, and it stands for its 'born electric' platform underpinning the BE 6e, the automaker said.

Elaborating further, it said the company's mark is 'BE 6e' not the standalone '6E'.

'We believe it differs fundamentally from IndiGo's '6E', which represents an airline, eliminating any risk of confusion. The distinct styling further emphasises its uniqueness,' it stated.

The company's registration application is for an entirely different industry sector and product and hence does not see any conflict, it added. -- with inputs from PTI

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra said on Saturday that the 'excavation of mosques' becoming the focus of politics instead of development is wrong while people are reeling under inflation and farmers protesting.

Expressing apprehension about a potential spike in communal issues, Vadra also said (conducting) surveys of mosques is wrong.

The religion and politics should be kept separate as India is a diverse, secular nation, he told PTI Videos.

Vadra said he has been visiting different places of worship in the country as part of his 'spiritual trips' and offered chaddar at the famous Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai on Saturday.

"I prayed for the well-being of my family and the country. I wish brotherhood prevails in the society, " he said.

Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, said surveying mosques is wrong.

"Even as people are suffering because of the inflation and farmers are protesting, the focus is on the excavation of mosques, which is wrong. Communal issues will arise instead of development. It will create unnecessary unrest," he said.

A massive violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on November 24 following a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid.

"We are a diverse nation and should try to be as secular as possible. There shouldn't be the politics of religion. Religion and politics should be separate," Vadra said, adding that he wanted to promote peace and harmony.

Speaking on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), whose credibility is questioned by the Opposition parties, Vadra said, "The trust in EVMs is questionable. Everyone is shocked with the (assembly poll) results in Haryana and Maharashtra."

If people were upset with the Bharatiya Janata Party governments, how did the party win elections (in these states)? Vadra asked if people in Haryana are happy with the BJP government, then why farmers are staging protests.

Farmers have been protesting near the Shambhu border for various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).

A day earlier, protesters suspended their foot march to Delhi for the day after some of them suffered injuries due to tear gas shells fired by security personnel, who stopped them at the Punjab-Haryana border.

Vadra further said baseless allegations were raised against the Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi instead of responding to his questions on the Adani issue.

He said Wayanad would become a 'super constituency' as it is being represented by Priyanka Gandhi.

"Priyanka will become a strong voice for women, issues facing the country will be raised. Her focus should be on creating her legacy and also taking forward the legacy of her family," he added.

Vadra said the Congress' future is good as the presence of Priyanka and Rahul (in Parliament) will strengthen the people's voice.

"Priyanka will pose questions to the BJP by looking into their eyes. I believe in her strength and her vision," he said. -- PTI

Mumbai Police on Saturday received a message threatening to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said.

The number from which the message was sent was traced to Ajmer in Rajasthan and a police team was sent there immediately to nab the suspect, said an official.

The WhatsApp message, received on the helpline of the traffic police in the early hours, mentioned two ISI agents and a plot to carry out a bomb blast to target Modi, he said.

The investigators suspect that the sender is a mentally disturbed person or was under the influence of alcohol but further probe was on, the official added.

A first information report was registered under the relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections.

The helpline of the Mumbai traffic police has received hoax threat messages many times in the past. -- PTI

Former Supreme Court judge Justice R F Nariman has criticised the top court's 2019 judgment in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, describing it as a 'great travesty of justice' that did not do justice to the principle of secularism.

Speaking at the First Justice A M Ahmadi Memorial Lecture on 'Secularism and the Indian Constitution', Justice Nariman, however, said the judgment had a 'silver lining' as it upheld the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991.

He said the Places of Worship Act should be strictly implemented to put an end to disputes over religious places which are popping up every day across the country like 'hydra heads'.

"In my opinion, a great travesty of justice was that secularism was not given its due by these judgements," Justice Nariman said.

Justice Nariman also disagreed with the reasoning given by the court to grant the disputed land despite holding that the demolition of the mosque was illegal.

"Today we find hydra heads popping all over the Country. We find suits after suits not only against mosques but also against dargahs. All this, according to me could lead to communal disharmony. The only way to scorch and cauterize all this is by applying these five pages in this very judgement and having it read out in every district court and high court. Because these five pages are a declaration by the Supreme Court which binds each of them," he said.

The former apex court judge also pointed out how a special CBI judge -- Surendra Yadav -- who acquitted all the accused in the mosque demolition case, got a post-retirement job as deputy Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh.

"This is the state of affairs in this country," he said. -- PTI

15:35 ISKCON says centre in Bangladesh burnt down

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday alleged that its centre in Dhaka district in neighbouring Bangladesh was burnt down earlier in the day.

Iskcon Kolkata vice president Radharamn Das told PTI that the targetted attack on members of the community and members of the Vaishnavite order goes on unabated as 'vandals set ablaze idols inside the temple at the Namhatta property'.

He said in a post on X handle, 'ISKCON Namhatta Centre burned down in Bangladesh. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple were burned down completely The centre is located in Dhaka. Early morning today, between 2-3 am, miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which fall under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha, located in Dhour village, under the jurisdiction of Turag Police Station, Dhaka district.'

'The fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using petrol or octane. Address: H-02, R-05, Ward-54,' he said in the post.

Das claimed that attacks are continuing and despite the ISKCON drawing the attention of the interim government in Bangladesh, not much is being done by the police and administration to assuage their grievances and address their concern.

"Iskcon India has expressed concern about the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh and urged its monks and followers from Bangladesh not to wear 'tilaks' and practice their faith discreetly. The targeted attacks continue," he had earlier said.

The Iskcon Kolkata vice president also expressed concern over arrested Hindu community leader Chinmoy Krishna Das's safety following his denial of bail and the violent attacks.

Since the installation of the interim government and the dislodging of the Awami League from power in August, ISKCON properties have come under attack at various places across Bangladesh in the past four months.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar in a post on X said, 'Strongly condemn the horrific arson attack on the #ISKCON Namhatta Centre in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which destroyed the Deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and sacred temple items.'

"This is an unforgivable act of hatred against a place of worship. Immediate action must be taken to bring the culprits to justice and ensure the safety of religious minorities," the Union Minister of State for Education said. -- PTI

15:32 MoS Defence gets ransom threat message

Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Saturday said that he has received a ransom threat message and informed the Delhi Police and Jharkhand Director General of Police in this regard.

Seth said he received the threat message demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from an unknown number on his mobile phone on Friday.

The sender allegedly also gave a life threat to him.

"I have already informed Delhi Police and Jharkhand DGP on Friday in this regard. Senior officials of Delhi Police including a DCP visited me and I have informed them," the Ranchi Lok Sabha MP said.

Seth said he was not worried about such things.

Ranchi MLA CP Singh said, "I came to know this morning that the Union Minister of State for Defence was given a threat message and demanded Rs 50 lakh extortion. Administration should take it seriously and expose such elements."

He also demanded a probe into the matter from the state government.

"I also demand proper security to the Union minister from the state government," Singh said.

Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha termed it a serious matter and urged the Union Home Ministry to look into it.

"The Union Home Ministry should act promptly on the issue. It should activate its agencies and find out who is behind such an incident," Sinha said. -- PTI

Abu Azmi

14:43 Samajwadi Party exits MVA over Uddhav aide's post

The Samajwadi Party announced on Saturday that it would walk out of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi after Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray's close aide hailed the demolition of Babri mosque and a related newspaper advertisement.

The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in Maharashtra.

"An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena-UBT in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition of the mosque," Maharashtra SP unit chief Abu Azmi said.

"We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Singh Yadav," Azmi told PTI.

The SP's move comes in response to Sena-UBT MLC Milind Narvekar's post on Babri masjid demolition.

Narvekar has posted a photo of the demolition of the mosque accompanied by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's quote -- 'I am proud of those who did this'.

The Shiv Sena-UBT secretary also posted images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself in the post.

"If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?" Azmi asked. -- PTI

13:35 Maha: Oppn MLAs refuse to take oath on Day 1

Opposition Maha Vikas Agahdi (MVA) members in Maharashtra on Saturday decided not to take oath as MLAs on the first day of the special three-day assembly session, alleging misuse of EVMs in the recently-held state polls.

The special session of the Lower House of the state legislature began in Mumbai at 11 am.

Several members belonging to the ruling parties, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took oath as members of the assembly.

However, members from the opposition parties -- Congress, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar -- decided not to take oath.

Talking to reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray said, "The MVA has decided not to take oath as members of the House today. When a government comes to power with such a thumping majority, there are celebrations. A question arises whether the mandate it received was given by the people or the EVM and Election Commission of India."

The opposition is also protesting against the curfew and arrests in Markadwadi village in Malshiras assembly constituency in Solapur, where the villagers sought a 're-poll' using ballot papers, he said.

"We are not taking oath, taking into cognisance the doubts in the minds of people," he added. -- PTI

Police have registered a case against three persons for allegedly duping a couple in Maharashtra's Thane district of Rs 80 lakh by promising to get authorisation to open franchisees of a payments bank, officials said on Saturday.

The incident occurred between August 2022 and April 2023, and an FIR in this connection was registered on Thursday, they said.

The accused have been identified as Kalpit Ashokbhai Soni (46), Kunjalsingh Vikramsing Solanki (33), both from Gujarat, and Surendrakumar Kishorelal Sharma (40) from Rajasthan, the police said.

"The accused trio contacted a 46-year-old businesswoman, who along with her husband was assured that they would be granted authorisation to open franchisees of a payments bank," an official of Kasarvadavli police station said.

"Between August 2022 and April 2023, the accused offered the businesswoman and her husband franchise opportunities in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. They promised that they would secure them the gold loan franchisee/master franchisee and cash management schemes. The couple believed them and transferred Rs 80 lakh to the accused in instalments to their bank accounts," he said.

But despite paying money to them, the victims neither got their money back nor received the authorisation for franchisees of a payments bank. After the couple realised that they had been duped, they lodged a complaint, the official said.

The accused trio was booked on the charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy and common intention. -- PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took oath as a member of the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Saturday, on the first day of the three-day special session of the House.

Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also took oath as members of the Maharashtra assembly.

The three leaders were administered the oath as MLAs by the legislative assembly's pro tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar soon after the proceedings of the House began at 11 am.

The pro tem speaker will administer the oath of office to the rest of the 287 newly-elected MLAs.

Results of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls were declared on November 23, wherein the Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) registered a resounding victory by winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats.

The new government was sworn in on December 5 with Devendra Fadnavis returning as the chief minister, while Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief ministers. -- PTI

A special three-day session of the newly-constituted 288-member Maharashtra legislative assembly began in Mumbai on Saturday, where MLAs will be administered the oath of office.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kalidas Kolambkar on Friday took oath as a legislator and was then appointed pro tem speaker of legislative assembly by Governor C P Radhakrishnan.

A nine-time MLA, Kolambkar is the senior most legislator in the House and represents the Wadala assembly constituency in Mumbai.

As pro tem speaker, he will administer the oath of office to the rest of the 287 newly-elected MLAs.

The assembly speaker's election will be held on December 9, which will be followed by a trust vote of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government and the governor's address to the joint sitting of both the houses of the state legislature.

Results of the November 20 assembly polls were declared on November 23, wherein the Mahayuti alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) registered a resounding victory by winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats.

The new government was sworn in on December 5 with Devendra Fadnavis returning as the chief minister, while Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy chief ministers. -- PTI

10:58 Bizman shot dead during morning walk in Delhi

A businessman was shot dead by two unidentified assailants during his morning walk near his house in east Delhi's Shahdara on Saturday, police said.

Sunil Jain, 52, was shot multiple times and rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, they said.

A police officer said Jain, who ran a business of utensils, was returning home from his morning walk at Yamuna Sports Complex when two motorcycle-borne unidentified attackers opened fire at him in the Farsh Bazar area.

The accused fled after the attack. An investigation has been launched into the matter, the officer said. -- PTI

The national capital on Saturday recorded its coldest morning of the season with a minimum temperature of 7.1 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

After three days of 'moderate' air quality, Delhi's air quality once again worsened to enter the 'poor' category.

The city's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 222 around 9 am, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The humidity levels in the city were 89 per cent at 8.30 am, according to the IMD.

The weather department has forecast mainly clear skies during the day. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 25 degrees Celsius. -- PTI

A woman Anganwadi assistant was killed by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on the suspicion of being a police informer, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place on Friday night in Timapur village under Basaguda police station limits, he said.

As per the preliminary information, some unidentified Naxalites stormed inside the house of Laxmi Padam (45) in the village and strangled her to death in front of her family. They dumped the body in the courtyard of the house and escaped, the police official said.

After being alerted about it, a police team was rushed to the spot, and the body was sent for the post-mortem, he said.

A pamphlet issued by the Madded area committee of Maoists was found at the spot, in which they accused the woman of acting as a police informer, he said.

A search operation has been launched in the area to trace the assailants, he added.

With this incident, more than 60 people have been killed by Naxalites so far this year in separate places of Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, police said. -- PTI

Amidst the ongoing internal struggle within the Trinamool Congress between veteran leaders and the Young Turks, West Bengal Chief Minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee said any decision regarding her successor would be made collectively by the party leadership rather than by her personally.

In an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla on Friday, Banerjee dismissed notions of individual dominance, asserting, "I am not the party; we are the party. It is a collective family, and decisions will be made collectively."

Asked about her potential successor, Banerjee deflected the question with a counter-query to the interviewer, "Who is your successor?"

She went on to clarify that the TMC is a disciplined party where no individual will dictate terms. "The party will decide what is best for the people. We have MLAs, MPs, booth workers, this is a joint effort," she said.

On the debate about old versus new in the party, Banerjee maintained a balanced approach, stating, "Everyone is important. Today's newcomer will be tomorrow's veteran.

While TMC has not officially declared any succession plans, Banerjee's remark comes amidst an ongoing tussle between the old guards, considered loyal to Mamata Banerjee, and the next-generation leaders, considered close to Abhishek Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee is TMC's national general secretary and nephew of Mamata Banerjee. -- PTI

Cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government is likely to take place on December 11 or 12, sources said on Friday.

In all likelihood, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will retain Finance and the BJP the Home department as in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government, sources told PTI.

The Shinde-led Shiv Sena will retain Urban Development and may also get Revenue, if Sena sources are to be believed.

A cabinet in Maharashtra can have a maximum of 43 ministers including the chief minister.

The BJP, the biggest constituent of the Mahayuti alliance, is expected to get 21-22 ministerial posts. The Shiv Sena could get 11 to 12 ministerial berths and NCP nine to 10 berths, the sources said.

The final decision on the number of ministers who would take oath will be taken in a day or two, said a senior BJP leader.

The newly-elected MLAs will be administered oath by pro-tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar at a three-day special session of the assembly that starts from Saturday.

The Speaker's election will take place on December 9 (Monday), followed by the trust vote of the new government and the Governor's address to the joint session of both Houses.

The winter session of the legislature will start in Nagpur, the state's second capital, from December 16. -- PTI

Anjali Singh/Business Standard

Following Hyundai Motor Indias announcement of a price hike, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and JSW MG Motor have decided to jack up prices across their model range in a bid to pass on some input cost pressure to consumers.

While the prices of Maruti models are expected to rise by up to 4 per cent, those of M&M and JSW MG Motor will soar by up to 3 per cent starting January 2025.

The decision comes as the automotive industry grapples with rising expenses across key components and commodities. Prices in key raw materials like aluminium, zinc, and rubber have shot up, along with rising logistics expenses.

Aluminium prices have risen by 10.6 per cent year-on-year, while rubber prices have surged by 26.8 per cent, contributing significantly to increased production costs according to Bloomberg data.

The impact of these cost pressures is compounded by elevated logistics expenses.

A disruption in global shipping routes, particularly along the Red Sea, has resulted in an increase in container rates in 2024 compared to the previous year. Additionally, the adverse currency movements have further inflated the cost of imported components.

The countrys largest carmaker Maruti, in an official communication to BSE, attributed the price revision in its entire model range to rising input costs and operational expenses.

'While the company continuously strives to optimise costs and minimise the impact on its customers, some portion of the increased cost may need to be passed on to the market,' Maruti said in its filing.

JSW MG Motor India also attributed price hike on its entire model range to continuously rising input costs and other external factors.

Our dedication to quality remains a priority in doing so, minor price adjustments are inevitable to offset the rising input costs. While we try to minimise its impact on our customers, a marginal price increase shields us from inflationary challenges, stated Satinder Singh Bajwa, Chief Commercial Officer, JSW MG Motor India.

Mahindra & Mahindra, announced a price increase for its SUV and commercial vehicle range, effective January 2025. Like its peers the company said that the price hike is a response to the rising costs due to inflation and increased commodity prices.

Mahindra has made efforts to absorb as much of these additional costs as possible. However, a portion of this increase will need to be passed on to customers, the company stated.

Hyundai on Thursday announced that it will raise prices up to Rs 25,000 from January 2025, citing similar reasons.

Earlier, luxury car players Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW had announced a price hike of 3 per cent on their entire model ranges which will also be effective from January 1, 2025.

The first prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper trainset has been manufactured and will undergo field trials soon, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added that the timeline for the rollout of the train is subject to a successful completion of the trials.

According to the minister, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains, planned for long and medium-distance journeys, are equipped with modern features and passenger amenities.

Vaishnaw highlighted some of the distinguished features and amenities of these trains, such as the automatic train protection system Kavach, latest fire-safety standards compliance, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti-climbers, a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency, higher average speed with quick deceleration and acceleration, among others.

Talking about medium-distance Vande Bharat train services, Vaishnaw said as on December 2, 136 Vande Bharat train services with chair-car coaches are running across the Indian Railways' network.

Of these, 16 Vande Bharat Express services are catering to the needs of stations located in Tamil Nadu, he added.

The minister said the longest-distance Vande Bharat train services are running between Delhi and Varanasi, covering a distance of 771 km.

He added that the introduction of new train services, including Vande Bharat services and its variants, is an ongoing process subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility and resource availability. -- PTI

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00:55 45 cr devotees expected at Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025: Deputy CM Maurya

Approximately 45 crore (450 million) devotees are expected to attend Prayagraj Mahakumbh-2025, marking a significant milestone, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said here on Friday, during a Roadshow for the event.

Highlighting that the Mahakumbh is a unique celebration of unity within India's diversity, Maurya extended an invitation to the people of Telangana to participate in the event.

He was emphasising that the UP government is taking significant steps to ensure the ceremony is historic, featuring international participation and state-of-the-art facilities, a press release from the UP government said.

Maurya said the footfall will be counted based on attribute-based search, RFID wristbands, which will be provided to pilgrims and through mobile app tracking.

The UP government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is dedicated to making the Mahakumbh a global symbol of India's cultural unity, he said during a Roadshow for the event, the release said.

The Mahakumbh will take place in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, next year, on the banks of the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers.

He said special emphasis has been placed on making Mahakumbh Mela both clean and green even as approximately three lakh plants have been cultivated across Prayagraj, with the Uttar Pradesh government pledging to ensure their care and maintenance even after the conclusion of the Mela.

As many as 101 smart parking facilities have been created, capable of accommodating up to five lakh vehicles daily.

Maurya said under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, UP's double-engine government is uniquely showcasing the cultural, spiritual, traditional, and mythological essence of the rare and highly distinguished religious event of Mahakumbh on the global stage. -- PTI

Devyani Uttam Khobragade, presently ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Cambodia, has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to the Republic of Tunisia, as per a statement by the ministry of external affairs.

Khobragade, of Indian Foreign Service batch 1999, is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the statement added. Khobragade, along with representatives from the embassies of Australia, Japan and US to Cambodia, jointly handed over a consignment of 3,25,000 doses of Made in India Covishield vaccines to the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on April 12, 2022.

Khobragade was appointed as the ambassador of India to Cambodia, on October 1, 2020, the ministry of external affairs said.

Khobragade served as the Joint Secretary in the ministry earlier. -- ANI

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00:51 ED seizes Rs 13.5 crore cash in Malegaon coop-linked PMLA case

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday seized Rs 13.5 crore cash following a fresh round of searches in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in a Malegaon-based cooperative bank, officials said.

Seven premises in Ahmedabad and Mumbai were raided by the central probe agency during the day, they said. The officials said Rs 13.5 crore in cash has been seized.

The ED had conducted searches last month in Maharashtra and Gujarat in the case registered against a Malegaon-based trader, Siraj Ahmed Harun Meman, who allegedly misused bank accounts of various people in the Nashik Merchant Co-operative Bank to carry out transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore.

The money laundering case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act , stems from a November 7 Malegaon Police FIR filed against Meman, who runs a tea and cold drinks agency, and some of his associates.

The money trail investigation conducted by the ED of "debit transactions" made through accounts maintained with NAMCO Bank and with the Bank of Maharashtra shows that the "majority of such amounts were transferred to 21 sole proprietary concerns", the officials said.

Transactions worth hundreds of crores were credited to these accounts, mostly through online banking channels, and were further transferred to various firms and companies, they said. -- PTI

Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde

00:19 Shinde was unwilling to join govt, says party leader

Shiv Sena leader Uday Samant on Friday said deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde did not want to join the new Maharashtra government and instead wanted to focus on building his party.

But the Shiv Sena chief, who served as chief minister in the previous Mahayuti government, relented due to the demand of the party leaders, he said. "Eknath Shinde was not interested in becoming deputy CM.

"Party MLAs and leaders insisted that he should be part of the government because it is his responsibility to ensure that the schemes he launched are taken forward," Samant told reporters.

After the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Shinde spoke to Shiv Sena leaders at the party office, he said.

"He told us he wanted to build the organisation but honoured our request," Samant said.

Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister on Thursday while Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar took oath as his deputies, two weeks after the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition won a massive victory in the assembly elections. -- PTI

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