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Tue, 17 December 2024

RG Kar: Medics move HC for demonstration nod

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23:54 RG Kar murder: Medics move HC for demonstration nod

The Joint Platform of Doctors on Tuesday moved the Calcutta high court, seeking permission to hold a demonstration at a key crossing in the central part of the metropolis, demanding that the CBI submit a supplementary charge sheet in the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.

The application was accepted and the matter is likely to be heard on Wednesday, officials said.

The Kolkata police had on Monday denied permission to the JPD, a joint platform of five organisations of doctors, to hold a sit-in at Doreena Crossing in the heart of Kolkata, citing possible traffic jam in the wake of an expected large gathering of people during Christmas and New Year celebrations. -- PTI

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23:17 Army, Manipur police recover five IEDs in Imphal

Acting on specific intelligence of the presence of explosives in the general area of Maphitel Ridge in Manipur's Imphal East district, the Indian Army and Manipur police on Tuesday launched a search operation and recovered five Improvised explosive devices, weighing 21.5 kilograms at multiple locations, PRO Defence Guwahati said in a release.

As per the release, Eva, the explosive detection dog and bomb disposal squad of the Army played a crucial role in the detection and recovery of these IEDs.

This critical recovery prevented a major threat saving innocent lives.

The operation marks the synergy between the forces and is a significant achievement.

The Army and local law enforcement agencies remain steadfast in their commitment to thwart subversive activities in the state of Manipur, it added. -- ANI

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22:58 Coimbatore serial blasts mastermind Basha buried amidst tight security

The body of SA Basha, the mastermind of the 1998 serial bomb blasts that rocked Coimbatore, was taken in a procession amidst heavy police security and buried on Tuesday evening.

The funeral procession commenced from his Rose Garden residence in South Ukkadam and the body was taken to the Hyder Ali Tippu Sultan Sunnath Jamaath Masjid at Flower Market for the final rites, police said.

A large number of persons including some political party activists and Basha's family participated in the funeral procession which saw at least 1,500 police personnel including those from the Rapid Action Force, deployed to ensure no untoward incidents occurred.

Basha, 84, had died due to age-related ailments at a private hospital here on December 16 evening.

"He was on parole and not keeping well of late. He was admitted to a private hospital as his health deteriorated and died on Monday evening after being in prison for 35 years," said Indian National League party leader J Rahim.

Basha and 16 others from Al-Umma had been serving life imprisonment in connection with the 1998 blasts. -- PTI

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22:42 Blast at Punjab police station, none hurt

A blast occurred at a police station in Punjab's Amritsar in the early hours of Tuesday, triggering panic in the area.

Officials said no one was injured in the "attack".

The incident comes a fortnight after a hand grenade was lobbed at a police post in Nawanshahr.

An explosion was heard at the Islamabad police station around 3.15 am, according to locals. Initially, the Amritsar police claimed that no blast occurred on the police station premises.

However, in an official statement in the evening, the Punjab Police said "in the wake of the attack" on the Islamabad police station, director general of police Gaurav Yadav visited the city and ordered strict action against the perpetrators.

Yadav visited Amritsar a few hours after the incident was reported, according to the statement.

Chairing a high-level meeting here, the DGP emphasised the need for officers to use both technical and human intelligence to detect and apprehend those responsible for the "attack". -- PTI

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Pinarayi Vijayan/File image

22:17 Kerala CM, ministers skip Governor Khan's Christmas celebrations

Amidst the ongoing tensions between the Raj Bhavan and the Left government in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his council of ministers skipped the Christmas celebrations hosted by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Invitations were sent to the CM and all the state ministers for the celebration, but none of them showed up for the event just like last year, a Raj Bhavan source said.

The prominent persons who attended the celebrations included K V Thomas, the Kerala government's special representative in Delhi, chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner Sparjan Kumar, Cardinal Cleemis Bava -- the Major Archbishop-catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church -- and various other leaders from the Christian community, the source said.

Khan has been at loggerheads with the ruling CPI-M and its student wing SFI over appointments made by him to some universities of the state in his capacity as Chancellor of universities.

The Governor's recent appointment of vice-chancellors to technical and digital universities in the state had invited sharp criticism from the CPI-M which alleged that Khan bypassed the high court's directive in making these appointments. -- PTI

Security forces during an anti-Maoist operation/File image

21:43 Maoists used villagers as human shields during Abhujmaad encounter: Police

Maoists used villagers, including minors, as human shields during an encounter with security forces in Abhujmaad area of Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district last week, resulting in injuries to four civilians in the Maoist firing, the police said on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Maoist militia members used civilians to protect Odisha state committee member Kartik alias Dasru. Dasru, carrying a Rs 25 lakh reward on his head, was among the seven Naxals, including two women, who were killed in the exchange of fire with security personnel on Kalhaja-Donderbeda hills in south Abhujmaad, considered the Maoist den, on December 12.

A couple of days back, police received inputs about injuries to four villagers in the December 12 encounter following which they were hospitalised, inspector general of police Sundarraj P said.

"The preliminary investigation suggests that militia members of Maoists used villagers, including minors, to shield Maoist leader Kartik during the gunfight. Maoists had kept villagers along with them to ferry their goods. After the encounter broke out, they fired on security personnel using these civilians as their cover. Four villagers were reported to be injured in the firing by Maoists", he said.

After learning about the incident, the injured civilians were provided preliminary treatment and shifted to hospital, he said. -- PTI

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21:18 Warring factions: SC orders status quo on management of Kerala churches

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed for maintaining status quo on the management and administration of churches in the dispute between Jacobite Syrian Church and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church factions in Kerala.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan noted both factions had expressed their inability to comply with its December 3 direction to Jacobite Syrian Church to hand over the administration of six churches to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church faction.

"The status quo with regard to administration of churches as of now shall be continued till further orders," the bench said and asked the state government to adopt a persuasive approach, if the situation aggravated.

The bench said the issue required a detailed hearing and posted the matter on January 29 and January 30, 2025.

On December 3, the top court directed the Jacobite Syrian Church to hand over the administration of six churches in Kerala to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church faction saying they were in contempt of its 2017 judgement.

It had observed that the members of the Jacobite Syrian Church were in contempt for "wilfully disobeying" the 2017 judgment.

The verdict was over the dispute between the two factions, wherein the top court held that 1,100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church should be controlled by the Orthodox faction, in accordance with the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines.

Jacobite church followers have been accused of preventing access to the Orthodox faction, despite orders from both the Kerala high court and the Supreme Court. -- PTI

The 11 Indian nationals who died in an Indian restaurant in Gudauri, Georgia due to carbon monoxide poisoning are mostly from the state of Punjab, the sources said the embassy is working to repatriate the mortal remains at the earliest.

"The Indian embassy in Georgia is in touch with the families and is working with local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains at the earliest," according to sources.

On Monday the embassy confirmed the deaths of 11 Indian nationals in Gudauri, Georgia, and expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families.

In a press release posted on X, the Indian embassy in Georgia wrote, "The embassy of India in Tbilisi is saddened to learn of the unfortunate passing of eleven Indian nationals in Gudauri, Georgia, and extends its deepest condolences to their families."

"The embassy is working closely with local authorities to facilitate the prompt repatriation of the mortal remains to India. We are also in contact with the bereaved families and are committed to providing all possible support," the press release added. -- ANI

20:39 BSE Sensex top losers today

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty slumped over 1 per cent on Tuesday, weighed down by an across-the-board selloff amid cautious investors approach ahead of the US Fed interest rate decision.

Falling for the second day in a row, the 30-share BSE benchmark Sensex tanked 1,064.12 points or 1.30 percent to settle at 80,684.45.

During the day, it slumped 1,136.37 points or 1.39 percent to 80,612.20.

The NSE Nifty tumbled 332.25 points or 1.35 percent to 24,336.

From the 30-share blue-chip pack, all firms ended in the red. Bharti Airtel, IndusInd Bank, JSW Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Asian Paints, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank were the biggest laggards.

20:33 Western Nepal records mild earthquake

A mild earthquake hit Bajhang district of western Nepal Tuesday evening, which was felt by people living in the surrounding districts as well even when the authorities said there are no immediate reports of any damage or loss of life.

The tremor with 4.3 magnitude epicentred at Dhamane area of Talkot Rural Municipality of Bajhang district was recorded at 5.07 pm, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre.

However, there are no immediate reports of any damage due to the earthquake, according to Kishor Joshi, spokesperson at Bajhang district police office.

As per data from the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, Nepal, of the 16 quakes recorded across Nepal in 2024, Bajhang alone recorded as many as five of them while western Nepal recorded 50 percent of the total quakes from January 1 till date.

Situated on the precarious Himalayan seismic zone, Nepal is a highly earthquake prone country and its quake-battered western mountainous region is likely to face a threat of a bigger earthquake, seismologists have maintained.

According to the government's post-disaster needs assessment report, Nepal is the 11th most earthquake-prone country in the world. -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the Congress for bringing various amendments to the Constitution, saying the opposition party considered it as the 'private fiefdom' of one family and amended it to remain in power.

Replying to a discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India', Shah also accused the Congress of being anti-reservation and said it never worked for the benefit of the backward classes.

The minister also chided the Congress for 'finding faults' in EVMs after losing elections.

At the outset, he noted that the Constitution strengthened the roots of democracy and the transfer of power happens without shedding even a drop of blood.

Shah listed many amendments made to the Constitution by the Congress, claiming the party did so for its own benefit.

Even before the first elections in the country, Jawaharlal Nehru effected the first Constitutional amendment to curtail the freedom of expression, he claimed.

"The Congress considered the Constitution as 'private fiefdom' of one family and deceived Parliament," Shah said.

He also charged that the Congress deprived Muslim women of their rights for years only for vote bank politics.

"They (Cong) did nothing except eulogising one family," Shah said. -- PTI

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant on Tuesday said efforts are underway to placate party leaders who are upset over their exclusion from the state cabinet.

Talking to reporters in Nagpur, Samant admitted there may be some unhappiness among party legislators because of the denial of ministerial berths.

Thirty-nine legislators from Mahayuti allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, were sworn in the first cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government on December 15.

Ten ministers in the previous Mahayuti government were dropped, while 16 new faces were inducted into the cabinet.

While the BJP secured 19 ministerial berths, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP got 11 and 9 berths, respectively.Samant said, "We work as a family under Eknath Shinde.

There could be unhappiness if someone does not get a place in the cabinet.

It is the responsibility of those who have become ministers to address the unhappiness. We are working on it extensively (to address it).

"Be it Shiv Sena leaders Tanaji Sawant or Vijay Shivtare, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde will pacify them, Samant said about some party leaders being upset over their exclusion from the state cabinet.

"If we don't do good work in two or three months, Shinde, who made us minister, will take back our ministerial berth," he said.

Samant said it was not possible to accommodate everyone, as the Shiv Sena has only 12 positions in the state cabinet.

He also said portfolios are expected to be allocated soon.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Shivtare had expressed disappointment at being ignored in the first cabinet expansion of the Fadnavis-led government.

A miffed Shivtare said he wouldn't take up a ministerial post even if offered after two and half years.

Another cabinet aspirant, Shiv Sena' MLA from Bhandara, Narendra Bhondekar, quit all party posts -- deputy leader and coordinator for eastern Vidarbha -- after being overlooked for ministerial position. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Pravin Darekar on Tuesday alleged in the Maharashtra council that a conspiracy was hatched to frame Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and then-minister Eknath Shinde in a false case during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

At the time, BJP MLA Fadnavis was Leader of Opposition in the assembly, while Shinde was a member of the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet holding the urban development ministry.

After the collapse of the MVA government, Shinde took over as CM in June 2022 with Fadnavis as his deputy.

Darekar made the allegation while speaking on a point of information in the upper house of the legislature, which is having its winter session in Nagpur, and demanded a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the alleged conspiracy.

Cabinet minister Shambhuraj Desai, speaking on behalf of the Mahayuti government, said the issue raised by Darekar was serious and told the house an SIT headed by a senior IPS officer will be formed to probe the matter.

Darekar said audio clips purportedly linked to the conspiracy were played on TV channels on Monday.

The ruling party MLC claimed he was in possession of a pen drive containing an audio clip of purported conversation between former Maharashtra director general of police Sanjay Pandey and then-ACP Laxmikant Patil.

Darekar claimed that in the audio clip, Pandey is purportedly heard asking Patil, then posted in adjoining Thane city, to register a case and arrest Fadnavis and Shinde, now a deputy CM in the Mahayuti government.

Desai said it was important to find out who was behind the alleged conspiracy and misuse of power at that time, referring to the MVA government's tenure (November 2019 to June 2022).

The BJP legislator also demanded immediate suspension of Patil.

Cabinet minister Desai said he will speak about the matter with Fadnavis. -- PTI

Satish Sharma, Sports Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday said that there is nothing wrong with the introduction of a 'One Nation One Election' in the country if the Bill saves the country's money.

"First I will take the opinion of my CM. Apart from being the minister, I believe nothing is wrong. If the country's money gets saved, our tax money gets saved, then I feel it is fine...initially, when we got independence, that's how it used to be...we need to save the taxpayers' money," Satish Sharma told ANI.

17:58 HC quashes extortion FIR against Vijayendra

The Karnataka high court on Tuesday quashed the first information report (FIR) registered against Bharatiya Janata Party state president B Y Vijayendra, who was accused of extorting money under the pretext of electoral bonds.

The FIR, filed by Bengaluru police in September based on a complaint by city activist Adarsh R Iyer, also named Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate officials, and BJP office-bearers at state and national levels.

At the time, Vijayendra was the BJP vice president, while Nalin Kumar Kateel, another accused, was the state BJP president.

On December 3, the court quashed the case against Kateel.

"The entire extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds was orchestrated hand-in-glove with BJP officials at various levels," the complainant alleged.

The case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention). -- PTI

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray head Uddhav Thackeray called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the latter's chamber in the Vidhan Bhawan in Nagpur on Tuesday.

The former state CM was accompanied by Sena-UBT legislators Aaditya Thackeray, Anil Parab and Varun Sardesai during the meeting with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Fadnavis.

Uddhav Thackeray, who is a member of the state legislative council, arrived in Nagpur on Tuesday to attend the ongoing winter session of the state legislature.

He will also take part in the Shiv Sena-UBT legislature party meeting in the evening.

After the 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (then undivided) snapped ties with long-term ally BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. -- PTI

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit out at the government, saying voting at the introduction stage of two bills on simultaneous elections in the Lok Sabha showed the BJP did not have the two-third majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.

Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate on Tuesday.

Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws -- a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill -- as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government.

"We (the Congress) are not the only ones that have opposed this bill. The vast majority of the opposition parties have opposed this bill and the grounds are very many, it is a violation of the federal structure of the Constitution. Why should a state government fall if the central government falls?" he told reporters in the Parliament premises.

"Why should the timetable of one who enjoys the mandate of the people be truncated because of the timetable of another? It makes no sense. In a parliamentary system, you cannot have fixed terms. The reason that fixed terms ended in 1969 is because of the fact that we have in our country a parliamentary system different Houses, different majorities, different coalitions, may rise and fall at different times," Tharoor said.

He added that going through the trouble of changing the system like this made no sense because it would again result in the same mess when a future government at the Centre or in the states lose the confidence of the majority.

"My view is that this entire thing is a folly. In any case, the votes today have demonstrated that the BJP does not have the two-third majority required to pass a constitutional amendment," he said.

Tharoor said the government might constitute Parliament's joint committee in such a way that it has a majority but, without a two-third majority in the House, there would not be a constitutional amendment.

"So this discussion is increasingly futile," he added. -- PTI

Gurugram Traffic Police has issued a challan of Rs 15,000 to popular rapper Badshah for driving on the wrong side of the road, playing loud music, and rash driving, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on December 15 when Badshah came to the Airia Mall on Sohana Road for a special appearance in a concert by Punjabi singer Karan Aujla, police said.

The Mahindra Thar in which the singer was present is registered in the name of Deepender Malik, a resident of Panipat.

Due to long traffic, the SUV, which was part of Badshah's convoy, drove on the wrong side of the road, catching the attention of some passersby who filmed the act.

As the clippings of the incident went viral on social media, the traffic police took note of it and issued a challan of Rs 15,000 to the rapper on Monday.

"A challan has been issued and action has been taken for rash driving, playing loud music in the vehicle, and driving on the wrong side," Traffic Inspector Devender Kumar said. -- PTI

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday launched a veiled attack on party president Ajit Pawar over his exclusion from the new council of ministers, claiming Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was in favour of his induction in the cabinet.

He said Ajit Pawar, the NCP president, makes decisions for the party like Fadnavis for the BJP and Eknath Shinde for the Shiv Sena.

Amid speculation over his Jahan nahi chaina, wahan nahi rehna remark a day before, Bhujbal said he would speak on Wednesday after discussing with NCP workers and people from the Yeola constituency.

The prominent OBC leader said he wasn't disappointed about not being made a minister but felt humiliated by his treatment.

Speaking to reporters in Nashik, Bhujbal claimed that he was asked to contest Lok Sabha elections in May but his name was never finalised.

Weeks after winning assembly elections from Yeola seat, Bhujbal said he was recently offered a Rajya Sabha seat.

"I accepted the suggestion to contest Lok Sabha elections from Nashik. When I wanted to be in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year, I was asked to fight the assembly elections. I was offered a Rajya Sabha seat eight days ago which I rejected.

"They didn't listen to me then, now they are giving it (Rajya Sabha seat). Am I a toy in your hands?" he asked.

Do you think whenever you tell me I will stand up, whenever you tell me I will sit down and contest the elections? What will the people in my constituency feel if I resign?" he questioned.

"I have confirmed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis insisted on my inclusion in the state cabinet. The chief of each party in the Mahayuti alliance decides for his party. Fadnavis for BJP, Eknath Shinde for Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar for NCP," he said.

Fadnavis expanded his cabinet in Nagpur on Sunday and inducted 39 new members in his team -- 19 from the BJP, 11 from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 9 from Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Bhujbal was among 10 ministers who were dropped from the new council of ministers, which has 16 new faces.

The former food and civil supplies minister had expressed his disappointment and skipped the winter session of the state legislature. He returned to his constituency Yeola in Nashik district.

"I was asked to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Nashik on the insistence of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. I prepared for over a month. I received support from various sections. However, at the last moment, my name was not announced, and I had to withdraw from the contest," he said.

The NCP leader said he had later expressed his desire for a Rajya Sabha seat, and was told that Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar, and Nitin Patil were being considered.

"I accepted the party's decision even then. I had said my experience would be useful in the Rajya Sabha, but I was told I was needed in Maharashtra," he claimed.

"After contesting and winning the state assembly elections, I am told to move to Rajya Sabha. For this, Nitin Patil will be asked to resign. I was denied the opportunity when I wanted it. My constituents fought hard for me in this election. How can I ask them to accept my resignation now?" he questioned. -- PTI

Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday announced that he would launch an indefinite fast on January 25, 2025, to press for the Maratha community's demands, including reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category.

Addressing the media at Antarwali Sarthi village in Jalna, Jarange urged members of the Maratha community to gather in large numbers at the protest site.

"No one should stay at home. Come to Antarwali Sarthi, and let us show our collective strength," he said.

The 42-year-old activist has been demanding the implementation of a draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare' (those related by birth or marriage) of Marathas and granting reservation in jobs and education to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

The agrarian Kunbi community already gets quota benefits under the OBC category.

Accusing the government of failing to fulfil its promises, Jarange said, "The government has cheated us. We will not spare them if they don't meet our demands during the ongoing winter session."

The activist, who has launched six hunger strikes in the last one year, stressed that the fast would be voluntary and any member of the Maratha community can participate.

"Anyone willing to join is welcome. There will be no compulsion or pressure on anyone," he clarified.

Apart from the 'sage soyare' notification, Jarange has also demanded speeding up the work of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde Committee set up by the Maharashtra government to expedite the process of granting Kunbi certificates to members of the Maratha community, making them eligible for quota.

In February this year, the state legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category. However, Jarange has been insisting on quota for the community under the OBC head. -- PTI

15:16 Modi favoured referring ONOE bill to JPC: Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi favoured detailed discussion at every level on the 'one nation, one election' bill and wanted it to be referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday.

Shah made the remarks in Lok Sabha when the House was hearing objections to the introduction of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill that seeks to usher in simultaneous polls to the Lower House and state assemblies.

"When One Nation, One Election bills came up in Cabinet, PM Modi said these should be referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament. There should be a detailed discussion over it at every level," Shah said.

The home minister pointed out that DMK member T R Baalu too had favoured referring the bill to a parliamentary committee.

Shah said the bill can be discussed in greater detail in the Joint Committee of Parliament.

The report of the JPC will be approved by the Union Cabinet and the Bill can be discussed again in Parliament, he said.

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha following a division of votes. The Union Territories Amendment Bill seeks to align the elections to the union territories Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir with the Lok Sabha polls. -- PTI

14:43 Bengaluru Police seizes drugs worth Rs 24 cr

A foreign national was arrested for allegedly running a drug racket and 12 kg banned MDMA crystals worth an estimated Rs 24 crore were seized from her possession here, police said on Tuesday.

This was the largest drug seizure by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) unit of Bengaluru Police in the state so far, they claimed.

The arrest was made based on specific information about the woman suspect, who resided in TC Palya area within the K R Pura police station limits, police said.

Based on this information, on December 13, the CCB team raided the place and arrested the foreign national woman who was involved in selling the prohibited drug, they added.

"Narcotics Control Wing of the CCB team has successfully cracked an MDMA Crystal drug network. It is an international network. They have successfully recovered 12 kgs of pure white and yellow MDMA. The total value is approximately Rs 24 crore. This is one of the biggest recoveries in Bengaluru and Karnataka," said B Dayananda, Bengaluru Police Commissioner.

Narcotics Control Wing of the CCB received information that a foreign woman residing in TC Palya, under the jurisdiction of KR Puram Police Station, had set up a shop catering to the needs of African nationals by selling food and grocery items, he said.

"Alongside this, she was selling illegal drugs. After the CCB Narcotics team arrested her, they interrogated her, got the details, and seized 12 kgs of drugs. We are searching for the supplier," he added.

According to him, during the investigation, it was found that they brought the banned drugs from Mumbai in soap packets, dry fish boxes, and so on. They supply to software engineers, foreigners, and others at higher prices in Bengaluru.

In total, 12 kgs of MDMA crystals, mobile phones and 70 Airtel SIM cards have been seized.

A Mumbai-based woman was supplying the drugs to the arrested foreign national.

"She has confessed that she was involved in making illegal money by selling drugs at higher prices. The suspect came to Bengaluru on a business visa five years ago, and now the visa has also expired. Further investigation is underway to identify the Mumbai woman, understand why they had 70 SIM cards, and determine where they were getting the drugs," he added.

A case under NDPS Act and Foreigners Act has been registered and further investigation is underway to nab the other foreign national woman involved in the racket, police said. -- PTI

JUST IN: 'One Nation One Election' Bills introduced in Lok Sabha with 269 voting in favour and 198 against.

Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned till 3 pm following introduction of 'One Nation One Election' bills. -- PTI

13:41 BJD undecided on simultaneous polls

The Biju Janata Dal will decide its stand on the issue of the simultaneous election after examining the details of the two bills on the matter that are before the Lok Sabha, party leader Sasmit Patra said on Tuesday.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Tuesday moved for the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly referred to as the Bill on 'One Nation, One Election', and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to align the polls of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and the NCT of Delhi.

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a press conference in New Delhi, Patra said BJD chief Naveen Patnaik is 'seized of the matter'.

All seven Rajya Sabha MPs of the BJD held a press conference here on Tuesday and expressed their support to Naven Patnaik and rejected reports of defections in the party that did not win a single Lok Sabha seat this time.

Asked about the BJD's stand on the 'One Nation, One Election' bills, Patra said party chief Naveen Patnaik is 'seized of the matter'.

"The BJD does not have a presence in Lok Sabha. When the Bills come to the Rajya Sabha, the party will take a decision," he said.

"BJD president Naveen Patnaik is seized of the matter, after a bill copy is released we will examine it, and a decision will be taken by the party."

About alleged defections in the party, Patra said, "There are seven BJD (Rajya Sabha) MPs who have been constantly targeted in social media. The concern is they are constantly saying we are defecting.

"Therefore we wanted all seven MPs to come together in a press meeting and strongly say that we are with Naveen Patnaik ji and the Biju Janata Dal. No one is leaving," Patra said while terming the defection claims 'completely false, fabricated and concocted'.

The BJD had come to the aid of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Parliament on several occasions in the past two terms of the Narendra Modi government, even as it had left the National Democratic Alliance in 2009.

However, after losing the state assembly polls and with no Lok Sabha MP, the BJD announced that it would serve as a 'strong and vibrant' opposition in the Upper House of Parliament.

The party is, however, not a part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). -- PTI

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposes the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 on 'One Nation, One Election'.

Also proposes the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

He proposes bills should be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Division of votes taking place in Lok Sabha.

More details awaited. -- ANI

As the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) opposed the One Nation, One Election bill, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju slammed the Congress saying, "Does they mean to say that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's government for so long was illegal."

Speaking with ANI, Rijiju noted that India had One Nation and One Election for two decades after independence, primarily during the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's government.

He further alleged Congress of 'misusing' Article 356 and holding separate elections.

"One Nation, One Election is a very important issue for the nation. It's not for the party or any other individual, it's for the country. When the bill for One Nation, One Election will be introduced, I hope that the country will see the Congress play a negative game. When India got independence, for two decades India had One Nation, One Election.

"It was only after the Congress misused Article 356, then there were different elections between Parliament and some of the states... Does the Congress mean to say that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's government for so long was illegal because that time, it was One Nation, One Election?" Rijiju said.

He questioned the Congress's intention to continue the current trends of elections being held 'month after month'.

He stated that elections are held to serve the country.

"Does the Congress mean that the country should keep on conducting elections month after month for five years? We must understand that we hold the election to serve the country and the people of this country," Rijiju said.

Further lambasting the Congress over their criticism of EVMs, Rijiju mentioned that they formed the government in 2004 and 2009 through these EVMs.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Manish Tewari submitted a formal notice to oppose the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha.

"My objections to the proposed bill are based on serious concerns regarding constitutionalism and constitutionality," he stated. -- ANI

A passenger aircraft that took off from the Cochin International Airport for Bahrain on Tuesday was "called back" shortly after departure following reports of a suspected issue with its tyre, an airport source said.

The issue was detected soon after take-off, the source said. As a precautionary measure, the carrier was instructed to return to Cochin Airport to ensure passenger safety.

The source said preparations were underway to facilitate a safe landing.

More details are awaited. -- PTI

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moves 'one nation, one election' bills for introduction in Lok Sabha.

Several Congress MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Tuesday, demanding justice for Hindus and Christians facing atrocities in Bangladesh.

The MPs protested with handbags which had 'Stand with minorities of Bangladesh' written on it. They raised slogans urging the government to ensure justice for minorities in Bangladesh.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi was seen carrying a cream-coloured handbag to Parliament on which it was written "Bangladesh ke Hindu aur Isaiyon ke saath khade ho" (stand with the Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh).

This comes a day after she expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine, carrying a handbag with 'Palestine' emblazoned on it.

Several Congress MPs led by Priyanka Gandhi had staged a protest in Parliament premises on Monday also, demanding justice for Hindus and Christians facing atrocities in Bangladesh. -- PTI

Delhi-NCR schools on Tuesday switched to the hybrid mode of conducting classes following the re-imposition of anti-pollution measures under the Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

According to the revised GRAP schedule, classes for students in grades VI-IX and XI in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar must operate in hybrid mode (physical and online) under Stage 4. However, students of class X and XII have to attend school in-person

Pritika Gupta, principal of the Sovereign School in Rohini said, "We are conducting online classes for students up to Class 5, while classes from Class 6 onwards will be held offline."

"As exams are approaching, students up to Class 5 will take their exams online, whereas those in higher classes will take them offline," Gupta added.

Chairperson of the Gitarattan School in Rohini, RN Jindal said, "Today, all classes are being conducted offline. However, we are planing to shift classes up to Class 5 to online mode, while classes from Class 6 onwards will remain offline."

With exams approaching, many schools were conducting offline classes for children in junior and senior school.

Sudha Acharya, principal of ITL School in Dwarka, said, "All classes in our school will be conducted offline as exams and pre-boards for Classes 10 and 12 are approaching."

She said, "Many parents have requested us to hold all classes offline as students are lacking behind in various activities due to online classes, so we will proceed accordingly." -- PTI

11:19 BJP likely to get new president in February

The new BJP president, who will succeed incumbent J P Nadda, is likely to be elected by the end of February, according to a senior party functionary.

Party sources said the ongoing organisational election is on track to complete the polling process in more than half of its state units by mid-January, an exercise that will unveil the process of electing its new national president.

A senior leader said the tenure of nearly 60 per cent of the BJP's state unit presidents is over, and their replacements are likely to be in place by the middle of the next month.

The BJP's constitution stipulates that organisational polls should be completed in at least half of its state units before the process to elect the national president is started.

"We expect that a new BJP president will assume the charge by the end of February," the functionary said.

Asked whether the new BJP president may be someone who is currently serving as a Union minister, he said it could be either from the government or from the organisation, adding that nothing has been finalised yet.

Incidentally, Nadda, also the Union health minister, had taken over as the party's national president in February 2020. -- PTI

Pakistani politician Fawad Chaudhry lauded Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after she carried a bag with "Palestine" emblazoned on it to Parliament on Monday.

The former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader slammed his fellow Pakistani politicians for "not demonstrating such courage."

"What else could we expect from a granddaughter of a towering freedom fighter like Jawaharlal Nehru? Priyanka Gandhi has stood tall amidst pigmies, such shame that to date, no Pakistani member of Parliament has demonstrated such courage," Chaudhry posted on X.

In a show of support for the people of Palestine, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday carried a bag to Parliament that had 'Palestine' emblazoned on it.

The Congress general secretary has been raising her voice against Israel's actions in Gaza and expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

Israel is "closer than ever" to closing a deal with Hamas regarding the freeing of the hostages held in Gaza, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told Knesset lawmakers on Monday (local time), as reported by Times of Israel.

Katz's comments to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee were reportedly made in a closed-door meeting, but leaks of his remarks were reported widely in the Hebrew press.

"Israel is closer than ever to another hostage deal," Katz was quoted as saying.

He added that the "less said the better," echoing comments made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday after he discussed with United States President-elect Donald Trump the ongoing efforts to free the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

"We are working all the time, without rest, to bring our hostages home," Netanyahu said in a statement after the call, giving scant details.

"The less we talk about it, the better -- that way, with God's help, we will succeed," Netanyahu added.

Trump has threatened those holding hostages in the Middle East with 'unprecedented American firepower' if they are not released by the time he enters office on January 20.

Katz also predicted that the deal on the table would be backed by most of the coalition and should not face internal obstacles, Times of Israel quoted Walla news site.

He indicated that the deal would not include an open-ended halt to hostilities, a measure sought by Hamas but opposed by many in Netanyahu's hard-right coalition, as per Times of Israel.

"There's flexibility on the other side. They understand we're not going to end the war," he was quoted as saying.

Hamas carried out a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7 killing over 1200 people and holding over 250 as hostages. Around 100 of them are still believed to be in captivity in Gaza.

Six persons were killed and nearly 10 others injured after a private bus rammed into a dumper truck on a highway in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district on Tuesday morning, police said.

The accident took place near Trapaj village at around 6 am when the bus was on way towards Mahuva from Bhavnagar, Superintendent of Police Harshad Patel said.

The bus hit the dumper truck from behind.

Six persons were killed in the accident, the official said, adding that eight to ten others were injured.

The injured persons were undergoing treatment at a hospital and they were reported to be out of danger, he said.

The collision was so severe that the right side front portion of the bus was completely damaged, as per officials. -- PTI

09:36 Delhi's air quality breaches 400 mark

Delhi's air quality has worsened further, with levels again breaching the 400 mark and falling into the 'severe' category, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM),

At 7 AM on Tuesday, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) was 421. AQI values in areas including Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, and Alipur ranged from 400 to 470, signifying hazardous air quality.

Meanwhile, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classified the local air quality in the "Very Poor" category.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported the minimum temperature in Delhi as 5 degrees Celsius.

Bhagat Singh, a local resident, said, "Pollution has become an incurable disease, especially for Delhi. This is a problem every year. Earlier, several people went for a morning walk here, but now, a lot of them have quit due to pollution. A willpower by the government is needed to resolve this issue."

Another resident stated, "The temperature was about 7 degrees Celsius, and because of the fog, cars were not visible on the road. However, as soon as the fog cleared, we could see the cars."

The Sub-Committee of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) implemented Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR) on Monday night with "immediate effect" in response to declining air quality.

This decision came after Delhi's AQI surpassed the 400 mark. On Monday night, the AQI was reported as 399 at 9 PM and crossed into the severe zone at 401 by 10 PM.

Sundar Sethuraman/Business Standard

December is shaping up to be the busiest month for IPOs this year.

With half a dozen companies announcing their listing plans on Monday, the total count has already reached 11. Investment bankers expect an additional 2 to 3 launches before the year ends.

The maximum number of deals launched in a single month in 2024 was 12 in September. However, the highest total raised was in October, when six companies amassed a cumulative Rs 38,689 crore, according to Prime Database.

The latest companies to announce their IPO pricing and dates are Ventive Hospitality (issue size Rs 1,600 crore), DAM Capital Advisors (Rs 840 crore), Transrail Lighting (Rs 839 crore), Sanathan Textiles (Rs 550 crore), Concord Enviro Systems (Rs 500 crore), and Mamata Machinery (Rs 179 crore). Most of these IPOs are set to open on Thursday.

Industry players note that the sharp rally in the market over the past month has emboldened companies to advance their listing plans. Additionally, many deals are being scheduled together, as the last week of December is typically avoided by companies due to concerns about limited participation from foreign portfolio investors during the year-end holiday period.

Nitin Kumar/Business Standard

Delhi has emerged as the only major state or Union Territory that saw a sharp decline in electric vehicle (EV) registrations this year, despite the government extending its EV policy until March 2025.

Registrations in the national capital slumped from 1,435 units in January to just 220 in November, a staggering 85 per cent fall.

In contrast, other major EV markets have reported growth.

Sales in Maharashtra rose from 1,297 units in January to 1,344 in November, marking a 3 per cent increase, while Karnataka experienced an 18 per cent jump, with sales climbing from 1,121 units in January to 1,333 in November.

Sector experts say that lack of clarity, and unannounced halts in the policy have deterred customers from buying EVs in Delhi. The Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2020 officially expired in August 2023 but has remained in force through extensions.

In November, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced that subsidies and road tax exemptions would be reinstated for vehicles purchased on or after January 1. However, buyers are still waiting to receive the promised benefits under the extension.

In September, EV sales in Delhi nearly ground to a halt after the state government withdrew the road tax waiver for electric cars and two-wheelers. The suspension of incentives led to a sharp increase in EV prices, significantly impacting sales, with only 82 electric cars sold that month.

For two consecutive months -- September and October -- the Delhi government did not extend the incentives. It was only after the Supreme Court criticised the government for failing to control air pollution in the capital that the extension was announced in November.

"Delhi's sharp decline in EV registrations can be attributed to the lack of policy consistency and the absence of meaningful incentives for electric cars. While other states like Maharashtra and Karnataka have continued to see growth, Delhi s indecision on policy extensions and the suspension of key incentives have discouraged potential buyers. To revive the market, Delhi needs to provide clearer, long-term incentives and ensure that the benefits promised to EV buyers are quickly rolled out, said a sector expert, requesting anonymity.

The extension, however, did little to boost electric car sales, as the Delhi EV policy does not offer monetary incentives for electric cars.

The policy provides a maximum incentive of Rs 30,000 for electric two-wheeler and auto buyers. For electric cars, the government had initially offered an incentive of Rs 150,000 but only for the first 1,000 buyers. Currently, electric car owners are eligible only for road tax and registration fee waivers.

Since January, only 6,059 electric cars have been sold in Delhi, compared to 13,584 in Maharashtra, and 12,872 in Karnataka.

08:53 Expect Low Hiring From IT Cos in FY 2025

Shivani Shinde/Business Standard

The Indian IT services industry is expected to clock revenue growth in the mid-single digit for the financial year 2024-2025 (FY25), according to a report by Icra for the year.

The Indian IT service sector will log growth in the range of 4 to 6 per cent, slightly better than the low-single digit growth of 3.8 per cent for FY24, the report said.

With demand still in the slow lane, the hiring target of the industry is also expected to be in the low range.

'Hiring is likely to pick up materially only by the end of H1 FY26,' said the report.

Icras estimates also match the outlook projected by UnearthInsight -- a market intelligence firm, which predicts that the industry will clock growth of 5 to 6 per cent for FY25.

For the year, the industry will cross the milestone of $265 billion.

UnearthInsights also added that long-term growth is expected to be 7 to 8 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) till 2030.

Continued slow growth in revenue will also impact the hiring pattern of the sector.

'While there has been some recovery in Q2 FY25, hiring will remain low in the near term until the growth momentum picks up. The formation of the new government in the US may create some policy uncertainty in the immediate term and thus will remain monitorable,' said the Icra report.

Hiring by IT services companies had been at an all-time high in FY22 and H1 FY23, buoyed by strong demand for digital technologies and to combat the surge in attrition levels.

Subsequently, moderation in demand coupled with the increase in utilisation of excess capacity added during FY22 and FY23 exerted pressure on hiring by IT services companies through FY24 and Q1 FY25.

The tech industries total headcount is expected to touch 5.6 million from the FY24 5.4 million.

FY25 gross hiring is expected to close at around 0.8 million professionals, with an average attrition of about 12 to 14 per cent at industry level. Hiring, according to UnearthInsights, has been fueled by demand from global capacity centres (GCC).

The report stated that the 1,780 GCCs in India will close at a revenue of $75 billion, and employee count at 2 million for FY25, which has grown fastest in the last three years.

Generative artificial intelligence (gen AI), the big focus of the tech world, continues to be a small revenue generator. According to the report, GenAI, as a service, generates around $5 million to $10 million in revenue per project as only one third of Fortune 2000 firms have modernised their ERP platforms and less than 10 per cent have mature data.

A constitutional amendment bill for holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously has been listed for introduction in the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday and could be referred to a joint committee of the two Houses.

The Lok Sabha agenda said the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, popularly being referred to as the Bill on "one nation, one election", will be introduced by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

After its introduction, Meghwal will request Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the Bill to a Joint Committee of Parliament for wider consultations.

The minister will also introduce the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to align the elections of the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry and the NCT of Delhi.

The joint panel will be constituted on a pro-rata basis, based on the strength of MPs of various parties.

As the largest party, the BJP will get the chairmanship of the committee, besides several members, a functionary said on Monday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was a member of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind that recommended holding Lok Sabha, state assembly and local body elections simultaneously in a phased manner, is likely to be present in the Lower House at the time of the Bill's introduction, the functionary said.

Last week, the Union Cabinet decided to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies but opted to leave "as of now" how local body polls will be held.

Meghwal may tell the Lower House that since the Bill will need wider consultations with lawmakers and the public, it should be sent to a joint committee.

The speaker will seek the names of members for the proposed panel from the parties on the same day.

If the parties do not inform the speaker about the members they wish to name for the panel, according to the rules, they may lose membership. -- PTI

Amid chilly weather in Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department has predicted further dip in temperatures in the state's central parts and Marathwada.

Temperatures in Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada regions may fall even more on Tuesday, though no such conditions are expected in areas like Mumbai, Konkan, Vidarbha, North and South Maharashtra, an IMD official told PTI.

"In Madhya Maharashtra, temperatures have been recorded below normal for the past few days. For instance, Ahilyanagar reported a minimum temperature of 5.5 degrees Celsius, which is 5.6 degrees Celsius lower than usual. Pune city experienced a temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius, falling 4.3 degrees Celsius below its normal level," he said.

However, in Mumbai, the Colaba observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees Celsius, which is 1.3 degrees higher than normal, while the minimum temperature was 19.8 degrees Celsius, slightly below usual by 1.3 degrees Celsius, he pointed out.

"This shows that while the maximum temperature was higher than normal, the minimum was lower. Similarly, at Santacruz observatory, the maximum temperature was recorded at 35.4 degrees Celsius, which is 3.1 degrees Celsius above normal, whereas the minimum temperature dropped to 14 degrees Celsius, which is 4.5 degrees Celsius below average," the official informed. -- PTI

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01:00 Scuffle breaks out at Delhi University law faculty amid exam schedule protests

A scuffle broke out between students and police at Delhi University's Campus Law Centre on Monday during a protest by law students against the examination schedule.

Students alleged that police used lathi charge and tear gas to disperse them, leaving several injured.

The Delhi police rejected the claims.

Hundreds of students had gathered on the campus since morning, demanding an extension of the exam dates.

They cited incomplete syllabus coverage, mid-course faculty changes, delays in allotments, and a sudden syllabus update as the reasons for their agitation.

According to the protesters, tensions escalated when they attempted to meet the Dean of the Faculty of Law.

"We were protesting peacefully for over eight hours, but instead of addressing our concerns, the administration resorted to police action," a student said.

Visuals from the site revealed heavy police deployment, with some personnel carrying batons amid a large crowd of students.

Arguments were seen breaking out between the two sides.

There was no immediate response from Anju Vali Tikoo, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, on the allegations. -- PTI

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00:55 Tribal woman's body transported in autorickshaw to crematorium in Kerala

A tribal woman's body was transported to the public crematorium in an autorickshaw, allegedly due to the non-availability of an ambulance on time, triggering a protest in this district on Monday.

The image of the body of Chundamma, an elderly woman from the Veettichaal settlement in Edavaka Panchayat, Mananthavady, being transported in an autorickshaw, wrapped in a bed sheet, was aired by television channels.

The woman died at her home in the hamlet, and the family reportedly waited for hours for an ambulance from the tribal development office to take the body to the crematorium, located several kms away.

The incident sparked widespread criticism, and opposition Congress activists staged a protest sit-in in front of the local tribal development office, later in the day.

They raised slogans accusing officials of indifference and demanded action against those responsible for the delay in providing the ambulance.

Meanwhile, official sources stated that the local tribal promoter, who failed to inform the tribal development office about the need for an ambulance, was responsible for the issue.

Sources said officials assured the protesters that action would be taken against those responsible for the incident. -- PTI

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00:43 JNU warns students against screening of BBC docu on Modi

Jawaharlal Nehru University has issued an advisory warning students against participating in the screening of a banned BBC documentary featuring Narendra Modi, stating such activities could disturb "communal harmony" on campus.

The advisory comes ahead of a screening of India: The Modi Question by the Left-backed All India Students Federation at Ganga Dhaba Tuesday night.

The university said no permission had been granted for the screening, calling it "unauthorised and unwarranted."

"It has come to the notice that a group of students has released a pamphlet for screening a banned documentary scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. at Ganga Dhaba. No prior permission for this event has been taken from the IHA. This is to emphasise that such an unauthorized activity may disturb communal harmony and peaceful environment of the university campus," the advisory issued on Monday read.

The varsity warned students against proceeding with the event and being influenced by the invitation pamphlet.

"The concerned students/individuals are firmly advised to desist from all such activities failing which strict action will be taken as per University rules. The stakeholders are also advised not to get provoked by this pamphlet, which is unauthorised and unwarranted," it added. -- PTI

RG Kar: Medics move HC for demonstration nod

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