Wednesday, 25 December 2024
Wednesday, 25 December 2024
Springing a surprise, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he is stepping down as the chief of NCP, the political outfit he founded and helmed since 1999.
“I have three years left of Rajya Sabha membership in Parliament, during which I will focus on issues related to Maharashtra and India, with a caveat of not taking any responsibility. After a long period of public life from May 1, 1960, to May 1, 2023, it is necessary to take a step back. Hence, I have decided to step down as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party,” Pawar said.
The Congress party, which released its poll manifesto for the Karnataka elections on Tuesday, promised action against the politics of hate, including a ban on organisations that promote "enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities".
"The Congress Party is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste or religion. We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities," the manifesto read, adding that the party, if voted to power in the state, will take "decisive action" as per law, including imposing a ban on them.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred to May 9 the hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the remission granted to the 11 convicts last year in the case of gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of her family members during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
A bench of justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna was told by Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Gujarat government that they are not claiming any privilege and are not filing any plea for review of the March 27 order of the court, which had asked for production of original records, with regard to the remission granted to the convicts. The SG, at the outset, raised preliminary objections with regard to petitions filed in the matter other than by Bano, saying it will have wide ramifications as every now and then third parties will come to the courts in criminal cases.
The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday refused to grant interim relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his plea for stay of conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark, saying it will pass its final order post-summer vacation.
Counsel for Gandhi (52), Abhishek Manu Singhvi, cited "extreme urgency" to request from the court for an interim or a final order after arguments from both sides in the matter concluded during the day.
Jailed gangster Tillu Tajpuriya was killed early on Tuesday inside Tihar Jail by members of the Gogi gang who allegedly cut the iron grille of his high-security ward and attacked him with an improvised sharp object, officials said.
Tajpuriya, an accused in the 2021 Rohini court shootout case where gangster Jitender Gogi was allegedly shot dead, suffered multiple stab injuries. He was taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in an unconscious state where he was declared dead.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress for promising to ban Bajrang Dal in its election manifesto. He called it the party's attempt at trying to lock up those who worship Hanuman.
He claimed that the Congress had earlier locked up Lord Rama and now it wanted to lock up those who chant 'Jai Bajrang Bali' (Hail Hanuman). Modi's attack on the Congress came within hours of the opposition party releasing its election manifesto for the May 10 Assembly elections.
Wadia group-owned Go First will temporarily suspend flights on May 3 and 4 amid severe fund crunch, the airline's chief Kaushik Khona said on Tuesday.
The budget carrier has also filed an application for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Delhi.
Speaking to PTI, Khona said the airline has grounded 28 planes, more than half of its fleet, due to non-supply of engines by Pratt & Whitney (P&W). This has resulted in a fund crunch. "It is an unfortunate decision (filing for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings) but it had to be done to protect the interests of the company," he said.
Star India batter Virat Kohli and former opener Gautam Gambhir added another chapter to their bitter rivalry as they got involved in an ugly face-off after the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants here.
Kohli, one of RCB's batting mainstays, and Gambhir, the LSG mentor, were seen having a heated argument after the Bengaluru-based side won the match by 18 runs on Monday night.
The Canadian government on Tuesday named Satinder Singh Brar, nicknamed Goldy Brar, the alleged mastermind in the killing of famous singer-politician Sidhu Moosewala, among the country's top 25 wanted criminals.
The Punjab-origin affiliate of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang is wanted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after India obtained an Interpol Red Notice for Brar in June 2022, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi said in a statement.
A day after police stopped his concert in Pune for overshooting the 10 pm deadline, celebrated composer AR Rahman said he had a "Rockstar moment" after he performed for the audience in the city.
In a tweet posted on Monday night, the double Oscar winner said he and his band were "overwhelmed" by the concertgoers' love and wanted to "give more" to them.
