Reports of Abdullah being booked under the PSA came on a day when the Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administration on the petition seeking the release of Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah,
PSA is a stringent law that enables detention without trial for up to two years.
The sources added that this would be the first timeit has been official acknowledged that Abdullah has been detained since the crackdown was launched on August 5.
Abdullah has been under the preventive detention in Srinagar after the central government revoked the special Constitutional status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier today, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had sought a response on the habeas corpus petition moved by MDMK chief, Vaiko, in which he pleaded that the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister be allowed to attend an event in Chennai on Sunday.
Besides Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and various local leaders were taken into custody following the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 on August 5. (ANI)
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The bench headed by Ranjan Gogoi also asked the Central and state government to file an affidavit on the petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions under Article 370.
The apex court was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by the Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin, challenging the communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir.
While Vrinda Grover appeared on behalf of Bhasin, Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal represented the Central government in the court today.
The mobile facilities, including Internet, were suspended in the Kashmir region after the abrogation of Article 370, last month.
During the course of proceedings, Grover contended that the communication blockade is a “hindrance to the media activities” and sought a direction to restore all kinds of communication activities for a smoother work for media.
Opposing the submission made by the counsel, K K Venugopal told the court that the landline and many other communication facilities have been provided to media professionals for their work. “Newspapers are getting published and TVs are also broadcasting,” he said.
On the matter of the health services, he said that more than 5.5 lakh people have, by far, received the medical treatment and refuted the claim put forth by Bhasin that people are not getting medical facilities in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Major surgeries, including major ones like cesarean and other operations, are being conducted normally in Jammu and Kashmir,” the counsel added.
He also said that not a single person has died since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status.
Venugopal told the court that the people in Jammu and Kashmir faced three-pronged attacks — stone pelters funded by separatists, terrorists pushed by the foreign country, and a businessman Watali supporting local militants, adding that all such activities have stopped after the abrogation of Article 370.
The court has now slated hearing in the petition to September 30.
Last month, Parliament had passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganization) Act, 2019, bifurcating the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir with legislature and Ladakh without it.
Following this, a batch of petitions were filed in the top court challenging it. (ANI)
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Asking his family to tweet on his behalf, Chidambaram said, “My thoughts today are about the economy. Just one statistic tells the story. Export growth in August was -6.05 per cent. No country has achieved GDP growth of 8 per cent without exports growing at 20 per cent a year,” he is reminded that he is 74-years-old but at heart, he feels 74-years-young.
“May God bless this country,” read the subsequent tweet.
Chidambaram, who turned a year older said that he feels “74-years-young at heart” and that his spirits have been lifted higher.
“I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following: My family have brought me greetings from friends, party colleagues and well-wishers. I am reminded that I am 74 years old. Indeed I am, but at heart, I feel 74 years young. Thank you all, my spirits have been lifted higher,” his family tweeted from his official handle.
The 74-year-old is facing probe in cases registered by both the CBI and the ED pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when he was the union finance minister.
He was arrested by the CBI on August 21 and sent to its custody for interrogation. Last week, a CBI court sent Chidambaram to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till September 19. (ANI)
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“On Sunday, September 22, 2019, President Donald J. Trump will travel to Houston, Texas, and Wapakoneta, Ohio, to underscore the important partnerships between the United States and India, and Australia. In Houston, President Trump will participate in an event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India,” said White House Press Secretary, in a statement.
The Houston event will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first major address to the India-American community after being re-elected as India’s Prime Minister in May 2019.
Over 50,000 people have registered for hearing PM Modi’s address at the NRG Stadium in Houston.
The event titled ‘Howdy, Modi!’ is being hosted by the Texas India Forum. The summit, with the theme of “Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” will highlight the contributions of Indian-Americans in enriching the American life for the last seven decades as well as the key role they have played in strengthening relations between the two nations.
The White House said that the event will be providing a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the US and India
“It will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship,” the statement added.
PM Modi is likely to leave for the US on September 21 and will first travel to Houston and then to New York from September 23 to 27. (ANI)
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Forget about a toilet, a farmer in Delhi-NCR cannot even consider constructing a pucca house. After defecating in the open for about a decade, finally a new toilet has been constructed, which we can use free of cost. This has changed our lives. It is more than just a convenience. We can finally live with dignity, which especially holds true for the women living here.
I came to Delhi 15 years ago from Badaun. I started farming on leased land at Yamuna’s floodplains. I grew vegetables and sold them to earn money. Vegetables are costlier in Delhi and there is a good profit in farming. However, it’s not good enough to own a house or construct a toilet. We still live in makeshift accommodations as no construction is allowed on the floodplains. Moreover, we shift to the relief tents every monsoon as our houses gets flooded. In such a condition, thinking about building a toilet was impossible.
About five years ago, after the Swachh Bharat initiative was launched, a toilet was constructed on the Delhi-Meerut highway near our residence opposite the Millennium Bus Depot. Initially we hesitated to use the toilet as it looked very clean but to our surprise, it was free for all.
We started using the toilet every morning and now it has become a habit. There were days, especially during rains, when the water level of Yamuna rose and women of our families faced a lot of difficulty in relieving themselves. Men too, had to travel around half a kilometre to look for a place for defecation. Children, often used to fall sick during monsoons due to poor hygiene.
One toilet has not only enhanced our lifestyle but has also taught us a lot about hygiene. We carry our own soaps to wash our hands and make sure the toilet is clean after we use it. I am happy that our children have picked up these habits very fast. Though, there is just one toilet that can be locked, we are very happy with it. We would like to thank the government for this. There should definitely be more such toilets.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Hindi agenda push despite nationwide protest needs to be seen as Sangh Parivar’s signs to launch a new battlefield in the name of the language. The perception that only Hindi can unite the country is completely wrong. People in the south and the north-east don’t speak Hindi,” Vijayan wrote in a Facebook post.
The Kerala Chief Minister also called Shah’s idea ”absurd” in a tweet.
“The claim that Hindi unifies our country is absurd. That language is not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians. The move to inflict Hindi upon them amounts to enslaving them. Union Minister’s statement is a war cry against the mother tongues of non-Hindi speaking people,” Vijayan tweeted.
On Saturday, Shah, in a series of tweets wrote: “India is a country of different languages and every language has its own importance but it is very important to have a language of the whole country which should become the identity of India in the world. Today, if one language can do the work of tying the country to the door of unity, then it is the most spoken Hindi language.”
“Today, on the occasion of Hindi Day, I appeal to all the citizens of the country that we should increase the use of our mother tongue and also use the Hindi language as one language to realize the dreams of Bapu and iron man Sardar Patel. Happy Hindi Day,” he had further stated.
Apart from Vijayan, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin and former Karnataka chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy have also criticized the Home Minister for pitching “one nation, one language” on the occasion of Hindi Diwas (September 14). (ANI)
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In a major tragedy, 11 people died on Sunday afternoon when a tourist boat carrying 61 persons onboard capsized in the Godavari River near Devipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for bereaved families.
According to an official statement, Reddy has directed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Navy and ONGC helicopters to carry out the rescue operations on a war-footing.
He has also ordered the ministers in the district to supervise the rescue works.
District officials have been directed to suspend all the boating services in the region immediately and check for the license of the boats.
The Chief Minister has also asked for a complete report on the incident. (ANI)
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