Heavy Rain Triggers Massive Landslides in Sikkim; 1 Dead, 5 Missing

The BJP on Thursday announced the name of Kamlesh Shah for the July 10 bypoll to Amarwara (ST) assembly seat in Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh.

The bypoll was necessitated after Shah resigned as Congress MLA from Amarwara to join the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in which the ruling party won all 29 seats in the state.

Shah, considered close to senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, had resigned from the party on March 29 and the Assembly and joined the BJP later. Shah had defeated BJP's Monika Manmohan Shah by 25,086 votes in the 2023 Assembly polls.

In the recently held Lok Sabha election, BJP candidate Vivek Bunty Sahu defeated sitting MP and Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath by a margin of 1.13 lakh votes.

The last date for filing of nomination papers for the bypoll is June 21, while the last date for withdrawing it is June 26. Votes will be counted on July 13. 

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Thursday responded to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat raising concerns about the Manipur situation, and said the organisation should take positive steps if it can bring about a change, otherwise just talking about the strife-torn state means anything.

Singh, who was suspended from Rajya Sabha for part of the Monsoon Session in July 2023 over repeatedly "violating" the directives of the Chair while protesting on the Manipur issue, also wondered why the RSS chief did not caution the BJP about the northeastern state earlier.

"Recently (BJP president) J P Nadda said the BJP of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time required the support of the RSS but the BJP of (PM) Narendra Modi does not need it. I think this is a result of a fight between a mother and a child because Nadda has openly spoken against the RSS and the RSS is also openly speaking against the BJP," Singh told reporters here.

India on Thursday night is sending a military transport aircraft to Kuwait to bring back mortal remains of over 40 Indians killed in a devastating fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait.

Kuwaiti authorities said they identified bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the fire. At least 49 migrant workers were killed and 50 others injured in the blaze.

Officials in Delhi said the C-130J transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force will bring back bodies on Friday and it will first land in Kochi as most of the deceased Indians are from Kerala.

The aircraft is then expected to reach Delhi as some of the Indians killed are from a few north Indian states, they said.

Kuwaiti authorities have already conducted DNA tests on the bodies as part of the identification process.

Kuwaiti Fire Force said the deadly fire was caused by an "electrical circuit".

People will soon be able to take flights from the Hisar airport as services from there to Chandigarh and five other destinations will commence in August, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Thursday.

According to an official statement, apart from Chandigarh, the scheduled flight routes from the Maharaja Agrasen Hisar Airport include flights to Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Jaipur (Rajasthan), and Jammu.

Speaking in Panchkula on Thursday evening, Saini said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of making air travel accessible to the common man will be realized in Haryana as flight operations will start from the Hisar airport.

Meanwhile, at an event in Karnal, Haryana's Civil Aviation Minister Kamal Gupta Thursday said Karnal is set to become a hub for domestic air travel across India in the coming months.

"Plans are afoot to upgrade Karnal aerodrome into a fully operational domestic airport," he said.

Kuwait Thursday said authorities have identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the tragic fire incident in a building housing foreign workers as the Gulf Kingdom vowed to promptly investigate the incident and assured full support in repatriating the mortal remains of the victims.

At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on Wednesday at the seven-storey building where 196 migrant workers were staying in the southern city of Mangaf.

Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah, serving as the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, and Minister of Defence, said that authorities have identified 48 bodies, among which 45 are of Indians and three are of Filipino nationality, English language daily Arab Times reported.

The efforts are still underway to determine the identity of one remaining body, he added.

The J&K Police announced on Thursday that 50 people have been detained in connection with Sunday's terrorist attack on a bus in Reasi district in which nine people were killed and 41 were injured. 

MEA speaking on China-Pak joint statment said, “Our position on the issue is consistent and well-known to the concerned parties. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.”

Reiterating its stance on the issue, Jaiswal stated, “The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standing to comment on the same.”

 The Madras High Court has directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTP) to issue guidelines within four weeks to all the advocates and senior advocates on BCTP rolls to pay a minimum stipend of Rs 20,000 per month to their junior advocates in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai.

A division bench comprising Justices S M Subramaniam and C Kumarappan gave the directive while passing interim orders on a petition seeking enforcement of the Advocates Welfare Fund Scheme in Puducherry.

The petitioner, Farida Begum, also sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for herself.

The bench said any advocate/senior advocate employing the services of a junior advocate shall pay a minimum stipend of Rs 15,000 per month for advocates practising in other areas in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Listing the matter to be posted on June 22, 2024 for further consideration, the bench said in respect of the settlement of welfare fund amount to the eligible members in Tamil Nadu, the state government has to respond.

A day after the Supreme Court slammed the AAP government over tanker mafia in water-scarce national capital, the Delhi government claimed they were operational on the Haryana side of the Yamuna river over which the Delhi Jal Board has no jurisdiction.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Delhi government said water tankers are needed to cater to areas not connected to water supply lines or where the supply is inadequate.

It said the total water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board and private tankers in the city is around 5-6 million gallons per day which constitutes only 0.5 per cent of total supply.

"DJB has been trying to improve the availability of water tankers so that even private tankers can be replaced by public tankers. Multiple letters have been written by the Petitioner Government to the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi (who is at present in charge for ensuring action).

"The tanker mafia is operational on the Haryana side of the Yamuna river over which DJB has no jurisdiction," it said.

The Congress on Thursday reiterated its demand of a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the NEET exam issue, and asserted that the anger in the country over the matter will "reverberate inside Parliament as well". The opposition party also demanded the removal of the National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General and claimed that the BJP government's attitude towards the ongoing demand for an inquiry into the NEET examination is "irresponsible and insensitive".

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested an alleged broker in connection with a land grab-linked money laundering case against former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and some others, official sources said. According to them, 39-year-old Shekhar Prasad Mahto alias Sehkhar Kushwaha was arrested on Wednesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after his interrogation at the federal agency's zonal office here.

At least one person was killed and five others went missing as massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall caused devastation in Sikkim's Mangan district, officials said on Thursday. Landslides blocked stretches of roads and several houses were inundated or damaged, while electricity poles were swept away, they said. The body of a person was found in Pakshep area of Mangan, while three persons went missing from Ambithang near Rangrang and two others from Pakshep. Three houses were damaged in Geythang, while several houses were damaged and roads blocked at Nampathang near Pentok, they said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said here on Thursday that people had seen his three versions in the past, and will see his 4.0 avatar which will be about performance. Naidu took oath as the CM for the fourth time at Kesarapalle on Wednesday. "You have seen 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, now you have come to 4.0 and you will see. That's why I am appealing to all, including officials, employees and political activists, we have suffered losses (past five years) and we have to recover. Let us all work together and go ahead," Naidu told reporters.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to name Adampur airport in Jalandhar after Guru Ravidas. The prime minister, during his last poll rally in Punjab's Hoshiarpur on May 30, said it was his wish that the Adampur airport be named after Guru Ravidas. Modi had then said the welfare of the poor was his government's top priority and in this Guru Ravidas is a big inspiration.

AAP Leader Atishi met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at Tihar Jail on Thursday. She said, "CM is concerned about the citizens of delhi, he asked me about electricity and water crisis.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), probing the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, has issued notice asking him to appear before it for questioning, and he may be arrested if necessary. "Notice has been served procedurally, the charge-sheet has to be filed by June 15. Before that they (CID) will file the charge-sheet. They will have to follow procedure for it. They will have to record his statement and produce him (in court), all these are procedures and the department will do it," he told reporters here. 

Sunetra Pawar, NCP leader and wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-elections. Sunetra Pawar lost the recently held Lok Sabha election from Baramati to NCP-SCP candidate Supriya Sule.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari met Bharat Ratna and veteran BJP leader LK Advani at the latter's residence in New Delhi.

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the decision to give grace marks to 1,563 NEET-UG, 2024 candidates for admission to MBBS, BDS and others courses has been cancelled and they will be given an option to take a re-test on June 23. A vacation bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was told by the counsel for the Centre and the National Testing Agency (NTA) that the students, who were given grace marks, will be given an option to take the re-test. The court said it will not stay the counselling process for admissions.

Massive search operations continued on Thursday in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Doda and Reasi, to track down and neutralise terrorists involved in recent attacks in the union territory, officials said. Terrorists struck at four places in Reasi, Kathua and Doda districts over the past four days, killing nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan and leaving seven security personnel and several others injured.

BJP leader Pema Khandu took oath as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh for the third consecutive term on Thursday. Khandu, the MLA of Mukto, was sworn in by Governor KT Parnaik in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, among others. Eleven other MLAs were also sworn in as ministers at the function held in the Dorjee Khandu State Convention Centre. Among them were Deputy CM Chowna Mein, former assembly speaker PD Sona, BJP state president Biyuram Wahge, and Dasanglu Pul, the widow of former CM Kalikho Pul.

Dharmendra Pradhan has taken the charge as Minister of Education.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Rajasthan Government on Wednesday, constituted a cabinet sub-committee to review the current situations of 17 districts and three new divisions, formed during the tenure of Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.
 

Pema Khandu took oath as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, June 13. Chowna Mein took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

Security had been tightened in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, in view of the terror attack on Gandoh area. A policeman was injured on Wednesday evening when terrorists opened fire on a search party in a village in Gandoh area of Doda district.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, and state minister Nara Lokesh visited and offered prayers at Tirupati Balaji Temple in Tirumala on Thursday.

The national capital on Thursday recorded a minimum temperature of 29.4 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The humidity was 37 per cent at 8.30 am.

US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would likely "have the opportunity to encounter one another" on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said here Wednesday. “He (Biden) expects to see Prime Minister Modi here. It's up to the Indians to formally confirm his attendance, but our expectation is that the two of them will have the opportunity to encounter one another. The nature of that encounter is still fluid because so much of the schedule is fluid,” Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Italy to attend the G7 Summit, along with the US president.

The Bihar Education Department withdrew its controversial orders freezing bank accounts of most of the state universities and withholding salaries of vice-chancellors and other officials for failure to comply with its directions. The department’s move came in the backdrop of recent Patna High Court orders in this regard.

Preparations are underway for the swearing-in ceremony of Arunachal Pradesh CM-designate Pema Khandu and council of ministers. the event will take place in Itanagar.

NEET UG result cancellation and other 2 pleas will be taken up in the Supreme Court today, June 13. A vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear the matter. The petitioners have requested NEET UG 2024 exam cancellation, retest and removal of grace marks. Of the three petitions, one was filed by Physics Wallah CEO-Alakh Pandey, who claimed that the NTA's decision to award grace marks was "arbitrary".

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi said, "We had proposed to open all the four gates of Jagannath Temple in yesterday's cabinet meeting. The proposal was passed and today at 6:30 am, I along with my MLAs and Puri MP (Sambit Patra) attended the 'Mangala aarti'... For the development of the Jagannath Temple and other works, we have proposed a fund in the cabinet. When we present the next state budget, we will allot a corpus fund of Rs 500 crores for the temple management."

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi along with Puri MP Sambit Patra, Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi and other leaders of the party did 'Parikrama' of the Jagannath temple on Thursday.

People queue up near a water tanker to fill water in Chanakyapuri's Vivekananda Camp as water crisis continues in the National Capital.

Two employees of a Ghaziabad-based chartered accountant were robbed of Rs 50 lakh at gunpoint near Akshardham Temple in east Delhi, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Pandav Nagar, a few metres away from the temple, in the afternoon, a police officer said. The victims, Mohit Sharma and Arun Tyagi were going towards Ghaziabad on a motorcycle after collecting money from someone in west Delhi.