New Delhi: The Supreme Court questioned whether Arvind Kejriwal could withdraw the defamation case by admitting he retweeted Dhruv Rathee's video by mistake. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta asked complainant Vikas Sankrityan, who accused Kejriwal, if he would drop the case under such circumstances. The court suggested that whether the retweet was an endorsement or simply sharing content would be decided during trial. Kejriwal's lawyer, Dr  Abhishek Manu Singhvi, indicated his client's willingness to admit a mistake if aware of the consequences. 

The court adjourned the matter till March 11, instructing the trial court to pause proceedings. The video alleged Vikas Pandey offered a bribe, leading to the defamation complaint. The Delhi High Court previously declined to dismiss the case, noting Kejriwal's significant social media influence.

Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised the BJP government in Assam for repealing the 90-year-old Muslim Marriages Act. "The BJP government in Assam removed the 90-year-old 'Muslim Marriage Act' and said that the marriage of Muslims will take place under the 'Special Marriage Act', then who will read the 'khutbah' in the 'nikah'...Now if Muslims marry in Assam, neither will there be a 'qazi' nor will the bride get a 'maher'...They have said that in the 'Special Marriage Act', registration will be required...They want to snatch 'shariat' from us...", the AIMIM Chief said.

The Assam assembly on Monday passed a bill that proposes a punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 10 crore on anyone found indulging in unfair means in recruitment examinations.

The Assam Public Examination (Measures for Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2024 was passed by a voice vote in the House on the last day of the Budget session.
 

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party has agreed to give the Bhadohi MP seat to the ruling party of Bengal, the Trinamool Congress.

Delhi police have reopened service lanes at Singhu and Tikri border points with Haryana, which were closed for two weeks due to the farmers' ‘Delhi Chalo’ march. A senior police officer stated that the lanes were opened over the weekend to ease commuting for locals. Despite this, strict vigilance by police and paramilitary forces will be maintained round the clock.

 The removal of two large cement barriers at Singhu and Tikri borders on Sunday allowed for easier passage for commuters walking towards Delhi. These barriers had delayed the process due to their concrete construction. The farmers' march, demanding a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops and other concessions, had been halted by security forces. Farmer leaders have announced their intention to continue camping at certain border points until February 29, when further action will be decided. Their demands include MSP assurance, pension for farmers, no increase in electricity tariff, and justice for victims of previous violence.

Lucknow: Ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, as per reports, around eight Samjwadi Party MLAs skip key party dinner. 

New Delhi: The Indian Navy conducted airborne insertion operations over the Arabian Sea on Monday in response to the maritime security situation in the Gulf of Aden & Arabian Sea. Read More

New Delhi: Now women cannot be excluded from the opportunity for a Permanent Commission as the Supreme Court has stepped in to ensure gender equality in the Indian Coast Guard . Chief Justice DY Chandrachud warned that if the government doesn't act voluntarily, the court will intervene. Read More

New Delhi: The banking arm of listed fintech Paytm has reconstituted its board after the RBI clampdown on January 31. Read More

Kolkata: TMC leader Kunal Ghosh speaking on the Sandeshkhali case said, "We can say with confidence that within seven days Sheikh Shahjahan will be nabbed by police."

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce the names of four test pilots training for India's Gaganyaan Mission when he visits the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) on Tuesday.During his visit to Kerala's capital, the Prime Minister will also dedicate three ISRO facilities and review the progress of the Gaganyaan Mission.

Pune: Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande visited the Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo 2024 at the International Exhibition Convention Centre in Moshi, Pune today. 

Organised by the Government of Maharashtra, the expo was all about indigenous capabilities and innovations of MSMEs, private companies, DRDO laboratories, and DPSU setups in Maharashtra. The event as deemed by the officials is a platform to demonstrate advancements in defence technology and encourage collaboration between stakeholders.

Gyanvapi Case: The Supreme Court is set to review the Allahabad High Court's dismissal of five petitions, including one from the Muslim party contesting the title suit. The High Court had already rejected the Muslim side's petitions challenging the Hindu party's 1991 case. Among the five petitions, two questioned the suit's original filing, while three contested the ASI survey order.

 The Muslim side invoked the Places of Worship Act 1991, arguing against legal action at the Gyanvapi complex. However, the High Court ruled that the Act does not apply in this case. The Supreme Court now holds the key to further legal proceedings in this dispute.

New Delhi: A five-member delegation of TMC MPs arrives at the office of the Election Commission of India in Delhi to raise the issues of alleged voter ID cancellations and the Chopra tragedy in West Bengal.

(With ANI Inputs)

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday targeted the BJP by saying that those who are looting the country are joining the BJP. He said, “Those who are looting this nation they are joining BJP now. If Manish ji will join BJP then he will free from all the charges.”

In response to the Maratha quota movement spearheaded by activist Manoj Jarange Patil, internet services were blocked in Maharashtra's Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Beed districts on Monday in order to preserve law and order, officials told news agency PTI on Monday.

The boundaries of these districts have also been blocked as a precaution, according to officials cited by PTI.

The internet services in the three districts have been suspended with effect from 6 am to 4 pm to avoid any untoward incident due to speculations on social media platforms, an official said quoting an order of the state home department. (With inputs from from PTI) 

A five-day budget session of the Maharashtra State Legislature will begin on Monday, According to officials, supplementary demands for the year 2023-24 will be tabled on the first day of the session, Additionally, condolence resolutions will be passed for those members of the house who passed away this year. An interim budget for the year 2024-25 will be presented by the state government on Tuesday. The Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar is likely to present the interim budget. The session will be held till March 1, 

Ahead of the laying the foundation stone and inaugurating around 2000 railway infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 41,000 crore, including the redevelopment of 553 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday termed it as a historic day for the Indian Railways.

"Today is a historic day for our Railways. At 12:30 PM, 2000 railway infrastructure projects worth over Rs. 41,000 crores will be dedicated to the nation. In order to enhance the travel experience, 553 stations will be redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The foundation stones for these stations would be laid. Overbridges and underpasses across India will also be inaugurated. These works will further 'Ease of Living' for the people" Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X.

“Out of every 10 garment makers, 7 are women and in handloom it is even more. Apart from textile, Khadi has also given new strength to the women of our India. I can say that whatever efforts we have made in the last 10 years have made Khadi a means of both development and employment,” PM Modi said at Bharat Tex, 2024. 

PM Modi while inaugurating the Bharat Tex 2024, said, "At the inauguration of Bharat Tex, 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says “We are connecting all elements of the textile value chain with five Fs. ”

He added, “This journey of the five F's - farm, fibre, factory, fashion and foreign, in a way the whole scene is in front of us, keeping this principle of the five Fs in mind, we are encouraging farmers, MSMEs, and exports. We have also amended the definition of MSME in terms of investment and turnover, this will increase the scale and size of the industries. Even after growing up, they will be able to get the benefits of government schemes.”

At the inauguration of Bharat Tex 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Today's event is very special in itself, especially because it is being held simultaneously in two of India's largest exhibition centres, Bharat Mandapam and YashoBhoomi.”

He added, ""Today, over 3000 exhibitors from over 100 countries, 3,000 buyers and 40,000 trade visitors have come together to attend this event. This event has become a platform for the members of the textile ecosystem to meet and share their thoughts..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Bharat Tex 2024, one of the largest-ever global textile events to be organised in the country, at Bharat Mandapam.

Opposition leaders hold protest outside Vidhan Bhavan over Maratha Reservation issue.

In response to worries about the state of law and order amid the ongoing Maratha reservation movement led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, the district's government issued an order imposing a curfew in the Ambad taluka of Maharashtra's Jalna district.

Srikrushna Panchal, the Jalna collector, wrote in the order that Jarange had announced on Sunday that he intended to go to Mumbai and demonstrate in support of the Maratha minority reservation.

On Monday, the Maharashtra assembly approved a measure granting the Marathas 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, despite the fact that courts had invalidated earlier versions of the same laws from 2014 and 2019. The state's existing 62% reservation, which currently includes a 10% quota set aside for the economically disadvantaged sections (EWS) category, would be supplemented by the additional 10% quota.
 

Meanwhile, Advocate representing Hindu side Prabhash Pandey said, "The judge dismissed the pleas that the Muslim side had filed against the District Judge's order...It means that the puja will continue as it is. District Magistrate will continue as the Receiver of the 'tehkhana'...This is a big victory for our Sanatana Dharma...They (Muslim side) can go for a review of the decision. Puja will continue."

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side says "Today, the Allahabad High Court has dismissed the first appeal from orders of Anjuman Intezamia wherein the order of 17th and 31st January passed by Varanasi District Court was under challenge before Allahabad HC. The crux of the matter is that the ongoing puja in the 'Vyas Tehkhana' of Gyanvapi complex will continue...

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait says, "We had gone to Chandigarh for a meeting of Sanyukt Morcha. We have formed a 6-member committee. It has been formed to hold dialogues with all the farmer organisations that are separate from Sanyukt Morcha...If any organisation wants to join the Sanyukt Morcha, it can have a dialogue with the committee..."

The BJP manifesto committee meeting will begin shortly at the BJP extension office in Delhi. BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh will chair the meeting.

The government of Pushkar Singh Dhami is expected to deliver a budget of almost ₹90,000 crores to the Uttarakhand Assembly during its budget session, which is slated to begin on February 26 in Dehradun. 

The Dehradun district government has enforced Section 144 within a 300-meter radius of the assembly complex in order to keep the calm during the session. 

The Uttarakhand administration will introduce the "Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill" in the assembly during the next budget session in order to deal sternly with those who cause damage to government and private property while protesting.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent out seventh summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering probe related to irregularities in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 case asking him to join the investigation on February 26, sources said as reported by news agency ANI.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Bharat Tex 2024, one of the largest-ever global textile events to be organised in the country, on February 26 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Bharat Tex 2024 will be organised from February 26-29.

Organised by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the government, Bharat Tex 2024 is built on the twin pillars of trade and investment, with an overarching focus on sustainability, PMO said.

PMO added that the four days event will feature over 65 knowledge sessions with more than 100 global panelists discussing various issues facing relevant to the sector. (With inputs from ANI)