LIVE: For petty selfishness, values are being compromised, says PM Modi

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10:35 PM

PM Modi along with other NDA leaders, departs from 'The Ashok Hotel'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with BJP national president JP Nadda and other NDA leaders, departs from 'The Ashok Hotel' after attending NDA leaders' meeting in Delhi. A total of 38 political parties attended the meeting today.

 

10:31 PM

NDA always kept India above all political interests: PM Modi

In politics, there can be competitiveness but not enmity. Unfortunately, today opposition has made it its identity to abuse us. We always kept India above all political interests. It is the NDA govt that conferred Bharat Ratna on Pranab da. NDA also conferred the Padma award on Sharad Pawar, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Muzaffar Baig and many other leaders who were not with BJP-NDA. We always kept India above all political interests, said PM Modi in NDA leaders' meeting.

 

9:37 PM

NDA's vote share in the 2024 elections will be over 50 per cent, says PM Modi

9:35 PM

For NDA, alliance is not compulsion but a sign of contribution, says PM Modi

Meeting of 38 NDA allies underway in Delhi. PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and other top leaders attend the meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in politics, there can be competitiveness but not enmity.

7:05 PM

India-US holds meet on importance of bilateral clean energy engagement

Today, the Ministerial meeting of the US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) was held between Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in New Delhi. During the meeting, the sides noted the growing importance of bilateral energy cooperation between the countries while underscoring the critical importance of bilateral clean energy engagement and the achievements of the SCEP in strengthening energy security, creating opportunities for clean energy innovation, addressing climate change and creating employment generation opportunities, informed Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

 

4:54 PM

Narendra Modi tweets before NDA alliance meeting in Delhi

2:56 PM

38 party NDA, brought to you by ED: AAP's Raghav Chadha takes swipe at BJP    

Ahead of the National Democratic Alliance meeting here, the Aam Aadmi Party took potshots at the BJP on Tuesday, alleging that the ruling party's coalition partners have been brought together by the Enforcement Directorate. BJP president J P Nadda on Monday had said that 38 parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting of the NDA and slammed opposition leaders' unity efforts as a "selfish" exercise to protect themselves from action in cases of corruption worth over Rs 20 lakh crore. The NDA meeting is scheduled to be held later in the day. Taking a swipe at the NDA, AAP Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Raghav Chadha tweeted, "Thirty-eight party NDA. Brought to you by ED."

2:51 PM

BJP, Congress spar over posters put up against Nitish in Bengaluru

The BJP in Bihar on Tuesday accused the Congress of putting up posters in Bengaluru defaming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Congress hit back saying it was the BJP which indulged in "posterbaazi" and claimed that the saffron party, which had secured a brute majority in last Lok Sabha polls despite a small vote share, was in a state of desperation over opposition unity. The posters, which described Kumar as an "unstable PM contender" and blamed his government squarely for a recent bridge collapse, were put up in the vicinity of the venue of the opposition meet.

 

2:37 PM

BJP holds protest against AAP MLA near Delhi Gate over tanker water supply

The Delhi BJP on Tuesday held a protest near Delhi Gate against AAP MLA from Matia Mahal Shoeb Iqbal, alleging that a section of residents in his constituency were being deprived of tanker water supply. No immediate reaction was available from Iqbal or the AAP over the issue. Leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri led the protest. Delhi BJP vice president Ashok Goel, former mayor Ravinder Gupta, other party leaders and workers as well as the local residents participated in the protest.

 

2:28 PM

Delhi flood: Two of five jammed gates of ITO barrage opened so far    

Two of the five jammed gates of the ITO barrage have been opened so far as the Delhi government makes an effort to get rid of waterlogging in parts of the city. Of the 32 gates of the barrage, five were jammed due to silt accumulation, hindering the quick drainage of river water. "Gate number 30 of the ITO barrage opened at 5:19 am today," Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted on Tuesday. The Delhi government has been making efforts to open the jammed gates since July 13.

 

1:56 PM

Maha to set up detention centres for foreign nationals indulging in drug peddling: Fadnavis    

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said in the state assembly that detention centres would be set up for foreign nationals indulging in drug peddling, overstaying their visa limit and committing petty crimes to evade deportation. The government has also decided to appoint Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) as the nodal agency to control the distribution of the banned drugs, he said responding to a question raised by NCP member Rohit Pawar. We have noticed that some Nigerians as well as other foreign nationals are involved in the supply of narcotics drugs. They overstay here violating the visa norms. To avoid deportation for such violation, they indulge in petty crimes and manage to stay here longer, said Fadnavis, who is also the state home minister.

 

1:46 PM

Rohingya Muslims demand release from 'holding centre' in J-K's Kathua, clash with police    

Lodged at a "holding centre" here for the past over two years, over 200 Rohingyas from Myanmar on Tuesday held a protest and clashed with guards inside Hiranagar sub-jail demanding their release, official sources said. However, a senior police officer dismissed the protest as "normal", saying they are holding protests for the past one month for their release from the centre. A total of 271 Rohingyas, including 74 women and 70 children, are lodged at the sub-jail that was notified as a "holding centre" on March 5, 2021, for lodging illegal immigrants.

 

1:26 PM

Opposition meeting to protect democracy, Constitution: Kharge    

The Congress is not interested in power or the post of prime minister, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday as leaders of 26 Opposition parties got together here to discuss strategy ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In his inaugural address on the second day of the key Opposition meeting, he said, "Our intention in this meeting is not to gain power for ourselves. It is to protect our Constitution, democracy, secularism and social justice". He admitted to differences among opposition parties at the state level but noted that these are not ideological.

 

1:06 PM

Sealed ballot boxes found in counting centre in Bengal

Three sealed and uncounted ballot boxes were recovered from a high school at Gajol in West Bengal's Malda district on Tuesday morning. Sources said the boxes were kept in a classroom which was converted into a counting centre for the recently concluded rural elections. Reacting to the recovery of the ballot boxes, Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said it only proves that the panchayat polls have been a farce in the name of democracy.

 

12:55 PM

Nirmala Sitharaman meets Chinese counterpart, discusses global debt vulnerabilities

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday met her Chinese counterpart Liu Kun and discussed various deliverables under G20 India Presidency, including strengthening Multilateral Development Banks and global debt vulnerabilities. Both ministers met on the sidelines of the ongoing 3rd G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting and discussed the state of their economies, inflation, trade and recognised the importance of a good business environment for economic growth and development.

 

12:45 PM

15 websites under health ministry's scanner for selling e-cigarettes

The Union Health Ministry has sent notices to 15 websites selling e-cigarettes, which is banned in India, directing them to stop advertisement and sale of the products, official sources said. Six more websites are on the radar, they said, adding the ministry is also closely monitoring the advertisement and sale of e-cigarettes on social media and might issue notices to them soon. Of the 15 websites which have been issued the "takedown notice", four have stopped operations while the rest have not responded yet, an official source told PTI.

 

12:30 PM

Day two of Opposition meet: UPA likely to get new name

NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday joined the opposition unity meeting here which will hold deliberations on giving the grouping of 26 opposition parties a name, structure and common agenda to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the first day of the meeting saw informal discussions followed by a dinner meeting, Tuesday will see formal deliberations. All political parties were asked at the dinner meeting on Monday night to suggest names for the alliance and the same would be discussed and consensus would be arrived at during the deliberations.

 

12:15 PM

Oppn mantra is of, by and for family: PM Modi

Launching a scathing attack on the opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday alleged that their mantra is "of, by and for the family". Virtually inaugurating the new integrated terminal building of the Veer Savarkar Airport here, he said that the facility will boost tourism and strengthen the economy of the archipelago.

Taking a dig at the opposition meeting in Bengaluru, he said, "People are saying that this gathering is to promote corruption. The opposition parties have given a clean chit to the DMK despite corruption cases in Tamil Nadu. The Left and the Congress are also mum on panchayat poll violence in West Bengal despite attacks on their cadre."

11:57 AM

PM Modi inaugurates new Integrated Terminal Building of Veer Savarkar Airport at Port Blair

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the new Integrated Terminal Building at Veer Savarkar International Airport at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He inaugurated the terminal building via video conferencing. The inauguration of the New Integrated Terminal Building, built at a cost of around Rs 710 crore, will boost connectivity of the island. With a total built up area of around 40,800 sq m, the new terminal building will be capable of handling about 50 lakh passengers annually.

 

11:39 AM

Delhi flood: ITO area opened for traffic

The traffic situation in the ITO area of the national capital returned to normal on Tuesday with the opening of the stretch, ending the woes of commuters from East Delhi to the central parts of the city. Vehicular movement was restricted in the water-logged ITO area last week after a regulator of the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department was damaged due to the overflowing Yamuna river. One carriageway of the Vikas Marg was opened on Monday evening. Vehicles started plying on both carriageways of the road on Tuesday, officials said.

 

11:25 AM

Sharad Pawar reaches Bengaluru to take part in opposition meeting

Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar arrived in Bengaluru to take part in the second and concluding day of the opposition meeting on Tuesday. The senior opposition leader had skipped the first day of the mega joint meeting, where 26 like-minded parties closed ranks with a common aim of taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. NCP had seen a split earlier this month with his nephew Ajit Pawar joining the NDA government in Maharashtra with eight other MLAs. Sharad Pawar has taken action against the MLAs.

 

11:16 AM

Congress president Kharge condoles the demise of former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy

11:05 AM

Defamation case: Rahul's appeal against Gujarat HC verdict to be heard by apex court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on July 21 an appeal of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi challenging the Gujarat High Court's July 7 verdict which dismissed his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Mishra agreed to hear the plea after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, sought listing of the appeal on July 21 or July 24. The bench said it would hear it on July 21.

 

10:49 AM

Heavy rains lash Mumbai and suburbs; more heavy showers forecast in next 24 hours

Mumbai and its suburbs received heavy rainfall overnight and the weather department has issued a 'yellow' alert, predicting heavy rains in the city and adjoining areas on Tuesday, officials said. Suburban services of the Central Railway were affected due to the rain, coupled with the failure of an express train engine during the morning rush hours. Some commuters claimed the local trains were running late by 20-25 minutes.

 

10:16 AM

Met dept issues flood alert amid rainfall in Haridwar, Mussorie districts

Following continuous rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand the Met Department on Tuesday issued an alert regarding possible inundation of low-lying areas and landslides in hilly areas, an official statement said. Due to continuous rain/heavy rain in Koti, Mussoorie Tehsil/Block in Dehradun and Laksar Block/Tehsil in Haridwar districts, inundation of low-lying areas and landslides in hilly areas are likely to occur. People are advised to remain alert," the statement read. Earlier on Monday, Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (STRF), continuously working in the Haridwar district for the rescue of people stranded in submerged houses in flooded areas of Haridwar, rescued a pregnant woman and a small girl from Laksar.

 

9:36 AM

Congress mourns Oommen Chandy's death, Kharge hails him as visionary leader

The Congress on Tuesday mourned the demise of its veteran leader Oommen Chandy, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge saying that the former Kerala chief minister, with his unwavering commitment and visionary leadership, has left an indelible mark on the state's progress and the nation's politics. Chandy died in Bengaluru in the early hours of Tuesday, his family said. He was 79. "Deeply saddened by the passing of former Kerala chief minister and esteemed Congress leader Oommen Chandy," the Congress said on Twitter.

9:34 AM

ED summons Ponmudi, son to appear on Tuesday evening in money laundering csae

Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and his son who left the Enforcement Directorate office in the wee hours of Tuesday have been summoned to appear this evening in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining. After almost an overnight enquiry by the ED officials, both Ponmudi and his MP son Gautham Sigamani were allowed to go home at about 3.30 am today and asked to appear before the ED officials at 4 pm today for further enquiry, DMK spokesperson and advocate A Saravanan said. He claimed that the Minister cooperated well with the central agency and wondered the necessity to put a 72-year-old Minister to an overnight ordeal merely for obtaining a statement. Nothing would have happened if the ED officials had asked him to appear in the morning for obtain the statement," he said.

9:30 AM

Four terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J-K's Poonch

Four terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Tuesday, officials said. A joint operation was launched by the Army and police in the Sindhara top area of the Surankote belt on Monday night which led to a firefight, they said. Around 5 am on Tuesday, the gunfight resumed in which four terrorists were killed, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh.

9:20 AM

RS chair calls floor leaders' meet ahead of Monsoon session rescheduled

The meeting called by the Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankar with the Leaders of Parties in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday at 7 pm, ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament has been rescheduled. The Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin on July 20 and will continue until August 11. This comes at a time when as many as 26 Opposition parties congregated in Bengaluru as a show of strength to deliberate on the issues including EVM machines, Lok Sabha seat sharing, drafting of a Common Minimum programme as well as the to decide on the name of the united front to take on the ruling BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

9:07 AM

Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy passes away at 79 after battling cancer

Former Kerala Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy passed away at Chinmaya Hospital in Bengaluru at 4.25 am on Tuesday. He was aged 79 and had been undergoing treatment for cancer. Oommen Chandy represented the Puthupally constituency in Kottayam district for more than 50 years. He was the MLA from Puthupally. Chandy first represented Puthupally in 1970 when he was the Youth Congress president. He became a minister for the first time in the K Karunakaran cabinet in 1977. He was appointed Chief Minister twice. He had handled the finance portfolio in the state. He had also been the Leader of Opposition.