Members of All Assam Student Union (AASU) Sonitpur Unit participate in a Mashal Rally as a protest march after the Central Government notified the rules for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, at Tezpur in Sonitpur.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Citizenship (Amendment) Act Rules silent on fate of rejected applicants

As applications start coming in through the online citizenship portal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), some potential applicants are worried about their fate if rejected. The law’s Rules, notified earlier this month, are silent regarding any review process for applications rejected by the empowered committees which have the final authority to accord citizenship under the Act.

Lok Sabha elections | BJP names 11 more candidates; Mahtab from Cuttack, ex-ambassador Sandhu from Amritsar

The BJP on March 30 named its candidates for 11 more Lok Sabha constituencies, fielding a number of leaders who joined it from different parties recently such as Bhartruhari Mahtab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Preneet Kaur.

All these leaders have been fielded from the seats they represent in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while former Indian ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu will be making his poll debut from Amritsar.

Congress targets Modi govt., BJP over CBI closure report in Air India corruption case during Praful Patel’s tenure

Targeting the Narendra Modi-led government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report in a 2017 corruption case involving Air India during former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel’s tenure, the Congress on Saturday held a press conference with a washing machine and a detergent powder to underscore how “stains” against politicians are “washed away” the moment they join the BJP or become a part of its alliance.

ED must probe ‘direct nexus’ between BJP and South lobby, says AAP

Claiming that it had found “another link” between the witnesses in the alleged Delhi excise scam and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — if it claimed to be an “independent body” — investigate the links between the “South lobby” and the saffron party.

Many countries yet to fully implement steps to prevent misuse of virtual assets, says FATF

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, has found that many countries are yet to fully implement its requirements aimed at preventing misuse of virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).

Left wants to iron out differences on candidates with Congress, Indian Secular Front in West Bengal

Left Front chairperson Biman Basu on March 30 joined senior Congress leader and Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha candidate Pradip Bhattacharya as the Congress nominee began his election campaign from Gandhi Bhawan in the city’s Beleghata area. Mr. Basu said the Left Front and Congress are united as a third alternative against the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

Rajnath Singh to head BJP’s manifesto committee; Nirmala Sitharaman to be convener

BJP president J.P. Nadda on March 30 notified the setting up of the party’s manifesto committee for the Lok Sabha election. The committee is to be headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be the committee’s convener, and another Union Minister, Piyush Goyal, its co-convener. The Chief Ministers of four States — Bhupendra Patel of Gujarat, Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, Mohan Yadav of Madhya Pradesh, and Vishnu Deo Sai of Chattisgarh are also members of this 27-member committee.

It’s Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati: Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra fielded against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule

The ruling Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday officially announced the name of Mr. Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, as the Mahayuti’s candidate for the high-stakes Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district.

Ms. Sunetra will be pitted against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the incumbent Baramati MP, whose candidature was also announced on March 30 in the first list of five Lok Sabha candidates put out by the Opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction.

Congress seeks to downplay Pappu Yadav’s Purnea claim

“We are not bothered who is saying what as we are focused on doing our best in the nine seats that has been allotted to us,” said a senior Congress leader, trying to downplay the threat of five-term MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav standing as rebel candidate from Purnea seat.

“Look at Nikhil babu [former IPS officer Nikhil Kumar]. He can’t contest from the Aurangabad but he hasn’t made any public statement. We won’t be encouraging any friendly fight at Purnea,”the leader added.

250 rescued from cyber fraud centres abroad: Ministry of External Affairs

The Union government is “collaborating closely” with Cambodian authorities and has rescued about 250 Indians from Cambodia, who had been lured there by cyber fraud and fake online recruitment scams, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. About 75 of them have returned to India over the past three months.

Nine pirates being brought to India to face legal action: Indian Navy

A day after rescuing a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its 23-member Pakistani crew under an anti-piracy operation at sea, the Indian Navy on March 30 said the nine surrendered pirates are being brought to India for further legal action.

Anticipatory bail must not be norm in many cases, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has in a judgment said that bail may be the rule in many cases, but anticipatory bail is certainly not the norm

.A Bench of Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Sanjay Kumar said the power of the courts to grant anticipatory or pre-arrest bail is an extraordinary one, and not to be given for the asking.

IPL-17: LSG vs PBKS | Mayank Yadav breathes fire as LSG subdues PBKS

Say hello to Mayank Yadav. He is that rare Indian cricketer: the genuine fast bowler. And he announced his arrival in stunning fashion.

Not merely the 21-year-old bowled the fastest ball of the season, he also took the first three wickets of Punjab Kings to help Lucknow Super Giants register a 21–run win — its first in the 17th edition of the IPL — at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium on Saturday night.

New Delhi:

The Election Commission on Friday met the warring factions of the NCP led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar over their claims to the party name and poll symbol. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar was present at the personal hearing of the rival factions called by the Election Commission, which decided to continue the proceedings on October 9.

Ajit Pawar, who had moved the Election Commission staking claim to the party name and poll symbol, submitted that he had the support of 42 of the 53 MLAs in Maharashtra, six of the nine MLCs, all seven MLAs in Nagaland, and one member each in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

At the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared before the poll panel on behalf of Sharad Pawar. Senior advocates N K Kaul and Maninder Singh were present on behalf of Ajit Pawar.

The faction led by Ajit Pawar had rebelled against NCP leader Sharad Pawar and moved the poll panel staking claim to the party name and symbol.

“Under the circumstances, the petitioner submits that he enjoys overwhelming support in the Organisational Wing as well as Legislative Wing of the NCP and therefore the present petition may be allowed by the Hon’ble Commission by recognising the faction led by the petitioner to be the real Political Party,” Ajit Pawar said in his submission to the Election Commission.

The Ajit Pawar faction submitted its arguments in support of its claim before the poll panel on Friday.

The arguments of the Ajit Pawar faction are expected to continue on Monday.

Sharad Pawar’s lawyer Mr Singhvi told reporters later that the claims made by Ajit Pawar were imaginary.

Two days before rebelling against uncle Sharad Pawar to join the Maharashtra government in early July, Ajit Pawar had approached the poll body on June 30 staking claim to the party name as well as symbol and subsequently also declared himself as the party president with the support of 40 lawmakers.

Recently, the Sharad Pawar-led faction had told the EC that there was no dispute in the party, except that a few mischievous individuals have defected from the organisation for their personal ambitions, a reference to the rebel group headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The appointment of Ajit Pawar as the Nationalist Congress Party’s National President is “illegal”, the Sharad Pawar-led faction fumed Friday in its reply to the Election Commission of India. The Pawar side of the NCP was responding to a plea by Ajit Pawar’s half staking claim to the NCP’s symbol. The plea was filed “to pre-emptively avoid inevitable disqualification (of the rebel leaders)”, the response said.

The Pawar camp has told the top poll body the Constitution of the party does not allow legislators to appoint a party boss, and that Ajit Pawar had “unilaterally sought to appoint himself as the boss on basis of signatures of some legislators”; the contentious resolution had Ajit Pawar as ‘Signatory No 1’.

The Sharad Pawar faction has also stressed that “there is no split in the NCP” – which was divided earlier this year after the nephew rebelled against the uncle and joined hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is itself propped up by a rebel faction of the Shiv Sena.

READ | Sharad Pawar Makes Massive Claim, Says “No Split” In NCP. Explains Why

The Pawar faction further argued that Ajit Pawar held a National Convention – without issuing notice or appointing a Chief Returning Officer – where his “appointment” was ratified.

Ajit Pawar, 63, was restored as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister – a post he held in the former government too – after he walked out of the NCP, taking over 40 lawmakers with him.

Pawar senior’s response also said disqualification petitions had been moved against “nine delinquent MLAs (on July 2) and 20 MLAs (on September 5) on grounds of anti-party activities”.

READ | As NCP Factions Fight, Sharad Pawar Says “No Split, Just Democracy”

“It is submitted… affidavits of MLAs against whom disqualification petitions are pending cannot be taken into account for purpose of deciding the majority. Therefore, affidavits of 29 MLAs… cannot be taken into account for purpose of ascertaining majority of petitioner,” the Sharad Pawar camp said.

“Of the remaining 24 MLAs, it is submitted the respondent continues to enjoy support of 12…”

NCP boss Sharad Pawar’s faction underlined its stance on this issue in August too; in which Mr Pawar, 82, said “a few” had left to “take a different political stance (but) this does not constitute a split”.

“It’s not like a majority of the people from the party are going out. Some people have taken a different stand, democracy allows them to do so. It’s not a split in the party,” he had said.

Also in August, the Sharad Pawar camp told the Election Commission that Ajit Pawar’s demand for the NCP symbol is “premature”, “malafide” and should be rejected.

READ | Ajit Pawar’s NCP Symbol Claim “Malafide”: Sharad Pawar Camp To Poll Body

“Ajit Pawar has not been able to demonstrate, even prima facie, there exists a dispute (within the) NCP… Election Commission has also not made any prima facie determination there is any dispute between NCP, led by National President Sharad Pawar, and former members (led by Ajit Pawar).”