Passports will retain the last the page with address and other personal details. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali said the protests against his movie Padmaavat were “illogical” and “obnoxious”. These stories made news on Tuesday. Here is more about them.
Orange passports idea dropped, will mention address
Passports will retain the last the page with address and other personal details. They can be used as address proof and they won’t sport orange jackets. Owing to protest and concerns from various quarters, the government has reversed its decision to revamp passports, said the ministry of external affairs.
Govt may act against Bareilly district magistrate for Facebook post
Bareilly district magistrate Raghvendra Vikram Singh, who in a Facebook post appeared to be protesting communal profiling of Muslims, could be punished for flouting rules. “These days, a strange trend of visiting Muslim-dominated localities and shouting anti-Pakistani slogans has started. Are they Pakistanis? The same thing happened in Bareilly,” Singh, wrote on Sunday. He later apologised and denied that he was speaking about Kasganj, the city where a man died in a communal clash on January 26. Keshav Prasad Maurya, Uttar Pradesh’s deputy chief minister, accused Singh of “making a statement like a party spokesman despite the fact that government servants are bound by rules.”
Kejriwal govt to appeal against sealing, meeting with BJP fails
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government will appeal before the Supreme Court to suspend a crackdown on unauthorised constructions in markets, but his attempt for a political consensus failed when opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders walked out of a meeting at his residence. BJP leaders alleged legislators of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party assaulted them during discussions on sealing, the term used for municipal authorities locking up unauthorised constructions under instructions from a Supreme Court-appointed panel.
India beats Pakistan to reach final of Under-19 World Cup
India will meet Australia in the final of the Under-19 cricket World Cup after overpowering Pakistan by 203 runs in a one-sided semifinal. Shubman Gill made an unbeaten 102, his sixth score of 50 or more in youth ODIs, as India made 272-9. Then seamer Ishan Porel took 4-19 as Pakistan was bowled out for 69 in just under 30 overs.
Protests against Padmaavat against ‘illogical, obnoxious,’ says Bhansali
Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali said the protests against his movie Padmaavat were “illogical” and “obnoxious”, speaking out five days after the Bollywood period drama was released under tight security and threats to his life. “The protests were illogical, they had no reasoning and there was nothing to be discussed. It had reached an obnoxious level with people sitting with swords on national television and giving death threats,” said Bhansali. Rajput groups and four states want the movie banned because of a rumored romance between a Hindu queen and a Muslim invader.
US will not talk to Taliban, says Donald Trump
President Donald Trump told visiting members of the UN Security Council the US would no longer talk with the Taliban following a recent string of deadly attacks in Afghanistan. Trump railed against a series of “atrocities” in Afghanistan and said as a result the US would not engage in any future talks with the Taliban as the administration seeks to end a stalemate in America’s longest war, The Associated Press reported.
Nepal leader Oli reaches out to PM Modi
Communist leader KP Sharma Oli, tipped to be Nepal’s next prime minister, has expressed his readiness to work with the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days ahead of a crucial visit by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. The victory of a leftist alliance in Nepal elections had fuelled concerns about relations with India in light of the strident anti-Indian rhetoric by Oli and another senior communist leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”. Both leaders are perceived as tilting towards China.
Salary Rs 1 lakh, but Andhra official had assets worth Rs 60 cr
A government official with a monthly salary of Rs 1 lakh has been arrested after raids found he owned assets worth Rs 60 crore, said police in Andhra Pradesh. Pasuparthi Pradeep Kumar, a senior official of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, had properties in three districts. Utensils, prayer lamps and even key chains of almirahs were made of silver at his home, said police.
Death toll in West Bengal bus crash rises to 42
The toll in the bus accident in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district went up to 42, as rescue workers recovered six more bodies from a canal. The Malda-bound bus with more than 50 passengers crashed through a bridge and plunged into the Gobra Canal in Murshidabad’s Balirghat area on Monday.
20 Paytm employees turn millionaires after stock sale
More than 100 former and current employees of Paytm have become rupee millionaires as India’s second largest start-up completed stock sales worth Rs 500 crore. Some 20-25 people made over $1 million each (about Rs 6-7 crore) in the latest sale aimed at rewarding staff.