India

Because of being 'attacked repeatedly' by members of his Samajwadi Party (SP), Shivpal Yadav, beloved brother of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, will form a new party, but only on March 11, after the results of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are declared.

As of now, there is no word about which party Mulayam will end up choosing. His son's SP? Or his brothers new party?

"Netaji (Mulayam) and I have been attacked repeatedly. Many people have said they are what they are because of Netaji and those same people are today insulting him," Shivpal said today referring to people within the SP doing the attacking.

Earlier today, Shivpal filed his nomination papers for the UP state polls to be held next month. He did so as an SP member and under the party's electoral symbol, which is a 'cycle.'

This development has been in the making since September when the rift in the SP came to light. Ranged on one side of the SP divide were Mulayam and Shivpal and on the other side were Mulayam's son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav.

Several temporary patch-ups later, Mulayam's faction went to the Election Commission seeking the use of the 'cycle' symbol for the polls. The Akhilesh faction did the same and the EC awarded it the use of the cycle. The Mulayam faction retreated to the wings to lick its wounds quietly.

It appeared another patch-up had occurred, but that too proved temporary.

After Akhilesh recently announced an electoral alliance with the Congress party, a furious Mulayam - who was against such a partnership - said two days ago that he wouldn't campaign for the Congress.

Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday said that he would not campaign for the party, which has entered into a coalition with the Congress, for the upcoming UP Assembly elections.

He also said that he was vehemently against the alliance, and that the SP could have won the election on its own.

Political observers are saying that Mulayam's current stance is a result of his dreams of becoming the president of India being dashed by Akhilesh Yadav, who has his own plans to return as UP chief minister and then go on to become prime minister, or at least be a kingmaker at national-level politics.

A few weeks ago, there had been speculation that Mulayam and Akhilesh had been feuding over control of the SP because they had different views of what was to come. It had been rumoured that the BJP, which leads the NDA coalition government at the Centre, had asked Mulayam to play it soft with his party in the UP polls, so the saffron party could benefit from it.

It is common knowledge that UP is possibly the most politically important state in the country, having sent the most number of prime ministers to Parliament. This includes Narendra Modi, who is a Lok Sabha member from the Varanasi constituency. If the BJP won UP, it would all but cement its position at the Centre for the 2019 General Elections.

That could have been achieved had Mulayam stayed in charge of the SP and not been unseated by son Akhilesh. And if the BJP had won UP, grapevine had it that Mulayam had been promised the post of president of India.

However, none of that happened because of the ambitions of Akhilesh Yadav, who wants not only to return as UP chief minister - he is the incumbent - but also to maybe become prime minister one day. An alliance with the Congress can take him there, because the Congress still has a sizeable voter base outside UP, which Akhilesh might want to tap at the national level.

The alliance at the state level means if he ever were to stake claim to the post of prime minister, he might get support from the Congress. And if the Congress staked claim for Rahul Gandhi to be prime minister if the Congress wins the 2019 General elections, then the SP can play kingmaker and wield greater clout at power corridors of Delhi.

Former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and the finance minister of his cabinet P Chidambaram on Monday addressed a joint press conference, two days ahead of the union budget.

At the release of an economic report by the Congress, the former prime minister said several ratings agencies had lowered their GDP growth expectations.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the Indian economy was not in good shape, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party government gets ready to release the Union Budget on February 1. At the release of an economic report by the Congress, the Real State of the Economy 2017, Singh also said that several ratings agencies had lowered their Gross Domestic Product growth expectations for the country.

''Tomorrow is the day when the government will present its economic survey,'' Singh said. ''We (the Congress) thought it a good idea that we should also bring out a document which sets out what we consider is the real state of the economy.''

The former prime minister said the report would help the public to assess the state of the Indian economy, ''where it is heading to and what can be done to bring it on the right path'', The Indian Express reported.

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, who was also present, criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government for not doing enough to create jobs and help credit growth. ''There are no jobs, capital formation is declining, credit growth is the lowest in several decades ... if the government presents a rosy picture of the economy, (the) people of India are entitled to question that,'' he said.

''Every government must be optimistic, but optimism must stem from a realistic assessment of the situation,'' Chidambaram said, adding that the Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government ''tends to believe (an) exaggerated version of the economy". On Saturday, the former minister said he would have submitted his resignation if he had been the finance minister in the Narendra Modi government when it took the decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

The release of the report comes one day ahead of the Centre’s Economic Survey report, and two days ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget. Opposition parties, economists and ratings agencies are expected to focus on indicators and schemes focussing on demonetisation and its aftermath.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Manmohan Singh presents Congress document on state of Indian economy.

- Indian economy not in good shape: Manmohan Singh

- I wish the NDA good luck. Nothing good about current state of economy: Chidambaram

- Ask yourself where are the job. You will not get a satisfying answer: Chidambaram

- The document released candidly, truthfully assesses the state of India’s economy, supported by hard research, data: Chidambaram

- There are no jobs, capital formation is declining, credit growth is the lowest in several decades: Chidambaram

- Yet if Government presents tomorrow a rosy picture of the economy, people of India are entitled to question that: Chidambaram

- Every govt must be optimistic, but optimism must stem from a realistic assessment of the situation: Chidambaram

- NDA Govt tends to believe exaggerated version of economy, this research document is closer to truth than what Govt will say tomorrow: Chidambaram

There will be no post-demonetisation limits on the withdrawal of cash from ATMs from February 1, The Reserve Bank of India announced on Monday. The RBI also removed limits on current, cash credit and overdraft accounts with immediate effect.

However, the Rs-24,000 limit on savings accounts will continue, though this too might be lifted soon, the bank said.

Banks have also been asked to encourage promoting digital payments and switching from cash to cashless transactions. On January 16, the RBI had raised the ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 10,000 a day from Rs 4,500.

However, it maintained the weekly cap at Rs 24,000 for savings accounts. The move also comes ahead of Assembly elections in five states - Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh - which begin from February 4.

Earlier, bankers said they expected the RBI to do away with the restrictions by the end of February. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, the RBI put restrictions on cash withdrawal from ATMs and banks owing to a shortage of currency notes.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is set to appear at Bhiwandi court on Monday in connection with criminal defamation case filed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over his remark regarding Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

Rahul was granted bail on the basis of personal surety by Maharashtra's Bhiwandi court in November last year.

A local RSS functionary, Rajesh Kunte, had filed the case against Gandhi for claiming at an election rally on March 6, 2014 that the right wing organisation had killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Though the Supreme Court has stayed the proceedings against him, Gandhi appeared before magistrate D.P. Kale in Bhiwandi on July 8 last year.

Gandhi had in September withdrawn his petition filed in the apex court, challenging the case and said he would face the trial.

He expressed his readiness to face the trial after the top court refused to interfere with the criminal proceedings pending against him before the trial court.

He moved the apex court challenging the order of the Bombay high court refusing to quash the defamation case and summons issued to him by the trial court.

After the withdrawal of the case, the court had summoned Gandhi for further proceedings.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has rejected the request of the Election Commission to enhance the weekly cash-withdrawal limit, imposed after demonetisation, for those contesting Assembly elections in five states, prompting an angry reaction from the poll panel.

The Commission had on Wednesday requested RBI to enhance the withdrawal limit of candidates to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 24,000 per week imposed post demonetisation as the nominees would find it difficult to meet their campaign expenditure.

But RBI said that it was not possible for it to hike the limit at this stage.

The Election Commission has urged the central bank to reconsider the proposal. An apparently peeved Commission has now written back to RBI Governor Urjit Patel expressing "serious concern about the cursory manner in which the issue has been dealt with".

"...(It) appears that the RBI has not realised the gravity of the situation...It is reiterated that it is the constitutional mandate of the Commission to conduct free and fair elections and to provide level-playing field to all candidates...in order to facilitate proper conduct of elections, it is imperative that directions issued by the Commission are complied with," the poll panel said.

On Wednesday, the Commission had told RBI that it has been apprised of the problems candidates were facing due to withdrawal limits imposed after the note ban.

The Election Commission said the returning officer of the constituency would issue certificate that the person was a candidate in the fray and the contestant be allowed to withdraw Rs 2 lakh cash per week from the bank account opened especially to meet poll expenses.

The Election Commission said the facility be extended till March 11, the day of counting.

Candidates are bound to open an election account for meeting poll-related expenditure which is monitored by the Election Commission.

The Election Commission said that with a weekly withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000, a candidate would be able to withdraw Rs 96,000 in cash during the election process which lasts three to four weeks.

The Election Commission reminded the Reserve Bank that as per law, candidates contesting Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab can spend Rs 28 lakh each for electioneering.

The limit in Goa and Manipur is Rs 20 lakh each. The poll panel said despite paying amounts through cheques, candidates still need hard cash for petty expenses. Also the issue is further adversely effected in rural areas where banking facilities are negligible.

Stung by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ calling his outfit a party of “extortionists”, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said he will not like to react to it. He, however, chose to taunt the BJP over its yet unfulfilled promise of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Addressing a BJP rally at Mumbai last night, an aggressive Fadnavis had equated the Sena to a “party of extortionists” and described the outfit’s dominance over Mumbai for the past two decades as a “huge loss” to the megapolis. “I do not want to give any reaction to his (Fadnavis’) speech on Monday night,” Thackeray told reporters here, after Congress corporator and former leader of opposition in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Devendra Amberkar joined the Sena in his presence, ahead of the February 21 BMC polls.

“He (Fadnavis) had earlier said that no one becomes the prime minister simply by giving a speech from Red Fort. Similarly, nobody becomes Lord Krishna just because one thinks (of himself) so,” he said.

Thackeray did not name BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar, who at yesterday’s rally, had drawn the Mahabharata analogy while referring to Sena-BJP ties and termed Fadnavis as Lord Krishna and expected that Krishna will address to fight against the ‘Kauravas’ (Sena).

“I will not speak more (on what Fadnavis said) because I will also suffer from a sore throat,” he said, in a veiled reference to Fadnavis drinking water twice during his speech last night due to a sore throat.

“I will not speak on what he (Fadnavis) has said. People of Mumbai will respond to it,” Thackeray said.

“His (Fadnavis’) earlier image has been maligned. Now, one fears if the image will become that of a ‘CM of goons’,” he added.

Taunting the BJP for “failing” to honour its poll promise of building a Ram temple at Ayodhya, Thackeray said, “They (BJP) must be looking for the bricks they had collected earlier.”

“If they find those bricks, may be they will build the temple. Mandir banayenge, par kab banayenge (You will build the temple, but when),” the Sena chief said.

“Now, the masks have fallen. Their (BJP leaders’) real faces have come before the people,” he said.

Thackeray’s remarks came a day after BJP president Amit Shah, while releasing the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, said it will try to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya as per Constitutional norms.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed a joint press conference in Lucknow, capital of Uttar pradesh, India on Sunday ahead of the Assembly elections.

This is the first time that the two politicians have come together for an event after the announcement of the alliance for the seven phased polls.

A joint poster with the slogan ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ having the pictures of both Rahul and Akhilesh and their respective party symbols was also released on the occasion. The parties also released the theme song of the alliance during the press conference.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi spoke on the alliance and said, “Uttar is the first word in Uttar Pradesh. The alliance of Congress and Samajwadi Party is an answer. Uttar Pradesh has always given answers.”

Gandhi also termed the coming together of the two parties as coming together of Ganga and Yamuna. “It is the onset of development in the state,” he said.

While agreeing to what Rahul Gandhi said, Akhilesh Yadav said that the partnership of Congress and Samajwadi Party will take Uttar Pradesh to greater heights. He also guaranteed the people that the two parties together will win 305 seats in the state.

Clarifying on Priyanka Gandhi’s role in the alliance, Rahul Gandhi says, “Priyanka has been of tremendous help to me and I have been so to her, if she campaigns or not is her choice; she is an asset to Congress.”

Rahul Gandhi dismisses accusations of the alliance being a marriage of opportunities. “This alliance isn’t opportunistic, it is an alliance of hearts. Will explain to Modi Ji,BJP & RSS that UP and its people are one and we will not let them create divide,” he said.

Brushing aside questions of uncertainty in seats from Amethi and Rae Bareilly, Rahul says that the strategy will be revealed as when the time comes.

Rahul Gandhi calls Akhilesh Yadav a good boy. “I had said earlier that Akhilesh Yadav is a good boy, but he’s not being allowed to work,” Gandhi said on if he still believes in Congress’s earlier slogan “27saal UP behal”

Ram Temple issue is sub-judice. It is BJP’s nature to pick up the issue everytime before the polls: Rahul Gandhi said while slamming the BJP over its manifesto.

Referring to the slogans of Congress and Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Imagine what would happen if ‘kaam bolta hai’ and ‘UP ko yeh saath pasand hai’ come together.” He also attacked the BJP government and said that its been over two years but, the ‘Acche Din’ still seem so far.

Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that he and Rahul Gandhi are the two tyres of a cycle. He further said that both the parties, together, will win 305 seats in the state with the love of the people.

Putting all speculations to rest, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party last week on January 22 forged an alliance for the high-voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The Congress, which wanted to contest as many as 121 seats, has reportedly now settled for 105 seats. The development came after Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention ending the prolonged deadlock over entering into an alliance to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the politically crucial state.

The Congress is contesting 105 seats while the ruling Samajwadi Party is contesting 298 seats. Uttar Pradesh will be voting for a new state assembly in a seven-phase election. Voting in the state begins on February 11 and concludes on March 8. Counting of votes will be held on March 11.

Bodies of 10 soldiers have been found after two avalanches hit Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez since yesterday. Four more soldiers are missing.

The Indian army said rescue operations were launched immediately after the avalanches despite bad weather and heavy snowfall.

Seven soldiers were found alive during searches yesterday. Three bodies were found this morning.

After another avalanche at the same area yesterday, an army patrol moving towards the camp went missing.

Three soldiers including a major were killed and four others were injured yesterday when an avalanche hit a camp in Sonamarg in Ganderbal district.

The avalanche left Major Amit Sagar and four others buried under snow. The injured are being treated.

In another incident, four of a family died after their house was buried under the snow in Bandipora district.

There have been multiple avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days.

India's military might and rich cultural diversity were in full display during the dazzling 68th Republic Day celebrations in the national capital which had Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the Chief Guest.

Light rains and overcast skies failed to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of spectators who witnessed the nearly one-and-half hour-long parade that marched down the majestic Rajpath, India's ceremonial boulevard, amid unprecedented security cover.

A major highlight of the parade was 149-member marching contingent from UAE comprising personnel from Presidential Guards, the Air Force, the Navy and Army. They were led by a band comprising 35 musicians from that country.

Al Nahyan, also Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, was seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wore a pink color 'safa' (turban). The two leaders were seen sharing some light moments.

For the first time a contingent of the National Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as the Black Cat Commandos, was part of the march past. The parade also saw the fly-past of three LCA Tejas Aircraft flying at a height of 300 metres in 'Vic' formation and the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) developed by DRDO.

The Indian Army's missile firing capability T-90 'Bhishma' tank, Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP-2K, Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the BrahMos Missile System, Weapon Locating Raddar 'Swathi' and Akash Weapons System and Dhanush Gun System were among the main draw in the mechanised columns.

Alongside the Crown Prince, the ceremonial parade was watched by Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the country's top political and military brass, besides the diplomatic community.

Tableaux from 17 states and Union Territories and six central ministries and departments showcased the varied historical, art and cultural heritage of the country. Goods and Services Tax (GST) was the theme of the tableau of Central Board of Excise and Customs. 21 of the 25 children who won the National Bravery Award also participated in the parade. Four children have received the award posthumously.

The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the Indian Air Force which displayed various formations like 'Chakra' and 'Vic' leaving the spectators spell-bound. The 'Hercules' formation comprising three C-130J Super Hercules aircraft also drew loud cheers.

The national capital was wrapped in an unprecedented security cover with thousands of security force personnel keeping a tight vigil to prevent any terror strike or untoward incident during celebrations.

Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters were deployed to keep a watch on the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort besides nearby localities.

There were intelligence inputs that terror groups may try to carry out attacks. Delhi Police was sent a special advisory informing them that terror groups might use animals to target crowded areas like important installations, railway stations, etc to create a panic.