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From Narsingh’s Rio ticket to Gujarat CM’s wicket: Aug 2 morning top stories
Narsingh Yadav gets clean chit for Rio Games; Vijay Rupani frontrunner for Gujarat top office; Akshay Kumar speaks up on Naseeruddin-Rajesh Khanna episode and Ajinkya Rahane cementing India in Kingston Test against WI.
From Narsingh Yadav getting a clean chit from the National Anti-Doping Agency for the Rio Games to Vijay Rupani being the frontrunner for Gujarat top office, and what Akshay Kumar has to say on the Naseeruddin-Rajesh Khanna episode, here are top news on Hindustan Times at 10am:
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INDIA
GST bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow
The government will on Wednesday table the much-delayed constitution amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha after the Congress indicated its support for the legislation to roll out a uniform goods and services tax across the country. The government wanted to bring in the bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha, on Tuesday but put it off by a day as Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will not be in Delhi on the day.
Rupani ahead in race to replace Anandiben in Gujarat
Gujarat’s transport and water supply minister Vijay Rupani is the favourite to replace chief minister Anandiben Patel who offered to step down on Monday. Rupani, who turns 60 on Tuesday, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, enjoys the confidence of BJP Amit Shah and has the support of the RSS. He is an MLA from Rajkot, the heartland of Patidar-dominated Saurashtra region. CM Patel was under pressure following demand for quota by Patidars and recent Dalit protests in Una.
Rajnath to visit Pakistan tomorrow
Home minister Rajnath Singh will go ahead with his Pakistan visit for a Saarc meeting on August 3, India has said. Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed has warned of protests against Singh’s visit, saying the minister was responsible for the “killings of innocent Kashmiris”.
Indian, Chinese troops meet in Ladakh, talk peace
Indian and Chinese troops met in the Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday and decided to uphold the agreements signed between the two sides for peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The meeting came a few days after Chinese troops entered Barahoti, a vast stretch along LAC in Uttarakhand that both countries agreed to keep their militaries away from.
WORLD
On anniversary of mass shooting, Texas allows guns in varsities
Texas has become the eighth US state to allow guns on campuses -- a controversial decision that comes on the 50th anniversary of a sniper rampage at a university. The law, which was passed last year and came into play Monday, requires universities in Texas to permit concealed weapons in campus buildings. Seventeen people were killed,14 of them at the University of Texas, Austin, when a gunman went on a rampage on August 1, 1966.
US general election ‘going to be rigged’, fears Donald Trump
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made another claim backed with no evidence on Monday that he fears the general election “is going to be rigged” — an unprecedented assertion by a modern presidential candidate.
SPORTS
Narsingh’s Rio hopes alive after doping charge is dropped
Wrestler Narsingh Pancham Yadav’s Rio dream stays alive after the country’s anti-doping agency accepted his claim of sabotage and cleared him of doping charges. Narsingh will have to take a fresh drug test and get clearance from the World Anti-Doping Agency to be allowed to participate in the Rio Olympics that begin August 5.
India takes control of Kingston Test
After KL Rahul pulled off his career-best 158, Ajinkya Rahane’s 108 on Monday powered India’s first innings to a mammoth 500/9 on day 3 of the second Test against West Indies in Kingston. Rain washed off the post-tea session, leaving the hosts at a 304-run trail at the end of the day.
BUSINESS
Maruti Suzuki cars costlier by up to Rs 20,000
India’s largest carmaker hiked prices of its various models by up to Rs 20,000 on Monday. The newly launched compact SUV Vitara Brezza will cost Rs 20,000 more, while that premium hatchback Baleno is up Rs 10,000. On a select range, the price hike will be between Rs 1,500 and Rs 5,000.
Cheaper LPG cylinder price increased by Rs 1.93
Subsidised cooking gas cylinder will cost Rs 2 more. The Rs 1.93 hike was announced Monday, the second increase in rates in one month as the government looks to cut down its subsidy bill. A subsidised 14.2-kg cylinder will now cost Rs 423.09 in Delhi as against Rs 421.16, according to state- owned oil firms.
HT SPECIAL
Safety check: Lucknow’s Asafi Masjid at Bara Imambara lacks basic security
In a short but gruelling drill conducted on July 10, an HT team accompanied by a security expert visits Lucknow’s Bara Imambara to assess the security arrangements at the Asafi Masjid – one of India’s most popular Shia mosques – as well as its adjoining structures. The findings were disturbing, to say the least. Read the second of the seven-part series on security checks in the country.