Poll | Modi-Swaraj row: Can the NDA government be called 'scam free'?
Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje drawn into Lalit Modi controversy: Can the NDA government now be called 'scam free'?
By HT Correspondent | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JUN 18, 2015 03:33 PM IST
The Congress has ramped up its demand for the resignation of Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj after former IPL boss Lalit Modi claimed they helped him with his travel papers in UK.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue is raising doubts among the public.
In an interview, Lalit Modi said Raje had agreed to secretly back his application for immigration to the UK in 2011, when she was the opposition leader.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram targeted Swaraj for helping ex-IPL boss Lalit Modi get travel documents in UK. The Congress leader asked a set of seven questions, saying the NDA regime twisted rules and regulations.
In reply to Chidambaram, the BJP accused him of making "baseless" allegations against Swaraj to hide the "failures" of the UPA government to initiate action against the former IPL chief.
Swaraj's help to Modi and Raje's involvement in this issue has become an embarassment for the BJP with the opposition creating a lot of furore.
Can’t ignore complaints of sexual harassment: Supreme Court
By Abraham Thomas, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:51 AM IST
In her complaint in March 2018, the female judicial officer had accused the former principal district judge of Sheopur of sending lewd messages on WhatsApp.
Harming reputation ground for divorce, says Supreme Court
By Utkarsh Anand, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:48 AM IST
An SC bench, headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, held that such demeanour by a wife will certainly amount to inflicting cruelty on the man, and will be grounds for divorce under marital laws.
India out of recession as GDP expands 0.4% in Q3
By Roshan Kishore, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:43 AM IST
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at 0.4% on a year-on-year basis in the quarter ending December 2020, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on February 26.
‘Peace on LAC must to mend ties’: Jaishankar tells Chinese counterpart
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:39 AM IST
EAM Jaishankar’s blunt message was conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a 75-minute phone conversation on Thursday — the first formal contact between the two ministers since they met on the margins of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Moscow last September.
Business of liquor needs a major detox
By Abhishek Dey, Sweta Goswami
UPDATED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:31 AM IST
In 2019-20, the city government pegged its revenue from the liquor business at ₹5,500 crore -- roughly 11% of its total revenue of ₹51,000 crore. Among major states, an HT analysis showed only in Karnataka and Telangana, liquor revenue formed a bigger percentage of the state’s revenue.
Sops galore hours before poll schedule out
By Divya Chandrababu, Chennai, Kolkata
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 02:10 AM IST
Most number of sops came from Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami, who is trying to beat 10 years of incumbency. The state assembly unanimously passed a bill providing 10.5% reservation for influential Vanniyar community within the existing quota of 20% for the Most Backward Classes (MBC).
Crucial election cycle in 5 states to start on March 27
By Deeksha Bhardwaj, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 01:39 AM IST
Votes in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will be counted on May 2, said chief election commissioner Sunil Arora. All Covid-19 election guidelines, including limiting the number of electors, regulating physical campaigning and road shows and sanitising booths and personnel, will be in place, he added.
Five charts that explain the upcoming elections
By Abhishek Jha, Roshan Kishore
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 01:22 AM IST
Three out of the four states going to polls; Assam, West Bengal and Kerala are also the top three states by share of Muslims in the population. With 26.7% Muslims and 16.6% Christians, Kerala has the lowest share of Hindus -- to be sure, they are still a majority – among India’s important states.
IAF adds muscle to firepower in 2 yrs since Balakot
By Rahul Singh, New Delhi
UPDATED ON FEB 27, 2021 01:06 AM IST
Indian Air Force's (IAF’s) Mirage-2000s struck targets in Balakot in response to the Pakistan-backed Pulwama suicide attack in Kashmir in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed on February 14.
When Pakistan failed to get support during Kargil
By Sunetra Choudhury, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 12:54 AM IST
In a new book, Life in American Politics & Diplomatic Years in India published by Har-Anand Publications, Richard Celeste, the US ambassador to India between 1997 and 2001, reports a visit he received from Pakistan’s Ambassador to India, Ashraf Qazi.
‘Did not break any law’: Nodeep Kaur after HC grants bail
By HT Correspondent, Chandigarh/karnal
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 12:39 AM IST
Addressing mediapersons, Kaur said, “I did not break any law and cannot think of doing so in future. But I raise voice against exploitation of labourers and farmers by the big corporate houses. Such influential people cannot tolerate this and try to suppress their voice.”
SC rejects contempt plea, says tigress Avni killed in accordance with order
By Abraham Thomas, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 12:19 AM IST
The Court issued notices to Maharashtra principal secretary Vikas Kharge, principal chief conservator forests (Nagpur), deputy conservator forests (Nagpur), deputy conservator forests (Pandharkawada) and member secretary, NTCA, on February 10 on a petition filed by a wildlife activist Sangeeta Dogra.
‘Best of the best’: Election Commission on poll observer deployed in Bengal
PUBLISHED ON FEB 27, 2021 12:15 AM IST
- Poll panel officials said that special central observers are sent to each poll-bound state depending on the sensitivity of the state to look into law and order, expenditure and other aspects. The observers are usually retired bureaucrats who had held top posts in various central agencies.
February temperature in Bhubaneswar crosses 40 degree mark, highest in 58 years
By Debabrata Mohanty
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 11:52 PM IST
- Weather officials said the rise in maximum day time temperature in Bhubaneswar was due to several factors. On Wednesday, the capital city of Odisha recorded 38 degrees Celsius while on Thursday the maximum temperature recorded was 39.4 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country on both days.
Assam puts decision of no Covid-19 tests at airports, railway stations on hold
PUBLISHED ON FEB 26, 2021 11:26 PM IST
- The new order was issued to prevent the spread of the disease in view of 'gradual increase' in cases and detection of the new strain of the virus at some places across the country .
