Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Thursday that Omar Abdullah after sensing the mood of the people is now saying that his party, National Conference (NC), can form the government in alliance with Congress, a climb down from his earlier stance.

Abdullah, earlier, was claiming that the NC will get a majority and form the government on its own in J&K.

Addressing the media in Jammu, Smriti Irani said the BJP has said from day one that “we will form the government in J&K on our own while Omar Abdullah has shifted his stand from the earlier statement that the NC would form the government in J&K on its own.”

“He now says the NC will form the government in alliance with the Congress. Does he sense his defeat now?” Smriti Irani said in reply to a question.

She said that the BJP has said in Parliament and through the Solicitor General in the Supreme Court that “we will restore statehood”.

“Congress says they will launch an agitation for statehood to J&K. It is only the BJP government at the Centre that can restore statehood and not the Congress,” she said.

“On the issue of restoration of statehood, the Congress stand is of agitation while our stand is of restoration,” she asserted.

She said Rs 84,000 crore worth of investment has come to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.

“Rs 8,000 crore worth of financial help has been given to three lakh youths in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. Through the J&K Reorganisation Act, one per cent reservation has been given to women. Seven lakh women of self-help groups have become Lakhpati Didis in J&K. We have promised to give Rs 18,000 to the eldest woman of every household once we form the government in J&K. Under Ujwala scheme, 1,17,000 households have been brought under this scheme. We have promised in our manifesto to give two LPG cylinders free to poor households,” she said.

“Under the Pandit Premnath Dogra Employment scheme, we promise to give five lakh new jobs. Those youths aspiring for the UPSC and JKPSC exams will be given Rs 10,000 for coaching. PM Narendra Modi is the leader of digitalisation in India. Children of higher secondary schools in remote areas will be given laptops and tablets to get online education. Under a special economic zone scheme, Jammu will become an IT hub. Three regional development boards will be formed,” she said.

The BJP leader attacked Congress saying its policy is to divide. “This is the party that has been headed by people not born in India in the past. Isn’t that unfortunate? I appeal to people to vote for the BJP for a new dawn of development and prosperity in J&K,” she said. AGENCIES

BJP National Spokesperson Ajay Alok on Thursday condemned the recent vandalism at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple in Sacramento, California, and urged the US administration to ensure stringent punishment for the culprits.

The temple was defaced with anti-Hindu messages on Wednesday night, marking the second such incident in less than 10 days after a similar attack at a BAPS temple in New York.

“We have taken this seriously, and the Indian government has informed the embassy, which is in contact with US officials. No culprits should be spared, and this is our appeal to the US administration,” Alok told IANS.

He emphasised the global significance of the Swaminarayan Temple, stating that it is a place of worship not only in America but also across many cities around the world.

“Whenever such places of faith are attacked, governments should take it seriously, and we have done so,” he added.

Ajay Alok also welcomed the Himachal Pradesh government’s decision to mandate the display of names on eateries, calling it a “commendable” move.

“This is a commendable step. A model that is helping people should be adopted nationwide,” he said.

He further emphasised the success of policies modelled after Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives, stating, “Many states have progressed by adopting the Modi model. So, if the Himachal government is adopting the Yogi model, what is the harm?”

He also took a dig at the Congress, asserting, “Congress and its ‘Yuvraj’ must be having a problem with it because they cannot practice the politics of polarisation anymore.”

Reacting to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s forthcoming visit to the Tirupati Temple on September 28, Alok criticised the leader, claiming he has no right to offer prayers at the temple.

“While serving as the Chief Minister, he allowed the induction of more than 13 non-Hindus into the Tirumala Trust,” Alok alleged.

He also alleged that the Reddy government gave the “laddu contract to a non-Hindu,” which led to adulteration in the ‘prasadam’ and hurt the sentiments of Hindu devotees. AGENCIES

The Karnataka BJP staged a massive protest opposite the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against whom the court has ordered a probe. 

The BJP leaders vehemently demanded that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case allegedly involving CM Siddaramaiah be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The BJP MPs, MLAs and MLCs gathered in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue holding placards urging the CM to resign.

They raised slogans against CM Siddaramaiah and chided him for sticking to the chair even as the court had ordered an investigation against him.

The protest was led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, R. Ashoka and Leader of Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.

As the BJP leaders attempted to lay siege to the Vidhana Soudha they were forcibly removed by the police and put into waiting police vehicles and whisked away.

Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra did not participate in the protest due to health reasons.

Protesters at the Vidhana Soudha chanted slogans like “Down with the corrupt Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who looted the MUDA sites, resign immediately,” and “Down with the corrupt government led by CM Siddaramaiah, who raises prices and taxes.”

Legislative Council member N. Ravikumar led the slogans and the protest.

BJP has intensified its protest in the backdrop of the Special Court for MLAs/MPs ordering an investigation against CM Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case.

The Lokayukta is most likely to lodge an FIR against CM Siddaramaiah on Thursday or Friday.

The saffron party is likely to intensify its protests against CM Siddaramaiah once the FIR is lodged.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the petitioners in the case are all set to approach the High Court demanding a CBI probe in the case as the Lokayukta comes under the state government.

AGENCIES

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will be campaigning for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in poll-bound Haryana on Thursday.

In his day-long campaign schedule, CM Yadav will address public rallies in three Assembly seats — Charkhi Dadri, Bhivani and Bawani Khera.

First, two of these three Assembly seats — Charkhi Dadri and Bhivani — fall under the Mahendragarh-Bhivani Lok Sabha constituency where there is a sizable population of the Yadav community.

This particular area of Haryana, which also falls under the (expanded) National Capital Region (NCR), is known for its strong bonding and mutual support within the Yadav community.

Bawani Khera — the Assembly seat reserved for the Schedule Case (SC) candidate — falls under the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency. Hisar district has a sizable OBC and Dalit voters and therefore, both BJP and Congress have deployed multiple leaders to seek their support in the election.

Besides addressing public rallies, CM Yadav will also meet the BJP workers to review the party’s preparations for the Assembly elections, according to details shared by the Madhya Pradesh unit of the BJP.

The election in Haraya will be held on October 5 for the 90-member Assembly. The results will be declared on October 8.

High voltage campaign has been going in poll-bound states — Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public rally in Gohana of Haryana launched a blistering attack on the Congress saying if it comes to power in Haryana even by mistake, stability and development will be at stake because of its “infighting” and this will ruin the state.

The current Haryana Legislative Assembly will end its tenure on November 3, 2024. In the 2019 elections, BJP won 40 seats and formed a coalition with JJP, which had won 10 seats, while Congress won 31 seats. BJP and JJP broke their alliance, but the BJP remained safe in government. This year, BJP, Congress, JJP, and AAP parties will contest against each other. AGENCIES

 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has developed lightweight bulletproof jackets with 360-degree protection, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The jackets, named ABHED (Advanced Ballistics for High Energy Defeat) have been developed at the DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at IIT, Delhi.

The ABHED jackets were developed using polymers and indigenous boron carbide ceramic material.

“The design configuration is based on characterisation of various materials at high strain rate followed by appropriate modelling and simulation in collaboration with DRDO,” the Ministry said.

The armour plates for the jackets have passed all necessary research and development trials as per the protocols.

“The jackets meet the highest threat levels and are lighter than the maximum weight limits stipulated in the respective General Staff Qualitative Requirement of the Indian Army. With a minimum possible weight of 8.2 kgs and 9.5 kgs for different BIS levels, these modular-design jackets having front and rear armours provide 360-degree protection,” the Ministry said.

The ministry noted that based on the selection-criteria matrix, some Indian industries were shortlisted for the Transfer of Technology and handholding.

The Centre is ready to transfer the technology to three industries, it added.

“The lightweight bulletproof jacket exemplifies the effective ecosystem of successful defence research and development by DRDO, academia, and the industry,” Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO.

The DIA-CoE was formed by modifying the joint advanced technology center of DRDO at IIT Delhi in 2022 to involve industry and academia in defense research and development.

It has been actively pursuing various projects on advanced technologies, involving DRDO scientists, academic researchers, and industry partners. AGENCIES

 The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended its earlier order granting interim protection from arrest to now-sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

A bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh decided to fix the hearing on October 4 after parties sought more time to file detailed submissions.

In the meantime, Justice Singh-led Bench ordered an extension of the benefit of interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest.

In a brief hearing, the counsel representing the Delhi Police submitted that the probe revealed “a larger conspiracy”, hinting involvement of other people in the matter.

Last week, the Delhi High Court issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea. In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service.

Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits. After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam.

The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023. However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them.

It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities. It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

Last month, the Centre allowed the UPSC to utilise Aadhaar-based authentication to verify candidates’ identities voluntarily, both at the time of registration and during several stages of examinations and recruitment. AGENCIES

 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in Delhi to press for the release of funds due to the state to implement various Central government schemes.

The Chief Minister will reach Delhi on Thursday evening. In a statement on Thursday, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s office said that the DMK government has been consistently fighting for the rights of the people of the state.

The statement said that “the struggle was the strength of the DMK” and the party continued to fight for the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu even while holding power.

The Chief Minister will be submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister on various demands of the state in many sectors. The delay in the allocation of Central funds will be a main point of discussion taken up by the Chief Minister during the meeting with the Prime Minister.

The funding for the phase 2 development of the Chennai Metro rail network will be one of the main agendas during the Chief Minister‘s meeting. Another contentious issue that the Chief Minister will take up is the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) relating to the school education department.

It may be recalled that the state government has opposed linking the PM SHRI schools to the release of SSA funds. The Tamil Nadu government has not signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU )with the Central government to establish PM SHRI schools leading to the Centre’s delay in releasing the funds.

The Union Education Ministry has withheld the first instalment of Rs 573 crore for Tamil Nadu due to noncompliance with the National Education Policy.

The Tamil Nadu CM had earlier written to the Prime Minister seeking the release of SSA funds and the State School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi has also come out against the Centre for penalising the state for not implementing the National Education Policy (NEP).

CM Stalin during his visit to Delhi will also call on the leaders of the Congress and other INDIA bloc members. It may be recalled that the DMK is holding a major public meeting on September 28 at Kancheepuram in which INDIA bloc leaders will participate. AGENCIES

 More than 3,000 registered senders have whitelisted more than 70,000 URLs, APKs (Android package kit) or OTT (over the top) links as per the government directive to safeguard consumers from unsolicited messages containing malicious links, it was announced on Thursday.

In a major step to curb the misuse of URLs (uniform resource locators) in messages, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued a directive on August 20, and then extended it till September 30.

The new rule, instructing all access providers to block any traffic containing URLs, APKs, or OTT links that have not been whitelisted, is set to be implemented by 1st October 2024.

To ensure smooth flow of SMS traffic containing URLs, TRAI advises registered senders to promptly upload their whitelisted URL/APK/OTT links to the portal of the respective Access Providers.

“So far, over 3,000 registered senders have complied with this requirement by whitelisting more than 70,000 links. Senders who fail to whitelist their links by the due date will not be able to transmit any messages containing URL/APK/OTT links,” said the Ministry of Communications.

This initiative is designed to foster a transparent and secure communication system.

“By complying with these new rules, both Access Providers and registered senders can help in creating a more reliable and safe messaging environment,” said the telecom regulator.

Whitelisting is a cybersecurity strategy under which only pre-approved or trusted users, entities, or actions are allowed to operate on a system or network. By preventing unauthorised access, whitelisting can greatly reduce the risk of malware infection and cyber intrusion.

Telecom service providers blocked over 50 entities and disconnected more than 2.75 lakh mobile numbers and telecom resources earlier this month.

The TRAI has also introduced punitive measures for non-compliance. Content templates registered under the wrong category will be blacklisted, and repeated offenses will lead to a one-month suspension of the sender’s services. AGENCIES

Indian frontline indices were trading at a record-high on Thursday following positive global cues.

At 9.46 a.m., Sensex was up 144 points or 0.17 per cent at 85,314 and Nifty was up 36 points or 0.14 per cent at 26,040.

In early trade, Sensex and Nifty made a new all-time high of 85,372 and 26,056 respectively.

In the Sensex pack, Maruti Suzuki, Wipro, Tata Motors, Nestle, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, ITC, TCS, Bajaj Finserv, HUL, Bharti Airtel, Axis Bank and SBI were the top gainers. Power Grid, NTPC, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Titan, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, L&T and Kotak Mahindra Bank were the top losers.

Selling was seen in the midcap and smallcap stocks. Nifty midcap 100 index was down 375 points or 0.62 per cent at 60,089 and Nifty smallcap 100 index was down 104 points or 0.54 per cent at 19,252.

According to market experts, “There are no immediate near-term triggers that can take the market sharply up or down. Up moves may attract selling by FIIs who are likely to move some more money to China and Hong Kong since these markets are cheap and are witnessing an uptrend now. But FII selling is unlikely to push the market down significantly since the ample domestic liquidity can easily absorb such selling.”

“A range-bound market is a near-term scenario and, therefore, the real action will be stock-specific,” they added.

Among the sectoral indices, PSU Bank, metal, realty, energy, pvt bank, and infra were major losers. Auto, IT, pharma, FMCG, services and healthcare were major gainers.

A bullish trend is being seen in Asian markets. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Jakarta and Seoul are trading in the green. The US markets closed mixed on Wednesday.

The foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their selling as they sold equities worth Rs 973 crore on September 25, while domestic institutional investors extended their buying as they further bought equities worth Rs 1,778 crore on the same day. AGENCIES

Healthy marketing margins on auto fuels could spur price reductions of Rs 2-3 per litre in petrol and diesel prices in the country if crude prices remain stable, leading rating agency ICRA said on Thursday.

The marketing margins on retail sales of auto fuels for the Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) have improved in recent weeks with the reduction in crude prices.

The rating agency anticipates that there is headroom for the downward revision of retail fuel prices if crude prices remain stable at current levels. The outlook for the refining and marketing sector remains stable.

“ICRA estimates that the OMCs’ net realisation was higher by Rs 15/litre for petrol and Rs 12/litre for diesel compared to international product prices in September 2024 (till September 17),” said Girishkumar Kadam, SVP and Group Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA.

Another leading rating agency CLSA said on Wednesday that petrol and diesel prices may be reduced after October 5.

According to ICRA, the retail selling price (RSPs) of these fuels have been unchanged since March 2024 (Rs 2/litre was reduced on petrol and diesel on March 15) and there appears to be headroom for their downward revision by Rs 2-3/litre, if crude prices remain stable, he added.

Crude prices have witnessed a sharp decline in the last few months, primarily due to weak global economic growth and high US production and the OPEC+ has pushed the rollback of its production cuts by two months to combat the declining prices.

The impact is mainly on account of weak demand from China due to rising electric vehicle (EV) sales, muted industry demand and real estate downturn.

Further, demand in Europe has also been subdued due to weak industrial activity and a structural shift in vehicle fleets towards EVs.

As per the report, a marketing gain of Rs 1/litre on petrol and diesel would compensate for the gross refining margin (GRM) loss of 0.9 $/barrel for the domestic refining and marketing industry.

Petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) consumption in India witnessed YoY growth of 5 per cent in FY24 and is likely to witness a 3-4 per cent growth in FY25, driven by economic progress, increasing mobility and air travel.

The OMCs have planned a significant capex in the refining segment. The domestic refining capacity is expected to increase to 306 million MT over the next three to four years from the current capacity of 256.8 million MT as of March 2024 to support the increased consumption and exports. AGENCIES