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Venkaiah Naidu: Its Time to Abolish Triple Talaq

  Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said it's time the country should abolish this "gender discrimination", in the light of principles of justice, dignity and equality. Recently an 18-year-old girl, Arshiya Bagwan from Baramati, who was divorced by her husband through ‘triple talaq as per the Sharia Law’, narrated her ordeal at a press conference in Pune on Friday. Bagwan, who got married at the age of 16, said to the media that she ‘refuses to accept the divorce’ and ‘plans to move the family court for justice’. "Triple talaq is anti-constitutional, against law, against the principles of democracy and anti-civilisation. This kind of opinion is on the rise. There is a discussion going on, on this subject. Already so much of time has been taken. It is time the country should move forward to abolish 'triple talaq' to end the discrimination and also have gender justice and equality before law. We should end this," Mr Naidu said.

Leader expelled for writing about Mulayam's second wife

  Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav expelled MLC Udayveer Singh, who wrote a letter to Mulayam Singh in support of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, for 6 years. Sources said Mulayam is upset with his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for sheltering Udayveer as the raging crisis in the party showed no sign of respite. The decision came after Mulayam met senior leaders in the morning to find ways to end the raging infighting which is threatening to take the party to the verge of a split. Talking about party's decision of sacking him, Udayveer said, "I am not upset over my sacking... I am unhappy over the fact that truth is not reaching the ears of Netaji". The crisis in the party escalated on Friday when Akhilesh skipped the crucial party meeting convened by state unit chief and his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav. "Party state unit chief Shivpal Singh Yadav personally invited Akhilesh to attend the district presidents meeting but he refused to attend it," party sources said.

WhatsApp starts video calling feature

  WhatsApp is testing video calling feature in its app. However, only Windows Phone user can try out the new video calling feature on WhatsApp. The feature hasn’t been rolled on Android or iOS. If you happen to own a Windows Phone, you can try re-installing WhatsApp on your device to check out the new feature. Unlike many other updates to WhatsApp, where you require to update your chat app in Play Store to avail the feature, it is noted that this feature was enabled by default and required no app update. With over 1 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is the leading chat app across the globe. Owned by Facebook, the company  recently made a change in its privacy policy.  The company announced that it will share some of the user data  mobile numbers, usage patterns etc with its parent company Facebook so that it can show relevant ads to people. WhatsApp recently also rolled out Snapchat like features for both iOS and Android users. The new feature allows the user to draw over the images and videos shot by the app's camera.

Pay 5 Crs for casting Pak actors says MNS

  'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', that features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, ran into trouble after Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said it won't allow release of any movie in India that featured Pakistani artistes. MNS ended their protest against Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Raees on Saturday morning after a closed-door meeting between party supremo Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Karan Johar, Mukesh Bhatt and others. "Every producer who has cast a Pakistani actor must contribute Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said after the meeting. "Karan Johar said that he will run a special slate honouring the martyrs before the start of the movie. It's a tribute from us to our soldiers," Bhatt said. It is due for release on October 28, ahead of Diwali.  

I was not blackmailed says Varun Gandhi

  MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday said there is “not one grain of truth or shred of evidence” against him with a two-page long response to the allegation about him leaking classified defence information to arms manufacturers. Releasing a letter written by New York based lawyer C Edmonds Allen, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav alleged that Varun Gandhi was honey-trapped by controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma to reveal secret defence information. While he was a member of both the Defence Standing Committee and the Defence Consultative Committee from 2009, he said he never attended a meeting of the Consultative Committee and very few of the Standing Committee. "Clearly, I was neither actively seeking out nor passing on any information. Had there been any hidden agenda or motivation as alleged in the letter it would have been reflected in my attendance...  "I would like to point out the false and frivolous nature of its (letter) charges, and the impossibility of these allegations." Gandhi said.

Bihar dy CM gets 44k marriage proposals on WhatsApp

  Officials have said that Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav has received 44,000 marriage proposals on a WhatsApp contact number which he had provided for complaints over bad roads. As per a government official, out of 47,000 messages, only 3,000 were about issues related to roads. The girls also provided description of their looks based on factors like skin colour, height and figure statistics. Priya, Anupama, Manisha, Kanchan and Devika are among the 44,000 message senders who had contacted Yadav, also the state's Public Welfare Department minister, at the number. Yadav, 26, cricketer turned politician, is the younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasadand former chief minister Rabri Devi. "In fact, the young women mistook the number as Tejaswi's own and sent the personal messages," the official added. In response, Yadav jokingly said that such personal messages could have landed him into deep trouble had he been married.

CM gave directions to clear FRDs: Kadiam

Hyderabad: On Friday, while briefing about the Telangana State cabinet meet, Kadiam Sri Hari, the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana said that, the cabinet had approved a resolution impelling ESL Narismhan, the governor of both the states, to hand over offices and secretariat blocks of Andhra Pradesh which were allotted in the city of Hyderabad to Telangana state. Mr Kadiam also said that, directions had been given by KCR to clear the dues related to fee reimbursement, crop loan waiver and Arogyasri within thirty days.  

HC refused to stay Centre’s notification

Hyderabad: On Friday, a notification, which has been issued by the central government eliminating Telangana State from AP Administrative Tribunal’s jurisdiction on 15th of September, has not been stayed by the High Court of Hyderabad. The petitions which were filed by the advocates B Kiran Kumar and P V Krishnaiah and Telangana government’s employees daring Centre’s notification were dismissed by the division bench of Hyderabad High Court constituting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Durga Prasad Rao.

Provide wholesome food to students: UGC

Hyderabad: The universities as well as the affiliated colleges were asked to provide proper food for the students and were directed by UGC to make sure that Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is implemented at food stalls as well as canteens situated at the premises of the colleges. Prof. Jaspal S Sandhu, the secretary of UGC wrote a letter to all the universities’ vice chancellors, in which he said, “Decision has been taken in the perspective of complaints that the canteen and other food outlets are not licensed under Food Safety and Standards Act”, adding “Food Safety and Standards authority of India is willing to help the universities with regard to the same”.

RTC release a smartphone app

  Hyderabad: On Friday, the Transport Minister of Telanagana, P Mahender Reddy told that a smart phone application would be released by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation in the month of November so as to allow the travellers to find out the buses’ location.The Air Conditioned mini buses were inspected at the Bus Bhavan by Mr Mahender who said, “The buses will be introduced on Hyderabad-Nizamabad and Hyderabad - Warangal routes from the month of November on experimental basis”.

TG CM is playing with poor students’ lives

Hyderabad: On Friday, the chief minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekar Rao was warned by N Uttam Kumar Reddy, the president of TPCC, against romping with poor students’ lives and their careers in the state of Telangana. While addressing a signature launching campaign which has been held to seek the clearance of dues which are related to fee reimbursement, Mr Uttam said that, KCR was openly playing with the lives of deserving and poor students while the poorest of poor parents provided highest education to their children during the rule of congress because of the universal fee reimbursement policy, adding that, whereas, the anti-student policy of the government of TRS was forcing many number of students not to continue their education.

National Kabaddi player arrested over Wife's suicide

  National-level kabaddi player Rohit Kumar was arrested by the police on Friday days after his wife Lalita Dabas committed suicide by hanging herself. Rohit, who is in the navy, was detained by a team of Delhi Police in Mumbai at noon, said Dependra Pathak, Joint Commissioner of Police (South West) in Delhi Rohit's father, Vijay Singh, also surrendered around noon at the Nangloi police station in the national capital and was questioned, said a senior police officer. Lalita recorded the two-hour long audio message for her husband and a shorter one for her family. She alleges in them that she was tortured for dowry, taunted and beaten by Mr Chillar and his family, the police said. Lalita married Rohit, who represents the team "Bengaluru Bulls", in March. This was her second marriage. The kabbadi player joined the Navy in 2009 and was posted in Bengaluru. She alleged that on October 15, Rohit told her that if she goes away from his life, he would be very happy. He dropped her halfway to her home and left, she alleged.

SC bans BCCI from financing state associations

  The bench led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur restrained BCCI from disbursing funds to state associations until they pass resolutions on implementation of the Lodha panel’s recommendations. India’s cricket board cannot release funds to state affiliates until they implement sweeping reforms backed by the Supreme Court, the top court ruled on Friday, a decision that may disrupt the sport at the domestic level. “Not a single penny will be given to state associations until they comply with the Lodha panel,” the court said, ordering the board to file a compliance report in two weeks. The judgment asked the Committee to fix a ceiling limit for contracts the BCCI can enter into. Contracts worth beyond this financial limit would require the panel's approval. It also asked the Committee to appoint an independent auditor to scrutinise the BCCI accounts and fix the financial limits for contracts. The court ordered the BCCI secretary and president to file compliance reports before the Committee and the Supreme Court in two weeks. It asked the panel to apprise ICC chairman Shashank Manohar of the court's orders.

Roads to be repaired for Olympian's BMW

  Indian Gymnast Dipa Karmakar had recently taken the decision to give up her BMW car due to condition of theroads in the state, the Tripura Government have announced that the roads will be repaired in Dipa's locality. Days after ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar turned down the BMW X1gifted by the Hyderabad District Badminton Association because of the condition of roads in the state. This is even giving hope to people, and they are making an attempt to join their kids in the sports arena, hoping to see the same change in the future too. “Till how long will we suffer on these pothole filled roads, we also want to experience a smooth drive once in our lifetime. Dipa’s example shows us that if you perform well at the Olympics, you can finally get that elusive thing, a pothole free road. Now we are too old to take up a sport ourselves but our two kids are still young. We have asked them to spend all their time playing, if we catch them with books, we will punish them ourselves”, said a father. While appreciating the Government's decision, Dipa was quoted as saying, "We never spoke of any road or lane for the BMW's movement. Along with road space and quality, service and maintenance of the car are also important issues here. We have made up our mind to give up this car."

Did Varun Gandhi spill defence secrets?

  A US-based whistleblower has accused BJP parliamentarian Varun Gandhi saying he leaked crucial information about defence matters after being "honey-trapped" and blackmailed by arms dealer Abhishek Verma. The complaint, dated September 16, is from C Edmonds Allen, a US-based lawyer, who says that Mr Gandhi was used by controversial arms dealer Abhishek Verma to disclose defence details to arms manufacturers looking to score contracts for India. Mr Verma and Mr Allen were business partners before they had an epic falling out in 2012. Mr Allen says that as a member of a parliamentary defence committee, Mr Gandhi used his information to "compromise national security." Varun Gandhi termed the accusations "baseless and ridiculous". "I was horrified at the wild allegations made. What I didn't see, however, was a shred or iota of evidence, proof or fact linking me to these insane rumours,'' he said. "Anybody who knows the defence committee knows it has no access to confidential information." He also said he would quit politics "even if 1% of all this" was true. 

UP CM a target of his step mother??

  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's supporter and party legislator Udayveer Singh, accused Mulayam Singh's second wife of being part of the conspiracy against the Chief Minister. The four-page letter of the MLC marked a major escalation. Udayveer Singh was elected from the SP-stronghold of Etah-Mainpuri. With a subheading– “Personal jealousy against CM”– a part of the letter reads, “As this information came out in the open that you want Akhilesh to become the CM of the state, conspiracies started within the family. Although Akhilesh’s step-mother herself remained behind the picture, Shivpal came forward as her political face. He started contacting senior party leaders to prevent this.” He added that Shivpal Singh Yadav, the state party chief and a brother of Mulayam Singh, was jealous of the Chief Minister's popularity. Accusing Sadhna and Shivpal Yadav of collusion, Udayveer Singh alleged that the Chief Minister was being subject to black magic with a view to harm him. Reacting sharply to the letter, party leader Ashu Malik said people writing such letters were not "even worth 500 votes".

NSP will be approved by TG cabinet today

Hyderabad: The new secretariat building’s construction which would cost around RS 200 Crore with all modern facilities is likely to be approved by the Telangana State Cabinet which has planned to meet today. The plans for the same would be placed for approval in front of the cabinet by the chief minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekar Rao who wants to complete the works related to the construction of the structure by the year 2017. According to the sources, KCR wants a single six storied structure and a helipad on the secretariat’s premises.

TG didn’t secure any place in green test

  Hyderabad: The council of Indian green buildings came up with rankings under new heads like green hospitals, green schools, green railway station, green places of worship, etc., and the government of Telangana didn’t secure any place under these categories. On the other hand, the government of Andhra Pradesh has secured place in the category of green villages. The status of green village has been awarded to Moripadu village which is situated in the district of East Godavari at IGBC building congress which has recently been held at Mumbai.

HC issues notices to CSs of AP & TG

  Hyderabad: The High Court of Hyderabad asked the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to give an explanation for not following the guidelines of the policy which has been framed not to construct spiritual structures on roads, pavements and at other public areas in the city. The chief secretaries of both the governments have been issued notices and have been directed by the division bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice A Shankar Narayana while dealing with a petition which has been filed by one of the HC’s advocates.