India News Updates: 15 people dead, several injured after transformer exploded in Chamoli district

Chamoli Blast LIVE News Updates

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announces relief packages for the victims of Chamoli incident

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed that Rs 5 lakh be provided to the deceased’s families and Rs 1 lakh be given to the injured.

Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, called CM Dhami to ask about the Chamoli tragedy. The Prime Minister’s Office has also been provided with full details on the incident, stated the CMO.

Maharashtra LIVE Updates

Do good work for state, treasury keys are in your hands: Uddhav to ex-ally Ajit Pawar

Shiv Sena (UBT) chairman Uddhav Thackeray visited erstwhile ally and Maharashtra Deputy chairman Minister Ajit Pawar for the first time on Wednesday, after the NCP leader’s decision to join the Eknath Shinde administration.

Thackeray, a member of the state legislative council, briefly attended the house proceedings. It was also his first visit to the assembly since former party colleague and deputy chairman Neelam Gorhe joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

“I asked him to do good work for the state and people,” Thackeray said after meeting Pawar, who is also the finance minister, at his office.

Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE Updates

All-party meeting chaired by Rajnath Singh ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament starts

The administration called an all-party meeting on Wednesday ahead of the monsoon session, which is traditional before the session begins on Thursday. The purpose of this meeting is to include all parties and address their concerns.

Nitish Kumar LIVE Updates

Nitish Kumar not angry at all, says JD(U) prez who accompanied him to Bengaluru

JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan,’ who accompanied Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on his journey to Bengaluru, firmly disputed reports of the latter’s disappointment with how the Opposition meeting went on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Patna, Lalan called the BJP-led NDA’s allegations of Kumar being dissatisfied with the abbreviation ‘INDIA’ and going on a rant over not being named convener of the new coalition a “dushprachar” (canard).

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Chamoli District LIVE Updates

15 people dead, several injured after transformer exploded in Chamoli district

An official reported on Wednesday that a power transformer burst on the banks of the Alaknanda river in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, killing at least fifteen persons and injuring numerous more.

According to the official, the dead included three police inspectors and three house guards.

Parliament Monsoon Session LIVE Updates

Rajnath Singh to chair all party meeting today ahead of Parliament Monsoon session

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over an all-party conference organised by the Central government on Wednesday afternoon to ensure the smooth operation of Parliament’s monsoon session, which begins on Thursday.

While the opposition parties will inform the government of the items they want to bring up during the session, the government has already set its legislative agenda.

Oommen Chandy Death News LIVE Updates

Oommen Chandy is irreplaceable, farewell given by public indicates their love for him: Congress

Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy died in Bengaluru a day ago, and his death is a “irreplaceable” loss for the Congress, senior party officials said here on Wednesday.

Party officials, including Assembly Leader V D Satheesan, Ramesh Chennithala, and state Youth Congress president Shafi Parambil, said Chandy’s goodbye reflects the affection people had for him and what he had done for them.

The party officials, who were escorting Chandy’s mortal remains on a specially constructed bus to Kottayam, informed reporters that the thousands lined up on both sides of the road for a final view of him, as well as the tears in their eyes, were evidence of the enormous popular support he received.

2024 Lok Sabha Polls LIVE Updates

Mayawati says BSP to fight LS polls alone; terms NDA, INDIA coalitions anti-Dalit

BSP president Mayawati said on Wednesday that her party will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana on its own.

Mayawati stated in a statement that the BSP was ready to collaboration with regional parties in Punjab and Haryana as long as they had no connections to the ruling NDA alliance or the newly formed opposition coalition ‘INDIA’.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister attacked both the NDA and the newly formed opposition alliance, claiming that none was friendly to Dalits and disadvantaged groups.

While the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA alliances were consolidating their positions, Mayawati stated the BSP was conducting closed-door meetings of party activists across the nation.

Money Laundering Case LIVE Updates

Sisodia produced in court physically, court directs officials to supply copy of “manhandling” day CCTV footage to him

Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was physically presented before the Rouse Avenue court for the hearing of a money laundering case involving the Delhi excise policy.

The court had ordered him to appear in person.

On Wednesday, special judge M K Nagpal instructed responsible officials to provide him with a pen drive containing a copy of CCTV video from the day of the alleged manhandling of Manish Sisodia.

On Manish Sisodia’s behalf, an application was filed claiming police misconduct.

Tamil Nadu LIVE Updates

AIADMK chief Palaniswami accuses DMK’s partners of ‘servitude’, says allies can speak facts in NDA

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami accused DMK allies of being “servile” to Tamil Nadu’s ruling party on Wednesday, saying partners in the National Democratic Alliance had the right to tell the truth.

In Tamil Nadu, the former chief minister stated that his party, the AIADMK, headed the NDA, while the BJP led the alliance at the national level.

The AIADMK’s top leader predicted in the national capital that the NDA will win 330 Lok Sabha seats throughout the country.

Speaking to reporters, when asked if it was possible to garner 50 per cent plus vote share in view of factors such as price rise, Palaniswami said the country has witnessed growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite aspects like the coronavirus pandemic.

Maharastra Rains LIVE Updates

Flood-like situation in Ratnagiri and Raigad districts due to heavy rains

Heavy rains overnight have forced many rivers in Maharashtra’s Konkan region to rise and generate flood-like conditions, causing authorities to move residents in a few cities and villages to safer places, officials said on Wednesday.

With additional rain forecast in coastal Maharashtra in the coming days, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has directed officials to transfer residents in numerous areas of Chiplun town in Ratnagiri district owing to the increasing level of the Vashisthi river.

Kannada Lecturer Controversy LIVE Updates

Kannada lecturer under fire for derogatory social media post on Chandrayaan 3 mission

A Kannada instructor at a PU college in Malleswaram, Karnataka, has been summoned to explain his alleged attempt to ‘ridicule’ India’s Chandrayaan 3 project.

Hulikunte Murthy, a lecturer known for his campaigning for the Dalit community, purportedly tweeted in Kannada doubting the success of Chandrayaan-3.

He used the word “Tirupati nama” in his tweet, implying that the forthcoming lunar expedition will suffer the same fate as its predecessor.

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Maharashtra Rains LIVE Updates

Local train services on Mumbai suburban section stopped due to water-logging on tracks 

Local train services between Badlapur and Ambarnath in Maharashtra’s Thane district, which borders Mumbai, were halted on Wednesday owing to water-logging on railway lines caused by heavy rains, authorities said.

On Wednesday morning, Mumbai and adjacent Thane saw severe rain.

According to reports, the rail tracks between Badlapur and Ambarnath stations were swamped at 10.30 a.m.

Meanwhile, train services on the Panvel-Belapur Harbour Line line were restored by 10 a.m. after a “point failure” at Panvel at 9.40 a.m., according to Manaspure.

Supreme Court LIVE Updates

Three-judge bench to hear pleas relating to criminalisation of marital rape: SC

The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that once constitution benches finish considering the specified cases, a three-judge bench would hear a batch of petitions related to the criminalization of marital rape.

When senior lawyer Indira Jaising brought the petition for hearing, a bench consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra observed, “We have to resolve the matters concerning marital rape.”

The top court on March 22 had fixed the petitions on marital rape for hearing on May 9.

Maharashtra Rains LIVE Updates

Alerts issued for districts in Maharashtra after heavy rainfall

After heavy rain, districts in Maharashtra were issued alerts. Waterlogging forced the closure of schools and a railway route.

In light of the city’s constant rains, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed District Collectors to take urgent preventive steps and deploy relief and disaster management teams.

Today, IMD issued a Red notice for Palghar and Raigad districts, as well as an Orange alert for Thane, Mumbai, and Ratnagiri.

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

Mata Vaishno Devi yatra on new track suspended as Katra witnesses record rainfall

The new pilgrim route to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple has been stopped due to a landslip hazard after Katra town in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi region got the worst rainfall in 43 years.

Due to severe weather, chopper transportation to the temple has also been stopped. Pilgrims will still be able to access the shrine atop Trikuta Hills, authorities said on Wednesday.

Katra, the pilgrimage centre for the Vaishno Devi temple, received 315.4 mm of rain in 24 hours.

BJP LIVE Updates

‘Opposition using nation’s name as tool to gain power’: BJP writes to EC against renaming UPA as INDIA

The Bhartiya Janata Party has appealed to the Election Commission of India to protest the rebranding of the United Progressive Alliance to INDIA, which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.

Ashutosh Dubey, a BJP politician and counsel, claimed that the former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) renamed itself India in order to “use the name of our nation as a mere tool to gain power.”

Yesterday, representatives from 26 opposition parties met in Bengaluru for a critical meeting at which they formally renamed themselves as “INDIA.”

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Varanasi LIVE Updates

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on five-day Varanasi tour, to attend conference of major temples of the world

Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS head, arrived in Varanasi on Tuesday and will attend a summit of prominent temples from across the world from July 22 to 24.

According to Sangh sources, he will attend the conference’s inaugural event on July 22 at the Rudraksh Convention Centre.

The meeting will be attended by the heads of over 400 temples from 26 nations.

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Mumbai LIVE Updates

Mumbai Police launch probe into Kirit Somaiya video case

An officer with the Mumbai Police said on Wednesday that an investigation into an alleged video showing BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in a compromising posture has begun.

Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, stated in the state legislative council on Tuesday that a comprehensive investigation will be undertaken into the situation.

Former MP Somaiya had questioned the veracity of the video and requested an investigation in a letter to Fadnavis, who is also the home minister.

According to a top police source, the Mumbai crime branch is looking into the incident.

He also stated that it will seek the assistance of cyber and technological specialists to verify the veracity of the footage.

Lokshahi, a Marathi news channel, shared the footage.

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

Several houses collapse after heavy rains in J&K’s Kathua, four killed

Four people were murdered and numerous more were thought trapped when a half-dozen houses fell in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua area owing to heavy rains, according to a police officer.

A rescue effort is underway in the affected villages of Bani tehsil, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Kathua Shivdeep Singh Jamwal.

He stated that a home fell in Surjan village, killing two people and trapping three more.

The official claimed that reports of home collapses were received from numerous other villages in Bani tehsil, resulting in the deaths of two persons.

Manipur LIVE Updates

Five-member Trinamool Congress delegation to visit violence-hit Manipur on Wednesday

According to party leader Sushmita Dev, a five-member Trinamool Congress team will visit violence-torn Manipur on Wednesday.

She added that the group will arrive in Imphal and do everything possible to meet individuals impacted by violence, particularly women and children from all communities.

According to Dev, TMC president and West Bengal president Minister Mamta Banerjee was among the first to request permission from the government to visit the state.

“Manipur is being destroyed and the prime minister is silent,” she said.

Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates

Security forces foil infiltration bid in J&K’s Kupwara, two terrorists killed

Security forces foiled an infiltration attempt on Wednesday after eliminating two terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara region.

According to the Indian Army, the operation was carried out in collaboration with the BSF and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

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Opposition Meet LIVE Updates

‘We are political untouchables for them…’: AIMIM on not being invited to Bengaluru Opposition meet

Waris Pathan, head of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has accused the “so-called” secular parties of treating his party as “political untouchables” after they were not invited to the two-day Opposition gathering that concluded in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

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Delhi Floods LIVE Updates

Yamuna water level crosses danger mark amid fresh spell of rain

The Yamuna River in Delhi breached the danger mark again on Wednesday morning, less than 12 hours after it had dropped below the critical level. The rise in water level was due to constant rains in the national capital and the river’s higher reaches.

According to the Central Water Commission, the water level increased to 205.48 metres at 8 a.m. and is expected to rise to 205.72 metres by 6 p.m.

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Opposition Alliance LIVE Updates

Nitish Kumar hesitant on opposition alliance to be named ‘INDIA’: Sources

According to reports, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not want the opposition alliance to be called ‘INDIA’ since it contains the letters ‘NDA’.

According to sources, the name INDIA was presented to everyone at an informal gathering on Monday. All opposition leaders were asked for suggestions on the name, and by Tuesday, everyone had agreed on it.

Congress LIVE Updates

Congress slams Assam CM over ‘India’ remarks

The Congress responded on Wednesday to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks that the British named the country India, saying he should tell that to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has given programmes in the country names like “Skill India,” “Start-up India,” and “Digital India.”

Sarma attacked opposition parties on Tuesday over the name of their coalition, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), claiming that the British named the country India and that the goal should be to liberate the country from “colonial legacies.”

Hitting back at Sarma, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Is the Assam CM having a surplus of sour grapes in his mouth? His new mentor, Mr. Modi, gave us Skill India, Start-up India and Digital India, all new names for ongoing programmes.”

Oommen Chandy LIVE Updates

Oommen Chandy’s remains taken to Kottayam

On Wednesday morning, the mortal remains of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, who died in Bengaluru a day earlier, were carried to Kottayam, a Congress bastion.

During his decades-long political career, he had spent the majority of his time in the state capital as a lawmaker, Congress party leader, and chief minister.

His body was transported by road to Kottayam in a specially constructed low-floor bus decked up with flowers and photos of Chandy and filled with party officials and activists.

Ukraine Conflict LIVE Updates

India on Ukraine conflict

India remains deeply concerned about the conflict in Ukraine, says Ruchira Kamboj, Ambassador of India to the UN at the UNGA Annual Debate on Ukraine. She also urged an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

She also said that it was essential to emphasize that this is not an era of war.

India Growth Forecast LIVE Updates

Asian Development Bank retains India’s growth forecast at 6.4% for current fiscal

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) maintained India’s economic growth prediction for the current fiscal year at 6.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent for the next year, saying solid domestic demand will continue to sustain the region’s recovery.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) indicated in an update to its Asian Development Outlook that inflation will continue to fall, nearing pre-pandemic levels as fuel and food costs fall. It predicts 3.6 per cent inflation in Asia’s emerging nations this year and 3.4 per cent in 2024.

The Indian economy expanded by 7.2 per cent in the fiscal year 2022-23, which concluded in March 2023.

“Asia and the Pacific continues to recover from the pandemic at a steady pace,” ADB Chief Economist Albert Park said.

Opposition Alliance LIVE Updates

‘Jeetega Bharat’ tagline for opposition alliance INDIA

The opposition parties finalised “Jeetega Bharat” as the combine’s tagline a day after naming their alliance ‘INDIA’.

The Hindi slogan means “India will win” and according to reports, would likely be reproduced in numerous regional languages.

According to them, numerous leaders thought that the term “Bharat” should be included in the name of the alliance at the meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

India-US LIVE Updates

India-US defence relationship robust, increasing in scope and sophistication: Gen Brown

A top American general has described India as a strategic partner to the US, telling legislators that the India-US military-to-military cooperation is solid and growing in scale and complexity.

“India is a strategic partner to the United States. Our military-to-military relationship is robust and increasing in scope and sophistication,” General Charles Q. Brown told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

NDA Meet LIVE Updates

Opposition parties’ character won’t change by changing name of their alliance: BJP

The BJP and its NDA partners slammed the opposition parties on Tuesday, saying renaming their coalition will not change their spirit and that the 2024 Lok Sabha struggle will be Bharat Mata vs INDIA.

They were reacting to the announcement of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) by 26 opposition parties to take on the ruling NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declaring that the fight will be “between INDIA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

According to BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya, the opposition parties’ United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had to destroy its existence and obtain a new name, even if those who are members of this new’ alliance haven’t changed.

NDA Meet LIVE Updates

‘India First’ spirit always central to thoughts of NDA, says Resolution

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). It was attended by 39 NDA alliance parties. The gathering was organised to commemorate the 25th anniversary of NDA’s establishment.

The resolution stated that NDA is a leading representative of ‘One India. United India’. “This journey of good governance and development has seen the participation of all sections, regions and communities. NDA in its very form is a leading representative of ‘One India. United India’,” it said.

It also resolved to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of PM Modi and elect him as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive time.

The NDA parties praised the Prime Minister for leading India to unprecedented development through his commitment, devotion, unrelenting hard work, and selfless dedication, and for providing citizens with the opportunity to be proud of their country’s power and prowess.