Asaduddin Owaisi assaults UP govt over 'namaz' order

Hyderabad, Dec 26 AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh Government over a Noida police order against offering of Friday prayers at a local park, saying it was "showering petals on Kanwariyas" (devotees of Lord Shiva) but was issuing notice to Muslim faithful who need to offer prayers out in the public places.

The police in Noida had recently sent notices to 23 private firms located under its jurisdiction, requesting that they prevent Muslim workers from offering Friday 'namaz' (supplications) at a nearby park. The region organization had Tuesday said "unapproved" religious social events would not be permitted at public places.

Slamming the order, Owaisi tweeted, "UP cops actually showered petals for Kanwariyas, yet namaz once seven days can mean disrupting peace & harmony,"

"This is telling Muslims: aap kuch bhi karlo, ghalti to aapki hi hogi (No issue what you do, you will be in the wrong," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said.

"Also, by law, how can one hold a MNC at risk for what their representatives do in individual limit?" the Hyderabad MP addressed.

Citing a Supreme Court order of 2009, Noida officials said there was a clear ban on unauthorised use of public places for religious activities by all communities.

Sensex rebounds 180 pts, Nifty recovers 10,700 mark

Mumbai, Dec 26 After gyrating nearly 700 points Wednesday, benchmark value lists turned around starting misfortunes and finished higher driven by a rebound in banking stocks amid firming trend in the US market.

The BSE Sensex broke its three-day falling streak by closure 179.79 points, or 0.51 percent, higher at 35,649.94. It fell to a low of 35,010.82 during afternoon trade.

The more extensive NSE Nifty too recouped to even consider reclaiming the 10,700 dimension, rising 66.35 points, or 0.62 percent, to 10,729.85.

"Market recovered in the second half following a recovery in Dow futures. At current levels, Nifty 50 is on track to deliver nominal positive returns in CY18. Nifty is the only index among large markets that is positive for the calendar year," said Viral Berawala, CIO of Essel Mutual Fund.

The 30-share index had ended the past session 271.92 points lower at 35,470.15, while the Nifty had lost 90.50 points.

The greatest gainers on the two bourses were Bharti Airtel, HDFC team, L&T, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI, ITC and Bajaj Finance, ascending to 4 percent.

Then again, Sun Pharma, Yes Bank, TCS, NTPC, Tata Motors, Infosys and ONGC fell up to 2 percent.

The rupee, in the interim, picked up against the US dollar, and was exchanging at 70.08 per dollar.

Brent unrefined, the international benchmark, was up 0.73 percent at USD 51.14 per barrel.

On a net basis, foreign portfolio speculators (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 577.10 crore Monday, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 186.14 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed.

Elsewhere in Asia, Korea's Kospi ended 1.31 percent lower, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.40 percent and Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.26 percent; while, Japan's Nikkei rose 0.89 percent.

Baba Ramdev says 'very difficult' to anticipate next PM

Madurai, Dec 26 Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has said it was "very difficult" to predict the nation's next Prime Minister in view of the current political situation.

Taking note of that he was "not focused" on legislative issues, the 53-year-old yoga master said he would not bolster or restrict anybody in the 2019 Lok Sabha races.

Conversing with columnists at the air terminal here Tuesday, Ramdev stated, "We can't state who will end up being the following head administrator (after the 2019 general races)."

"We don't have a political or religious agenda... We need to make a spiritual India and world... Not Hindu India or communal India," he included.

His comments come days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) endured a big blow as it lost power in its before ruled Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Congress won convincingly in Chhattisgarh, less so in Rajasthan and pushed out the saffron party in a cliffhanger in Madhya Pradesh.

Referring to the Ayodhya dispute, Ramdev claimed that the BJP would lose trust if the 'Ram Mandir' was not worked in Ayodhya now.

The yoga guru was in the state to go to a national official meeting of Bharat Swabhiman in Rameswaram.

On Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah's comments on mob violence in Uttar Pradesh, he stated, "blaming India for religious bigotry adds up to corrupting the nation's pride".

The charge that nation was religiously bigoted was equivalent to "ungratefulness, disrespect and treason," he added.

Apparently referring to the ongoing viciousness in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, Shah had said that at many places in the nation the "death of a cow is being given more importance than the killing of a policeman".

The veteran actor had also expressed tension over the prosperity of his kids, who he stated, have not been raised as followers of any particular religion.

The violence, which occurred earlier this month over an incident of alleged cow slaughter, had claimed two lives, including that of a police inspector.

Sharad Pawar attacks PM Narendra Modi; heaps applauds on Sonia Gandhi, Rahul

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for charging UPA executive Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He assaulted PM Modi for blaming the Gandhi family of ruining the country.

Pawar on Tuesday also praised Sonia and Rahul, saying people should respect them as they are working with a similar opinion of serving poor people. He said that ages of the Gandhi and the Nehru family have added to the country's development and have made sacrifices.

"Ages of Gandhi-Nehru family have added to nation's development and made sacrifices. If today, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are working with the same sentiment of serving the poor then we should regard them. In any case, PM Narendra Modi just says that one family destroyed the nation," said Pawar.

He said that people should feel "glad for them" as they continue to serve the poor regardless of the assassination of late prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Launching a broadside at the ruling BJP, Pawar asserted the saffron outfit was setting networks against one another as it did nothing on the improvement front as was guaranteed to the people.

The NCP leader was talking at an event in Satara area, around 300km from Mumbai. He said a few legal advisors have raised questions if the 16 percent standard conceded to Marathas in employments and instruction in Maharashtra will stand the investigation of the law and said the legislature ought to guarantee the reservation supports.

Attacking Modi for targeting on the Gandhis, the Maratha strongman said the nation's first leader Jawaharlal Nehru invested a long time in prison amid the British guideline, while Indira Gandhi secured premiums of the poor when in power. "Such forfeit by a family. Indira Gandhi was executed. Rajiv Gandhi was murdered. We should feel pleased if Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi are proceeding to serve poor people despite these two killings. "Be that as it may, the leader just discussions around one family demolishing (the nation)," the previous Maharashtra chief minister told the gathering.

"You (Modi) were in power in Gujarat. Blameless people were killed there. What you did there? People were burnt but (you didn't do anything," included Pawar, who quit the Congress and framed the NCP in June 1999. He also brought up issues over the ongoing quittance of 22 blamed, a large portion of them policemen, in the alleged fake encounter killings of criminal Sohrabuddin Shaikh, his better half and a helper in Gujarat in 2005-06.

"What sort of state it is? Is it a state of the law? Is it an express that ensures the enthusiasm of the common people? The power is in the hands of such people," he said.

On the issue of Maratha reservation, Pawar said a few legal counselors have revealed to him that they had questions whether the portion law would stand legally. "I am not a legal advisor. I spoke to some lawyers I will definitely speak in the wake of returning to Mumbai and try to understand it (the issue)," he included.

On senior Congress leader D Y Patil joining the NCP, Pawar said the former had evinced interest in working with him. "Patil has been expressing interest for working with me for as far back as a half year. He said he didn't need any post and joined (the NCP)," the 78-year-old veteran parliamentarian included.

Shiv Sena tears into PM for power like oxygen remarks

Mumbai, Dec 26 The Shiv Sena Wednesday hammered Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his power like oxygen remarks, saying those who neglected to get "achhe din" are now feeling disgusted at the thought of sitting in the opposition and thieves were being "purified" to guarantee the supply of oxygen.

It also said that the government's move to snoop on PCs and cell phones was not a sign of a real democracy but rather its "eagerness" to remain in power.

In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna, the Sena said today Lord Rama in Ayodhya and BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani in politics are in exile while others are reaping fruits of the "oxygen of power".

"Sending someone in exile forcefully is the (current) legislative issues for power," said the party, which is a partner of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Taking an agree at the opposition, Modi had said on Monday that power is like oxygen for "a few people" with restlessness setting in if they are out of it for even "two or five years".

Further slamming the BJP, the Marathi every day said those who couldn't bring 'achhe din' (great days) regardless of being in power currently fear the Opposition. They get a sentiment of nauseate on the off chance that they need to sit in the Opposition.

"Modiji said (former prime minister) Vajpayee went through a large portion of his time on earth in the Opposition, yet remained battled. In any case, a few people are actually the inverse, as per Modiji. The inquiry that presently emerges is who are these people?" it asked.

"So as to guarantee the oxygen supply of intensity, hoodlums and cheats are cleansed. To win polls, criminals are made 'valmiki' (referring to the sage who composed the epic Ramayan). At last, control is overwhelming," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

In a scathing attack on the BJP, it said that for power, the alliance with Sena, in view of the rule of Hindutva, was also broken in 2014 and the "cylinder of the oxygen of Hindutva" was stolen.

"Presently when it is time for people to plug out the supply to this oxygen cylinder of Hindutva, statements are made (by BJP) that a collusion with Sena will occur, it said.

The Sena also hammered the government's turn to snoop on PCs.

"The government's turn to snoop on PCs and cell phones is certainly not an indication of a real democracy and freedom, however its anxiety to remain in power," the Sena said.

The government had a week authorised 10 central agencies to intercept, screen and decrypt all information contained in any PC system and asserted this was being done to keep "any unauthorised use of these powers".

The move had set off a political tempest with the opposition accusing the government of trying to create a "surveillance state".

Banking services affected Wednesday because of strike

New Delhi, Dec 26 Operations at branches of public sector banks the nation over were affected Wednesday because of a strike by unions against the proposed merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB).

The strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) - an umbrella association of each of the 9 unions including the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) and the National Organization of Bank Workers (NOBW).

According to AIBEA General Secretary C H Vekatachalam, the strike is effective across the country and employees are fighting for a right cause.

However, branches of new generation private sector banks stay unaffected by the strike called by UFBU, which professes to have enrollment of almost 10 lakh bank workers and officers across 21 public sector banks.

This is the second bank strike in less than a week.

Last Friday (December 21), an officers' association of state-run banks observed a day-long strike to protest against the merger and also demanded immediate settlement of wage negotiations.

Most of the banks have already informed customers about the strike.

Delhi encounters coldest day this season at 3.6C

New Delhi, Dec 26 A cold wave cleared through Delhi on Wednesday morning as the minimum temperature dropped to 3.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest this winter, the Met office said.

"The minimum temperature was recorded at 3.6 degree Celsius, four notches below the season's average. It is the lowest temperature recorded so far this year," it said.

Delhi has been reeling under a chilly wave for the past a few days. On December 23, the base temperature was recorded at 3.7 degrees Celsius. It is expected to dip to 3.0 degrees Celsius after December 28.

The weatherman has anticipated clear skies for the duration of the day on Wednesday and the most extreme temperature is relied upon to float around 20 degrees Celsius.

As per the Met department, humidity level recorded at 8.30 am was 97 percent.

On Tuesday, the minimum temperature had settled at 5.0 degrees Celsius.