1. PM Narendra Modi Has to Go, Let a National Govt Be Formed: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not mince her words on Friday when she slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the present situation in the country owing to the government’s demonetisation move and the arrest of two TMC ministers Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Both ministers have been arrested allegedly in connection with Rose Valley chit fund scam. In a statement to news agency ANI, Banerjee said, “In current situation a national government should be formed with another BJP person at helm. He (PM Modi) has to go.”
Hitting out at the prime minister, Banerjee said, “To save country, let a national government be formed. Advaniji, Rajnathji or Jaitleyji can head it. Current situation is unacceptable.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Masood Azhar Is a Terrorist, China Should 'Adjust' Its Stand Accordingly, Says Former Chinese Diplomat
In a rare dissent against official policy, a former Chinese diplomat, who served in India, has sought change in China’s repeated efforts to block India’s bid to slap a UN ban on JeM leader Masood Azhar arguing that he is a terrorist and Beijing should “adjust” its stand accordingly.
In his lengthy blog on social media WeChat public account about the India-China stalemate over Azhar, Mao Siwei – who previously served as China’s Consul General in Kolkata – said China should take advantage of India’s complaint against Azhar and “get rid of the passive diplomatic situation” between the two countries.
The blog published on 28 December, two days before China refused to lift its technical hold on India’s application, allowing it to lapse, Mao highlighted the history of Pakistan-based terror organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad and how they carried out violent attacks whenever India and Pakistan made efforts to normalise their relations.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Actor's Actor Om Puri Redefined Idea of Male Lead
Om Puri, whose haunting eyes and deafening silence captured the history of violence endured by an ordinary tribal in Aakrosh (1980) and whose portrayal of an upright cop simmering with coiled rage in Ardh Satya (1983) vaulted him to the pantheon of Hindi cinema's finest performers, passed away on Friday. He was 66.
The Ambala-born actor died following a heart attack "around 6-6.30am" at his residence in Lokhandwala's Oakland Park. "He was lying on the kitchen floor," his estranged wife Nandita told news agency PTI. He also leaves behind a 19-year-old son, Ishaan.
With Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, Om Puri was part of the Fab Four considered the pin-ups of parallel cinema in the 1970s and '80s. His pockmarked face and lean frame challenged and redefined the idea of a male lead.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. GDP Growth Expected to Slip to 3-Year Low of 7.1 Percent
India's economy is estimated to grow by 7.1 percent in 2016-17, slower than the previous year's 7.6 percent. The estimates released by Central Statistical Office (CSO) on Friday do not take into account the impact of demonetisation, which is likely to pare GDP growth further.
The CSO has released the GDP growth projection nearly a month ahead of its usual schedule because of the advancement in the date of budget presentation to 1 February. "We don't need to speculate. It (the growth estimate) is on actual outcome-based data. We have not taken bank deposits and credit data for the month of November due to volatility because of major policy change," chief statistician TCA Anant said when asked why the note ban had not been factored into the growth projection.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Virat Kohli Named Captain; Yuvraj Singh Returns to ODIs, T20Is
The India selectors on Friday picked the national squad for the upcoming one-day and T20 international squads against England with the first ODI of the three-match series beginning from 15 January. Virat Kohli was named the captain of the Indian team for both ODIs and T20Is. MS Dhoni, who stepped down as the India captain from both ODIs and T20Is on Monday, was retained in the squad as a wicket-keeper batsman. This is India’s first series after Dhoni stepped down the captain.
The selectors brought back veteran batsman Yuvraj Singh for both ODIs and T20Is while another batsman, Suresh Raina returned to the T20I squad. Ashish Nehra also returned to the T20I squad.
Rishabh Pant was handed his maiden call-up for the India T20I squad while Mandeep Singh and Yuzvender Chahal were also included in the same squad.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Aircel-Maxis Deal: SC Stays Transfer, Sale of Spectrum
Showing zero tolerance to those who exploit precious natural resources and then try to outmaneuvre the country's judicial process, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed all transfer and sale by Malaysia-based Maxis group of companies of 2G spectrum originally allocated to Aircel in November 2006.
A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, then gave Maxis's controlling owner, Ananda Krishna Tatparanandam, and three others a two-week deadline to appear in court. The Bench observed that it was "open" to them to enter appearance in the Supreme Court.
Besides Mr Krishna, the other three are M/s Astro All Asia Networks Limited, M/s. Maxis Communications (based at Berhad in Malaysia) and Augustus Ralph Marshall, a director in Maxis and Astro. All four face charges in a case linked to the multi-crore 2G spectrum corruption scam, which is under trial before a Special CBI Court in Delhi.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Note Ban Brought Four Lakh Dormant Accounts to Life
On paper, Anita lives in house number 15/46 in one of the many dingy bylanes that make up south Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. But one visit to the congested neighbourhood choked with haphazard construction and unruly traffic is enough to bust the hoax.
Neighbours say the woman left the city a long time ago and her bank account in the State Bank of India’s Sangam Vihar branch – which lists her local address – has been lying dormant for many years.
But days after the government recalled high-value currency in November, her account suddenly received Rs 1.78 lakh through realtime gross settlement systems (RTGS), a form of online money transfer.
Her’s was one of 430,288 dormant bank accounts across India that saw a sudden inflow of cash and wire transfers a fortnight after the scrapping of two high-value banknotes, HT has found. An account is deemed dormant if there has been no transaction for over two years.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
8. ‘LeT Man Was Plotting Attacks in J&K, Delhi’
Pakistani national and LeT terrorist Bahadur Ali was on Friday chargesheeted by the NIA, which claimed to have established that he had been sent from Pakistan, was in touch with his handler in PoK, and had been planning to carry out subversive activities in India, including Delhi. The chargesheet was filed before District Judge Amar Nath here. NIA had registered a case against Ali, who was arrested on 24 July last year from north Kashmir’s border village Yahama.
According to the chargesheet, Bahadur Ali alias Saifulla Mansoor, a resident of Village Jia Bagga, Tehsil-Raiwind, Lahore, infiltrated into J&K by crossing the LoC with his associates Abu Saad and Abu Darda on the intervening night of 12-13 June 2016.
After crossing the LoC, the three walked for about seven days following grid references with the aid of GPS devices, provided to them by one Abu Haider at the Mandakuli ‘launching pad’ in Pakistan, the charge sheet said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Ecstasy And Agony as Snow Carpets Kashmir
When it snowed thick and fast in the Kashmir Valley on Friday, the reactions ranged from a blissful welcome to frustration over paralysed daily life. The falling snow was also livestreamed widely on social networking sites.
Air and road traffic were affected in the Valley. Some areas recorded six inches to four feet of snow since Friday morning. Ski resort Gulmarg got 11 inches and Sonamarg was declared out of bounds.
As the white flakes carpeted the region, mainstream and separatist leaders joined top bureaucrats and businessmen, streaming hundreds of live videos from streets and homes.
Moderate Hurriyat spokesman Shahid-ul-Islam posed with the piled snow to send out his greetings.
(Source: The Hindu)