1. Last Date For Filing Income Tax Returns Extended to 5 August
In a last minute decision, the government on Monday extended the deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) till 5 August, a top official said on Monday.
The official Twitter handle of the IT department said the move was made “in view of difficulties faced by taxpayers.” A senior official of the department said the decision to extend the deadline was taken after a meeting of the revenue department and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in the finance ministry on Monday.
The last minute inundation and heavy logging on the official website of the e-filing portal of the department led to the extension of five more days for filing the ITRs by taxpayers.
Read more here.
2. Opposition Blames the Govt for ‘Encouraging Lynching’ at LS Debate
Presenting the Opposition’s side of the debate on lynchings and associated atrocities arising out of mob violence in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of siding with cow vigilantes and encouraging them.
Government is indirectly encouraging groups like the VHP, Bajrang Dal and gau rakshaks as well.
He said that the country was reeling under fear arising out of mob violence that is spinning out of control.
He highlighted various instances of lynching around the country, to which BJP leader Nishkant Dubey responded by saying that many of the cases cited by Kharge were pending in the court against IPC Section 352.
Read more here.
3. Not the People’s Mandate: Sharad Yadav Slams Nitish-BJP Alliance
Talking about Nitish Kumar’s political U-turn for the first time, senior Janata Dal United (JDU) leader Sharad Yadav said that he didn’t agree with the decision in Bihar. “The mandate by the people was not for this,” he said.
“Breaking the people’s trust is wrong, people had voted for the coalition. (Janta se karar todna sabse badi cheez hai, logon ne mahagatbandhan ko vote diya tha),” he further said.
Reacting to the developments, BJP President Amit Shah said, “We have not broken any party in Bihar, it is Nitish ji who ended the alliance and resigned”. Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that Sharad Yadav is not interested in Bihar's politics and called him restless.
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4. Ragpickers to Rockstars: Music Is the ‘Bol’ for ‘Dharavi Rocks’
Hindi, Tamil or Marathi, these rockstars of Dharavi may speak different dialects, but the one language that connects them all – is the language of music.
Watch this junk band capture the spirit of Dharavi in this video.
Read more here.
5. It’s Official: Snapdeal Calls Off Merger Talks With Flipkart
Talks for the proposed acquisition of the beleaguered Snapdeal by larger rival Flipkart have officially broken off after almost six months of negotiations.
Snapdeal has terminated all talks for a merger with Flipkart and said it will pursue an independent path, Snapdeal spokesperson said on 31 July.
“Snapdeal has been exploring strategic options over the past several months. The company has now decided to pursue an independent path and is terminating all strategic discussions as a result. Snapdeal’s vision has always been to create life-changing experiences for millions of buyers and sellers across India,” Snapdeal spokesperson said
Read more here.
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