LIVE news updates: There is now enough evidence to prosecute the PM in the Rafale Scam says Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on wednesday tweeted that there is enoughevidence to perscute PM Modi in Rafele Scam

There is now enough evidence to prosecute the PM in the Rafale Scam

The trail of corruption begins & ends with him.

That crucial Rafale files incriminating him are now reported “stolen” by the Govt, is destruction of evidence & an obvious coverup. #FIRagainstCorruptModi

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NCP Wednesday wondered how confidential documents related to the Rafale deal could be stolen from the defence ministry and said the Centre's statement in the Supreme Court proves that "chowkidar" is indeed a "thief".

Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said this is nothing but an attempt to cover-up Rafale "scam".

The Pakistan military has claimed that Maulana Masood Azhar's Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) that claimed responsibility for the Kashmir suicide bombing which killed 40 CRPF personnel "doesn't exist in the country".

Major General Asif Ghafoor, the Director General of the Army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), made the remarks while talking to CNN on Tuesday.

Two persons were burnt alive and eight houses gutted in two fire incidents in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, police said.

In Solan district, two persons were burnt alive as an oil tanker caught fire after falling into a deep gorge near a bridge in Nalagarh area after midnight, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Malpani said.

The Jharkhand cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday gave its approval to 31 proposals, including 2.77 acres of land for 1600 MW thermal power plant of Adani Power at Godda district.

"The cabinet cleared 2.77-acre land to Adani Power at a cost of over ₹58 lakh for a period of 30 years," said a government statement. The government decision came amid Opposition's protest against the land acquisition by Adani Power in Godda district.

Adani Power's proposed plant at Godda will supply power directly to Bangladesh

The European Union said a solution to the Brexit deadlock remained elusive Wednesday after the latest "difficult" talks with Britain weeks before its March 29 exit.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier gave the state of play after meeting his British counterparts late Tuesday amid efforts to get the divorce deal through parliament in London.

Barnier informed the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, that "while the talks take place in a constructive atmosphere, discussions have been difficult," commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said.

Sant Kabir Nagar: BJP MLA Rakesh Singh Baghel and his supporters protest outside the District Magistrate office demanding arrest of BJP MP Sharad Tripathi with whom Baghel was involved in a brawl earlier today.

The leaders locked horns over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project

Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was in India recently and is known to share good ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is rumoured to be on a collision course with his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The development holds the prospect of derailing some of the reforms initiated by the ambitious Crown Prince, referred to as "MBS".

It is not known what has triggered the reported clash. Mohammed bin Salman has been under intense scrutiny since the killing on October 2 last year of Jamal Khashoggi, a plain spoken acolyte-turned-dissident of the MBS regime who worked for the Washington Post.

India is scheduled to discuss modalities of the operationalisation of Kartarpur Corridor with Pakistan on March 14, the External Affairs Ministry (MEA) said on Wednesday.

"The first meeting between India and Pakistan to discuss and finalize the modalities for Kartarpur Corridor would be held at on the Indian side of Attari-Wagah border on March 14," the MEA said.

Creation of one crore jobs for women in the next five years, ensuring their participation in peace making process and in decision-making bodies dealing with environment, providing 33% tickets to women candidates are some of the points raised in a 'Womanifesto' released by women's organisations on Wednesday.

Ahead of the International Women's Day on March 8, the National Alliance of Women's Organisations released the 'Womanifesto' for consideration of all political parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"National and regional parties need to give more tickets to women candidates in order to increase their number, and thereby influence policies that reflect women's holistic development," Ranjana Kumari, Director, Centre for Social Research said.

A profligate P V Sindhu was Wednesday knocked out of the All England Championship by an industrious Sung Ji Hyun of Korea in the women's singles opening round here.

In men's singles, 2017 Singapore Open champion B Sai Praneeth defeated compatriot HS Prannoy 21-19 21-19 in a pulsating contest Fifth-seeded Sindhu, who was beaten by Sung Ji twice in last three meetings, lost 16-21 22-20 18-21, despite saving as many as eight match points in the second and third game.

Sindhu went into the opener with an overall record of a 8-6 against Sung Ji but the Korean once again troubled the Indian in the 81-minute thrilling clash.

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Karnataka government failed to waive off farm loans it had promised, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said loans worth ₹6,076 crore had been written off by the state.

"Prime Minister should be aware that the Karnataka government has released a waiver list for 15.1 lakh farmers for about ₹6,076 crore under the loan waiver scheme, which is being implemented transparently," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

In June last year, the Chief MInister had announced the waiver for farm loans worth ₹48,000 crore in the state

Eight people, including three women, were killed and seven others injured when a mini van carrying them suffered a tyre burst and collided with a bus in Nalagonda district of Telangana Wedensday, police said.

The jam-packed van went out of control after one of its tyres burst resulting in the head-on collision with the state-run bus near Kondamallepalli, they said.

Seven people were killed on the spot while one person succumbed to injuries at a nearby hospital.

Italy is reportedly planning to officially announce its support for China's Belt and Road Initiative this month that would make it the largest economy to back the massive global infrastructure project that is a signature policy of President Xi Jinping.

Italy's Under Secretary in the Economic Development Ministry, Michele Geraci, told the Financial Times that his country was in negotiations to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in support of the Belt and Road programme.

Sant Kabir Nagar: BJP MP Sharad Tripathi and BJP MLA Rakesh Singh exchange blows after an argument broke out over placement of names on a foundation stone of a project

Policeman had to intervene when the leaders got handsy

Iraqi and Kurdish authorities have charged hundreds of children over alleged links with the Islamic State terror organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.

In a report titled "Everyone Must Confess: Abuses against Children Suspected of IS Affiliation in Iraq", HRW said that prosecutions were seldom based on real evidence and that many children were subjected to torture in forced confessions, reported Efe news.

"Children accused of affiliation with ISIS (another acronym for the IS) are being detained, and often tortured and prosecuted, regardless of their actual level of involvement with the group," children's rights advocacy director for HRW, Jo Becker, said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her developmental work is not a publicity stunt unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, she alleged, is not even sparing the armed forces prior to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"Today, we inaugurated 217 projects in different places at an estimated cost of ₹1,300 crore. I do not work like Narendra Modi who even goes to inaugurate bathrooms," Banerjee said, while announcing various projects in Howrah district.

The madrasa run by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) at the Balakot site hit by the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter planes appears to be still standing with no visible damage, as per high-resolution satellite images of the site, says news agency Reuters.

It says at least six buildings were visible on the site on March 4, six days after the air strike, and that the image was virtually identical to an April 2018 satellite photo of the facility.

Documents related to the Rafale deal were published in public interest and nobody would get any information from The Hindu newspaper on the confidential sources who provided them, The Hindu Publishing Group Chairman N Ram said on Wednesday.

The documents were published because details were withheld or covered up, the veteran journalist said as the government told the Supreme Court that documents related to the Rafale aircraft deal have been stolen from the Defence Ministry and an investigation into the theft is on.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi,UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders will be meeting diplomats from the G-20 nations and neighbouring countries.

The Congress is expected to share its vision and the plans it has for the coming Lok Sabha elections and Pulwama attacks.

Rahul Gandhi has indicated it would be a free and frank discussion on various issues that the diplomats are concerned about.

The Supreme Court adjourns for the day on the Rafale case. Next hearing on March 14

The facts placed by Govt before Court were pursuant to your order. If we have documents to show that those facts were wrong, don’t we have right to place those documents before court, asks Arun Shourie.

"Every person in this country can look into these documents; but the Court cannot. Interesting proposition by AG!" Arun Shourie remarks

Shouries says that anti-corruption clauses in the deal were omitted with retrospective effect overlooking defence ministry's objection

Even if the documents are not accepted it won’t make a significant difference to the case, submits Prashant Bhushan. The bulk of documents I have filed, sources have been disclosed, says Bhushan.

They submitted false information in court and later filed application saying Your Lordships misread it, submits Prashant Bhushan.

Prashant Bhushan points out that SC relied heavily on govt documents in 2G and Coalgate cases even though documents were not sourced through proper channels.

He says that the AG's argument that documents cannot be looked into if source is not revealed is not correct.

Bhushan reads out the judgment to show that the very same arguments advanced by AG now were discarded by the Court in 2G, Coal scam cases.

He terms AG's submissions 'astounding' as corruption allegations about defence deals have no exception. Lalitha Kumari case is clear that FIR should be registered whenever cognizable offence is made out, submits.

Going back to the national Security angle, AG KK Venugopal said, “This purchase is essential for the survival of this nation against enemies. The whole transaction is being discussed day after day. This is more of a political matter."

He said, “This is a matter by which opposition is trying to destabilise the government.”

The entire petition being based on a criminal act, this petition is liable to be dismissed. Defence is one of the most sensitive matters for the State involving safety of each of us, AG KK Venugopal.

AG KK Venugopal asks that the source of the document has to be disclosed.

The submission is, once the document is a subject matter of criminality, in my opinion the court should not look into it, AG KK Venugopal.

A terrorist hideout busted in Shopian district's Kungnoo village, in a joint operation by Shopian Police and 44 RR. Substantial recoveries of incriminating material and other items recovered. Investigation is going on.

"An accused is having difficulty in proving his innocence. He steals a document and shows it to judge. The document clearly shows he is innocent. Should the judge not admit the document", asks CJI Gogoi.

Attorney General KK Venugopal asked whether the Supreme Court will give directions to go to War or negotiate for peace?

He also said, “They have come with a document which is stolen. Your Lordships might have your view on it (admissibility of such a document) but I have a different view.”

Justice KM Joseph says that even stolen evidence can be looked into by the Court. It is well settled under Evidence Act. Justice Joseph says that question of national security will not arise when the issue before Court is whether investigation should be ordered.

He also said, “If an act of corruption is committed, government cannot take shelter under the Official Secrets Act.”

Prashant Bhushan said that the AG's statements were an attempt to intimidate the petitioners and to stop them from bringing truth to the Court, such action by AG amounts to contempt of court.

AG mentions about the urgency to procure Rafale jets. They are needed to protect the country against F16s. Pilots have already been sent to Paris for training to operate the jets.

CJI says, “We should see if we have omitted any aspect to consider”, as AG makes submission about need for Rafale jets, tells him to confine to the review petition.

AG reads out RTI Act and submits that the Act exempts defence documents from disclosure.

AG points out that the documents are endorsed with the marking "Secret". "They are not intended to be in public domain", he says.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted, “Modi govt itself admits Rafale documents “stolen” from the Ministry of Defence. How can country's security be entrusted with this govt? But thanks to them for confirming the documents. An FIR against Modi is now inescapable.”

Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti holds protest in Anantnag against the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, says, "We want that the ban must be lifted. We'll go to district level now, then we will go to every segment. Elderly people who have been arrested must be released."

Documents linked to the Rafale deal have been stolen and petitioners are violating the Official Secrets Act by relying on classified documents, the government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the court's notice was drawn to a newspaper report.

"These documents were stolen from the Defence Ministry either by former or present employees. These are secret documents and can't be in the public domain," the Attorney General told the court, representing the central government.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi questioned what action the government had taken.

"We are investigating how these documents were stolen," said the centre.

"It is a criminal offence. We are objecting preliminary because secret documents can't be annexed with the petition. Review and perjury petitions must be dismissed," said the Attorney General.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh meets ambassadors and high commissioners of G-20 and neighbouring countries

Prashant Bhushan tweeted, “The Hindu released file notings of senior officials who said then Modi's PMO was interfering in the Rafale price negotiations and undermining India's position. In response govt released the 'secret' noting of Parrikar through its lapdog ANI. It also confirms PMO's interference!”

Two die after fire breaks out in a fuel carrier truck in Nalagarh area of Solan district early morning on Wednesday. The truck caught fire after hitting the guard railing of a road and later colliding with a tree.

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “While calculating the price of 36 aircrafts, the cost of India Specific Enhancements- ₹9750Cr- was not included. When we were buying with same ISE, cost was ₹83Cr/aircraft, when Modi govt buys it has suddenly gone up to ₹271Cr/aircraft.”

“The decision and the price to buy 36 aircrafts was not done by Ajit Doval on 12-13 Jan, 2016, who was neither authorised by Cabinet Committee on Security nor was he a part of INT. Incidentally, contract was signed on 13th Jan, 2016.”

“When this was disclosed, PM Modi forced Defence Secretary to say that "PMO had not interfered in the final negotiations". Para 11 of INT report clarifies that final negotiations weren't done by them and was done by Ajit Doval.”

Congress Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a press conference, “But aircrafts are not getting delivered for 10 years, so the price has to be paid is for 10 years. Inflation rate is 3.5% in France and Modi Govt has committed that they will pay this rate every year. Who will pay for this loss to exchequer?”

“The maleficence has one more angle to it. Even the price of ₹63,450Cr has been calculated by INT presuming an inflation rate of 1.22% per year in France and calculating it only for less than 6 years.”

An Afghan provincial spokesman says the death toll from a militant attack on a construction company near a main airport in the country's east has risen to 16.

Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the governor in eastern Nangarhar province, says that along with the 16 killed, nine other people were wounded when the militants launched a suicide bombing and stormed a construction company near the airport outside Jalalabad, the provincial capital.

He says the attack started around 5 a.m. and lasted until 10:30 a.m. Khogyani says there were five attackers, two of whom detonated their suicide vests while three others were shot and killed by the security forces.

Rajasthan High Court issues notice to Defence Secretary in regard with a case of sexual harassment filed by a woman Army officer in 2017. She was allegedly harassed by an Army officer in 2011.

Rajasthan HC has sought replies from general officer commanding-in-chief, headquarters, south-western command, chief of staff, headquarters, south-western command and presiding officer/chairperson and Brigadier NK Ohri, Dy JAG, HQ Western Command.

Pakistan on Wednesday intensified its ongoing crackdown against the banned organisations and took control of several seminaries and assets belonging to Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation.

The confiscation of properties of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) comes after Pakistan formally placed the proscribed organisations in the list of banned organisations on Tuesday.

According to Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) list, which was updated on Tuesday, the JuD and FIF were among 70 organisations proscribed by the Ministry of Interior under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

SC asks review petitioners to confine to the material already on record and not new materials. CJI Gogoi says that the Court will not look into recent articles published by media on the deal. It will not look into articles published by N Ram in The Hindu, on the Rafale deal.

Review petitioner Prashant Bhushan says that the Court did not consider the nature of relief sought by them. He submits that they did not seek the striking down of the deal, but an enquiry into the corruption allegations.

Prashant Bhushan relies on an eight page note. Attorney General KK Venugopal objects, says those note files were stolen from Defence Ministry and probe into that is underway.

Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who is appearing for group of Muslim petitioners in the case,says, “Muslim petitioners are agreeable to mediation and any compromise or settlement will bind parties,” asks bench to frame terms for mediation

Justice SA Bobde said, “We have no control over what happened in the past, who invaded, who was the king, temple or mosque. We know about the present dispute. We are concerned only about resolving the dispute," on the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.

Women officers can now get permanent commissions in 10 branches of the Indian Army, the government announced on Tuesday.

The Defence Ministry said that it has taken necessary steps to ensure that women, who were earlier inducted for short service commission (SSC), get permanent commission in the armed forces.

Permanent commission will be granted to women officers inducted in branches such as Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordinance Corps and Intelligence.

Justice SA Bobde says, “It’s about sentiments, about religion and about faith. We are conscious of the gravity of the dispute. There need not be one mediator but a panel of mediators."

He also said, “You are assuming there will be a compromise and one party will give up and one party will win. Mediation does not necessarily mean that. You are thinking about the outcome.”

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday commenced hearing on the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will decide whether the case can be adjudicated through mediation.

The other judges of the bench are Justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and SA Nazeer.

The top court on February 26 had said it would pass an order on March 6 on whether to refer the matter to a court-appointed mediator.

UN chief Antonio Guterres has not spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, but discussed with officials from India and Pakistan the heightened tensions arising after the Pulwama terror attack, a top official has said.

Dujarric was asked if the UN chief spoke with the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan on the rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Last week, Dujarric said Guterres was following with "deep concern" the escalating situation between the two countries, calling on both sides to urgently take steps to lower tensions through "meaningful mutual engagement".

Congress President Rahul Gandhi meets former Prime Minister and JDS leader HD Deve Gowda in Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the issue of seat-sharing in Karnataka for the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Washington is taking a close look at reports that Pakistan used US-supplied F-16 fighter jets in the recent confrontation with India, according to State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino.

"We've seen those reports and we're following that issue very closely" Palladino told reporters at a Department briefing on Tuesday in Washington. "We're taking a look and we're going to continue to take a look".

However, he added that he could not confirm anything because "as a matter of policy, we don't publicly comment on the contents of bilateral agreements that we have in this regard involving US defence technologies nor the communications that we have with other countries about that".

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to file a case against him over allegations from BJP leaders that he was an anti-national and a Pakistan supporter.

In a series of tweets, Singh, who stirred a controversy on Tuesday by referring to the Pulwama terror attack as an "accident", questioned why calling the attacks a "durghatana" prompted Modi and three Union ministers to term him anti-national.

"The tweet over which you and your ministers called me a Pakistan supporter and an anti-national was posted from Delhi where police are under the Union government. If you are brave, file a case against me," he tweeted.

Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged heavy fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district till early hours on Wednesday, Defence Ministry said.

The Pakistan Army used mortar shelling and small arms as they resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in the Sunderbani sector from around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

"The firing continued till 4.30. a.m. Indian positions retaliated strongly," Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said.

Fire on fifth floor of Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan in central Delhi, 24 fire engines have been rushed on spot. A security officer has been injured.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, to hear the views of officials from Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, on 'Safeguarding Citizens' Rights on Social/Online News Media Platforms', today.