January 15: Top news at noon

Hindu Mahasabha leader urged Centre to remove Mahatma Gandhi's image from currency notes

Hindu Mahasabha Meerut Mahanagar president Bharat Rajput termed as baseless the row over Mahatma Gandhi's image being replaced with that of the Prime Minister in the KVIC's calendar and diary. Addressing a members' conference here, he said by removing the picture of Mahatma Gandhi this was the "first good work" done by governments in last 70 years. Rajput demanded that Mahatma's photos should be removed from Indian currency notes.

MoD employees thrash constable in ATM queue

A 51-year-old constable, posted at Secretariat Security Force in Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi was allegedly assaulted by two Ministry of Defence (MoD) employees in an ATM queue, police said today. The incident took place on January 12 when Raj Kumar, constable with SSF had gone to an ATM in North Block to withdraw money, they said. The machine did not accept his card due to some technical glitch, police said. Two men allegedly lost temper while standing in the queue and despite Kumar telling them it was not his fault that the machine was not working properly, they abused him and hit him, breaking his two teeth, they said. A CISF guard apprehended the two men and they were found to be employed with Ministry of Defence, police said. Further investigation is underway.

'One China' policy is 'non-negotiable': China tells Trump

China today made it clear that the 'One China' policy is "non-negotiable" and "no one can change it", in a strong rebuttal to President-elect Donald Trump's plan to use American policy on Taiwan as a bargaining chip. "Everything is under negotiation, including One China," Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Friday, questioning the decades-old-policy followed by Washington in its relations with Beijing. "We urge the relevant party in the United States to realise the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and abide by commitments made by previous US governments to the One China policy and the principles of the three joint communiques," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement, without directly referring to Trump. Beijing also apprehends a trade war as the US Presidential-elect wants to bring about a parity of bilateral trade, which is heavily in favour of China.

NCDRC asks bank to pay ₹50,000 for delay in processing cheque worth ₹24,652.82

Indian Overseas Bank has been asked to pay ₹50,000 by the apex consumer commission to a man for delaying the crediting of a cheque amount of ₹24,652.82 into his account. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) bench comprising Justice DK Jain and member M Shreesha, asked the bank to pay the money to East Delhi resident RK Sharma while dismissing its revision petition filed against New Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission order. "We are of the view that the revision petition is without any substance... We do not find any jurisdictional error in impugned order, warranting our interference in Revisional jurisdiction, more so when the total amount involved in the case is a meager sum of ₹50,000," the commission said.

DDCA urges HC not to consider replies of Kejriwal, Kirti Azad

Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) has urged Delhi High Court not to take on record the replies of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and cricketer-turned-MP Kirti Azad to its defamation suit seeking ₹2.5 crores each as damages from them, as these have been filed late. Kejriwal and suspended BJP MP Azad are facing defamation suit filed by the DDCA for alleged defamatory criticism of the functioning and finances of the cricket body. The DDCA told the court that while Kejriwal was late by 16 days, Azad has filed his response after almost 70 days of the stipulated period. High Court's Joint Registrar Anil Kumar Sisodia has reserved the order for February 3 on the issue of whether the replies would be taken on record or not.