Top Stories on 17 May in a capsule
IMD issues cyclone warning in 5 states, 1 UT
The India Meteorological Department on Thursday issued an advisory to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and the Lakshadweep archipelago over cyclonic storm 'Sagar.’The cyclonic storm lay centered over the Gulf of Aden, about 390 km east-northeast of Yemen's Aden city It is very likely to intensify further slightly during the next 12 hours and continue to move westwards for some more time and then move west-southwestwards thereafter, the advisory said. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas of west central and southwest Arabian Sea during the next 48 hours.
The Congress is all set to observe 'Save the Democracy day' on Friday to protest against rival BJP. Hours after BJP's BS Yeddyurappa took over as chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday, the Congress has decided to approach the Governor of Goa to allow Congress to form a government since it was the single largest party to win in the 2017 polls. A similar campaign is being planned in Manipur and Meghalaya too, where the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the 2017 and 2018 assembly elections. Also, the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), the single largest party in Bihar will be meeting the state Governor Satya Pal Malik seeking to form a government in the state and dissolve the incumbent JD(U)-BJP Government.
'Save the Democracy' day to be held, 4 states await Karnataka's precedent
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Mamata turns winner again, TMC clean sweeps West Bengal Panchayat polls
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yet again turned the tide in her favour as her party Trinamool Congress clean-sweeped the State Panchayat Polls leaving Opposition BJP to a distant second and congress nil. A jubilant Banerjee addressing the media said, "TMC has emerged victorious in 90% seats despite the opposition parties coming together. This shows how strong we are at the grassroot level.” The three tier elections consisting of- Zilla Parishad (ZP), Panchayat Samita (PS) and Gram Panchayat (GP) saw the TMC wiping out the opposition by winning in all categories. In Zilla Parishad she won 251 out of 621 seats, 2,543 under Parishad Samitis of 6,123, and a massive 21,148 Gram Panchayat seats reducing the opposition to mere three or two digit figures.
Over 30,000 petitions were signed on an online platform by Indian professionals who are being denied visa by the United Kingdom government, proving the country to be one of the hardest in procuring a work visa. News reports suggested that around 6,100 eligible applications for UK work visa were rejected due to an annual cap between December 2017 and March 2018, as found by the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE). Representing the appeals, Pakistan origin Britain’s Home Secretary Sajid Javid informed the House of Commons that Most of these professionals were doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs ‘who are being denied residency rights over reportedly minor, legally acceptable corrections in their tax returns.’
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Indian professionals denied UK work visa, 30,000 sign petition in support
Over 30,000 petitions were signed on an online platform by Indian professionals who are being denied visa by the United Kingdom government, proving the country to be one of the hardest in procuring a work visa. News reports suggested that around 6,100 eligible applications for UK work visa were rejected due to an annual cap between December 2017 and March 2018, as found by the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE). Representing the appeals, Pakistan origin Britain’s Home Secretary Sajid Javid informed the House of Commons that Most of these professionals were doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs ‘who are being denied residency rights over reportedly minor, legally acceptable corrections in their tax returns.’
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The Congress and Janata Dal Secular party members moved their MLAs reportedly to Kerala by bus, on being denied to travel by flight. As per news reports, the parties asked their newly elected MLAs to travel by road after the charter flights scheduled to fly them out from were denied permission to take off in directions of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation the Congress alleged. The members who were earlier holding up in Bengaluru’s Eagleton Resort and Shangrila hotel had to move out after BJPs BS Yeddyurappa upon beckmeng the Chief Minister today removes all of the protection given to the MLAs. The BJP has been asked to prove its majority in 15 days in the run up to forming government in southern state of Karnataka.
Karnataka Polls 2018: Cong and JDS members off in buses to 'undiscoled' location
The Congress and Janata Dal Secular party members moved their MLAs reportedly to Kerala by bus, on being denied to travel by flight. As per news reports, the parties asked their newly elected MLAs to travel by road after the charter flights scheduled to fly them out from were denied permission to take off in directions of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation the Congress alleged. The members who were earlier holding up in Bengaluru’s Eagleton Resort and Shangrila hotel had to move out after BJPs BS Yeddyurappa upon beckmeng the Chief Minister today removes all of the protection given to the MLAs. The BJP has been asked to prove its majority in 15 days in the run up to forming government in southern state of Karnataka.
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Petrol and diesel prices could see a Rs 4 increase if the state-owned fuel retailers are to return to the Pre-Karnataka levels, several media reports said on Thursday. Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) on Monday ended a 19-day halt in revising petrol and diesel prices and reverted to the practices of changing rates on a daily basis soon after Karnataka polls. Petrol prices have risen by 69 paisa/ per litre, taking the rate to Rs 75.32 in Delhi while diesel is costlier by 86 paisa per litre and was being sold at at Rs 66.79 a litre.
Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Thursday moved the Supreme Court, to protest against Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala’s decision of inviting BJP candidate BS Yeddyurappa to form the government. Terming it a "gross abuse of constitutional power", Jethmalani said, "I have one objective left, to get rid of Modi. I have not lost faith in the Supreme Court," the 94-year-old jurist was quoted by a news report. Accepting Jethmalani's submission, Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the bench would formally hear his plea on Friday while hearing the case of BJP’s claim in Karnataka, moved by Congress-JDS.
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The under-construction flyover collapse in Varanasi that killed around 18 people on Tuesday could have been avoided as news reports quoting the Uttar Pradesh police said on Thursday. As per reports, the police force claimed that they had sent five letters to the UP State Bridge Corporation since last November to ensure the safety of traffic during construction work and also filed an FIR this February on the same. “Ideally they (firm) are supposed to deploy their own staff for safe traffic regulation and can request police assistance. But it is we who have been alerting them about the potential problem but they did not act,” Inspector General of police added. The FIR had described the Chuaka Ghat to Lehartar bridge construction work as ‘chaotic with iron pillars hanging above the traffic.’
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Petrol prices likely to go up by four rupees
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Jethmalani moves SC against Karnataka governor
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Varanasi Flyover Collapse: 5 warning letters were sent to construction company
The under-construction flyover collapse in Varanasi that killed around 18 people on Tuesday could have been avoided as news reports quoting the Uttar Pradesh police said on Thursday. As per reports, the police force claimed that they had sent five letters to the UP State Bridge Corporation since last November to ensure the safety of traffic during construction work and also filed an FIR this February on the same. “Ideally they (firm) are supposed to deploy their own staff for safe traffic regulation and can request police assistance. But it is we who have been alerting them about the potential problem but they did not act,” Inspector General of police added. The FIR had described the Chuaka Ghat to Lehartar bridge construction work as ‘chaotic with iron pillars hanging above the traffic.’
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