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<br>Sushma Swaraj in controversy for helping Lalit Modi</br><br> External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj found herself embroiled in a major row over helping scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi to obtain British travel documents – Lalit Modi, subsequently got the documents in less than 24 hours. The genesis of the controversy was disclosure of emails showing that she had spoken to Indian-origin British MP Keith Vaz favouring the grant of travel documents to Lalit Modi to go to Portugal, purportedly for his wife's cancer treatment in June, 2015. Modi, who is wanted in India, has made London his home since 2010 to avoid a probe for alleged foreign exchange regulation violations in the T20 cricket tournament held in South Africa in 2009. Vaz also offered to help Sushma Swaraj's nephew Jyotirmay Kaushal to apply for a British law degree course, the report said.</br><br>Image caption: Sushma Swaraj with former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi during an IPL match in New Delhi in 2010. (PTI)
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<br>Monsoon rainfall 5 pct above normal till now</br><br> India has received 5 per cent more rainfall than the normal limit until now even as northwest India, the southern peninsula and Central India have received below normal rainfall, the MET department said. Overall, the country received 53.5 mm of rainfall as compared to normal rainfall of 50.5 mm of precipitation from June 1 till date. East and northeast India is the only sub-division to have received an excess of 22 per cent of rainfall. The southern peninsula, which usually receives normal or excess rainfall has recorded a deficit of four per cent, followed by 6 per cent in central India and 10 per cent in northwest India. "The southwest monsoon has advanced further into some parts of north Arabian Sea, Gujarat region and remaining parts of Maharashtra. It has also covered some more parts of Saurashtra and Madhya Pradesh, some more parts of Chhattisgarh, south Odisha and northwest Bay of Bengal. </br><br>Image caption: Mumbaikars enjoy high tide during monsoon season in Mumbai on Monday.(PTI)
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<br>Shoot those who hoist Pakistani flags in Kashmir, says VHP's Pravin Togadia</br><br> Accusing the Union government of not taking "stern action" against pro-Pakistani separatists, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Pravin Togadia today said those who hoist Pakistani flags in Kashmir must be "shot". "The way Pakistani flags are being hoisted in Kashmir is a matter of concern and now it is necessary to shoot people in their chest if they shout slogans in favour of Pakistan and hoist Pakistani flags," Togadia told reporters in Kutch district. While answering a query about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Togadia also criticised the BJP-led central government and alleged it has not been taking "sufficient" action to rein in separatists. "The Union government has not taken stern action against pro-Pakistani separatists and so they are getting emboldened day by day," Pravin Togadia said.
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<br>Saibaba temple waterlogged due to heavy showers</br><br> Shirdi and its adjoining areas received heavy showers for an hour-and-a-half today afternoon, leading to waterlogging in temple premises and other low-lying areas, disturbing pilgrims. Pilgrims expressed disappointment with the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust for not making arrangements for the rainy season. Some of them said that they had to search for their footwear from the water in front of gate number four.
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<br>OROP: Ex-servicemen hold nationwide protests</br><br> Hundreds of ex-servicemen took to the streets today across the country protesting delay in the implementation of the 'One Rank, One Pension'(OROP) policy, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi forthwith fulfil his promise made a year back on it. The former soldiers have threatened to go an a relay hunger strike from tomorrow and also seek the intervention of President Pranab Mukherjee. The protests comes after talks — both formal and back- channel — with the government failed as the ex-servicemen were not given a specific timeline for the implementation of the long-pending OROP. Close to 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be the immediate beneficiaries of the scheme which envisages uniform pension for the defence personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.</br><br>Image caption: Ex-armymen protest over One Rank One Pension at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI)
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<br>Lord Jagannath's secret "Brahma Paribartan" on Jun 15 night</br><br> The countdown for Lord Jagannath's most secret ritual of Brahma Paribartan (Changing the soul) of deities in the 12th century shrine here has started as the temple administration and priests have made all arrangements for the sacred activities. As tomorrow's ritual is most secret and unique, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has removed all the 16 CCTV camera's from the temple premises in order to maintain secrecy, said SJTA chief administrator S C Mohapatra. Mohapatra said instructions have also been issued to electricity department to disconnect power supply to the temple and nearby areas as the ritual of Brahma Paribartan is conducted in dark night silently. "All the temple employees and priests barring some will remain present inside the temple when the Brahma Paribartan takes place tomorrow night," he said. The Brahma Paribartan of Lord Jagannath's present idol will take place on June 15 night as the day is both an "amabashya" and a "Sankranti", said Dr Naresh Dash, a researcher in the Jagannath cult. During the Brahma Paribartan, the old Pati Mohapatra priest of the temple shifts the Brahma from old idol to the new ones. After Brahma Paribartan, the new idols get ‘lives’ and are adorned with Pata Bastra and gold ornaments known as Saptabharan or Banaklagi. 'Brahma Paribartan' is the most important ritual of Nabakalebara Festival which is being held after a gap of 19 years. The old idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan will be buried inside the 'Koeli Baikuntha' within the temple premises on the same night.</br><br>Image caption: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik creats a sand sculpture of the Brahma Paribartan of Lord Jagannath during the Nabakalebara at Puri beach of Odisha on Sunday.(PTI)
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<br>BJP criticises Nitish Kumar for barbs on party, Amit Shah</br><br> Retaliating to Nitish Kumar's barbs on BJP and party president Amit Shah over Yoga Day celebrations, the Bharatiya Janata Party today termed the chief minister's remark as "inappropriate" saying it was an outcome of his "shallow mindset. The Bihar Chief Minister has made an inappropriate remark against BJP chief Amit Shah to showcase his shallow mindset," former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement. Kumar had yesterday attacked the BJP for seeking cheap publicity in promotion of the International Yoga Day and advised Shah to do regular yoga to stay fit. The former deputy chief minister said Kumar has perhaps lost his "mental balance" owing to plummeting electoral base, rising crime rate and squeezing growth rate at the fag end of his term.</br><br>Image caption: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressing a press conference in Patna on Monday. (PTI)
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<br>Veteran Congress leader Sheila Kaul no more</br><br> Former Union minister Sheila Kaul, a sister-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former Parliamentarian, died after brief illness at a hospital here. She was 101. A former Himachal Pradesh Governor, Kaul was unwell for the past few days and was admitted to Yashoda hospital last evening where she breathed her last at 8.00 PM. A five-time MP, Kaul was born on February 7, 1915. She was an arts graduate from Lahore Women's College and had a degree in teaching from Sir Ganga Ram Training College, Lahore. She was married to renowned botanist Kailash Nath Kaul. Kaul is survived by sons Gautam Kaul, a retired IPS officer, and Vikram Kaul, an international sports administrator, besides daughter Deepa Kaul, a former information minister in Uttar Pradesh.</br><br> Image caption: Congress President Sonia Gandhi with others attend funeral of former Himachal Pradesh governor and ex-union minister Sheila Kaul, at Hindan in Ghaziabad on Sunday. Kaul, 101, died on Saturday night. (PTI)
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<br>Now Yogi Adityanath advises Azam to do Yoga to stay fit</br><br> The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Yogi Adityanath today advised Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan to perform Surya Namaskar saying the yogic practice will stop him from making absurd statemnts. "No one takes Azam seriously. He does absured and light talks. I feel that if he does Surya Namaskar with mantras, not only his physical but mental health will also improve and he will stop giving absurd statements," Adityanath told reporter here. "He can be compulsion for Mulayam Singh Yadav but not for us," the firebrand leader said. His comments can be seen as a reply to Khan's statement earlier this week. Khan had said on Wednesday said "He (Yogi) should rather offer namaz (prayers) that would not only give him physical strength but also put his mind on the right track" (PTI)
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<br>AAP govt plans to ask Home Secy Dharam Pal to vacate office</br><br> Hardening its position, Delhi government is planning to ask Lt Governor-appointed Home Secretary Dharam Pal to immediately relinquish his post and vacate his office and threatened to take action if he does not follow the order. Sources said that Delhi Home Minister Satyender Jain has written a letter, which may be sent to Dharam Pal tomorrow, in this regard. In the letter, Jain has said that Pal must vacate his office on the fifth floor of Delhi Secretariat as he was "unauthorisedly" occupying it, they said. When contacted, Pal said he will continue as Home Secretary and will not vacate his office. "I will sit in my office on Monday and continue as Home Secretary because my appointment, which is constitutional, has been made by the LG," he said. (PTI)
Govt extended ITR AY 2025-26 deadline, but only 4.56 crore returns filed so far
