India

New Delhi, Dec 31; PTI: The Congress and other opposition parties on Monday demanded in the Rajya Sabha that the triple talaq bill be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny, even as the government accused them of doing politics on the issue.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the bill is very crucial and requires further scrutiny and claimed that more than half of the members belonging to several parties have demanded that the bill be sent to a select committee.

Nashik (Maha), Dec 31 (PTI) The Nashik sessions court in Maharashtra Monday acquitted late Abdul Karim Telgi and seven others in a 2004 multi-crore fake stamp paper case in absence of "solid evidence" against them.

Telgi, who was convicted in several cases in connection with the scam and sentenced to imprisonment of 30 years in total, died in Bengaluru in October last year while serving his jail term.

Charges against Telgi, believed to be the kingpin of the scam that was spread over several states, were abated after his death.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The closure of mining activities in Goa has amounted to a loss of large number of jobs, Parliament was informed Monday.

"Government of Goa has intimated that the closure of mining activities has resulted in loss of large number of jobs," Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Chhindwara (MP), Dec 31 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Monday said he wanted to see cows in shelters and not on the state's streets.

He told officials during a review meeting here Monday that he wished to see cow shelters being built in each district of the state.

"I do not want to see gau matas (cows) on the roads, Instead, I want to see them in cow sheds (shelters)," he said during a review meeting of officials here.

Nath is a nine-time Lok Sabha MP from Chhindwara and was sworn in as CM on December 17.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Amid the controversy over how much capital the Reserve Bank should keep as its reserves, a BJP MP Monday said by holding on to the excess money, it is resorting to raiding the economy.

Participating in the debate on the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Lok Sabha, Anurag Thakur also cited infrastructure projects being stuck due to lack of liquidity.

He sought to blunt opposition charges that the government was encroaching on the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Congress President Rahul Gandhi has approved the appointment of 10 new national spokespersons of AICC, some of whom were earlier media panelists.

Among the new national spokespersons are Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, Pawan Khera, Jaiveer Shergill, Ragini Nayak, Gourav Vallabh and Rajiv Tyagi.

Uttar Pradesh leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh, Sunil Ahire, Hina Kaware (MLA) and Sravan Dasoju have also been appointed new spokespersons of the party.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government Monday over the Rs 41,167-crore loss suffered by banks during the past year, saying the money given to "best friends" could have been used for running the MGNREGA for one full year, waiving farm loans in three states and opening 40 new AIIMS in the country.

"In the guise of 'chowkidaar', they do the work of thieves. Rs 41,167 crore given in the name of best friends.

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) The Delhi government on Monday ordered the concerned district magistrate to take over a private shelter home for girls in Dwarka where the inmates were allegedly abused by its staff.

The abuse came to light after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) conducted an inspection at the shelter home and some girls complained that the female staff put chilli powder in their private parts as punishment. The girls also claimed that they were also forced to have chilli powder.

Lucknow, Dec 31 (PTI) Virtually putting the Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on notice, the BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said she might have to "reconsider" her party's outside support to them if cases against "innocent" persons framed in Bharat Bandh on April 2 were not withdrawn.

KANPUR: A very heart-rending accident took place at Coca-Cola crossing here on Monday morning. The uncontrolled truck jumped at the speed breaker and directly pierced into the divider on the road. The people tried to pull the blood-soaked driver and the two cleaners who were entangled into the pipe laden on the truck. Police anyhow pulled them out and sent them to the hospital for the treatment. Unfortunately, the driver died after the accident.