Supreme Court rules that cannot ask for votes in name of religion

Politicians cannot use religion or caste to appeal for votes, the Supreme Court ruled today. The verdict comes as communally-sensitive Uttar Pradesh waits for an announcement on when it will vote for its next government.

"No politician can seek vote in the name of caste, creed or religion," said Chief Justice TS Thakur in an order, adding that the  election process must be a "secular exercise".  The majority view of the seven-judge Supreme Court bench held that elections would be void if a politician made an appeal for votes on the basis of religious sentiment.   The verdict could pressure political parties to change their strategy in upcoming elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has for years fought elections on a Hindu nationalist agenda, with party members in the past being accused of making anti-Muslim statements to polarise Hindu voters.

Uttar Pradesh's politics are embedded in a complex caste calculus which often dictate alliances and campaigns. Hours after the court verdict, the PM, speaking to an audience of lakhs in Lucknow, said "there may have been a time when castes were important, you all have endured the politics of caste and religion. I appeal to you all to rise above this and vote for progress and development."

State elections are also due this year for Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

The Supreme Court, ruling on a petition filed by a politician in 1996, wrote in its opinion that the secular ethos of the constitution had to be protected.

dhulagarh

58 People Arrested In Dhulagarh riot, Claims West Bengal Police

Since December 12, a small village near Howrah – Dhulagarh – has seen tension since two groups reportedly clashed over a procession. Houses were torched, homes looted, many have fled their homes and 58 people have been arrested for the violence since then.

Tension erupted in Dhulagarh when two groups reportedly clashed as a procession was brought out in the area.The groups hurled bombs at each other when houses in Dhulagarh were attacked by an angry mob that hurled bombs and looted and torched people’s homes after they were not allowed to carry out a the procession.

However, when the West Bengal Chief Minister was asked about the violence, her answer was shocking. Mamata Banerjee believes ‘nothing has happened.’

“Nothing has happened. Why are you even asking? You should be ashamed of asking. There has been no incidence. Let something happen first,” said Mamata Banerjee.

West Bengal police has claimed that 58 people have been arrested in connection with the Dhulagarh violence case, contradicting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's earlier stance that nothing happened in the area.

The WB police tweeted that there was an issue between two groups that lead to the riots and the situation is now under control after it arrested 58 people. In the tweet, the police also said that the government immediately took action, which contradicts CM Banerjee's earlier claims.

The Police said in the tweet: " The dhulagarh incident was outcome of a dispute arising out of a local issue between 2 group of people. Govt immediately took strong action. Situation under total control. 58 accused persons arrested . Govt has provided relief in the area."

It has also been discovered that compensation cheques have been handed over to the victims whose houses were affected in the attack, which again opposes the CM's claim.

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Agni-V test fired

India successfully test-fires nuclear capable Agni-V

NEW DELHI: India tested its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) in its final operational configuration from Wheeler Island off Odisha on Monday, paving the way for its eventual induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) after user-trials.

The nuclear-capable Agni-V, which can even reach the northernmost parts of China with its strike range of over 5,000-km, was test-fired from its canister on a launcher truck just after 11 am. "All the test parameters of the missile, which was tested for its full range, were successfully achieved. The missile splashed down near Australian waters," said an official.

As earlier reported by TOI, this fourth and final experimental test of the three-stage Agni-V -- if it is fully successful-- comes after a gap of two years due to minor technical tweaking required in the ballistic missile as well as the need for India to exercise some strategic restraint when it was seeking entry into the 48-country Nuclear Suppliers Group (which was thwarted by China) and the 34-nation Missile Technology Control Regime (which India joined earlier this year).

The tri-Service SFC, established in 2003 to manage India's nuclear arsenal, will have to conduct at least two user-trials before the 50-tonne missile is produced in adequate numbers for induction.

While the 17-metre tall Agni-V was tested in an "open configuration" in April 2012 and September 2013, the third test in January 2015 saw it being fired from a hermetically sealed canister mounted on a Tatra launcher truck. The missile's canister-launch version makes it even deadlier since it gives the armed forces requisite flexibility to swiftly transport and fire the missile from anywhere they want.

Once the Agni-V is inducted, India will join the super exclusive club of countries with ICBMs (missiles with a range of over 5,000-5,500km) alongside the US, Russia, China, France and the UK. 

AAP removed donation list

 Yogendra Yadav challenged AAP to a debate over its sources of party funds.

Alleging that the list of donors AAP has submitted to Election Commission and tax authorities is different from the one it has put on its website, Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India challenged it for a debate on its sources of funding. The allegation and the challenge come a day after the AAP challenged the Congress and the BJP for a public debate at the Jantar Mantar on their sources of funding.

The AAP, which had taken the donors' list off its website in June this year, has alleged its donors are "being targeted" by tax authorities. "Why did the party presents two different list of contributions, one to the tax authorities and Election Commission and another to the public on its website? Why do the two lists not match? What did the party wish to conceal?" Swaraj India's spokesperson Anupam said.  

1. Why has this party, ostensibly committed to financial transparency, taken off the list of its past and current donors from its website since June this year? Why has this not been restored despite repeated appeals and public outcry?

2. Why did the party present two different lists of contributions, one to the tax authorities and Election Commission and another to the public on its website? Why do the two lists not match? What did the party wish to conceal?

3. What has the party done about the four contributions of Rs. 50 lakh each received in April 2014, now that it is proven that those contributions came from shell companies with benami directors?

4. Where did the party deposit the hundreds of crores of rupees collected in cash from aspiring candidates in Punjab, since it maintains no bank account in Punjab?

5. What is the party’s financial relationship to Shri B. D. Aggrawal of Sriganganar, Rajasthan? Why did the party leadership have a clandestine meeting with Mr. Aggrawal immediately after demonetization?

Aadhaar payment app

Aadhar Payment App

As per the Reports, New Aadhar Payment App will be Released on December 25th it going to create new cashless society if all everything goes well. This Cashless society and app to eradicate fee payments charged by card companies, making it an affordable digital payment solution for merchants in rural areas. This will eradicate the need for payment machines for cashless transactions. However, Aadhaar project has been linked to some public subsidy and unemployment benefit schemes.

 Aadhar Payment App Needs your UIDAI aadhar card Details for Paying in Digital Transaction ways. With this help of aadhar pay app, users can pay money without Internet connection. People also dont Need Credit/ debit cards for paying money to the merchants. Now People are using POS (Point of Sale Machines) to pay the money in stores.

 

Its easy to do payment in 3 simple steps.

1. First Place/ Type the Customer Aadhar Card Number (UIDAI) in the Aadhar field, If Customer wants to do Payment.
2. Select the Bank (Like SBI, HDFC, Axis, ICICI, Andhra..etc)  from which bank you want to Made Payment.
3. Use Fingerprint scan As password for Completing transaction.
4. Upon entering the Aadhar Number, the app would automatically fetch the bank accounts linked with your Aadhar number, then the customer can make the selection of bank for payment as per his/her choice.

Customers Need Not require any aadhar app or password to pay to merchants against any purchase. However, the bank account holders should Aadhar number is linked with their bank account would be eligible to make payments through Aadhar Pay Payment app.

According to Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) almost 40 Crore Aadhar numbers already stands linked with the bank accounts while the rest are targeted to be linked by March 2017.

bio-diesel buses

KSRTC launches bio-diesel buses

For the first time in the country, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Sunday launched 25 buses that run 100 per cent on bio-diesel. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy launched the bio-diesel multi-axle buses at KSRTC’s Depot No. 4 in city. 

The routes of the newly launched buses are Bengaluru-Kundapura, Bengaluru-Bidar,Bengaluru-Tirupati and Bengaluru-Chennai. 

KSRTC is expected to save `86.68 lakh per annum by using bio-diesel for 25 buses.
The vehicles are retrofitted with Bio-Diesel Kit with which they can run on 100 percent Bio-Diesel for effective control over pollution. It is tested and certified by TUV of Germany for best possible safety even in case of roll over and accidents.

Christmas

Pope Francis: Christmas 'hostage to materialism'

Pope Francis has said that the true meaning of Christmas is being drowned out by materialism.

During a high-security Christmas Mass at the Vatican, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also denounced the continuing suffering of children.

He mentioned those who faced hunger, danger on migration routes and bombing in Syrian cities such as Aleppo. Those taking part in Saturday's service inside St Peter's Basilica had to pass through metal detectors.

During the service, he said Christmas had been "taken hostage" by materialism, and that the season needed more humility.

He said people now lived in a time "when the lights of commerce cast the light of God into the shadows, when we are concerned for gifts, but cold toward those who are marginalised".

Throughout the past year, the Pope has urged compassion towards refugees, urging Christians to remember that Jesus himself was a migrant.