Amit Shah compares Indira Gandhi to Hitler

New Delhi: In a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over the JNU row, BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday said he had "proved" that national interest had no place in his mind and asked if the Congress vice-president had joined hands with separatist forces and wanted another division of India.

Speaking on the raging controversy for the first time, Shah asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul a host of questions and demanded that he apologise for his stand on the JNU issue, saying support to anti-national forces in the name of the Left's progressive ideology is not acceptable.

The BJP president's tough stand indicates that the party is willing to slug it out with Congress and other opposition parties over an issue it believes will help reaffirm its nationalist credentials and put the opposition in a corner.

"An attempt was made to defame a leading university in the national capital by turning it into a centre which encourages terrorism and separatism. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if it would be in national interest had the central government kept quiet?

"Are you not encouraging traitors by protesting in support of these anti-nationals?", Shah wrote in a blog.

Noting that slogans like 'Pakistan zindabad', 'go India, go back' and those in support of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Kashmir's independence and India's destruction were raised in JNU, he wondered if the Congress leader had joined hands with separatists.

Does he want another division of India by giving a free run to separatists in the name of freedom of expression? The kind of statements the Congress vice president and other leaders of his party have made in JNU have proved again that national interest has no place in their mind," Shah said.

He said Congress was in despair and frustrated over the success of the Modi government and its leaders were unable to decide how they can play the role of a responsible opposition.

He claimed that Modi government has succeeded in "controlling anti-national sentiments" even in Kashmir but Congress was fuelling the "shameful incident" in JNU despite being the main opposition party.

"I seek answers from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to my questions on behalf of 125 crore countrymen and also demand that Rahul Gandhi apologise to the country for his action," he said.

Shah alleged that Rahul Gandhi "in his despair" was unable to distinguish between what is against national interest and what is in its favour and asserted that what happened in JNU could never be said to be in the interest of country.

He wondered if this was the definition of patriotism for him and accused him of showing insensitivity to the country's integrity by projecting "treason as student revolution" and action against this treason as suppression of the freedom of expression.

The Congress leader had visited the JNU campus on Saturday and hit out at the government over a student leader's arrest, virtually drawing a parallel of its conduct with the regime of Hitler and accusing it suppressing students' voice.

Hitting back, the BJP chief said the nearest independent India came to be identified with Hitler's Germany was when Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in 1975.

"Hitler-waad (Hitlerism) is in the DNA of Congress. BJP does not need to learn nationalism and democratic values from Congress. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi if 1975's Emergency defines the democratic values of his party and does he not recognise Indira Gandhi's mindset as that of Hitler?" he asked.

Ho noted that the accused students glorified Guru who was convicted in the case of Parliament attack in which six Delhi police personnel, two Parliament security personnel and a gardener had died.

"I will ask him if he will give a similar tribute to 10 soldiers, including Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, who sacrificed their lives in Siachen recently," he said.

JNU teachers join strike, will hold classes on nationalism

New Delhi: JNU teachers on Tuesday joined the students in boycotting classes in protest against arrest of its student union leader in a sedition case and said they would take classes on "nationalism" in the varsity lawns.

The students had on Monday gone on an indefinite strike till JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar is released and the sedition case against him dropped.

After 10 teachers and a group of students were attacked on Monday in the Patiala House court complex where Kanhaiya was produced, the teachers association decided to join the students in boycotting classes.

"The administration is not only acting against students but also teachers and we are being openly attacked while the VC stays mum over it. The entire world is now referring to JNU as a hub of anti-nationals on the basis of propaganda of a few people in power. It is time we teach our students what nationalism is," said Rohith Azad, a faculty member, who was among those who were attacked.

The one-and-half-hour long lecture on "nationalism " will be held every evening at 5 in front of the administration block.

JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last week in connection with a case of sedition and criminal conspiracy registered over holding of the event at the varsity during which anti-India slogans were alleged to have been raised.

His arrest has triggered widespread outrage among students and teachers and drawn severe criticism from non-BJP political parties.

The university teachers had earlier rallied behind its protesting students and questioned the administration's decision to allow the police crackdown on the campus even as they appealed to the public not to "brand" the institution as "anti-national" but they had not joined the strike earlier.

Teachers' bodies of 40 central universities and Pune-based FTII had also come out in support of the agitating students, saying it is an issue of "indiscipline" and not "sedition".

Over 400 academicians from international varsities, including Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, SOAS, University of Toronto, McGill, King's College, University of California, Berkeley and New York University have also expressed solidarity with JNU students condemning the "illegal" detention and "autocratic" suspension of students.

FIR filed over attack on journalists: Delhi Police chief

New Delhi: A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Tuesday over some lawyers thrashing journalists at a city court here on Monday, Delhi Police said.

"We have registered an FIR in connection with the incident that occurred in the court yesterday (Monday). We are looking into the matter," Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said here at a function of 69th Raising Day of Delhi Police.

"We are taking all steps to identify the people and action will be taken as per the course of law," he added.

When questioned about alleged police inaction during the thrashing, Bassi said: "If it is proved that police did not perform its duty or showed laxity, appropriate action would be taken against those as well."

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also attended the event, said: "An inquiry is going on over the incident." However, Rajnath Singh, who had earlier claimed a link between terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and the protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, refused to disclose any details.

Four journalists, including one from IANS, and some JNU students were assaulted at the Patiala House courts by a section of lawyers.

IANS reporter Amiya Kumar Kushwaha was slapped inside a courtroom while some other journalists were attacked within the court premises by lawyers who were raising "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans.

The incident took place just before the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been arrested on charges of sedition, was to be presented before a court.

Prithvi II missile test-fired in Odisha

India on Tuesday test-fired its indigenously developed Prithvi II missile -- capable of carrying 500kg -1000kg of warheads -- as part of a user trial by the army from a test range at Chandipur. The missile test was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 1000 hours, defence officials said.

With a strike range of 350km, the surface-to-surface Prithvi II is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.

Data of the missile trial conducted by the specially-formed Strategic Force Command (SFC) were being analysed, officials said.

The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the launch activities were carried out by the SFC and monitored by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise, a defence scientist said.

The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha.

The downrange teams on board the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored terminal events and splashdown, officials added.

Inducted into India’s armed forces in 2003, Prithvi II -- the first missile to be developed by DRDO under the prestigious IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program) -- is now a proven technology, they said.

Such training launches indicate India’s operational readiness to meet any eventuality and establish the reliability of this deterrent component of strategic arsenal, defence officials said. The last user trial of Prithvi II was successfully conducted on November 26, 2015 from the same test range in Odisha. 

Three Indian-Americans could be US Supreme Court judge nominees

Washington: Three Indian-American legal luminaries may be among the possible candidates whom US President Barack Obama could nominate as a Supreme Court judge following the sudden death of conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia.

Within hours of the death of Scalia at a ranch in Texas, the name of Chandigarh-born Sri Srinivasan popped up as the top contender to the post.

Sri Srinivasan, 48, is currently the US Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which many call as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.

He is not only considered as a favourite of Obama, who has called him as a trailblazer, but also his nomination to the Court of Appeals was confirmed by a record 97-0 votes, which is an achievement given the bitter political divide in the US Senate.

The White House on Monday refused to give any indication of the list of persons Obama is looking into to zero in on his nomination for the next Supreme Court judge.

But given his track record - wherein he has appointed a record number of Indian-American judges to various US courts - and him publicly praising some of them, it would not be a big surprise that in addition to Srinivasan a few other individuals from the community too figure up in his list.

Among them could be his home town resident Neal Katyal, who served as Acting Solicitor General of the US from May 2010 until June 2011 and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is considered to be very close to Obama.

Harris, who traces her roots to Chennai, is currently running for the US Senate seat in California.

On Monday several media outlets mentioned Harris as among the potential ones who could replace Scalia in the Supreme Court.

Harris, 51, who was among the six people mentioned by New York Times, has not reacted to the speculation so far. In 2011, she became the first African-American, Asian-American, Indian-American and woman to hold the post of California attorney general. 

Many say Katyal, who would turn 46 on March 12, could emerge as a dark horse in the process.

With extensive experience in matters of patent, securities, criminal, employment, and constitutional law, he has orally argued 27 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, with 25 of them in the last six years.

Obama intends to nominate someone as Supreme Court judge who honours constitutional responsibilities, have impeccable credentials and understands how laws affect the daily realities of people's lives, the White House said.

"I would not anticipate an announcement this week, especially given that the Senate is out on recess," White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters.

Schultz refused to engage in speculation about lists and names.

When asked about what kind of individual Obama is looking to nominate someone to be the next Supreme Court judge, Schultz said President's judicial nominees should adhere to a number of basic principles.

"Number one, I'd say the President's judicial nominees are all eminently qualified with a record of excellence and integrity. The President looks for individuals who have impeccable credentials," he said.

"Number two, the President intends to nominate individuals who honor constitutional responsibilities. These are individuals who have a commitment to impartial justice, respect the integrity of the judicial process, and adhere to precedent. The President seeks judges who will faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand," he said.

"And lastly, the President is also mindful that there are rare cases where the law is not clear, and we acknowledge that those incidents occur most often at the Supreme Court," he said, adding that in those times, a judge will have to bring his or her own ethics and moral bearings into a decision.

US to deploy F-22 stealth jets in South Korea as Park Geun-hye warns of Pyongyang regime collapse

The US is set to deploy four F-22 stealth fighter jets in South Korea as President Park Geun-hye warned of an imminent collapse of the North Korean regime. The sophisticated aircraft are expected to reach the Korean peninsula on 17 February.

Washington's latest deployment of the fifth-generation Raptors is part of efforts to intensify its strategic assets in South Korea, in the wake of any frantic developments in the region. "The US military plans to deploy four F-22s to the Korean Peninsula tomorrow [17 February]," a South Korean official told Seoul's Yonhap news agency.

Ever since the defiant Pyongyang's Kim Jong-un regime conducted its fourth nuclear test on 6 January – followed by its satellite launch on 7 February – tensions have been high in the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang's harsh critics – mainly the US, South Korea, Japan – have been heightening security measures to prepare for provocative acts emerging from the North.

The US's decision has come at a time when the South Korean president issued a strong warning to Pyongyang. Speaking in the Seoul parliament, Park said that if the North does not scale back its nuclear ambitions, it is bound to end up in the "regime collapse".

"We should no longer be deceived or threatened by North Korea, nor offer them unconditional support. Now is the time to seek for fundamental solutions to change the North and to implement the plans with courage," she told lawmakers at the National Assembly.

She added: "The Kim Jong-un regime could deploy nuclear-tipped missiles if time passes without any change."

Park specifically chose to address the South Korean parliament to drum up public support against North Korea. The parliamentary address follows Seoul's decision to shut the jointly-run Kaesong industrial complex. South Korean authorities have accused its rival Koreans of funnelling a majority of money generated from the industrial zone towards it contentious nuclear programmes.

Pak army feels n-brinkmanship can bring India to its knees: Benazir Bhutto

Four years before her assassination in December 2007, Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto accused her country’s military leadership of nuclear brinksmanship, but ruled out a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan.

In an interview recovered from a lost archive — it was recorded in 2003 at her Dubai home when she was out of power and in exile — Benazir, commenting on the tactics deployed by the Pakistani security establishment, said: “They think that with nuclear brinkmanship, they can bring India to its knees because they feel no matter how intense the insurgency gets in Kashmir, what can India do?”

“If lndia tries to have a war, the world community will have to come in because they’re both nuclear. And if the world community doesn’t come in, India knows that if they cross towards Lahore, Pakistan will throw a bomb. India might retaliate, but it will still mean that so many people in India will die.”

“Since 1977, our security establishment was hijacked by pro-Zia (ul-Haq) officers. They have a vision in direct contrast with the political leadership’s vision. They think that Pakistan should have a puppet government in Afghanistan, so that we can get strategic depth all the way to the river Amur.”

Asked if she had ever considered launching a nuclear attack on India when she was Prime Minister — she had two stints:1988-90 and 993-96 — Benazir said, “For God’s sake, never have l ever for a moment woken up with such a thought because l know that nuking any Indian, if l was even mad enough to think that, would end up nuking my own people.”

“This is what l don’t understand about the deterrence because neither India can use the nukes, nor can Pakistan. Because whichever country is throwing that nuke knows there is not enough time/space and is going to get it back.”

This interview forms part of a chapter on Benazir Bhutto in this correspondent’s book ‘Bullets and Bylines, Dispatches from Kabul, Delhi, Damascus and Beyond’, published by Speaking Tiger.

Asked if she could characterise the feelings that most ordinary Pakistanis have for India and Indians, she said, “It changes from times of tension to times of less tension. When there is tension and the troops are at the border, then people hate anybody who’s Indian, irrespective of whether they are Hindu or Muslim or whatever. They say they want to attack us, kill us and destroy our country.”

“But when there is no tension, people really welcome Indians. Indian films are very popular in Pakistan, Indian goods are smuggled across in Pakistan all the time, people are desperate to get Indian visas, travel to India, go visit their families, or go and see the Taj Mahal or the Mughal heritage.”

“Overseas in America... the Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis see themselves as South Asians, there is no hatred at all... they feel their interests are the same, they work together, they socialise together, there is no hatred at all.”

“I feel the only way forward... is to try and see what the European Union did and to have a kind of common market. What makes economies move? In my view, economies move through the service centre, through creativity. So if we open up, people will come to visit Pakistan, our hotels will be full, more hotels will be built, more labour will get jobs, same in your country...”

“All the visitors who come will want to have kebab and tikka and nihari... people will want to buy, they will want to spend... go to museums, to sight-see. It’s the flow of money that strengthens economies and that’s what we all need, whether it’s Nepal or Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or India or Pakistan, we all need that.”

India's cheapest smartphone: Ringing Bells's 'Freedom 251' priced at under Rs 500 to hit markets soon

Domestic handset maker Ringing Bells will launch India's most affordable smartphone 'Freedom 251' priced at under Rs 500 later this week, a move that is set to disrupt the booming handset market in the country. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar will launch the smartphone 'Freedom 251' on February 17.

The Ringing Bells 'Freedom 251' launch is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for "empowering India to the last person, transforming India's growth story", the Noida-based company said.

"The phone will be popularly priced at under Rs 500... this event and launch stands as a true testimony of success of the latest initiatives taken by the Government of India," according to a media invite sent by the firm.

At present, smartphones available in the market are priced around Rs 1,500. Last year, DataWind had announced that it is teaming up with Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Communications (RCOM) to launch the world's most affordable smartphone, priced at Rs 999. The phone is yet to hit the market.Established last year, Ringing Bells will start with the assembly of handsets in Phase-I and aims at full indigenous development of the feature-rich smartphones, it said.

It did not disclose any other details about manufacturing, products and pricing.

A new entrant in the Indian mobile phone market, Ringing Bells had launched one of India's cheapest 4G smartphone at Rs 2,999, recently. It has launched two other feature phones in the market.

India, one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally, is poised to overtake the US as the second-largest market in next few years.

In the last few months, global smartphone makers, including the likes of Xiaomi, Motorola and Gionee have commenced assembling their handsets in India, where the government is pushing local manufacturing through its Make in India initiative.

JNU blaze: Who started the fire and why is it still burning

Almost a week has passed since a ‘cultural’ event at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) snowballed into a raging debate over nationalism, sparked by the arrest of JNU student body president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The student leader was produced in court on Monday where a mob of lawyers were seen forcibly throwing out university faculty members and students, leading to more violence. Even reporters were thrashed by the lawyers who were heard sloganeering against the university.

Delhi University professor SAR Geelani, who faced trial as Afzal Guru’s co-accused in the Parliament attack case but was acquitted, was also booked for sedition for allegedly organising an event at the Press Club of India to mark Guru’s death anniversary. He was detained by police on Monday evening.

Here’s a quick look at what went down in the last week.

What is the controversy all about?

On February 9, a group of students organized a ‘cultural evening of protest’ against the ‘judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt’ and ‘in solidarity with struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self determination’ at Sabarmati dhaba on campus. The event was attended by students from outside the campus too. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a protest from across the road against the event. The ABVP complained to the administration earlier following which permission for the event was revoked, but organisers went ahead anyway.

Things went out of hand when the two sides clashed towards the end of the event as organizers took out a march from Sabarmati dhaba to Ganga dhaba. Allegations of inflammatory and anti-India slogans being raised surfaced.

ABVP claims that JNU students union members were also part of the crowd which shouted anti-India slogans but other groups maintain that union members and many other students only joined in to control the clash between ABVP and the organizers.

On February 10, ABVP lodged a police complaint regarding the matter. The next day, BJP MP Maheish Giri also lodged an FIR following which a case of sedition was filed against unknown persons.

Who were the organizers?

Ten students, most of them former members of the ultra-left Democratic Students Union (DSU), organized the event. DSU has little or no support on campus over its ideological stand on various issues. Those named in the FIR include Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya from DSU.

Why was permission given for the event?

University administration maintains that organizers said the event was to be a cultural evening of poetry reading. When apprised of the nature of the event, the administration withdrew its permission. However, organizers, backed by many other students, alleged that the university administration withdrew permission due to pressure from ABVP.

What is police doing in the case?

On February 12, police arrested Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president, Kanhaiya Kumar, on charges of sedition. On Monday he was produced in Patiala House court and sentenced to two days of police custody. The FIR has few more names, including former DSU members, former JNUSU office bearers and All India Students Association secretary, Delhi state, Ashutosh Kumar. The Home Ministry said that more people are under the scanner.

What steps has JNU administration taken?

A day after the event was held, vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar ordered a proctorial inquiry into the incident. However, on February 11 he constituted a high-level committee to probe the incident after which eight students were debarred from all academic activities till the inquiry is completed. The university is likely to submit its final report on February 25.

What is happening now?

Students and teachers are on strike demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar, accusing that the present government wants to clamp down on dissent. All major student organisations in the university have condemned the alleged anti-India slogans raised at the event.

They also alleged that the actions by the BJP government are aimed at silencing JNU students, who have been at the forefront of movements like the demand for fellowship in higher education and the Dalit scholar suicide case in Hyderabad.

What really happened on the night of Feb 9: A JNU student recounts

Nearly a week has passed since students shouted anti-national slogans at an event in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University that triggered sedition charges and protests all over the Capital. The simmering controversy has spilled over into sedition charges, violence outside courts, senior minister criticising the students and television anchors hosting high-decibel debates.

But what really happened on February 9? Who were the students who organised the event ‘A Country without a Post Office’ to commemorate 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru?

JNU student Harshit Agarwal attempted to answer some of the questions in a post on Quora. Find below his version of the events, which HT has not independently verified.

"On 9th February 2016, ex-members of a student organisation DSU, short for ‘Democratic Students Union’ called for a cultural meeting of a protest against what they called ‘the judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat’ and in solidarity with ‘the struggle of Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self-determination’,” he wrote.

A lot of Kashmiri students from inside and outside the campus were to attend the event.

The DSU is a small “ultra-leftist” group of well-read students who believe in Maoism. It’s a very small group of very well read students, he said.

“They are not terrorists or Naxals by any means. I have been in the campus for more than two years and never have I witnessed or heard of them committing a terror activity as much as of throwing a stone, let alone overthrowing the state!”

About 20 minutes before the meeting was to start, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad wrote to the administration, asking it to withdraw permission as it was ‘harmful for campus’ atmosphere’, he wrote.

Fearful of clashes, the administration denied permission. 

“Now, for those who do not know, JNU is a beautiful democratic space where all voices are heard, all opinions however radical, respected. And ABVP was scuttling that space.”

The DSU asked for help from the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union and other Left student organisations like the SFI (Students Federation of India), and AISA (All India Students Association) to gather in support of their right to democratically and peacefully hold meeting and “mind you, NOT in support of their ideology or their stand on Kashmir”, he wrote.

DSU, JNUSU, and other student organisations decided they would not let the administration and the ABVP scuttle their “hard-earned democratic space” to debate and discuss, and decided to go ahead with the meeting, he said.

The administration sent security guards to cover the badminton court where the meeting was supposed to happen, and refused the permission to use microphones. The organisers agreed, and decided to continue the meeting around the dhaba without mics. 

“However, the ABVP mobilised its cadres and started threatening and intimidating the students and organisers. They started shouting cliched slogans like’Ye Kashmir Hamara hai, saara ka saara hai’,” Agarwal wrote.

In response, and to create solidarity among the students attending the meeting, the organisers started shouting, “Hum kya chaahte? Azaadi!”

Next slogan - ”Tum kitne Afzal maaroge, har ghar se Afzal niklega!”

Agarwal said a group of Kashmiri students came from outside JNU to attend the meeting and formed a circle in the center of the gathering. “Trust me, not one of whom was from JNU! I was present during the event for some time, and I could not recognize a single face from that group as being from JNU.”

Agarwal said the Kashmiri students – who faced the “wrath of AFSPA for decades” -- were angry to see the ABVP disrupt their meeting, and started shouting the slogans against India, like: “Bharat ki barbaadi tak, jung rahegi, jung rahegi!”

“India, Go Back”

“In my almost 2.5 years of stay in JNU, I have never heard these slogans shouted anywhere. These are nowhere even close to the ideology of any left parties, let alone DSU,” he wrote.

“About the slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’, it is disputed. I did not hear any such slogan while I was present there. There is a slogan in a video, but it’s not clear as to who shouted it - the Kashmiri students or the ABVP as a conspiracy.”

Agarwal also said JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar didn’t shouts slogans and is a member of the All India Students Federation(AISF) -- the student wing of the Communist Party of India(CPI) with no “Maoist or secessionist ideology” and is the mildest of all Left parties.

Coast Guard to induct 38 more aircraft by 2020

New Delhi: To boost its surveillance and search and rescue capabilities, the Indian Coast Guard has proposed to induct 38 more aircraft and helicopters into its fleet by 2020.

The expansion plan will see the maritime security force acquire Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH), Twin-engine Helicopters and Maritime Multi-mission Surveillance Aircraft (MMSA). The Coast Guard at present has a fleet of 62 airplanes and helicopters.

In the next three-four months, it is going to sign a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for procuring 16 ALHs, official sources said.

It is also exploring options to buy 14 twin-engine heavy helicopters. The Coast Guard is eyeing Airbus's Eurocopter but it may take a couple of years to actually acquire these as a proposal in this regard is pending with the Ministry of Defence.

"We have been looking to procure twin-engine helicopters that can help in making long trips in the sea. The current Chetak helicopters do not have the ability to go deep over the sea. The twin-engine helicopters can make longer trips.

"They can be used in areas where we don't have air strips, for instance, in Minicoy and many such places," said a senior government official.

Air assets have often played a crucial role in the Indian Coast Guard's operations. When the suspicious Pakistani boat carrying explosives blew itself up on the night of December 31, 2014, off the Gujarat coast, the operation was conducted jointly by the air and sea wings of the maritime security force.

The Coast Guard is also looking for six more Maritime Multi-mission Surveillance Aircraft. However, Coast Guard is waiting for the Indian Air Force to be ready with a proposal as it wants to buy the aircraft together.

"The Staff Qualitative Requirements (SQRs) of the Coast Guard and Air Force are same. So, we are waiting for their proposal to get ready and then we can buy it together.

However, the purpose of the two will be different and modifications to the aircraft will be done as per the requirements of the two forces," the official said.

UAE Warns India: 'You're Not Immune To ISIS'

India is not immune to the threat from ISIS, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, has warned in exclusive interview to NDTV in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE has been in forefront of the fight against ISIS, also known as Daesh.

Ahead of the visit to India this week of Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dr Gargash told NDTV: "This is a long-term threat we need to cooperate, need to have zero intolerance. There are no grey areas, we need to tackle this threat and nobody is immune. If you think you are immune, you are going to be negligent and you are going to be hit. Everybody... whether India or the UAE."

India and the UAE have started a new strategic partnership after a landmark visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Abu Dhabi in August, which includes unprecedented cooperation on counter terrorism, especially significant given that the UAE has traditionally been a close ally of Pakistan.

Over the past year, about a dozen Indians with links to the ISIS have been deported from the UAE.

To a question on whether Pakistan was doing enough to crack down on terror groups after the Pathankot terror attack, Dr Gargash said: "The UAE doesn't see a grey area in our rejection of terrorism, whether by a non-government group or whether sponsored by governments, we put all that in the same pile, terrorism is terrorism." He added that "there are no good terrorists and bad terrorists", and that states cannot distinguish between different groups.

The Minister also described the global fight against ISIS as "frustratingly slow". He said: "We need greater cooperation. Like in Iraq, we want to see a more comprehensive approach. We can't geographically identify areas and say, this area suffers from terrorism. I can't come and say, if something happens in Mumbai, that it is out of vision or sight. It is something that is related. Anti-ISIS needs a ground component, not troops. UAE has always said we want to be a part of this ground component... to train to lead. This is where is has been frustratingly slow."

PM Modi visited UAE in August, becoming the first prime minister to do so in three decades. During the visit, the oil-rich Gulf nation announced it would invest $75 billion in Foreign Direct Investment in infrastructure projects in India, but that seems to be taking time.

The minister said: "India is already an attractive investment destination but we need to work together to cut some of the red tape, make things smoother. India is a continent, not a country, if you read India's political history, you know how complicated and intricate it is so while you have to be patient, time is not on our side. I want to see clearer laws, smoother implementation, greater foreign investment," he said.

ISIS, also known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Islamic State (IS), has become one of the most powerful extremist organizations in the world. The main aim of this organization is the creation of an Islamic state, referred to as a “caliphate,” across Iraq and Syria; something that it is trying to achieve through mass killings, abductions and bomb blasts. Here’s a chronology of the rise of ISIS in the past decade.

Twitter suspends 125,000 accounts for terrorism links

Twitter said the more than 125,000 accounts had been frozen since mid-2015. The move comes after pressure from governments, especially after the November attacks in Paris and December attacks in southern California, which were linked to IS. The site had been urged to take more steps to control IS' and similar groups' efforts to recruit new members and to plan violent acts.

"Like most people around the world, we are horrified by the atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups," Twitter said in a statement on the site. "We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism and the Twitter rules make it clear that this type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service."

The San Francisco based company which claims 332 million active users said it has rules to discourage activity that advances terror, but that it was boosting staff and using technology to filter violence-promoting content.

However, the company cautioned: "As many experts and other companies have noted, there is no 'magic algorithm' for identifying terrorist content on the Internet, so global online platforms are forced to make challenging judgment calls based on very limited information and guidance."

Thirteen killed, 20 injured in bus-lorry collision in Tamil Nadu

Thirteen people were killed and more than 20 injured in a collision between a bus and a cement-laden lorry at a village in Madurai district on Saturday afternoon.

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The state transport buswas bound for Kumily in Kerala from Rajapalayam and the mishap occurred at T Kallupatti, 40 kms from Madurai.

Police said the injured were rushed to a local hospital.

A case has been registered and police is investigating the cause of the accident.

Bengaluru ACP suspended over assault on Tanzanian woman

The Karnataka government has suspended another senior police official in connection with the alleged assault and stripping of a Tanzanian woman student, even as African students staged a rally over the incident on Saturday. 

Assistant commissioner of police AN Pise of Yeshwanthpur Division has been suspended for dereliction of duty, Police commissioner NS Megharikh said, a day after a team of Tanzanian high commissioner John WH Kijazi, also the dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, and external affairs Ministry officials flew in and met state officials and African students in Bengaluru.

With this, six policemen-an ACP, an inspector and four constables-- have been suspended, Megharikh said.

'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage' first look: Deepika Padukone, Vin Diesel as Serena and Xander will stun you in these pictures

Actress Deepika Paukone recently packed her bags and left for Canada to begin shooting for her debut Hollywood film 'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage' starring Vin Diesel opposite her. While the actress waved goodbye to her fans to set her foot on the new journey, the first look is sure to serenade her fans once again.

1-year report card: A few false notes in an AAP-roarious medley

“Wo pareshan karte rahe, hum kaam karte rahe (they kept putting hurdles, we kept performing) — the Aam Aadmi Party government plastered this slogan on giant billboards across the Capital a few months back.

The catchy phrase summarised one year of the Arvind Kejriwal government that was sworn in on February 14 last year, a roller-coaster 12 months that have seen bitter political wrangling between the city government and the Centre, repeated public spats between the chief minister and the lieutenant governor and a bureaucracy hamstrung between the two.

Opponents may have termed the advertisement ‘political’ and accused the AAP of spending public money for promotions but the slogan mirrored the tone of the Kejriwal government – that the Centre was determined to not let the city administration succeed.

At the centre of the fight was Delhi’s unique constitutional position. The city graduated to a partial state from a Union territory in 1993 when it got a legislative assembly.

The public showdowns between the Delhi secretariat and the L-G’s office fuelled the biggest political demand in the city— full statehood.

But unlike earlier times when the issue would be fanned during elections and be quickly buried afterwards, the AAP government kept the demand alive through its first 12 months in power, its voice only getting shriller with passing time.

The constant tug-of-war over administrative jurisdiction, control over police and other civic agencies like the municipal corporations and the Delhi Development Authority bear witness to the prolonged political tussle. The Delhi high court is hearing a bunch of PILs and writ petitions on related issues.

However, AAP leaders deny that their actions are aimed at making a case for full statehood— a key poll promise. “Our sole aim has been to deliver despite the obstacles put up by the central government. The results are for all to see,” a senior AAP leader said.

Sources said the tension between the Centre and AAP government escalated after the Delhi Police filed a kidnapping case in May last year against a team of the Anti-Corruption Branch — Kejriwal’s flagship project — that arrested a Delhi Police head constable on charges of extorting money from a scrap dealer.

The incident, as described by a senior party leader, was symbolic of attempts to blunt the anti-corruption resolve of the government—the plank on which AAP rode to a crushing victory and wanted to deliver on its promises.

PM’s job is to run country, not make excuses: Rahul Gandhi on Modi

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged farmers and workers were unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was only interested in the welfare of his “three or four capitalist friends”.

“PM’s job is to run the country, not make excuses. Maybe PM Modi has not figured this out yet,” Gandhi said while addressing the media after a meeting of Congress state unit chiefs in Delhi.

“Farmers, workers and even small businesses are crying under PM Modi’s rule. After farmers and workers, even industrialists are crying under PM Modi’s rule,” he said.

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Highlights of what Rahul Gandhi said:

'Deeply aggrieved' by his sandals, businessman sends Kejriwal Rs 364 to buy formal shoes

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New Delhi: An engineer-turned-businessman from Visakhapatnam has sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Rs 364 to buy a pair of formal shoes.

Reason - The businessman Sumit Agrawal says he was "deeply aggrieved" to find Kejriwal wearing sandals during a state banquet hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan against the prescribed dress code.

The Delhi Chief Minister was seen wearing sandals during the banquet hosted in honour of French President Francois Hollande on 26 January.

Agrawal sent a demand draft of Rs 364 to Kejriwal on Monday by speed post and said he took to the streets to collect money by following the footsteps of the AAP leader.

"It broke my heart to see you like this. I'm deeply aggrieved," Agarwal said in an open letter to Kejriwal, adding certain protocols have dictated the democratic set up and international relations and everyone must respect them.

Jet Airways cabin crew's suspension 'real intolerance', says Sonu Nigam

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Singer Sonu Nigam on Friday hit out at Jet Airways for suspending cabin crew members following his impromptu in-flight performance in January and called it "real intolerance".

Nigam said that the seat belt sign was off and no announcements were to be made during the time he performed. He said Jet's action amounted to intolerance. "Pity, there's no one to question such harshness. This act of lack of common sense, according to me, is real intolerance."