Two years on, Akhilesh Yadav heeds SC order, vacates two-storeyed villa

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday vacated his official residence, in lieu of the Supreme Court's order on the matter.
Akhilesh will now reside in the Ansal API township situated in Sultanpur road along the Shaheed Path.

The two-storeyed villa, which will also be used for official purposes, will have a hall and a room on the ground floor.
Meanwhile, villa number 12A here is being renovated for Akhilesh's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav.
For those unversed, the Supreme Court in May 2016 had quashed the law passed by the then Uttar Pradesh government led by Akhilesh Yadav, which granted permanent residential accommodation to former chief ministers of the state.
The apex court, in its order, said former chief ministers of the state were not entitled to government bungalows
Thereafter, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued notices in May to six former state chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Notices were sent by the Estate Department asking the former chief ministers to vacate their bungalows within 15 days post the issue of notices.

Farm crisis: Blame it on global economy, surplus production, says Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday blamed the global economic situation and surplus production for farmers' woes and assured that the Centre is working on "a war footing" to solve their problems.
The Union Minister for Shipping and Road Transport was addressing a press conference in Nagpur to highlight the BJP-led Central government's achievements in the last four years.

"This situation has arisen due to the global economy and surplus production. This is an old issue, not a new one. The government is working on a war footing by formulating mid- and long-term policies as well as exporting excess produce," he said to a question about the ongoing farmers' agitation.
Asked about the situation in Maharashtra which has witnessed major farmers' agitations recently, he said, "Farmers are facing some difficulties, not getting proper minimum support price, and milk prices have come down.
"But Maharashtra is a progressive state. Around Rs 20 billion worth of grapes and Rs 16 billion worth of onions have been exported from here. Dry ports are coming up in Nashik, Jalna, Wardha, Pune and Sangli. Irrigation potential is increasing in Maharashtra," Gadkari said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is in Delhi to meet the Union Agriculture Minister and discuss making more godowns available in view of excess tur dal production, he informed.
On the setbacks for the BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly by-elections in 11 states, Gadkari said, "Politics is not being done on the issue of development. Communal politics is being pursued (by Opposition) by creating fear in the minds of Muslims, Dalits and tribals."
The opposition is spreading misinformation that Muslims are unsafe, Constitution will be changed and reservations for the tribals will be scrapped, the senior BJP leader alleged.
The BJP does not do politics of caste, language or religion, he said.

Petrol, diesel prices cut again: Here are the new rates for Delhi, Mumbai

Prices for petrol and diesel were cut by nine paise on Saturday. Amid mounting public frustration, rates have been cut for the fourth consecutive day today.
In Delhi, petrol now costs Rs 78.20 a litre, and diesel costs Rs 69.11 per litre.
On Friday, price for petrol was Rs 78.29 per litre, while diesel price was Rs 69.20 a litre in the national capital.
The revised petrol prices in other metro cities are - Rs 80.84 in Kolkata, Rs 86.01 in Mumbai and Rs 81.19 in Chennai.
ALSO READ: End to relentless petrol, diesel price rise brings no joy as cuts minuscule
Meanwhile, the revised diesel prices in other metro cities are - Rs 71.66 in Kolkata, Rs 73.58 in Mumbai and 72.97 in Chennai.

Prices for petrol and diesel fell by 6 paise and 5 paise per litre, respectively, on Friday. After a one paisa cut in fuel prices, petrol prices across the four metros were cut on Thursday by seven paise a litre and diesel prices fell by five paise.

After 5-days of meetings, speeches, PM Modi concludes South-East Asia visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday left for India after concluding his three-nation visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
"After a significant and successful three-nation visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, PM @narendramodi emplanes for India," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter.
PM Modi, who was in Singapore today, began the day by meeting former prime minister of Singapore and Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong. From there, PM Modi went to Clifford Pier, where he unveiled a plaque to commemorate the immersion of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes in the country's waters. After unveiling the plaque, Prime Minister Modi interacted with local representatives. PM Modi also called on the US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who is in Singapore ahead of Donald Trump's meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The Modi-Mattis comes days after the US renamed its oldest and largest military command - the Pacific Command - to Indo-Pacific Command, amid heightened tensions with China over the militarisation of the South China Sea. .
The US move came in the wake of a series of measures by China that have raised tensions in the South China Sea.
Here are the latest updates on PM Modi's Singapore visit:
1. Modi concludes Singapore visit: The Prime Minister left for India on Saturday after concluding his significant and successful three-nation visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Adding momentun to our Act East Policy! After a significant and successful three-nation visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, PM @narendramodi emplanes for India. pic.twitter.com/JGLzKN3Zui
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 2, 2018
2. PM meets Jim Mattis: PM Modi met US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis in Singapore on Saturday.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue which was addressed by the Prime Minister on Friday night.
The meeting comes days after the Pentagon renamed its Pacific Command as Indo-Pacific Command in a largely symbolic move to signal India's importance to the US military.
PM @narendramodi met US Secretary of Defence James Mattis on the sidelines of Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore. The focus of conversation was on the region in the context of PM's keynote address at the #SLD18 yesterday evening. pic.twitter.com/N9a9s0d7Bi
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 2, 2018
3. Modi unveils Gandhi's plaque: Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Singapore's former premier Goh Chok Tong jointly unveiled a plaque to pay tribute at the immersion site of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes at Clifford Pier in the city-state.
Emeritus Senior Minister Mr. Goh Chok Tong and I unveiled a plaque marking the site where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed at the Clifford Pier in Singapore.

Bapu’s message reverberates globally. His thoughts and ideals motivate us to work for the greater good of humanity. pic.twitter.com/Gdfzt0SICQ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 2, 2018
4. Modi - Goh Chok Tong meet: PM Modi also met former Singaporean premier and Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong. The two leaders held talks on issues of mutual interest.
ESM Goh served as the country's second prime minister from 1990 to 2004.
ALSO READ: Asia, world will have better future if India, China work together: PM Modi
5. Orchid named after PM Modi: Singapore's National Orchid Garden named an Orchid after PM Modi to mark his visit to the country.
Dendrobrium Narendra Modi - an orchid named after PM @narendramodi on the occasion of his visit to the National Orchid Garden in Singapore. A strong and robust tropical orchid which produces upright inflorences up to 38 cm long with 14-20 well-arranged flowers. pic.twitter.com/HEjg4uT2Cc
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 2, 2018
6. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple visit: PM Modi, accompanied by Singapore culture Minister, visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.
The temple gets its name from what the Buddhists regard as the left canine tooth of Lord Buddha, which was recovered from his funeral pyre in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, according to visitsingapore.com.
7. Modi visits the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore: The prime minister visited Singapore's oldest Hindu temple Sri Mariamman and participated in prayers.
ALSO READ: Modi gets a ceremonial welcome in Singapore, discusses bilateral ties
Built in 1827, the temple was constructed for worship by immigrants from the Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of South India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mariamman, known for her power in curing epidemic illnesses and diseases. The temple is located in the heart of Chinatown.
Dendrobrium Narendra Modi - an orchid named after PM @narendramodi on the occasion of his visit to the National Orchid Garden in Singapore. A strong and robust tropical orchid which produces upright inflorences up to 38 cm long with 14-20 well-arranged flowers. pic.twitter.com/HEjg4uT2Cc
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 2, 2018
8. PM's mosque visit: The Prime Minister also payed a visit to Chuliya Mosque, one of the oldest mosques of Singapore located in Chinatown. It has been the country's national monument since 1974.
PM @narendramodi accompanied by Singapore Culture Minister Grace Yien visited Chulia mosque which was built by Chulia Muslim merchants from India's Coromandal Coast under the leadership of Anser Sahib. Demonstrating the age-old people-to-people contact between our two countries. pic.twitter.com/K07hIbH74q
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 2, 2018

Thunderstorm kills 25 in Uttarakhand, UP, West Bengal; fresh alert in Delhi

Thunderstorm killed at least 25 people in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi among other North Indian states on Friday.
While 15 people died in various districts of Uttar Pradesh, four were killed in Uttarakhand's Mandal. At least six people were reportedly killed in lightning strikes across West Bengal.

A UP government spokesperson on Saturday said that most of the deaths were caused due to falling of trees and house collapse.
Moradabad bore the brunt of the storm, with as many as seven deaths reported from the district, followed by three deaths from Sambhal, the state government spokesman said.
Two deaths were reported each from Muzaffarnagar and Meerut, while one death was reported from Amroha, he said.
In West Bengal, two persons each were killed in Nadia and West Midnapore districts while two more lost their lives in Birbhum and West Burdwan, an officer from state police control confirmed.
The regional meteorological department has predicted more rainfall in the southern Bengal districts over the next two days.
Storms also hit Delhi-NCR and parts of Himachal Pradesh, bringing down the surging mercury.
The meteorological department has issued storm warnings in the Delhi-NCR region for Saturday.
"The sky was mainly clear in the morning. However, there is possibility of dust storms and thunderstorms towards the afternoon and evening," an India Meteorological Department official forecast for the National Capital Region.
The latest storms come days after 34 people were killed due to a thunderstorm that hit various states across the country including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand on Monday.
Earlier on May 2, at least 100 people died in north India and some other states, owing to thunderstorms.

ICICI-Videocon: Whistleblower's new charges against Kocchar in letter to PM

Whistle-blower Arvind Gupta, who exposed the alleged Videocon loan fraud, has levelled fresh allegations of quid pro quo on ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar in a second letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gupta has claimed that ICICI Bank had favoured Ruia brothers of Essar group for 'round-tripping' investments into Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar's NuPower Renewables - a firm which is at the centre of current Videocon loan probe.

"ICICI has been instrumental in funding Essar Group's global ventures particularly taking over of Essar Oil in United Kingdom, Essar Steel Minnesota (USA) and Algoma Steel (Canada). In course of time, these funds also became non-performing asset (NPA) and they had to face a lot of litigations. A part of these funds did come back, but to my assessment, a substantial amount of fund still remains NPA," Gupta told ANI.
"These financers in India didn't insist to ensure that the bankers get the full money that they owe to the banks. Nor did the ICICI bank initiated any action and asked them to first pay off our money and then get away. All these transactions do need to be investigated. It needs to be seen how these funds were transferred," he added.
Adding to this he said that there is something unusual and fishy in this whole case as to how investments go into a company which is running into losses.
"ICICI bank looks like a one-person show. Out of the nine committees they have, Chanda Kochhar is present on six of them. Their work culture needs to be examined," he added.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Gupta alleged that the Ruia brothers funded the NuPower and its subsidiary through their son-in-law Nishant Kanodia and nephew Anirudh Bhuwalka during December 2010 to March 2012 by subscribing to compulsorily convertible preference shares and equity shares.
His letter states that Nishant Kanodia invested in NuPower via Firstland Holdings - the holding company of Matix Group (co-promoted by Kanodia)
In March 2016, Gupta had written a letter to the Prime Minister alleging wrong dealings between the bank, through Chanda Kochhar, and the Videocon Group to benefit her family.
"Chanda Kochhar is a public servant under the definition of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Her husband, who is the owner of NuPower Renewables, is the direct or indirect beneficiary of the position that she enjoyed. The facts and figures in the records available in the public domain establish beyond doubt that her family is the beneficiary of unexplained funding financed by various corporate houses," Gupta said.
For those unversed, media reports earlier in March highlighted an alleged involvement of Chanda Kochhar and her family members in a Rs. 32.50 billion loan provided to the Videocon group on quid pro quo basis in 2012.
Soon after, Gupta said the evidence in the case pointed out that Chanda Kochhar was herself a beneficiary of the loan, and her husband is an indirect beneficiary of the loan granted to Videocon.
The IT department in the first week of April had sent a notice to NuPower Renewables.
Thereafter, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) called in a number of officials for questioning in the aforementioned case, including Umanath Venkat Naik, the director of NuPower Renewables, the former director of NuPower Renewables, Mahesh Pugalia, and Rajeev Kochhar, the brother-in-law of Chanda Kochhar.

PM Modi meets US Defence Secy James Mattis on Shangri-La sidelines

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US Defence Secretary James Mattis on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue and went on board an Indian Navy ship at a naval base in Singapore on Saturday, the concluding day of his three-nation tour of southeast Asia, before departing for India.
Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that the focus of conversation with Mattis was on the region in the context of Modi's Thursday keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

In his speech, Modi said that India's vision for the Indo-Pacific region is that of a free, open and inclusive region that embraces all in a common pursuit of progress and prosperity.
He also said that India's global strategic partnership with the US has overcome the hesitations of history and "continues to deepen across the extraordinary breadth of our relationship".
"It has assumed a new significance in the changing world. And, an important pillar of this partnership is our shared vision of an open, stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," he said.
The three-day Shangri-La Dialogue that commenced on Thursday is a Track I annual inter-governmental security forum organised by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank.
Modi started his engagements on Saturday with a meeting with Singapore Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
"Starting the day meeting with a veteran leader and an advocate of deeper India-Singapore engagement!," Kumar said in a separate tweet.
Following the meeting, the two leaders unveiled a plaque to pay tribute at the immersion site of Mahatma Gandhi's ashes at Clifford Pier in the city-state.
The Indian Prime Minister then visited the National Orchid Museum here where an orchid was named after him -- Dendrobrium Narendra Modi.
"A strong and robust tropical orchid which produces upright inflorescences up to 38 cm long with 14-20 well-arranged flowers," spokesperson Kumar said.
Modi also visited the Mariamman Temple, which is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore built in 1827, dedicated to Goddess Mariamman.
Following the visit to the temple, Modi, accompanied by Singapore Culture Minister Grace Yien, visited the Chulia mosque which was built by Chulia Muslim merchants from India's Coromandal coast under the leadership of Anser Sahib.
"Demonstrating the age-old people-to-people contact between our two countries," Kumar said in a separate tweet.
Modi and Yien together also visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum.
Singapore is home to around 800,000 people of Indian origin.
Modi and Yien then visited the Indian Heritage Centre where the Prime Minister unveiled the Kala Sangam, a permanent platform established by the Indian High Commission here and the Heritage Centre to bring Indian artisans to Singapore to demonstrate their craft.
Modi also went on board a visiting Indian naval ship INS Satpura at the Changi Naval Base. "On board INS Satpura. It is always a pleasure and an honour to interact with our sailors and officers," he tweeted.