Jan 23 news LIVE | Rupee hits all-time low of 92 against USD

BJP alleges Rs 2,500 cr Excise scam in Karnataka, demands Minister Timmapur's resignation

Alleging a Rs 2,500-crore scam in Karnataka’s Excise Department, the opposition BJP on Friday demanded the resignation of Excise Minister R B Timmapur, staging a protest from the well of the Assembly that led to multiple adjournments.

Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka alleged that bribes collected through liquor licensing were being diverted to fund election expenses in poll-bound states such as Assam and Kerala.

He also claimed that liquor licences were being "auctioned in violation of prescribed norms".

Timmapur, however, strongly rejected the allegations, terming them "bogus and false", and said he would not be intimidated by such claims.

The issue triggered a confrontation in the House after Speaker U T Khader called upon Congress MLA A S Ponnanna to move the motion of thanks to the governor’s address.

Ashoka objected, insisting that his adjournment notice on the alleged excise scam be taken up first.

The Speaker said the notice could not be admitted under an adjournment motion and that the matter could be discussed later under a different rule.

However, Ashoka and BJP MLA Sunil Kumar demanded that their preliminary submission be heard before the notice was rejected.

Following their insistence, the Speaker allowed Ashoka to make a preliminary submission.

"There is a liquor-related scam amounting to about Rs 2,500 crore. There are audio and video clips. In the Excise Department, licences are being auctioned. The names of the minister and his son have surfaced in connection with the scam. This is said to be the third such instance," Ashoka said.

Work on MT Vasudevan Nair's life: Daughters seek withdrawal of book

The daughters of legendary writer MT Vasudevan Nair on Friday demanded the withdrawal of a recently published book on his life, alleging that it contains "factual inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims." The book, titled Empty Space–Bashpeekrutayude Aaramviral, jointly authored by scriptwriter Deedi Damodaran and writer Echmukkutty, has come under sharp criticism from Nair’s daughters, Sitara and Aswathy.

In a statement issued on social media, Sitara, tagging Aswathy, said the book was neither endorsed by them nor fact-checked with the family.

"The greater part of the matters in this book, purporting to be about the life of Pramila Nair, do not conform to facts and are blatant untruths," she said.

Pramila Nair was M T Vasudevan Nair’s first wife and the mother of Sitara.

Aswathy is the daughter of Nair’s second wife, Kalamandalam Saraswathy.

Sitara alleged that the book was part of "a foul attempt to defame and assassinate the character" of their father and their families, create controversy and boost book sales.

"Many discussions in the book, as well as the allegations levelled against MT, are completely baseless. We wish to remind you that the character assassination of a deceased writer and a public figure is not a route to seek fame and financial profit," she said.

She further said that the contents of the book consisted of half-truths and distortions.

"We are firmly convinced that the literary and cultural world will reject this book. We also wish to inform all those involved in this book that it should be withdrawn immediately and that if they do not do so, appropriate measures will be taken," Sitara said.

What Deedi Damodaran says 

Responding to the allegations, Deedi Damodaran said the book was not about M T Vasudevan Nair but about Pramila Nair, who she said was a translator and writer.

"There was hardly any documentation about her existence earlier. Because she had a short marital life, erasing details of her life and writings is not right," Damodaran told reporters.

She said the book was based on Pramila Nair’s autobiographical fiction and material drawn from various published sources, and that she had not added anything of her own.

Responding to Sitara’s objections, Damodaran said she had not written anything about Sitara in the book.

"I only wrote about Pramila Nair. My work is about a writer, not about Sitara’s mother," she said.  

T20 World Cup row: Bangladesh appeals to DRC

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has written to the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) of ICC requesting it to overturn the governing body's decision to hold the national men's team's T20 World Cup games in India.

Even as the ICC has kept Scotland on stand-by, the BCB under Aminul Islam Bulbul, decided to use its last resort - approach the DRC headed by Englishman Michael Beloff (Kings Counsel).

Congress slams Fadnavis over investment 'claims' from Davos, asks if he's doing so to become PM

With the Maharashtra government stating that it has signed MoUs worth Rs 30 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, the Congress on Friday attacked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked if such investment claims are being touted by him to become the prime minister.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis went to Davos with great fanfare and is now claiming that investment of Rs 30 lakh crore will come to Maharashtra in the coming days.

"In 2023-24, when Eknath Shinde was the chief minister, there was talk of an investment of 3.6 lakh crore rupees coming in. Then, when Fadnavis became the chief minister after removing Shinde, there was talk of 15 lakh crore in 2024-25, and now the figure being touted is Rs 30 lakh crore," Patil said.

Patil said the question is whether this investment claim is being touted to become the prime minister.

"According to the figures, in the last three years, Rs 50 lakh crore of investment has already come in; in such a case, all problems should have been resolved, right?" he said.

The question is how many MoUs did the Maharashtra government sign, and how many were converted, he asked.

Delhi Metro services to start at 3 am on Republic Day

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced on Friday that metro services on all lines will begin at 3 am on January 26. The early start is aimed at facilitating the movement of people attending the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.

In a statement, the DMRC said trains will run at a frequency of 15 minutes on all lines from 3 am to 6 am. After 6 am, metro services will operate according to the regular timetable for the rest of the day.

The corporation said that parking facilities at all metro stations will remain operational on Republic Day to provide additional convenience to commuters.

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) said enhanced security checks will be in place at all Namo Bharat stations on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor.

The NCRTC said parking facilities at the New Ashok Nagar and Anand Vihar Namo Bharat stations will remain closed from 2 pm on January 25 to 2 pm on January 26 as part of the security arrangements. Passengers have been advised to plan their journeys in advance and allow for extra travel time due to intensified security checks and temporary parking restrictions.

Border 2 review: Ambitious Indo-Pak war epic let down by excess length and loud writing

For the most part, Border 2 delivers a good, solid large-screen spectacle. The ground action scenes are fantastic (a climactic infantry charge led by Varun Dhawan being the pinnacle) while the underwater scenes featuring Shetty are decent. The air combat scenes are the film’s weakness, and in comparison to other recent Bollywood films like Fighter, these airborne set-pieces feel mediocre.

Read the full review here

Snowfall, rain affect Uttarakhand, Kashmir, Himachal; flights cancelled, roads closed

Fresh snowfall and rain lashed several northern states on Friday (January 23) as Western Disturbances intensified winter conditions, disrupting air travel, road movement, and daily life across Uttarakhand, Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.

High-altitude areas of Uttarakhand received the first snowfall of the year on Friday, ending a prolonged dry spell and intensifying the cold wave across the state. Several low-lying areas and plains, including the capital Dehradun, witnessed steady rainfall from the morning.

Read the full story here.

Modi in Kerala: Satheesan slams PM for 'propagating communalism'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Kerala on Friday (January 23) came in for criticism from Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan for “propagating communalism”.

In his speech in Thiruvananthapuram, Modi had targeted the Congress over its association with the Muslim League, accusing the party of promoting hardline elements in Kerala.

Read the full story here

Three killed as bus collides with tourist vehicle in Karnataka

Three people were killed following a head-on collision between a bus and a tourist vehicle in the district on Friday (January 23), police said.

The impact of the collision that took place on the Karkala–Bajagoli National Highway near Miyar was so severe that the bus was extensively damaged, they said.

Several others sustained injuries in the accident were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their condition is said to be stable.

On receiving information, Karkala police rushed to the spot and carried out an inspection.

A case has been registered, and traffic movement on the stretch was briefly affected before being restored.

Himachal Pradesh receives season's first snowfall

Himachal Pradesh on Friday (January 23) received its first snowfall of this winter, ending a nearly three-month-long dry spell and bringing cheers to the tourists.

Many tourists shared videos of the picturesque snowfall online, calling it a "winter wonderland". Some were seen enjoying the snow at famous tourist spots.

Some users on X, posting videos of the fresh snowfall, suggested tourists to drive slowly on the road.

The MeT has predicted that the higher reaches of the state will continue to receive snowfall till January 24, while other areas are expected to remain dry.

Meanwhile, district administrations of various districts have begun clearing the roads of snow. People have also been advised to avoid unnecessary travel, especially in places where fresh snowfall has occurred.