LIVE news updates: Bill to amend POCSO Act with death penalty for child rape introduced in RS

A Bill entailing amendments to the POCSO Act by including death penalty for aggravated sexual assault on children, besides providing stringent punishments for other crimes against minors, was introduced in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Moving the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said: "The amendments I move today are ensuring that those who rape our children, especially cases of gang rape, will be met by death".

The proposed changes in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act also provide for fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography.

A fire broke out in a chemical godown in Bhiwandi, Thane, Maharashtra earlier today. Fire fighting operations are still underway.

Congress-led opposition on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha as they demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement on the issue of US President Donald Trump's claim on Kashmir mediation.

As soon as the House resumed at 3 PM, Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced resumption of debate on The Appropriation Bill, 2019 and The Finance Bill, 2019.

But as Ashok Bajpai (BJP) started to speak, Congress leaders started raising anti-government slogans.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Tuesday that it has arrested three overground workers (OGWs) of Hizbul Mujahideen from Srinagar city. The three are alleged to have been involved in a number of militant attacks.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal said, "Three OGW's of Hizbul Mujahideen were arrested by police. Two of them were arrested from Soura and the third one was held from Barzalla area."

"These OGWs are motivated and inspired by active Hizbul militant, Junaid Sehrai. They had lobbed a grenade at Jammu bus stand in December last year and also shot a special police officer in Barzalla in Srinagar", the SSP said.

Congress workers protest outside an apartment on Race Course road in Bengaluru alleging that independent MLAs have been lodged there

Clash between two groups of college students in Arumbakkam, Chennai. The students were seen brandishing sickles.

Boris Johnson has been elected the next UK Prime Minister 100 days before deadline to leave EU.

The Motors Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed in the Lok Sabha today.

Pakistan violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati, Mankote & Mendhar sectors in district Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir

A Tamil-speaking couple was thrashed by a man, said to be a local Congress worker, at Ambalavayil in the district, with a video of the incident going viral on social media.

Three days after the incident on Sunday, police registered a case on the basis of a complaint from an area resident.

The reason for the attack and the identity of the couple were under investigation and the man had been summoned for questioning, police said.

In the video, people are seen standing as mute spectators as the woman pleads with Sajivanand — said to be a local Congress worker — to stop attacking her husband.

Abusing her, he then slapped her several times.

Supreme Court extends the final publication of National Register of Citizens (NRC) deadline from July 31 to August 31, 2019

PM Modi does not respond to the MPs, says Ghulam Nabi Azaad, opposition walks out

The Centre has rejected a proposal to grant statehood to Puducherry, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

He said the Puducherry Legislative Assembly had passed resolutions seeking statehood for the Union Territory of Puducherry, the latest one being on July 17, 2018.

"The resolution was considered in this Ministry and it was decided to continue with the present arrangement.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday said it had registered a case against sacked Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairman Parvez Ahmad Nengroo, his relative Asif Mansoor Beigh and others for signing an insurance deal on the bank's behalf with IFFCO TOKIO in violation of norms.

The ACB said it has also carried out searches at the IFFCO TOKIO premises in Srinagar and seized several incriminating documents.

According to the ACB statement, Nengroo, as chairman of J&K Bank, on 13 February 2019 signed an insurance deal with IFFCO TOKIO, in which his close relative Beigh was employed, giving undue benefits to the company.

The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) on Tuesday condemned the statement of state Governor Satya Pal Malik in which he alleged that the Abdullah family had looted the state during its three generations long rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

A statement signed by almost all the senior leaders and Lok Sabha members of the JKNC read, "National Conference strongly condemns the recent statement of the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik."

"The remarks made by the Governor are unconstitutional and cast a shadow on the credibility, independence and neutrality of the high office of the Governor."

"The party leaders remind the Governor that he holds a constitutional position by virtue of which he is the custodian of the Constitution of the state and the country."

The Delhi police have arrested five people including two contract killers in connection with a murderous attack on a woman in Dwarka, the police said on Tuesday.

On July 11, a woman in her late 30s was shot at by two bike-borne assailants. The incident occurred near the Radisson Hotel in Dwarka. The woman identified as Kiran Bala was driving her car when the attackers shot at her at around 8 in the morning. One of the bullets struck Bala in the neck which left her unconscious and her car hit the footpath. She was rushed to the Venkateshwara hospital and is now out of danger.

Police have recovered the weapon and the motorcycle used in the crime. Further investigation is underway.

Some opposition members on Tuesday supported safety and traffic violation aspects of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, but at the same time accused the Centre of trying to take away state's powers with certain provisions of the draft law.

In Lok Sabha, DMK's Kanimozhi and Trinamool Congress' Saugata Roy asked Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who was present in the House, to incorporate suggestions offered by their parties in the bill.

Union Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan may get a three-month extension from August 1 after she achieves superannuation this month-end, official sources said.

The Department of Telecom had recommended her extension from August 1 to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and she is likely to get a three-month extension, said the sources. She had joined DoT as secretary in June 2017.

In June, the Government changed the rules to give PK Sinha three more months as Cabinet Secretary. This was seen as cutting down on the chances of the country having its first woman cabinet secretary as two women IAS officers, among the senior-most in the country presently, were to retire in July -- Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and Union Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan.

Hearing in Bombay High Court on the bail application of the three accused doctors in the case has been adjourned till July 25- ANI

A journalist of a TV news channel, accused of airing defamatory content on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in a fraud and forgery case on Tuesday, his lawyer said.

Anuj Shukla, the managing editor of the Noida-based Nation Live channel, has been given the relief by Justice Ajit Singh, who heard the matter at court number 80 this morning, lawyer Nitin Gupta told PTI.

The same court and judge had on July 19 granted bail to Shukla's colleague Anshul Kaushik, who worked as a news anchor in the channel, he said.

The BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday discussed extension of the ongoing session of Parliament by upto 10 days and a roadmap for providing tap water to each household among other issues.

After the meeting in the Library Building of Parliament, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said senior leaders had indicated that the Parliament session could be extended but no decision was taken.

"It has been indicated that Parliament session could be extended by 7-10 days. It could be more given the pending legislative business," said Tiwari.

BJP leader, Mago Munda along with his wife and son was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his house in Hethegowa, Khunti, Jharkhand last night.

Police have begun the investigation.

“President Trump says PM Modi asked him to mediate between India & Pakistan on Kashmir! If true, PM Modi has betrayed India’s interests & 1972 Shimla Agreement. A weak Foreign Ministry denial won’t do. PM must tell the nation what transpired in the meeting between him & US President Donald Trump,” says Rahul Gandhi

Opposition walked out of the House over their demand for Prime Minister's response on "statement of US President Trump that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue"

Manish Tewari, Congress in Rajya Sabha, says Yesterday's statement by US President Trump, in the presence of Pakistan PM Imran Khan, that PM Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue, is like a blow to the unity of India.

“President Trump had said that when they (PM Modi-President Trump) met in Osaka, PM asked him "why don't you mediate in Kashmir?". He said PM invited him to intervene.”

“We would like to demand that the PM comes to the House and clarifies if such a conversation took place between the two. If it didn't, he should say that the US President is giving false statements and is lying about Kashmir.”

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 PM, following an uproar by Opposition MPs where there were raising slogans of "Pradhanmantri jawab do,jawab do,jawab do". They're seeking a reply from PM in Parliament on statement of US President that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue

You will see it in the House. We will raise the issue and Congress is raising now also, said UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on being asked if Congress will seek a reply from PM in Parliament on 'statement of US President Trump that PM Modi had asked Trump to mediate in Kashmir issue'

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 12 PM following an uproar by the Opposition over the statement of US President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.

Opposition MPs create an uproar in the Lok Sabha over the statement of US President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.

Three Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs- K Acchennaidu, Gorantla Buchaiah Chowdari and N Ramanaidu, suspended from Andhra Pradesh assembly for disrupting the House. Legislative Affairs Minister B Rajendranath had proposed the suspension.

Commuters on the Delhi Metro's Magenta Line faced a tough time on Tuesday morning as services were affected on a section of a corridor due to a technical snag, officials said.

The Magenta Line connects Janakpuri West station in Delhi to Botanical Garden in Noida. It also has the station for Terminal 1 of the Delhi airport "The snag occurred around 7 am between Palam and Terminal 1 stations, leading to delay in services between Janakpuri West and Terminal 1 IGI Airport stations," a senior DMRC official said.

BS Yeddyurappa and other BJP MLAs arrive at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru. HD Kumaraswamy government will face floor test in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Congress MP K Suresh has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "US President Donald Trump's claim that PM Narendra Modi asked Trump to mediate on Kashmir"

Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar arrives at Vidhana Soudha. HD Kumaraswamy government will face floor test in the Assembly on Tuesday.

“It's clear that the present Central Govt sees the RTI Act as a nuisance & wants to destroy the status & independence of the Central Information Commission which was put on par with the Central Election Commission and Central Vigilance Commission,” says Sonia Gandhi

BJP MLAs leave from Ramada Hotel for Vidhana Soudha. HD Kumaraswamy government will face floor test in the Assembly today

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP DP Vats has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'demand to establish a Heroes Gallery in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)'

13 Rebel MLAs have written letter to Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar seeking more time to appear before the speaker in Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru. They have asked for four weeks time.

BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'need to increase the limit of creamy layer for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)'

BJP MP Ashok Bajpai has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'need for adequate police force to maintain law and order in the country'

ITBP personnel administering oxygen to pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra in Baltal route, Jammu and Kashmir. More than 161 pilgrims have been provided oxygen till now by ITBP personnel.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Prasanna Acharya has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'demand for reservation of seats for students of Odisha in National Law University, Odisha'

Fire broke out in a chemical godown in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Fire fighting operations are underway.