NEWS

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former finance minister in the Manmohan Singh government P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the government for hiking petrol and diesel prices. He said that the recent ‘interval’ was only due to the Karnataka elections which got over on Saturday.

In separate tweets, Chidambaram also asked all chief ministers to oppose the terms of reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission, which he said was the central government's "attempt to violate the Constitution and wreck the federal system".

"There we go again. More taxes on petrol and diesel, more burden on the consumer. The Karnataka election was only an interval," he tweeted. After a 19-day pre-Karnataka poll hiatus, the price of petrol was on Monday hiked by 17 paise a litre and diesel by 21 paise as PSU oil firms began passing on the spike witnessed in international rates to consumers.

New Delhi: Defence minister NirmalaSitharaman on Sunday indicated that a unilateral ceasefire as demanded by state chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was not a feasible option. She said that Indian Army has to “firmly handle” any terrorist activity that threatens the peace and harmony of Jammu and Kashmir.

To a question on Mehbooba’s call for a unilateral ceasefire in the state during the month of Ramzan and during the AmarnathYatra, Sitharaman said, “I think it is important to handle J&K affairs with a great deal of sensitivity. The Indian Army will have to make sure that India is a safe country.”

New Delhi: After a lull that spanned for over a year, quick service restaurants (QSRs) are reporting record-breaking numbers. Fast food may not be great for health but its booming sales could indicate that consumer spending is back on track. Westlife Development, master franchisee of McDonald's in west and south India, on said it has achieved its highest ever annual revenues of Rs 1,100 crore - 22 per cent growth year on year.

The company, which operates 277 outlets, also witnessed same-store sales growth (SSG) of around 25 per cent in the January-March quarter - a five-year high. SSG shows a difference in revenue generated by a QSR company's outlets over a period of time as compared with an identical period a year ago.

New Delhi: Congress chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah won’t have any problem if his party decides to make a Dalit chief minister of the state. He said on Sunday he would not have a problem if the Congress decides to make a Dalit the state’s next chief minister. His comments came a day after the state voted for a new assembly, the result of which will be declared on Tuesday, and exit polls predicted a fractured mandate that might propel the Janata Dal (Secular) to play the kingmaker’s role.

“If the high command decides to make a Dalit the chief minister, I will give it the go ahead. But MLAs also have to give opinions,” Siddaramaiah said in Mysuru after telling reporters earlier in the day that “this will be my last election”. Exit polls predicted a hung assembly after Saturday’s vote, triggering speculation Siddaramaiah might have to make way for a new leader if the Congress strikes an alliance with the JD(S) to retain power.