TOP NEWS

The Election Commission on Monday decided to delete 111 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) from the register, as part of the poll panel’s “graded action” against parties that flouted its rules.

The EC had deleted 87 RUPPs in May after announcing a clean-up drive against more than 2,100 such parties that it said had violated a string of rules by failing to furnish contribution reports or communicating changes to party-related information.

The poll panel has also sent a reference to the revenue department for necessary legal and criminal action against three RUPPs that it said were involved in “serious financial impropriety”.

As outrage against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme continue in several states, Prime Minister Narendra on Monday said that several decisions may look unfair at first, but help in building the nation later.

"Several decisions look unfair at present. In time, those decisions will help in building the nation," PM Modi said at a public address in Bengaluru.

However, the prime minister did not make direct reference to the scheme during the adress.

The Army on Monday issued a notification for induction of soldiers under the Agnipath military recruitment scheme. The Army said the online registration on the force’s recruitment website is mandatory for all the job aspirants under the new model. It said the online registration will commence from July. The Army said ‘Agniveers’ would form a distinct rank in the Indian Army, which would be different from any other existing ranks.

In a detailed note on the scheme, the Army last night said ‘Agniveers’ will be barred from disclosing classified information gained during the four-year service period to any unauthorised person or source under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. “With the introduction of this scheme, the enrolment of soldiers in the the regular cadre of the Indian Army, except technical cadres of medical branch, will be available only to those personnel who have completed their engagement period as Agniveer,” it said.

Parts of Delhi witnessed traffic jams on Monday as the traffic police closed off several roads ahead of the Congress’ protest against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme and “vendetta politics” in targeting Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald money laundering case and will appear before the agency for the fourth time on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that it is the “misfortune of our country” that many things “done with good purpose get caught in the colour of politics”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement comes amid violent protests across the country over Centre’s Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

Without mentioning the stir, PM Modi, during his speech after the inauguration if the Pragati Maidan main tunnel, said that “it is the misfortune of our country that many good things, things done with good purpose, get caught in the color of politics”.

In a big setback to opposition unity, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has decided to skip the meet called by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to pick the opposition camp's presidential candidate. Intead of Mamata Banerjee, her nephew and senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee will attend the meeting in Delhi. This was reported by Trinamool sources on Sunday.

On Saturday, Pawar e-mailed the leaders of the opposition parties for Tuesday's meeting. But Pawar's statement in that letter has hurt the Trinamool top leadership, sources said.