HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL74 CJP-PROTEST-LD WANGCHUK (7.54 pm) **** Wangchuk's health condition has entered critical stage, next phase could be alarming: Doctors New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health condition has entered a critical stage due to his prolonged fast and the next phase could be alarming and his organs could get affected, doctors warned on Thursday as appeals came in from several quarters to call off his hunger strike. **** DEL6 CJP-WANGCHUK (9.23 am) **** 'Don't ask me to end fast, join July 20 march instead: Sonam Wangchuk New Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk has ruled out ending his indefinite hunger strike despite appeals from political leaders and supporters, saying breaking the fast without any response from the government would send the wrong message. **** DEL8 PM-RATH YATRA (9.39 am) **** PM Modi greets people on Rath Yatra New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted people on the Rath Yatra festival, noting it is a radiant expression of India's timeless spiritual and cultural heritage. **** DEL82 CONG-PAR-2NDLD STRATEGY (8.49 pm) **** Congress to raise Ram temple donation issue in Parliament; vows to defeat Constitution amendment bills New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said it will strongly oppose Constitution amendment bills related to delimitation and removal of ministers and chief ministers, if taken up during the upcoming Parliament session, while also vowing to corner the government on critical issues, including the Ram temple donation-theft case. **** DEL70 CONG-OPPN UNITY (7.42 pm) **** Cong in touch with all oppn parties, including DMK; govt will not get 2/3rd majority in LS: Ramesh New Delhi: The Congress is in touch with all opposition parties, including the DMK and AAP, who had voted together to defeat the Constitution amendment bill related to delimitation, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday. **** DEL51 BJP-CONG-DELIMITATION (6.29 pm) **** BJP rejects Cong charge of engineering defections for two-thirds majority in Parliament New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday rejected the Congress' allegation that it is "splitting" parties to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the passage of the constitutional amendment bill on delimitation in the Monsoon session beginning July 20. **** DEL66 PAR-LS-BILLS (7.21 pm) **** Govt lists bills to amend FCRA Act, introduce Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act New Delhi: A bill to make any insult or obstruction to the singing of the National Song Vande Mataram a punishable offence and another bill seeking to make "delayed registration" of birth and death more stringent have been listed by the government for introduction in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session beginning July 20. **** DEL73 PAR-LS-BILL-TAX (7.50 pm) **** Govt to replace Ordinance by introducing Income-tax (Amendment) Bill in Monsoon session New Delhi: The government plans to introduce the Income-tax (Amendment) Bill in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to replace the Ordinance effected to exempt foreign investors from income tax on interest earnings and capital gains from investment in G-secs. **** DEL35 KHARGE-PM-BILL (4.00 pm) **** Cong chief Kharge writes to PM on bill involving delimitation, seeks all-party meeting New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over reports that the government is now planning to reintroduce a Constitution amendment bill that would involve delimitation, urging him to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the revised proposals. **** DEL36 SIBAL-CJP-PROTEST (4.06pm) **** 'Govt anti-people, only concerned with securing 2/3rd majority': Sibal urges Wangchuk to end fast New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite hunger strike and dubbed the BJP-led Centre as "anti-people", asserting that such a government had no right to stay in power. **** DEL15 RAHUL-STUDENTS (11.02 am) **** Uttarakhand has become epicentre of paper leaks, will not let future of students be auctioned off: Rahul New Delhi: A day before his interaction with students in Dehradun, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Uttarakhand has turned into an epicentre of paper leaks and asserted that he will not let the future of youth be auctioned off. **** DEL25 ED-UP-2ND LD SEARCHES (2.27 pm) **** ED raids in 4 states in illegal Bangladeshis, Rohingyas infiltration case Lucknow: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches at multiple locations in four states, including in the border areas of West Bengal, in a money laundering probe linked to illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas into India, officials said. **** DEL30 PAR-LS-JUDGES (3.22 pm) **** Lok Sabha admits resolution opposing ordinance to hike number of SC judges New Delhi: The government is set to bring a bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament to replace an ordinance which increased the number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including the chief justice of India. **** BOM7 MH-DELIMITATION BILL-RAUT (12.41 pm) **** May rethink over Delimitation Bill if Opposition's amendments incorporated: Raut Nagpur: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Opposition parties will resist the proposed Delimitation Bill, but if the government incorporates amendments suggested by them, then they will sit together and think it over. **** BOM26 MH-LD WANGCHUK (8.15 pm) **** Maharashtra's Oppn politicians rally behind Wangchuk, urge him to end fast, flay Centre Mumbai: Maharashtra's Opposition figures came out in support of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and urged him to end his indefinite fast which entered the 19th day on Thursday as they slammed the Centre for not resolving issue of exam irregularities and failing to reach out to him. **** BOM9 MH-SIYA-LD FAMILY SHOP (2.48 pm) **** Ketan murder: Stop business notice to shop run by accused Siya's family; kin allege harassment Pune: Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice to a spice and dry fruits shop owned by the family of Siya Goyal, accused in the murder of Pune realtor Ketan Agarwal, asking it to halt operations over alleged norm violations, officials said. **** BOM11 MH-FADNAVIS-PM POST-MINISTER (3.39 pm) **** NCP minister says Maharashtra wants to see Marathi person become PM; favours Fadnavis for role Pune: Maharashtra Agriculture Minister and NCP leader Dattatray Bharne has said the citizens of the state want to see a Marathi person become the country's prime minister, and added that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was his choice for the top post. **** CAL21 OD-2ND LD RATH YATRA (6.21 pm) **** Rath Yatra: Chariot pulling underway amid chanting of 'Jai Jagannath' in Puri Puri: Amid chanting of “Jai Jagannath”, pulling of chariots of the sibling deities is underway on Grand Road of this temple town, as the main part of the Rath Yatra festival on Thursday. **** CAL27 WB-REBELS-MAMATA (8.12 pm) **** Those under pressure should quit before July 21: Mamata after Koel Mallick's Rajya Sabha exit Kolkata: TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asked dissidents planning to leave the organisation to do so before the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally, asserting that such exits would not weaken the party. **** MDS22 TN-CUSTODIAL DEATH-DMK AIADMK (7.13 pm) **** DMK, AIADMK train guns on TVK govt over custody death of TN prisoner Chennai: "Skull damage, head and neck injuries, 7 cm injury on the lower part of the left chest," thus goes the narration by main opposition DMK's official organ "Murasoli," on the injuries listed in the autopsy report of a remand prisoner, S Sabari Varman, who was allegedly beaten to death in the Nagercoil district prison. **** LEGAL LGD17 DL-HC-LD SONAM WANGCHUK (1.54 pm) **** Life is precious; monitor Sonam Wangchuk's health: Delhi HC tells authorities New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed authorities to monitor daily the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar here over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam, and extend medical aid if his condition deteriorates. **** LGD34 DL-HC-SHARJEEL-BAIL (8.10 pm) **** 2020 Delhi riots: Sharjeel Imam moves HC for bail in UAPA case New Delhi: Student activist Sharjeel Imam on Thursday approached the Delhi High Court, seeking bail in a case under the anti-terror UAPA law concerning the "larger conspiracy" behind the February 2020 riots in the city. **** LGD19 SC-DEMOLITIONS (3.14 pm) **** 'Bulldozer' demolitions: SC refuses to consider contempt pleas, asks aggrieved to approach HCs New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a batch of contempt petitions alleging that demolitions were carried out in violation of its 2024 judgment and asked aggrieved parties to approach the concerned high courts. **** LGD22 DL-HC-KEJRIWAL-EXCISE (4.18 pm) **** Excise case: HC gives final two weeks to Kejriwal, Sisodia to respond to CBI's plea against discharge New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted a final opportunity to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, asking them to respond within two weeks to the CBI's plea against a trial court order discharging them in the liquor policy case. **** BUSINESS DEL63 BIZ-TAX-FOREIGN INCOME (7.10 pm) **** Foreign assets, income details for 2022-24 now available under AIS on income tax portal New Delhi: The annual information statement (AIS) of the income tax department will now show information about foreign assets and income of an assessee as per details received under the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI), government sources said on Thursday. **** DEL14 BIZ-TAX-INFLATION INDEX (10.59 am) **** I-T dept raises Cost Inflation Index to 384 for FY27 New Delhi: The income tax department has increased the Cost Inflation Index for the current fiscal for calculating long-term capital gains arising from the sale of immovable property, securities and jewellery. **** DEL5 BIZ-TAX-WINDFALL (9.15 am) **** Govt hikes windfall tax on diesel, ATF; cuts levy on petrol exports New Delhi: The government has increased the windfall gains tax on exports of diesel and ATF, while lowering the levy on petrol for the fortnight beginning July 16. **** FOREIGN FGN17 US-LD INDIAN (9.49 am) **** Indian national stabbed in US over his religion: reports Washington: An Indian man was allegedly stabbed 15 times inside a shopping mall near Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah because of his religion, media reports said. By Sagar Kulkarni **** FGN16 US-INDIA-TIES-OFFICIAL (9.42 am) **** India investing heavily in America, bilateral ties 'really great': senior US official New York: Describing India as a "leader in many areas", a senior US official said the country has made substantial investments in America and that bilateral ties are "really great". By Yoshita Singh **** FGN34 PAK-WASIA (2.03 pm) **** Pakistan urges US, Iran to end hostilities, resume talks amid renewed strikes Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday urged the US and Iran to end hostilities and resume negotiations, as renewed military strikes between the two sides threatened to derail their interim peace arrangement and further destabilise the region. By Sajjad Hussain **** PTI MDO MDO