July 2, 2024 News: 116 People Dead In Hathras Tragedy, Ruckus In Parliament As Oppn Raises 'Justice For Manipur' Slogans

• In case you missed the top happenings of the day, Outlook brings you the day's top news headlines.

• 116 People Mostly Women Killed In Hathras

• Modi Says 'Won't Spare Anyone Involved In NEET Case'

• 'Justice For Manipur' And 'Bharat Jodo Slogans' Echo In Parliament

• Modi Terms Rahul Gandhi's Speech 'Childish'

• PM Modi Targets Congress, Says Party Like A ‘Parasite’

• Opposition Raises 'Justive For Manipur' Slogans Amid PM Modi's Speech

• Ruckus, Chaos Inside Parliament Amid PM Modi Speech

• Bihar Govt Forms High-Level Committee To Probe Bridge Collapses

• Truth Can Be Expunged In Modiji's World, Not In Reality, Says Rahul Gandhi

• LS Polls Mark End Of Communal Politics In India, Says Akhilesh Yadav

• Follow Rules, Modi Says In NDA Meet

Through Outlook's Breaking News Live Blog, we bring you real-time updates on major events and developments across the globe. Here’s a look at top events and developments in focus today:

• Kejriwal's bail hearing

• PM Modi's Lok Sabha speech

• NEET row developments

• Hurricane Beryl updates

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest in the excise policy case on Monday.

Besides, AAP supremo Kejriwal has also challenged the trial court’s June 26 order following which he was remanded to three-day CBI custody.

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The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed BRS leader K Kavitha's bail pleas in two cases of corruption and money laundering linked to the alleged liquor scam, saying she was prima facie one of the main conspirators in the criminal conspiracy related to the formation and implementation of Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.

Describing the BJP's alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra as a time-tested friendship, PM Modi on Monday said, "Had a great meeting with Shiv Sena MPs. Ours is not a political alliance - it is a time-tested friendship, bound together by common ideals and a shared vision for India's development."

Modi made these remarks when members of Parliament from the Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP called on him.

A day after an overhead water tank collapsed in Mathura killing two women and injuring 11 others, three officials of the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Urban) were suspended on Monday in connection with the incident.

Besides, a high-level investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident, the UP government said in a statement.

(Via PTI)

A dangerous and severe category 4 Hurricane Beryl made landfall on Monday on the Caribbean island of Carriacou. According to Associated Press, the hurricane had winds up to 150 mph (240 kph), just shy of a Category 5 storm, as it blew off roofs, uprooted trees and caused other damage on Carriacou, one of the islands of Grenada, and elsewhere in the southeast Caribbean.

“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Centre said.

The number of candidates sharing the top rank in medical entrance test NEET-UG reduced to 61 from 67 as the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced revised results on Monday.

The revised result was announced after a retest was conducted for 1,563 candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks to compensate for loss of time as exam started late at six centres on May 5.

Six of the candidates who scored perfect 720 were those with grace marks. Five of them opted for a retest while one for scores without grace marks. None of the five candidates could score 720 in the retest.

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Predicting heavy showers, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued an orange alert in Delhi July 2 and 3 even as the city did not receive any showers on Monday despite the forecast.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday registered FIRs in five districts of the Jammu division under the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that came into force across the country yesterday.

"In a significant development, the first FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been successfully registered at the Model Police Stations in Doda and Reasi districts, besides Udhampur, Ramban, and Jammu districts in the Jammu division," a police spokesman said.

The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team might be able to fly home on Tuesday evening after Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said she expects the airport here to become operational in the "next six to 12 hours", ending the shutdown forced by a category 4 hurricane.

The Rohit Sharma-led squad, its support staff, some BCCI officials, and the players' families have been stranded here for the past two days due to hurricane Beryl.

(Via PTI)

The dangerous and mighty Hurricane Beryl which made landfall on Monday on the Caribbean island of Carriacou, has now developed into a Category 5 storm.

Yesterday, the hurricane had winds up to 150 mph (240 kph) and it blew off roofs, uprooted trees and caused other damage on Carriacou, one of the islands of Grenada, and elsewhere in the southeast Caribbean.

Sensex and Nifty on Tuesday hit fresh lifetime high levels in early trade.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has written a letter to his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy, proposing a face-to-face meeting on July 6 to address unresolved bifurcation issues.

Naidu proposed to meet at Reddy’s place in Hyderabad.

“It has been 10 years since bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. There have been multiple discussions concerning issues arising from the Reorganisation Act, which hold significant implications for the welfare and advancement of our states,” said Naidu in the letter.

A special court in Mumbai has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya in a Rs 180-crore loan default case linked to Indian Overseas Bank (IOB).

The NBW was issued against Mallya on June 29 by special CBI court judge SP Naik Nimbalkar and a detailed order was made available on Monday.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday laid foundation stone of Karkardooma, Shastri Park and Rohini Sector 26 court complexes in Delhi.

“We have laid the foundation stones of the new court buildings at Karkardooma, Shastri Park, and Rohini. Traditionally, the cornerstone is the first stone of the building which becomes the reference point for all the other bricks to be laid in the course of its construction. The buildings have much to offer. These are buildings which we dedicate to the citizens of Delhi and beyond who all will come here in the search of justice,” said the CJI after inaugurating the new court complexes.

In his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament during his third term in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday. NDA leaders felicitated the PM on his historic third term at the meeting.

While addressing the NDA MPs, PM Modi urged them to follow parliamentary rules and raise their issues effectively.

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Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reacted to reports of portion of his Lok Sabha speech being expunged and said: "The truth can be expunged in Modiji's world, but not in reality. Whatever I had to say, I said. I spoke the truth and they can expunge whatever they want. Truth will always remain a truth."

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed Lok Sabha on Tuesday and spoke on the paper leaks issue. He said," Why are paper leaks happening? The truth is that this is being done by the government so that it doesn’t have to give jobs to youth."

Akhilesh Yadav said the entire country has realised that INDIA (Opposition alliance) is "pro-India", adding that Lok Sabha election results on June 4 "ended communal politics".

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the 2024 Lok Sabha polls marked the end of communal politics in India, and were a moral victory for the INDIA bloc. 

"The whole India has understood that INDIA is pro-India. This election is the moral victory of INDIA. It is a victory of positive politics. It is victory of PDA, social justice movement. 2024's message is also full of responsibility for the INDIA bloc," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. 

"June 4, 2024 was the day of independence from communal politics for India. In this election, communal politics has lost forever," Yadav said. 

(PTI Inputs)

At least three people, including a four-year-old girl, were feared dead after a landslide struck and partially buried their tin-roofed concrete building on the outskirts of the state capital on Tuesday, a police officer said.

The incident, triggered by incessant rain, occurred early in the morning while the occupants were still sleeping, he added.

While some family members managed to escape, a couple and their four-year-old daughter are missing and believed to have been buried under the debris, he said.

(Via PTI)

According to the Spanish airline Air Europa, the flight carrying 325 passengers was on its way to Uruguay's capital Montevideo from Madrid in Spain when the turbulence struck the aircraft. The flight was immediately was diverted to Natal airport in northeast Brazil for an emergency landing once the turbulence subsided, according to the airline.

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Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding portion of his speech expunged during Motion of Thanks on the President's address.

Amid the ongoing row over the irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, student outfits of the INDIA bloc parties slammed the BJP-led Centre on Tuesday and reiterated their demand that the medical entrance test be held again for all the 24 lakh candidates who had appeared in it.

At a joint press conference here, national leaders of the student outfits, including the Left-backed All India Students' Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students' Federation (AISF), along with the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and the Congress's student wing National Students' Union of India (NSUI), alleged that the future of lakhs of students is in danger due to rigging in the NEET-UG.

The Bihar government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the recent bridge collapses across the state, including six incidents in the past 13 days.

The latest collapse took place at Khausi Dangi village in Kishanganj on Sunday, involving a small bridge built over Boond river in 2009-10 with MPLAD funds.

Most of the collapsed bridges, including those under construction, were either built or being constructed by the state's rural works department (RWD).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's address, in the Lok Sabha, at around 4 PM today.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 8 a batch of pleas related to the controversy-ridden NEET-UG, including those alleging irregularities in the examination held on May 5 and seeking a direction that it be held afresh.

According to the cause list for July 8 uploaded on the apex court's website, the batch of 26 petitions would come up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced a two-day holiday for the upcoming Rath Yatra on July 7 and 8, marking a special occasion after 53 years.

Chairing a high-level meeting to review preparations for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings in Puri, Majhi highlighted the significance of this rare two-day festival, last observed in 1971.

He emphasised the blessings and auspicious timing of this event coinciding with the tenure of the new BJP government.

The National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences is expected to release the dates for the NEET PG 2024 exam soon. As per reports, NBE will release the fresh dates for the NEET PG exam this week.

NEET PG 2024 was scheduled to take place on June 23. However, 12 hours prior to the examination, it was postponed. Before June 23, NEET PG was set to be held on July 7 and before that, on March 3.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over portions of his speech in the House having been expunged, saying that removing his considered remarks from records goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy and that they should be restored.

In his letter to Birla, Gandhi also cited BJP MP Anurag Thakur's speech, saying that it was full of allegations but surprisingly only one word was expunged from it. He said "this selective expunction defies logic".

- PTI

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the CBI over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal's arrest.

On expunction of portion of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Tuesday said, "This forceful expunction of portions of Rahul Ji's speech is inappropriate, because he spoke in favour of Hindus. Hindu believes in peace and non-violence. BJP people, who call themselves Hindus and don't believe in this, they are doing all this..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday at 4pm.

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi arrived at the Parliament on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday began his speech inside the Parliament.

Ruckus witnessed inside Parliament as Opposition raises slogans during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, “I can understand the pain of some people who lost (in the election) despite lying continuously. The people of India have given the opportunity to serve them for third succecssive term. It a very important incident in the history of the country. The public has seen our track record of 10 years."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "The country witnessed the politics and governance model of appeasement for a long time.”

The Opposition on Tuesday raised 'justice for Manipur' slogans amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech in Lok Sabha said, "We are guided solely by India first policy".

He added, "In our fight against corruption, we have garnered strong public support, guided solely by India first policy."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "country was in depths of despair in 2014, people elected us and an era of transformation began."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "we demolished the wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "stone pelting has stopped in Kashmir. Kashmiris have voted with vigour in polls."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "today India has taught a lesson to terrorists."

Ruckus and chaos continues in Lok Sabha as the Opposition members continue to raise slogans amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "third term for NDA is a histroric event."

He said it is "peoples mandate for stability and continuity."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday took a jibe at Congress, saying that party for the third time couldn’t cross 100 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

He added the party instead of accepting their “defeat” is raising hue and cry.

He said, “people has asked Congress to sit in Opposition”.

He added, “Congress and its ecosystem is creating wrong narrative.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "Congress will eat up allies like a parasite".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "Congress spreading anarchy in the county."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech “childish”.

He termed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's speech "drama to gain sympathy".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, "Congress spreading lies on Agniveer scheme."

Ruckus and chaos continued in Lok Sabha amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech as Opposition members continued their sloganeering against the government.

The slogans raised by the Opposition members included: 'Justice for Manipur' and 'Jodo Jodo Bharat Jodo'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday recalled 'Emergency Era' during former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government in the country.

He termed Emergency as "blot to Indian democracy".

The Opposition on Tuesday continued its relentless sloganeering against the government in Lok Sabha amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech.

In response to Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said, “without taking seriously what happened yesterday, we will not be able to protect parliamentary democracy.” 

He added, “Now these actions should not be ignored by calling them childish, the intentions behind them are not good, but are a serious danger.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said his government is "making efforts to strengthen our Army".

He added, “ensuring our forces have more youth.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday accused Congress of "weaking Army".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during his speech in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said arrests are being made in the NEET case.

He said, "won’t spare those playing with the futire of students."

Ruckus continues in Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech as Opposition raised ‘let’s go to Manipur’ chants.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a interruption during his speech in Lok Sabha as he condoled the deaths during Hathras stampede.

He urged the authorities in Uttar Pradesh to provide all necessary help to those affected.

He said the victims will get all help.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's over two hour long speech ended in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha speech, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday said, “The Prime Minister did not refer to China, terror attacks in Jammu and the tardy implementation in the criminal laws, so therefore under those circumstances there was nothing of substance in his speech."

Over 50 people died and several others were injured in a stampede at a religious congregation on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The incident occurred at a 'satsang' event in Pulrai village where people had gathered in large numbers.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday condoled the demise of devotees during stampede in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras.

He said, "I am deeply saddened by the tragic accident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. May God give them strength to bear this pain. The local administration is engaged in relief work. I wish for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Uttar Pradesh Minister Laxmi Narayan Singh on Tuesday said, "Devotees were present in large numbers, when the stampede happened. Several women, children and elderlies died and were injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in Aligarh, Agra, Etah and Hathras."

Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi on Tuesday said, "It is an unfortunate incident; more than 100 people have died till now. Who is responsible for this? Action should be taken against those responsible for this and victims should be given Rs 25 lakh each. Who allowed so many people to gather? This is a failure of the administration and it's a murder."

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned Uttar Pradesh government's preparedness for the religious congregation in Hathras district where at least 116 people were killed in a stampede.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha address, Congress MP KC Venugopal on Tuesday said, "Which statement has Rahul Gandhi given in a wrong way? Actually, PM Modi has given wrong statements today and misled the House."

On Hathras incident, Venugopal said: “It is a very sad incident. I don't know what is happening there, we are taking details. The incident is very saddening. So many people have lost their lives."