India

New Delhi, Jul 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed as "wholly uncalled for" the relaxations granted by the Kerala government for the Bakrid festival in areas having the highest COVID-19 positivity rate and warned that it will take action if the easing of curbs leads to further spread of the virus.

The apex court pulled up the state government for giving in to traders' pressure by granting relaxations ahead of Bakrid and said it disclosed a "sorry state of affairs".

Bengaluru, Jul 20 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is said to have told a delegation of pontiffs from various communities on Tuesday that he will have to abide by the decision of the BJP high command, giving some credence to speculation that a change of leadership is on the cards.

However, these pontiffs have warned of a political fallout for the BJP in Karnataka if Yediyurappa is dislodged as the Chief Minister.

Tamluk, Jul 20 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in West Bengal and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, during a party meeting in Purba Midnapore, publicly advised the district police chief to refrain from doing something that would prompt his transfer to Kashmirs Anantnag or Baramulla.

Adhikari who is facing multiple police probes, including one related to alleged tarpaulin theft, asserted at a meeting held here on Monday that it would be wrong to assume that the BJP was weak as it has the central government by its side.

Coimbatore, July 20 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government is planning to launch a free vaccination drive through private hospitals in the state, for the benefit of public, by utilising CSR funds provided by private companies, state Health Minister M Subramanian said on Tuesday.

Talks were held in this connection with 117 private hospitals in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Salem and the scheme will be launched in this city initially and later expanded to other parts of the state, Subramanian told reporters here.

Banda (UP), Jul 20 (PTI) The body of a 50-year-old woman was found naked with hilt mark injuries in a village here, police said on Tuesday.

The family members of the woman have alleged rape before murder.

The victim had taken some goats for grazing in a forest on Monday, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mahendra Pratap Singh Chauhan said, adding her body was found in a pool of blood around midnight.

A case of murder was registered at Tindwari police station against unknown persons and the body was sent for postmortem.

New Delhi, Jul 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on Eid-ul-Adha on Wednesday.

May this day further the spirit of collective empathy, harmony and inclusivity in the service of greater good, he wished.

Modi tweeted, "Eid Mubarak! Best wishes on Eid-ul-Adha. May this day further the spirit of collective empathy, harmony and inclusivity in the service of greater good.

NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - Indian opposition parties disrupted parliament on Tuesday, demanding an investigation into reports that the government used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to snoop on scores of journalists, activists and politicians, including the main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

Shouting out slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, the opposition members said they wanted an independent probe into the complaints of spying and the resignation of Interior Minister Amit Shah.

Mumbai, Jul 19 (PTI) The NCP on Monday sought a probe into the alleged phone tapping of certain individuals using Israeli software Pegasus and demanded action against those responsible for the act.

Party spokesman and Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik said only an inquiry will establish which agency of the central government allegedly hacked the phones of journalists, ministers and industrialists.

Ahmedabad, Jul 19 (PTI) Provisions of a new Gujarat law which penalises forcible or fraudulent religious conversion through marriage has been challenged in the state High Court, where it was mentioned before a division bench on Monday.

The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, was notified in the state on June 15.

The matter was mentioned before the division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav for circulation. Allowing the same, the court said it will be listed after two to three days.

Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that Rs 1527.90 crore has been spent so far on updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC), an official record of bonafide Indian citizens living in the state.

Replying to a question of Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purakayastha in the assembly, the chief minister said that the Registrar General of India (RGI) is yet to notify the final NRC published on August 31, 2019.