Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal Wednesday demanded that the sedition law be scrapped as those in power are "manipulating" it.

He also called for a change in the government to save the country.

"Scrap sedition law (section 124A,IPC), a colonial hangover.

"Real sedition is when those in power manipulate institutions, misuse the law, breach peace and security by inciting violence. Punish them in 2019. 'Sarkar badlo Desh bachao' (change government, save country)," Sibal said on Twitter.

New Delhi, Jan 16(PTI) Rajiv Bhawan, the office of the state Congress, wore a festive look Wednesday as Sheila Dikshit took charge as the party's Delhi chief in presence of a large gathering of workers and senior leaders.

However, the celebrations were marred as controversy erupted over the presence of Jagdish Tytler, an accused in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, at the event.

Three new working presidents -- Devender Yadav, Haroon Yusuf and Rajesh Lilothia -- also took charge along with Dikshit.

New Delhi, Jan 15; PTI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear a plea by Zakia Jafri, challenging the SIT's clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Godhra riots, after four weeks.

Zakia, the wife of ex-MP Ehsan Jafri who was one of the 68 killed in Ahmedabad's Gulberg society, has challenged the Gujarat High Court's October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT's decision.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Ajay Rastogi.

New Delhi, January 15; GANASHAKTI: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions extends full support and solidarity to the three days’ strike on 23-25 January 2019 in all defence-production units and service centres by all the three employees’ federations representing employees working in the defence production units and service centres and workshops spread throughout the country.

New Delhi, Jan 15; PTI: Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, terming the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as the CBI's interim director "illegal" and demanding that a meeting of the selection committee be convened immediately to appoint a new chief of the probe agency.

Kharge, who is part of the prime minister-headed three-member panel that removed Alok Verma as CBI chief, alleged that the government is scared of CBI led by an "independent" director.

Mumbai, Jan 15 (PTI) The country is going to add 1,000 aircraft over the next 7-8 years, a top government official said Tuesday.

India is the fastest growing domestic aviation market and has been registering double-digit growth for more than 50 consecutive weeks.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said the country is an aviation locomotive for the world and provides humongous opportunities for players across the globe to grow.

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unexpectedly left for the US for a medical check-up following a kidney transplant last year, sources said.

Jaitley, 66, who had a kidney transplant operation and follow-up check-ups at AIIMS last year, left for the US on Sunday night for a "regular medical check-up", sources said, adding that he would be back by this weekend.

This is Jaitley's first overseas visit since his kidney ailment was confirmed in April last year.

New Delhi, Jan 14 :  Former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others, named in a charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police in a sedition case on Monday, termed the move as "politically motivated" and questioned its timing, ahead of the parliamentary election.

"The charge sheet is politically motivated. However, we want the charges to be framed and a speedy trial in the case so that the truth comes out. We also want to see the videos that have been placed on record as evidence by the police," Kumar told PTI.

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system and sought a response within six weeks.

The PIL challenging the government's December 20 notification came up before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

According to the notification, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are empowered under the Information Technology (IT) Act for computer interception and analysis, Home Ministry officials said.

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmaker Sanjay Singh Monday moved the Supreme Court, seeking review of the verdict by which several pleas challenging the deal for procurement of Rafale fighter jets were dismissed.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, on December 14, had dismissed as many as four petitions challenging the deal and had said that there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract.