January 23, 9 pm update: Jallikattu Bill passed, CBI visits Mallya-led UB Group offices, Cong lauds Priyanka’s ‘active role’ in SP alliance

WATCH:

The protesters hurled stones at security personnel, following which the police had to crackdown on them using tear gas to disperse the crowds who assembled on several roads leading to the beach. The eviction in Chennai began after week-long protests across Tamil Nadu. In Madurai too, youths who have been demanding the lifting of the 2014 Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, fought with police on the streets. (READ FULL NEWS HERE)

CBI visit Vijay Mallya-led UB Group offices in Bengaluru

Vijay Mallya (Source: File Photo)

A team of CBI officials from Delhi on Monday visited Vijay Mallya-led UB Group offices in Bengaluru. Vijay Mallya is facing the process of recovery of Rs 6,203 crore from banks in the Kingfisher case and has been declared a proclaimed offender by a court. A senior CBI official said, “A team of CBI officials from Delhi visited the UB group offices in Bengaluru. I do not have any details on the issue.”

He didn’t provide any more details. The UB Group spokesperson also confirmed the visit of the CBI officials to their offices and stated that they were cooperating with them. “A CBI team visited the UB Group offices in Bangalore (Bengaluru) today and we are fully cooperating with them,” the spokesperson said. (FULL REPORT HERE)

Priyanka played ‘active role’ in tie-up with SP, says Congress

Priyanka Gandhi will campaign for Congress Party in upcoming Assembly elections in UP and Punjab

Speaking on the Congress and Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls, Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar on Monday said Priyanka Gandhi played an “active role” along with senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in putting together an alliance with Samajwadi Party. “Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi requested Ghulam Nabi Azad ji and Priyanka ji for sewing the alliance of progressive, like-minded parties,” he said.

He said that Priyanka was following “instructions” from Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, “who can assign a role to any party worker”. Priyanka had untill now limited herself to Amethi and Rae Bareli Parliamentary seats represented by her brother Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia respectively. “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been active in the two Parliamentary seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli purely out of her choice and we respect that. (READ Priyanka’s role in UP elections here)

Mulayam Yadav fields younger daughter-in-law from Lucknow Cantt

Aparna is the wife of Mulayam’s younger son Prateek.

In its fourth list released on Monday, Samajwadi Party fielded Aparna Yadav, wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s second son Prateek, from Lucknow Cantt seat. The fourth list comprising of 31 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Aparna will take on BJP’s Rita Bahuguna, a former MLA from the constituency who recently joined the party after quitting Congress.

In its fourth list released by SP state president Naresh Uttam, candidates were also declared for Varanasi, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Ballia, Kannauj, Lucknow, Fatehpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Azamgarh. The party gave ticket to Rajesh Kushwaha from Ghazipur in place of sitting MLA and minister Vijay Mishra. Though SP has so far given tickets to 324 candidates, it will ask its nominees to withdraw from those constituencies it has offered to Congress as part of seat-sharing agreement. SP will contest 298 seats under the arrangement.