Govt gives clean chit to Soren

The Rajya Sabha was virtually converted into a court-room today with Home Minister Shivraj Patil arguing Union Coal Minister Sibu Soren&#146...

The Rajya Sabha was virtually converted into a court-room today with Home Minister Shivraj Patil arguing Union Coal Minister Sibu Soren’s case against BJP’s Arun Jaitley. The Opposition’s allegations seemed to have fallen flat as he gave Soren a clean-chit on the basis of information received from the BJP-led government in Jharkhand.

Condemning the Opposition for launching a “politically motivated” attack on Soren, Patil said reports from the state showed that Soren was not a proclaimed offender in a 1975 mob-lynching case.

‘‘The facts which have come to me show he is not an absconder,’’ Patil said. Responding to Jaitley, who read out from a segregation order of a district court, Patil said: ‘‘I am not expected to collect information from judiciary to give to the legislature.’’ He, however, clarified ‘‘the facts were given to him orally and not in writing.’’

Meanwhile, in Ranchi, Jharkhand Advocate-General A.K. Sinha said an arrest warrant still existed against Soren. Sinha said a Sessions court in Jamtara cancelled Soren’s bail in 1986 as he had not appeared on dates. However, the warrant could not be delivered, Sinha said.

EAM Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Rubio hold bilateral discussions in New York

India1 hr ago

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and US Senator Rubio met in New York to discuss the 25% tariff on Indian oil imposed by Trump. This was their first in-person meeting since the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. India and the US also began talks for a trade agreement, with positive discussions during a recent visit by US trade officials to India.

View all shorts

Live Blog