Today's news LIVE! Jan 31 | India rejects reference to PM Modi in Epstein files

India rejects reference to PM Modi in Epstein files

India on Saturday (Janaury 31) strongly rejected a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein, describing it as "little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal" that deserves to be dismissed with the "utmost contempt".

The latest files relating to the convicted sex trafficker were released by US authorities. 

"We have seen reports of an email message from the so-called Epstein files that has a reference to the prime minister and his visit to Israel," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.

"Beyond the fact of the prime minister's official visit to Israel in July 2017, the rest of the allusions in the email are little more than trashy ruminations by a convicted criminal, which deserve to be dismissed with the utmost contempt," he said. The email is among investigative files released by the US Justice Department on Friday.

The department released 3.5 million pages and 2,000 videos in line with an American law that was passed by the US Congress. 

Meanwhile, the Congress shared two documents on social media, which it claimed showed exchanges between Epstein, the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender, and others discussing the Prime Minister’s diplomatic engagements and meetings

One document showed Epstein writing in an email dated 9 July 2017: “The Indian Prime minister modi took =dvice. and danced and sang in israel for the benef=t of the US president. they had met a few weeks ag=. . IT WORKED. ! (sic)”.

“This inexcusable association between Epstein and Narendra Modi is a matter of national dignity and international reputation that demands immediate accountability from the Prime Minister himself. The PM should clarify: 1. What was he taking Jeffrey Epstein’s advice for? 2. To what benefit of the US President was he singing and dancing in Israel? 3. The message mentions — ‘IT WORKED!’ So, what worked?” Congress’s Pawan Khera posted on Twitter/X.

Kabir says JUP open to alliance with Cong, CPI(M) for Bengal assembly polls

Janata Unnayan Party (JUP) founder Humayun Kabir on Saturday said he will fight against both ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP in the coming Assembly polls in West Bengal and called upon "every secular, pro-people" party, including Congress, Indian Secular Front and CPI(M) to join hands with JUP.

Addressing a rally at Rezinagar in Murshidabad district, the Bharatpur MLA said he had been wrongly branded as "communal" by the BJP and even the TMC, both of whom are pitting one community against another for their vote bank.

"I am against showing any narrow-mindedness against any religion. Major parties like TMC and BJP have not done anything to improve the condition of Muslims, SCs, STs, tribals, backward castes and other underprivileged communities and only give lip service to them. Only use them as votebanks. The JUP and its alliance partners will fight the election to protect the rights of these underprivileged people," he said.

Accusing the TMC of keeping the administration inactive during communal riots which rocked parts of the district last year, Kabir said, "The administration did nothing when people were getting attacked, when people like Hargovinda Das and Chandan Das were murdered. Why the administration failed to quell the riots, why they could not ensure that there was no communal clash."

Phone tapping case: KCR to appear before Telangana SIT on Feb 1

Former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday told the Telangana SIT probing "phone tapping" during the previous BRS regime that he would appear for questioning on February 1, while accusing the investigating officer (IO) of "violating legal procedures" in serving the notice.

The BRS called for peaceful protests across the state tomorrow against the "political harassment" of Rao.

He sent a six-page reply citing various Supreme Court and High Court judgements and other legal provisions in response to the notice issued by the IO on January 30. He strongly objected to the IO’s refusal to examine him at his residence (farmhouse) at Yerravalli near Hyderabad. He also criticised the IO for pasting the notice on the wall of his Nandi Nagar residence here.

Rao (KCR) alleged that the notice pasted on the wall was not served as required by law and violated his dignity, guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. 

6 killed, 3 hurt as speeding truck collides with 2 auto-rickshaws in UP's Agra

Six people were killed and three injured when a container truck collided head-on with two autorickshaws in the Khandauli police station area of Agra on Saturday, police said.

According to police, the victims, all residents of Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, were returning from a pilgrimage to the Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri. After getting off their train at the Agra Cantonment railway station, they were on their way home in the autorickshaws when the accident occurred.

Police said the speeding container truck first hit one of the autorickshaws and then the other. The collision was so severe that both autorickshaws were badly damaged and there were screams of panic at the scene. Police sent the injured to a nearby hospital in ambulances.

Additional Commissioner of Police Ram Badan Singh said autorickshaw driver Shahid (40) and passengers Ranveer (65), Braj Mohan (53), Lakhmi Chand (70), Billo Mistri (53) and Udayveer (64) were killed on the spot. Three injured persons are undergoing treatment, he added.

Kerala minister slams ‘The Kerala Story’ sequel teaser as ‘propaganda’

 Kerala Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday criticised the teaser of the second part of the film 'The Kerala Story', alleging that it was aimed at "communal polarisation and undermining the state’s secular fabric." 

In a Facebook post, Cherian said that from the very first impression, the film appeared to be yet another product of "the Sangh Parivar’s factory that manufactures lies without any connection to facts." He alleged that the makers were attempting to portray Kerala, a model of secularism, as a "breeding ground for religious extremism in order to humiliate the state before the world."

"The repeated propagation of fake allegations such as ‘love jihad’ and hate-filled dialogues is a deliberate attempt to disrupt Kerala’s atmosphere of peace and harmony," the state culture minister said.

Cherian said freedom of expression was not a "licence to polarise the country or create divisions among people." "Presenting as truth claims that have already been rejected by investigative agencies and courts is aimed solely at political gain," he said. The minister asserted that Kerala would collectively resist such efforts.

Explosion hits Iran’s Bandar Abbas port

Sunetra Pawar gets three portfolios as Deputy CM

Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara orders probe into CJ Roy's death

Pat Cummins ruled out of T20 World Cup as Australia name 15-member squad

Australia suffered a huge blow on Saturday as premier pacer Pat Cummins was ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup due to an injury, forcing the national selectors to pick Ben Dwarshuis in his place in a 15-member squad.

Cummins, 32, has not recovered fully from his lingering back injury and will miss the tournament that begins in India and Sri Lanka on February 7, while top-order batter Matthew Short has also been omitted from the original 15-player squad.

Read the full story here.

PM wishes Sunetra Pawar as she takes charge as Deputy CM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Sunetra Pawar on Saturday (January 31) after she was sworn-in as Maharashtra’s first woman deputy Chief Minister at a ceremony in Mumbai.

"Best wishes to Sunetra Pawar Ji as she begins her tenure as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the first woman to hold this responsibility. I am confident she will work tirelessly for the welfare of the people of the state and fulfil the vision of the late Ajitdada Pawar," he posted on X.