Morning digest: India honours Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, Relief works on in rain-battered Bihar, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day

PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat

PM Modi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on his 150th birth anniversary. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi also paid floral tributes to the Father of Nation.

Relief works on

in

rain-battered Bihar

Relief and rescue operations are on in full swing in Bihar, including in State capital Patna, as people struggled to recover from the devastation wrought by torrential rain, which has claimed close to 30 lives and caused heavy damage to property.

Once growth starts in J&K, Pakistan’s 70 years of plans will collapse: Jaishankar

Once India triggers development in Jammu and Kashmir, all of Pakistan’s plan for the last 70 years against the state would come to a naught, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told a top U.S. think-tank in Washington.

Banking system safe, stable: RBI

With the panic over the crisis at the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank threatening to snowball, the Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday stepped in to assure depositors. The central bank issued a statement that the Indian banking system was ‘safe and stable’.

Mamata is misleading people on NRC: Shah

Allaying fears over a National Register of Citizens [NRC] in  West Bengal,  Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] president Amit Shah on Tuesday urged his party workers to visit every household and assure families that Hindus and other religious minority refugees will not have to leave the country.

GST collections fall to record low in September on sluggish demand

Subdued demand in the economy has resulted in revenue from the Goods and Services Tax dropping for the second consecutive month in September to a 19-month low of ₹91,916 crore. However analysts said the coming festive months should see an uptick in receipts.

Analysis | The Modi factor in U.S. politics

Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorse U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election bid in his Houston speech on September 22? Did he wade into the domestic politics of the U.S.? These questions have resurfaced after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar rebuffed suggestions that he did both, during an interaction with Indian journalists in Washington DC.

No major Muslim nation with Pakistan: BJP

The BJP on Tuesday said that no major Muslim country came out in support of Pakistan after the Modi government ended the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. At a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan cited his recent visit to three Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, to affirm that these nations appreciated India’s stand.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross may raise key trade issues

Close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s U.S. visit, and the ongoing trade talks between the two countries, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross arrives in Delhi on Wednesday. Although Mr. Ross is not a part of the trade talks, which are being conducted by the Indian commerce ministry and the US Trade Representatives office, he is expected to raise several issues that have led to an impasse in the talks, officials said.

Jaishankar covering up for Modi: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was “covering up” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “incomptence” in handling diplomacy by openly endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign with the “ Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkar ” slogan at the “Howdy, Modi!” event in Houston.

Opposition demands Devendra Fadnavis’ resignation

The Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after the Supreme Court set aside the Bombay High Court order that gave him a clean chit in a case of not disclosing criminal matters in a 2014 poll affidavit.

Haryana CM declares assets worth ₹1.27 crore

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday declared assets worth ₹1.27 crore in his nomination for Karnal. Mr. Khattar, who was elected to the Assembly from Karnal in 2014, has ₹15,000 in cash, moveable assets worth ₹94 lakh and immoveable assets worth ₹33 lakh, according his affidavit submitted to the returning officer.

India begins  overwhelming favourite against South Africa

Familiarity can lead to complacency. And adversity can lift sides in unfamiliar settings. Cricket is a funny game and surprises are not uncommon. Yet, India, competitive abroad and ruthless at home, should start the three-Test series against South Africa as the overwhelming favourite.

Khashoggi suspects made ‘chilling’ jokes before killing: reports

Saudi operatives suspected of killing the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the country’s Istanbul consulate were heard joking and talking about dismemberment before his arrival, according to secret tapes heard by UN investigators.