News brief: Big stories of the day
Union Minister MJ Akbar has filed a criminal defamation case against the journalist Priya Ramani.
Over 10 women have accused Akbar of sexual assault and harassment from when he was a newspaper editor.
But Akbar has zeroed in on Priya Ramani because he says she began "this campaign" against him a year ago.
In its first comments on the sexual harassment allegations against Union Minister MJ Akbar, the BJP said Monday he has given his version on the row and that it is not about whether the party agrees or disagrees with him.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson GV L Narasimha Rao was asked at a press conference whether the ruling party agrees with Akbar on his statement on the allegations levelled against him by several women.
"It is not about agreeing or disagreeing. He has presented his version," Rao said.
The actor Alok Nath filed a civil defamation case on Monday against the writer-producer Vinta Nanda. Nanda had accused Alok Nath of having raped her 19 years ago.
Nath, in his complaint, asked for a written apology and Re 1 compensation.
Nath, in a Facebook post, had said said she had been raped — more than once — by an "actor par excellence who is known as the most #Sanskaari (Cultured) person in the film and television industry".
When she was asked a day later if it was Alok Nath, she said yes.
Amid the rising fuel price in the country, Prime Minister Modi on Monday held a meeting with CEOs and experts from the Oil and Gas sector from both India and abroad.
The meeting which was held in Delhi to attract private investment and raise domestic and gas oil production was attended by Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Dharmendra Pradhan, Vice-Chairman NITI Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Mukesh Ambani among others.
PM Modi in the meeting highlighted the economic challenges including serious resource crunch that the consuming countries face due to rising crude oil prices.
Author Chetan Bhagat, in a series of tweets, has responded to the `fake` sexual assault allegations by author Ira Trivedi.
To defend himself, the 44-year-old shared a screenshot of a `self-explanatory` mail which apparently Trivedi sent to him in 2013.
"So who wanted to kiss whom?", wrote Bhagat, adding, "@iratrivedi`s self-explanatory email from 2013 to me, especially last line, easily shows her claims from 2010 are false, and she knows this too. This mental harassment of me and my family has to stop. Please don't harm a movement with #fakecharges #harassed"`