Mumbai, Jun 16 (PTI): Shrugging off geopolitical concerns amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, stock markets rebounded by nearly 1 per cent on Monday following value buying in oil & gas and IT shares and gains in other Asian markets as Brent crude oil prices dropped.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 677.55 points or 0.84 per cent to settle at 81,796.15 with 27 of its constituents ending in the green and three with losses. During the day, it surged 747.22 points or 0.92 per cent to 81,865.82.

The 50-share NSE Nifty climbed 227.90 points or 0.92 per cent to 24,946.50.

Among Sensex firms, UltraTech Cement rose the most by 2.39 per cent. Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Consultancy Services, Eternal, Asian Paints, Tata Steel and Kotak Mahindra Bank were among the gainers.

Tata Motors, Adani Ports and Sun Pharma were the laggards.

"Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran, the market moved higher, supported by gains in large-cap stocks, as investors maintained their focus on long-term fundamentals in the time of volatile situations. Geopolitical developments in the Middle East are likely to influence near-term market sentiment, with any signs of de-escalation being closely monitored," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, said.

"Among sectors, oil and gas recorded strong gains, while the IT sector outperformed in anticipation of the upcoming US Fed policy meeting, which is expected to provide further clarity on the interest rate outlook," Nair added.

The BSE midcap gauge jumped 0.93 per cent and smallcap index climbed 0.38 per cent.

All BSE sectoral indices ended higher. IT jumped 1.50 per cent, followed by BSE Focused IT (1.50 per cent), teck (1.35 per cent), oil & gas (1.22 per cent), realty (1.21 per cent), services (1.10 per cent) and consumer durables (1.05 per cent).

In Asian markets, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng settled in the positive territory. European markets were quoting in the green. US markets ended lower on Friday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.81 per cent to USD 73.63 a barrel.

Wholesale price inflation (WPI) declined to a 14-month low of 0.39 per cent in May on easing prices of food articles and fuel.

"Despite mounting global uncertainty triggered by escalating tensions in the Middle East, Indian markets remained resilient," Sundar Kewat, Technical and Derivatives Analyst, Ashika Institutional Equity – Ashika Stock Broking part of Ashika Group, said.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,263.52 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.

In the previous two sessions, the BSE Sensex lost 1,396.54 points or 1.69 per cent, and the Nifty dropped 422.8 points or 1.68 per cent.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.

He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.

"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.

Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."

"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.

Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.

"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.

Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."

Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.

"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.

Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.

"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.

For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough." 

"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.

Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.

"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."

"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU

Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.