Sensex slumps over 1,100 pts in early trade; Nifty falls below 16,950
Mumbai(PTI): Equity benchmark Sensex tanked over 1,100 points or 2 per cent in opening trade on Thursday, tracking losses in index-majors Titan, Wipro and HDFC twins amid a weak trend in the Asian markets.
The US Federal Reserve's indication to raise interest rates soon and persistent foreign fund outflows weighed on market sentiment, traders said.
The BSE gauge was trading 1,155.61 points or 2 per cent lower at 56,702.54 in early trade. Likewise, the Nifty declined 329.15 points or 1.91 per cent to 16,948.80.
Titan was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 4.06 per cent, followed by Wipro, Dr Reddy's, HDFC Bank, Tech Mahindra and Infosys.
On the other hand, Maruti and NTPC were the gainers. Equity, forex and bullion markets were closed on Wednesday on account of Republic Day.
On Tuesday, the 30-share BSE Sensex finished 366.64 points or 0.64 per cent higher at 57,858.15. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty rose 128.85 points or 0.75 per cent to close at 17,277.95.
The US Fed on Wednesday indicated that it may raise interest rates in March to fight inflation. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with deep losses in mid-session deals.
Stock exchanges in the US ended on a mixed note in the overnight session.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.93 per cent to USD 89.12 per barrel.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital markets, pulling out Rs 7,094.48 crore Tuesday, as per provisional data.
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'Engineered narratives': West Bengal guv on alleged molestation charges against him
Kolkata, May 2: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Thursday said he will not be cowed down by “engineered narratives” and the "truth shall triumph” after TMC leaders claimed that a woman working at Raj Bhavan levelled allegations of molestation against him.
In a statement, the Governor said, “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives. If anybody wants some election benefits by maligning me, God bless them. But they cannot stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,”
To the Raj Bhavan staff "who expressed solidarity with him following some derogatory narratives that were circulated by two disgruntled employees as agents of political parties," a communication by Raj Bhawan said.
The Governor’s statement came after senior TMC leaders claimed this evening in a series of social media posts that the woman, who had levelled the allegations, has been taken to a police station to complain against Bose.
Though police sources said they received a verbal complaint, there was no official word on whether a formal complaint had been registered.
“BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose was accused of molesting a woman. How utterly appalling and Horrifying. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj Bhavan today. The complainant has been taken to the Hare Street police station for filing a complaint. The woman has accused the Governor of molesting her. Shocking and disgraceful,” TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said in a post on X.
Fellow TMC MP Saket Gokhale also posted on his X account regarding the issue.
West Bengal Women and Child Development Minister Shashi Panja said it is “shameful” that the Governor has maligned his post and has used it to “torture a woman”.
“It is appalling and shocking to see such an incident. This is the same Governor who had reached out to Sandeshkhali to talk about women’s rights and Nari Shakti. This is shameful that the Governor sought undue advantages in the pretext of giving her a permanent job. We want Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be addressing rallies in Bengal tomorrow to react on this issue,” she said.
According to sources in the Governor's House, the "woman employee with the help of her alleged boyfriend who is also an employee of the Raj Bhavan was blocking complaints (from people) being sent to the Election Commission of India.
"When she was reprimanded for that, she went outside and alleged molestation. She is in the habit of throwing tantrums against her colleagues because of some disease," a Raj Bhavan official said.
The West Bengal Governor and the TMC government have shared an acrimonious relationship since he assumed office in November 2022 and had several run-ins on various issues.
The BJP said it has to be seen whether this a “conspiracy by the TMC” or has an “iota of truth in it”.
“We all know that the TMC is politically cornered on the issue of SSC scam and is looking for a breathing space. So this needs to be seen whether this is a conspiracy by the TMC or it has any iota of truth in it,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said.
BIG. Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose accused of molesting a woman. How utterly APPALLING and HORRIFYING. Ahead of @narendramodi visit to Kolkata who is supposed to stay overnight at Raj Bhavan, a woman has alleged that she was molested while she went to meet the Governor at Raj…
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 2, 2024
Shameful that a constitutional office holder should try to prejudice an impartial investigation by attacking the motive of the complainant. We have seen this happen in that infamous Saturday Hearing of the Supreme Court. Respect women! https://t.co/E6eJLQvFXO
— sanjoy ghose (@advsanjoy) May 2, 2024
