Former PM Rajiv Gandhi's statue vandalised in Ludhiana
Ludhiana, Dec 25 (PTI) A statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi here was vandalised on Tuesday by some persons, who Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh claimed, owed allegiance to the Shiromani Akali Dal in the state.
The chief minister has asked the police to take action in the matter and identify the perpetrators.
Paint was sprayed by the miscreants on the statue at the Salem Tabri area here, police said.
They carried out the act in full public glare and blamed Rajiv Gandhi for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, they said.
Condemning the incident, Singh tweeted, "Strongly condemn vandalisation of Rajiv Gandhi's statue by @Akali_ Dal_ workers in Ludhiana. Have asked Police to identify the guilty & take strict action."
"@officeofssbadal should apologise to people of Punjab for this obnoxious act," he posted on Twitter tagging the office of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Amarinder Singh also asked the SAD to apologise to the people of Punjab for this act.
Police said the miscreants demanded that statues of Rajiv Gandhi across the country be removed and Bharat Ratna conferred on him be withdrawn.
The statue was later cleaned by some Ludhiana Congress leaders.
Congress's Ludhiana president Gurpreet Singh said they have lodged a police complaint.
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Rupee falls 32 paise to all-time low of 95.20 against US dollar
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI): The rupee depreciated 32 paise to an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday, weighed down by elevated Brent crude oil prices, hovering around USD 122 per barrel, and strong American currency.
Forex traders said the USD/INR pair may see further downside, as rising crude oil prices are likely to sharply impact India's import costs, while concerns over potential wider conflict in West Asia are fuelling investor anxiety.
Meanwhile, the US dollar added to gains after the US FED Reserve kept rates unchanged. Safe-haven demand was also boosted by another diplomatic setback between Washington and Tehran.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95.01 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched an all-time low of 95.20 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a fall of 32 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee depreciated 20 paise to close at an all-time low of 94.88 against the US dollar.
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"The main effect on the rupee has been from the rising oil prices, which touched USD 120 per barrel and looked headed for further upside as the US continues with its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran does not allow any ship/tanker to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.01 per cent higher at 98.96.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 3.16 per cent at USD 121.76 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex tumbled 821.79 points to 76,674.57 in early trade, while the Nifty dived 287.3 points to 23,890.35.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 2,468.42 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue with their sale of Indian Equities and debt (the yield touched 7 per cent on Wednesday) and are also dollar buyers consistently," Bhansali added.
