LONDON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today assured his British counterpart Theresa May that the UK's withdrawal from the European Union offers opportunities to "further increase" bilateral trade ties as the two leaders had "fruitful discussions" on multiple aspects of India-UK relations and issues like counter-terrorism, radicalisation and online extremism.

Modi, who arrived at 10 Downing Street for a breakfast meeting, was greeted with the customary handshake by May.

"Very welcome to London, Prime Minister," May said as she greeted Modi. Both leaders discussed ways to boost cooperation between India and UK.

"Wonderful meeting with Prime Minister @theresa_may at 10, Downing Street. We had fruitful discussions on multiple aspects of India-UK relations," Prime Minister Modi tweeted after the meeting.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the two leaders had wide-ranging talks on redefining and infusing new energy into the bilateral engagement post-Brexit.

Brexit refers to the UK's decision in a June 23, 2016 referendum to leave the 28-nation European Union (EU).

A statement issued by 10 Downing Street after the meeting said that the Syria air strikes, counter-terrorism, radicalisation and online extremism were among some of the key topics covered by both leaders.

"Prime Minister Modi said there would be no dilution in the importance of the UK to India post-Brexit. He said the City of London was of great importance to India for accessing the global markets and would remain so," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

"The Prime Minister (May) updated Prime Minister Modi on the progress of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, saying the implementation period agreed in March gives Indian companies and investors the confidence that market access will continue on current terms until the end of 2020," the spokesperson said.

May reiterated the UK's position on Russia's recent "destabilising behaviour", underlined by the attack in Salisbury on former Russian double Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia and the protection provided for the Syrian regime's repeated use of chemical weapons against its people.

"They reflected on the progress made on bilateral defence and security cooperation since the Prime Minister's visit to India in 2016 and the agreement to a number of Defence Capability Partnerships in key strategic areas, with closer military-to-military ties underpinned by a succession of high level visits and exchanges," Downing Street said.

During a discussion on cooperation between the two countries on legal matters, which is likely to have covered extradition matters, May also welcomed the return to the UK of the "Chennai Six", the former British soldiers accused of piracy who were freed from an Indian jail last year.

The two leaders said trade between the UK and India had grown strongly over the last year and agreed to build on the recommendations of the UK-India Joint Trade Review to reduce barriers to trade, to make it easier to do business in both countries and enable a stronger bilateral trade relationship for the future.

May and Modi discussed a new UK-India Tech Partnership, which will create thousands of jobs and generate significant investment in both our economies.

Looking ahead at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) tomorrow, they also agreed on the importance of working together to build a more "sustainable, prosperous, secure and fairer future" for all Commonwealth citizens.

A "flash mob" of sari-clad women from Indian Ladies in UK, accompanied by dhols, had gathered outside Downing Street to welcome the Indian PM with banners such as "In India, Peace is always in Fashion".

After his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Modi visited the Science Museum to explore the '5000 Years of Science and Innovation' exhibition and interact with Indian-origin and other scientists and innovators based in the UK.

The event, hosted by Prince Charles, include the launch of a new Ayurvedic Centre of Excellence, aimed at creating a first-of-its-kind global network for evidence-based research on yoga and Ayurveda.

"The Prince and @narendramodi watch a performance by the Akademi South Asian dance group at the @sciencemuseum," Clarence House tweeted.

It said the exhibition celebrates India's role in the history of science and technology by exploring its contributions to subjects including space exploration and engineering.

Modi had landed in Britain from Stockholm overnight for bilateral engagements as well as multilateral discussions as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

He was received at the airport by UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who said he was "excited" that India-UK bilateral trade is growing at 15 per cent a year and the visit will help build on "huge economic advantages".

According to official estimates, India-UK bilateral trade stands at USD 13 billion, with the UK among the largest G20 investors into India.

Modi's UK visit this week will have a particular focus on the India-UK technological partnership as well as an enhanced role in the Commonwealth.

A series of demonstrations, including a silent protest to condemn the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, have been planned by various groups at Parliament Square here his visit.</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption Reported rapes of children had more than doubled in India between 2012 and 2016

India's Cabinet has approved the introduction of the death penalty for those who rape children, amid uproar over a series of high-profile cases.

The change to the country's penal code applies to those convicted of raping a child under the age of 12.

There have been nationwide protests in recent weeks over the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.

The government has come under fire for not doing enough to prevent sexual-assault cases, many involving children.

A number of serious crimes in India carry the death penalty, but raping a child was not among them until now.

Nearly 19,000 cases were registered in India in 2016 - more than 50 each day.

What's in the new law?

The executive order was cleared at a special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It allows capital punishment for anyone convicted of raping children under the age of 12.

Minimum prison sentences for rape against girls under the age of 16 and women have also been raised.

According to Reuters, which has seen a copy of the order, there was no mention of boys or men.

Why now?

Two recent rape cases have shocked the nation.

Protests erupted earlier this month after police released horrific details of the rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl by Hindu men in Kathua, in Indian-administered Kashmir in January.

Anger has also been mounting after a member of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was accused last week over the rape of a 16-year-old girl in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

India's poor record of dealing with sexual violence came to the fore after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This led to huge protests and changes to the country's rape laws.

But sexual attacks against women and children have since continued to be reported across the country.

How is the death penalty used in India?

Executions are rarely carried out in India, with just three recorded in the last decade.

The four men convicted in the Delhi bus case were sentenced to death, though this has not yet been carried out.

The judge in that case said it fell into "the rarest of rare category" which justifies capital punishment in India. India's penal code, according to the Hindustan Times, had already prescribed the death penalty for gang rape.

Hanging is the main method of execution. A man convicted of financing the deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings was the last person to be executed in India - in 2015.</s>Prince Charles and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have visited the Science Museum in London. The two men watched an Indian dance performance before meeting members of the UK Indian community at a reception.

.</s>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged people not to politicise rape in the country. “A rape is a rape. How can we tolerate this exploitation of our daughters?” he asked a large gathering at the ‘Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath’ diaspora event at Central Hall, Westminister, London in the context of the horrific Unnao and Kathua gang-rapes.

“Can we compare the number of rapes in different governments? We cannot say there were this many rapes in our government and that many in yours.

There cannot be a worse way to deal with it,” he said. Describing rape as an evil not just of an individual, but of society, he said one should remember that the one “committing the sin” is someone’s son. “That’s why I presented this issue from the Red Fort in a new way. I had said that if a daughter comes late, parents ask where had she gone and why. Whom did she meet? Everyone asks their daughters, but you should also ask your sons where they had been,” he said.

Modi also declared that after the surgical strikes against Pakistan in September 2016, he had informed the Pakistani side before announcing it in India.

“I said before India gets to know, we should call Pakistan and tell them what we did so they can come and take dead bodies if they have time. We were calling them since 11 am but they were scared to come on the phone. At 12 we spoke to them and then told the Indian media,” he said. Expressing pride that the strike was carried out without any loss of Indian soldiers, he said, “India has never desired anyone else’s territory. During World War I and II we had no stake but our soldiers took part. These were big sacrifices.”

READ | Pakistan had been informed of 2016 surgical strikes before announcing to the media, says PM Modi in London

Modi, who received a standing ovation on his arrival at the event, which was moderated by CFBC head Prasoon Joshi, began by declaring that “it’s the power of India’s democracy that allows a chaiwaala to enter a royal palace, where access is restricted to a few families.”

The session was interspersed with clips of Indians from various walks of life talking about how their lives had changed due to the changes Modi had brought about.</s>Demonstrators chanting slogans in favour of India's development and against 'atrocities' taking place in the country. (Photo | Twitter @SAsiaSolidarity)

LONDON: Some groups protesting against atrocities in India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here have turned violent after a tricolour was torn down from one of the official flagpoles set up for all 53 Commonwealth countries.

Modi, who is in the UK for bilateral talks and the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), was greeted by protesters as he met his British counterpart Theresa May.

Some of the protesters at Parliament Square yesterday turned aggressive after the Indian tricolour was torn down from the flagpole.

A senior broadcast journalist from one of the leading Indian media channels covering the protests was caught in a violent scrum with some of the more aggressive pro-Khalistani protesters and Scotland Yard officers on duty had to step in to the rescue.

The group is planning to file a complaint with the Metropolitan Police on the incident.

ALSO READ | Pakistan was informed of 2016 surgical strikes before announcing to Indian media, says PM Modi in London

"We have expressed our concerns with the British authorities and they have apologised for the incident.

We have been warning against some of these elements out to make trouble and they have assured us of action.

The Indian flag has now been replaced," a senior Indian official associated with the PM's visit said.

The pro-Khalistani demonstrators from Sikh Federation UK and demonstrators from the so-called "Minorities Against Modi" group, led by Pakistani-origin peer Lord Ahmed, were among nearly 500 protesters who descended upon Parliament Square.

These included groups led by some Kashmiri separatist groups and at one point, some of them had surrounded the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the square with their banners and flags.

Officials involved with the prime ministerial visit to the UK had said that protests and demonstrations are "part and parcel of any democratic society" as long as they remain peaceful.

There are now concerns that some of the more aggressive elements hijacked the tone of the protests.

Earlier on Wednesday, flash mob of sari-clad women with dhols set the tone for the pro-Modi crowds opposite 10 Downing Street as the Indian PM arrived for his breakfast meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May.

They were joined by the Friends of India Society International (FISI) group, which spearheaded a crowd of Indian diaspora from across the UK waving banners such as 'Chak De India' and 'Jai Hind' outside Downing Street and nearby Parliament Square.

"We want to welcome the Indian PM to the UK and show him the diaspora support he enjoys," said one of the members of the gathering.

On the other side, the anti-Modi protesters from Caste Watch UK and South Asia Solidarity group waved banners such as 'Modi, you have blood on your hands' and 'Modi Not Welcome'.

"Hindu nationalism must be curtailed to avert India sliding towards wholesale dictatorship threatening democratic fabric, rule of law and the unity of India," a Caste Watch UK spokesperson said.

They were joined by other protestors carrying images the eight-year-old rape victim from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and Gauri Lankesh, the Indian journalist who was shot at her doorstep last year.

The group also included representatives of several Indian women's groups in the UK, wearing white as part of their silent protest against 'atrocities that are taking place in India'.

"I am Hindustan, I am ashamed," read their placards alongside banners such as 'Beti Bachao' and 'Politics minus rape'.</s>NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India’s cabinet on Saturday approved the death penalty for rapists of girls below the age of 12, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an emergency meeting in response to nationwide outrage in the wake of a series of cases.

The executive order, or ordinance, amends the criminal law to also include more drastic punishment for convicted rapists of girls below the age of 16, government officials said. The order, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, will come into effect once it is signed by India’s president.

India launched fast-track courts and a tougher rape law that included the death penalty after a gruesome assault on a young woman shocked the country in 2012, but India’s rape epidemic has shown no sign of dying down.

There were 40,000 rapes reported in 2016. The victims were children in 40 percent of those cases. Every day, newspapers carry fresh stories of sexual violence against women.

The latest outpouring of national revulsion came after details emerged of the gang rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in a Hindu-dominated area of Jammu and Kashmir state. Local leaders of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party had appeared to offer support to the men accused, adding to the public disgust.

Protests around the country were also prompted by the arrest of a lawmaker from the BJP last week in connection with the rape of a teenager in Uttar Pradesh, a populous northern state that is governed by the party.

More recently, a sexual attack on an 11-year-old girl was reported in Modi’s home state of Gujarat. The post-mortem revealed the girl had been tortured, raped, strangled and smothered.

Modi’s failure to speak out soon enough during the latest bout of public anger fueled criticism that his government was not doing enough to protect women.

With a general election due next year, Modi moved swiftly to remedy that negative perception by holding the emergency cabinet meeting as soon as he returned on Saturday morning from an official visit to Europe.

The cabinet also prescribed measures for stronger punishment and faster trials in rape cases, a government document seen by Reuters showed.

In cases of the rape of a girl below the age of 16, the cabinet increased the minimum punishment to 20 years from 10 years. The penalty for the rape of women was raised to 10 years from seven years.

The document made no mention of the rape of boys or men.

India’s judicial system has been unable to keep up with the growing number of rape cases. The cabinet also recommended mandatory completion of rape investigations within two months and advised that trials should also be completed in two months.

“Government has taken serious note of incidents of rape in various parts of the country,” the document said. “While expressing deep anguish over such incidents, it has been decided to devise a comprehensive response to deal with the situation.”

The cabinet also approved the establishment of more fast-track courts to deal with rape cases, the appointment of more public prosecutors, and ordered police stations to be equipped with special forensic kits, among other steps.</s>The United Kingdom government has tendered an apology on Thursday after Indian authorities complained that protesters pulled down, tore and stamped on the Indian flag outside the Parliament Square. The protesters were demonstrating against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

A few protests against atrocities in India turned violent after the tricolour was torn down from one of the official flagpoles set up for all 53 Commonwealth countries. "We have expressed our concerns with the British authorities and they have apologised for the incident. We have been warning against some of these elements out to make trouble and they have assured us of action. The Indian flag has now been replaced," a senior Indian official associated with the prime minister's visit said.

"Protests and demonstrations are part and parcel of any democratic society as long as they remain peaceful. There are now concerns that some of the more aggressive elements hijacked the tone of the protests", the official added.

The Metropolitan Police had issued a statement saying that "Police is investigating the incident in Parliament Square where the Indian flag was pulled down at 15.00 (UK time) on Wednesday, 18 April. The flag has been replaced. There have been no arrests. Enquiries continue."

A UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesperson said, "While people have the right to hold peaceful protests, we are disappointed with the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square and contacted high commissioner Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha as soon as we were made aware. "The visit to the UK by Prime Minister Modi has strengthened our relationship with India and we look forward to working even more closely together on a number of important areas."

A senior broadcast journalist from one of the leading Indian media channels covering the protests was caught in a violent scrum with some of the more aggressive pro-Khalistani protesters and Scotland Yard officers on duty had to step-in to the rescue. The group is planning to file a complaint with the Metropolitan Police on the incident.

Ashis Ray, president of the Indian Journalists Association (IJA) raised the issue of attacks on journalists with Scotland Yard and the foreign office and called on the police to book the assailants. He said in a statement: “Reports of intimidation against and manhandling of a few of our members by political protesters in central London on 18 April have been brought to our notice. IJA’s constitution obliges the organisation to defend the right of our members to freely discharge their professional duties. “Therefore, IJA strongly condemns the threats and violence faced by concerned members from anti-India demonstrators. We also call upon the British police to bring to book wrongdoers upon receiving any complaint on the matter from our members.”

The pro-Khalistani demonstrators from Sikh Federation UK and demonstrators from the so-called "Minorities Against Modi" group, led by Pakistani-origin peer Lord Ahmed, were among nearly 500 protesters who descended upon Parliament Square. These included groups led by some Kashmiri separatist groups and at one point, some of them had surrounded the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the square with their banners and flags.

On the other side, the anti-Modi protesters from Caste Watch UK and South Asia Solidarity group waved banners such as 'Modi, you have blood on your hands' and 'Modi Not Welcome'.

 "Hindu nationalism must be curtailed to avert India sliding towards wholesale dictatorship threatening democratic fabric, rule of law and the unity of India," a Caste Watch UK spokesperson said.

 They were joined by other protestors carrying images the eight-year-old rape victim from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and Gauri Lankesh, the Indian journalist who was shot at her doorstep last year. The group also included representatives of several Indian women's groups in the UK, wearing white as part of their silent protest against “atrocities that are taking place in India”. "I am Hindustan, I am ashamed," read their placards alongside banners such as 'Beti Bachao' and 'Politics minus rape'.

While the protests were on in Parliament Square and Downing Street, British prime minister Theresa May did not respond inside Parliament to a ruling party MP who asked her to condemn messages by anti-India groups against Modi on customised vans moving around central London.

According to Hindustan Times, Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman asked May: “Will my right hon. friend take the opportunity to condemn absolutely the mobile billboards that are going around London attacking our good friend Prime Minister Modi, and will she congratulate and thank the 1.7 million members of the Indian diaspora on their contribution to the work of this country?” May did not mention the anti-Modi billboards, but said: "India is indeed a good friend of the UK, and the Indian diaspora here in the UK plays an enormous role and makes an enormous contribution to our society and our economy.” She added, "When I spoke to Prime Minister Modi, we discussed how we can encourage and increase the links and development between our two countries."

Afzal Khan, Labour MP from Manchester, mentioned the protests and asked her: “This week, the UK becomes the chair of the Commonwealth. Many of us will have walked past demonstrations outside Parliament on the issue of Kashmir, and I understand that the prime minister will be presented with a petition. “The stalemate in the bilateral talks between India and Pakistan has failed to deliver any solution to this major nuclear flashpoint. How will she use the UK’s new position to boldly pursue peace and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir?”

May reiterated London’s stance on the issue: “I am sure that it is a matter of concern not only to him but to a number of his constituents. We continue to take the view that the best resolution of this issue is for India and Pakistan themselves to come together and resolve the matter. That will be the way to resolve it that will actually ensure the sustainability of a resolution.”</s>According to The Economic Times, stringent punishment for rape of girls under 12 years will amount to minimum 20 years of imprisonment, life imprisonment or death penalty. In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, the punishment will be life sentence or death penalty.

READ MORE: India Announces Penal Punishment For Medics Who Underreport TB Cases

The ordinance was adopted after a resonant case involving the abduction and rape of a girl aged 8 in Kathua in January. A total of eight people are being accused, including two police officers. According to investigators, they kidnapped the girl from a nomadic Muslim tribe, pumping her with strong drugs. Before the victim was killed, she was kept in one of the Hindu temples of the city.</s>Vijayawada: Losing all sense of decorum or civility, actor-turned-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a eunuch and a traitor.

He warned him, in Hindi, that after the rebellion, it was time for war.

Accusing the Prime Minister of playing “cheap politics” in Andhra Pradesh and trying to create differences between North and South India, Mr Balakrishna said, “This is a warning for you, Modi. You may go and hide in a bunker, but mother India will not spare you. If you go to the public, they will beat you up and make you run for your life. I guarantee that you will not get a single seat in Andhra Pradesh, or anywhere in the South.”

Mr Balakrishna said that the Telugus had already shown their true mettle during NTR’s regime, and they would not hesitate in doing so once again.</s>The rape cases in Kathua, Unnao and Surat sparked nationwide outrage following which pressure mounted on the Centre to amend laws. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday promulgated an ordinance to pave way for providing stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping girls under 12 years.

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance 2018. It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years.

Also Read: Rapists of children below 12 will get death, Cabinet okays change in law

Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".

The punishment for gangrape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said.

Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence, they said.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will now stand amended.

The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months.

The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months, the officials said.

A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gangrape of a girl under 16 years.
Indian lawmakers approve capital punishment for men who rape children under the age of 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs the measure.