India

pm-modi-visits-kaziranga-national-park-in-assam

Sat Mar 09 10:31:52 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the elephant and jeep safari inside Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Saturday morning, an official said.

Modi, on his maiden visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, first took the elephant safari in Mihimukh area of the Central Kohora Range of the park followed by the jeep safari inside the same range.

He was accompanied by park director Sonali Ghosh and other senior forest officials.

The prime minister had arrived at Kaziranga on Friday evening on a two-day visit to the state.

He is also scheduled to inaugurate the 125-ft high 'Statue of Valour' of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan in Jorhat in the afternoon.

The prime minister will then proceed to Meleng Meteli Pothar, also in Jorhat district, where he will inaugurate and lay foundation stones of both central and state projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore.

He is also scheduled to address a public meeting at the same venue.

no-ramp-for-wheelchair-no-space-to-even-sleep-gn-saibaba-recounts-his-ordeals-in-nagpur-prison

Fri Mar 08 22:34:30 IST 2024

Former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba demanded that he be reinstated by the varsity and compensated for the lost years of service following his acquittal by the Bombay High Court in a Maoist links case.

The Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr G.N. Saibaba comprising academicians, lawyers and Left politicians demanded his reinstatement and compensation for all the six people who were released from the Nagpur Central Jail after the court declared in its judgement that the prosecution failed to establish charges against them.

Addressing a press conference, the 58-year-old said he can't live without teaching and wants to resume his job as a professor. Saibaba was terminated from his service from DU's Ram Lal Anand College in 2021 after being implicated in the case.

He said he still feels as if he is in a jail cell after spending seven years in prison.

Saibaba was released from the Nagpur Central Jail on Thursday, two days after his acquittal.

Talking about his family, he said they survived only on hope but regretted not being able to meet his mother on her deathbed and claimed he was denied bail to perform her last rites.

"Instead of going to the hospital, I chose to speak to the press because you supported me. My family faced stigma and I was called a terrorist," he said with tears in his eyes.

Recalling his "jail ordeal" Saibaba claimed he was forced to live in cramped conditions and was denied medicines and treatment prescribed by doctors for his ailing health.

"I was imprisoned in a jail which has a capacity of 1,500 inmates but 3,000 people were lodged there in cramped conditions. There was no space to even sleep. Without a wheelchair I use to struggle to use toilet, take bath or even fetch myself a class of water. There was not even a single ramp in the prison for people like me," he said in a chocked voice.

"Today I am alive in front of you. But every organ of my body is failing. I faced many medical emergencies in the jail but they only gave me painkillers and did a few tests," he added.

Saibaba said that his family faced stigma because he was framed in a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Saibaba was lodged in the Nagpur Central Jail since 2017 after his conviction by a trial court in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district. Before that, he was in prison from 2014 to 2016 and was subsequently granted bail.

"I am still not able to register that I am free. I feel I am still lodged in the notorious jail cell. It was like an 'agni pariksha' for me. I had to go through a test by fire twice," he said.

Thanking his lawyers, friends, and activists, he said one his lawyers fought his case without any fees.

"Another lawyer got jailed because of supporting me. During the trial, certain police officers threatened my lawyers," he alleged.

bjp-wont-be-able-to-replicate-2019-election-results-says-tharoor

Fri Mar 08 20:55:24 IST 2024

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, whose name figured in the first list of 39 candidates for Lok Sabha polls announced on Friday, said he is convinced that the BJP will lose power.

Tharoor claimed that the BJP is going to find it very hard to repeat their 2019 election performance when they won 303 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been saying that the BJP would win 370 seats and the tally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would go past 400.

Making light of defections, the Congress leader said, “In every election, there is always been somebody leaving some party and going to some other party. That doesn't mean that is conflict or confusion. It means that individuals have their own ambitions in politics and they want to pursue them elsewhere.”

Tharoor noted that the BJP too is not immune to defections. “Some people left the BJP also and went in other directions. These things happen. Certainly, those of us in the Congress party for the last few years have seen opportunities to serve the people and that is why we are in politics. That is what I am doing in Thiruvananthapuram. I am here to serve the people of my constituency."

He thanked the party for fielding him from Thiruvananthapuram again.

" I am honoured and humbled that the Congress party has give me an opportunity to defend my seat. I look forward to a fair and effective contest. In 15 years of politics, I never needed to spend one day of negative campaigning," Tharoor said.

Tharoor will contest against BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar in Thiruvananthapuram.

mscb-scam-ed-attaches-assets-worth-over-rs-50-crore-of-sharad-pawars-grandnephew

Fri Mar 08 20:02:51 IST 2024

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday attached assets worth more than Rs 50 crore of a sugar mill owned by NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Rohit Pawar.

The action relates to the federal agency’s money laundering investigation into the alleged Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) scam.

The ED in a statement said that a total of 161.130 acres of land, plant, machinery and building of the Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (Kannad SSK) located in Kannad village of Aurangabad district has been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The total value of these assets is Rs 50.20 crore, it said.

The "acquisition" of Kannad SSK by Baramati Agro Ltd was illegal and therefore the assets are "proceeds of crime" under the PMLA, ED claimed.

The agency said the MSCB, to recover an outstanding loan of Rs 80.56 crore of Kannad SSK Limited, took possession of all its assets on July 13, 2009, under the SARFAESI Act.

The MSCB conducted an auction on August 30, 2012, of Kannad SSK by fixing a "very low" reserve price based on a questionable valuation report, the ED alleged.

"Apart from Baramati Agro Ltd., two other parties entered into the bidding process. The bidder with the highest bid was technically disqualified on flimsy ground, whereas the other bidder was already a close business associate of Baramati Agro Ltd. with no financial capacity or experience of running a sugar unit," it said.

The MSCB money laundering case stems from an August 2019 FIR of the Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

Connected to the case, the ED has filed three charge sheets till now and has attached assets worth Rs 121.47 crore.

jandk-pdp-to-approach-congress-after-nc-rejects-alliance-on-south-kashmir-ls-seat

Fri Mar 08 18:33:47 IST 2024

Hours after National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah said that there would be no alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti responded by placing the decision in the hands of the Congress, which is part of the INDIA bloc.

Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti expressed her disappointment with the National Conference's decision.

She expressed her hurt feelings, saying that the NC has done what the BJP couldn’t accomplish against the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a five-party alliance that seeks the restoration of Article 370 and statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

PAGD, also called Gupkar Alliance, was formed under the presidency of Farooq Abdullah of the NC and Mufti as vice president for the restoration of the special status and statehood for J&K.

Mufti said she would talk to Congress on the matter and arrive at a decision soon. "I am a fighter. We will talk to Congress in this regard and will make our decision public soon," she said.

Earlier, Omar said that his party would not concede the Anantnag-Rajouri seat to the PDP as it stood third in the last Lok Sabha polls. Speaking at a news conference in Srinagar, he said they are ready to surrender the south Kashmir-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat to the Congress but not to the PDP. He expressed readiness to unveil the chosen candidates at their convenience.

"We have already finalised our candidates for all three seats of Kashmir and will extend support to Congress on both seats of Jammu as well as on the seat of Ladakh. I am ready with my candidates and will announce them at our convenience," he said.

odisha-have-bjp-bjd-seat-sharing-talks-failed

Sat Mar 09 10:18:26 IST 2024

Speculations around a possible alliance between the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, have ended for now, after state president of the saffron party confirmed it will go alone in the polls.

When asked about the possibilities of a pre-poll alliance between the two parties, Manmohan Samal, who along with other senior leaders of the party returned to Bhubaneswar from Delhi on Friday evening, said, "There was no talk on alliance and we (BJP) will go to polls alone.

"We had gone to Delhi to hold discussions with the central leaders on our preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. No talks on alliance or seat-sharing with any party were held during the meeting."

However, there were reports that there were talks over a pre-poll alliance but they failed after the BJP and BJD failed to agree on the seat-sharing. BJD leaders V.K. Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das had gone to Delhi in a chartered flight on Thursday evening to, reportedly, discuss pre-poll alliance with BJP central leaders. But they, too, returned to Bhubaneswar later and have been silent regarding the outcome of the discussions.

The Odisha BJP has said it may field candidates in all the 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state.

Reports say that the BJD wanted to contest from over 100 seats in the 147-member Odisha assembly, but the BJP was against it. In the outgoing assembly, the BJD has 114 members and, initially, it demanded 112 seats during talks with the BJP.

"The BJD is demanding about 75 per cent of the assembly seats which is not acceptable to us," a senior BJP leader told PTI.

The BJP, on the other hand, sought 14 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha which has been rejected by the BJD. In the 2019 general elections, the BJD had won 12 seats while the BJP won eight.

Odisha BJP leaders led by Samal stayed in Delhi for three days and held marathon meetings with several central leaders at the residence of state election in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Pal Singh Tomar.

Two days ago, former Union minister and BJP MP Jual Oram, after attending a meeting at Tomar's residence, had said there was discussion on the alliance with BJD, but nothing was finalised.

Though a section of Odisha BJP leaders are opposed to the alliance with BJD, the situation, however, changed a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state on March 5 following which the alliance talks dominated state politics.

A look at the past

Both the parties were in alliance for around 11 years between 1998 and 2009 and fought three Lok Sabha and two assembly elections together.

When Janata Dal was split in 1998, Patnaik formed his own party and joined the Vajpayee-led BJP government, as the steel and mines minister.

The two parties fought assembly polls together for the first time in 2000 and again in 2004.

Earlier, the seat sharing ratio between BJD and BJP was 4:3. While BJD contested 84 assembly and 12 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP fought in 63 assembly and 9 Lok Sabha seats.

The alliance won 17 of 21 seats in the 1998 general elections with a 48.7 per cent vote share. The alliance again bettered their tally to 19 seats in 1999, which slightly came down to 18 in 2004.

(With PTI inputs)

indias-moves-not-conducive-to-peace-at-border-says-china

Sat Mar 09 11:32:59 IST 2024

Amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries, China warned India that deploying more troops at the border is “not conducive to safeguarding peace and tranquility of the border areas”.

The statement comes amid reports that India has pulled around 10,000 personnel from the western border and deployed them at the border with China.

Adressing a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "India's move of strengthening military deployment along the border with China is counterproductive to the two countries' efforts to ease the situation at the border and not conducive to safeguarding peace and tranquility of the border areas."

Asserting that China is always committed to upholding peace and tranquility in the border areas, Mao Ning said India's actions “do not conform with common understandings reached by China and India on deescalating tensions in the border areas".

India and China have been in a military stand-off since the altercations in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

Times of India had reported that the Army wants to convert the Uttar Bharat (UB) Area based in Bareilly into an operational corps, to guard the middle sector of the 3,488-km line of actual control (LAC).

Interestingly, in February this year, India and China had held the 21st round Corps Commander level meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border to defuse tensions along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

"The 21st round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on 19th February 2024. The discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas."

delhi-police-sub-inspector-suspended-for-kicking-people-offering-namaz-on-road-area-tense

Fri Mar 08 18:06:05 IST 2024

The Delhi Police, on Friday, suspended a sub-inspector for allegedly kicking a few people offering namaz on a road in north Delhi's Inderlok area on Friday, police said.

The incident happened during the 'Asar ki namaz' around 2 pm near Inderlok Metro Station.

Locals in response blocked the road and demanded action against the policeman, which led to stepping up of security in the area to maintain law and order situation.

The act was purportedly caught in a video that has since gone viral on social media.

The video showed a sub-inspector kicking a few people while they were offering namaz on the road.

"In the incident which happened today, the police post in-charge who was seen in the video has been suspended with immediate effect. Necessary disciplinary action is also being taken," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) M K Meena said.

Soon after the incident, the police took cognisance of the video and initiated a probe, Meena said.

Earlier in the day, the DCP met the protestors and assured them that strict action would be taken against the accused, an official said.

The Delhi Congress termed the incident "shameful" in a post on X.

"Very shameful! @DelhiPolice's jawan is kicking people offering namaz on the road. What could be more shameful than this?" the party said in a post in Hindi.

congress-first-list-out-rahul-gandhi-to-contest-from-wayanad-suspense-over-amethi-lingers

Fri Mar 08 22:25:52 IST 2024

The suspense over former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections ended on Friday with the party declaring its first list of candidates for the Parliamentary polls.

The Congress announced its first list comprising 39 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, 17 of whom are sitting MPs. There had been speculation over Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad in the wake of the Left parties suggesting that he should not contest from the seat since it would give out a wrong message to the people about the INDIA alliance's fight against the RSS-BJP. The Left Front has put up Annie Raja, a senior leader of the CPI, as its candidate for the seat.

Meanwhile, there is a growing buzz about Gandhi contesting from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, too in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Party leaders talk about Gandhi having received an enthusiastic welcome from the people of Amethi, which has been a Gandhi family stronghold, when his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passed through the constituency recently. The Congress leader had contested from Amethi and Wayanad in the 2019 elections, losing to BJP's Smriti Irani from the UP seat.

The list comprises 16 seats in Kerala, with K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary (Organisation), fielded from Alappuzha, which was the lone seat the Congress had lost in the state in the previous Lok Sabha elections. The Kerala unit leaders were assertive in their demand that Venugopal should return to the constituency and reclaim it. Vadakara MP K. Muralidharan has been shifted to Thrissur, replacing T.N. Prathapan, the only sitting MP to be dropped from the Kerala list. Prathapan is learnt to be keen to return to state politics. Shafi Parambil is the party's candidate from Vadakara. Shashi Tharoor will yet again contest from Thiruvananthapuram.

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has been fielded from Rajnandgaon seat in his home state and his party colleague from the state Tamradhwaj Sahu will contest from Mahasamund. The candidatures of Baghel and Sahu are an indication that the Congress would want senior leaders to enter the fray in what the party believes is a do-or-die battle.

There is, meanwhile, speculation over whether Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will contest from Gulbarga in Karnataka. The buzz gains significance in the backdrop of the thinking in the party that senior leaders should contest in the Lok Sabha elections to maximise the number of seats it can win.

kerala-congress-fields-muraleedharan-in-thrissur-venugopal-to-contest-from-alappuzha

Fri Mar 08 21:17:13 IST 2024

Congress released its first list of 39 candidates to contest the Lok Sabha elections. The list includes the names of 16 candidates to contest the polls from Kerala. AICC General Secretary General Secretary K.C. Venugopal will be contesting from Alappuzha, while Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil will contest from Vadakara. The party has retained most of the sitting MPs except Thrissur MP T.N.Prathapan.

Vadakara sitting MLA K. Muraleedharan, son of former Kerala CM K. Karunakaran, will contest from Thrissur this time. He will be up against BJP's candidate, Malayalam popular actor Suresh Gopi and CPI's candidate V.S. Sunilkumar.

Recently, Muraleedharan's sister Padmaja Venugopal quit the party and joined BJP amid the heated LS polls candidature discussions. “Padamaja’s exit from the party will not affect Congress in any way and BJP will not be opening an account here. No more members will be leaving the party as she did,” said Congress senior leader Ramesh Chennithala while talking to reporters.

Meanwhile, though Shafi had expressed his displeasure in contesting Vadakara, leaving his MLA post in Palakkad, he had told the media that he would abide by the High Command's decision.

LOK SABHA POLLS 2024: KERALA CONGRESS CANDIDATES FIRST LIST:

Kasargod: Rajmohan Unnithan

Kannur: K. Sudhakaran

Vadakara: Shafi Parambil

Wayanad: Rahul Gandhi

Kozhikode: M.K. Raghavan

Palakkad: V.K. Sreekandan

Alathur (SC): Ramya Haridas

Thrissur: K. Muraleedharan

Chalakudy: Benny Behanan

Ernakulam: Hibi Eden

Idukki: Dean Kuriakose

Alappuza: K.C. Venugopal

Mavelikkara (SC): Kodikunnil Suresh

Pathanamthitta: Anto Antony

Attingal: Adoor Prakash

Thiruvananthapuram: Shashi Tharoor

manipur-indian-army-jco-abducted-from-home-in-thoubal-district

Fri Mar 08 17:24:11 IST 2024

A serving Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was abducted from his home in Manipur's Thoubal district by anti-social elements on Friday, officials said.

They said the JCO, identified as Konsam Kheda Singh, a resident of Charangpat Mamang Leikai, was on leave when some people barged into his home at 9am and bundled him in a vehicle and fled.

Though the cause of the abduction is not known, initial reports suggest that it was an extortion case as his family had received such threats in the past, the officials said.

On receiving information, a coordinated search operation has been launched by all security agencies to rescue the JCO.

Checking of all vehicles plying on National Highway 102 is currently in progress. The cause of the abduction is not known and further details are awaited.

This is the fourth incident since the commencement of the conflict in Manipur wherein soldiers while on leave, on duty or their relatives have been targeted for nefarious interests by inimical elements.

In September 2023, a former Assam Regiment soldier Serto Thangthang Kom was kidnapped and killed by an unidentified armed group from the valley.

He was posted in Manipur's Leimakhong with the Defence Service Corps (DSC).

Two months later, an unidentified armed group kidnapped four people while they were travelling in an SUV from the hill district Churachandpur to Leimakhong, and killed them.

The four were family members of an Indian Army soldier serving in Jammu and Kashmir.

A fifth passenger, the father of the soldier, who was injured, managed to escape and was later airlifted by the army to Dimapur for treatment. He was eventually shifted to the base hospital in Guwahati, Assam.

An Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) from Manipur Police was attacked in his house in Imphal city on February 27. The attackers in this case were identified as Arambai Tenggol (AT), a radical Meitei group.

Following the incident, police commandos of Manipur laid down their arms in Imphal and other areas. The open defiance of discipline in the police ranks on the morning of the commencement of the state assembly (February 28, 2024) prompted Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh to visit the police officer in the hospital and also hold discussions with the senior police officials to address their grievances.

Manipur Police also published a statement blaming the notorious group AT for the attack and warned all miscreants to refrain from such acts and indicating that prevalence of such conditions will result in reimposition of AFSPA in the valley.

The security forces toiling day and night for early restoration of peace and normalcy are being targeted for performing their duty, the officials said, adding the attacks by the inimical elements on security forces and their families need to be strongly condemned and perpetrators caught and punished as per the law.

At least 219 people have been killed in the ethnic strife in the state that started on May 3 last year after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts.

arvind-kejriwal-bhagwant-mann-launch-aaps-ls-poll-campaign-in-delhi

Fri Mar 08 14:11:41 IST 2024

AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann launched the party's Lok Sabha poll campaign here on Friday with the slogan 'Sansad mein bhi Kejriwal, to Dilli hogi aur khush haal'. The general elections are due in April-May.

The campaign was launched in the presence of other party leaders and workers from the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters on DDU Marg."I have made all efforts to serve the people of Delhi who are my family," Kejriwal said.

"Our slogan is 'Sansad mein bhi Kejriwal, to Dilli hogi aur khush haal' (Delhi will be more prosperous with Kejriwal in Parliament)," he said.

Delhi and Punjab are ruled by AAP and these are the only two states that have free electricity supply, he said.

Kejriwal said the BJP-led central government through the Delhi Lt Governor stalls every project launched by the AAP government and urged the people to "strengthen" him by sending all seven opposition candidates to Parliament.

"They hate you because you elected and brought an ordinary man to power in Delhi. They demolished Mohalla Clinics with bulldozers, they stopped door-to-door ration delivery scheme, tests and medicines in hospitals," he alleged.

AAP workers will distribute pamphlets describing work done by the party's governments during campaigning for the elections, he said.

Punjab chief minister Mann said his state is going to have a 13-0 result in the Lok Sabha polls in favour of AAP. He also accused the Centre of obstructing the work of the Kejriwal government in Delhi and withholding Punjab's funds.

"No one will dare to stop Punjab's funds and work in Delhi if the AAP has a good number of MPs in Lok Sabha," he said.

The AAP will fight the general election in collaboration with INDIA bloc partner Congress under a seat-sharing arrangement it has struck with it in Delhi, Gujarat, and Haryana. In Punjab, however, both parties have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls independently.

The AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and Congress will field its candidates on the remaining three.

The party has also received two constituencies - Bharuch, Jamnagar in Gujarat and Kurukshetra in Haryana under the seat-sharing deal with Congress.

Separately, AAP has also declared its candidates from Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.

modi-in-assam-kaziranga-national-park-spruced-up-for-pms-night-stay

Fri Mar 08 12:59:18 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to Assam on Friday, during which he will stay at Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO Heritage Site renowned for its one-horned rhinos.

Modi is scheduled to arrive at Tezpur in the late afternoon and from there, he will fly to Panbari in Kaziranga in a helicopter. He will spend the night at the Police Guest House near the Central Kohora Range of the park.

The park is being spruced up to welcome the Prime Minister. Besides a cleanliness drive undertaken on the park premises, several infrastructure projects were taken up after Modi's stay was announced. Security has also been tightened in the park.

The Prime Minister is expected to spend two hours in the park and may undertake a jeep ride or jungle safari on Saturday morning. The jeep safari and elephant ride will remain closed in the Kaziranga range of Kohora from March 7 to 9.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters on Thursday that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Tinsukia Medical College and lay the foundation stone of Sivasagar Medical College under the PM-DIVINE scheme on Saturday. "PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the expansion of Digboi Refinery from 0.65 Million MT to 1 Million MT at a cost of Rs 768 crores. He will also lay the foundation stone of the expansion of Guwahati Refinery from 1 million MT to 1.2 million MT at a cost of Rs 510 crore," Sarma said.

After undertaking the safari, Modi will leave for Arunachal Pradesh, where he is scheduled to attend two programmes. He will return to Jorhat in the afternoon and inaugurate the 125-ft high 'Statue of Valour' of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan.

Modi will then proceed to Meleng Meteli Pothar, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation of central and state projects worth a total of around Rs 18,000 crore, the officials said. He is also scheduled to address a public meeting at the venue.

After the meeting, he will leave for West Bengal.

congress-announces-first-list-of-candidates-for-lok-sabha-polls-rahul-to-contest-from-wayanad-again

Fri Mar 08 20:05:25 IST 2024

The Congress has come out with its first list of 39 candidates for Lok Sabha elections, on Friday.

The list featured prominent names like Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, and Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

Tharoor will contest again from Thiruvananthapuram, while Baghel will fight from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Jyotsna Mahant has been fielded from Korba, and Tamradhwaj Sahu from Mahasamund.

D.K. Suresh, brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, has been fielded from Bengaluru Rural and Venugopal will contest from Alapuzzha.

Of the 39 candidates that the party announced on Friday, 15 are from the general caste and the remaining from SC/ST/minorities.

“Our priority is to win the maximum Lok Sabha seats to defeat PM Modi in this next elections. Our target is to win the maximum number of Parliament seats for the Congress party," Venugopal said after the announcement of the first list.

"We are in election mode. We are going on an aggressive path in the election campaign. Rahul Gandhi is doing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. It has reached Gujarat. It started in Manipur and it will conclude in Mumbai," he added.

The announcement of the first list of candidates came a day after the Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC) finalised the names for the elections after having a discussion on over 60 Lok Sabha seats from 11 states and Union territories.

There is speculation that Rahul Gandhi may also contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli, a seat which was previously held by Sonia Gandhi.

bhagwant-mann-approached-me-once-to-join-congress-sidhu

Fri Mar 08 12:03:36 IST 2024

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has claimed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had approached him once expressing his readiness to join the party.

Sidhu said this during an interview to a media outlet when asked about rumours that he may join the BJP and whether the party had approached him. He shared a clip of the interview on his X handle.

There was no immediate response from Mann to Sidhu's claims.

"I can tell you one thing about who had approached (me). Bhagwant Mann sahab had come to me. If he tells, I will even tell him the place (where they met)," Sidhu said.

"He told me paaji, I am ready to be your deputy if I get him to join the Congress. And he also told me that if you come to the Aam Aadmi Party, still he was ready to be my deputy," the Congress leader said.

Sidhu further claimed that he told Mann that he is committed to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and it's not possible for him to leave them.

Sidhu said he told Mann that if he wants, he is welcome to join the Congress and that he should talk to the party leadership in Delhi.

After this, there was no further discussion, he added.

Sidhu said his sole aim is to serve the people of Punjab.

He targeted the Mann-led AAP government over Punjab's "mounting debt", saying, "They move in aircraft and luxury vehicles but debt has to be paid by Punjabis."

india-assures-early-return-for-indians-duped-to-serve-in-russian-army

Fri Mar 08 18:08:32 IST 2024

A day after India busted the human trafficking network, which lured several youngsters to Russia promising jobs, the Ministry of External Affairs said the nation is committed to bringing back those who became a scapegoat of the scam.

During the media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said several Indian nationals have been duped to work in the Russian army.

“We have strongly taken up the matter for the early discharge of such Indian nationals. Strong action has been initiated against agents who recruited them on false pretexts...We remain committed to the early release of our nationals serving as support staff with the Russian army and then eventually return home,” said Jaiswal.

Meanwhile, MEA also said that President Droupadi Murmu will be travelling to Mauritius for a state visit to attend the national day celebration from March 11-13. She will be attending the National Day celebrations of Mauritius on March 12.

“President Murmu will hold bilateral meetings with the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Prithvirajsing Roopun, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius Praveen Kumar Jagannath," he added.

According to CBI officials, two Russia-based agents involved in the trafficking network were under the CBI scanner. The agents confiscated the passports of Indians arriving in Russia and forced them to fight with the armed forces, said officials.

The central probe agency's FIR has listed 17 other Visa consultancy companies, their owners and agents spread across India, they said. The agency has booked them under Indian Penal Code Sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and human trafficking.

CBI alleged that even students were duped by providing them admission to dubious private universities in Russia instead of government or public universities.

"They were being trained in combat roles and provided with Russian Army uniforms and batches. Thereafter, these Indian Nationals are being deployed at front bases in the Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes and put their lives in grave danger," the CBI FIR said.

After busting the trafficking network, CBI conducted nationwide searches at around 13 locations in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Madurai and Chennai.

The central probe agency has booked 24x7 RAS Overseas Foundation in Delhi and its director Suyash Mukut, O S D Bros Travels and Visa Services Pvt Ltd in Mumbai and its director Rakesh Pandey, Adventure Visa Services Pvt Ltd in Chandigarh and its director Manjeet Singh, and Baba Vlogs Overseas Recruitment Solutions Pvt Ltd in Dubai and its director Faisal Abdul Mutalib Khan alias Baba among others.

(With PTI inputs)

i-t-tribunal-rejects-congress-appeal-to-waive-penalty-on-previous-tax-returns

Fri Mar 08 18:58:28 IST 2024

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal dismissed the Congress party's appeal for setting aside penalties for previous Income Tax returns.

Appearing for Congress, advocate Vivek Tankha requested the tribunal to defer the order for 10 days so that the party could approach the high court but the tribunal bench declined it.

The income tax department seized the party's four main bank accounts on an income tax demand of Rs 210 crore for 2018-2019.

Afterwards, Congress leader Ajay Maken claimed that Rs 65 crore had been withdrawn by the department from three of the party's accounts even though a petition against the claim was being heard by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal.

The party had approached the tribunal seeking a stay on the action of the department and said that the party won't be able to pay bills and salaries if their accounts were frozen.

Maken said that the party will move high court against the tribunal decision. "The BJP government has deliberately chosen the timing of this to coincide with national elections," Maken told PTI.

He added that the I-T tribunal freezing funds ahead of elections is "an attack on democracy".

Congress's legal cell head Tankha said the party is disappointed with the tribunal's order. "We are disappointed with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal order. We will be moving the High Court very soon. They have not followed their past precedents in granting relief on payment of 20 per cent penalty and that too to a national party which is now on the verge of contesting national elections, which is going to be notified soon," Tankha told PTI.

womens-day-pm-modi-announces-rs-100-cut-in-lpg-cylinder-price

Fri Mar 08 10:07:29 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a reduction of Rs 100 in cooking gas cylinder prices on Friday on the occasion of International Women's Day.

This will significantly ease the financial burden on millions of households across the country, especially benefiting "Nari Shakti" (women power), he said in a post on X.

"By making cooking gas more affordable, we also aim to support the well-being of families and ensure a healthier environment. This is in line with our commitment to empowering women and ensuring Ease of Living' for them," he said.

In a related decision, the government on Thursday announced the extension of Rs 300 per LPG cylinder subsidy to poor women under the Ujjwala Yojana for the next fiscal starting April 1.

The government in October last year hiked the subsidy from Rs 200 per 14.2-kg cylinders for up to 12 refills per year to Rs 300 per bottle. The Rs 300 per cylinder subsidy was for the current fiscal, which ends on March 31.

In another post on X, Modi greeted people on the International Women's Day.

"We salute the strength, courage, and resilience of our Nari Shakti and laud their accomplishments across various fields. Our government is committed to empowering women through initiatives in education, entrepreneurship, agriculture, technology and more," he said.

ex-andhra-cm-naidu-meets-shah-amid-bjp-tdp-alliance-buzz

Fri Mar 08 09:53:57 IST 2024

Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday and held talks over the possibility of an alliance between the BJP and the regional party for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls, which will be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance but exited in 2018 when Naidu was the state's chief minister.

BJP president J.P. Nadda was also part of the deliberations, sources said, adding that both parties are open to joining hands but a lot will depend on whether they reach a mutually agreeable seat-sharing arrangement.

However, the second meeting between the two leaders in as many months has brightened such a prospect.

TDP leaders said any more delay in an alliance formation would not be beneficial as the elections are approaching and any lingering ambiguity would confuse party workers and supporters.

Actor Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena Party, which has been a member of the NDA, has already joined hands with the TDP and has been urging the BJP to follow suit.

Kalyan also joined the meeting with Shah. Earlier, Naidu met with leaders, including MPs, of the TDP.

The development comes amid growing indications that the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal, which is in power in Odisha, are on the verge of finalising their alliance as senior leaders of the two parties held separate meetings on Wednesday and dropped hints of such a possibility.

Naidu had met Shah and BJP president Nadda in February, bolstering a speculation that they were headed for an alliance even though things have not crystallised so far.

Sources said both the parties have had differences over the number of seats the BJP would fight in the state where it does not have much presence.

The state has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats and the BJP is keen to contest eight to 10 parliamentary constituencies.

Sources in the TDP, however, said the BJP might contest on five to six Lok Sabha seats in case of an alliance, the Jana Sena three and their party the rest.

What has complicated matters for the BJP is that Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress, has been unambiguously supportive of the Modi government's agenda in Parliament and shares a good personal rapport with its senior leaders.

The BJP has been working to expand the NDA for some time as it eyes a bigger victory in the Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May.

With the ruling party eyeing a third term under Modi and having set a target for winning 370 seats on its own and 400 with allies, there is a view within the BJP that joining hands with regional parties positively disposed to its agenda will be helpful.

14-kids-suffer-electrocution-during-mahashivratri-procession-in-kota

Fri Mar 08 15:52:43 IST 2024

Fourteen children participating in 'Shiv Barat' on the occasion of Mahashivratri here sustained burn injuries on Friday late morning after getting electrocuted.

The children, aged 10-16 years, were electrocuted from a high-tension power line passing overhead in the Sakatoura area under the Kunhari police station. Two of the children sustained 100 and 50 per cent burn injuries, respectively, while the rest 12 sustained less than 50 per cent injuries, a senior police official said.

All the injured were rushed to the MBS hospital in Kota.

The mishap occurred around 11.30 am-12 pm on Friday when a procession of 'Shiv Barat' was marching through Kalibasti, where one of the boys in the procession, holding a flag atop a 22-foot-high iron rod touched the high-tension line passing overhead, Kota city SP Amrita Duhan told PTI.

The boy holding the flag sustained 100 per cent burn injury. The other boys who attempted to rescue him also sustained burn injuries, she said adding that one of the boys sustained 50 per cent burn injury while the rest 12 boys sustained less than 50 per cent injuries, she added.

Rajasthan Minister Heeralal Nagar said an investigation has been ordered into the incident. "It's a very sad incident. Two children are seriously injured with one having 100% burns. A special team has been formed to provide all possible treatment. Officials are directed to investigate if there has been any kind of negligence," he added.

lpg-price-cut-pm-modi-plays-nari-shakti-card-opposition-calls-it-poll-jumla

Fri Mar 08 13:38:20 IST 2024

Weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the cut in the price of LPG cylinders, which was announced today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of Women's Day, has sparked off a war of words, with the opposition calling it a 'jumla'.

Modi, on Friday, announced a Rs 100 per cylinder cut to “ease financial burden on households”. Non-subsidised cooking gas price will be cut to Rs 803 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi with effect from midnight of Friday/Saturday, PTI said. Prices will vary from state to state depending on the local taxes.

This is the second reduction in cooking gas prices in six months. Rates were cut by Rs 200 per cylinder in late August ahead of assembly elections in five states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The revision had then brought down the prices from a nine-year high of Rs 1,103 per 14.2-kg cylinder to Rs 903.

Taking a jibe at PM Modi's announcement weeks ahead of the general elections, Nationalist Congress Party (SPawar) MP Supriya Sule told ANI, “I am not surprised at all. Look at the timing. They have been in power for the last 9 years. Why didn't they think of this earlier? Just when the election, I mean it will probably be announced in the next 5 or 6 days, 'yeh aur ek jumla hai' (it's just another false promise).... It's all political.”

The reduction has been made possible because of easing of international oil and gas prices, against which domestic fuel rates are benchmarked. However, no change in petrol and diesel prices was announced. Petrol and diesel prices continue to be on freeze for a record 23 months now.

"In our government, the cylinder was Rs 430. Why don't they match it?," Sule said.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, too, took to X to slam the move just ahead of the polls. "On #WomensDay, Modi's Jumla: LPG price slashed by Rs. 100! Now it's Rs. 823... Just a little flashback: In 2014, Dr Singh (Manmohan Singh) gave a subsidy of Rs 600 and the price was 641 Rs."

How it will benefit Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries

For the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), who get Rs 300 per cylinder subsidy, a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder will now cost Rs 503 in the national capital.

The Union Cabinet headed by the prime minister had on Thursday approved extension of Rs 300 per LPG cylinder subsidy to Ujjwala Yojana for another one year to March 2025.

The government had in October last year hiked the subsidy from Rs 200 per 14.2-kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per year to Rs 300 per bottle. The Rs 300 per cylinder subsidy was for the current fiscal, which ends on March 31. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday decided to extend this subsidy to 2024-25.

That move, which is likely to benefit nearly 10 crore families, will cost the government Rs 12,000 crore.

Cooking gas prices had shot up in the last couple of years and had become a major election issue. Rates went up by Rs 294 per 14.2-kg cylinder between July 2021 and August 2023.

The opposition Congress party used the high LPG prices, which had burnt a hole in the budgets of households already reeling under high inflation, effectively in the 2023 assembly elections in Karnataka.

It has promised to give LPG at Rs 500 per cylinder if voted to power in Madhya Pradesh in November/December assembly elections, forcing Modi's BJP to also promise cooking gas at the same rate.

While Ujjwala beneficiaries are about 10 crore, there are over 33 crore domestic cooking gas users in the country.

The government in June 2020 stopped giving LPG subsidies. Cooking gas across the country was priced at market rate, which rose to Rs 1,103 in the national capital in August 2023.

(With PTI inputs)

cbi-busts-trafficking-racket-sending-indians-to-russian-warfronts-in-ukraine-7-cities-including-delhi-witness-raids-report

Thu Mar 07 22:53:06 IST 2024

A day after a youth from Hyderabad lost his life fighting for Russia on the frontlines of Ukraine, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday busted a gang involved in trafficking Indian citizens to Russia.

According to news reports, CBI raided over 10 locations after it got information about the presence of the human trafficking network in seven different cities including two in Tamil Nadu. The central agency raided locations in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Ambala, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Chennai and Madurai, NDTV said in a report.

The CBI's case reportedly named Dubai-based Youtuber Faisal Khan. According to the NDTV report, Faisal Khan's name repeatedly cropped up during its interaction with the kin of Indian youths who were tricked into joining Russian war efforts after being promised high-paying jobs in the country.

Over 20 Indian citizens fell into the trap and ended up on the war front. Amongst them was Telangana-native Mohammed Asfan, whose death in an Ukrainian offensive was confirmed on Wednesday.

ALSO READ | ‘Tell everyone I'm badly hurt’, Indian youth killed in Ukraine war had pleaded to his friend

Afsan, 30, was working in a clothing store in Hyderabad till September. He received an ‘invitation letter’ in Russian sent by an agent for processing his visa. According to the letter, Afsan was employed with a semi-conductor company located in Hyderabad’s IT corridor.

The letter said the purpose of Afsan’s trip to Russia was to “provide IT services”. According to his family, he neither did work for the said company, nor was he an IT professional.

Afsan got his visa allegedly based on this and flew to Russia in late 2023.

A few days ago, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said India is doing its best to get an "early discharge" of nearly 20 Indians who are working as support staff to the Russian army.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said these 20 Indians had contacted Indian authorities seeking assistance to come back home.

"We have an understanding that 20-odd people are stuck. We are trying our level best for their early discharge. We have issued two statements which you saw. We have also told people not to venture into the war zone or get caught into situations which are difficult. It. We are in regular touch with Russian authorities both here in New Delhi and also in Moscow," Jaiswal had said.

testament-to-our-nari-shakti-pm-hails-sudha-murtys-nomination-to-rajya-sabha

Fri Mar 08 13:39:04 IST 2024

Philanthropist and Murty Trust chairperson Sudha Murty has been nominated to Rajya Sabha by President Draupadi Murmu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to announce her appointment and praised her contributions in the diverse field.

"I am delighted that the President of India has nominated @SmtSudhaMurty Ji to the Rajya Sabha. Sudha Ji's contributions to diverse fields including social work, philanthropy and education have been immense and inspiring. Her presence in the Rajya Sabha is a powerful testament to our 'Nari Shakti', exemplifying the strength and potential of women in shaping our nation's destiny. Wishing her a fruitful Parliamentary tenure."

Recipient of Padma Shri award in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023, Sudha Murthy has authored several books, including 'The Mother I Never Knew', 'Three Thousand Stitches', 'The Man from the Egg', and 'Magic of the Lost Temple.'

ccs-clears-proposal-for-34-new-dhruv-choppers-for-coast-guard-army

Thu Mar 07 21:50:34 IST 2024

In a major push towards indigenization, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a proposal to buy 34 new Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv choppers for the Indian Coast Guard and the Army.

The Coast Guard would get nine helicopters while the Army will be inducting 25 in their fleet, reported ANI. These choppers are manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Both projects are expected to be worth over Rs 8,000 crore.

Government sources told the news agency that the choppers in the Coast Guard would replace the old light utility helicopters. The Army, meanwhile, would be using these choppers for multiple roles.

bengaluru-cafe-blast-photo-of-accused-without-cap-mask-shared-on-social-media

Fri Mar 08 11:17:21 IST 2024

The Bengaluru cafe blast prime accused has, reportedly, been captured on camera without the cap, mask or goggles, with a screengrab of the CCTV footage being widely circulated on social media. Though there has been no official confirmation on the picture yet, the screengrab is believed to be taken from the CCTV footage from inside a bus. He is seen wearing a T-shirt.

On March 1, a blast caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), at the eatery in Brookfield area in east Bengaluru left 10 people injured.

CCTV footages from the cafe and on the road had captured the prime suspect wearing a full-sleeved shirt, pants, goggles, mask, cap and carrying a backpack.

New video footage of the suspect later emerged, showing him moving in a bus. The suspect, after noticing the camera in the bus, moved away from the camera.

Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had, on Thursday, said the prime suspect changed his clothes after the incident, and travelled by a bus, and added that the suspect is said to have travelled towards Tumakuru after the explosion, and officials are following the leads and verifying his movement till Ballari.

NIA has announced Rs 10 lakh cash reward for information about the bomber.

Cafe to reopen today

A week after the blast, the popular eatery is set to reopen the branch today. According to the co-founders, Divya and Raghavendra Rao, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D.K. Shivakumar and Parameshwara are set to attend the reopening function at 6pm.

wed-in-india-pm-modi-announces-his-new-mission-at-jandk

Thu Mar 07 16:46:06 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched his next mission during a rally at Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Modi says his next mission is to make India a wedding destination thereby promote tourism in the country.

Addressing the gathering in Srinagar, Modi said, “Now my next mission is 'Wed in India'. People should come to Jammu and Kashmir and host their weddings. The world has seen how G20 was organised in J&K. There was a time when people used to say, who will go to J&K for tourism? Today, tourism in J&K is breaking all the records. In 2023, more than two crore tourists have come here. Now big celebrities from across the world are also coming to J&K,” ANI reported.

However, this isn’t the first time Modi has pitched the idea of hosting marriages within India, aiming to retain the revenue generated within the country. In a ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episode in November, Modi said, “Friends, this sentiment towards Indian products should not be limited to festivals only. The wedding season as well has commenced now. Some trade organizations estimate that there could be a business of around Rs 5 lakh crore during this wedding season. While shopping for weddings, all of you should give importance to products made in India only.”

He added, “These days a new milieu is being created by some families to go abroad and conduct weddings. Is this at all necessary? If we celebrate the festivities of marriages on Indian soil, amid the people of India, the country’s money will remain in the country. The people of the country will get an opportunity to render some service or the other at your wedding, even poor people will tell their children about that occasion. Can you extrapolate on this mission of ‘Vocal for Local’? Why don’t we hold such wedding ceremonies in our own country? It is possible that the kind of system you want may not be there today, but if we organize such events, systems will also develop. This is a topic related to very big families. I hope this pain of mine will definitely reach those big families.”

The prime minister reiterated the idea during an event in Gujarat in January. “Is it appropriate to hold marriage abroad? Can't the marriage be held in our country? How much of India's wealth goes out. You should create an environment that this disease of getting married abroad does not enter your community. Why shouldn't the marriage take place at the feet of Ma Khodal (Goddess revered by the community). I would say 'Wed In India', like ‘Made in India’, ‘Marry in India’," Hindustan Times reported.

every-citizen-has-right-to-criticise-abrogation-of-article-370-supreme-court

Thu Mar 07 22:46:08 IST 2024

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a criminal case against a professor over his remarks on the abrogation of Article 370 and held that every criticism is not an offence.

The court also observed that the police should be sensitised about India’s democratic values and the freedom of speech granted by the Constitution.

Professor Javed Ahmed Hajam was booked by Maharashtra Police under Section 153-A of the Indian Penel Code after he shared a WhatsApp status, criticising the abrogation of Article 370 and terming it a ‘Black Day’ for Jammu and Kashmir.

“Every citizen of India has a right to be critical of the action of abrogation of Article 370 and the change of status of Jammu and Kashmir. Describing the day the abrogation happened as a 'Black Day' is an expression of protest and anguish,” said a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, reported the Live Law.

The apex court also noted that democracy will not survive if every criticism or protest against the government is to be held as an offence under Section 153-A.

Hajam, on his WhatsApp status, had written “August 5 – Black Day Jammu & Kashmir" and “14th August – Independence Day Pakistan”.

The Bombay High Court had earlier refused to quash the FIR against Hajam, while raising concerns that the messages could promote disharmony and ill-will among different groups.

The top court, however, maintained that the messages, while expressing dissent, had not targeted any specific group based on religion, race or other grounds.

"This is an expression of his individual view and his reaction to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. It does not reflect any intention to do something that is prohibited under Section 153-A. At best, it is a protest, which is a part of his freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a),” the court said.

The court further clarified that under Article 19(1)(a), every citizen has the right to offer criticism of the action of abrogation of Article 370 or, for that matter, every decision of the State.

lok-sabha-polls-congress-likely-to-release-first-list-of-candidates-today

Fri Mar 08 08:53:43 IST 2024

Congress's first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections is likely to see Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad in Kerala again despite opposition from INDIA bloc ally CPI(M), and Amethi, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may contest from Rae Bareli, reports said.

The party's Central Election Committee (CEC) met late on Thursday, and has, reportedly, finalised the names of 40 candidates. A total of 60 Lok Sabha seats from 11 states and Union Territories were discussed at the CEC meeting, which was chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Former party chief Sonia Gandhi and general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, were present at the meeting, along with other senior leaders.

Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jaipur, was supposed to join the meeting virtually but eventually decided against it. He was previously an MP from Amethi, but lost the seat in 2019. However, he won from Wayanad.

Sonia Gandhi had vacated the Rae Bareli seat to contest Rajya Sabha polls. It will be the political debut for Priyanka if she decides to contest from Rae Bareli.

Discussions were held on Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Lakshwadeep.

In Kerala, V.D. Satheesan said the Congress will contest 16 seats in Kerala and four will be contested by its allies in the state. Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, is likely to contest from the seat again.

While former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel would be fielded from Rajnandgaon, former minister Tamradhwaj Sahu is set to fight the elections from the state's Mahasamund seat. Venugopal is also among the finalised candidates, reports said.

Former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister T.S. Singhdeo would not be contesting the polls, it is learnt.

AICC in-charge Delhi Deepak Babaria said a preliminary discussion took place for Delhi candidates, where the party is contesting three seats while its INDIA bloc ally AAP is contesting the remaining four. He said a discussion on Delhi seats will be held again on March 11.

In Karnataka, where Congress is the ruling party, the party is unlikely to field most of the ministers. It remains to be seen whether Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani will contest from Gulbarga, which is a Congress stronghold.

The committee will meet again on Monday. Congress is yet to resolve the seat-sharing issue in Maharashtra and West Bengal, which together account for 90 seats.

Last week, the BJP came out with its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.

(With PTI inputs)

exclusive-from-the-presidents-desk-a-nation-goes-only-as-far-as-its-women-go

Fri Mar 08 07:47:03 IST 2024

There are certain empowering moments that we all cherish for life. For me, one such moment was a sortie on the Sukhoi fighter, cruising along the Himalayan peaks and the Brahmaputra valley. I began the flight with diffidence, but ended up brimming with confidence and told myself, “Yes, we can.” And the second moment that will indisputably mark an epochal change in the life of the nation was my signing of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam that proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in all legislative bodies.

These moments are integral to my life and I recall them to tell you an incredible story of women empowerment that is unfolding before us. As a girl from a remote tribal village of Odisha, I saw it happening. In my public life, I am overawed by the pace with which we are moving towards the goal of gender justice and gender equality.

One of the perks of being in public service is that you spend a lot of time travelling around our beautiful country and meeting extraordinary individuals. After assuming the office of the president of India, I have often hosted a variety of people and groups at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, too. From all my interactions with a cross-section of society over the years, one thing I would like to share with you today is this: The Indian woman is moving ahead with confidence.

Whenever I visit universities and academic institutions for convocation ceremonies and other events, I cannot help but notice that female students are matching, if not outpacing, male students. Concerns have been expressed the world over about the under-representation of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Even in these supposedly male-dominated branches of knowledge, I have met women who are making remarkable contributions. Women scientists have been in leading positions in our space programme, spearheading ever-new journeys. In the corporate sector and especially among the start-ups, women’s presence is striking.

As the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, I can say with pride that girls are busy breaking more and more glass ceilings in our Army, Navy and Air Force. In sports, young women have arguably made their presence felt more than in any other arena.

Equally important is the fact that these are not individual achievements alone; these are also the accomplishments of the nation. Women sportspersons have won medals for India, and women scientists have helped India win a unique place among space-faring nations. It could not have been otherwise, after all. Women form half the population, and India—or any nation, for that matter—can go only as far as its women go.

Women’s empowerment, when we consider it this way, becomes not a charitable mission, but a roadmap to a country’s progress. Without it, no nation can ensure economic development and prosperity for all its citizens. At the same time, if we look at it from a young girl’s perspective, it is a way of recognising her inherent dignity as a human being, equal to any other human being. Women’s empowerment, in her case, is about removing the inequality of opportunity before her and letting her realise her potential.

But the sad truth is that too many young girls have been denied an equal opportunity. Historically, humankind has displayed a pernicious prejudice against women. It is reflected in our languages. For example, ‘humankind’ is usually called ‘mankind’. As you know, the draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights began with the sentence, “All men are born free and equal”, and it was Hansaben Mehta who ensured that it was changed to “All human beings are born free and equal”. Hansaben was one of the 15 women who were members of the Constituent Assembly. They also included Dakshayani Velayudhan and Annie Mascarene from Kerala. Yet, the common expression to refer to the framers of the Constitution, I suppose borrowed from the west, is “the founding fathers” of the Indian Republic.

Our languages merely reflect the way the dominant group among us looks at the world. The prejudices inherent in such expressions throw light on the fault lines in our society. While we celebrate the achievements of women, we also acknowledge the fact that there are many, many women who would have liked to become space scientists and fighter pilots, but could not. Since women’s progress is the measure of the progress of the society, the society must do all it can to make it a little less difficult for them to move ahead in life.

Hansaben was one of the great women who participated in the freedom struggle. They included the likes of Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani and Kamladevi Chattopadhyaya. They were, arguably, among the first generation of women who crossed the threshold of their home and entered the public sphere. That was made possible partly by the visionary leadership, especially of Mahatma Gandhi. As a result, when elections were held for the first time in independent India, there was no gender discrimination at all about who could vote as well as who could contest. This was in sharp contrast to the gradual progress towards universal suffrage in many democracies.

In our times, the journey of women’s political empowerment is going to gain an unprecedented momentum with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. When India will celebrate the centenary of independence, this revolutionary Act will have contributed most to making it a developed nation in the true sense. When women become part of collective decision-making processes, governance is bound to be more sensitive to conditions on the ground.

When it comes to the state and society joining hands to unshackle women, Kerala has played an exemplary and inspiring role since the pre-Independence era, thanks to the progressive principles of the local rulers. It is heartening to note that the mission they started has continued, propelled by higher levels of literacy on one hand and an overall focus on human development on the other. The results are for all to see. Every woman from Kerala I have come across has been full of self-confidence. This has led to women of Kerala making outstanding contribution in every sphere, from sports to science. In the noble profession of serving human beings, they can claim near-monopoly in nursing, not only in every city and town in India but also in many places abroad.

To them and to all my other dear sisters, I would like to say that we have come a long way from the days when our grandmothers first stepped out to join the freedom movement, and our daughters will carry the torch forward into the second century of independence. To celebrate your achievements, one day is not enough. Every day should be celebrated as Women’s Day in the spirit of “yes, we can and we will.”

sena-vs-sena-sc-questions-speakers-decision-summons-original-records-on-disqualification

Thu Mar 07 22:07:28 IST 2024

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed reservations about Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar using the legislative majority test to ascertain which faction of the Shiv Sena was the real party.

The top court questioned if the speaker’s decision had contradicted a judgement of the Constitution bench in the Subhash Desai case.

In a significant ruling on January 10, Speaker Narwekar had held that the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged on June 21, 2022 as the group had an overwhelming majority of 37 out of 54 MLAs.

The Speaker also refused to disqualify any member belonging to either faction.

Hearing a petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction against the speaker's order, a bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra summoned the original records relating to the disqualification row.

"See Paragraph 144. He says ‘which faction is the real political party' is discernible from the legislative majority which existed when the rival factions emerged’. Is it not contrary to the judgment?,” the CJI asked.

The court fixed the petition for hearing on April 8.

The apex court, which had issued notice on the Thackeray group's petition on January 22, asked Shinde and his MLAs to file a response positively on or before April 1.

The bench took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the Thackeray group, that there was a distinction between legislative majority and organisational majority post defection.

The top court also took note of the claim of senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the group led by the chief minister, about "forgery" in some relevant documents.

electoral-bonds-disclosure-ngo-files-contempt-plea-supreme-court-sbi-deadline-extension

Thu Mar 07 14:48:34 IST 2024

The Supreme Court on Thursday listed the contempt petition by the NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), against the State Bank of India's (SBI) non-compliance for March 11.

The plea by ADR was filed by lawyer Prashant Bhushan challenged SBI's application to extend time to disclose the details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties till June 30.

The apex court bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, while taking note of Bhushan's submissions, told him to send an email request with the details of the application number and assured him that the plea will be scheduled for March 11.

The move comes after SBI on Wednesday missed the top court deadline to disclose information regarding electoral bonds. A five-judge bench had struck down the 2018 scheme for anonymous limitless donations to political parties, calling it unconstitutional.

ADR's plea comes as it fears that SBI's application to extend deadline till June 30 would mean that information about political funds will remain secret till Lok Sabha elections conclude.

two-tipra-motha-leaders-take-oath-as-ministers-in-bjp-led-govt-in-tripura

Thu Mar 07 13:39:47 IST 2024

Senior Tipra Motha leader Animesh Debbarma and party MLA Brishaketu Debbarma on Thursday took oath as ministers in the BJP-led government in Tripura.

They were administered the oath of office by Governor Nallu Indrasena Reddy in a ceremony at Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, his cabinet colleagues, Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Debbarma and many leaders of the ruling parties, besides other dignitaries, were present during the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier in the day, Animesh Debbarma submitted his resignation as the leader of the opposition in the assembly to Speaker Biswabandhu Sen. "The Tipra Motha has 13 MLAs in the 60-member assembly. Today, Tipra Motha became a part of the government as an ally of the BJP and was allotted two ministerial berths," Debbarma said.

With the new inductions, the state now has 11 ministers, including Chief Minister Manik Saha. According to the rules, the state can have 12 ministers including the CM.

The development comes days after a tripartite agreement was signed in New Delhi between the Tipra Motha, the Tripura government and the Centre.

The tripartite agreement signed on March 2 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah agreed to amicably resolve all issues of the indigenous people of Tripura related to history, land and political rights, economic development, identity, culture and language, according to an official statement.

maharashtra-bjp-may-contest-in-30-seats-but-seat-sharing-talks-with-shiv-sena-ncp-to-continue

Thu Mar 07 12:55:51 IST 2024

The BJP is likely to put up candidates in 30-32 seats in Maharashtra in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections where the party is in an alliance with Shiv Sena and NCP.

Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Wednesday and though a final decision was not reached, the consensus was that BJP would field candidates in 30-32 seats. While 12-13 will go for Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar group will get five seats.

Sources with Maharashtra BJP told THE WEEK that Amit Shah is said to have told all three leaders, including Chief Ministers Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar that the target was 45 seats in the state. Urging the allies to work together and keep egos aside, Shah also called for a practical approach, which centres on supporting the party which has the strongest chance to win.

Shah is said to have told the trio not to get stuck on "we had won this seat last time, so we want to contest this time too" idea. He added that seats could get changed depending on elective merit and only candidates who have the maximum chance of winning need to be fielded.

Shah's remarks came as both Shiv Sena and NCP sought more seats for themselves in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari is likely to be fielded from Nagpur for the third time while Pankaja Munde, BJP's national secretary and daughter of party veteran late Gopinath Munde, may also contest from the state. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's name is being circulated for the Wardha constituency. There are also speculations that the BJP may choose about 10 new faces for the Maharashtra Lok Sabha battle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly declared in the last few days that the BJP will cross 370-plus seats and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will get 400-plus seats in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from Dnyanesh Jathar)

congress-leader-padmaja-venugopal-joins-bjp-hails-pm-modis-leadership

Thu Mar 07 20:55:56 IST 2024

In what could come as a shot in the arm for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Padmaja Venugopal joined the saffron camp on Thursday.

Padmaja, daughter of late Congress stalwart K. Karunakaran, joined the BJP in the presence of the senior leaders, including the party’s Kerala in-charge and former Union minister Prakash Javadekar.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Padmaja said the Congress lacked a strong leadership and that she had not been happy with the grand old party for the last several years.

"I decided to quit because I was not happy with the Congress for so many years, especially since the last assembly elections in the state (Kerala)," she told reporters.

Padmaja claimed she had tried to reach out to the Congress leadership several times to discuss her grievances but had never been given an appointment.

"There should be a strong leadership in every party. In Congress, there is no leadership. I have great respect for Sonia Ji, but I can't see her. She didn't give (me) an appointment,” she said.

Terming Padmaja’s move as a "breach of confidence", Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K. Sudhakaran said there were no reasons for her to leave the party.

Sudhakaran said he himself had taken many decisions to protect Padmaja’s interests, but she disregarded all that to leave the party.

Earlier, Padmaja’s husband, Venugopal told Manorama News that she had been sidelined within the party for the past few years. He alleged that Padmaja was deliberately defeated by a section of the Congress during the recent assembly election in Thrissur, and the party leaders turned a deaf ear to her complaints.

Venugopal further alleged that the Congress leaders did not even take any initiative to form a Trust in the name of Karunakaran, despite the government allotting land for the purpose.

Padmaja’s brother and senior Congress leader K. Muraleedharan told the media that her decision was a betrayal and would not benefit the saffron party in any way.

“Taking Padmaja will not benefit the BJP. It will also not affect our determination to fight. We will push the BJP to the third spot everywhere, including in seats where they hope to win. This betrayal would be answered through the EVMs," he said.

centre-declares-let-operative-mohammad-qasim-gujjar-as-designated-terrorist

Thu Mar 07 19:06:24 IST 2024

The Centre on Thursday declared Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Mohammad Qasim Gujjar alias Salman alias Suleman as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Gujjar has caused numerous deaths and injuries with terror attacks and is involved in planning war against India.

“Anyone found involved in activities against the unity and integrity of the nation will be dealt with ruthlessly,” he said.

Gujjar will be the 57th individual to be designated a terrorist under the anti-terror law, UAPA.

“Gujjar, with the intention to wage war against the country, has been involved in carrying out a wide-range of terrorist activities, including coordinating, supplying, identifying locations for drones for dropping arms, ammunition, improvised explosive devices and cash, and delivering and managing consignments from across the border,” said an official notification.

He has also been involved in creating new terror modules through recruitment and radicalisation by various means, including social media and other online encrypted communication applications, it said.

The 32-year-old hails from Angrala in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir and is presently residing in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In its notification, the MHA said it exercised the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 to designate Gujjar as a terrorist.

bjp-spreading-canards-about-sandeshkhali-bengal-safest-state-for-women-mamata

Thu Mar 07 17:57:01 IST 2024

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading canards about incidents at Sandeshkhali while asserting that the state is the safest place in the country for women.

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "lecturing" the West Bengal government on women's security, alleging that he keeps silence when women are tortured in BJP-ruled states.

In an apparent reference to former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who joined the BJP during the day, she said, "We will ensure your defeat no matter from where you contest in the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing people after leading a rally in Kolkata for women's rights, she said, Many have given fake sandesh (message) on Sandeshkhali. The way a few incidents were shown is reprehensible. Some incidents may have happened and they have not reached us. But when we get to know something, we take action. I don't hesitate to arrest TMC workers if they are at fault.

Without naming the prime minister, the TMC supremo said, Yesterday you came here and lectured us that atrocities on women are being committed here. In Uttar Pradesh, gruesome rapes are taking place. The BJP should be shameful that our daughters were raped and burnt in Manipur.

"West Bengal is the safest state in the country for women," she said.

Banerjee's comment comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modis remark on Wednesday that the "storm of Sandeshkhali" will sweep Bengal and 'Nari Shakti' (woman power) will play a pivotal role in decimating the ruling party in the Lok Sabha polls.

Banerjee accused the BJP leaders of spreading canards about the safety of women in West Bengal but they maintain a stoic silence when women are tortured in BJP-ruled states.

Hitting out at Gangopadhyay for "taking away jobs of thousands of youths" across the state through his judgments, Banerjee said, "The youths will not forgive you. All your judgments are under question. We will ensure your defeat.

Banerjee claimed that the BJP is angry with the TMC as the party doesn't allow divisive politics in Bengal.

As we don't allow their divisive politics here, Pinto Babu ka gussa aata hai (Pinto babu is angry). I refer to BJP as Pinto babu. Why is Pinto Babu angry? They sent over 400 teams to Bengal but none in Manipur where women were assaulted and stripped," she said.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday led a rally in Kolkata for women's rights. The rally, themed 'Mahila Der Adhikaar, Aamader Angikaar' (women's rights are our commitment), was organised by the TMC a day ahead of International Women's Day.

Clad in her trademark white and blue bordered cotton sari with a shawl wrapped around her neck, Banerjee was seen greeting people and onlookers on both sides of the road with folded hands.

The Trinamool Congress supremo was seen waving at people as she marched from College Street to Dorina Crossing, around two kilometres away, in central Kolkata.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was also present at the rally.

BJP's Ranaghat Dakshin MLA Mukut Mani Adhikari, who was not happy with BJP repeating its sitting MP from Ranaghat, Jagganath Sarkar, on Thursday switched over to the TMC and participated in the rally.

I think TMC is the only platform where you can work for the masses. So I decided to join the TMC, he said.

Since the 2021 assembly polls, seven BJP MLAs have switched over to the TMC but are yet to resign as MLAs.

fear-of-defeat-haunting-congress-smriti-irani-on-delay-in-announcing-amethi-candidate

Thu Mar 07 17:33:57 IST 2024

Union Minister Smriti Irani has taken a jibe at the Congress over its ‘delay’ in announcing candidate for Amethi constituency, saying the fear of defeat is haunting the opposition party.

Irani, who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Amethi, has been fielded again in the constituency by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"At the moment, I do not know who will contest the elections, but the way Congress people are not able to muster the courage to declare the candidate from here, it seems that Amethi's power and fear of defeat are haunting them. This is a clear indication of their defeat,” she said.

Irani, the union minister for women, child development, and minority welfare, was talking to the media after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 281 projects worth Rs 206 crore in her constituency on Thursday.

The Congress’s lack of confidence shows that Amethi is no longer their stronghold, said the minister.

On speculations that Rahul may contest from two seats—Wayanad and Amethi—Irani said the Congress leader should contest from Amethi alone if he has the courage.

"If he is contesting on two seats, it means that he is announcing his defeat from Amethi even before the elections. If he has courage, he must contest from Amethi alone without seeking the help of Mayawati or Akhilesh Yadav. The truth will come out," she was quoted as saying by ANI.

Earlier in the day, Congress district president Pradeep Singhal claimed that party leader Rahul will contest from Amethi parliamentary constituency in the coming elections, and an announcement in this regard will be made soon.

Rahul, who represented Amethi in Parliament from 2002 till 2019, lost the 2019 election to Irani.

ed-files-fresh-court-complaint-against-arvind-kejriwal-for-skipping-summonses

Wed Mar 06 21:30:36 IST 2024

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh complaint before a Delhi court seeking prosecution of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for skipping multiple summonses issued to him in a money laundering case, official sources said on Wednesday.

The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor not honouring summonses no. 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

The court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra has listed the matter for hearing on Thursday.

The ED had earlier moved a local court seeking Kejriwal's prosecution for not attending the first three summonses issued to him in the money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

The court of ACMM Malhotra has listed this matter (regarding summonses no. 1 to 3) for hearing on March 16.

Kejriwal, 55, had called all the ED summonses "illegal" and informed the agency last time that he could be questioned via a videoconferencing link after March 12.

"We have not done anything wrong nor are we trying to hide," he had said at a press conference on March 4, the day he was asked to join the probe according to the ED's eighth summons.

The ED has filed the fresh complaint under Section 174 (non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 63(4) of the PMLA that speaks about "a person who intentionally disobeys any direction" along with sections 190(1)(a) (receiving a complaint of facts which constitute such offence) and 200 (evidence of witnesses on oath) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for non-attendance in compliance of Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence, etc.) of the PMLA.

Similar action was taken by the ED against incarcerated former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. A Ranchi court held the JMM leader prima facie guilty of disobeying notices issued to him by the agency and asked him to appear on April 3.

Kejriwal's name has been mentioned multiple times in charge sheets filed by the ED in the excise policy case. The agency has said that the accused were in touch with Kejriwal regarding the preparation of the excise policy for 2021-22.

So far, the ED has arrested AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh, party communications in-charge Vijay Nair and some liquor businessmen in this case.

The ED had claimed in its charge sheet that the AAP used "proceeds of crime" to the tune of about Rs 45 crore in its Goa assembly polls campaign.

It is alleged that the Delhi government's excise policy to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was subsequently scrapped and Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the irregularities in its formulation and implementation. Later, the ED registered a case under the PMLA.

mva-allies-discuss-seat-sharing-with-prakash-ambedkars-vba-for-ls-polls

Wed Mar 06 20:32:02 IST 2024

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday ruled out any dispute in Maha Vikas Aghadi on any of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra as the three constituents discussed seat-sharing along with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi for the upcoming polls.

Speaking to reporters after attending the meeting, Raut said details of the seat-sharing formula will be announced jointly by MVA members, but refused to assign any timeline.

MVA constituents - Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) - have been holding hectic parleys for the last several days to reach a consensus on the allocation of seats.

"There is no dispute even on a single seat out of 48 among the MVA constituents. We also had a very positive discussion with Prakash Ambedkar. He is also satisfied with our stand to oust the authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Raut said.

When asked about details of the discussions, he said Ambedkar had given us a proposal which was discussed positively.

Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Jitendra Awhad (NCP-SP) and Ambedkar were present at the meeting among others, Raut said, adding that there is no difference of opinions among the allies.

"The details of the seat-sharing formula will be announced jointly by all the MVA members. No one will make any separate announcements regarding it," he added.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole had said that the seat-sharing formula of the MVA is likely to be finalised in the meeting of its leaders in Mumbai.

Though Rahut sought to present a united front, Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, has already declared candidates for Sangli and Wardha Lok Sabha constituencies, traditionally contested by Congress.

Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress are both keen to contest the Kolhapur constituency in western Maharashtra. Mumbai South Central constituency is also emerging as a flash point between the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and Congress.

According to political analysts, the three MVA allies want to keep Ambedkar on their side to avoid any possibility of vote division.

Ahead of the MVA meeting, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat separately met Ambedkar to hold talks.

Although the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) failed to win even a single Lok Sabha or assembly seat in the 2019 elections, the vote split it caused underscored the party's nuisance value, prompting the three MVA allies to invite Ambedkar for talks and negotiate a deal, political analysts said.

In the 2019 elections, a candidate fielded by Ambedkar queered the pitch for Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan, leading to his defeat from the home turf Nanded.

The VBA candidate secured more than 1.60 lakh votes. The division of votes apparently went in favour of Chavan's rival from the BJP, who won by a margin of nearly 40,000 votes, the analysts pointed out.

In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena had won 18 seats from Maharashtra. The party is firm on contesting the same number of seats in the 2024 elections as well.

Raut has already hinted at Shiv Sena (UBT)'s willingness to exchange some seats, but the party is unlikely to compromise on the number of constituencies from where it wants to fight.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena (undivided) had jointly won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 elections, while 4 seats were bagged by the NCP (undivided). The Congress and AIMIM emerged victorious on one seat each; the Amravati seat was won by Independent MP Navneet Rana.

gyanvapi-petition-in-varanasi-court-seeks-permission-to-carry-out-repairs-of-cellar

Wed Mar 06 19:33:29 IST 2024

A petition has been filed at the district court in Varanasi seeking permission to carry out “necessary repairs and maintenance” of the tehkhana (cellar) of the old temple complex at Kashi.

The court had allowed the Hindu side to conduct prayers inside the cellar (Vyas ji tehkhana) on January 31.

The four petitioners—Akansha Tiwari, Deepak Prakash Shukla, Suvid Praveen Kanchan and Amit Kumar—said that after prayers were permitted in the cellar, there has been an increase in footfall in the mosque above.

“Since the worship started in the basement, there has been a sudden increase in the unwanted and unnecessary gathering of Namajis on the roof; due to this, there is too much pressure,” reads the petition.

“The stone walls and ceiling near the place of worship in the basement... being very old, weak, and dilapidated, water is continuously leaking from the ceiling, and one of the stone beams on the ceiling has also cracked,” it said.

The petition also labelled the increase in visitors to the mosque as "ill-intentioned” aimed at “anyhow trying to damage or demolish the roof so that the worship and darshan going on inside the cellar can be stopped”.

The petitioners also argued that the wearing of shoes and slippers above the cellar should be stopped as it is a “direct insult” to the faith of “cores of Bharatiya and the Hindus/Sanatani throughout the world”.

On February 26, the Allahabad High Court dismissed pleas to stop worship in the cellar of the old temple complex at Kashi. The pleas had been filed against two orders passed by the Varanasi district judge on suits in which the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee was the respondent.

The court’s main contention while passing the order was that there was no claim made by the Muslim side earlier on the cellar, and thus Hindus were free to worship the “visible and invisible” deities placed there.

pm-modi-to-announce-slew-of-development-projects-on-first-visit-to-kashmir-post-article-370

Wed Mar 06 15:14:54 IST 2024

On his first visit to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will announce a series of initiatives aimed at fostering the holistic development of the region.

The highlight of the visit will be the inauguration of the Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir programme at Bakshi Stadium. At the heart of the initiatives is the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP)—a Rs 5,000 crore project aimed at revitalising the agri-economy of Jammu and Kashmir. The programme, spanning horticulture, agriculture, and livestock husbandry, is set to benefit approximately 2.5 lakh farmers, offering skill development through the dedicated Daksh Kisan portal and establishing 2,000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars (helpers).

Modi will also dedicate over Rs 1,400 crore worth of projects under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes, focusing on enhancing tourism infrastructure. Among these projects is the 'Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine' in Srinagar, which aims to provide a world-class experience for pilgrims and tourists through improved facilities and amenities.

The PM will also launch the 'Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll,' a nationwide initiative to identify the most preferred tourist attractions across various categories such as Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure, and others. The initiative, hosted on the MyGov platform, encourages citizens to participate and uncover unexplored tourism destinations. In a bid to boost the employment sector, Modi will distribute appointment orders to around 1,000 new government recruits in Jammu and Kashmir. He will interact with beneficiaries of various government schemes, including women achievers, farmers, and entrepreneurs.

The prime minister will conclude the visit by launching the 'Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign,' urging the Indian diaspora, which numbers over 3 crore overseas Indians, to become ambassadors for Incredible India and promote tourism to the country. This campaign aligns with the vision of harnessing the cultural influence of the diaspora to strengthen India's position as a global tourist destination. The visit signifies a significant step towards comprehensive development in Jammu and Kashmir, with a focus on agriculture, tourism, and employment generation, echoing the government's commitment to transforming the region.

jandk-victim-of-parivarvaad-was-chained-to-article-370-for-benefit-of-a-few-families-slams-modi

Thu Mar 07 14:56:58 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress and other Opposition parties on Thursday and charged under Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was kept in chains to benefit a few families. This was the prime minister’s first visit after the abrogation of the article.

Addressing a public rally in Srinagar, Modi charged, “J&K has been a huge victim of 'Parivarvad' and corruption. The previous governments here had left no stone unturned to destroy our J&K Bank. Filling the bank with their relatives and nephews, these 'Parivarvadis' have ruined the bank. Due to mismanagement, the bank had incurred so much loss that all of you were in danger of losing thousands of crores of rupees.”

He added, “After the abrogation of Article 370, there are equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir is touching new heights of development after the abrogation of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir is touching new heights of development today because it is breathing freely."

Modi charged Congress and its allies misled the people of Kashmir for their benefits. “For decades, for political gains, Congress and its allies misled the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the name of 370 and misled the country. The people of J&K have come to know the truth that they were misled,” Modi said. He charged J&K was kept in chains for the benefit of a few families. “Today there is no 370, hence the talent of the youth of J&K is being fully respected and they are getting new opportunities. Today there are equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone here,” he said.

The prime minister also extended wishes for Maha Shivratri and Ramzan. Describing Jammu and Kashmir as the crown of the country, the prime minister said the path to building a developed Jammu and Kashmir will emerge from tourism possibilities and empowerment of farmers. Modi said two crore tourists visited the state in 2023 and even big celebrities from across the world are visiting the state.

-with inputs from PTI and ANI.

rameshwaram-cafe-blast-nia-team-reaches-ballari-bus-stand-believes-he-travelled-to-bhatkal

Thu Mar 07 11:23:37 IST 2024

After carrying out searches in Tumakuru on Wednesday, the NIA team investigating the March 1 Bengaluru blast reached Ballari bus stand on Thursday in pursuit of leads regarding the suspect, said local reports. The investigators believe that the suspect travelled to Bhatkal from Ballari.

The investigators suspect that the man had travelled to Ballari via Tumakuru after the blast, reported Udayavani. More than 10 NIA officers reportedly reached the city early on Thursday morning after the suspect was seen in the city bus stand.

The suspect reportedly got on a Gokarna-bound bus in Ballari and got down at Bhatkal, The New Indian Express quoted an officer as saying. The coastal town of Bhatkal is infamous for being home to several ISIS-linked terrorists, including Yasin Bhatkal, who was named in the NIA's most wanted list until his arrest.

A new photograph showing the Rameshwaram Cafe blast suspect sitting inside a public bus following the explosion in Bengaluru has been circulated online. Bengaluru police suspect that that man in the photo is the main suspect who allegedly swapped his full-sleeve shirt and cap before boarding the bus.

This comes a day after NIA announced Rs 10 lakh cash reward for information about the suspect, while posting a photo of the suspect clad in cap, mask and glasses while entering the cafe.

At least 10 people were injured in the IED blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Brookfield, Bengaluru, on March 1.

pm-modi-arrives-in-srinagar-to-unveil-development-works-worth-rs-6400-crore

Thu Mar 07 13:14:59 IST 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Srinagar to unveil a slew of development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore and address a public meeting, officials said.

This is Modi's first visit to the Kashmir valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The prime minister landed at the Srinagar airport and then flew to Badamibagh Cantonment, the headquarters of the Army's 15 or Chinar Corps, they said.

At the Badamibagh Cantonment, Modi would lay a wreath at the War Memorial and pay tributes to the fallen soldiers. He would then drive to Bakshi Stadium via Gupkar and Zero Bridge in a cavalcade to participate in the 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu Kashmir' programme, officials said.

The security apparatus has secured the road from Badamibagh Cantonment to Bakshi Stadium. Tricolours, BJP flags and hoardings welcoming Modi have been put up along the route that will be taken by Modi. Stringent security arrangements have been put in place to ensure an incident-free visit, they said.

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers along the routes to be taken by Modi in Srinagar while barricades have been set up at several places, they said. Drones and CCTV cameras are being used for surveillance while foot patrolling by the security forces has been intensified in a two-kilometre radius around the venue, officials said.

Marine commandos have been deployed in Jhelum River and Dal Lake to prevent the use of the water bodies for any subversive activities, they said.

The prime minister will inaugurate initiatives worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for boosting the agri-economy in the Union Territory. Modi will launch nationwide projects related to the tourism sector worth more than Rs 1,400 crore under the 'Swadesh Darshan' and 'PRASHAD' (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) schemes, including a project for the integrated development of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.

He will also launch the 'Dekho Apna Desh People's Choice Tourist Destination Poll' and the 'Chalo India Global Diaspora' campaign as well, besides announcing tourist destinations selected under the Challenge-Based Destination Development (CBDD) scheme.

Modi will distribute appointment letters to nearly 1,000 newly recruited government employees in Jammu and Kashmir and also interact with the beneficiaries of various central schemes, including women achievers, farmers and entrepreneurs, an official statement said.

indian-warship-rescues-21-crew-members-of-barbados-flagged-vessel-in-gulf-of-aden

Thu Mar 07 13:02:41 IST 2024

Indian warship INS Kolkata has rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, after their Barbados-flagged cargo vessel was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden, a Navy spokesperson said on Thursday.

The crew members had abandoned bulk carrier MV True Confidence after it caught fire following the attack on Wednesday.

“INS Kolkata, deployed for maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at the scene of action at 4.45pm and rescued 21 crew members, including one Indian national, from a life raft using its integral helicopter and boats,” Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. “Critical medical aid was provided to the injured crew by the ship's medical team,” he said.

The rescued crew, including the critically injured personnel, have been evacuated to Djibouti by INS Kolkata. “The Indian Navy warship swiftly responded to the maritime incident in the Gulf of Aden,” Madhwal said.

“The Barbados-flagged vessel was reportedly hit by a drone approximately 55 nm southwest of Aden resulting in the fire on board and critical injuries to some of the crew members forcing the crew to abandon the ship,” he said.

The fresh incident came amid increasing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by the Houthi militants. In the last few weeks, the Indian Navy has extended assistance to a number of merchant vessels in the Western Indian Ocean following attacks on them.

kerala-congress-stalwart-karunakurans-daughter-padmaja-set-to-join-bjp

Thu Mar 07 11:49:58 IST 2024

Congress stalwart and former Kerala Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s daughter Padmaja Venugopal is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Padmaja will receive party membership from BJP President J.P. Nadda on Thursday evening.

Padmaja, currently a functionary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee took the decision after she reportedly felt being sidelined within the party. Her husband Venugopal told Manorama News that Padmaja was feeling sidelined within the party for the past few years. He charged Padmaja was deliberately defeated by a section of Congress during the recent assembly election in Thrissur and Congress leaders turned a deaf ear to her complaints. He added Congress leaders even did not show necessary initiative to build a Trust in the name of Karunakaran despite the government allotting land for the purpose.

Meanwhile, responding to the developments Vadakara MP and Padmaja’s brother K. Muraleedharan said her decision was a betrayal and would not benefit the saffron party even an ounce. “Taking Padmaja will not benefit the BJP even an ounce. It will also not affect our determination to fight. We will push the BJP to third spot everywhere, including in seats where they hope to win. This betrayal would be answered through the EVMs," Muraleedharan said.

The Vadakara MP said Muraleedharan said Karunakaran had never compromised with communalism and for a member of his family to join the BJP was a sad outcome as far as people with a secular mindset were concerned.

Recently, veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony's son Anil Antony joined the BJP. Anil, who was at the helm of Kerala Congress's digital media team, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election from the Pathanamthitta constituency.

panauti-jibe-at-modi-ec-asks-rahul-gandhi-to-be-more-careful-in-public-utterances

Wed Mar 06 22:07:13 IST 2024

The Election Commission has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to be more careful and cautious in his public utterances in the wake of his "panuti" (bad omen) and "pickpocket" jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

Acting on a Delhi High Court directive of December last year, the poll panel also asked Gandhi to follow its recent advisory for star campaigners and political leaders in the right earnest during election campaign.

In the advisory dated March 1, the Election Commission (EC) had warned that parties, candidates and star campaigners will face stern action, rather than just 'moral censure' for any violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

It also said that the star campaigners and candidates who have received notices in the past will face stern action for repeat violation of the model code.

The EC had issued a notice to Gandhi last year after the Congress leader used terms like "panauti" and "pickpocket" for the prime minister.

The commission was also asked on December 21 by the Delhi High Court to decide on the notice it had issued to Gandhi for these comments, saying the statement made by the Congress leader during a speech delivered in November 2023 was "not in good taste".

Disposing off the court directive, the EC has asked Gandhi "to be more careful and cautious in his public utterances in the future", sources said.

"After considering all facts in the matter related to remarks such as 'jebkatra' (pickpocket) and 'pannauti', including the court order and Gandhi's reply, the Election Commission has advised Gandhi to be more careful and cautious in future," a source said.

The commission has further directed Gandhi, as a star campaigner, to take into notice its March 1 advisory for all parties, star campaigners and candidates in right earnest while making public utterances.

The poll panel had issued a notice to Gandhi on November 23 seeking his stand about his speeches during his campaigns for the assembly elections in Rajasthan.

The former Congress president took the "pickpocket" dig at Modi during his poll speech, alleging that the prime minister diverts people's attention while industrialist Gautam Adani picks their pockets. This is how pickpockets operate, he had alleged.

The court order followed a petition that had also objected to certain other statements by Gandhi referring to the prime minister as "panauti".

A Hindi slang, "panauti" loosely refers to someone who brings bad luck.

chandrababu-naidu-pawan-kalyan-in-delhi-today-as-tdp-jana-sena-bjp-alliance-talks-gain-momentum

Thu Mar 07 10:35:17 IST 2024

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan will arrive in Delhi on Thursday to meet BJP central leadership to decide on the potential alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, according to reports.

There has been talk of a triparty alliance between the regional parties and BJP for some time. The leaders of TDP are enthusiastic about the alliance as it would give it a renewed vigour to fight the YSR Congress in the elections.

Though several meetings were held between the parties, they have yet to iron out creases. Last month, Naidu met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President JP Nadda in Delhi to discuss the electoral alliance but no decision was taken.

On Wednesday, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan called on Naidu at the latter’s residence at Tadepalli. They reportedly held discussions on the sharing of seats with the BJP in case an alliance is struck. A little later, Naidu received a call from Delhi, requesting his presence in Delhi for talks.

BJP State Unit chief D Purandeswari too is also in Delhi to meet the party's high command and she is likely to help decide on the number of seats the party will contest.

As per speculations, of the state's 25 Lok Sabha seats, the TDP has agreed to give the BJP four seats, but the BJP wants to field candidates on at least 10 seats while Jana Sena will contest on three seats. For Assembly elections, BJP would seek at least 15 seats. "The party will settle for no less than six Lok Sabha seats. It is confident that it can win at least two to three seats in the State," BJP sources told The New Indian Express.

The TDP had an alliance with the BJP but snapped it in 2018. Though the party tried to revive the ties, the BJP's reaction was less than enthusiastic as it had warm relations with the Jagan government. The YSR Congress had supported BJP in Parliament in passing several key bills.

delhi-court-summons-cm-kejriwal-physically-after-ed-files-fresh-complaint-for-skipping-summons

Thu Mar 07 12:00:19 IST 2024

The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has issued fresh summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to appear physically in Court on March 16 after the Enforcement Directorate filed a fresh complaint against the chief minister for dishonouring summons. The Court had asked Kejriwal to appear in court in an earlier summons as well.

The Enforcement Directorate filed a fresh complaint before the court seeking prosecution of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for skipping summonses No 4 to 8 sent by the federal probe agency under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. However, responding to a recent summons on Monday, the AAP leader said though the summons was illegal, he would appear before the agency virtually after March 12.

Tweeting about the ED’s action, Kejriwal charged ED is harassing political leaders and getting them to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. “After getting the ED raid done, the question is asked - where will you go - BJP or jail? Those who refuse to go to BJP, they send them to jail,” Kejriwal tweeted. He added, “If Satyendar Jain, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh join BJP today, they will get bail tomorrow itself. It is not that these three have committed any crime, they just refused to join the BJP. If I join BJP today, I will also stop getting summons from ED.”

bjd-bjp-hint-at-pre-poll-alliance-in-odisha

Thu Mar 07 09:30:24 IST 2024

Although there was no formal announcement regarding a pre-poll alliance between the ruling BJD and the Opposition BJP in Odisha, leaders from both parties hinted at a mutual tie-up before the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

While BJD leaders held a marathon meeting at Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, here on Wednesday, the BJP leaders had a similar meeting in the national capital, discussing election matters, including a potential alliance.

After over three hours of discussion, BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra acknowledged discussions about a possible alliance with the BJP but did not explicitly confirm its formation.

"Biju Janata Dal will prioritise the greater interests of the people of Odisha. Yes, there were discussions on the issue (alliance)," Mishra told reporters.

Claiming that Odisha had progressed significantly under Naveen Patnaik's leadership, Mishra emphasised the need to take the state's development to the next level.

In a press release issued by Mishra and BJD's senior general secretary Arun Kumar Sahoo, it was stated, "An extensive discussion was held under the leadership of BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik with the senior leaders of the party today regarding the strategy of the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections."

Meanwhile, after a meeting presided over by BJP president JP Nadda in Delhi, senior BJP leader and MP Jual Oram admitted to discussions on a pre-poll alliance with the BJD. However, he said the party's central leadership would make the final decision on the matter.

"Yes, there were discussions on the alliance among other issues. The party's central leadership will make the final call," Oram, who personally opposed the alliance, said.

Top leaders of the state including Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, attended the core committee meeting chaired by Nadda.

Both parties had previously rejected media reports about a potential pre-poll alliance on February 29.

BJD national spokesperson Sasmit Patra and BJP's Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar had dismissed the reports as rumours.