Video: Cop Chased, Punched, Dragged From His Bike By Mob In Telangana

A Circle Inspector of police was attacked by a mob in Khammam reserve forest area when a police team went to control a law and order situation near Chandrapalem village in Sattupalem mandal in Telangana on Sunday.

A group of local villagers went and claimed a saline patch for cultivation when another group of non-locals made a counter-claim.

As tensions rose and clashes broke out between the two groups, a team of 10-15 policemen as well as forest officers arrived on the scene.

Why the specific officer was targeted is not yet clear.

A video showed a group of them dragging down the recently-appointed cop, dressed in civilian clothes, from his bike and pummeling him with fists as another cop tries to pull him away.

The clip further shows the tribals going after him even as uniformed cops try and save the Circle Inspector.

A senior officer, who requested not to be quoted, said they are investigating why only the Circle Inspector was targeted and whether it was a conspiracy.

In November 2022, a forest officer Chalamala Srinivas Rao was attacked and killed using sticks and knives by tribals. The then Chief Minister KCR had announced Rs 50 lakh compensation for the family of the victims.

Two men involved in the murder of forest range officer Chalamala Srinivasa Rao were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Principal District and Sessions Judge Patil Vasanth in August 2023.

The incident had taken place on the outskirts of Errabolu Guthikonda village of Chandrugonda mandal on November 22, 2022.

The court found the accused, Madakam Tula and Podium Nanga, belonging to the Goti Koya community, guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. The court imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on the offenders.

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3 Congress Leaders Of Assam Quit Party, Join BJP Ahead Of Elections

Three Congress leaders of Assam, including a state committee general secretary, resigned from the party on Saturday and joined the ruling BJP.

Two of them were known to be close associates of the party candidate from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi, who is the deputy leader of opposition in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while the third was a top leader of the Charaideo district party unit.

Manash Borah, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) general secretary, in his resignation letter to the party national president, said he was quitting to explore new opportunities.

"I believe it is time for me to explore new opportunities and avenues for welfare of the people and the state I represent," Manash Borah, who was also a member of the All India Congress Committee, said.

APCC secretary Gauravv Somani, in his resignation to the state party chief, said one of the primary reasons for his decision was "unsatisfactory leadership presently within the Assam Congress, which has regrettably failed to effectively address the pressing issues faced by the people of the state".

Leader of Charaideo district Congress committee Anuj Barkataky also quit the party and joined the BJP.

Manash Borah and Anuj Barkataky are sons of former Congress ministers in the state, and along with Somani, were key leaders in Gogoi's campaign in the Jorhat constituency.

State BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, cabinet ministers Pijush Hazarika and Jayanta Mallabaruah and other senior party leaders were present at the joining ceremony at the party headquarters here.

Speaking to reporters later, Manash Borah said the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had attracted him to the party.

Criticising the Congress, he claimed that it has lost touch with the roots, and decisions were taken by a handful of people in closed rooms.

"We want to work for the people and hence, have decided to join a party connected with the people," Manash Borah, who had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Guwahati on a Congress ticket, added.

Meanwhile, another senior Congress leader Kishore Bhattacharya has also reportedly quit the party and is likely to join the BJP soon, sources said.

A number of key Congress leaders have resigned from the party in the months leading to the general elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Top INDIA Bloc Leaders To Attend AAP's Delhi Rally On Sunday

Top INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav among others will attend a 'maharally' to be held by the AAP at the Ramlila Maidan on March 31, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has received the permission of the authorities concerned to hold the rally for an attendance of more than 20,000 people. It is being held in the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, he said.

The call on whether Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal will address the 'Maharally' will be taken later, Mr Rai said.

Other prominent political leaders and members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) like TMC's Derek O'Brien, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, NC's Farooq Abdullah and Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren of JMM will also attend the rally, he said.

Kalpana Soren, the wife of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is currently in jail, will also attend the rally, he said.

The party leaders said they are also in touch with PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, who may join the rally.

According to the party's senior leadership, they are planning a show of strength at the Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, from where they may launch a massive campaign against the ruling BJP government for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Rai said after Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, the party has held multiple protests across Delhi. They noticed two kinds of law and order on road -- the Delhi police easily gives permissions to hold protests to the BJP but the opposition is not allowed for that, he said, and added that all this is happening when the model code of conduct of the Election Commission is in force.

The AAP finally managed to get the permission to hold the rally. It has also given some undertakings to the Delhi Police, the sources said.

The AAP has made a three-tier plan to motivate the people to come to the rally. First the meetings were held at the Vidhan Sabha level, then all the 2600 polling stations level and now a door-to-door campaign has started.

"We are going door-to-door to distribute invitation letters and urging people to come to Ramlila Maidan and raise their voices peacefully against democracy and dictatorship," he said.

Mr Rai claimed that ever since the BJP government at the Centre and the prime minister arrested the popularly elected chief minister of Delhi, there has been grave anger among the people. He said the people from every class and profession, students, youths and members of RWAs are expected to come in the rally.

On Thursday, Mr Kejriwal alleged in a Delhi court that the BJP government has given bail by taking Rs 60 crore from the same businessman on whose statements he has been jailed. Therefore, today there is significant anger among the people. Entire Delhi is going to gather in Ramlila Maidan at 10 am on March 31 against this "dictatorship", Mr Rai said.

A party leader said the theme of the party will be "tanashahi hatao, desh bachao" (save the country by abolishing dictatorship).

The AAP is expecting that all major leaders of the INDIA bloc will participate in the rally.

"To make the mega rally successful and to ensure the participation of as many people as possible, the Aam Aadmi Party has initiated the campaign of distributing invitation letters," a party statement said.

A party leader accused the BJP government of forcing them to indulge in law and order situation, so that they could get an opportunity to impose president's rule in Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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BJP Ally Says His Party Being Neglected In Maharashtra Seat-Sharing Talks

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday said ally BJP should give his Republican Party of India (A) at least two Lok Sabha seats to contest.

Mr Athawale said he had sought Shirdi and Solapur seats in Maharashtra in February.

"But, unfortunately, the name of RPI(A) is nowhere to be seen in the seat sharing process. New partners are being given preference, while my party, which has been an ally of BJP for 12 years, is neglected," he claimed.

"The mahayuti (ruling alliance) was formed after RPI supported BJP-Shiv Sena in the 2012 BMC elections. The Mahayuti did not get formed because Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar joined. There is a complaint among RPI workers that the party is not getting respect. They expressed it in today's meeting here," he added.

If the RPI(A) is not given two seats, then deliberations should take place on what else they (BJP) are going to offer, Athawale said, adding he would meet Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to convey the sentiments of party workers.

"We will demand that RPI should get one cabinet rank position in the Centre. In the state, they should give us one cabinet post, chairman positions in a couple of federations, and other positions. We will demand at least one MLC position and at least 10 seats in the state elections," Mr Athawale said.

"The RPI is strongly standing with PM Narendra Modi. However, party workers believe RPI is being insulted and I have been asked to take an appropriate decision. The RPI is not taken into confidence, the party is not being summoned for any meeting, and there is no discussion with the party over seat-sharing," he claimed.

The BJP must take a decision on Shirdi Lok Sabha as the RPI can win it, he claimed, adding that his photographs were not being used on alliance posters alongside that of Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP's Ajit Pawar. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"When Fools Try To Fool Others...": Smriti Irani Attacks Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of peddling division along lines of religion, gender and caste.

Speaking at the Times Now Summit, she emphasized that while the opposition fixates on issues of caste and religion, the BJP remains steadfast in its commitment to development, focusing on crucial areas such as health, infrastructure and education.

"What is Mr Gandhi offering you? He is offering you division based on religion, gender, caste. He wants you to regress so that somebody could give him one shot at being the king of the day," she said, referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi repeatedly raising the issue of caste census.

Ms Irani didn't mince words, asserting, "When fools try to fool others, they only end up manifesting how foolish they truly are." 

Drawing a sharp contrast between the agendas of the BJP and the Congress, Ms Irani said, "The opposition is asking you to fight about caste, religion, and what is BJP talking about - development." 

The BJP leader also seized upon the Congress' strategic decision to announce Mr Gandhi's candidature from Wayanad, questioning the party's commitment to its traditional strongholds of Amethi and Raebareli.

By choosing to contest from Wayanad, Ms Irani argued the Congress revealed its hesitancy to fully invest in regions where it once held sway, referring to Amethi where Mr Gandhi lost to her in the 2019 polls.

She challenged the Congress' ability to stand independently in battleground constituencies, suggesting that their reliance on alliances signalled a lack of confidence in their own capabilities.

Highlighting the track record of the two parties, Ms Irani pointed out that the Congress had dismissed governments 84 times, whereas the BJP had never resorted to using constitutional instruments to dismiss a government.

She also underscored Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forward-looking vision for India, contrasting it with the apparent inability of the Congress to get its own house in order.

"PM Modi talks about what we will be as a nation in 2047, and the Congress cannot get its own act together in 2024; that is the difference," Ms Irani remarked.

She cited the example of the Congress' reluctance to announce a candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, a move she characterized as unprecedented in the Indian political history.

Ms Irani also took aim at individual leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging financial improprieties and accused him of diverting funds meant for public welfare into election campaigns.

Addressing derogatory comments against actress and BJP's Mandi candidate Kangana Ranaut by Congress leader Supriya Shrinate, Irani criticized what she termed the party's "political strategy" of character assassination and sexualized attacks when faced with dissenting voices.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Arvind Kejriwal's Wife Reaches Probe Agency Office To Meet Him

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, reached the office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday evening to meet the AAP chief.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday remanded Mr Kejriwal to six days of ED custody in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam case till March 28, following his arrest on March 21.

Earlier on Saturday, March 23, Sunita Kejriwal met CM Kejriwal at the ED's office.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been demanding that Mr Kejriwal relinquish the chief minister's post after his arrest in connection with the liquor policy case. However, the AAP has maintained that he will run the government from ED custody.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that CM Kejriwal has issued a second order from the ED custody, asking him to address the shortage of medicines and diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics and hospitals in the national capital.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the excise policy case.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi Excise Policy 2022, which was later scrapped.

While Mr Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED's chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.

Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Court Appoints Committee To Look Into Preservation Of Great Indian Bustard

The Supreme Court has recently appointed an expert committee to look into the preservation of the Great Indian Bustard which is "non-negotiable" and "need for sustainable development in the context of meeting the international commitments of the country towards promoting renewable sources of energy".

A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed the order observing while dealing with a matter relating to protecting the Great Indian Bustard (GIB).

The court has sought a report from the committee by July and listed the matter for the second week of August 2024.

"We are of the view that it will be appropriate if an expert committee is appointed so as to balance both the need for the preservation of the GIB, which is non-negotiable and the need for sustainable development, more particularly, in the context of meeting the international commitments of the country towards promoting renewable sources of energy," the court in its March 21 order stated.

During the course of the hearing, the Court has underscored the importance of taking proactive measures to protect the GIB.

"There is no dispute in regard to the fact that the GIB is seriously endangered as a species. At the same time, it has emerged in the course of the hearing that there is no adequate basis to impose a general prohibition in regard to the installation of transmission lines in an area as wide as over 88,000 square kilometres," the court order read.

The committee includes the Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun; Hari Shankar Singh, Member, the National Board for Wildlife; Niranjan Kumar Vasu, Ex-Principal Chief Conservator of Forest; B Majumdar, former Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Maharashtra; and Devesh Gadhavi, Deputy Director, The Corbett Foundation, among others.

The committee will determine the scope, feasibility and extent of overhead and underground electric lines in the area identified as priority area in the reports of the Wild Life Institute of India in the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The committee will also look into the need for adopting conservation and protection measures for the GIB, as well as other fauna specific to the topography and desert features and identify the measures to be adopted in the priority areas to ensure the long-term survival of the GIB.

It will also look into the identification of suitable alternatives in the context of sustainable development in the matter of laying long future power lines, which should balance the protection of conservation and the protection of the Great Indian Bustard together with the arrangement of power lines in a manner that would facilitate the fulfilment of the international commitments made by India for developing renewable sources of energy.

"The injunction which has been imposed in the order dated April 19, 2021, in respect of the area described as the potential area shall accordingly stand relaxed subject to the condition that the Expert Committee appointed by this Court may lay down suitable parameters covering both the priority and potential areas," the court said.

The Committee shall be at liberty to impose any additional measures, both in regard to the priority and potential areas, if it considers it appropriate, including considering the efficacy and suitability of installing bird diverters on existing and future power lines, the court clarified.

Earlier, a three-judge bench had directed the concerned authorities to convert the overhead cables into underground powerlines.

The court's order had come on a plea seeking to protect two species of birds, including the Great Indian Bustard.

According to the petition, the existence of overhead power lines is stated to have become a hazard due to which the said species of birds in collision are getting killed.

According to the petitioners, overhead power lines are the biggest threat to the survival of the GIBs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Pallavi Dempo 1st Woman To Contest Lok Sabha Polls On BJP Ticket From Goa

The executive director of Dempo Industries, Pallavi Dempo, is the first woman candidate in the BJP's Goa poll history. The BJP today declared Ms Dempo's candidature from South Goa in its latest list of 111 candidates for the uupcoming general elections.

A Goan entrepreneur and educationist, Pallavi Dempo has a graduate degree in chemistry and a postgraduate degree in business management (MBA) from MIT, Pune.

The 49-year-old entrepreneur oversees the media and real estate arm of Dempo Industries as its executive director.

The South Goa seat is currently represented by Congress leader Francisco Sardinha and the BJP has won this constituency only twice since 1962.

The South Goa constituency, spread across 20 assembly segments, changed hands among the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, United Goans Party, and Indian National Congress. The BJP won this seat in 1999 and 2014 but couldn't retain it.

Ms Dempo's husband Shrinivas Dempo is a noted industrialist who heads the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI).

The Dempo family has adopted government high schools under the Rural School Adoption Programme to provide vocational training to girls.

Pallavi Dempo is the president of the Indo-German Educational and Cultural Society which contributes to the cultural enrichment between Germany and Goa.

She is the trustee of Moda Goa Foundation, a fashion and textile museum started by Wendell Rodricks and has served as a member of the academic council affiliated with Goa University from 2012 to 2016.

Besides being a member of various other organisations, Pallavi Dempo is also part of the managing committee of the Goa Cancer Society and serves on the core committee of All India Management Association's Women's Council - AIMA Aspire.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rs 15.78 Crore Cash, Liquor Worth Rs 23.37 Crore Seized In Karnataka

The Election Commission on Saturday said Rs 6.13 crore cash was seized in the last 24 hours in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections taking the total amount of cash seized in Karnataka to Rs 15.78 crore since the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 16.

The general elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7 for 28 constituencies.

According to EC officials, since the MCC came into force, the flying squads, static surveillance teams and police authorities have seized Rs 15.78 crore cash, Rs 17.3 lakh worth of freebies, 7.41 lakh litres of liquor worth over Rs 23.37 crore, 66.34 kg narcotic substances worth over Rs 65 lakh and precious metals valued at over Rs 43 crore.

They have also registered 496 FIRs with regard to seizure of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metal and freebies, while 72,627 arms have been deposited, 836 arms were impounded, eight arms licences have been cancelled, 4,175 cases were booked under preventive sections of CrPC, out of which 4,826 persons were bounded over.

The Excise Department has booked 552 heinous cases, 430 cases for breach of licence conditions, 29 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) and 1,815 cases under Section 15 (a) of Karnataka Excise Act 1965 and also 329 different types of vehicles have been seized.

In a statement, the office of Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka said the police department has seized 5.36 crore in Bangalore Rural parliamentary constituency. It also seized 203 kg of sandalwood worth over Rs 30 lakh in Bellary parlimentary constituency.

Meanwhile, nearly Rs 16 lakh cash was seized in Mysore parliamentary constituency while Rs 26 lakh cash was seized in Bellary parliamentary constituency. 

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Arvind Kejriwal Claims Cop Who Manhandled AAP Leader Misbehaved With Him

A Delhi police officer who had allegedly manhandled former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on the premises of a court in the city has now misbehaved with him, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has claimed.

The AAP chief said this in an application filed in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court in which he has sought the removal of the officer from his security cordon.

In the application, Mr Kejriwal - who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the liquor policy case - has claimed that Assistant Commissioner of Police AK Singh had misbehaved with him while he was being brought to the court for his hearing in the remand application moved by the agency earlier on Friday. The nature of the alleged misbehaviour is not yet known.

Mr Singh is the same cop who was accused of restraining Mr Sisodia by the neck on the premises of the same court last year when reporters were asking him a question. The act was caught on video and Mr Sisodia had filed a written complaint. The Delhi Police had denied any wrongdoing and said the action shown in the video was necessary for security and that it was against the law for any accused to give statements to the media.

The police had also moved an application in the court, seeking its permission to produce Mr Sisodia only via video-conferencing. This, they had claimed, was necessary as producing him physically created "chaos" with AAP supporters and mediapersons gathering in the corridors of the court.

While Mr Sisodia was taken into custody in the Delhi liquor policy case in February last year, Mr Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on Thursday night, becoming the first sitting chief minister to face such an action. The AAP chief was produced in the Rouse Avenue court, which granted the agency his custody for seven days.

The financial crime fighting agency, which is investigating the money laundering angle in the case, had sought Mr Kejriwal's custody for 10 days and said it needed to confront him with the other accused.

The agency has claimed that the chief minister and the AAP had received kickbacks in exchange for favours and that he was the "kingpin" and a key conspirator in the alleged scam.

The total proceeds of the crime, according to the ED, are Rs 600 crore. It has claimed that the Delhi liquor policy provided a profit margin of 12% for wholesalers and nearly 185% for retailers. Of the 12%, six was to be recovered from wholesalers as kickbacks for AAP leaders and a lobby called the South Group allegedly gave Rs 100 crore in advance to another accused in the case, Vijay Nair, who was linked to the ruling party in Delhi.

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Maharashtra Man Gets Death Penalty For Rape, Murder Of 6-Year-Old Girl

The Sessions Court in Pune on Friday sentenced a 24-year-old man to death for the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Maval Taluka of Pune district.

In August 2022, the girl, aged six years, was playing in the courtyard of her house when the accused, a resident of Kamshet in Maval Taluka, kidnapped her, raped her, and slit her throat. The girl's body was found the next day in the accused's backyard.

The mother of the accused was also sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for hiding evidence and not reporting the incident to the police.

During the investigation, both the accused had confessed to the crime but later pleaded not guilty after a chargesheet was filed in the court by the police.

According to Public Prosecutor Senior Advocate Rajesh Kavediya, during the trial, the prosecution submitted that "on the basis of all evidence brought on record, the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused kidnapped the deceased girl while she was playing in the courtyard, took her to his home, committed aggravated sexual assault on the deceased, and murdered her brutally by cutting her throat.

"The accused thereafter attempted to hide the dead body by burying it in a pit below a tree behind his house. His mother had hidden the clothes and articles on the person of the deceased to protect her son from punishment, and so both accused should be convicted," Mr Kavediya added.

He further submitted that, "The accused is a sex maniac, obsessed with uncontrolled, relentless sexual thoughts and addicted to viewing child pornography."

Mr Kavediya expressed his gratitude towards the court for conducting a speedy trial.

The case came to trial around October 2022, and 29 witnesses were examined in just 8 months after the chargesheet was filed.

Reacting to the court order, Defense Lawyer Advocate Yashpal Purohit said, "I welcome the judgment given by the honorable court, but the defense will be moving to a higher court to seek the legal remedies available to the accused."

The Sessions Court, in its order, stated that, "The present crime seems to be one of the most heinous, brutal, and barbaric acts by a sexually obsessed and hardened cruel person."

The trial was conducted by Additional Sessions Court Judge BP Kshirsagar of Pune Sessions Court.

The incident occurred in August 2022. The case was registered at Kamshet Police Station under Pune Rural Police, and the conviction came in approximately one year and seven months.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Aid Those That Lost Earning Member In Gujarat Bridge Tragedy: Court To Firm

The Gujarat High Court on Friday asked Oreva Group, the company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Morbi bridge that collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 persons, to provide jobs or monthly remuneration to families who lost their earning member.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee was hearing a suo motu PIL on the incident.

It also asked the company to provide a two-bedroom house in "Parel or Lower Parel area" of Mumbai as compensation to a 23-year-old woman who was injured in the bridge collapse and currently works in a firm in Bandra Kurla Complex in the metropolis.

During Friday's hearing, the bench asked the government and the company to expedite the process of creating a trust to look after the compensation and rehabilitation of victims.

About the rehabilitation of those who are now suffering from partial or full disability, the court said, "These people must be permanently adopted. They have to be taken care of throughout their lives. This is their (Oreva's) creation. A man-made creation," the chief justice said.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi informed the bench that four of the 10 women who were widowed had accepted Oreva's job offer.

The bench was also apprised about two families who have lost their earning member in the tragedy and have six daughters (three in each family), including five minors.

The court asked the company to provide additional financial support to these children for their studies and for meeting other expenses on basic amenities.

The bench also asked the company to check how widows can be accommodated in jobs or if they can be given a monthly remuneration in case they can't work due to some reasons.

"Provide a job to everyone who lost their earning member. Also work on rehabilitation of injured victims so that they can live independently. If not a job, provide monthly remuneration," said Chief Justice Agarwal.

While going through the government's affidavit, the chief justice inquired about a 23-year-old woman who suffered a humerus fracture in the bridge collapse.

Mr Trivedi told the court the woman is currently working with a multinational financial firm in BKC in Mumbai.

Chief Justice Agarwal, in her order, directed the Oreva Group to buy her a two-bedroom house in any "good area near her office" such as Parel or Lower Parel as compensation to her.

"Purchase a two-BHK house in any good area. That will be her compensation. Since she works in BKC, Lower Parel is good. We are not joking. She has to be on her own. This will be written in our order," the chief justice said.

Meanwhile, Mr Trivedi informed the bench that Oreva Group CMD Jaysukh Patel was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Ensure Level-Playing Field": INDIA To Poll Body After AAP Chief's Arrest

Following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the INDIA bloc on Friday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India urging its intervention in the "targeting of opposition leaders" by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party through the "misuse of central agencies".

The representation to the ECI was made by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, Abhishek Singhvi, NCP (SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O Brien and several other leaders.

The INDIA bloc in its memorandum, has urged the poll body to ensure that any further raids, investigations, and arrests are first vetted and approved by the Commission or a committee set up under it.

It also urged the Election Commission to take immediate action, including the launch of investigations against all those individuals and officers who have misused their offices to harass the leaders of the opposition.

"Take any other steps necessary to ensure the constitutional mandate of a level playing field and to prevent political parties in power from misusing the State machinery against the leaders and political parties contesting elections in a democratic setup," the memorandum submitted to the poll body read.

The memorandum further pointed out the recent action taken by Central agencies against NCP (SCP) leader Rohit Pawar, TMC leaders-- Shankar Adhya, Sujit Bose, Tapas Roy, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, AAP leader ND Gupta, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, TMC leader Mahua Moitra. It also mentioned the freezing of the bank accounts of Congress by the Income Tax department.

The memorandum letter submitted to the poll body by the INDIA asserted that "arrests, of individuals holding Constitutional posts are clearly intended to have a stifling and deleterious effect on the democratic functioning of the affairs of their respective states, as well as the parties themselves".

The letter further read, "It is a move that is deliberately designed to demotivate and demoralise the members of these parties and the opposition at large. These arrested individuals, one of whom is the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, and the other is the Working President of Jharkhand, Mukti Morcha, are elected leaders of our country who have championed the cause of those on the margins of our society, including our brothers and sisters belonging to the tribal communities."

"Their arrests are meant to send a message straight to the voter. That the ruling regime will not countenance any real opposition to its electoral ambitions," it added.

Alleging that the BJP is freezing the Congress bank accounts ahead of the polls, the letter stated that these "malafide and egregious acts of freezing bank accounts followed by forceful recoveries have been done with the intention of disadvantaging the principal opposition party from running an unfettered election campaign for the Lok Sabha".

"The entire nation is witness to the unrelenting, blatant and illegal deployment of Central Agencies by the Party in Power to target, suffocate and intimidate the opposition parties," it added.

The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to ED custody till March 28. The agency had sought 10 days of remand.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested Kejriwal on Thursday in connection with the alleged Delhi Liquor scam case. The AAP chief was produced before the court of Special Judge Kaveri Baweja.

After meeting the Election Commission, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that a level playing field is needed for elections, but the ruling party is not allowing that, which has had an impact on free and fair elections.

"Almost every opposition party is here. This incident happened late at night (arrest of Delhi Chief Minister). We had a detailed discussion with the Election Commission. This isn't about an individual or any party but it relates to the basic structure of the constitution. When a level playing field is needed for an election and you do not let the field be leveled by misusing agencies, it impacts free and fair elections and ultimately democracy," he said.

Arvind Kejriwal's arrest came days after the ED arrested K Kavitha, Bharat Rashta Samithi (BRS) leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with its investigation into money laundering charges linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Centre Launches Helpline To Help Applicants Seeking Citizenship Under CAA

A helpline for people seeking Indian nationality under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 became operational on Thursday for providing assistance and information.

Anyone who needs assistance in applying for citizenship can make free calls to the number '1032' between 8 am and 8 pm from anywhere in India.

"Helpline Number 1032 for CAA-2019 becomes operational. For assistance and information, applicants can make free calls from anywhere in India. Helpline is available from 8 am to 8 pm," a home ministry spokesperson said.

A mobile application for applying for Indian citizenship under the CAA already became operational on March 15.

Earlier, the Home Ministry launched a portal for eligible people to apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.

The rules for implementation of the contentious CAA, 2019 were notified on March 11, paving the way for granting of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

With the issuance of the CAA rules, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India till December 31, 2014. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Karnataka Student Thrashed For Talking To Hindu Girl, Case Filed: Police

In yet another incident of moral policing in Karnataka, a student was allegedly thrashed for talking to a Hindu girl in the Yadgir district, police said on Wednesday.  

The incident took place on March 18 when he was returning home from college. 

He told the police that he was conversing with a girl from the Hindu community over the phone when a group of nine people attacked him near the Gogi Mohalla.

He said that they confined him in a room for five hours and assaulted him. The student said they brandished a knife and threatened to kill him. 

The police have filed a case and further investigation is underway.

Earlier in January, an inter-faith couple in Karnataka's Haveri was subjected to harassment and threats by a group of nine individuals.

The incident took place just days after six men barged into the room of a lodge and assaulted a couple for the 'crime' of being together despite following different faiths.

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Lok Sabha 2024: Mainpuri, Mulayam Singh's Stronghold - Samajwadi Party Dominant Since 1996

Mainpuri in western Uttar Pradesh has long been a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party. With its predominantly rural landscape, the constituency has witnessed over 20 elections since 1952. Its politics was dominated by the late Mulayam Singh Yadav, a wrestler turned politician, and his legacy, now carried forward by his daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav.

Mainpuri KYC

Electorate and Voter Turnout

The electorate of Mainpuri is predominantly rural (87%), while the remaining 13% is urban. Among the rural voters, Hindus constitute 90% of the demographic makeup. Scheduled Castes (SC) form a significant portion of the electorate, accounting for 20.5%.
 

Mainpuri MP

Mulayam's Mainpuri

For decades, Mainpuri has been synonymous with the dominance of the Mulayam Singh Yadav family. The late Mulayam Singh Yadav, who served as the Chief Minister of UP for three terms and as Defence Minister, was a towering figure in Indian politics, won the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat five times.

Mainpuri Turnout

Historical Significance

Mainpuri's politics is marked by pivotal moments and influential leaders. From the victories of the Congress in the early years to the emergence of Mulayam Singh Yadav as the undisputed leader, the constituency has witnessed a transformation in its electoral dynamics.

In 1952, Congress's Badshah Gupta became the first MP of Mainpuri. From then to 1984, the seat saw three more candidates until Balram Singh Yadav, a close aide of Mulayam Singh, solidified his grip on Mainpuri, winning the seat multiple times.

Uday Pratap Singh, who held the seat for two consecutive terms and vacated it in 1996 to make way for his protégé, is another stalwart who helped Mulayam Singh make Mainpuri his political stronghold. After winning the Lok Sabha polls, Singh became the defence minister of the country.
 

Mainpuri Trivia

The Rise of Dimple Yadav

Dimple Yadav, the wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh Yadav - who heads the Samajwadi Party - is the current MP from Mainpuri. Despite initial setbacks, in which she was defeated by Congress's actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar in the 2009 Ferozabad by-elections, in 2012, after Akhilesh Yadav was appointed Chief Minister of UP, she became the first woman from Uttar Pradesh to be elected unopposed in a Lok Sabha by-election, and the second person after Purshottam Das Tandon's election from Allahabad West in 1952.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, she was defeated by the BJP candidate Shubat Pathak by a wafer-thin margin. In the 2022 by-elections from Mainpuri, after the death of SP's Patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, she won the election by a margin of 2.88 lakh votes.

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Why Maharashtra's Verdict Will Be Unpredictable: NDTV's Battleground

The battle for Maharashtra will not be simple and the state, with the largest number of seats after Uttar Pradesh, will definitely play a key role in who controls Delhi. In all the elections except the ones of 1977 and 1989, the party that has won more seats in Maharashtra went on to form the government at the Centre. Maharashtra has 48 seats and it is tough to say which way the state would go, concluded a panel of experts at NDTV this evening.

The factors that are expected to affect the election in the state are multiple including caste, the swing of the minority vote and the unrest among farmers, the panelists said. But at this point, it would also depend on what the BJP and the Opposition choose to focus on.

Psephologist and educationist Sandeep Shastri -- one of the panelists on "Battleground" anchored by NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia -- said: "If the campaign is focussed on the BJP, it might change certain things. And what the MVA will focus on -- on Uddhav Thackeray or on Sharad Pawar -- that would also be a deciding factor".

Senior journalist Rohit Chandavarkar said Maharashtra is already a developed state when it comes to industry.

"So, jobs are not a big issue here. It might be an issue in UP but not here. Someone might have to leave their village but they will find a job 100 km away. Price rise is also not much of an issue here... Which is why caste is a big factor here, the Opposition is also using the unrest in farmers," he said.

What is also expected to affect the election -- in the state as well as the rest of the country -- is the Narendra Modi factor.

Political strategist and commentator Amitabh Tiwari felt that it could be the only factor that can keep the UPA and the NDA apart. "In 2019, one out of three voters voted on the Modi factor. The difference between INDIA and NDA could just be this factor this year," he said.

"A major change has happened in BJP strategy after 2019. The PM and the party have focussed on Modi guarantees. This time the votes on the Modi factor might increase," added Mr Shastri.

"The image of Rahul Gandhi is improving but Prime Minister Modi is miles ahead in terms of leadership," said scholar and social scientist, Dr Maneesha Priyam.

"Voting is an emotional decision and not a rational one. But no election can be called a done deal because of these three reasons: There are many late deciders in India, 25 per cent vote on the names of candidates, 69 per cent are floating voters and they are the kingmakers. Which is why in Maharashtra, it's going to be unpredictable," said Mr Tiwari.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra is up against the combined strength of the BJP, the Shiv Sena faction of Eknath Sinde and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party.

The alliance had been trying to draw in Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, which is known to have considerable support among Dalits. But the indecision in some key areas has upset Mr Ambedkar, who wants the MVA to make a decision.

The rough template for MVA seat sharing is that the Congress gets close to 18 of the state's 48 seats, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena 18-20 seats and the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party 8-10 seats. But the big fight is over nine seats including Kolhapur, Sangli, Hingoli, Jalna, Ramtek and a few seats in Mumbai, on which a decision is pending.

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"PM's Andhra Arrival Like Bhagirath Bringing Ganga To Earth": Pawan Kalyan

Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday for his visit to the state of Andhra Pradesh, drawing a parallel between PM Modi's arrival and the mythological tale of King Bhagiratha bringing the River Ganga to Earth for his ancestors' salvation.

A day after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi reached Andhra Pradesh and addressed a public rally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan at Chilakaluripet town in Palnadu district.

The NDA rally, named "Prajagalam," marks the first NDA election meeting in Andhra Pradesh in the run-up to the simultaneous Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled for May 13.

"PM Narendra Modi's arrival in Andhra Pradesh resembles how Bhagiratha brought Ganga to Earth. Modi has come here to support us and save us from undemocratic rule," Pawan Kalyan said while addressing the rally.

"In 2014, with the blessings of Tirumala Sri Venkateswara, the NDA saw victory. In 2024, with the blessings of Vijayawada's goddess Kanaka Durga Devi, the NDA will form the government. Under PM Modi's leadership, the country is growing. Modi has introduced digital payments. However, YSRCP is not interested in digital payments," he said.

"CM Jagan is a businessman who has looted sand and earned money through liquor. Once again, PM Modi will assume power thrice," he added.

Labelling a serious allegation on the ruling government, the JSP Chief said, "Andhra Pradesh has become the capital of Ganja in the country. Andhra Pradesh turned into the new drug capital of the country."

BJP has allied with TDP and Jana Sena Party to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh jointly.

As per their seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP will contest six Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats, while the TDP will fight for 17 parliamentary and 144 state seats. Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena has been given two Lok Sabha seats and 21 assembly seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Obligation To People Let Down During Partition: Minister Defends CAA

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday boldly addressed criticism on the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and questioned the global understanding of historical events, adding that the government has an obligation to the people who were let down at the time of partition.

"I am not questioning the imperfections or otherwise of their democracy or their principles or lack of it. I am questioning their understanding of our history. If you hear many comments from many parts of the world, it is as though the partition of India has never happened. And there were no consequential problems which the CAA is supposed to address," he said.

"If you take a problem, remove all the historical context from it, sanitize it and make it into a political correctness argument and say, I have principles and don't you have principles. I have principles too and one of my principles is obligation to who were let down at the time of partition," he added.

The Minister firmly defended the implementation of CAA and slammed the critics to reevaluate their own policies before accusing India of introducing policies on the basis of some faiths.

Mr Jaishankar highlighted similar instances, including the Spectre amendment for a particular ethnicity from Vietnam and the fast-tracking citizenship of Hungarians after the Hungarian revolution, as well as Cubans in the 1960s.

"I also have a problem when people don't hold up to mirror to their own policies. so if you say, you are picking some faiths and not some other faiths. I will give you some other examples of it. Have you heard the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which is about Jews from the Soviet Union. You would ask why only Jews. There was the Lautenberg Amendment which is about Christians and Jews in 1999 Soviet Union," he said.

"There was a spectre amendment, which was about a law, which was about a particular ethnicity from Vietnam who had a fast track to citizenship because they had fought alongside the Americans. There were fast-tracking Hungarians after the Hungarian revolution. Thus fast tracking of Cubans in the 1960s. If you were to ask me, have other countries, other democracies fast tracked on the basis of ethnicity, faiths, and social attributes," he added.

Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 enable persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for the grant of Indian citizenship and applications are to be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided by the government.

The Centre notified the rules for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act on March 11.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees who had sought shelter in India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in three neighbouring countries--Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, of six minority communities there.

The CAA removes legal barriers to rehabilitation and citizenship and gives a dignified life to refugees "who have suffered for decades".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Karnataka BJP Leader KS Eshwarappa Says Will Contest As Independent Candidate

Senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Friday announced that he will contest as an independent candidate from the Shimoga seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, blaming party veteran and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for his son KE Kantesh being denied a ticket for the Haveri constituency.

However, he claimed that this was a fight to save the party and its ideology and to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister once again.

"I will contest as your independent candidate from the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency," Eshwarappa said, announcing his banner of revolt against BJP, at a meeting convened by his supporters.

"The party may issue notice to me or expel me. In case I win within two months, I'm confident that my supporters will join me at the feet of my mother -- the BJP," he added.

Yediyurappa's son and sitting MP B Y Raghavendra is the party candidate from Shimoga, where Congress has fielded former Chief Minister S Bangarappa's daughter Geetha Shivarajkumar, wife of Kannada film star Shivarajkumar and daughter-in-law of thespian late Dr Rajkumar.

The 75-year-old former Deputy Chief Minister reiterated his allegation that Yediyurappa, a member of the BJP Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee, had assured a ticket for his son and promised to campaign for his victory, but had now "cheated" him.

Eshwarappa said that Yediyurappa had ensured a ticket for Bommai and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje, but "not for his son".

BJP has fielded former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from the Haveri seat.

Eshwarappa claimed that Kantesh had prepared himself to contest from Haveri after taking Yediyurappa's consent. "If Kantesh had contested Haveri he would have surely won," he said.

He alleged that BJP's state unit is in the clutches of the Yediyurappa family, with one son as MP and the other son B Y Vijayendra as MLA and state president. He questioned if the Congress' culture of dynastic politics had crept into the Karnataka BJP.

Eshwarappa, who is a former state BJP president, also accused Yediyurappa of sidelining those who espoused the cause of Hindutva like Nalin Kumar Kateel, Pratap Simha, C T Ravi and D V Sadananda Gowda. Incidentally, Kateel, Simha and Gowda--all sitting MPs-- have been denied tickets for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Eshwarappa, Yediyurappa and the late HN Ananth Kumar are widely credited for building the BJP in Karnataka from the grassroots.

Pointing out that he has served the party for over 40 years, Eshwarappa said that he would never quit the party in his life, but was taking a decision to save the ideology and principles of the party.

However, Eshwarappa repeatedly stressed that he is not opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Even if my life goes, I will not go against Narendra Modi. If my heart is opened there will be Lord Rama on one side, and Modi on the other." He called on his supporters to unite and work together to ensure his victory so that the issues in the party are noticed by the national leadership which would help "save the BJP from one family" and ensure that "justice is done to lakhs of workers and Hindutva activists".

Eshwarappa also said that he was taking this position not just because his son had been denied the ticket. "I want the organisation to survive, the party should not go into the clutches of one family," he said. He also claimed that Yediyurappa's recent assurance of making Kantesh an MLC was a lie.

Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, in response to these developments, Yediyurappa said, "We will convince Eshwarappa. He should be with us, he is our senior leader. I'm confident that everything will be fine." Ahead of the Assembly polls last year, Eshwarappa opted out of the contest and requested the party's central leadership to not field him from any constituency as he wished to retire from electoral politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had then dialled Eshwarappa and spoken to him over a video call to express appreciation for his move to retire from politics as per the instructions of the party.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Sandeshkhali Women Meet President Murmu, Demand Central Forces Deployment

Six women from West Bengal's Sandeshkhali met President Droupadi Murmu here on Friday and demanded that central security force personnel be deployed in the area for the protection of women.

Addressing the media shortly after meeting the President, one of the women who has travelled with her toddler said she fears for her life when she returns home.

"I don't know what will happen when I return, we have been threatened that if we speak there will be repercussions," she said in an emotional tone.

She even collapsed after the press briefing.

Another woman said they have demanded deployment of central forces in Sandeshkhali to ensure their protection.

According to her, the President said that she is looking into the issue seriously.

The six women demanded justice in their memorandum to the President.

They came here with some RSS members and social activist Parth Biswas who called the situation in Sandeshkhali "very dire".

"Sheikh Shahjahan's modus operandi was to grab land of the poor people, then inundate it with salt water so that the land turns infertile and then use it for pisciculture," Biswas, who also heads NGO Center for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Support and Research, said.

He said 11 women from Sandeshkhali reached out to his organisation and six out of them have travelled to Delhi.

These six women would be holding a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday and Biswas called on the Dalit leaders to join the protest.

Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.

Sheikh, who had been absconding since January 5 when a mob attacked Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid at his residence in connection with an alleged ration scam, was arrested in the last week of February.

 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"I'm In Heaven": Murder Accused Hosts Social Media Live From UP Jail

A purported video of a murder accused lodged in Bareilly Central Jail hosting a live video on a social media platform has surfaced and a probe has been ordered into the matter, police said on Thursday.

Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty in the investigation, they said.

Asif is accused of shooting a public works department (PWD) contractor Rakesh Yadav (34) to death on December 2, 2019, in the Sadar Bazar Police Station area of Shahjahanpur.

Another accused Rahul Chaudhury was also accused of having killed Yadav and the duo are currently lodged in Bareilly Central Jail.

A video of a murder accused lodged in prison went viral on social media, Deputy Inspector General (Prison) Kuntal Kishore said.

In the 2-minute-long video, Asif is heard saying, "I am in heaven and enjoying it." On seeing the video on social media, the victim's brother met District Magistrate Umesh Pratap Singh on Thursday and gave him a complaint letter.

He said in the letter that the murder accused were getting special facilities in the jail. He said that the two accused had been hired from Meerut to kill his brother.

DIG Kishore told PTI over the phone that he had seen the video. "A probe in the matter is underway. After investigation, legal action will be taken against whoever is found guilty," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Birth Of 3 New Cubs Increases Tiger Population In Sariska Reserve

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav on Wednesday took to social media to announce "Exciting news coming from Sariska Tiger Reserve."

A tigress residing in the Sariska Tiger Reserve has given birth to three cubs, which has increased the number of tigers in the country.

Yadav posted on X, "Tigress ST 12 has been camera-trapped with 3 new cubs in Talvriksh Range. This takes the number of adult tigers to 25 and cubs to 8 in Sariska. My best wishes for a flourishing wildlife in the state of Rajasthan."

Exciting news coming from Sariska Tiger Reserve!

Tigress ST 12 has been camera trapped with 3 new cubs in Talvriksh Range.

This takes the number of adult tigers to 25 and cubs to 8 in Sariska. My best wishes for a flourishing wildlife in the state of Rajasthan. pic.twitter.com/TV9p3AcCv0

— Bhupender Yadav (मोदी का परिवार) (@byadavbjp) March 13, 2024

Notably, Sariska National Park is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. It is one of the most famous national parks in Rajasthan which is beautifully located amidst the Aravali Hills. It is one of the most visited national parks in the country. It is located only at a distance of about 107 kilometres from Jaipur.

This national park occupies more than 800 square kms of the forest area. With the help of Jeep Safari, tourists get the opportunity to explore the dense jungle of Sariska and also get the opportunity to spot a large number of wild animals in their natural habitat including the Royal Bengal Tiger. By Jeep Safari of Sariska National Park, tourists enjoy the thrilling experience of spotting various animals in their natural habitat.

Earlier in February, the first All Odisha Tiger Estimation (AOTE) report 2023-24 conducted by the Odisha Forest Department reported an increase in the number of tigers in Odisha.

As per the report, of the 30 tigers, a total of 27 unique adult tigers were camera-trapped in Odisha during the AOTE exercise, and evidence of another three adult tigers were also found in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), which have not been camera-trapped.

The 27 tigers included 14 males and 13 females. It has 11 usual colour morph tigers (seven females and four males), 13 pseudo melanistic tigers (seven females and six males), and eight tiger cubs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra Given Six-Month Extension

The government on Tuesday granted a six-month extension in service tenure of Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who was scheduled to retire at the end of next month, according to an official order.

The decision was taken by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Kwatra, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, took charge as the foreign secretary on April 30, 2022.

According to the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service of Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra (IFS:1988) as Foreign Secretary for a period of six months beyond 30.04.2024 i.e. up to 31.10.2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in public interest, in terms of provisions of FR 56 (d)." 

Under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (d), the government can give extension in service to the defence secretary, foreign secretary, home secretary, Intelligence Bureau director, RAW chief, CBI director, Enforcement Directorate chief, for such period or periods as it may deem proper on a case-to-case basis.

Mr Kwatra, a career diplomat with over 34 years of experience, served as the Ambassador of India to France from August 2017 to February 2020, before diplomatic posting to Nepal.

He also held the position of a Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for two years between October 2015 and August 2017.

Mr Kwatra headed the policy planning and research division of the Ministry of External Affairs between July 2013 and October 2015 and later served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry where he dealt with India's relations with the United States and Canada.

He served as Minister (Commerce) in the Embassy of India, Washington from May 2010 till July 2013.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"May This Holy Month Bring Joy, Prosperity": PM Greets People On Ramzan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted people on the eve of Ramzan.

He said in a post on X, "Wishing everyone a blessed Ramzan. May this holy month bring joy, good health and prosperity in everyone's lives." 

Wishing everyone a blessed Ramzan. May this holy month bring joy, good health and prosperity in everyone's lives.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 11, 2024

The holy Islamic month of Ramzan begins on Tuesday as the Ramzan moon was sighted in various parts of the country on Monday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Case Against Independent MLA, Congress Rebel's Father In Himachal

The Himachal Pradesh Police on Sunday registered a case against an independent MLA and the father of a Congress rebel and others over "electoral offences" and bribery related to the recent Rajya Sabha polls in which six party MLAs voted for the BJP candidate from the state.

The case against Hamirpur's independent MLA Ashish Sharma and Gagret's now disqualified MLA Chetanya Sharma's father and others was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Congress MLAs Sanjay Avasthi and Bhuvneshwar Gaur.

Ashish and Chetanya are among the nine MLAs, including six Congress rebels and three independents, who voted in favour of the BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls.

However, the alleged role of Chetanya's father, a retired bureaucrat, is not known yet.

This triggered a crisis in the state's Congress government, which appeared to have lost its majority in the assembly.

A case of criminal conspiracy, corruption practices and undue influence on election has been registered on the complaint of two Congress MLAs, police said on Sunday.

Adding a new dimension to the current political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, the two Congress MLAs Sanjay Avasthi and Bhuvneshwar Gaur on Sunday filed a complaint with the police seeking investigation into "electoral offences", bribery and criminal conspiracy in the whole sequence of events since the Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27.

This development has invoked sharp reactions from the MLAs.

"With this attitude, the CM should be ready to face the consequences in future," said Rajinder Rana, one of the six Congress rebels.

"If the CM thinks that he could win hearts by registering false complaints, he is mistaken. This kind of politics compelled the MLAs to vote in favour of the BJP, Rana told PTI over phone on Sunday. Pressure tactics will not help, he cautioned.

Meanwhile, the two Congress legislators sought investigation on charges of money trading, misuse of helicopter and security forces and criminal misconduct, and said direct evidence is available that the BJP is paying for the transportation through choppers and accommodation in five star properties in Haryana and Uttarakhand.

They said there is enough evidence of the BJP legislators accompanying the Congress rebels and independents, and cited the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Sita Soren vs Union of India Case in the complaint.

Speaking to PTI, Chief Parliament Secretary Sanjay Avasthi said such illegal activities are unknown to Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh and even the Supreme Court has ruled that the elected representatives are not immune to criminal proceedings for accepting money and favours and we demand investigation in the whole sequence of events.

Confirming that a complaint was received from two Congress MLAs in Boileauganj police station, Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI that a case under sections 171 c and e (undue influence on elections and bribery) and 120 b (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and sections 7 and 8 (public servant taking undue advantage) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, has been registered and investigations have been started.

The six Congress MLAs namely Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto who cross-voted in favour of the BJP were disqualified for defying a whip to be present in the House and vote in favour of the government during the cut motion and budget following which they moved the Supreme Court.

The three independents include Ashish Sharma, Hoshiyar Singh and K L Thakur.

Presently guarded by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the nine MLAs and two BJP legislators are in Rishikesh in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, alleging pressure from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Terming the present Congress government as the most unpopular and inexperienced till date, the MLAs said that a lot of pressure is being put on them to return to the Congress fold.

In a joint statement issued here on Sunday, these MLAs said they are fighting a battle of self-respect and questioned the mindset of the chief minister, who is approaching them for compromise on one hand and issuing statements like black snakes and shepherds on the other hand.

During public meetings, Sukhu had said that six black snakes of the Congress sold their honour and tried to destablise the state government and later compared them to shepherds being moved from one place to another.

Earlier, Sudhir Sharma was removed from the post of secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) while Rajinder Rana resigned from the post of working president of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Two of the three independent MLAs had earlier told PTI that pressure tactics of hitting businesses of independent MLAs and their families is a futile exercise and will not save the government.

Raids were conducted on crushers of the independent MLAs and their effigies were burnt, road leading to the house of Congress rebel and MLA Lahaul and Spiti Ravi Thakur was closed after the nine cross voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls, the independent MLAs had alleged.

It is unfortunate that the chief minister has stooped to such a level and this kind of politics has never been seen in the state, two independent legislators K L Thakur and Hoshiyar Singh had said.

The chief minister should not adopt a vindictive attitude and refrain from acting out of vengeance, they maintained.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi Traffic Police Issues Advisory For Dwarka Expressway Inauguration

Traffic movement will be regulated in many areas of Dwarka on Monday for inauguration of the Dwarka Expressway, according to an advisory issued by the Delhi Traffic Police.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the expressway in Dwarka Sector-25 and traffic movement will be regulated in the area from 8 am to 2 pm, the advisory, issued on Sunday, stated.

The advisory has urged commuters to avoid Dhulsiras Chowk, Sector 8-9 crossing, Carmel Chowk Sector-20, Janki Chowk near Sector-23 police station and Pochanpur flyover Sector-23 Chowk.

Other routes where traffic will be regulated are near the Transport Authority office, Sector-21 metro station and the Pacific Mall cut, Golf Course Road to Dhulsiras Chowk and Bamnoli, and Bharthal Chowk to Dhulsiras Chowk and Chhawla Road.

Those going to the railway station, hospital and ISBTs are advised to plan their travel in advance, the advisory stated.

"The general public and motorists are advised to keep patience, observe traffic rules and road discipline," it added.

The police have also asked people to avail of public transport to help decongest roads and urged them park their vehicles in designated lots.

The Delhi Traffic Police has also advised the public to follow its website or social media for updates or call 8750871493, 1095/011-25844444 for more information.

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Sharad Pawar Declares Supriya Sule As Candidate From Baramati Seat

Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP), on Saturday declared MP Supriya Sule as their candidate from Maharashtra's Baramati Lok Sabha seat, amid speculation that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar could be fielded from there.

The octogenarian leader made the announcement during a rally organised by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi in Bhor tehsil of Pune district. Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), an MVA constituent, was also present at the event.

The Election Commission will announce the Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 14 or March 15, said Sharad Pawar. The Election Commission has allotted “man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet)” symbol to his outfit.

“The elections will decide the future of our country. Nobody was so anxious about the future of the country so far, but now a change is needed. Today, PM Modi is not paying any attention towards farmer suicides. Instead, he is focussing all his attention only on Gujarat,” he said.

The NCP founder also accused the government of misusing its power.

“PM Modi is giving us which guarantee? Neither black money was brought back nor any work is being done. Today, farmers are agitating but PM Modi is not paying any attention. Inflation and unemployment have become serious problems in our country.

“If you think the situation should be in control, now is the time. When you go to cast your vote, press the ‘tutari' (his party's symbol) button. Today, I declare Supriya Sule as our candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency,” he said.

During his address, Sharad Pawar turned to Bhor MLA Sangram Thopte of Congress saying he would back the legislator. Sangram's father Anantrao Thopte, who represented Bhor in the assembly six times before a shock defeat in 1999, was known as one of Pawar's rivals within the Congress when the latter was with the grand old party.

“Sangram Thopte, whatever work you will do for your tehsil, state or country, I'll always support you. We had different paths earlier but now that you are with us, I'll show you real development,” he said. Congress is one of the partners in MVA.

On March 1, Sunetra Pawar had met Congress veteran Anantrao Thopte at his home in Bhor. Sangram Thopte, however, had denied that the meeting had any political significance.

There has been speculation that the Ajit Pawar-led NCP could field Sunetra Pawar from Baramati.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Centre Says Probe On In Spanish Tourist's Gang-Rape Case, Several Arrested

Days after a woman from Spain was allegedly gang raped in Jharkhand, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said the matter is "under investigation" and several people have been arrested.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this in response to a query on the case at his weekly media briefing here.

The tourist from Spain was allegedly gang raped in Jharkhand's Dumka district, police had said on March 2.

"As you know, the matter is under investigation. Several people have been arrested," Jaiswal told reporters.

In his response, the spokesperson also said, "And, you would have also see that the High Court of Jharkhand, suo motu has taken action on this particular matter." Some reports refer to the act of cognisance by the court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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BJP MLA From Bengal's Matua Belt Mukut Mani Adhikari Joins Trinamool

In a jolt to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Mukut Mani Adhikari, a BJP MLA from the Matua belt in Bengal's Nadia district, joined the Trinamool Congress today and participated in a rally in Kolkata.

Mr Adhikari, who represents the Ranaghat Dakshin constituency for the BJP, expressed his dissatisfaction with the party's decision to field sitting MP Jagganath Sarkar again from Ranaghat.

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

During a TMC rally in Kolkata, Mr Adhikari was spotted walking alongside Abhishek Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, further solidifying his move to the ruling party.

"BJP4Bengal leader and MLA Mukutmani Adhikari joined our party and marched in our rally on the eve of #InternationalWomensDay. When BJP leaders leave their anti-women party and extend support, you know that you are on the right side of history. Standing tall for women's rights through thick and thin!" Trinamool posted on X.

This shift is not an isolated incident. Mr Adhikari is the eighth MLA to switch to the TMC since the announcement of the assembly poll results in May 2021.

Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, highlighted allegations of domestic violence against Mr Adhikari, painting him as an ironic choice for a TMC rally celebrating International Women's Day.

"Look who is walking in the TMC Procession alongside Bhaipo, to observe International Women's Day !!! Mukutmani Adhikari - Ranaghat South MLA. He was accused of domestic violence by his wife. The FIR was filed by his wife on the 11th day of their marriage. Certainly qualifies as the 'poster boy' of TMC's rally to honour women," he posted on X.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Shankudeb Panda attributed Mr Adhikari's departure to his aspirations for a Lok Sabha ticket from the Ranaghat parliamentary constituency.

Ranaghat holds significance due to its large Matua community representation, similar to the Bongaon area in North 24 Parganas district.

The Matua community's cohesive voting behaviour has made them a crucial voting bloc, especially regarding the BJP's stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Following the BJP's defeat in the 2021 assembly polls, the state unit has been striving to maintain party unity, especially after several prominent figures, including Babul Supriyo and Arjun Singh, as well as seven legislators, switched allegiance to the TMC.

Despite initial success with 77 seats, the BJP's tally was reduced to 75 after losing two seats in the bypolls.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Ex Mayawati Party MP Gets 7 Years In Jail In 2020 Kidnapping Case

An MP/MLA court here on Wednesday sentenced former MP Dhananjay Singh to seven years of imprisonment in a 2020 kidnapping and extortion case.

Presently with the Janata Dal (United), Dhananjay Singh was reportedly preparing to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Jaunpur. But the conviction now makes him ineligible under the Representation of the People Act to contest election.

Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Kumar Tripathi, who held Dhananjay Singh and his associate Santosh Vikram guilty in the case of kidnapping of Namami Gange project manager Abhinav Singhal on Tuesday, also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on each of them, District Government Counsel (Criminal) Satish Pandey said.

Satish Pandey said that Muzaffarnagar resident Abhinav Singhal had filed a case against Dhananjay Singh and his partner Vikram on May 10, 2020, at Line Bazar police station under IPC sections of kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy and others.

According to the FIR, Vikram, along with two associates, kidnapped Abhinav Singhal and took him to the residence of Dhananjay Singh where the former MP came with a pistol and abused him and pressured him to supply low quality material. On refusal, he threatened Abhinav Singhal and demanded extortion, it was alleged.

The former MP was arrested in this case and later got bail from the Allahabad High Court.

The district government counsel said that on the basis of CCTV footage, call details record, WhatsApp messages and statements of witnesses, the crime was proved against the accused.

As soon as the sentence was pronounced, hundreds of Dhananjay Singh's supporters gathered in the court premises got dejected.

Dhananjay Singh had plans to contest on the Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat on NDA constituent JD-U ticket. However, after the BJP declared former Maharashtra home minister Kripashankar Singh as its candidate from that seat, he got disappointed.

The former MP was reportedly trying to get a ticket from the Samajwadi Party.

Dhananjay Singh, who served as the member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014 as a Bahujan Samaj Party member, is described as 'Purvanchal Bahubali'.

In 2011, BSP president Mayawati expelled him from the party on charges of anti-party activities.

Recently, Dhananjay Singh had, through a post on 'X', indicated his plans of contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections from Jaunpur seat.

He had won elections for the first time in 2002 from the Rari Assembly seat as an independent candidate. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Court Commutes Death Sentence Of Rape-Murder Convict To 30-Year Jail Term

The Allahabad High Court has commuted the death sentence given to a man, who was convicted of raping and murdering a three-year-old girl in 2021, to 30-year jail term.

Commuting the death penalty, the court observed that the convict had no criminal history so "chances of his reformation" cannot be ruled out.

The bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi partly allowed the criminal appeal of Dinesh Paswan who was awarded death sentence by the district court of Fatehpur.

Advocate Tanisha Jahangir Monir appearing for Paswan submitted that the appellant was falsely implicated merely on the basis of suspicion. The case is of circumstantial evidence, the chain of which is incomplete, the advocate said.

"Place of incident was not fixed as the body of the deceased was not found at the alleged place of occurrence (the rented room of the appellant), admittedly (as per mother of the deceased) the body was found at her maternal grandparents' house, where the inquest was conducted," argued Monir.

After hearing the parties concerned, the court in its recent order said, "The offence is of a very heinous nature and committed in a gruesome manner." However, the court commuted the death sentence while observing, "The age of the accused as recorded in his statement under Section 313 CrPC on December 8, 2021 was 25 years, so the accused is a young person. It is also established from the evidence on record that he is married, having a child. There is neither any criminal history to the credit of the appellant-accused nor he is a previous convict so chances of his reformation cannot be ruled out. These are the mitigating circumstances." An FIR was lodged by the mother of the child at Khaga police station of Fatehpur alleging that Dinesh Paswan enticed her daughter away to his room and committed the heinous crime and murdered her.

Paswan was awarded the death penalty on January 18, 2022 by the district court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Dentist Poisons Teen Daughters, Then Dies By Suicide In Jharkhand: Police

A 40-year-old dental surgeon died by suicide after poisoning his two minor daughters in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Monday afternoon, police said.

The exact cause has not yet been established, but family feud is suspected to be a reason, a police officer said.

Raj Kumar fatally slit his wrist veins after poisoning his two daughters, identified as Anvi Raj (8) and Adhya Raj (5), to death in Bishnu Puri locality under Hazaribag Sadar police station, the officer said.

Raj Kumar's clinic was situated in the busy Nawabganj locality of Hazaribag town.

Raj Kumar's wife Chandani Devi (35), along with her three children, including their three-year-old son Ranjeet, had gone to her parents' place to attend a family function when the doctor arrived there in Kumhartoli area of the town, police said.

According to the relatives of the victim, the doctor picked up his two daughters on his scooter under the pretext of purchasing gifts for them as they had performed well in their school examinations, the results of which were declared on Monday.

However, he took them to their residence and broke open the door as the keys were with his wife. He then forced his two daughters to consume poison and slit his wrist veins with a sharp weapon, police said.

All three were rushed to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College, Hazaribag, after local residents informed family members and police.

However, they all succumbed soon after admission to the hospital, police added.

SP Arvind Kumar Singh confirmed it was a case of murder-suicide.

The SP said he has directed police, including the SDPO (HQ), to probe the incident. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Senior BJP Leader Nitin Patel Opts Out Of Race For Mehsana Lok Sabha Seat

Former Gujarat deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Patel on Sunday said he has withdrawn his claim to contest from Mehsana Lok Sabha seat.

Mr Patel didn't assign any reason for this decision, which he announced on social media, even as the BJP is yet to officially announce the contestant from Mehsana.

In a post on social media, Mr Patel said he had staked a claim for Mehsana seat and requested the party to field him as its nominee.

He said he was withdrawing his claim before the BJP came out with the name of the candidate for Mehsana seat.

Mr Patel had never contested the Lok Sabha election.

The BJP on Saturday released the first list of 195 nominees, including 15 from Gujarat, which sends 26 members to Lok Sabha.

"The selection process of Mehsana Lok Sabha candidate is still underway. But before that, I withdraw my claim as a BJP candidate and pray to God that Narendrabhai Modiji becomes the Prime Minister for the third time in a row to elevate the prestige of India in the world and to bring glory to Mother India," Mr Patel stated.

The 68-year-old BJP leader also thanked the party workers, his well-wishers and colleagues.

Notably, Mehsana is the home district of PM Modi. It is one of the first two Lok Sabha constituencies won by the BJP in general elections in 1984 and remained with the BJP since then barring two exceptions.

Mr Patel was number two in the Cabinets led by the then chief ministers of Gujarat Narendra Modi and Anandiben Patel.

He served as a deputy chief minister in the Vijay Rupani-led cabinet from 2016 to 17 and from 2017 to 2021.

A six-time MLA, Mr Patel has handled various portfolios, including finance and revenue in the last 20 years. He had opted out of contesting the 2022 assembly elections.

The BJP has dropped five sitting MPs while declaring candidates on 15 seats in Gujarat. The nominees for the rest 11 constituencies have not been declared yet.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Supreme Court Judge On Rising Pendency Of Bail Pleas In Top Court

The number of bail pleas in the Supreme Court is steadily rising since it is not being granted in the district courts or even the high courts, Justice Bhushan R Gavai said on Sunday.

Every Supreme Court bench hears at least 15 to 20 bail matters each day, the top court judge said at an event where the 'bhoomi pujan' of a new court building was held in Pune's Pimpri Chinchwad.

"These days the situation is such that bail is not granted in the district courts. It has become a challenge to get bail even in the high courts. Therefore, the pendency of bail matters in the Supreme Court is going up," he said.

Asserting that judges have the courageous and unbiased nature of Ramshastri Prabhune, the revered Chief Justice of the Maratha Empire in the latter half of the 18th century, Justice Gavai said, "Why should we fear to grant bail? Even after spending nine-10 years in jail before the trial is over, if judges don't consider the bail plea, we should think about the current system," Justice Gavai asserted.

Speaking on the occasion, Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Oka said disputes related to marriages were on the rise and there was a need to increase the number of family courts nationwide.

"This has become a serious issue, particularly in cities. There are 10-15 cases filed for one marriage dispute. There is a need to increase the number of district, sessions, and family courts," he said.

Advising the legal fraternity to avoid "pujas" (rituals), Justice Oka said they should start work by bowing before a copy of the Constitution.

"As we complete 75 years of adopting the Constitution, we should start this practice to show respect and to implement its values," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Will Continue To Protest Peacefully, Says Farmer Leader Baldev Sirsa

Asserting that farmers will continue to protest peacefully in support of their demands, senior farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa on Saturday said for how long the government will keep the roads blocked, ultimately they will have to resolve the issue.

"Is there anything for which there is no solution? The demands on which we are agitating are old ones," 82-year-old Sirsa said.

The government should give a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for crops, he said. "If farmers don't get even an MSP for their produce, where will they go?" he asked.

"If loans of thousands of crores of rupees of corporates can be waived, why not that of farmers and farm labourers?" he further said.

He said the farmers have been protesting in a peaceful manner at Shambhu and Khanauri border points along the Punjab-Haryana borders for past several days.

"We are not the ones who have blocked roads. If the Haryana government has put up barricades to prevent our 'Delhi Chalo' march, we have been sitting peacefully and continuing our agitation," he told reporters.

"For how long will they block roads? But we will continue to protest peacefully. We walk on the path shown by our gurus. We already set an example of peaceful agitation for 13 months at Delhi's borders (against now repealed farm laws)," he said.

The demand of a legal guarantee for an MSP and other demands are not of Punjab farmers alone, he said.

Meanwhile, Sirsa thanked United Sikhs, an NGO, for providing medical and legal aid to the farmers.

Director, United Sikhs, Punjab, Amritpal Singh said many farmers were injured during the protest recently and the organisation decided to provide medical aid and deployed three ambulances at the protest site.

Farmer leaders Manjeet Singh Rai and Jaswinder Singh Longowal had on Friday asserted that their 'Delhi Chalo' agitation will continue till their demands are met, saying they will announce their next course of action on March 3 after a prayer meeting for a farmer who died during clashes with security personnel in Khanauri.

The next announcement will be made after the final prayers at Shubhkaran Singh's native village Balloh in Bathinda district, they had said.

Shubhkaran Singh was killed and around 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at the Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march by farmers to press the government to accept their demands.

The march was put on hold for two days after Shubhkaran Singh was killed on February 21. Two days later, the farmer leaders said the protesters would continue to camp at Khanauri and Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana till February 29.

Earlier, the farmer leaders had rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at an MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in favour of the farmers.

In the fourth round of talks with the farmer leaders on February 18, a panel of three Union ministers had proposed that government agencies would buy pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers.

The farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Failure Of Police Intelligence Evident: Karnataka BJP Chief On Cafe Blast

Targeting the Congress administration following the explosion at the city's popular eatery Rameshwaram Cafe on Friday, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra said the government's "callousness" and the failure of police intelligence is evident in this incident.

The BJP state chief accused the government of downplaying such crimes and said it "is pushing the state into this chaos, making it a safe haven for antisocial elements.

"Deeply troubled to hear about the blast at Rameswaram Cafe in Bangalore. Praying for a swift recovery of all the injured in the incident. State govt should order a detailed enquiry and spare no efforts in apprehending the perpetrators," Vijayendra posted on social media platform X.

Vijayendra said the failure of police intelligence is also evident in this incident.

"We strongly urge the police to conduct a thorough probe and eradicate these elements from the core without yielding to any political pressures," he added.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and BJP leader R Ashoka claimed that the bomb blast at Rameshwaram Cafe was yet another glaring example of the "deteriorating law and order situation" in Karnataka ever since the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress government came to power in the state.

"Wherever the Congress comes to power, the terrorists and anti-national elements feel emboldened because of its policy of unabashed and unbridled appeasement," he alleged.

"The Congress government should first ensure 'guarantee' of safety and security to the people of Karnataka," he said, taking a dig at the government's 'poll guarantees' of welfare schemes.

Earlier in the day Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the incident should not be politicised and everyone should cooperate, as he assured that strict action would be taken against those involved.

Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to give a free hand to the police and investigating agencies to conduct the probe and give clear answers to people of Bengaluru about the incident.

"At first, they tried the narrative of cylinder blast. Now, they are trying the narrative of business rivalry. Why can't the Congress government allow the investigation agencies to do their job? Why preempt? Why prompt? Vote Bank compulsions?" he posted on X.

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