LIVE! Another migrant worker killed in Meghalaya (2024)

A 52-year-old migrant worker was allegedly killed in an attack at a construction site in Shillong's Mawroh area on Wednesday, the police said.

Miscreants, who are yet to be identified, attacked three labourers at the private construction site around 11.15 am with a crowbar, they said.

"Due to the assault, one Arjun Ray was severely injured," SP of East Khasi Hills district Rituraj Ravi said.

Ray was admitted to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences where he died, he said.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, he added.

The SP said that efforts were on to identify those involved in the crime.

Condemning the incident, state minister AL Hek said his government would leave no stone unturned to arrest those involved.

"This is a heinous crime and the government will do whatever is needed. It will leave no stone unturned to arrest those involved," he said.

This was the second such incident in a fortnight in which a non-local person was killed.

On March 27, two labourers were found dead at Ichamati, hours after the Khasi Students Union held a demonstration against the CAA.

Five people were arrested in connection with that attack, according to the police. -- PTI

Read more >

The BJP on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Union minister SS Ahluwalia from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal.

Ahluwalia would take on TMC's heavyweight candidate and the party's star face, Shatrughan Sinha, in Asansol, an industrial hub encapsulating the state's coal belt.

The BJP had previously replaced Ahluwalia, the party's sitting MP from the Burdwan-Durgapur seat, with former state president Dilip Ghosh as candidate for the constituency.

Ghosh was, in turn, moved from his erstwhile winning seat Medinipur to fight for his prospects on Ahluwalia's turf.

Although the BJP had initially announced the name of Bhojpuri singer-actor Pawan Singh as its candidate from Asansol, the seat remained unrepresented by the party till now following Singh's refusal to contest from the constituency.

Although Ahluwalia could not be contacted for his remarks, the state BJP welcomed his candidature.

"We are confident of regaining the seat from the TMC with an experienced leader like SS Ahluwalia leading the charge from the seat," BJP Samik Bhattacharya said. -- PTI

Read more >

The scheduled roadshow of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of the BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha polls in Agra on Friday (April 12) has been postponed.

"Prime Minister Modi's roadshow in Agra on Friday has been postponed," BJP state general secretary and Legislative Council member Govind Narayan Shukla said.

Shukla had earlier said that Prime Minister Modi's roadshow would start in Agra at 4 pm on Friday.

In Agra, the BJP has again fielded Union Minister S P Singh Baghel as its candidate.

On Saturday, Modi had conducted a roadshow in Ghaziabad in support of BJP candidate Atul Garg, his first roadshow in Uttar Pradesh after the announcement of polls.

Shukla said Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address public meetings organised in support of the BJP candidates in Moradabad on Friday and Gautam Buddha Nagar on Saturday. -- PTI

Read more >

The Karnataka high court on Wednesday overturned a directive issued by the Centre regarding the ban on the import, breeding, and sale of specific breeds of dogs labeled as dangerous by an expert committee under the animal husbandry ministry.

The court highlighted the importance of consulting pet owners and relevant organisations before implementing such bans stressing on their responsibility in case their pets cause harm and incur expenses.

The March 13 directive from the animal husbandry ministry instructed states and Union Territories to refrain from granting licences or permissions for activities involving breeds like Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu identified as potentially hazardous.

This decision by the Centre was prompted by several incidents of fatal dog attacks leading to the classification of breeds such as Pitbull Terrier, Tosa Inu, American Staffordshire Terrier among others, as "dangerous."

The ban encompassed a wide range of breeds, including those commonly referred to as Ban Dog or Bandog, Rottweilers and Terriers. -- PTI

Read more >

The Congress on Wednesday announced the candidatures of Shobha Bachchav from Dhule Lok Sabha seat in north Maharashtra and Kalyan Kale from Jalna in the central Marathwada region of the state.

The party has, thus, so far announced candidates for 15 out of 17 Lok Sabha constituencies it would be contesting in the state as part of the seat-sharing arrangement with its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Bachchav is a former state minister, while Kale too a senior leader of the state Congress unit.

The party is yet to announce candidates for the two seats in Mumbai that have been allocated to it.

Read more >

The BJP's Amritsar Lok Sabha seat candidate and former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been provided VIP security cover by the central government, official sources said on Wednesday.

The 61-year-old former Indian ambassador to the US has been granted the mid-category 'Y plus' cover.

The CRPF's VIP security wing has been entrusted with the task, the sources said.

A contingent of about 10-12 Central Reserve Police Force armed commandos are being deployed for the task, they said.

Sandhu will have this protection during his travels across the country.

A report prepared by central intelligence agencies on possible threats to the BJP leader necessitated this security measure, they further said.

The VIP security cover categorisations begin from the highest Z+, followed by Z, Y+, Y and X. Last week, Sandhu was shown black flags in the Gagomahal village of Ajnala by a group of farmers while campaigning for the general elections.

Polling in Amritsar will take place on June 1.

The BJP is especially keen on winning Amritsar, a seat it has not won since Navjot Singh Sidhu's victory in 2009. Sidhu is now in the Congress and the seat is currently represented by its member Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

The Congress is yet to name its candidate from the seat. -- PTI

Read more >

The Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside its own three year old judgment that awarded an Anil Ambani group firm Rs 8,000 crore in a dispute with Delhi Metro and asked the company to return about Rs 2,500 crore it had already received, holding that the previous verdict caused "grave miscarriage of injustice" to a public utility which was saddled with an exorbitant liability.

Allowing the curative plea of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation against the 2021 judgement, a special bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the order of the Delhi high court division bench was a "well-considered decision" and "there was no valid basis" for the Supreme Court to interfere with it.

The interference by the apex court, in its earlier decisions, had resulted in restoring a patently illegal award, it said.

"The judgment of the two-judge Bench of this Court, which interfered with the judgment of the Division Bench of the high court, has resulted in a miscarriage of justice."

"The Division Bench applied the correct test in holding that the arbitral award suffered from the vice of perversity and patent illegality. The findings of the Division Bench were borne out from the record and were not based on a misappreciation of law or fact. This Court failed, while entertaining the SLP under Article 136, to justify its interference with the well-considered decision of the Division Bench of the high court," it said.

The decision of this court fails to adduce any justification bearing on any flaws in the manner of exercise of jurisdiction by the high court's division bench under the Arbitration Act, it said. -- PTI

Read more >

The three Independent MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, who had voted for the BJP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha election, on Wednesday moved the high court seeking acceptance of their resignations from the assembly.

The three Independent MLAs -- Hoshiyar Singh, Ashish Sharma and KL Thakur -- had voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in Rajya Sabha polls held on February 27 and resigned from the Assembly on March 22.

Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania had issued a show cause notice to these legislators seeking an explanation from them till April 10 following a representation from the Congress legislative party claiming that these MLAs resigned under duress and not voluntarily.

A decision on the resignation of three Independent MLAs cannot be taken till the case is adjudicated by the court, the Speaker said on Wednesday.

A division bench consisting of Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Anand Mohan Goel heard the MLAs' petition and asked the Speaker to file his response. It fixed the next hearing on April 24.

One of the petitioners Hoshiyar Singh said that they pleaded in their petition that they had resigned voluntarily without any pressure and that the resignation should have been accepted immediately. -- PTI

Read more >

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Eid greetings to people on Wednesday, praying the festival spread the spirit of compassion, togetherness and peace.

In a post on X, he said, "May everyone be happy and healthy. Eid Mubarak!"

Eid is being celebrated in Kerala and Ladakh on Wednesday, while it will be celebrated in the rest of the country on April 11.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan.

The festival is celebrated across the world on different days and it is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon which is supposed to denote the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar. -- PTI

Read more >

Out of total 1,27,644 sanctioned posts of both drivers and assistant drivers in all railway zones across the country, 18,766 (about 14.7 per cent) was lying vacant as on March 1, 2024, the Railway Board said in a response to an application under the Right to Information Act.

Further break-up of the data suggests that the number of vacant posts of drivers is much higher as compared to that of assistant drivers.

It shows that the sanctioned posts of loco pilots (drivers) is 70,093, out of which 14,429 (about 20.5 per cent) is vacant whereas for assistant loco pilots, out of total sanctioned posts of 57,551, only 4,337 (about 7.5 per cent) is vacant.

Madhya Pradesh-based Chandra Shekhar Gaur, who had filed the application, said that he had asked for zone-wise vacancy status but the board said that such data is not centrally maintained.

Various railway unions and drivers' associations say that the vacant posts result in an increase in duty hours of the existing strength of crew as they have to compensate for the vacant posts as well.

"This is increasing work pressure and stress on drivers which is not in the interest of safe train operations," Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary, All India Railwaymen's Federation, said. -- PTI

Read more >

A special court in Mumbai on Wednesday denied bail on health grounds to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal in a money-laundering case.

The 74-year-old businessman, diagnosed with cancer, was being "better looked after at the hospital" where he is admitted, the court remarked.

Goyal is undergoing treatment at the private-run Sir H N Reliance hospital here for last two months.

The court had in February denied interim bail to Goyal, but allowed him to undergo treatment at a hospital of his choice.

On Wednesday, special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act MG Deshpande rejected his bail plea.

The detailed order was yet to be made available.

Goyal was arrested in September 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate on the charge of siphoning off loans of Rs 538.62 crore extended to his (now grounded) airline, Jet Airways, by Canara Bank, and laundering the proceedings.

The businessman stated in his bail application that after he was admitted to hospital, he had fever, and underwent cystoscopy (used to diagnose, monitor and treat conditions affecting the bladder and urethra).

"Goyal has become very weak, immunity has become low and his health condition has become fragile after all his medical afflictions," the application said. -- PTI

Read more >

Two roadside astrologers who predicted the Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate's victory in the April 19 Lok Sabha election with the help of their parakeet were arrested on a charge of keeping the birds caged but were later released, a forest department official said on Wednesday.

During a consultation by film director-politician Thankar Bachan, the PMK candidate for Cuddalore constituency, the astrologers had used one of their four parakeets to pick a card and read out the prediction that Bachan would win in the election.

In the video of Bachan's consultation that went viral in social media, he could be seen requesting one of the astrologers to feed the particular bird and offering it a banana after the consultation.

Four parakeets kept in two cages were seized as this violated the Wildlife Protection Act and the astrologer brothers were later let off with a warning, the official said.

The birds were later freed. During his election campaign, Bachan visited the Azhagu Muthu Ayyanar temple at Thennampakkam near Cuddalore and sought the astrologers' service to know about his electoral fortunes. -- PTI

Read more >

Air India will start direct flights from the national capital to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam from June 1.

The airline will use A320 neo aircraft with a two-class configuration to operate the flights five days a week -- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, according to a release on Wednesday. The flights will commence from June 1.

"The new service will also enable convenient one-stop connections to Vietnam via Delhi for travellers from the US, Canada, UK, and Europe," the release said.

Currently, Air India flies non-stop flights to Singapore, Bangkok and phu*ket (Thailand), and Yangon (Myanmar). -- PTI

Read more >

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is set to visit India later this month for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says a Reuters report.

Reuters sources revealed that Musk's visit will coincide with a potential announcement regarding Tesla's investment plans and the opening of a new factory in the country.

Musk will meet Modi tentatively on April 22 in New Delhi.

Additionally, he is expected to disclose details about Tesla's plans for India during his visit.

However, the final agenda for Musk's trip to India is yet to be confirmed.

Nonetheless, it has been previously reported that Tesla officials were exploring potential sites in India for a manufacturing plant, which is anticipated to necessitate an investment of approximately $2 billion.

Tesla's interest in expanding its presence in the Indian market has intensified, with the company actively searching for a suitable location to establish a cutting-edge manufacturing facility. -- ANI

Read more >

Nearly 8,000 inmates from six prisons across Madhya Pradesh took part in a weeklong programme aimed at reducing stress, trauma and negative emotions, officials said on Wednesday.

The programme, which concluded on Tuesday, is part of prison officials' efforts to transform the lives of people within the criminal justice system, they said.

Nearly 8,000 prisoners from six prisons benefitted from the initiative, said Bhopal Central Jail Superintendent Rakesh Bhangre in an official release.

The programme, which included various breathing exercises, was conducted in collaboration with the Art of Living Foundation, it added. -- PTI

Read more >

It is with tremendous sorrow that we announce the passing of Bahukutumbi Sri Raghavan, retired member of the Indian Administrative Service who held senior positions in the ministry of home affairs during the administrations of prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.

Raghavan served in the Shah Commission that inquired into the Indira Gandhi government's excesses during the dark days of Emergency.

Raghavan's younger brother Bahukutumbi Raman, who served R&AW since its founding (and was one of the Kao Boys), was equally illustrious and ranked among the country's foremost security experts till his passing in June 2013.

Post-retirement Raghavan remained a popular columnist (including with Rediff.com) and helmed many discussions on policy matters hosted by think-tanks.

In his last article on Rediff.com, Raghavanpredictedthat PM Modi will perform a hat-trick in the 2024 elections -- he said so in March 2022, a full 2 years ahead of the polls that most agree will see the incumbent return to 7 Jal Kalyan Marg.

Two years before that, in November 2020, in the first flush of Joe Biden's electoral win in the US,Raghavan wrotethat 'Modi should not be surprised if India and its requirements are treated as of low priority by Joe Biden'.

You can read the complete selection of B S Raghavan's columns on Rediff,here.

Read more >

The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday claimed the resignation of Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand vindicates its stand that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest was aimed at finishing the party.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the BJP was using the ED and the CBI to "break our ministers and MLAs".

"It is 'agnipariksha' (trial by fire) of AAP ministers and MLAs," he said. Anand, who was holding various portfolios including Social Welfare, resigned from the Delhi cabinet and quit the AAP, alleging Dalits were not given representation in the party. Singh asserted that although the resignation may demotivate some party workers, but the Aam Aadmi Party will largely stand strong against attempts to break the organisation.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that Anand may have been threatened to quit AAP. Singh said that earlier the BJP used to call Anand corrupt "when a raid was conducted against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) but now the party will welcome him into its fold with garlands".

Announcing his resignation, Anand said, "This party (AAP) doesn't respect Dalit MLAs, councillors and ministers. In such circ*mstances, all Dalits feel cheated. We live in an inclusive society, but it is not wrong to talk about proportion. It is difficult for me to remain in the party with all these things."

He also took a swipe at Kejriwal, who is in Tihar jail after being remanded in judicial custody in an excise policy-linked money laundering case and has failed to get any relief from the Delhi High Court. "Till yesterday, we were under the impression that we are being framed, but after the High Court verdict, it seems that there is something wrong at our end," he said. "From the Jantar Mantar, Arvind Kejriwal had said that the country will change once politics changes. The politics hasn't changed but the politician has changed," Anand, who is an MLA from the Patel Nagar constituency, said. PTI

Read more >

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that after the results of the Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party and Congress will be known as 'Samapt Party' and 'Kaun Congress', respectively.

Taking a jibe at the condition of the Opposition, the Defence Minister while addressing an election rally in Saharanpur, said, "Samajwadi Party is in such state that they keep changing their candidates from Monday to Sunday. And Congress is unable to find any candidate for election. After 2024 results, SP will be 'Samapt Party and Congress will be 'Kaun Congress."

Rajnath Singh addressed three election rallies in western Uttar Pradesh to balance the caste equation ahead of the first phase of general elections in 2024.He further slammed the Congress and Samajwadi Party for peddling narratives in recent times that certain sections of society are angry with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"In 2017, the Samajwadi Party and Congress spread the narrative that backward castes are angry with the BJP. In 2019, a narrative was spread that Brahmans are angry with BJP. In 2022, the narrative was spread that Jats are angry with the BJP, and in 2024, they (SP and Congress) have again attempted to spread the narrative that Rajputs are angry with the BJP," he said.

"Opposition is refusing to accept that entire state of Uttar Pradesh is angry with them. If there is any issue, then BJP is capable of taking care of. SP and Congress are incapable of bringing any solution to any issue," Rajnath Singh added.

Addressing the issues of sugarcane farmers, he said that the BJP government has always solved the issues of sugarcane farmers.

"I am assured that UP CM Yogi Adityanath will take care of farmer issues if there are any," he said.

Rajnath Singh further slammed the Congress and Samajwadi Party for peddling narratives in recent times that certain sections of society are angry with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Read more >

Benchmark Sensex climbed 354 points to close above the record 75,000 mark for the first time while broader Nifty scaled a fresh lifetime high on Wednesday on gains in FMCG, energy and metal shares.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 354.45 points or 0.47 per cent to settle at an all-time high of 75,038.15. During the day, the index spurted 421.44 points or 0.56 per cent to hit a high of 75,105.14.

Broader Nifty of the NSE advanced by 111.05 points or 0.49 per cent to close at a record peak of 22,753.80. During the day, it jumped 132.95 points or 0.58 per cent to reach a lifetime intra-day peak of 22,775.70.

Read more >

Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand on Wednesday resigned from the cabinet and quit the AAP, alleging Dalits did not have adequate representation in the party. Addressing a press conference, Anand, who was holding various portfolios including Social Welfare, alleged that there was no Dalit among the top leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

He also alleged that Dalit MLAs, minister or councillors of the AAP were not given any respect. Anand is an MLA from the Patel Nagar constituency.

After resigning as Delhi minister and from AAP, Raaj Kumar Anand says, "Aam Aadmi Party was born to fight corruption but today the party is stuck in a swamp of corruption. It has become difficult for me to work on the minister's post. I resigned from the post of minister and from the party as I can't connect the name with this corruption. The connection with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal happened because he had said 'Rajniti badlegi toh desh badlega'...Today politics hasn't changed but the politician has. I have sent my resignation to the chief minister's office."-- PTI

Read more >

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray will address rallies in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, a Shiv Sena leader said on Wednesday.

A day after the MNS chief declared his unconditional support for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Sanjay Shirsat, the spokesperson for the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claimed the move would avoid the potential vote division in elections.

"There was a possibility of vote division which could have resulted in us (Mahayuti) slightly missing our target to win 45 plus seats in Maharashtra. Now, we will definitely achieve our target," Shirsat told reporters.

Raj Thackeray on Tuesday announced unconditional support to the `Mahayuti' alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in the state and backed PM Modi, a move that is expected to bolster the ruling bloc's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

When asked whether the MNS chief will campaign for Mahayuti, Shirsat replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, he will hold rallies across the state, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city. We will organise his rallies as per his schedule," he said. Shirsat further said the chief minister would declare the Mahayuti nominee for the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has fielded Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire from Aurangabad against AIMIM's sitting MP Imtiaz Jaleel.

Read more >

Union Minister Rajnath Singh attacked the Samajwadi Party and Congress on Wednesday for their "narratives" against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur and said that the entire UP is completely angry with the Congress and SP.

Rajnath Singh claimed that while both parties propagated a narrative of anger among the state's populace against the BJP, they failed to acknowledge that the people of Uttar Pradesh were dissatisfied with them.

While addressing a public meeting in Saharanpur, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "As far as the question of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress is concerned, I remember that during the 2017 assembly elections, both SP and Congress ran a narrative that the backward people of UP were angry with the BJP."

"In 2019, again, they started a new narrative that Brahmins were angry with the BJP. Likewise, in 2022, again, they spread a narrative of Jats being angry with the BJP and now in 2024, a narrative is being spread that the Rajputs are angry with the BJP," he said.

"However, both parties are not prepared to realise that the entire UP is completely angry with the Congress and SP," added Singh. Rajnath Singh further said, "I want to speak about this and say that if someone can find a solution for the unhappiness of the people of UP, then it is not Congress or SP but only BJP."

Taking a hit at both parties, Rajnath Singh further said, "The Samajwadi Party's condition is such that the party's candidates keep changing from Monday to Sunday. It is a crisis. And if we speak about Congress, its condition is such that the party is not even able to find candidates."

"I believe that after the 2024 elections, people will ask, what is SP and what is Congress?" stated Singh. In his address to the gathering, Rajnath Singh also lauded UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his efforts to improve the law and order situation in the state. Addressing the public, he said, "The first condition for the development of any state is to have a fair and proper law and order system. And our UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has succeeded in making this possible, so I congratulate him on this."

"If I were to discuss all the work that has been done by Chief Minister Yogi, it would take a very long time. I have full belief that all kinds of issues will be solved in the state under the governance of Chief Minister Yogi," said Singh. -- PTI

Read more >

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday claimed that an inquiry has been launched into Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sending messages to his MLAs through his lawyers from Tihar jail.

After Kejriwal sent a message to AAP MLAs asking them to visit their constituencies and solve people's problems, a "threat was issued" that his meetings with his lawyers and family members would be stopped, Singh claimed at a press conference without naming anyone.

The AAP Rajya Sabha MP alleged that he and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wanted to meet Kejriwal in jail but the meeting was cancelled by the prison authorities, even though a token number had been issued for it.

Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

Since his arrest on March 21, he has sent messages to his party leaders and directions to Delhi ministers through his wife and lawyers.

Singh hit out at the Modi government and the ruling BJP, saying that they want to keep Kejriwal in Tihar under "Hitlarshahi" to break him emotionally.

"Kejriwal will neither break nor bow down to any torture," he said, adding that Delhi's 2 crore people will respond to this in the Lok Sabha elections. Eight-nine policemen stay around Kejriwal during his meetings with his lawyers in jail.

This is against rules as inmates are allowed to speak to their lawyers privately, Singh said. The case against Kejriwal pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.

The ED has accused Kejriwal of being involved in the "entire conspiracy of Delhi liquor scam, in drafting and implementation of the policy, for favouring and benefiting the quid pro receiving kickbacks and eventually using part of proceeds of crime generated out of the scheduled offence in the election campaign for Goa Assembly elections". PTI

Read more >

A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly molesting a female yoga teacher on a packed suburban train in Mumbai, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident took place around 8 pm on Tuesday when the 25-year-old woman was travelling with a male friend between Bandra and Goregaon, the official said.

The complainant and her friend got into a general compartment of a local train at Bandra station. Soon after the train started moving, accused Pravan Vishwakarma allegedly touched her inappropriately, taking advantage of the rush, the official said. The woman screamed and informed her male friend about the conduct of the accused.

Fellow commuters then thrashed Vishwakarma, a resident of Jogeshwari, and handed him over to the railway police, he said.

On a complaint by the yoga teacher, the police registered a case against Vishwakarma for assault of a woman with intent to outrage her modesty under the Indian Penal Code. Vishwakarma was produced in a court, which granted him bail, the official added. PTI

Read more >

The BJP on Wednesday announced that it would field Sanjay Tandon as the party candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat of Chandigarh, replacing incumbent MP Kirron Kher.

Tandon, party's co-in charge for Himachal Pradesh, thanked his party leadership for giving him the ticket from Chandigarh, which will go to polls in the last phase of general elections on June 1.

Reacting to the party fielding him from here, Tandon (59), who has also served as the Chandigarh BJP president for nearly a decade in the past, said, "It is a moment of great happiness for me. The party has given me an opportunity by nominating me as a candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Chandigarh."

"I thank my party's leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he told reporters outside his residence where the party supporters and other people had gathered to congratulate him.

Tandon, son former Chhattisgarh governor late Balramji Das Tandon, assured everyone that he will live up to the expectations and the trust which the BJP has reposed in him. "I have been connected with people of Chandigarh for the last 40 years in one way or the other and I assure them I will not leave any stone unturned to serve them like a family member," he said.

The BJP, in its 10th list, announced the candidates for a total of nine Lok Sabha seats -- seven in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Chandigarh and West Bengal. Kher first became MP from Chandigarh in 2014. She again won from Chandigarh in 2019. PTI

Read more >

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI investigation into allegations of crimes against women and forcible land grabbing in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, which had witnessed protests over the issues.

Stating that the investigation will be monitored by the court, a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the CBI to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for pisciculture after conducting a thorough inspection of revenue records and physical inspection of land alleged to have been converted.

The court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations of crimes against women and forcible land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and submit a comprehensive report to it on the next date of hearing.

The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed that the matter will be heard again on May 2, the date on which the CBI was asked to file the report.

ED officials were attacked on January 5 by a mob when they went to Sandeshkhali to search the premises of now-suspended Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with a ration distribution scam case. PTI

Read more >

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "misleading" people on the CAA and "facilitating" infiltrators for vote bank politics, emphasising that refugees should apply for citizenship without apprehension.

While addressing an election rally in Balurghat, his first in Bengal since the Lok Sabha polls were announced, Shah slammed the TMC government "for trying to save the culprits in the Bhupatinagar bomb blast case" and for filing cases against NIA officials.

"Mamata didi is misleading people about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Why is she against refugees obtaining citizenship? I request refugees not to be afraid, please apply for citizenship, there will be absolutely no problem. No police case will be filed against you. Granting citizenship to refugees is our commitment," he said.

The Centre last month implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Referring to the recent incidents in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have emerged, Shah said it is a matter of shame that "Mamata Banerjee, despite being a women chief minister, tried to protect the culprits."

"If you vote for TMC, then you will be voting for atrocities of Sandeshkhali. You should vote for the BJP so that no more Sandeshkhali happens in the state," he said. Urging the electorate of Bengal to ensure that the BJP wins 30-plus seats in the state, Shah said only the saffron party can stop infiltration into the state. PTI

Read more >

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has sent a legal notice to Shashi Tharoor, accusing the Congress MP of making defamatory statements against him on a TV channel recently.

Chandrasekhar, who is facing off against Tharoor in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency for the April 26 polls, has alleged that the Congress leader disseminated "patently false information" regarding bribing of key voters and influential figures such as parish priests, among others, by the BJP candidate.

The statements by Tharoor were made with an intent to harm Chandrasekhar's reputation and image. His remarks also disrespected the entire Christian community of Thiruvananthapuram and its leaders, as he had accused them of engaging in cash-for-votes activities, he said.

The Congress MP's statements were also in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The notice further claimed the statements were also targeted at injuring the BJP leader's election campaign and benefitting Tharoor in the elections.

It sought Tharoor to "immediately withdraw" all the allegations made against Chandrashekhar on April 6, tender an unconditional public apology to him on print and electronic media.

He should "cease, refrain and desist from defaming, harassing, hampering the reputation" of the minister in the future. Failure to comply with the stated conditions within 24 hours of receipt of the notice would lead to initiation of appropriate criminal and civil proceedings in a competent court of law, the BJP candidate warned. PTI

Read more >

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad on Wednesday faced backlash on social media after sharing a video of himself eating fish in a helicopter during Navratri.

The video, shared by Prasad on April 9, the first day of Navratri, showed him dining with Mukesh Sahni, chief of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), while flying in a helicopter. In the clip, Prasad and Sahni were seen enjoying fish and roti, with Prasad explaining that he eats quickly during election campaigns.

Sahni also made a jibe at their opponents by holding up a chili, suggesting they might feel "burned" after watching the video. The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Prasad for what they called "politics of appeasem*nt," labeling him a "seasonal Sanatani."

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha asserted that eating mutton during Shravan and consuming fish during Navratri contradicted the principles of Sanatani Dharma, accusing Prasad of engaging in appeasem*nt politics.

"They (RJD) are seasonal Sanatanis and they don't know how to follow practices of Sanatan Dharma. I have no objection about the food habits of people but consuming mutton during the month of Shravan and having fish in Navratri cannot be the eating practice of a true Sanatani. They are indulging in politics of appeasem*nt by doing all these", said Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha in a video message on Wednesday. PTI

Read more >

Amid the BJP's repeated 'Muslim League imprint' barb over the Congress manifesto, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said history is witness as to who joined hands with the forces that wanted to divide the country and asserted that history does not change by "spewing lies" from political platforms.

Gandhi said that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are a fight between two ideologies, with the Congress, which has always united India, on one side and those who have always tried to divide people on the other side. "This election is a fight between two ideologies! On one side there is the Congress, which has always united India, and on the other side there are those who have always tried to divide people," the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi.

History is witness as to who joined hands with the forces that wanted to divide the country and strengthened them and who fought for the unity and independence of the country, Gandhi said.

"Who stood with the British during the 'Quit India Movement'? When India's jails were filled with Congress leaders, then who was running the government in the states with the forces that divided the country?" he said.

History does not change by "spewing lies" from political platforms, he added.

Gandhi's remarks come amid repeated attacks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the Congress manifesto bears a 'Muslim League imprint'. The Congress has moved the Election Commission against his remarks while party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has said that "there is a stink of RSS" in Modi's speeches.

The Congress has alleged that the prime minister is resorting to the "cliched Hindu-Muslim script" as he is scared that the BJP may struggle to even cross the 180-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress has countered the BJP pointing out that Jan Sangha founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, the president of the Hindu Mahasabha then, was himself part of the coalition government in Bengal with the Muslim League in the early 1940s. PTI

Read more >

Update: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it declines to accept the affidavits filed by yoga guru Ramdev and managing director of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd Acharya Balkrishna tendering an unconditional apology in the misleading advertisem*nts case.

"We don't want to be so generous in this case," a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said during the hearing. The apex court also came down heavily on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for not taking action against Patanjali Ayurved. The hearing in the matter is underway.

Ramdev and Balkrishna have tendered an "unconditional and unqualified apology" before the apex court over advertisem*nts issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products. In two separate affidavits filed in the court, Ramdev and Balkrishna have tendered an unqualified apology for the "breach of the statement" recorded in the November 21 last year order of the apex court.

In the November 21, 2023 order, the top court had noted that counsel representing Patanjali Ayurved had assured it that "henceforth there shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form".

The top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is "bound down to such assurance". The non-observance of the specific assurance and the subsequent media statements irked the apex court, which later issued notice to them to show cause as to why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them. PTI

Read more >

The Supreme Court refuses to accept the "unconditional apology" offered by Patanjali, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for airing misleading advertisem*nts. The Supreme Court comes down heavily upon Patanjali for "taking the contempt of court proceedings lightly". The SC says "We decline to accept your affidavit. We consider what you have done to be willful, deliberate, repeated violation of our orders!"

Rejecting another set of apologies filed by Patanjali founders Ramdev and

"We are not blind" and "we do not want to be generous" in this case, the court said. The court also noted that it is not satisfied with the Centre's reply in the matter.

"The apology is on paper. Their back is against the wall. We decline to accept this, we consider it a deliberate violation of undertaking," the bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A Amanullah said.

At the beginning of the proceedings, the bench noted that Ramdev and Balkrishna sent their apologies to the media first. "Till the matter hit the Court, the contemnors did not find it fit to send us the affidavits. They sent it to the media first, till 7.30 pm yesterday it was not uploaded for us. They believe in publicity clearly," Justice Kohli said.

Read more >

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress and its ally, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, on Katchatheevu and 'Shakti' remarks, accusing them of keeping the "country in the dark" over the former and charged them with ill-treatment of women.

He especially singled out the DMK over alleged corruption, saying the Dravidian party had the "first copyright" on the issue and added the "family" was intent on looting the state, in an apparent reference to the party's first family, headed by its president and Chief Minister M K Stalin.

"The DMK has the first copyright on corruption, the entire family is looting Tamil Nadu," he said at an election rally in Vellore, while canvassing votes for NDA candidates, including BJP nominees for the April 19 Lok Sabha elections in the state. He further charged the DMK with being "a family company," that was impeding the progress of the state's youth with its "old mindset."

"DMK divides people over language, region, faith and caste. DMK knows that the day people see through this, it will not get a single vote. I have decided to expose the decades-old dangerous politics of DMK," Modi, whose BJP is making a spirited fight to make significant electoral inroads in the Dravidian heartland, said.

Once again targeting the Congress and DMK, both of whom were at power in the Centre and the state, respectively, in 1974 when Katchatheevu islet was ceded to Sri Lanka, he asked in which cabinet meeting was such a decision arrived upon and to 'benefit' whom.

The Congress had not provided answers to these. Post its ceding, Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were arrested and their boats seized and the "Congress and the DMK show fake compassion," to them, he alleged. However, the NDA government was ensuring their "permanent release," even as he saved five fishermen from the gallows in Sri Lanka, Modi said.

Attacking the Congress over its "prince Rahul Gandhi's" Shakti remarks, Modi claimed the former talked of "destroying Shakti of Hindu faith." "That is the mentality of DMK as well. They speak ill of Sanatana Dharma, boycott Ram temple inauguration (in Ayodhya)," besides the installation of the "sacred Sengol," in the new Parliament building, he added.

The INDI alliance people "ill-treat" women and everybody knows how the DMK treated the late "Amma Jayalalithaa," when she was alive. "Your blessings for the BJP and the NDA will protect Sanatan Shakti and ensure women's honour," the PM said. PTI

Read more >

2014. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi campaigned against the Congress party that was then tainted by several scams.

2024. The very party that campaigned against corruption, and painted itself as clean, is facing one of the biggest corruption scandals independent India has seen -- theElectoral Bond Scam.

Will the Electoral Bond Scam have an impact in the coming Lok Sabha elections?

"The BJP may not have expected that all the bond information will be made public in the midst of the election campaign," ProfessorZoya Hasan, Professor Emerita, Centre for Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, tellsRediff.com'sShobha Warrier.

Read the interviewhere.

Read more >

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in the state and likened the latter's visits to a migratory bird arriving at the sanctuary during season and posed him questions on a series of issues.

The Prime Minister has come to the state with a set of guarantees for the 2024 general elections as his Gujarat model and Chaukidar role has been exposed, he said.

"Prime Minister Modi himself hovers over Tamil Nadu during the election season just like migratory birds come to the sanctuary during the season. Will you give these guarantees?" Stalin, who is president of the ruling DMK, asked in a post on the social media platform X.

He sought to know from Modi, if he could guarantee conducting caste-wise census, remove the ceiling on reservation, strictly implement reservation for SC, ST and OBC, exempt Tamil Nadu from National Eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET), never to impose Hindi and Sanskrit, and transferring education to state list.

Also, the CM wanted to know if the Prime Minister would write off the education loans of students, ensure jobs for two crore youth per year, Rs 400 grant under Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, fixing minimum support price for agricultural produce.

Read more >

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the face of India, a senior American Congressman has said as he applauded the Indian leader for the developmental work and the economic progress the country has seen since 2014.

Brad Sherman, considered to be one of the best friends of India in the US Congress, said that India and the US have seen a strengthening of the bilateral relationship during the tenure of Prime Minister Modi. However, he said that India's defence relationship with Russia is a challenge in the Indo-US relationship.

"He (Modi) has become the face of India, and we've seen very significant economic progress. Of course, every country has its challenges, every leader has its challenges. I don't ascribe the success of a country just to one leader. I mean, you've got 1.3 (sic) plus billion people and they're all working together to try to make India a more successful country, Sherman told PTI in an interview on Tuesday.

Sherman, 69, is the senior Democrat in the House Foreign Affairs Committee and has been working on the India-US relationship for the last 28 years.

"There's been a tremendous strengthening of the US-India relationship. I know this because I am the former chair of the US India Caucus here in the United States House, which is the largest. We made it the largest of all of the bipartisan caucuses. We have seen so much, particularly in the defence area with the largest joint operations and exercises with the sharing of military intelligence and a focus on trying to keep the Indo-Pacific free and peaceful, he said. The trade between the United States and India has skyrocketed. Of course, Indo-Americans are the best educated and have the highest income of all the ethnic groups here in the United States," Sherman said.

The Congressman said he would like to see the trade relationship expand between the two countries.

Read more >

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will drum up support for BJP candidates in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra on Wednesday.

PM Modi's poll campaign comes 10 days ahead of polling for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. After a massive road show in Chennai on Tuesday, PM Narendra Modi is set to campaign in Vellore.

The PM will address a public meeting in Vellore to support two partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)--Pattali Makkal Kachi's Dharmapuri candidate Soumya Anbumani as well as the New Justice Party's Vellore candidate AC Shanmugam, who is contesting on the BJP symbol.

In 2019, the DMK-led alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, winning 38 of the 39 seats. DMK, which is contesting 22 seats, leads an eight-party alliance that includes the Congress, which is contesting 9 seats; the CPI(M) and the CPI that are contesting 2 seats each; the Indian Muslim League, which has fielded a lone candidate; the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which is contesting 2 seats, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which has fielded a lone candidate; and the Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), whose candidate will contest on the DMK symbol. AIADMK, which is leading an alliance of four parties in the Lok Sabha, will contest 34 seats while its partners Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will contest 5, the Puthiya Tamilagam and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) one each.

However, the latter two parties will contest the polls on the AIADMK symbol. BJP, which is contesting 23 seats, will go into the polls with nine other partners; including the Pattali Makkal Katchi on 10 seats, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) on 3 seats, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader O Pannerselvam, who is contesting as an Independent; Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMU), headed by TTV Dhinakaran, on 2 seats, and the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi, Puthiya Needhi Katchi and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam on one seat each.

The latter three parties are contesting under BJP's banner. After his rally in Vellore, PM Modi will also visit Maharashtra to campaign in Nagpur's Ramtek constituency in support of the Shiv Sena (ruling Eknath Shinde faction) candidate Raju Parwe. -- ANI

Read more >

Read more >

It's been five days since Professor Shoma Sen, accused in the Elgar Parishad case,got bail from the Supreme Court, but she hasn't managed to step out of Byculla Jail in central Mumbai. Nor has her daughter or husband been able to speak to her even on the phone, since they had finished their phone-call quota for last week before her bail order came.

Waiting to meet her mother,Koel Senrecalled the many frustrations she has experienced in the six years since her mother was suddenly arrested in June 2018. The 36-year-old independent film-maker spoke toJyoti Punwaniabout how these years changed her.

Read the interviewhere.

Read more >

'Big politicians cross this road; but don't step down to see the hardships we endure in our daily lives.'

Archana Masih/Rediff.comreports from the sidelines of Rohini Acharya's maiden campaign trail in Bankerwa, Bihar.

Read more >

Delhi Police while concluding its arguments on former JNU student leader Umar Khalid's bail plea said that he amplified his narrative as part of conspiracy.

Read more >

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging a high court order upholding his arrest in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise scam.

Kejriwal's counsel Vivek Jain told PTI that they have filed the petition in the apex court challenging the high court's order. In a blow to Kejriwal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Delhi High Court had on Tuesday upheld his arrest in the money laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation. -- PTI

Read more >

And this news about Lalu giving tickets to his daughters? Well, we broke the news first on March 22!

Read more >

The Rashtriya Janata Dal has formally announced its candidates for all but one of the 23 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, where the party is contesting as a constituent of the opposition 'Mahagathbandhan'.

Party president Lalu Prasad's daughters - Rohini Acharya and Misa Bharti - are among the RJD nominees.

According to a release issued by RJD state president Jagdanand Singh late on Tuesday, Acharya will contest from Saran, a seat her father had won many times.

Prasad represented the seat until his disqualification in 2013 when he was convicted in a fodder scam.

Bharti, his eldest daughter who is enjoying her second term in the Rajya Sabha, will try her luck in the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency.

A party functionary said a candidate is yet to be announced for Siwan, where the RJD had for years been fielding the late Mohd Shahubuddin.

As per the seat-sharing arrangement among partners of the 'Mahagathbandhan', the RJD has kept 26 of Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats, leaving nine for Congress and five for the Left parties.

The RJD, last week, struck a deal with former Bihar minister Mukesh Sahni, whose Vikashsheel Insaan Party has been given three seats from its quota. -- PTI

Read more >

At least 12 people were killed and 14 injured -- all employees of a private firm -- as a bus they were on fell into a 'murum' soil mine pit in Chhattisgarh's Durg district on Tuesday night, officials said.

The incident took place around 8.30 pm near Khapri village under Kumhari Police Station limits when the victims were returning home after work from a distillery, Durg Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla said.

According to preliminary information, the bus with more than 30 people onboard skidded off the road and plunged into the 40 feet deep 'murum' mine, he said.

"12 people, including three women, were killed in the accident," he added. Shukla had earlier confirmed the death toll to be 15.

Murum, a type of soil, is mostly used for construction.

Soon after being alerted, a police team reached the spot and launched a rescue operation along with the teams of State Disaster Response Force and locals, Shukla said.

Durg Collector Richa Prakash Choudhary told reporters a magisterial probe had been ordered into the incident.

"The bus was carrying workers of Kediya Distilleries located in Kumhari area. So far the deaths of 12 people have been confirmed. Of the 14 injured, 12 have been taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Raipur ,while two others are undergoing treatment at a hospital here," she said.

The company has offered compensation to the victims, the collector said, adding, they will also get similar help from the administration.

A magisterial enquiry will be conducted into the incident and action will be taken against the guilty, Choudhary said.

Visuals of the spot showed bus turning turtle after falling down. Amid darkness, the rescuers had to toil hard initially. -- PTI

Read more >

Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale has dismissed the Congress' allegation that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government is planning to change the Constitution.

Athawale, a prominent Dalit leader from Maharashtra and Bharatiya Janata Party's ally, on Tuesday said he would resign if there is any attempt to change the Constitution.

The minister, who heads the Republican Party of India (Athawale), was here to campaign for Sunil Mendhe, candidate of the ruling alliance from Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat.

"With no issues against the present Modi-led NDA government, the Congress along with other opposition parties is trying to mislead people alleging that if this government wins 400 plus seats, it would change the Constitution. Their accusation is completely baseless.... if government makes any such attempt, I will resign from the cabinet and withdraw support to the BJP," he said.

PM Modi is a "man with vision" and working for the progress of the country, Athawale added.

Notably, BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde recently said his party needed a two-third majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution and "set right the distortions and unnecessary additions made to it by the Congress".

The BJP subsequently moved to defuse the row sparked by Hegde's remarks as it dubbed it as his personal opinion and sought a clarification from him. -- PTI

Read more >