BJP and Congress Spar in Crucial Third Phase of Lok Sabha Elections

New Delhi: The high-octane campaign for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections that saw the BJP-led NDA and the I.N.D.IA. bloc attacking each other on issues like reservations and sexual harassment charges against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna concluded on Sunday in 92 seats spread over 11 states and Union Territories. The stakes are significant for the BJP in this round as the party had in 2019 won an overwhelming majority of these seats, including all in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, that will go to polls on May 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led the BJP charge, asking the Congress to give in writing that it will not hand over the quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to Muslims. The Congress and its allies accused the BJP of trying to tamper with the Constitution and do away with reservations. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge along with party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra focused on issues of social justice, unemployment, injustice to farmers and alleged favourable treatment to select businessmen. Over 1,300 candidates, including around 120 women, are in the fray. Among the bigwigs are Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad) and SP Singh Baghel (Agra). The fate of former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai (Haveri) and Badruddin Ajmal (Dhubri) will also bedecided on May 7. Several members of Mulayam Singh Yadavs family are also contesting in this phase in Uttar Pradesh. The Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) will also go to polls in the third phase while the election in the Anatnag-Rajouri seat has been put off to the sixth phase due to logistic reasons. In Maharashtra, where 11 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls, a riveting contest is on in Baramati between Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar, wife of the veteran leader's estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. In Madhya Pradesh, four-time chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress veteran Digvijay Singh are seeking election from Vidisha, Guna and Rajgarh seats respectively. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday reiterated that the BJP is going to win all the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state. He said, This time, it will be 11 out of 11 in Chhattisgarh. I can say it confidently based on the feedback received from across the state. Meanwhile, in the Congress-ruled Karnataka which changed the campaigning track with the Hassan sex scandal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah exuded confidence in the partys prospects and said, In the first phase of the election for 14 constituencies, our information and inputs from local workers indicate a potential win of 8-9 seats. Looking ahead to the second phase on May 7, we anticipate securing more than 10 seats. In total, we are poised to clinch at least 20 seats in the state.

Delhi Sees Surge in First-Time Voters, Tally Reaches 2.43 Lakh

Delhi Sees Surge in First-Time Voters, Tally Reaches 2.43 Lakh The number of first-time voters in Delhi has risen to 2.43 lakh, the Chief Electoral Officer's office said on Sunday, citing the latest data. The final electoral roll published on January 22 had shown a significant increase in the number of first-time voters in Delhi to 1.47 lakh, it said in a statement. ''The latest data reveals a remarkable increase from 1,47,074 (1.47 lakh) to approximately 2.43 lakh first-time voters enlisted in the voting list. The CEO (Chief Electoral Officer) hoped that the final figure would increase up to approximately 2.50 lakh after publication of the supplementary electoral roll,'' the Delhi poll body said. ''This achievement stands as a testament to the effective implementation of voter awareness campaigns, targeting the youth demographic,'' it added. The concerted efforts of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities have sparked a significant surge in youth voter registration across Delhi, the poll body said. SVEEP activities have been conducted on a large scale, encompassing a diverse range of initiatives such as street plays, drawing, painting and essay-writing competitions, slogan contests and voter awareness rallies across various districts. These activities have not only fostered awareness but also instilled a sense of responsibility and participation among young voters, it added.

Muslims are leaving Congress, and joining BJP, says Modi

New Delhi/Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Muslims now understand that the Congress and the INDIA bloc are using them as pawns. At poll rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said that under the BJP-led NDA government, the Muslim community is getting the benefits of all schemes without any discrimination, asserting that they are therefore distancing themselves from the Opposition bloc parties and are coming to the BJP. On Sunday, the Prime Minister addressed two election rallies in Uttar Pradesh and also offered prayers at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. This was his first visit to the Ram temple after the January 22 consecration ceremony. After offering prayers at the temple, the Prime Minister embarked on a roadshow. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP's Faizabad candidate Lallu Singh accompanied him. People from different walks of life lined the road as Mr Modi's motorcade passed through. Addressing the second rally of the day in Uttar Pradeshs Dhaurahra, Mr Modi also said that the poor and those belonging to the SC, ST and OBC communities have come to the BJP. Politics of appeasement have become compulsory for the existence of 'shehzade' of the Congress and the SP, Mr Modi said in an apparent attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. The Muslim community also understands that the Congress and the INDIA bloc have made them pawns, he said, adding that the Muslim community is also coming to the BJP after seeing the development done without any prejudice. Hitting out at the Opposition, Mr Modi said, Pressure was exerted on officers to grant bail for terrorists. Officers who did not do so were suspended. All this was done for appeasement, for votebank politics. The politics of appeasement have become a necessity of survival for the shehzade of the SP and the Congress. The Prime Minister also hits out at the Congress and the INDIA bloc for their intentions of redistributing the countrys wealth to their votebank. Attacking the Opposition, he said they claim that if they come to power, they will revoke Article 370, end the free ration scheme, stop the free healthcare scheme for the poor and remove Vande Bharat trains. If you come to power, will you open a hospital in the Ram Mandir? Will you bulldoze the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor? he asked, targeting the SP-Congress alliance. Addressing a rally in Etawah earlier in the day, Mr Modi lashed out at the dynastic politics of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. He said that while the Opposition alliance partners work only to benefit their own families, he is building a better future for the nation's next generations. Modi and Yogi are working for the future of your children. We don't have children (of our own), he said at the rally in Etawah, the home district of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, who died in 2022. The Prime Minister said that he is laying the foundation to ensure that India remains a powerful nation for the next 1,000 years. Modi is doing this because, irrespective of whether Modi is there or not, the country will always remain and what are these SP-Congress people doing? They are fighting elections for their future and the future of their children, he said. The Prime Minister also said that the slogans of both the SP and the Congress are lies and their intentions are not good. They work only to benefit their families and their votebanks, he alleged, targeting the SP and the Congress, both members of the Opposition INDIA bloc, who are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh as allies. Sharpening his attack against the Opposition alliance partners, Mr Modi said, What is the legacy of these dynastic people? Cars, bungalows, political influence. One considers Mainpuri, Kannauj and Etawah as his fiefdom and the other considers Amethi and Raebareli as his fiefdom. The legacy created by Modi is for everyone. I want that in 2047, your sons and daughters can also become the Prime Minister or the chief minister. This 'chaiwala' has broken the evil tradition that only heirs of royal families can become the PM or the CM, he said. Raja Ram Mohan Roy's name is evoked because he broke an evil practice; similarly, a day will come when you will say that there was a Prime Minister in the country... He was a tea seller. He broke a tradition and now even a poor man's child can become a chief minister or a Prime Minister, Mr Modi said. He pointed out that Modi's legacy is permanent homes for the poor; millions of women in the country have got toilets; dalits and backward classes have got facilities like electricity, gas connections and tap water. The Prime Minister also attacked the Samajwadi Party on the issue of Covid-19 vaccines, alleging that its leaders had instigated people against the vaccines but got themselves inoculated in secret. They secretly got vaccinated and incited the public on TV and social media. Why? So that uproar spreads and sins are pinned on Modi's forehead, he said. Mr Modi also lashed out at the Congresss scion for mocking his underwater prayer at Dwarka and said, While criticising Modi, they have begun to disrespect Lord Krishna's worship. Initially, they claimed there was nothing beneath the sea in Dwarka. Now, they ridicule Lord Krishna's worship, showing no respect for our faith. Mr Modi also latched on to a slip of the tongue of SP leader Shivpal Yadav, saying that now Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother is appealing to vote for the BJP, esnure the BJP wins. In a recent election meeting at Jaswant Nagar, Shivpal Yadav, in the presence of the SP chief, goofed up by asking people to ensure that on May 7, he BJP should win with a huge margin. Recalling Mulayam Singh Yadav's statement, Mr Modi said, In the last session of Parliament before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam Singh ji stood up to make a speech and said, 'you are going to win again'. It became a kind of blessing. Now Netaji is not among us, but see the coincidence...now his brother is appealing to ensure that the BJP wins. The words in his heart came to his tongue, he said.

Coast Guard Intercepts Iranian Boat off Keralas Koyilandy, Six Indian Fishermen Held

New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard intercepted an Iranian fishing boat off the coast of Koyilandy of Kerala on Sunday, taking six fishermen into custody. The fishermen, originally from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, had reportedly been in Iran custody for around one and a half years for fishing, said the coastal police. The boat went [] The post Coast Guard Intercepts Iranian Boat off Keralas Koyilandy, Six Indian Fishermen Held appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Shotgun shooters look to make the most of World event

CHENNAI: The elite shotgun shooters from the country are currently taking part in the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. There are no Olympic quotas on offer but the event holds a fair amount of significance as the shooters will be looking to garner the Qualification Ranking for Olympic Games (QROG) points. One of ISSF's (world governing body) eligibility criteria is that the shooters must e listed in the Qualification Ranking for the Olympic Games (QROG) with at least one ranking point achieved for each of the individual events they are to be entered for at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Apart from the national ranking, the National Rifle Association of India, the governing body of the sport in the country, will also consider QROG while determining the shooters for Paris Games. As per NRAI's amended selection criteria, which was published in April last year, he best 3 results from Olympic Trials 1, 2, 3 & 4 will select teams for the 2024 Olympic Games. The said trails have already been conducted. The first two trials were held in New Delhi in December while the third trial was held in Patiala in February-March. The final trials were held in Bhopal. As per tentative ranking, which was published after the trials, Prithviraj Tondaiman tops the charts in the men's trap discipline while quota earner Bhowneesh Mendiratta is ranked third. Both of them are part of the Baku event, which also features shooters from rifle and pistol discipline. Prithviraj was placed at 48th spot after the three rounds of qualification stage on Saturday while the latter was 10 spots ahead of him. As per the QROG on April 4, Prithviraj is the best-ranked Indian at No 14 with 6796 rating. Bhowneesh is at 18th spot with 5833 rating. Maheshwari Chauhan, who recently sealed a second quota for India in the women's skeet discipline, was ranked third after the aforementioned Olympic trials but that was before she won the quota. She is due to get a bonus for winning the quota. Ganemat Sekhon, who's also due to take part in Baku, is placed second behind Raiza Dhillon, the other quota winner, in the national ranking. As per the latest QROG, Ganemat is No 19 with 4784 rating while Maheshwari and Raiza are 43rd and 51st, respectively. It is an important event (Baku). The shooters will be looking to gain ranking points. That will also be taken into consideration while finalising the team, K Sultan Singh, NRAI secretary general, said. The NRAI is likely to announce the team for the Olympics after the Lonato World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in June. Moreover, the two World Cups will give shooters a big opportunity to gain some exposure ahead of Paris. The shotgun shooters have done well to earn five quotas. It's a massive chance for the shooters as it's a high-quality field. They will get a chance to gauge the field and learn, Singh said. It will be interesting to see what progress they make before the NRAI announces the team for the Olympics.

KTR Accuses Congress Govt of Deception on Guarantees Implementation

HYDERABAD: BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said the Congress was lying about the implementation of its Six Guarantees. Rahul Gandhi who only reads the scripts given to him claimed that they are implementing the Rs 2,500 dole for women in Nirmal. Looks like the party thinks they can make any claims and take the gullible people of Telangana for a ride, he said. He said though Greater Hyderabad backed the BRS and gave it 16 seats in the Assembly elections, it lost power as the people in the rural areas got carried away by the Congress promises. He was speaking at Karmanghat during a road show in support of BRS Malkajgiri candidate Ragidi Laxma Reddy. Speaking at the road show, Lakshma Reddy said, KCR developed the state well and KTR did his bit for Hyderabad. Revanth Reddy who had won as MP from Malkajgiri did not visit the area again. The Congress cheated people in the name of Six Guarantees.0 How is Congress candidate Patnam Suneetha Mahender Reddy connected to this constituency? Does she have her vote here? These are leaders who deserted the BRS just two to three months after losing power. BJP leader Etala Rajendar who lost in Huzurabad is contesting from Malkajgiri now. I am from this area and will serve people if voted to power. Rama Rao opined that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress should first see if Revanth Reddy would remain with them after the polls. He said that while Rahul Gandhi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a thief, Revanth Reddy saw a big brother in him. While Adani is a fraudster for Rahul, he is a friend for Revanth. Even as the former pooh poohs the Gujarat model, the latter promises to emulate it. While Rahul finds fault with Kejriwal for the Delhi liquor scam, Revanth supports arrest of Kavitha. Reminding the people that there were no power cuts during the BRS regime he averred that the Congress is not able to secure Krishna and Godavari waters, nor produce electricity from the projects constructed. Give us 10 to 12 seats and we will ensure that KCR calls the shots again in the State politics. If people allow themselves to be cheated for the second time the onus for it will be on themselves. How can the CM say he thought he would get a treasure trove? Is the statement in keeping with the stature of his post? he said.

Conspiracy of Alipur gang war hatched in Jail to avenge Tillu Tajpurias murder: Delhi police

The News Mill

Ninth Sikh gurus Prakash purab celebrated with gaiety

Hyderabad: The 403rd Prakash Purab marking the birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur ji, the ninth Sikh guru, was celebrated with gaiety and devotion on Sunday. Revered for his supreme sacrifice at the altar of dharma, he spread the message of peace and communal harmony across the world. Prayers were offered at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Sitaphalmandi. The event, organised under the aegis of Prabandhak Committee, saw the presence of hundreds of devotees in the Vishaal Deewan (mass congregation). They offered prayers to Sri Guru Granth Sahibji. Committee president S. Pratap Singh Osahan and general secretary S. Jaswinder Singh said that the congregation began at 10.30 am and continued up to 3.30 pm. It was marked by the recitation of Gurubani Keertans and holy hymns by renowned Sikh preachers. Well-known ragi jathas Bhai Jaspal Singh from Delhi, Bhai Jagdev Singh, head granthi of Gurudwara Saheb, Secunderabad, and others recited Gurbani keertans and delivered sermons that stressed on the need to imbibe high values and communal harmony for which Guru Teg Bahadur Sahebji had strived. The event culminated with the traditional free community kitchen.

AICC High Command will Replace Revanth After LS Poll Results: Amit Shah

Hyderabad: Union home minister Amit Shah claimed that the Congress leadership would not allow Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to continue in the post after June 4, once the Lok Sabha election results are declared. He said Revanth Reddy was collecting `RR Tax (Rahul and Revanth Tax) at the behest of the party high command by squeezing the people. The Congress was using the money for its election campaign across the country. Addressing a public meeting at Parade Ground here, in support of party Malkajgiri candidate Etala Rajendar, and in Nizamabad for Dharmapuri Arvind, on Sunday, Shah assured that the BJP government at the Centre would ensure that the corrupt ATM of the Congress would be devoid of any cash, if the Telangana people blessed the party with 12 Lok Sabha seats and an MLA from the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly bypoll. Referring to a case filed against him by the city police after children were seen on the dais with him, Shah said that he will not cry like Revanth Reddy and that the case would be quashed in the High Court. Asking the people to elect Etala Rajendar from Malkajgiri, who belonged to the BC community, Shah said that the BJP would remove Muslim reservations and extend the same to the BCs, SCs and STs. The Congress was rephrasing this message and indulging in a false campaign against him. The Modi government had not removed any reservations. It banned triple talaq, abrogated Article 370 and constructed the Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya. As long as Modi and BJP are in this country, no one can remove reservations, he said. Alleging that the I.N.D.I alliance was a group without any acceptable leader, Shah asked people to choose between the Congress, which had indulged in scams to the tune of `12 lakh crore, and Modi, who had not faced a single corruption charge in his 10-year stint as Prime Minister nor when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans at the border, while Rahul Gandhi goes on a jolly trip to Bangkok, unable to bear the rising temperatures, he mocked. Addressing a public meeting in Nizamabad, Shah said that the Modi government would root out Naxalism. It had checked Pakistan-sponsored terror incidents. After the surgical strikes, Pakistan had realised that it was Modi and not Manmohan Singh who was in power in Delhi. Charging the Congress and BRS with adopting vote bank politics, Shah said that AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, the BRS and Congress, were known as the `ABC of Telangana and were busy in appeasement politics. The Congress government had not given permission for the Rama Navami Shobha Yatra to appease Owaisi, he said. Reacting to the doctored video featuring him, Shah said that Delhi police would approach Revanth Reddy in this regard. How can they spare you for releasing a fake video, he wondered. The Union home minister found fault with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks that people of the southern states were no way concerned about Jammu and Kashmir. He called upon people to elect Dharmapuri Arvind from Nizamabad for the second time in order to strengthen Modis leadership. Arvind had pursued the matter with the Prime Minister and secured the Turmeric Board for Nizamabad, he said. He said that the BJP-led Centre would establish a bidi workers hospital in Nizamabad and also reopen the Nizam Sugar Factory. Stating that people were searching for Congress candidate T. Jeevan Reddy, who has been the MLC for over five years, Amit Shah said that, on the contrary, Arvind will always be available for the people. Unlike the conventional trend of having a big public meeting for multiple constituencies and leaders, Rajendar opted for a big meeting for only the Malkajgiri constituency at Parade Ground on Sunday. Fans and followers of the party ensured a big turnout despite the sweltering hot weather.

27-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death in Delhi

27-Year-Old Man Stabbed to Death in Delhi A 35-year-old man was stabbed to death in northeast Delhi's Mangla area, police said on Sunday. According to police, Nazir, a resident of Jafrabad area, was stabbed multiple times on his forehead, neck and abdomen by the unidentified attackers. ''He was travelling on his scooter when some people attacked him with knives near Mangla Hospital street in Jafrabad at around 6.45 pm,'' Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey said. A call regarding the incident was received at 6.59 pm, Nazir was found dead on the street, at about 250 metres away from his house, police said. Numerous cases, including robbery and attempt to murder, were registered against him at Jafrabad police station, they said. ''The CCTV footage in the area are being scanned and efforts are being made to identify the culprits,'' the DCP said, adding that a case of murder is being registered.

Jamia Millia Islamia's nursing student jumps from flyover in Delhi

Jamia Millia Islamias nursing student jumps from flyover in Delhi

KCR May Form a Liquor Front in Delhi, says Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: The Revanth Reddy government would fall if the BJP won a majority Lok Sabha seats, TS BJP president G. Kishan Reddy said, but his party was not interested in it as the leadership was clear that it should focus on strengthening itself in the state. It may be the agenda of Congress dissidents to dethrone the Revanth government or that of the BRS. We want the Revanth government to continue, he said at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Telangana Union of Working Journalists. He said the BRS had become irrelevant and would not win a single seat. He called BRS president K. Chandrashekar Rao's statement of a coalition government at the Centre a day-dream. KCR can play a Liquor and Brandy Morcha or Front in Delhi, he said. On the comments by BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao that Hyderabad would be made a Union Territory if the BJP won a third term, Kishan Reddy said the nightmares of BRS leaders had increased after they lost power. The issue is not being discussed or debated anywhere, he said. Listing the achievements of the Modi government, Kishan Reddy said that he is finding the most favourable atmosphere for the party. A tsunami kind of under-current is sweeping even in rural areas and it would reflect on the counting day on June 4, he said. He challenged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for a debate on financial assistance from the Centre in the last 10 years to the state. The people are laughing at Revanth for his comment that the Centre had given `gadida guddu (donkeys egg) when the Centre has given `9.5 lakh crore to the state, he said.

Jamia's Nursing Student Jumps from Flyover in Delhi

Chand, a native of Bihar, lives in Patel Nagar area. He gave an exam on Saturday and was supposed to appear for another one on Monday, police said

BJP 'world's most corrupt party', says AAP's Sanjay Singh

BJP 'world's most corrupt party', says AAP's Sanjay Singh AAP on Sunday launched an attack on the BJP over corruption and the electoral bonds issue, calling the saffron party the ''world's most corrupt party'', as it ramped up campaigning in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. From a walkathon to roadshows to public meetings, AAP held multiple programmes in the national capital on Sunday. In the morning, a walkathon was organised in Rajinder Nagar under the ''Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se'' campaign. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the party is telling people how after 2014 the ''Modi washing machine'' has been washing away the stains of corrupt people by taking their support and making them ministers. Singh also said the electoral bonds have been ''revealed to be a scam''. ''The BJP took bribes and gave business through electoral bonds. The name of the world's most corrupt party is the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as the world's most corrupt leader, who is the patron of the corrupt,'' he charged. Under a seat-share arrangement, the Congress has fielded candidates from three seats in Delhi while AAP is contesting from four. The two parties are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc. Later, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai orchestrated a 'Sankalp Sabha' in the heart of the Hari Nagar and the Dwarka assembly segments, rallying supporters behind AAP's West Delhi candidate Mahabal Mishra. The people of Delhi have resolved to ''teach a lesson to this dictatorial regime'' for sending Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to jail through their votes, he said. Rai, AAP's Delhi convenor, said the ''400-plus'' slogan is the only answer BJP leaders have for everything. ''Ask them why inflation has increased, why 'lathi' was used on farmers, why atrocities were committed against women in Manipur, why the son of the man who wronged our wrestler daughters is contesting the elections. The BJP leaders have no answer,'' Rai charged. That is why BJP leaders are saying that its tally will cross 400 seats in these elections, he claimed and added the people of the country, however, are saying that the BJP will lose. The opposition INDIA bloc has been attacking the BJP over its ''400-paar (400-plus)'' slogan, saying it is aimed at changing the Constitution and ending the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and backward classes. Rai noted that the people of West Delhi voted for a BJP candidate in the last two elections and said, ''But this time, the people want to defeat the BJP and make Mahabal Mishra win. This time Mahabal Mishra is going to become the MP from West Delhi.'' Today, the entire Delhi has stood up together to ''defeat the arrogance of the BJP by giving the answer to jail with their votes'', he said. ''Delhiites made Arvind Kejriwal the chief minister for three consecutive terms. He provided 24-hour free electricity and water, free bus travel for women and pilgrimage for the elderly. He built good schools and hospitals Now, the government is going to provide Rs 1,000 to every woman in every family,'' the minister said. ''Even though he is in jail today, Delhiites who elected him are outside. Delhiites have the power of vote,'' he added. Polling for the national capital's seven Lok Sabha seats will be held in the sixth phase on May 25.

Noida, Ghaziabad may extend bar hours in catch-up with Delhi, Gurugram

UP government committee is reviewing extending Noida, Ghaziabad bar hours to boost revenue. Noida owners propose bars open until 4 am. Currently, bars in Delhi can be open until 3 am while those in Gurgaon operate 24/7.

Devender Yadav takes over as president of Delhi Congress

The authoritarian BJP Government had used divisive politics over the past 10 years, which threatened the integrity of the Constitution, and the Congress will have to play a strong role to protect the Constitution

6 Of Family Killed In Accident On Mumbai-Delhi Expressway In Rajasthan

The family was going from Khandela in Sikar to the Trinetra Ganesh Temple in Ranthambore when the accident occurred.

A Day Before Exam, Jamia Nursing Student Jumps Off Delhi Flyover: Cops

A B.Sc (Nursing) student at Jamia Millia Islamia allegedly jumped off from Ranjit Singh flyover, near the Barakhamba Road on Sunday, police said, adding that he is undergoing treatment.

Prajwal Revanna Faces Blue Corner Notice; Congress Demands PM's Response

Prajwal Revanna Faces Blue Corner Notice; Congress Demands PM's Response The Karnataka government on Sunday said a Blue Corner Notice has been issued against JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, facing sexual abuse allegations, while his MLA father was remanded to custody in a related case. The Congress party kept up the attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter, asking him to break his 'silence' on the issue in which the BJP's alliance party leader is accused. The Congress-led Karnataka government announced financial assistance to those were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal. ''Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced financial assistance to the rape victims who are in hundreds, since it is a unique case which has never happened in the last 75 years,'' Congress general secretary and the party's Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference in the presence of the state CM, in Bengaluru. With Prajwal stated to have left the country, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against him and the Interpol's help is being taken to bring the NDA's Hassan Lok Sabha candidate back to India, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said. A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person's identity, location or activities in relation to a crime. ''Already Blue Corner notice has been issued. The Interpol will inform all the countries and locate him,'' Parameshwara told reporters. Explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old Prajwal, grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, had started making the rounds in Hassan in recent days, following which the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sexual abuse allegations against the MP. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Prajwal's father and JD(S) MLA, HD Revanna was remanded to police custody till May 8 by a Bengaluru court in connection with a case of alleged kidnapping and illegal confining of a woman. Revanna was arrested on Saturday by the SIT after his bail plea was rejected in the case related to kidnapping and illegally confining a woman who is the mother of three children. Police had also arrested one Sathish Babanna in connection with the abduction and secured the victim from a farmhouse. The FIR was registered against the 66-year-old Revanna based on a complaint by the woman's son on Thursday. After his medical examination at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital here, the former minister was produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, who remanded him to the custody of the SIT. The SIT was formed by the Karnataka government on the recommendation of the Karnataka State Commission for Women chief Nagalakshmi Chowdhary after a huge cache of explicit videos of Prajwal, allegedly sexually abusing women, became public. There are three FIRs registered in connection with the sexual abuse allegations, involving the father and son, in total. In the first case in Holenarasipura, the cook and relative of the Revannas complained that the two had molested her. In the second complaint at CID Bengaluru, a JD(S) leader accused Prajwal of raping her at gunpoint, videographing the incident and then blackmailing her. The third complaint is against H D Revanna pertaining to the abduction and illegal detention of a woman. Before being produced before the magistrate, Revanna claimed there is no evidence of his involvement. ''There are no evidences pertaining to the May 2 complaint. It's a big political conspiracy... A conspiracy was hatched against me,'' Revanna told reporters at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, where he was taken for a medical checkup. The Congress on Sunday once again targeted PM over the issue and asserted that its women's wing will keep raising its voice until Prajwal is brought back to India to face the law. All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba slammed Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and National Women Commission Chairperson Rekha Sharma for being silent on the case. ''Today half the population of the country is demanding that Smriti Irani and Rekha Sharma break their silence,'' she said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has also expressed concern over the matter and former party chief Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to the Karnataka chief minister, asking for strict action, Lamba said. ''Prime Minister, break your silence. Until PM Modi brings Prajwal Revanna from Germany and hands him over to the Karnataka government, Mahila Congress will raise its voice from every corner of the country. Not only us, half the population of the country (women) will ask you questions,'' she said. ''Mahila Congress will 'gherao' PM Modi everywhere, because we are not afraid of your power and police machinery,'' she said.

CM jailed before polls to stifle his voice: Sunita Kejriwal calls for vote against dictatorship

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals wife Sunita on Sunday alleged he was jailed before the elections to stifle his voice as she urged people to vote against dictatorship when the national capital goes to polls later this month. Sunita held her third roadshow in the national capital in south Delhi in support of Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Article 370 was allowed due to vested interests; PoK happened as custodian was not responsible: EAM

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the now-scrapped Article 370 was allowed to be continued in Jammu and Kashmir due to vested interests, and the part of Kashmir under Pakistans occupation was allowed to be taken away as India was being headed by someone who is not... The post Article 370 was allowed due to vested interests; PoK happened as custodian was not responsible: EAM first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

Lok Sabha Polls 2024: A Month After Quitting AAP, Ex Delhi Minister Raaj Anand Joins Mayawati's Party

Former Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand joined the BSP on Sunday and announced that he will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from New Delhi constituency.

BSP ropes in ex-Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand for New Delhi Lok Sabha seat

BSP ropes in ex-Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand for New Delhi Lok Sabha seat Former Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand joined the BSP here on Sunday and announced that he will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from New Delhi constituency. Anand had resigned from the Delhi cabinet and quit the ruling AAP last month, alleging that Dalits did not have adequate representation in the party. ''I offer tributes to Baba Saheb Ambedkar. I feel that I have come back to my party,'' Anand said at a press conference after joining the BSP. He said he will file his nomination from New Delhi parliamentary seat on Monday. Monday is the last day for filing nominations for the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 25. BJP's Bansuri Swaraj and AAP's Somnath Bharti have already filed their nominations from the constituency. Anand held various portfolios, including social welfare, in the AAP government. He had resigned from the cabinet and the AAP, alleging that there was no Dalit among the top leaders of the party. He had also alleged that Dalit MLAs, ministers and councillors of the AAP were not given any respect.

A Month After Quitting AAP, Ex Delhi Minister Joins Mayawati's Party

Former Delhi minister Raaj Kumar Anand joined the BSP on Sunday and announced that he will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from New Delhi constituency.

Doctor stabbed to death in Delhi`s Karawal Nagar

The doctor, an ayurvedic practitioner, was stabbed to death by three bike-borne attackers in northeast Delhi`s Karwal Nagar

AAP alleges BJP of washing away stains of corrupt people

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged on Sunday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are saving corrupt people in the country by washing away their stains. Addressing the gathering at a walkathon organised by the party under its Jail... The post AAP alleges BJP of washing away stains of corrupt people first appeared on Central India's Premier English Daily .

AAP organises `walkathon` to seek support for CM Kejriwal

Expressing their discontent over the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai said that there is anger among the people of Delhi regarding the matter

Apple Watch saves Delhi woman's life by alerting abnormal heart rhythm

Delhi: Two siblings found dead inside shop, father absconding

The CCTVs in the locality are being scanned and teams were formed to locate Manish, police said

Class 8 boy sexually assaulted with stick returns home after month-long treatment in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A class 8 boy who was allegedly beaten and sexually assaulted by his classmates in an area in east Delhi returned home after undergoing treatment for nearly for a month. The boy was thrashed and sexually assaulted on March 18 by three other juveniles. They thrashed my son, took off his clothes and beat him with a stick. Later, the stick was inserted inside his body which damaged his intestines, his mother said. For more than a week he did not reveal anything and was rushed to a hospital only after he complained stomach ache, she said. All three juveniles involved in the incident have been apprehended.

SC cancels bail of UP Police SHO accused of raping minor inside police station

SC cancels bail of UP Police SHO accused of raping minor inside police station New Delhi: The Supreme Court has cancelled the bail of a Station House Officer (SHO) accused of raping a 13-year-old girl inside a police station in Uttar Pradeshs Lalitpur district. The minor girl was lured to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh by four [] The post SC cancels bail of UP Police SHO accused of raping minor inside police station appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

Delhi Minister's Washing Machine Charge Against BJP

In the last few years, BJP, which has been beating the drum of corruption, has tried to include the same corrupt people in its party by washing them in its washing machines, Delhi Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said.

Punjab's Experiment with Political Alliances Proves Costly, Says Badal

Punjab's Experiment with Political Alliances Proves Costly, Says Badal Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday said experimenting with AAP and Congress has ''cost Punjab dearly'', with all its core issues, including federal autonomy, being thrown on the back burner. Badal urged the people of Punjab to put their faith in the SAD to ensure the state's voice reaches Parliament. The SAD president made the remarks during a tour of the Dera Bassi assembly segment while campaigning in favour of the party's Patiala candidate N K Sharma as part of his party's 'Punjab Bachao Yatra'. ''Our experiments have cost us dearly. Earlier the Congress misled you with false promises of a loan waiver, jobs for every household and Rs 2,500 per month to the unemployed youth but did nothing. ''Then the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) went a step further and promised Rs 1,000 per month to women, besides promising to eradicate the menace of drugs. This promise was also false and AAP stands thoroughly exposed as it has bankrupted the state by taking on a loan of Rs 1 lakh crore,'' Badal said. Asserting that the SAD alone could fulfil the aspirations of the state, Badal said, ''We are committed to federal autonomy to ensure the rights of Punjab are safeguarded.'' Similarly, we feel the sentiments of the Sikh community should also be respected,'' he said. ''This was not being done and that is why we chose to stand by our principles and contest this election alone. We will continue on this path but will never compromise with our core ideology,'' Badal said. Stating that Punjab was for everyone, Badal said ''divisive politics propagated by Delhi-based parties which are based on religion and casteism will never succeed in the state''. ''Punjabis are secular by nature and follow the principle of 'sarbat da bhala' propounded by our Guru Sahiban. I am confident they will repose faith in their own regional party SAD and shun Delhi-based parties'', he said. Badal said only SAD would be able to raise the voice of Punjab in Parliament as MPs of Delhi-based parties have kept quiet on crucial issues of Punjab ''since they take directions from their heads for whom Punjab is of no consequence.'' ''For the SAD, Punjab and Punjab alone is important. We will raise your voice in Parliament and ensure it is heard,'' Badal added.

Kanhaiya Kumar to submit nomination papers for upcoming election

Kanhaiya Kumar to submit nomination papers for upcoming election Kanhaiya Kumar, Congress candidate from the Northeast Delhi constituency, will file his nomination for the May 25 Lok Sabha elections on Monday. The former student leader will take out a procession from near Maujpur Metro Station to the election office to file his nomination. ''We will take care of peace in the area. We will follow the traffic rules. If needed, we will shower flowers to express our happiness,'' Kumar said. Kumar will face BJP's two-time MP from the same constituency and Bhojpuri singer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari. Kumar contested the 2019 general election as a CPI candidate from the Begusarai seat in Bihar. Congress's Udit Raj filed his nomination for the Northwest Delhi seat on Friday and his party colleague Jai Prakash Agarwal filed his nomination for the Chandni Chowk seat on Saturday. The Congress is contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance with the AAP in Delhi. As part of the seat-share arrangement, the Congress is contesting three seats while AAP has fielded candidates from four constituencies in the national capital. Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats will go to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25.

Class 8 boy sexually assaulted with stick returns home after month-long treatment

Class 8 boy sexually assaulted with stick returns home after month-long treatment A class 8 boy who was allegedly beaten and sexually assaulted by his classmates in an area in east Delhi returned home after undergoing treatment for nearly for a month. The boy was thrashed and sexually assaulted on March 18 by three other juveniles. ''They thrashed my son, took off his clothes and beat him with a stick. Later, the stick was inserted inside his body which damaged his intestines,'' his mother said. For more than a week he did not reveal anything and was rushed to a hospital only after he complained stomach ache, she said. All three juveniles involved in the incident have been apprehended.

Bam withdraws from Indore poll race citing lack of support from Congress organization

Bam withdraws from Indore poll race citing lack of support from Congress organization Former Congress candidate from Indore Lok Sabha constituency, Akshay Kanti Bam, on Sunday, claimed non-cooperation by the party organisation for his campaign forced him to opt out of the poll race. Bam's last-minute withdrawal of nomination on April 29 pushed the Congress out of the poll race in the Indore seat which the Grand Old Party was trying to win for the last 35 years. He later joined the BJP. ''After I was picked as Congress nominee I worked hard myself to garner votes, but such a big election can't be fought without the cooperation of the party's organisation,'' Bam, a businessman by profession, told reporters at the BJP's office here. He claimed his poll programmes were put off and his publicity material did not reach the booth-level workers when he was a Congress nominee. Before he pulled out of the race, Bam had talked to MP Congress president Jitu Patwari three times and flagged the issue of non-cooperation, he said. ''I wrote to leaders in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi that I wanted to organise poll meetings of senior leaders of Congress (for electioneering),'' Bam said. He claimed a senior leader of Congress was present at the Indore airport for two hours but his rally was not organised. Bam refused to disclose the name of the concerned leader. Responding to criticism by Congress which dubbed him a deserter for switching over to the BJP, Bam said, ''What is the definition of 'gaddar' (traitor)? Why did Congress make local leader Moti Singh a dummy candidate? This shows they didn't trust me''. Bam dismissed Congress' charge that he pulled out of the race five days after a local court directed the police to add an attempt to murder charge against him in a 17-year-old land grab case. ''Such matters were brought out intentionally after I was declared as the Congress nominee from Indore seat. He refused to comment on BJP veteran Sumitra Mahajan's comments wherein she has expressed surprise over the last-minute exit of Bam from the poll arena, calling it unfair. She had also said that voters have the right to decide in a democratic set-up. ''Tai (Mahajan) is not only a leader of Indore but she is also a big leader in the country. I am too small to comment on her statement,'' Bam added.

2 Nigerian military personnel will face court martial over a drone attack that killed 85 villagers

Two Nigerian military personnel will face a court martial over the killing of 85 villagers in a military drone attack in December in the West African nations conflict-battered north, authorities said, prompting calls from a rights group Friday for more transparency and justice for victims. The two personnel will be...

CM jailed before polls to stifle his voice: Sunita Kejriwal calls for vote against 'dictatorship'

Sunita Kejriwal said her husband was put in jail since he built good government schools, mohalla clinics and promised to give Rs 1,000 to every woman in Delhi.

Gurgaon Lok Sabha Seat Witnessing Intense Battle Between Local and Outsider Candidates

Gurgaon Lok Sabha Seat Witnessing Intense Battle Between Local and Outsider Candidates The Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana is witnessing a local versus outsider contest after the Congress nominated actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar from the seat against sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh of the ruling BJP. In his campaign, Babbar highlights his Haryana connect to beat the 'outsider' jibe while Singh appeals to voters to again go for the ''tried and tested''. According to the Congress leader, his family had arrived in Ambala after the country's Partition. ''Mein bahari nahin hoon (I am not an outsider),'' the 71-year-old former MP says, adding that he has relatives in Gurugram and Faridabad too. Singh has been targeting Babbar, saying he is an 'outsider'. Babbar's candidature was announced by the Congress on April 30. Congress leader and former Haryana minister Ajay Singh Yadav was also a strong probable from the seat. Making a stop at Badshahpur under Gurgaon constituency while campaigning recently, Babbar appeals to people to vote for a change and elect him this time. ''Gurugram mein iss baar badlaav ki bari hai.'' ''Raj Babbar will create his place in the hearts of people,'' says the actor-politician, who began his campaign after a visit to the Sheetla Mata temple in Gurgaon last week. Targeting the BJP, Babbar says that despite generating a major chunk of revenue for Haryana, Gurugram city does not have proper civic infrastructure and the situation turns bad during the monsoon season. On the other hand, BJP's Rao Inderjit Singh (74), a five-time parliamentarian, of which he has served as Gurgaon MP on three occasions (2009-till present), pitches himself as a leader who is local and understands people's needs and aspirations. He is banking on the development works carried out in Gurugram during his tenure as MP as well as his local connect. During his campaign, Singh tells the people, ''Mein Gurgaon vasiyo ka parkha hua hoon (I am your tried and tested leader). I have always raised the voice of my constituents. The strength which you give me I use that for raising your voice.'' ''Gurgaon and India are progressing. We want to bring Narendra Modi as Prime Minister again and take our country on a path of progress,'' he says. Seeking reelection, Singh, son of former Haryana chief minister late Rao Birender Singh, highlights the works done during the past 10 years in Gurugram, saying these will be further accelerated. Two decades ago Gurgaon used to be a small town, but today it is contributing 70-75 per cent revenue to the state, Singh says. After Gurgaon parliamentary constituency was carved out in 2008 and first elections for the seat were held in 2009, it was for the first time that the Congress went with a candidate who does not belong to the Yadav community, which has a sizable presence in south Haryana. Singh, a prominent Ahir leader, who joined the BJP after switching over from the Congress in 2014, had represented Gurgaon in 2009 as Congress MP. Prior to this, Singh has also served as MP twice from Mahendragarh, which is Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency from 2009. Among the development works, Singh highlights the inauguration (by Prime Minister Narendra Modi) of the 19km-long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway that will cut travel time between Delhi and Gurgaon, inauguration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Rewari, and connecting old Gurgaon with metro, among others.

Humanise Kashmiri Youth, Not Label Them as OGWs: Parra Tells New Delhi

SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party Youth President and Parliamentary Candidate for Srinagar-Pulwama Constituency, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, urged New Delhi on Sunday to recognise how each passing day of silence, inaction, and accusations of being OGWs, along with labelling Kashmiri Youth as anti-national, drive the youth of Kashmir further away from the idea of India and [] The post Humanise Kashmiri Youth, Not Label Them as OGWs: Parra Tells New Delhi appeared first on Kashmir Life .

Meet woman, Columbia grad who left lucrative job to crack UPSC in 4th attempt, got AIR 11, but didn't chose IAS due to..

Born and raised in a middle-class family from Delhi, she did her graduation in B.Com and then completed post-graduation in Public Administration from the University of Columbia in New York.

Karnataka sex scandal: Congress asks PM to break his silence

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday, May 5, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on Karnatakas alleged sex scandal involving JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, and asserted that its womens wing will keep raising its voice until he is brought back to India to face the law. All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Eastern Ladakh Row: Talks Between India and China Going on Well: Rajnath

New Delhi: The theaterisation process in the military is making progress as consensus is emerging among the three services on the ambitious initiative, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in first clear remarks reflecting forward movement in the mega reform initiative.In an exclusive interview to PTI, Singh said the talks between India and China are going on well for the resolution of the eastern Ladakh border row and hoped that a solution to the standoff will be found. Singh also said that India has been developing infrastructure along the frontier with China at a rapid speed, and asserted that the country's borders will remain safe. The talks are going on well, he said on the India-China military dialogue on the eastern Ladakh row, declining to elaborate further considering the sensitive nature of the matter. Asked whether he was hopeful of a positive outcome and an end to the nearly four-year face-off between the two militaries, Singh shot back: If there was no hope, then why to have talks. They (the Chinese side) also have hope and that is why they are holding the talks, he said. The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points. Broadly referring to military reforms, Singh said the armed forces are committed to the theaterisation initiative because it will integrate the capabilities of the three services and ensure better utilisation of resources. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. The theaterisation process has started. There has been progress on it. Consensus is emerging on it among the three services as it will ensure better utilisation of resources and enhance the military's overall capabilities, the defence minister said. Singh declined to provide a timeline for rolling out the theatre commands and said it took close to 20 years in certain countries where theaterisation plan was implemented. We are working on it, he said, refusing to share more details on the mega project. As per the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory under an operational commander. The original plan entailed setting up around six new theatre commands. At present, the three forces have a total of 17 commands. Under the theaterisation plan, the defence ministry initially planned to create an Air Defence Command and a Maritime Theatre Command. This Maritime Theatre command would be tasked to secure India from seaborne threats while the Air Defence Command would be mandated to deal with airborne enemies. The defence minister also heaped wholehearted praise on the Indian Navy for its numerous operations in foreign waters where it assisted several merchant ships commandeered or threatened by pirates. The Indian Navy has performed a miracle (karishma), Singh said. The minister also dropped hints of the government's readiness to positively consider the Navy's proposal for the construction of a second aircraft carrier. The Navy has been making a strong pitch for having the second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-II) with a displacement of 45,000 tonnes which is estimated to cost close to Rs 40,000 crore with the envisaged specifications. Exuding confidence in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retaining power for a third straight term, he said the new government's focus would be to make India totally self-reliant in the defence sector. Singh said India's annual defence exports crossed the Rs 21,000 crore mark for the first time in 2023-24 and that his ministry has set a target of increasing it to Rs 50,000 crore in the next five-six years. We will take it to more than 50,000 crore by 2029-30, he said. On the Navy's operations in the strategic waterways, Singh said the force deserves praise. The Indian Navy has done a miracle. Congratulations to the Navy. (Indian Navy ne Karishma kiya. Nav ko Badhai), he said. In the last few months, the Indian Navy extended assistance to a number of merchant vessels in the Western Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and strategic waterways around the Red Sea following attacks on them. Late last month, the Indian Navy swiftly assisted a Panama-flagged crude oil tanker with 30 crew members including 22 Indians after the vessel came under missile attack from Houthi militants. There have been growing global concerns over attacks on various commercial vessels in the Red Sea by the Houthi militants. The Navy has foiled attacks by pirates on several ships in the region since January. Asked about the Navy's push for a second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), Singh indicated that it is being favourably considered. India's first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (IAC I) was commissioned in September last year. Built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 crore, INS Vikrant has a sophisticated air defence network and anti-ship missile systems. It has the capacity to hold 30 fighter jets and helicopters. The Navy has been pitching for three aircraft carriers to deal with China's growing naval prowess and its growing influence over the Indian Ocean region. At present, India has two aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. INS Vikramaditya is a Russian-origin platform.

'CM jailed before polls to stifle his voice': Sunita Kejriwal calls for vote against 'dictatorship'

New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita on Sunday alleged he was put in jail before the elections to stifle his voice and urged people to vote against dictatorship when the national capital goes to polls on May 25. Sunita held her third roadshow in the national capital in south Delhi in support of AAP candidate Sahiram Pahalwan on Sunday. She said her husband was put in jail since he built good government schools, mohalla clinics and promised to give Rs 1,000 to every woman in Delhi. He has put in jail just before polls to stifle his voice. Dictatorship is at its peak. Please save this country. Please cast your vote irrespective of the heat, she added. Your chief minister and my husband has been put in jail. No court has declared him guilty. They are saying that inquiry is going on. If investigation goes on for 10 years, will they keep him in jail for 10 years? This is sheer hooliganism and dictatorship, she charged. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is currently held in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. Arvind ji is educated, honest and a true patriot. We have a 30-year-old marriage. When our alliance got fixed, he asked me, 'I have to do social work. Will you have any issues?' He has only one thing on his mind: to improve the life of common man. He carried out a hunger strike in 2011. He was advised against hunger strike by doctors since he is a diabetic but he still risked his life, Sunita said.

At 41.1 Degrees, Delhi Records Hottest Day Of The Season So Far

The maximum temperature in Delhi settled two notches above normal at 41.1 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday.

WhatsApp working on these new features to improve your chat experience

New Delhi: Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on some new features to improve the chat experience of users on the app. Reactions from media viewers, hidden community group chats, managing chat storage filters, and account restrictions are some of the features WhatsApp is presently working on, according to WABetaInfo. Also ReadWhatsApp banned record over 79 Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

IIT Delhi Introduces Executive MBA Programme, CAT Score Not Mandatory

The Department of Management Studies (DMS) at IIT Delhi has introduced a new Executive Master of Business Administration (Executive MBA) programme tailored for working professionals. With a focus on flexibility, career enhancement, and global exposure, the two-year course is set to commence in July 2024. Here's everything you need to know about the programme, including the application process and key highlights.

SC sets aside HC order granting bail to police officer accused of raping minor

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court set aside the bail of a police officer accused of raping a minor Dalit girl who had come to the police station to register a sexual assault complaint in Uttar Pradesh. The SC after cancelling the bail issued by the Allahabad High Court directed the accused to surrender immediately. The apex court said that there is no reason to justify the grant of bail to the accused who was the Station House Officer (SHO) and allegedly grossly abused his office to commit same heinous crime of raping the minor victim. Terming the situation as far worse, a two-judge bench of the top court led by Justice A S Bopanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar further directed authorities to send him to judicial custody after he surrendered. Hearing a writ petition filed by the Association of Voluntary Action (AVA) also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) regarding the gang-rape case of the 13-year-old girl in UPs Lalitpur, the Division Bench passed the order. The mother of the victim alleged that the SHO raped her daughter when she had come to the police station to file a complaint of sexual assault as she was gang raped for five months. The mother also claimed that the police failed to register a complaint and also alleged raped the victim within the premises of the police station. She said that her daughter and her family were constantly threatened not to tell anyone ever since. The apex court said, In this situation, his prayer for grant of bail required more than the cursory appraisal that was bestowed by the High Court. We do not find any reason worth the name justifying the grant of bail to him (SHO) at this stage. Citing apex court's earlier decision on grant of bail in State of Jharkhand against Sandeep Kumar, Justice Bopanna and Justice Kumar observed and held against any lenience being shown by treating an accused such a policeman who is alleged to have abused his office, with a common man. Notably, that was not even a case involving a heinous offence. In the present case (Police Station in Lalitpur), the situation is far worse as the accused being the Station House Officer of the Police Station where the minor victim girl approached seeking justice, is alleged to have resorted to committing the same heinous crime of raping her, observed the division bench in its order on May 3. Terming the rejection of bail plea of police official as vital for criminal justice system, senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for the victim, said The Supreme Court has clearly conveyed a message that when the police officials are themselves involved in the crime, then no leniency would be shown.

EC orders transfer of Andhra Pradesh DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy

New Delhi: The Election Commission Sunday ordered the transfer of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police KV Rajendranath Reddy with immediate effect, sources said. The poll authority has asked the state government to submit by Monday names of three eligible Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the rank of director general to fill the vacancy, []

EC orders transfer of AP police chief Rajendranath Reddy

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday ordered the transfer of Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police KV Rajendranath Reddy with immediate effect, sources said. The poll authority has asked the state government to submit by Monday names of three eligible Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the rank of director general to fill the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Kejriwal's Wife Accuses BJP of Imprisoning CM to Suppress Dissent, Calls for Anti-Dictatorship Vote

Kejriwal's Wife Accuses BJP of Imprisoning CM to Suppress Dissent, Calls for Anti-Dictatorship Vote Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita on Sunday alleged he was put in jail before the elections to ''stifle'' his voice and urged people to vote against ''dictatorship'' when the national capital goes to polls on May 25. Sunita held her third roadshow in the national capital in south Delhi in support of AAP candidate Sahiram Pahalwan on Sunday. She said her husband was put in jail since he built good government schools, mohalla clinics and promised to give Rs 1,000 to every woman in Delhi. ''He has put in jail just before polls to stifle his voice. Dictatorship is at its peak. Please save this country. Please cast your vote irrespective of the heat,'' she added. ''Your chief minister and my husband has been put in jail. No court has declared him guilty. They are saying that inquiry is going on. If investigation goes on for 10 years, will they keep him in jail for 10 years? This is sheer hooliganism and dictatorship,'' she charged. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. He is currently held in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. ''Arvind ji is educated, honest and a true patriot. We have a 30-year-old marriage. When our alliance got fixed, he asked me, 'I have to do social work. Will you have any issues?' He has only one thing on his mind: to improve the life of common man. ''He carried out a hunger strike in 2011. He was advised against hunger strike by doctors since he is a diabetic but he still risked his life,'' Sunita said.

Archer Jyothi craves for Olympic glory

New Delhi: Compound archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam remains in a pleasant mind space despite knowing that the game is yet to make its debut at the Summer Olympics. Although she rues the hard truth, the triple gold medallist from the Archery World Cup Stage 1 Shanghai is happy to have bagged every medal the discipline []

FSSAI terms reports of allowing 10x more MRL in herbs, spices baseless

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Sunday denied reports in a section of media, claiming that it permitted higher pesticide residues in herbs and spices. In a press statement, the FSSAI called the reports false and malicious and emphasised that India has one of the most stringent Maximum Residue Limits []

Congress is indispensable for the country's well-being, proclaims DPCC interim chief Devender Yadav

Congress is indispensable for the country's well-being, proclaims DPCC interim chief Devender Yadav Devendra Yadav, who formally took over as the interim president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) on Sunday, said ''today, the country needs the Congress''. He thanked the party leadership for entrusting him with this responsibility. ''I thank Congress for nominating me for this position. I am grateful to Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Ajay Maken, who have also accompanied me here,'' Yadav said. The Congress leader also expressed his gratitude towards all the party workers saying he also started his political career as a worker and has seen a lot of struggles and hardships. ''Today Congress, which is our mother, needs us. It's our duty to stand by the family when times are hard. Today, the country needs Congress,'' the Delhi Congress' interim chief said. He promised to live up to the faith and trust reposed on him by the Congress leadership, and strengthen the party in Delhi with the support and cooperation of the party workers. ''My shoulders are strong. I am determined to face the challenge. My team is strong. I will show how to strengthen Congress in Delhi,'' Yadav said. He said that though he comes from a political family strongly imbued in the Congress ideology and values, he never dreamt of rising to such levels after starting as a booth-level worker. ''If an ordinary worker like me could be entrusted with such a big job, it shows that the party leadership reposes big responsibility on those who shows commitment and determination to consolidate and strengthen the party, which I will achieve in Delhi,'' Yadav said. He appealed to the Congress workers to ensure the victory of the three Congress candidates and the four INDIA Bloc candidates in Delhi in the Lok Sabha elections and in the process reclaim the lost ground for Congress in the city. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said the party's ideology was deeply embedded in the DNA of India, and the country was now looking up to the Congress to save the Constitution and democracy. A concerted attack was being mounted on the Congress ideology, and the Congress workers should unitedly fight to protect the ideology and beliefs, he said adding that this fight was not that of Rahul Gandhi, Ajay Maken or Devender Yadav, but of the entire country and which they should win, Maken said. Rahul has been fighting for the rights of the people, from the Parliament to the streets. Yadav has been appointed the DPCC president at a most difficult time, but he has the competence to lead the party to victory not only in the coming Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, but also in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, Maken, the AICC treasurer, said. Senior Congress leader Subhash Chopra said that Congress will unitedly fight Rahul's fight for justice ''Nyay'' unitedly under Yadav's leadership. Yadav was appointed as the interim president of Delhi Congress on Tuesday, two days after Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from the post while criticising the party's alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital. Lovely joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday along with a few other leaders, including former city government minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and former MLAs Neeraj Basoya and Naseeb Singh. Yadav, who won from the Badli assembly constituency in Delhi in 2008 and 2013 and lost to Ajesh Yadav of AAP in 2015, is currently the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) Punjab in-charge. Lovely, in his resignation letter to the Congress president, had said that he found himself ''handicapped'' as all unanimous decisions taken by senior Delhi unit leaders were ''unilaterally vetoed'' by the AICC's Delhi in-charge Deepak Babaria. He had also criticised Congress candidates -- Kanhaiya Kumar from North East Delhi and Udit Raj from North West Delhi -- for their statements and said tickets were given to two people who were total strangers to the Delhi Congress and party policies. Reacting to Lovely joining the BJP, Yadav on Saturday called him an ''opportunist'' and said ''the party does not care much about such people. The Congress was strong before and will remain strong in the future as well''.

India Advocates For Poverty Reduction Focus In Asian Development Bank's Agenda

Observing that ADB is expected to grow bigger, better and bolder in line with the New Delhi declaration of the G20, Sheel said, it can thus play a much bigger role in addressing the ambitious climate agenda.

BJP's conspiracy in Sandeshkhali alleged by TMC leaders

BJP's conspiracy in Sandeshkhali alleged by TMC leaders The TMC on Sunday accused the BJP of orchestrating the Sandeshkhali case after a video showed a man, allegedly linked to the BJP, claiming that women were tutored to make allegations of sexual harassment. At a press conference in Delhi, the TMC showed the video in which the man, who the TMC claimed is BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali Gangadhar Kayal, was heard saying that Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari is allegedly behind the whole conspiracy. In the video, whose authenticity could not be independently verified by PTI, the man was heard saying that Adhikari had allegedly asked him and other BJP leaders of the area to ''instigate three-four local women to level allegations of rape against three TMC leaders, including Shajahan Sheikh''. In his written complaint to the CBI, Kayal said the video in question was uploaded from an unverified YouTube channel owned by someone named Williams. It can be seen that the same (footage) has been made using my face and the voice has been moduled using Artificial Intelligence (AI) so that it can mislead the public at large, the BJP mandal president said. In a joint press conference, TMC leaders Shashi Panja, Sagarika Ghose and Saket Gokhale accused the BJP of being ''anti-Bengal''. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said the video proved that no rape happened in Sandeshkhali, and called it BJP's ''conspiracy''. ''The BJP hatched a huge conspiracy. This video shows no rape has happened in Sandeshkhali. They wanted to create a situation so that the president's rule could be imposed in West Bengal,'' Ghose said. ''The prime minister is repeatedly speaking on Sandeshkhali, while they took no action in the case of Prajwal Revanna, and gave ticket to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son... They just want to malign Bengal,'' she said. ''The real culprits are the BJP leaders who forced the women to lie,'' she added. Rajya Sabha MP from TMC Saket Gokhale said the BJP's target is not the TMC, but the people of West Bengal. ''They are not targeting TMC, they are targeting the people of Bengal. They deprived the state of fund, they deprived MGNREGA workers of work... Why are you making the people of West Bengal suffer?'' he questioned. ''Election is a political battle. What is unacceptable is you cooked up a story to malign the image of West Bengal,'' he said. He also said that the Election Commission should take note of the development. ''The EC has not yet deemed it fit to intervene even once. The EC has shown no keenness on finding out the truth of what happened in Sandeshkhali. Would the EC stop the PM from making further remarks on Sandeshkhali?'' he asked. West Bengal's Minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Shashi Panja said the state has been maligned by ''anti-Bengal BJP.'' ''We are sad the central agencies and commissions like the National Commission for Women, the SC Commission also supported them,'' Panja said. ''They fabricated allegations of sexual harrasment. The BJP should apologise,'' she added. Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district had erupted in protests after several women accused now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual abuse and land-grabbing. He has been arrested and is now in CBI custody.

Campaigning ends for Gujarat LS polls: BJP aims to repeat sweep despite Cong-AAP alliance

AHMEDABAD: Campaigning for polls to 25 of 26 Lok Sabha seats and bypolls to five assembly constituencies ended in Gujarat at 6 pm on Saturday, with voting scheduled for May 7. The BJP's Mukesh Dalal has already won from Surat unopposed after the nomination of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected over irregularities in the signature of proposers and other candidates withdrew. Among the prominent candidates in the fray are Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, as well as his cabinet colleagues Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala from Porbandar and Rajkot, respectively. During the campaign, the BJP had to face the ire of the Kshatriya community over a remark made by Rupala in Rajkot. He had claimed several rulers from the community had oti and beti (marriage and trade) relations with the British and other foreign invaders. Rupala is up against former Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani, who had defeated him in the 2002 assembly polls. The Congress has fielded four sitting and eight former MLAs. It is contesting the polls in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party. As part of the agreement, the Congress got 24 seats (including Surat), while the AAP has been given Bhavnagar and Bharuch. Geniben Thakor, sitting MLA from Vava in Banaskantha district, has been fielded from Banaskantha against BJP's Rekha Chaudhary, making it the only seat in the state where the main contest is between two women. The BJP's campaign, in a state considered its strongest base, was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. For the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among the star campaigners, along with Mallikarjun Kharge, who recently addressed a rally in Ahmedabad. A host of senior leaders from the BJP and the Congress also took part in the campaign in the state, where the ruling party blanked out the grand old party in 2014 and 2019. These leaders included Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman for the BJP and Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor, Abhishek Sanghvi and Pawan Khera etc for the Congress. The AAP has fielded sitting MLAs Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Umesh Makwana from Bhavnagar, and the Arvind Kejriwal-led party's campaign saw rallies by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as well as senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Gopal Yadav. Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of the Delhi CM who is in jail in connection with a excise policy linked case, also held a roadshow in Bharuch for Vasava. On the last day of campaigning on Sunday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state unit president CR Paatil and minister Harsh Sanghavi participated in motorcycle rallies. While the presence of PM Modi towered over all else in the campaign, the Congress tried to corner the BJP by claiming unemployment, inflation were at an all time high. The Congress also tried to impress upon the voter that the BJP would change the Constitution if it retained power, while the ruling party hit back claiming the opposition party planned to snatch quotas of Dalits, tribals and OBCs and give them to Muslims. As per poll officials, a total of 4.97 crore persons, comprising 2.56 crore males, 2.41 crore females and 1,534 from the third gender, will vote in 50,788 polling booths. They said intensive voter awareness drives were carried out under the guidance of Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi. On Sunday, just before the campaign period ended, the Election Commission organised a 'Run for Vote' event across all the districts in the state, they pointed out. To address the potential challenges posed by heat waves, polling booths across the state will be equipped with essential amenities such as drinking water, seating arrangements, adequate shade as well as baby care centres, the CEO informed. Of the 25 seats that will go to polls on May 7, Ahmedabad (East) has the highest number of candidates at 18, while the lowest is in Bardoli, where three contestants are in the fray, as per EC data. Navsari has the highest number of voters, while the lowest is in Bharuch. Out of 50,788 polling stations, 17,275 are in urban areas and 33,513 in rural areas, EC data showed. Those on election duty have exercised their franchise for the Lok Sabha poll and five assembly bypolls through 2,23,052 postal ballots at voting facilitation centres across the state.

Congress Media Cell Office-bearer Resigns Over Disapproval of Visit to Ram Temple

Congress Media Cell Office-bearer Resigns Over Disapproval of Visit to Ram Temple The Congress' media department national coordinator Radhika Khera resigned from the party's primary membership on Sunday, days after her altercation with another leader at the party's Chhattisgarh state unit office. In her resignation letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Khera also claimed that she was facing opposition in the party for her visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya. ''It is an established truth since ancient times that those who support religion have been opposed. Examples of this range from Hiranyakashipu to Ravana and Kansa. At present, some people are opposing those who take the name of Lord Shri Ram,'' Khera said in her letter. ''For every Hindu, the birthplace of Lord Ram holds great significance with its sanctity while every Hindu considers his life successful just by seeing Ram Lalla, some people are opposing it,'' she said, without taking any names. Khera further said in the party to which she had given more than 22 years of her life and worked with full honesty -- from the NSUI (National Students' Union of India) to the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) media department -- she had been facing such intense opposition because she could not stop herself from having a 'darshan' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. ''The opposition to my noble cause reached such a level that justice was denied in the incident that happened with me in the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress office,'' Khera said in her letter in Hindi. ''I have always fought from every platform for the justice of others but, when it came to my own justice, I found myself defeated in the party,'' she said. Being a devotee of Lord Shri Ram and a woman, Khera said, she was deeply hurt. ''Hurt by the fact that I did not get justice even after repeatedly informing all the top leaders of the party, I have taken this step today. With great pain, I am resigning the primary membership of the party and resigning from my post,'' Khera said. ''Yes, I am a girl and I can fight, and that is what I am doing now. I will continue to fight for justice for myself and for the people of the country,'' she said in a post in Hindi on X along with the letter. Khera and the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress' communication wing chairperson Sushil Anand Shukla on Friday met the party's state unit chief Deepak Baij amid an alleged tussle between the two leaders. Baij said he held separate meetings with Khera and Shukla at Rajiv Bhavan, the party's state office in Raipur, and added that he would send a report on it to the central leadership. ''I tried to find out what took place. I will inform the AICC about it. Now party leaders in Delhi will decide who is right and who is wrong. Whatever has happened is a matter of the party,'' Baij told reporters. When asked about the issue, Khera told reporters she has spoken to the state president and will inform about the matter after holding a press conference. According to Congress sources, an argument broke out between Khera and Shukla on April 30 in the party office over the visit of senior leader Pawan Khera the next day. In a post on X, Khera said at the time, ''A daughter is not safe in Mata Kaushalya's paternal home. People suffering from male chauvinistic mentality are still trying to crush daughters under their feet. I will reveal.'' Chhattisgarh is believed to be the birthplace of Mata Kaushalya. Hours after Khera's post, a video became widely circulated on social media in which she could purportedly be heard saying that she was resigning due to an ''insult''.

Gujarat LS Polls: BJP Targets Repeat Victory Amidst Congress-AAP Challenge

Gujarat LS Polls: BJP Targets Repeat Victory Amidst Congress-AAP Challenge Campaigning for polls to 25 of 26 Lok Sabha seats and bypolls to five assembly constituencies ended in Gujarat at 6pm on Saturday, with voting scheduled for May 7. The BJP's Mukesh Dalal has already won from Surat unopposed after the nomination of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected over irregularities in the signature of proposers and other candidates withdrew. Among the prominent candidates in the fray are Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, as well as his cabinet colleagues Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala from Porbandar and Rajkot, respectively. During the campaign, the BJP had to face the ire of the Kshatriya community over a remark made by Rupala in Rajkot. He had claimed several rulers from the community had ''roti and beti'' (marriage and trade) relations with the British and other foreign invaders. Rupala is up against former Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani, who had defeated him in the 2002 assembly polls. The Congress has fielded four sitting and eight former MLAs. It is contesting the polls in alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party. As part of the agreement, the Congress got 24 seats (including Surat), while the AAP has been given Bhavnagar and Bharuch. Geniben Thakor, sitting MLA from Vava in Banaskantha district, has been fielded from Banaskantha against BJP's Rekha Chaudhary, making it the only seat in the state where the main contest is between two women. The BJP's campaign, in a state considered its strongest base, was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. For the Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among the star campaigners, along with Mallikarjun Kharge, who recently addressed a rally in Ahmedabad. A host of senior leaders from the BJP and the Congress also took part in the campaign in the state, where the ruling party blanked out the grand old party in 2014 and 2019. These leaders included Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman for the BJP and Ashok Gehlot, Shashi Tharoor, Abhishek Sanghvi and Pawan Khera etc for the Congress. The AAP has fielded sitting MLAs Chaitar Vasava from Bharuch and Umesh Makwana from Bhavnagar, and the Arvind Kejriwal-led party's campaign saw rallies by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as well as senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Gopal Yadav. Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of the Delhi CM who is in jail in connection with a excise policy linked case, also held a roadshow in Bharuch for Vasava. On the last day of campaigning on Sunday, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state unit president CR Paatil and minister Harsh Sanghavi participated in motorcycle rallies. While the presence of PM Modi towered over all else in the campaign, the Congress tried to corner the BJP by claiming unemployment, inflation were at an all time high. The Congress also tried to impress upon the voter that the BJP would change the Constitution if it retained power, while the ruling party hit back claiming the opposition party planned to snatch quotas of Dalits, tribals and OBCs and give them to Muslims. As per poll officials, a total of 4.97 crore persons, comprising 2.56 crore males, 2.41 crore females and 1,534 from the third gender, will vote in 50,788 polling booths. They said intensive voter awareness drives were carried out under the guidance of Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi. On Sunday, just before the campaign period ended, the Election Commission organised a 'Run for Vote' event across all the districts in the state, they pointed out. To address the potential challenges posed by heat waves, polling booths across the state will be equipped with essential amenities such as drinking water, seating arrangements, adequate shade as well as baby care centres, the CEO informed. Of the 25 seats that will go to polls on May 7, Ahmedabad (East) has the highest number of candidates at 18, while the lowest is in Bardoli, where three contestants are in the fray, as per EC data. Navsari has the highest number of voters, while the lowest is in Bharuch. Out of 50,788 polling stations, 17,275 are in urban areas and 33,513 in rural areas, EC data showed. Those on election duty have exercised their franchise for the Lok Sabha poll and five assembly bypolls through 2,23,052 postal ballots at voting facilitation centres across the state.

CISCE Class-X, XII results to be announced Monday; board to discontinue compartment exams

New Delhi: The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will announce Class-X and XII board exam results Monday, officials said. The ICSE (Class-X) and ICS (Class-XII) will be announced May 6 at 11 am, boards Chief Executive and Secretary Joseph Emmanuel said Sunday. The results will be available on the boards website, the CAREERS []

CISCE Class 10, 12 Results On Monday; Board To Discontinue Compartment Exams

NEW DELHI, May 5: The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) will announce Class 10 and 12 board exam results on Monday, officials said. The ICSE (Class 10) and ICS (Class 12) will be announced on May 6 at 11 am, boards Chief Executive and Secretary Joseph Emmanuel said on Sunday. The results will be available on the boards website, the CAREERS portal and DigiLocker. The board has also decided to discontinue compartment exams for Classes 10 and 12 [] The post CISCE Class 10, 12 Results On Monday; Board To Discontinue Compartment Exams appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Bomb kills at least 12 people, including children, at two displacement camps in eastern Congo

Attacks on two camps for displaced people in eastern Congos North Kivu province on Friday killed at least 12 people, including children, according to local officials, an aid group and the United Nations. The U.N. said in a statement that bombs hit two camps for displaced people in Lac Vert...

Devender Yadav Is New Delhi Congress Chief After Arvinder Lovely Joins BJP

Amid a string of political developments in the Delhi Congress, Devender Yadav, who was the interim president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, took charge as the Delhi Congress President on Sunday.

Delhi Police busts 2 fake spice manufacturing units in Karawal Nagar area, 3 held

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Bengal under attack: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee urges people to resist maligners

Bengal under attack: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee urges people to resist maligners Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said people should vote against those who want to malign the image of West Bengal. Speaking at a public rally at Kaliganj in Nadia district in support of Trinamool Congress Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency candidate Mahua Maitra, Banerjee while referring to a purported video which surfaced on Saturday, claimed ''that it has been amply proved that how BJP is making tireless efforts to tarnish the image of West Bengal.'' The TMC on Saturday released a video on social media, claiming that the footage vindicated its stand that the ''BJP was behind the Sandeshkhali episode.'' The purported video, the authenticity of which was not verified by PTI, showed a local BJP leader of Sandeshkhali saying that the saffron party had paid money to women of the area to make false rape allegations against Trinamool Congress leaders. ''Defeat those who want to demean and malign Bengal for the sake of few votes'', the Trinamool Congress national general secretary said. Allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against TMC leaders have surfaced in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. The Trinamool Congress leader said the BJP government had expelled Maitra from the Lok Sabha only for raising questions against crony capitalists in Parliament. ''People of Krishnanagar had voted for Maitra as their representative in Lok Sabha. But she was expelled from the Lok Sabha by the BJP. Was there any proper investigation against her. The government failed to take action against those who had illegally entered Parliament'', Banerjee said. He said ''BJP is sowing the seeds of divisive politics. Now it is for the people to give a befitting reply by making her win by a greater margin than before and send her again to the Parliament.'' The Trinamool Congress leader claimed that it is a matter of time and BJP's exit is imminent. ''The life of the BJP government is ticking away. The exit of the saffron party is imminent'', he said. Banerjee said that it is time to install a progressive and democratic government at the Centre. This is also the time to strengthen the hands of the Trinamool Congress to help form a democratic government at the Centre. He said those who made false rape allegations, should be brought to task. Polling for the Krishnagar Lok Sabha constituency will be held on May 13. Later, speaking at a road show at Malda Dakshin, he alleged that the BJP has stooped so low that it has lowered the prestige of women by making false rape allegations by them using money power. ''The saffron party has demeaned the prestige of women by making false rape allegations at Sandeshkhali. How the local BJP leaders have maligned the honour and dignity of women before their masters in Delhi. So time has come to give them a befitting reply in the elections. Now our party's stand on Sandeshkhali that it is a conspiracy of the BJP has been vindicated by the purported sting video which surfaced yesterday'', Banerjee said. ''This BJP should be ousted from power immediately which only the Trinamool Congress can do. They want to change the country's Constitution'', he said.

LSG vs KKR Pitch Report: Key contenders, pitch report and stadium history

LSG vs KKR Pitch Report: Lucknow Super Giants prepare to battle Kolkata Knight Riders at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG, aiming for IPL playoffs, encounters challenges from Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and adapts to varying pitch conditions.

Olympic Medallist Bajrang Punia Faces Provisional Suspension by NADA

New Delhi:Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on Sunday for his failure to provide a urine sample during the trials held in Sonipat on 10 March. This development casts a shadow over Punias participation in any forthcoming competitions or trials until the suspension is lifted. [] The post Olympic Medallist Bajrang Punia Faces Provisional Suspension by NADA appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Devender Yadav takes charge as Delhi Congress President

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Weather update: Delhi-NCR likely to experience high temperature, checkIMDforecast

The department has predicted strong surface winds during the day and a maximum temperature of 41 degrees Celsius.

Delhi Police Unearths Major Adulterated Spice Manufacturing Racket

Delhi Police Unearths Major Adulterated Spice Manufacturing Racket Two manufacturing units of adulterated spices allegedly operating in the city's Karawal Nagar area were busted and three persons were arrested for it, police said on Sunday. Fifteen tonnes of adulterated Indian spices and raw material were recovered from their possession, they said. Dilip Singh (46), Sarfaraj (32), and Khurseed Malik (42) were identified as the accused. Police said that they received a tip-off that some manufacturers or shopkeepers in northeast Delhi are involved in manufacturing and selling adulterated Indian spices under the name of brands. ''We formed a team to investigate the matter and on May 1, our teams got more information about the units that are running in Karawal Nagar area,'' Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Pawariya said. The officer further said that teams conducted a raid and Dilip and Khursheed were apprehended. Dilip told police that he is the owner of the manufacturing unit and Khursheed informed that he was the supplier of the adulterated manufactured spices. ''Further interrogation revealed that another processing unit is also running at Kali Khata Road, Karawal Nagar, Delhi and another raid was also conducted from where Sarfaraz was apprehended making adulterated spices,'' teh DCP said. Further investigation into the matter will begin after the FIR is registered, police said.

IPL: SRH eye consistency in must-win clash against frail MI

Mumbai: A confident Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to produce a dominant show against a frail Mumbai Indians outfit and move up in the Indian Premier League points table when the two teams clash here on Monday. Placed fourth in the IPL points table with 12 points in 10 matches with six wins and four losses, SRH will be desperate to produce an all-round show and make improvements especially in their bowling department. The Pat Cummins-led side is in the midst of an intense battle between multiple teams who are bidding for spots in the final four, with Rajasthan Royals (16 points), Kolkata Knight Riders (14 points) and Lucknow Super Giants (12 points) placed above SRH. Chennai Super Kings (5th with 10 points) and a resurgent Delhi Capitals (6th with 10 points) are breathing down SRH's neck, a scenario that would force the 2016 winners to shrug off any rust and get ready for an intense mid-table battle. If a two-paced pitch at the Wankhede Stadium for the previous clash against KKR was an aberration, the free-flowing SRH batters would look to make merry and pile up a huge score as they have done several times this year. The pitches here generally are batting-friendly and short boundary lengths at this venue make scores in excess of 200 a norm, but the MI-KKR contest played out on a sluggish surface last Friday challenged the batters to dig deep. SRH would be high on confidence having pipped the table-toppers RR by just one run in their previous outing, a game in which their bowlers pulled off a thrilling win. Travis Head (396 runs), Abhishek Sharma (315) and Heinrich Klaasen (337) remain the enforcers in SRH's batting but South African Aiden Markram would be keen to make a big score of his own, having had a mixed run so far. Nitish Kumar Reddy (219 runs) has emerged as one of the most promising players for SRH in last few games which takes a significant amount of pressure off the key batters. T Natarajan's (15 wickets) accuracy would be handy for SRH as the left-arm pacer is chasing Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah (17) for the purple cap. Five-time winners Mumbai slipped to the bottom of the pool again when Royal Challengers Bengaluru trumped Gujarat Titans on Saturday night. With only three wins in 11 matches, MI's challenge is all but over and there is only pride and name left to play for by their own admission. However, all is not lost as MI's key India players for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya would remain in focus for their individual form. Rohit's all-out aggressive approach has not yielded many big scores whereas the world number 1 T20 batter Suryakumar would be eyeing consistency after a fine half-century against KKR a few nights ago. India vice-captain Pandya has being consistently on the receiving end due to his ordinary form with both bat and ball and also his on-field decisions as MI skipper. The all-rounder, however, would be keen to make amends and put an end to the criticism that he has been facing ever since this IPL edition got underway. Teams: Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Jasprit Bumrah, Piyush Chawla, Gerald Coetzee, Tim David, Shreyas Gopal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Anshul Kamboj, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Mohammad Nabi, Shams Mulani, Naman Dhir, Shivalik Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Arjun Tendulkar, Nuwan Thushara, Tilak Varma, Harvik Desai (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Luke Wood. Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aiden Markram, Abdul Samad, Nitish Reddy, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan, Mayank Markande, Umran Malik, Anmolpreet Singh, Glenn Phillips (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Washington Sundar, Upendra Yadav (wk), Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Akash Maharaj Singh, Mayank Agarwal. Match starts 7:30pm IST.

New Covid variant 'FLiRT' capable of evading the immune system: Experts

FLiRT, which belongs to Omicron's JN.1 lineage, is rapidly replacing the previous variant, Eris, in the US, the UK, New Zealand, and South Korea, according to Rajeev Gupta, Director of Internal Medicine at the CK Birla Hospital (R), Delhi.

NCP leader Yoganand Shastri Rejoins Congress Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

New Delhi: Former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and ex-Delhi minister Yoganand Shastri returned to the Congress fold on Saturday in the presence of All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge Deepak Babaria. Shastri had previously joined the NCP in 2021 after leaving Congress. Shastri explained his decision, stating, There is no special reason. I did not go far, I was sitting nearby and the ideology of the party I went to (NCP) is similar to that of Congress.Expressing his views on the current political scenario, Shastri emphasized the need for individuals who can safeguard democracy and the Constitution, suggesting the possibility of other parties coming together in the future. The country needs people who can save democracy and the Constitution, and maybe tomorrow other parties will also come together. Everyone should work together, and this is the spirit of the Congress and the NCP, Shastri remarked.A former speaker of the Delhi assembly, Shastri is a prominent leader in the Delhi Congress. During the one-and-a-half decade rule of former Delhi chief minister late Sheila Dikshit, he held various important positions. Shastri represented the Malviya Nagar Assembly constituency twice and the Mehrauli Assembly constituency once. Expressing his gratitude to Deepak Babaria for encouraging him to rejoin Congress, Shastri emphasized the importance of political unity during a transitional period in Indian politics. I am grateful to Deepak Babaria who insisted I join the Congress. I believe we should all get together because politics is going through a transition period. If we dont come under one umbrella at this time, then it will be unfortunate for the country. Deepak Babaria, welcoming Shastri back to the Congress, expressed confidence that his return would significantly boost the party. He is adept at encouraging youngsters and has a value system and goodwill in the field. He has been working in Delhi for several years, and everyone recognizes him.The NCP is part of the alliance with Congress under the INDIA bloc. Additionally, the party has reached a seat-sharing agreement in Maharashtra along with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.Voting for seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi is scheduled for May 25. BJP Afflicted with Phobia Due to Rahul Gandhi's Popularity: Congress leader Nav Prabhat Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Exudes Confidence, Predicts Congress Victory in 20 Lok Sabha Seats India's Response to Nepal's New Currency Note Featuring Disputed Territories

Headline Change: Rajnath Singh Expresses Concern over Former Pakistani Minister's Remarks on Rahul Gandhi, Demanding Explanation from Congress

Headline Change: Rajnath Singh Expresses Concern over Former Pakistani Minister's Remarks on Rahul Gandhi, Demanding Explanation from Congress Former Pakistani minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain's ''praise'' of Rahul Gandhi is a matter of ''grave concern'' and Congress must explain the ''deep love'' for its leader from a country that always attempted to destabilise India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said. In an interview to PTI on Saturday, Singh also questioned Congress' ''relationship'' with Pakistan ''There must be a reason behind this deep love (agadh prem) from a country that has been trying to destabilise India. It is a matter of grave concern and India wants to know the reason behind this love,'' he said. Chaudhry -- infamous for boasting about Pakistan's hand in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack -- had on May 1 posted on 'X' excerpts from a speech by Gandhi with the caption ''Rahul on fire'' that drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders. ''If a former minister of a country that has been attempting to destabilise India praises (Rahul), then it is a matter of concern. The Congress owes an explanation about its relationship with Pakistan,'' the defence minister said. Singh said the neighbouring country was attempting to influence the Indian elections. Asked if it is succeeding, Singh said Pakistan does not have the ''aukaat (capability)'' to influence. The former Pakistan minister on Saturday again complimented Gandhi for his party's promise of conducting a wealth redistribution survey, if it is voted to power. Redistributing wealth the way Congress wants to will destroy the economy and lead to uncontrollable inflation the way it happened in Venezuela, Singh said. In his comments, Chaudhry had also compared Gandhi with his great-grandfather and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying ''both were socialists''. For receiving endorsement from Pakistan, Gandhi has also come under attack from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said on Thursday that Congress' ''partnership'' with Pakistan has been ''exposed'' and that the neighbouring country is impatient to make Gandhi the prime minister. Asked why the BJP is finding fault with Gandhi for Chaudhry's unsolicited comments, Singh said the Pakistani politician ''praised Rahul Gandhi by saying he is on fire. If such comments come from a foreign land, it is natural to have a reaction from a political party of BJP's stature.'' Gandhi or the Congress have made no attempt to distance themselves from this unwanted praise, Singh said. ''The praise came from someone who during his ministership had acknowledged that the Pakistan government had a hand in terror attacks in India,'' the defence minister said. Some three-and-half years ago, Chaudhry, who was then a minister, had made a sensational admission that Pakistan was responsible for the deadly Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. ''Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success in Pulwama is a success of this nation under the leadership of Imran Khan. You and us are all part of that success,'' Chaudhry had said in the National Assembly during a debate. India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. The defence minister also talked about how Pakistan has been relentlessly using terrorism to destabilise India and specifically mentioned the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement. New Delhi has been insisting that ''talks and terror'' cannot go hand-in-hand.

New Delhi: Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva with Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai during Social Media Volunteers Meet at BJP HQ #Gallery - Social News XYZ

New Delhi: Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva with Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai during Social Media Volunteers Meet at BJP HQ #Gallery Social News XYZ

New Covid variant FLiRT capable of evading the immune system: Experts

New Delhi: The new Covid-19 variant FLiRT, which is spreading fast in the US, is capable of evading the immune system due to a trans substitution of amino acids between two spike proteins, the experts said on Sunday. FLiRT, which belongs to Omicrons JN.1 lineage, is rapidly replacing the previous variant, Eris, in the US, Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Cong leader Alka Lamba seeks PMs intervention to bring Prajwal Revanna back to India

Cong leader Alka Lamba seeks PMs intervention to bring Prajwal Revanna back to India New Delhi: Congress leader Alka Lamba on Sunday said that Prajwal Revanna, who is involved in an obscene video scandal in Karnataka, is currently in Germany and the Prime Minister should bring him back so that justice is delivered. Prajwal [] The post Cong leader Alka Lamba seeks PMs intervention to bring Prajwal Revanna back to India appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

After June 4, INDIA Bloc Will Leave No Stone Unturned In Strengthening Counter-Terrorism Grid: Ramesh

New Delhi, May 5: The Congress on Sunday said the attack in Poonch is part of a worrying trend of terror attacks in the area and asserted that after Lok Sabha election results, the party and its INDIA bloc partners will leave no stone unturned in strengthening the counter-terrorism grid in Jammu and Kashmir. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Five IAF personnel were injured in the attack on Saturday evening near Shahsitar in the districts Surankote area and [] The post After June 4, INDIA Bloc Will Leave No Stone Unturned In Strengthening Counter-Terrorism Grid: Ramesh appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Delhi Police nab sharpshooters of Tillu gang in Alipur gangwar

The News Mill

Godrej Properties to launch housing projects worth Rs 30,000 cr in FY25: Pirojsha Godrej

NEW DELHI, May 5: Realty firm Godrej Properties plans to launch residential projects worth Rs 30,000 crore this fiscal across major cities to achieve 20 per cent growth in sales bookings amid strong demand, its executive chairperson Pirojsha Godrej said. In an interview with PTI, Pirojsha said, We have given a sales bookings guidance of Rs 27,000 crore for the current fiscal, a 20 per cent growth from high base in 2023-24. In the last fiscal, the companys sales bookings [] The post Godrej Properties to launch housing projects worth Rs 30,000 cr in FY25: Pirojsha Godrej appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Godrej Prop's 30K cr housing push in FY25

Realty firm Godrej Properties plans to launch residential projects worth Rs 30,000 crore this fiscal across major cities to achieve 20 per cent growth in sales bookings amid strong demand, its executive chairperson Pirojsha Godrej said. In an interview with PTI, Pirojsha said, We have given a sales bookings guidance of Rs 27,000 crore for the current fiscal, a 20 per cent growth from high base in 2023-24. In the last fiscal, the company's sales bookings jumped 84 per cent to a record Rs 22,527 crore, from Rs 12,232 crore in the preceding year. This is the highest sales reported so far by any listed entity for FY'24. Pirojsha said the housing demand continues to be strong, especially for reputed brands. It (2023-24 fiscal) was a great year overall, whether you look at launches, sales, collection from customers, business development, deliveries of projects, cash flow and profit. We are really excited to see the kind of momentum in the business. He expected housing demand to sustain in the coming years. To tap this demand, Pirojsha said the company has lined up launches of multiple projects across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai-Metropolitan Region (MMR), Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad markets. We are planning to launch six projects in Delhi, Gurugram and Noida this fiscal, he said. According to an investors presentation, Godrej Properties plans to launch 21.9 million (219 lakh) square feet area this fiscal with an estimated sales booking value of Rs 30,000 crore. Not only launches and sales, Pirojsha said the company would continue acquiring land parcels for future development and also step up deliveries of projects. The significant levels of business development (land acquisition) we have executed in previous years at favourable terms allowed us to scale our bookings by 84 per cent to Rs 22,527 crore in 2023-24 and become the largest publicly listed real estate developer in India by sales, Pirojsha said. He noted that the housing sector has been strong over the past three years and exuded confidence that the sectoral tailwinds would continue over the next few years. On Friday, Godrej Properties reported its highest-ever quarterly profit as earnings jumped 14 per cent annually to Rs 471.26 crore in the March quarter. Its net profit stood at Rs 412.14 crore in the year-ago period. Total income rose to Rs 1,914.82 crore in the fourth quarter of FY24, from Rs 1,838.82 crore in the year-ago period. During the 2023-24 fiscal, the company's net profit increased to Rs 725.27 crore, from Rs 571.39 crore in the preceding year. Total income rose to Rs 4,334.22 crore in FY24, from Rs 3,039 crore in 2022-23. The company delivered 12.5 million square feet area in the last fiscal and is targeting to scale it up to 15 million square feet in 2024-25. Godrej Properties, part of Godrej Industries Group, is one of the leading real estate developers in the country.

NADA gives ultimatum to Bajrang, respond by May 7; wrestler says my lawyer will send a detailed reply

NADA gives ultimatum to Bajrang, respond by May 7; wrestler says my lawyer will send a detailed reply New Delhi: Following reports of his provisional suspension order, Olympic bronze medal winner Bajrang Punia on Sunday clarified that he never refused to give his sample. I want to clarify about a report about my dope [] The post NADA gives ultimatum to Bajrang, respond by May 7; wrestler says my lawyer will send a detailed reply appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

Vivo money laundering case: Delhi court grants bail to 3 accused

Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta granted the relief to Bhupinder Kaur, Gagandeep Singh and Weigang Wang in an order passed on May 1.

Bajrang Handed Provisional Suspension, WFI To Approach WADA After NADA Keeps It In Dark

New Delhi, May 5: Bajrang Punia has been handed a provisional suspension for refusing to give his sample for dope test during recent trials and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is furious that NADA kept it in dark on the development and is planning to write to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on the matter. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp Bajrang was handed a provisional suspension on April 23 by National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) and asked to [] The post Bajrang Handed Provisional Suspension, WFI To Approach WADA After NADA Keeps It In Dark appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Thermal power plants have 68pc of normative coal stocks: Govt Data

NEW DELHI, May 5: As many as 184 thermal power plants with a total generation capacity of 211 GW have 68 per cent of normative coal stock levels amid rising electricity demand due to soaring temperatures in the country. According to the Central Electricity Authoritys (CEA) May 3 daily report, 184 plants, that are monitored by the CEA, have 47.78 million tonnes of coal stocks against the normative level of 70.55 million tonnes. This assumes significance in view of power [] The post Thermal power plants have 68pc of normative coal stocks: Govt Data appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Home loan outstanding up by Rs 10 lakh cr in last 2 yrs; reaches Rs 27 lakh cr in March: RBI data

NEW DELHI, May 5: Credit outstanding to the housing sector rose by nearly Rs 10 lakh crore in the last two fiscals to reach a record Rs 27.23 lakh crore in March this year, according to RBIs data on Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit. Experts from banking and real estate sectors attributed this growth in housing credit outstanding to a strong revival in the residential property market post-COVID pandemic on pent-up demand. According to the data of the Reserve Bank [] The post Home loan outstanding up by Rs 10 lakh cr in last 2 yrs; reaches Rs 27 lakh cr in March: RBI data appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Delhi Court Grants Bail to Three Accused in Vivo Money Laundering Case

Delhi Court Grants Bail to Three Accused in Vivo Money Laundering Case A court here has granted bail to three people accused in a money laundering case against Chinese smartphone-maker vivo. Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta granted the relief to Bhupinder Kaur, Gagandeep Singh and Weigang Wang in an order passed on May 1. The judge accepted the arguments made by senior advocate P K Dubey, appearing for Wang, who lives in Andhra Pradesh, that the accused persons were not arrested during the investigation. The accused persons had appeared before the court in pursuance to the summons issued by the judge while taking cognisance of a charge sheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case. Dubey told the court that the investigation was already complete and no purpose will be served by sending the accused to judicial custody. The judge further noted that there was no allegations that the accused did not join or cooperate during the investigation. ''Keeping in view the overall facts and circumstances of the case coupled with the submissions made and the fact that the accused persons were not arrested during the course of investigation and there are no allegations that they did not cooperate during investigation, all the three bail applications are allowed,'' the judge said. The ED had opposed the bail applications, claiming that the accused were flight risk and the allegations against them were serious in nature. It had also claimed to have busted a major money laundering racket involving Chinese nationals and multiple Indian companies. The ED had alleged that a whopping Rs 62,476 crore was ''illegally'' transferred by vivo to China in order to avoid payment of taxes in India.

Punjab Election Campaign: BJP's Hans Raj Hans and Congress' Warring Engage in Creative Outreach

Punjab Election Campaign: BJP's Hans Raj Hans and Congress' Warring Engage in Creative Outreach In a bid to reach out to people to seek votes for the Lok Sabha polls, BJP candidate from the Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency Hans Raj Hans danced with a group of morning walkers in a park in the Moga district on Sunday. He danced to the tune of his own popular song 'nachan ton pehlan hoka deyange, sabna nu ek moka deyange' with a group of men. Wearing a cap, Hans was later seen dancing with a group of women on the same song. Hans, who is a singer, later sat in the park and enjoyed a cup of tea with some women. Tweaking the lyrics of one of his popular songs, Hans sang, ''eh jo thandi thandi aundi eh hawa, kamal wala phul khilega, Modi ji da suneha deo ja, kamal wala phul khilega.'' He then obliged to the people's requests for getting clicked with them. His supporters urged people to vote for the BJP nominee. Sitting MP from the Northwest Delhi seat, Hans is pitted against AAP's Karamjit Anmol, Congress' Amarjit Kaur Sahoke and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) nominee Rajwinder Singh from the Faridkot (reserve) seat. On the other hand, Punjab Congress chief and party candidate from the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency joined a fitness session with morning walkers in Ludhiana. Warring was accompanied by former MLA Surinder Dawar at a park in Ludhiana. After the session, he urged people to vote for him in the Lok Sabha polls. Three-time Gidderbaha MLA, Warring faces three-time MP and BJP candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu, AAP's Ashok Parashar and SAD's Ranjit Singh Dhillon. Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1.

Two Siblings Found Dead Inside Family Shop in Delhi, Father Absconding

According to a police officer, it is suspected that Manish killed his children by giving them some poisonous substance or by smothering them

FSSAI responds to media reports on high pesticide residue in Indian herbs, spices

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has refuted media reports claiming that it allowed higher pesticide residues in herbs and spices. Describing the reports false and malicious, the FSSAI, in a press statement, asserted that India has one of the most stringent standards of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in the [] The post FSSAI responds to media reports on high pesticide residue in Indian herbs, spices appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .