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Sun, 21 September 2014
Live! Nationalist leader says Scots tricked out of independence

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21:02   Nationalist leader says Scots tricked out of independence
Defeated Scottish nationalist chief Alex Salmond accused Britain's political leaders on Sunday of tricking Scots out of independence after a dispute about how and when to give them more powers.

Salmond, who is stepping down as leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) after failing to persuade Scots to leave the United Kingdom, accused Britain's three main political parties of winning last Thursday's referendum by 55-45 percent by making a false promise of new powers.
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20:59   'Pak developing sea-based and short-range N-weapons'
Pakistan is developing sea-based missiles and expanding its interest in tactical nuclear warheads to give it a "second-strike" capability if a catastrophic nuclear attack destroyed all its land-based weapons, according to a media report today. 

The next step of Pakistan's strategy includes an effort to develop nuclear warheads suitable for deployment from the Indian Ocean, either from warships or from one of the country's five diesel-powered Navy submarines, The Washington Post reported quoting Pakistani and Western analysts.
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20:59   Imran's Karachi protest rally attracts thousands
Thousands turned up at Imran Khan's anti-government protest rally here today as he renewed his demand for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to quit and fresh elections to end Pakistan's political logjam that has paralysed the nation for over a month. 

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief and cricketer- turned-politician Khan managed to attract a sizable crowd which included women, youth and children at the rally held in front of the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum.
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20:58   Rajapaksa suffers major setback in Lanka provincial polls
In a major blow to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his ruling coalition's popularity dwindled by an unprecedented 23 per cent in a key provincial election seen as precursor to a possible snap presidential poll. 

The United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) of Rajapaksa retained the Uva or the south-eastern provincial council by securing 19 out of 34 seats that went to the polls yesterday, but his party's popularity dropped by an unprecedented 22.98 percentage points.
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20:12   Modi's popularity sinking, BJP running away from polls: Cong
Congress today accused BJP of trying to avoid elections in Delhi, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity graph was "declining" and the saffron party was afraid that "Modi magic" may not work anymore. 

"The magic of Narendra Modi has evaporated. There is now fear among BJP and this is why they want to avoid elections in Delhi. BJP wants to form government in an unconstitutional and non-democratic way. We strongly oppose this," Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President Arvinder Singh said at a gathering here.
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19:50   Ahmadzai declared Afghanistan President, but final tally kept secret
Afghanistan's election commission declared former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the war-ravaged country's president-elect on Sunday after an acrimonious dispute over ballot fraud, but did not give the final vote tally after a U.N.-monitored audit.

The announcement came hours after Mr. Ahmadzai and rival, Abdullah Abdullah, signed a power-sharing agreement to end two months of bitter wrangling over accusations of fraud that undermined confidence in the election and emboldened the Taliban insurgency at a crucial time as most foreign troops prepare to leave.
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19:48   Ukraine says won't pull back troops without full ceasefire
Ukraine insisted today it would not pull back its troops from the frontline until all sides cease fire under a peace plan aimed at ending five months of bloodshed in the east. 

Kiev and pro-Russian rebels are supposed to pull back their forces and weaponry to create a 30-kilometre (20-mile) wide buffer zone in line with a reinforced truce deal agreed in Minsk yesterday.
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19:16   Military aircaft crash kills 6 soliders in Egypt
At least six Egyptian army personnel were killed today when a military aircraft crashed due to sudden technical error during a training exercise in southern Cairo. 

The aircraft crashed in the Kom Oshim area of Fayoum governorate, about 100 kilometer es south of Cairo, during a training exercise, said military spokesperson, Brigadier General Mohamed Samir in a statement.
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19:16   Time to return favour: Uddhav's message to Modi
Driving a hard bargain with BJP over seat sharing in Maharashtra assembly polls, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi that after 2002 Gujarat riots his father Bal Thackeray had prevailed on L K Advani not to remove Modi as Chief Minister. 

Asserting that the alliance should stay "as it is for Hindutva", Uddhav said, "Everyone knows how terrible the situation was when the Godhra riots took place.
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18:18   G20 commitment on tax info to help India track black money
The G20 today decided to put in place a mechanism for automatic exchange of tax information between various countries by 2017, a development which will help India in dealing with the menace of black money stashed abroad. 

The new framework would mark a significant forward movement from the current practice of information exchange mostly on the basis of requests and only in the cases of suspected tax evasion or other financial crimes.
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18:18   G20 commitment on tax info to help India track black money
The G20 today decided to put in place a mechanism for automatic exchange of tax information between various countries by 2017, a development which will help India in dealing with the menace of black money stashed abroad. 

The new framework would mark a significant forward movement from the current practice of information exchange mostly on the basis of requests and only in the cases of suspected tax evasion or other financial crimes.
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18:01   India, China media dialogue cancelled
Government cancels India, China media dialogue after border stand-off at Chumur in Ladakh. The media interaction was scheduled for September 24. 

The government has withdrawn the clearance for Chinese journalists.  
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17:58   Idea extends free talk time in Kashmir till October 3
Telecom operator Idea Cellular has extended free talk time offer for pre-paid customers in flood-affected Kashmir till October 3. "All Idea prepaid customers of Kashmir can now make unlimited local Idea calls for the next 15 days without doing any recharge. This has been enabled till 3rd October 2014," Idea Cellular said in a statement.
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17:57   G20 promises more steps to boost global GDP by USD 2 trillion
G20, a grouping of developed and developing nations, today vowed to take more measures to push the global GDP by an additional 2 per cent, or over USD 2 trillion, by 2018. Although as per the IMF-OECD estimates, an incremental growth of 1.8 per cent in global GDP is achievable, pushing it up by 2 per cent would require additional efforts.
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17:50   WB govt in damage control mode?
State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Sunday afternoon arrived at the residence of the Jadavpur University student who was molested on August 28.

Strangely, he was accompanied by Trinamool Students' Federation secretary Shankudev Panda. Both refused to speak to the media. 

While a section of political analysts think that the duo attempted to goad the molested student's family to take part in the rally to be organised by Trinamool Congress, others think it's a desperate damage control move by the government.
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16:51   Israel says to join Cairo truce talks on Tuesday
Israel said today it would send a delegation to attend indirect Gaza truce talks with Hamas in Cairo next week, although a minister said they would likely achieve nothing. 

Confirmation that Israel would return to the Egyptian capital on Tuesday to resume negotiations on cementing an August 26 ceasefire agreement which halted 50 days of bloodshed in Gaza, came from a senior Israeli official, who refused to give further details.
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16:22   EU says not told of any specific threat to HQ
The European Commission said today it has not been told of any specific threat against it, after reports suggested its Brussels headquarters was a possible target for jihadist fighters returning from Syria. 

Belgian authorities confirmed yesterday they had made several arrests as they sought to prevent jihadist fighters or sympathisers with the Islamic State extremist group from carrying out attacks.
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15:46   MHA wants prior security clearance of telecom cos for licence
The Home Ministry has insisted that obtaining prior security clearance should be made mandatory for service providers for granting them telecom licences. 

In a communication to the Department of Telecom, the Home Ministry has suggested that clearance from security agencies must be taken before issuing any applicant company telecom licence. This should include verification of antecedents of the directors and promoters of the firm.
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15:43   White House fence jumper had foldable knife: Secret Service
A Texas man arrested for intruding into the White House was armed with a foldable knife, prompting a comprehensive review of security procedures after two attempted breaches in 24 hours at one of the world's most heavily protected buildings. 

Earlier, the US Secret Service had said Omar Gonzalez, 42, appeared unarmed when was caught from the White House building late on Friday.
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14:57   Bilawal one of the 'daydreamers' in Pakistan: IUML
Indian Union Muslim League today dubbed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as one of the "daydreamers" in Pakistan for his Kashmir remarks and said that every inch of Indian territory will be protected to the last minute. 

"The utterances of Pakistan's Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto is nothing but to show he is also one of the daydreamers in Pakistan when he spoke that he will take every inch of Kashmir," E Ahamed, the Member of Parliament and the IUML chief, said in a statement.
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14:52   Diplomacy is not a take-away joint: Cong to Modi
Criticising the Narendra Modi government's policy towards Pakistan and China, Congress today said diplomacy is not a "take away joint" and asked the Prime Minister to take the country into confidence before working on any "strategic alliance" with the US. 

Talking about Modi's foreign policy, Congress spokesperson and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said it is too early to pass a judgement one way or the other but "won't give high marks right away".
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14:38   CBI questions Nalini Chidambaram
Nalini Chidambaram, wife of former Union Minister P Chidambaram, questioned by CBI in connection with Saradha chit fund scam.
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14:31   Pope flags Christian-Muslim ties on his first European visit
Pope Francis arrived in Albania today and highlighted the Balkan nation's path from a brutal communist state where religion was banned to a model of Christian-Muslim coexistence for a world witnessing conflict in God's name. 

Security was tight for Francis' 11-hour visit to the majority Muslim nation amid reported threats from Islamic militants. While the Vatican insisted no special measures were being taken, Albania's Interior Ministry promised "maximum" protection from 2,500 police forces and beefed-up patrols at border crossings.
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14:31  
We want the alliance to continue. It is the duty of both parties to maintain the alliance: BJP. 

BJP says nothing new in Shiv Sena's proposal, asks it to sort out seat-sharing issue through discussion and not through media.
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13:26   Uddhav Thackeray makes final seat-sharing offer to BJP
Shiv Sena should get 151 seats, BJP 119 and other allies 18, says Uddhav Thackeray making his final seat-sharing offer to the BJP. 

Uddhav Thackeray reminds PM Narendra Modi that late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray had supported him after Gujarat riots.  
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13:24   IS, Nationalism key worries for growth: Singapore PM
The growth of Islamic State militant group and rising nationalism in Asia are two key worries on the international front which could upset the conditions for economic growth in the Asian region, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. 

Speaking at a dialogue session at 'The Singapore Summit' last night, Lee said, "You can't really change fundamentally the texture of the society and the people there and when you are gone, the problem will come back. So that is a very difficult problem in the Middle East".
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12:52   Afghan presidential rivals set to sign unity deal
Afghanistan's two presidential rivals are due to sign a power-sharing deal today, officials said, ending a prolonged stand-off over disputed election results at a pivotal moment in the war-weary nation's history. 

The final vote count is also scheduled for release, after being delayed for last-minute talks to break a deadlock that has plunged Afghanistan into crisis as US-led troops end their 13-year war against the Taliban.
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12:51   Cambridge says 'alumnus' Manmohan Singh has standing invite
Eager to host its "famous and valued alumnus" Manmohan Singh, Cambridge University has said it has a standing invite for the former Prime Minister of India and it would love to see him on the campus. 

 Singh, a well known economist, studied economics at St John's College, Cambridge. He passed Economics Tripos (First Class Honours) from Cambridge University.
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12:51   Customised tablet devices make way to India for Rs 5k onwards
Challenging the one-size-fits-all approach of leading electronics manufacturers, a home-grown company has brought in a new concept of customised tablets for specific segments like children, women, seniors, professionals and gamers with prices starting at under Rs 5,000.
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12:38   It is a tug of war, says Uddhav Thackeray
The Shiv Sena's row with long-time ally BJP, over seat-sharing for the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, was "unfortunate", party chief Uddhav Thackeray admitted today while addressing the party's National Executive meet.

"There is a tug of war in the alliance. What is happening right before elections is unfortunate. Seat distribution is a complicated affair," he told Sena workers, adding, "We want to win and we will win the elections". 
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12:24   Japan minister attempts to convince public on nuclear power
Japan's new Industry Minister Yuko Obuchi said today that the resource-poor nation should be realistic about its energy needs as the government tries to convince a sceptical public on the necessity of nuclear power.

More than three years after the disaster at Fukushima, where a tsunami sent reactors into meltdown, the Japanese public remains unconvinced of the safety of the technology. 

The difficult task of winning them round has fallen to Obuchi, appointed the country's first female minister of economy, trade and industry by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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12:17   Over 1,500 MHz spectrum likely to be available by 2015
About 1,538 MHz of spectrum in various bands for telecom services may be made available for auction next year, a move that will help the government expand mobile and broadband penetration in the country. 

In the premium 700 Mhz band, which can be used for 4G and is even being considered for 5G services, 93 MHz of radiowaves can be put for sale. In the 800 MHz (CMDA), 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands 117.5 MHz, 184 MHz and 104 MHz, respectively, can be made available, sources said.
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11:39   Wife of British IS hostage Alan Henning pleads for his release
The wife of a British taxi driver being held hostage by Islamic State jihadists implored his captors to release him, saying Saturday she could not see how his death could assist any cause.

Alan Henning, a Briton who volunteered to drive a humanitarian aid convoy to Syria for a Muslim charity, was captured 10 months ago and is in the hands of the IS group.
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11:33   Sierra Leone into massive Ebola isolation effort
Some residents ran from their homes in Sierra Leone to avoid being trapped during a three-day lockdown to contain the Ebola outbreak, a health worker said Saturday, a minor setback on the second day of a massive effort to confine 6 million people to their homes.

Nearly 30,000 volunteers and health care workers fanned out across the country on Friday and Saturday to distribute soap and information on how to prevent Ebola, which the World Health Organization says has killed more than 560 people in Sierra Leone and more than 2,600 in the region. 

The outreach campaign coincided with the sweeping three-day lockdown so that volunteers could conduct house-to-house searches to identify sick people reluctant or unable to seek treatment for Ebola.

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11:29   Exodus of migrant workers to hit Valley reconstruction
The work of reconstruction in the flood-ravaged Kashmir could get delayed by at least six months due to the mass exodus of migrant labour force in the wake of the natural calamity that hit the valley causing huge damage to infrastructure -- both public as well as private. 

Even the cleaning up of Srinagar city, which was heavily dependent on the migrant labourers for labour intensive works, will take longer than expected.
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11:28   'J&K floods to have 'minimal' impact on LIC'
Life Insurance Corporation, which has nearly 13 lakh customers in flood-ravaged Jammu & Kashmir, has said the financial impact of the massive tragedy would be "very minimal" on the company. 

"Financial impact due to the massive floods in Kashmir this month will be very nominal for us. Even after the massive devastation caused by Uttarakhand landslides last year, the financial implication on us was very small, at under Rs 7 crore from 435 claims, while in Kashmir the loss of lives is lower at less than 300," LIC Chairman Surya Kumar Roy said.
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11:27   Soon order food of your choice through SMS onboard train
Soon you can order meals of your taste through SMS while travelling on a train as the Indian Railways is launching a mobile phone-based service in a move to offer multiple catering options to passengers.

The SMS-based service, part of the e-catering service, will be launched on September 25 in a few selected trains on a pilot basis, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

IRCTC, which is coordinating the e-catering service, is finalising a new designated number to be used for SMS service for ordering food on a train.
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11:26   Sonia Gandhi at Piccadilly Circus, London?
Tweeple react to pic of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in London:

Those looking 4 #ChineseGandhi during #KashmirFloods here they are at #PICCADILLY ! No #PaidMedia outrage ?? pic.twitter.com/jYBYDIPb8y
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11:23   Portable PF A/c number to be launched on October 16
Retirement fund manager EPFO's ambitious project to provide portable universal PF account numbers (UAN) to its subscribers will be launched on October 16. 

Besides, the government will launch unified web portal LIN (Labour Identification Number) for simplifying business regulations and bringing in transparency and accountability in labour inspections by various agencies and bodies under the administrative control of Labour Ministry.
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11:02   Indian men shoot bronze in 10m air pistol
Indian men settled for a bronze medal after narrowly missing the silver in the 10m air pistol event at the Ongnyeon shooting range, continuing their good run in the 17th Asian Games. 

 Their latest shooting star Jitu Rai entered the eight-man final as the second best qualifier but could not stand on the podium after finishing fifth, a day after clinching the 50m gold.
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11:01   NASA's Mars spacecraft to begin orbit of Red Planet
A NASA spacecraft that aims to study the upper atmosphere of Mars and reveal how its climate changed over time is poised to begin orbiting the Red Planet today. 

After a 10-month journey, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) probe is making its final approach to Mars and will begin circling Earth's neighbour after 9:30 pm today (0130 GMT Monday).
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00:23   Should you buy a new iPhone?
As you are surely aware, there is a new iPhone. 

There are two new iPhones, in fact. 

The early reviews are good, the specs are solid and the long lines are already thinning out to the point where you should be able to walk right in and pick one up. 

But should you buy one? It honestly isnt for everyone. 

Lets break it down based on just who you are.

Click HERE to read more
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00:22   Ashish Sharma wins 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7'
TV actor Ashish Sharma has won the seventh season of celebrity dance reality show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' defeating co-contestants Karan Tacker and Shakti Mohan. 

Jaipur-born Ashish, 30, who is known for playing Major Rudra Pratap Ranawat on daily soap 'Rangrasiya' had wooed the judges and audience with his unique performances along with choreographer partner Shampa. 

Having impressed the judges -- Madhuri Dixit, Remo D'Souza and Karan Johar --  with his hard work and dedication, Ashish walked away with prize money of Rs 30 Lakh, a high-end car and winner's trophy.

"I want to thank my audience who voted for me immensely. I think I survived on the show for so long because of their love. I am happy that I won it because I initially thought I will stay on the show for three weeks," Ashish told PTI after winning the show. 

Despite the rigorous dance rehearsals for the show, he continued his stint on the daily soap, which also ended today. 

"I used to shoot for 'Rangrasiya' for 11-12 hours daily and after that I used to come for 'Jhalak' rehearsals and without taking a single minute break we had to practise three-four hours continuously.

"Moreover, I was a non dancer and to match up with my co-contestants I really had to work hard," he said. 
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00:20   Boko Haram 'kill several' as they loot Nigeria market
Boko Haram gunmen stormed a crowded market in Nigeria's restive northeastern state of Borno, killing several people and carting away food, witnesses said today. 

Dressed in military and police uniforms, dozens of insurgents attacked the town of Mainok, 56 kilometres outside Maiduguri, the state capital late Thursday, firing a rocket-propelled grenade and spraying the market with bullets. 

The attackers also looted food which they loaded onto trucks abandoned by fleeing traders, witnesses said. 

"They struck around 1:30pm (1230GMT) during peak hours by first firing a rocket-propelled grenade at the market before
opening fire on traders", Salman Lawan, a trader who witnessed the carnage told AFP.

"They killed several people in the attack but it is difficult to give a precise figure," said Lawan who fled to Maiduguri following the attack. 

Another trader Modu Kachalla, who gave a similar account, said the insurgents were looking for cash and food. 

"They robbed traders of cash and loaded food  into trucks they seized at the market before fleeing into the bush," he said.

"The market was full...when the Boko Haram gunmen attacked which explained the high casualties," he said.
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00:20   AAP's Mayank Gandhi booked for abetting sexual harassment
Aam Aadmi Party leader Mayank Gandhi was among the six persons booked in Mumbai after a 21-year-old female party volunteer filed a criminal complaint against them, police said today. 

While AAP activist Tarun Singh has been booked under section 354 (a) (sexual harassment), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC, Gandhi and four others have been booked for abetting the crime, a police officer at Oshiwara police station said.

"The offence had occurred in April this year in suburban Oshiwara, ahead of Lok Sabha elections," said Additional Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.

"Based on the allegations levelled by the victim, an FIR was registered yesterday. The victim alleged that she brought to Gandhi's notice the sexual advancements of some party workers, but he did pay heed to them. And hence, she approached the local police who registered the FIR yesterday," Bharambe said.

Refuting the charge of abetting the crime, Gandhi described the complaint as "politically motivated". 

"When the female volunteer had complained to me against Tarun Singh saying he was harassing her, I pulled him up and immediately suspended him from the party. I asked the victim if she wanted to lodge an FIR against Tarun, but she refused," Gandhi told PTI.

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