Teachers of the Hyderabad Central University belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have announced they will go on a hunger strike from tomorrow over the demand for the resignation of the vice chancellor and the in-charge VC in the wake of the suicide by Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula.

Intensifying their protest, students held a demonstration outside the residence of interim VC Vipin Srivastava when he was in a meeting with non-teaching staff. The protesters then marched outside the campus and burnt an effigy of the vice chancellor.

Srivastava later visited the protest site to initiate a dialogue, but faced the ire of the students who raised slogans asking him to 'go back'.   He was forced to beat a retreat in a few minutes as someone banged his car when it was about to move.

Students of most universities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana boycotted classes in solidarity with the agitators as they sought 'justice' for Rohith, who was found hanging in a hostel room on January 17.

The SC and ST Teachers Forum said in a statement that its members would go on a hunger strike tomorrow to press for the resignation of VC Appa Rao and the interim VC 'in order to resume academic and administrative activities'.   Several members of the Forum have already given up their administrative responsibilities in solidarity with the agitating students.

"We have been criticised constantly that no one is making an effort. The truth is that police has been stopping me (from venturing out). It is stopping us, Prof Rao (the VC who has gone on leave) as well as me. Because they felt it may result in a law and order situation," said Srivastava.

He, however, said that he later convinced police to let him go and talk to the protesting students. Srivastava said he could have stayed longer at the protest site but felt that would serve no purpose.

After a Dalit student of Jawaharlal Nehru University sent letters to its vice chancellor alleging discrimination and threatened to commit suicide, nine more students of the varsity today said they are being 'harassed on the basis of caste'.

The Dalit student had sent two letters to the VC threatening that he would his life if his research grant is not extended next year,   In a meeting of Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, where Dean of School of International Studies Anuradha Chenoy was present, a number of recommendations were made and decisions taken to resolve all the issues of the students.

"We understand there are 'outstanding issues' but we are committed to resolving them.   Since the total period of non-National Eligibility Test and NET fellowship combined cannot exceed five years as per the University Grants Commission guidelines and the student has already availed a fellowship for three years and five months and NET fellowship for the remaining period, there is a technical issue.

"Efforts are being made by the JNU administration to resolve these issues and help the student," Chenoy said.

The newly-appointed VC, Jagdeesh Kumar, said, "The issue is being looked into and we will try our best to help the students complete their education so that they become agents of social change."

"As far as discrimination is concerned, I don't think anyone of us as teachers will ever try to discriminate anybody on any basis...students' interest is always going to be my topmost priority," said Kumar, who took charge of the post today.

Four policemen have been killed and six injured in a Maoist-laid landmine blast in Chattarpur area of Palamu, Jharkhand, Jharkhand DGP D K Pandey said.

Details are awaited.

JUST IN: Maoists trigger land mine blast at police vehicle in Chattarpur village in Palamu, Jharkhand, casualties feared.

12 policemen were in the convoy when Maoist laid land mine exploded, says Palamu DSP Prabhat Ranjan. ANI

Under attack over Rohith Vemula's death in Hyderabad University, the human resource development ministry has asked Jawaharlal Nehru University authorities to promptly look into 'genuine' grievances of a Dalit scholar who wrote to its vice chancellor threatening to commit suicide if his research grant is not extended.   Officials said the ministry took cognizance of reports in the media after which it directed the registrar of the university to resolve the matter promptly and said 'genuine grievances should be looked into'.

It is learnt that the JNU authorities have already got in touch with the student, an official said.

The Dalit student of JNU had reportedly sent two letters to the vice chancellor threatening to end his life if his research grant is not extended next year.

Alleging that he has been 'discriminated and harassed' by his department which is trying to 'block his PhD', the Dalit researcher demanded resumption of his fellowship in a week's time or he would commit suicide.

In a separate letter, he contended that he was absent from the university for a certain period due to death of four members of his family, including his father and brother, and now that he has resumed his studies, he wants his fellowship to continue.

JNU authorities had assured that the matter would be resolved at the earliest.

Air India's Flight AI 215 from Delhi to Kathmandu which was delayed due to bomb threat, took off at 7.50 pm with change in aircraft after security clearances, the airline has said.

Earlier, a fresh threat call for AI 215 Delhi-Kathmandu had further delayed the flight.

Two flights, one each of Air India and Jet Airways, were grounded today just before their departure for Kathmandu from Delhi following a bomb scare.

The passengers on both the planes were put into different flights.

Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's event scheduled to be held in Mumbai on January 29 has been cancelled, however, no reason so far has been given by the hosts for the cancellation.

Earlier, months after his concert in Mumbai was cancelled due to Shiv Sena's opposition, Ali was to attend  the music launch of Ghar Wapsi, a movie directed by TV show host-turned-filmmaker Suhaib Ilyasi, on January 29 in the city.

He has sung a patriotic song in the movie apart from acting in it.

Ilyasi of India's Most Wanted fame has requested the state's Bharatiya Janata Party-led government to provide adequate security to the 75-year-old artist during his two-day visit.

JUST IN Rohith Vemula suicide: Last and seventh hunger strike protester Devi Prashad shifted to Hyderabad University Health Centre by his friends.

The imposition of President's rule in crisis-hit Arunachal Pradesh today came under the scanner of the Supreme Court which sought the report of Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa recommending central rule in the state, saying 'it is too serious a matter'.

The remark by a five-judge bench headed by Justice J S Khehar came when Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi raised a preliminary objection contending that the notification on promulgation of President's rule has not been challenged in the fresh plea.

The bench asked the attorney general not to raise 'technical objections' when he persisted with his plea arguing that 'rules are rules' and they apply equally to all.   It posted the matter for February 1, asking the governor and the ministry of home affairs to file responses by Friday, January 29, on petitions filed by Congress leaders including the plea of Rajesh Tacho, chief whip of Congress Legislature party in the state assembly which is now kept under suspended animation.

The bench allowed the petitioners to amend their plea by Friday.

Just in: Fresh threat call for AI 215 Delhi-Kathmandu; flight further delayed, will take off only after security clearances.

Two flights, one each of Air India and Jet Airways, were grounded today just before their departure for Kathmandu from Delhi following a bomb scare.

The passengers on both the planes were put into different flights. Rabi Thapa, who was flying to Kathmandu on the Air India flight said his flight had just left and said the threat was believed to be a laptop bomb.

Airport sources said that the two flights were halted after the Jet Airways security office at Indira Gandhi International Airport here received an anonymous call saying there was a "bomb threat" to Air India flight AI-215 and Jet Airways flight 9W 260. The two flights were scheduled to take off for the Nepalese capital at 1.15 pm and 1.25 pm, respectively.

This is the second such incident of grounding of an aircraft due to a bomb scare as on Saturday the same flight of Jet Airways was delayed by six hours due to the grounding of the plane after a bomb threat call, which turned out to be a hoax. While 121 passengers were booked on the Air India flight, Jet Airways said it had 122 passengers and seven crew on board its flight 9W 260.

And the third bomb scare of the day.There's been a bomb scare on the Bengaluru-Goa Air Asia flight. Bengaluru Airport received a message of a potential bomb threat on the Goa-bound Air Asia I5 1721. Aircraft and  baggage hold were thoroughly screened, says BIAL.

This morning, two flights, one each of Air India and Jet Airways, were grounded just before their departure for Kathmandu from Delhi, following a bomb scare. Airport sources said that the two flights were halted after the Jet Airways security office at Indira Gandhi International Airport received an anonymous call saying there was a "bomb threat" to Air India flight AI-215 and Jet Airways flight 9W 260.

The two flights were scheduled to take off for the Nepalese capital at 1.15 pm and 1.25 pm, respectively.

On Saturday the same flight of Jet Airways was delayed by six hours due to the grounding of the plane after a bomb threat call, which turned out to be a hoax.

Captain Manpreet Singh led his band of 130 men on Rajpath, perched on a ladder 10 feet high, rising precariously from the handle-bar of his motorcycle. He tells Archana Masih/Rediff.com what it is to be a Bullet-riding Dare Devil, a member of the Indian Army's award winning acrobatic team. Read more

Seeking to counter flak it drew over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, BJP's campus outfit, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today announced a nationwide campaign to highlight its version of the sequence of events at Hyderabad Central University.

The student body said starting tomorrow seminars, meetings, open debates would be organised in colleges, universities and educational institutions across the country over the issue.

Vinay Bidre, national general secretary of the student body, alleged that "There are some forces in the University, who support people like Yakub Memon. There are some faculty members (of the HCU) supporting them. We need a thorough inquiry into this issue."

Bidre charged that in the wake of Rohith's suicide, some of the teaching staff of Hyderabad Central University was provoking agitating students and trying to spread anti-national sentiments on the campus.

"Our prime motto is that justice has to be done to Rohith's family members. At the same time, we also need to know who provoked Rohith Vemula to take that extreme step," Bidre told reporters at a press conference.

In the next one week, the ABVP will organise a national-level campaign, including seminars, meetings, open debates across all colleges, universities and educational institutions to highlight some of the issues regarding what is happening in HCU (after and before Rohit Vemula's suicide), Bidre added.

He alleged the issues between some student groups have been transformed into Dalit and non-Dalit issues by some political leaders like AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the campus recently. Bidre also demanded that the judicial commission ordered by the Government should clear air on different versions about Vemula's caste.

He also alleged that Cyberabad Police had submitted a wrong report to the court on the issue of attack on ABVP leader Susheel Kumar last year. "There are over 100 non-boarders staying on the university campus and the administration should evict them immediately," he said.

Sania Mirza and partner Martina Hingis has sailed into the finals of the women's doubles at the Australian Open. They defeated the 13th ranked pair of Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova in straight sets -- 6-1, 6-0. Sania-Hingis, who are seeded number one, will now face off against seventh seeded Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the finals.

Whoever is handling the Twitter feed for the Mumbai police has a great sense of humour and a way with words. Take a look: @CPMumbaiPolice If you roll, we will weed you out. #HoshMeinAao

Members of the board that runs the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra have said they are ready "for a dialogue", after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested that a huge dispute over whether to allow women to pray there be resolved through discussion. reports NDTV. 


But the temple authorities have said not a word yet on Mr Fadnavis' support for women's right to pray at the sanctum of the temple in Ahmednagar, where nearly 500 women activists trying to force their way into the temple, were physically blocked by about 1,000 villagers and the local police on Tuesday.


Fadnavis picked a side, tweeting, "Indian culture and Hindu religion gives women the right to pray. A change in yesterday's traditions is our culture. Discrimination in praying is not in our culture. The temple authorities should resolve the issue through a dialogue."


Residents of Shingnapur village, where the temple is located, have in a resolution condemned the activists for attempting to a defy a centuries-old ban on women's entry into the inner-most part of the temple, where the idol of Lord Shani is placed on an open-air platform.  


On Tuesday, members of the Bhumata Brigade, led by activist Trupti Desai, arrived from Pune in six buses, declaring they would enter the sanctum.

Parents, take note! A new study has found that night-time texting habits of teenagers may be to blame for their falling grades and increased yawning in school. Researchers from Rutgers University in US distributed survey to three New Jersey high schools and evaluated the 1,537 responses contrasting grades, sexes, messaging duration and whether the texting occurred before or after lights out.


They found that students who turned off their devices or who messaged for less than 30 minutes after lights out performed significantly better in school than those who messaged for more than 30 minutes after lights out.


Students who texted longer in the dark also slept fewer hours and were sleepier during the day than those who stopped messaging when they went to bed. Texting before lights out did not affect academic performance, the study found.

No dangerous payload has been found in the balloon shot down yesterday by an IAF fighter jet near Barmer, bordering Pakistan, according to defence officials.


"On the analysis of the debris, it was established that there was no dangerous payload," defence spokesperson Lt Col Manish Ojha said today.


Sources said that it was a private balloon and the possibility of it carrying any spying object is initially ruled out.


The IAF radar had picked up the unidentified balloon like object moving easterly in Jaisalmer area, sending the authorities into a tizzy. A fighter jet intercepted the object which was found to be balloon of about three meters diameter. "Due to heightened security alert, the balloon was shot down,' Ojha said.


A file pic of jawans on patrol duty

Twenty two Shiv Sena workers and leaders, including Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde and Thane Mayor Sanjay More, were today acquitted by a local court in an attempt to murder and armed rioting case of 2005.

In 2005, when the then Shiv Sena leader and corporator Ravindra Phatak quit saffron party and joined Congress along with senior leader Narayan Rane, the accused had allegedly attacked the Shiv Sena branch office in Wagle Estate and ransacked it. Phatak had registered a complaint against the Sena workers and leaders in this regard and the accused were being tried in the court since then.

The Goa government is considering baning consumption of liquor in public places to check nuisance, a senior official said. "There are complaints from common people about consumption of liquor in public places, which leads to littering and other nuisance. The existing excise law needs to be amended for the same," Goa's Excise Commissioner Menino D'Souza said.

India could make a fresh bid to tag Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar, the alleged mastermind of the Pathankot attack, as a global terrorist, reports The Times of India. The move will also serve as a test for China, which had blocked an earlier Indian proposal to this effect at the United Nations Security Council in 2010 at the behest of Pakistan.

The government is considering reviving the request as it feels the current situation - where the evidence points to Jaish's hand in the terror strike, and with Pakistan itself detaining some members of the outfit - will make it difficult for China to oppose India's demand.

Given the strategic interests that bind China and Pakistan, including their militaries, Beijing will find it difficult to go against Pakistan's interests.

But at the same time, China has condemned the attack on the Indian airbase, and is having to deal with Islamic extremists radicalised and trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

China has expressed concern over links between the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and Pakistani extremists, and though military operations and drone attacks have thinned the ETIM's leadership, the outfit's impact on China's Uighur region, and even urban centres where stabbing attacks have taken place, is worrying.

Previously, China is understood to have raised queries about India providing "insufficient information" relating to Azhar and two other top terror operatives, Abdur Rehman Makki and Azam Cheema of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

M Natarajan, the husband of Sasikala, the foster sister of Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa was present at the At Home celebrations at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday. Natarajan, accompanied by a close relative of the President was seen talking to senior BJP ministers. Natarajan's presence surprised many senior IAS, IPS officers of the Tamil Nadu cadre who were apprehensive about approaching him becasue they feared any conversation with him would be leaked.

A file pic of Jayalalithaa with Sasikala

AICC General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry on Sunday called up senior party colleague V Hanumatha Rao to express solidarity with Hyderabad Central University students on the Rohith Vemula issue. Rao has been asked to hold daily demonstrations in Hyderabad with a view to strengthen the organisation's support in the city. Mistry on Monday also called up Rao after watching the protests on TV. 

The CBI is likely to summon Rajender Kumar, a close confidante of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, in the first week of February to verify a few emails.  Insiders in the CBI have been advised to take Rajender Kumar into custody after the cross verification of the emails. But they expect that it will cause immense political reactions and Kejriwal may even be asked to resign and go in for fresh elections in Delhi, say AAP sources.

Here's the background on Rajender Kumar.

French President Francois Hollande's arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan for the At Home hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee was delayed by nearly 30 minutes.

The At Home celebrations are customarily held at the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan and was hosted on Tuesday.

Hollande who was held up at the lunch hosted by the French Embassy inconvenienced many VVIP invitees who had been told to assemble at 3 pm for the At Home, which was scheduled for 4 pm.

Usual protocol has been that the President, Vice President and Prime Minister arrive at the Green Room of Rashtrapati Bhavan and once the Chief Guest arrives, protocol officers will request the Prime Minister to leave the hall first followed by the Vice President and then the President.
In a security drill also, the President is the last to arrive and first to leave at all public events.

But Holland's delay meant that Indian VVIPs had to stay put for over an hour at the Green Room.  Of course, the occasion was well utilised with the VVIPs getting better acquainted. 

Just in: Two Delhi-Kathmandu flights have been delayed after bomb threats. Passengers on both Air India and Jet Airways flights were asked to deplane and were herded to a holding area inside the airport. A bomb disposal squad is checking both flights. Rabi Thapa, a passenger on board the Air India flight tweeted, "Looks like there has been a security threat. Plane cordoned off, told to evacuate plane and are now stuffed inside a bus. Armed Security forces all around. A bit fazed by the situation."

TV reports said a calller had said there were bombs on both the flights and security agencies were taking no chances.

Just yesterday, an Air India plane with 160 passengers was forced to return to New Delhi almost 30 minutes into a Milan-bound flight after smoke was detected in the cabin Tuesday, the airline said.


Representational picture

The Supreme Court asks counsel for Arunachal Pradesh Governor to furnish immediately his report that led to imposition of President's rule in the state. 

A Pakistani die-hard fan of swashbuckling Indian batsman Virat Kohli has been arrested for hoisting the Indian tri-colour atop his home in Punjab Province which he had done to show his love for the cricketer.

Umar Draz, from Okara district of Punjab province, about 200 km from Lahore, was arrested on a complaint that he hoisted the Indian flag on the rooftop of his house as police raided his home on Tuesday.

"We raided the house of Umar Draz and seized the Indian flag from his rooftop," Muhammad Jamil, a police official, said.

He said the police have arrested Draz and registered a case under the Maintenance of Public Order. He was presented in court the same day and was remanded into police custody.

A former US air force lieutenant, Robin Chaurasiya moved to India to fight a battle of another kind. What she has done has put her in the reckoning for a $1 million award. Archana Masih/Rediff.com met her and the girls whose lives she is changing -- one day at a time. Read

Five things you need to know about Zika, the virus that kills. Read

There is a story Soumitra Chatterjee likes to tell. In the mid-1950s he heard that Satyajit Ray was casting the Apu character for the sequel to Pather Panchali.

Chatterjee went to the director's home, but the moment Ray saw him, he said 'Oh, you are too grown up for the college-going Apu.'

Chatterjee was shocked and he adds in a new book, 'It immediately struck me how engrossed he was in his work! Those were his first words to me. I can never forget that.'

But when Ray was ready to make the third film in The Apu Trilogy, he immediately contacted Chatterjee. In fact, according to Chatterjee, that first meeting itself had convinced Ray to make the third film, Apur Sansar.

Read

India ranks 76 in a list of 168 countries on corruption in the public sector by watchdog Transparency International, in its annual global review of corruption which is based on experts views' of graft among state employees.That's nine points up from the 2014 list, where it scored 85.

Transparency International, a global charity with over 100 national chapters, ranked 168 countries corruption in the public sector on a scale of 0 to 100, with lower scores reflecting levels of corruption and higher scores being seen as very clean. 

Denmark retained the title for having the most honest public sector in the world for a second year, with a score of 91, down from 92 last year.

Here's the report.

"The corporate world and the private sector economy should take notice of the monstrous and apartheid-like division that exists in our offices.'The jobs we so casually take for granted in the upper class have come to us on the back of denial to others," says Aakar Patel. Read his column on Rediff.com.

Just in: Islamabad High Court refuses voice samples of 26/11 suspects.
Entirely expected, since in July last year, the Pakistan government stated that it will not file a fresh petition in an anti-terrorism court requesting voice samples of LeT operations commander Zaki-ur- Rehman Lakhvi (pictured) in the Mumbai terror attack case.

Pakistan's remarks came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met at Ufa, Russia and agreed to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai case trial (in Pakistan), including additional information like providing voice samples.

"The issue of obtaining voice sample of Lakhvi has been over. We had filed an application in the trial court in 2011, seeking voice sample of Lakhvi but the judge (Malik Akram Awan) had dismissed it on the ground that there is no such law exists that allows obtaining of voice sample of an accused," prosecution team's chief Chaudhry Azhar said.

A Muslim women's group on Tuesday came out in support of women's entry into the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra, charging "male-dominated bodies" which run shrines with bias.

The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan said it supports demands by Hindu women to be allowed to enter the chabutra or sanctum sanctorum at the well known temple in Ahmednagar. 

"We salute the women activists for their democratic protest and assertion of their right to worship in the face of all odds placed by the patriarchal male temple administration," it said in a statement. 

Donning capes with maroon and gold stripes, the much anticipated march by 36 Indian canine soldiers was the show stealer of the Republic Day parade. After a hiatus of 26 years, a contingent of 24 Labradors and 12 German Shepherds marched in style with their handlers from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate.

Read more

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was hospitalised on Sunday following a "minor kidney problem" and "water retention", was discharged this morning, hospital authorities said.

The 75-year-old former Union Minister was admitted to city-based Ruby Hall Clinic.

"He is absolutely fine and after keeping him under observation for over two days, we have now given him discharge from the hospital this morning," said Dr Sanjay Pathare, Assistant Director, Medical Services, Ruby Hall Clinic. "After discharge from the hospital, Pawar left for Mumbai by a helicopter", NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI.

Coming to the aid of an officer who could not get promotion to IAS despite 33 years of service, Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to recommend his name for upgradation within four months and for the Centre to pass appropriate orders in eight weeks.

Justices V Ramasubramanian and N Kirubakaran were hearing a petition from D Pandian, who contended he could get promoted to Indian Administrative Service despite 33 years of service.

They said he had committed a mistake by seeking wrong relief before judicial forums and arguing cases in person.

It was not good that a person fighting for justice should lose on mere technicalities, the Judges said and directed the state government to recommend his name for promotion in four months and for the Centre to pass appropriate orders within eight weeks thereafter.

Pandian submitted that he got employed as Junior Employment Officer in March 1982 and served in various capacities till December 1989. Then he passed Group I service exams and was appointed as Divisional Development Officer in the Rural Development Department.

When he was eligible for promotion to the post of Joint Director of Rural Development, a charge memo was issued to him that year, seeking an explanation for initiating disciplinary action against a typist "without sufficient cause."

He was imposed with a punishment of censure in March 2000 after enquiry.

The judges said if Pandian was prudent,he would have left the matter at that and gained promotions. Unfortunately he filed a petition for review, leading to problems.Pandian said the state Government ordered a re-enquiry in 2003 after citing some procedural irregularities in the enquiry conducted.

They made it clear this should commence from the stage of furnishing all copies of documents relied upon in support of the charges. But the Rural Development Commissioner 'misunderstood' it and issued a fresh charge memo in 2009.

Pandian did not challenge the validity of the 'illegal' second charge memo before the High Court.He moved the Central Administrative Tribunal challenging promotions given to juniors without asking to consider his name for promotion. CAT dismissed his case in 2013, leading to the present writ petition.

The court said Pandian was completely misguided and had spoilt his case by preparing petitions and appearing in person.

Colombian superstar Shakira's hit song "Waka Waka" has passed the one billion views milestone on Youtube. The official 2010 FIFA World Cup theme has helped Shakira become only the third Latin artist to achieve the impressive feat, following in the footsteps of Bruno Mars and his "Uptown Funk" collaboration with Mark Ronson, and Enrique Iglesias and his 2014 single "Bailando".

"Wow! Waka Waka now has more than a BILLION views! The song and the video that changed my life," Shakira, 38, posted on Twitter. Shakira famously met and fell in love with her partner, Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique, while shooting the video in the spring of 2010. The couple has since become parents to two sons, three-year-old Milan, and Sasha.

The Supreme Court agrees to hear at 2 pm today the plea of Congress against the imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh was brought under Presidents rule and the Assembly kept in suspended animation with immediate effect at the close of Republic Day.

That President Pranab Mukherjee had given his assent to the cabinet recommendation was confirmed by his office in the evening after French President Francois Hollande, who was the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade in the morning, left the country after attending the customary At-Home reception in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Citing Arunachal Pradesh governor JP Rajkhowas report that the state was heading towards a constitutional breakdown, the Centre on Sunday had recommended Presidents rule in the Northeast state after an emergency meeting of the Union cabinet in the morning.

The President had met Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday a day that also saw senior Congress leaders, including the now ousted chief minister Nabam Tuki, meet Mukherjee to allege an effort to destabilise a democratically elected government in the state.

After Presidents rule was declared in his state, Tuki, who was in the capital on Tuesday, told reporters that we will fight this battle legally and politically.

Stating that we were expecting this as they (the Centre and the BJP) have been troubling us from the beginning, he claimed that the Congress still had a majority as 31 MLAs in the 60-strong Assembly were still with the party.

The Congress has already challenged in the Supreme Court the Union cabinets recommendation. The petition, which has also sought a directive to the Centre and the governor to produce before the Supreme Court the entire records based on which Presidents rule was recommended, is expected to be heard today.

While there was acknowledgement that the President had little choice, the timing came in for some criticism as it coincided with Republic Day which marks the day the Constitution came into effect in 1950.

The Congress memorandum on Monday, too, had made a reference to this. On the eve of Republic Day, the values of our Republic must be cherished and reaffirmed. The action of the government in recommending imposition of Presidents rule in Arunachal Pradesh is a denigration of the values that our republic stands for, the Congress memorandum had said.

Congress allies and even foes were agitated by the declaration of Presidents rule in Arunachal Pradesh.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal quoted BJP veteran L.K. Advani and tweeted: Prez Rule in Arunachal. Advaniji was right in saying that there are emergency-like conditions in the country.

Donald Trump will not participate in the Fox News debate tomorrow ahead of the key Iowa Caucus, his campaign manager has said as the Republican presidential front-runner accused the TV network of "playing games".

A violent clash broke out between the police and the locals in Vaishali district of Bihar when the police was in the middle of demolishing a temple yesterday in which several cops were injured.

The Delhi government on Wednesday constituted a commission of enquiry to probe into the complaints of crime against women since February 2013.   A notification in this regard has been issued by the government. 

Following the imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, Former Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal and retired IAS officer G S Patnaik have been appointed as advisors to the state Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa.

Former Press Council of India's chief and retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, who seems to have an opinion on almost everything, has said goodbye to Facebook. He published his supposedly last post on his Facebook wall on Tuesday night, which he also tweeted. 

A turncoat Afghan police officer is believed to have killed 10 of his colleagues at their post in south-central Afghanistan, paving the way for Taliban militants to raid the facility and steal weapons and ammunition, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting on Wednesday to review the progress made on important Cabinet decisions taken by his government.

Ammon Bundy, one of two brothers leading anti-government protesters occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, and four other people were arrested Tuesday in a confrontation with authorities, the FBI said.

 The Assam government has asked the Centre for 600 companies from the Armed Forces to be deployed during the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be a tactile man. In official appearances, whether he is meeting a local official or a world statesman, he likes to hug it out.

Former Arunachal chief minister Nabam Tuki, who met senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal after President's rule was imposed in the state, on Tuesday, put the onus on Supreme Court to decide the matter.

Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump has commented on India for the first time after he entered the presidential race, saying that the country is doing great and no one is talking about it. "India is doing great," Trump told the CNN in an interview on Monday. 

Business was not as usual for Jet Airways on Sunday as they had to report two of their passengers to the police for breaking rules.