Five soldiers were trapped at an Army post after multiple avalanches hit Batalik sector in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir today, an Army official said.

PM Narendra Modi speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expresses deepest condolences on loss of lives in St. Petersburg blast.

The answer to the question on the 17:35 pm post: The person on the extreme right of the picture is former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay (to Vajpayee's right), a philosopher and politician and one of the founders of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the forerunner of the  BJP. The picture was taken in the 1960s. Picture courtesy Indianhistorypics.

An eight-year-old girl was found living with a troop of monkeys in the Katarniyaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, in Bahraich, UP. After being spotted by locals in the Motipur range of the sanctuary, a police team managed to rescue her in January, but not before overcoming stiff resistance from the monkeys.

Currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, the girl is unable to communicate and screeches like a monkey whenever people go near her.

Chief Medical Superintendent Dr D K Singh said this has resulted in problems in giving her proper treatment. ASP Dinesh Tripathi said though there is no information about the girl, it appears from her behaviour that she has been living with the monkeys in the wild for a long time.

Her curious condition came into limelight after visuals went viral on social media in the past couple of days, police said.

"When rescued she had unkempt nail and hair and there were wounds all over her body...our priority as of now is to give her proper medical care and look for her parents", the ASP added.


Image: The girl cannot communicate except for screeches and was living with monkeys in the jungle.

Just in: Bill legalising bullock cart races passed in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has condemned the "unruly behaviour" of Shiv Sena MPs, including Union Minister Ananth Geete, towards Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju in Lok Sabha today.


The Lok Sabha witnessed utter chaos as Shiv Sena members, including Geete, surrounded Raju after he refused to heed to their demand for revoking the flying ban on their colleague Ravindra Gaikwad.


"It is unfortunate to witness some MPs' unruly behaviour towards Aviation Minister @Ashok_Gajapathi. Strongly condemn such behaviour," Chandrababu said in a tweet.


"Such incidents in the highest lawmaking body remain as a blot on democracy. The members should behave in a decent manner and uphold parliamentary traditions," the CM later said in a statement.


The leaders of the respective parties should act firmly and ensure that such high-handed incidents do not recur, the TDP chief said. Raju is a TDP MP from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh.

On today's date 37 years ago, the BJP --  "the world largest party" -- was founded with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the helm as party president. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah wished colleagues on the occasion of the formation of the BJP on April 6, 1980.

Who is the person on the extreme right of this picture?

Passing through:

1. Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull to visit India on a 4-day visit from April 9. Agreements in areas like security and sports to be inked during the visit.


2. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina will be arriving tomorrow. 20 agreements may be signed.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday said the matter cannot be solved in the Parliament, adding that both Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad and the Air India must sit together and come out with a solution.


"Getting angry is normal so I had to adjourn the House. This matter cannot be solved in the session. Both the sides have to sit and talk and come up with a solution," Mahajan told the media here.She added that Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the ban happened according to law which is same for all. "So, everybody was a bit angry with this because everybody thought he would say something that the matter will be considered," she said.


The Shiv Sena MPs earlier in the day surrounded Raju over the flying ban on Gaikwad and threatened that unless it is lifted they "won't allow the airlines to fly from Mumbai".


The incident happened after the Lok Sabha was adjourned by Mahajan till 12.45 pm over the Shiv Sena protest.


Earlier, Shiv Sena MPs were agitated over a statement of the Civil Aviation Minister, who reiterated that the ban was not aimed at a Member of Parliament, but for a passenger and safety was most important in flights.


This led to a protest by Shiv Sena members, and the House was adjourned.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut addresses the media on MP Rajendra Gaikwad's fly ban. The press conference comes after Gaikwad's statement in parliament today where he apologised to MPs, but said he was provoked to act.

Raut sets a deadline of April 10 for the government to ensure that Air India and other airlines withdraw their fly ban against Gaikwad. "10 April tak agar masle ka hal nahi nikla to Shiv Sena NDA ki meeting me nahi jaayegi. If the matter is not resolved by April 10, the Shiv Sena will not participate in NDA meetings," Raut said.

He also said the statements were being made on behalf of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Raut also questioned Air India's no fly ban saying criminals, rapists and separatists were allowed to fly, so why was Gaikwad being targetted.

"What is Air India? Who does the CMD think he is? HM ne kaha hum pure mamle ko dekhenge. We respect Rajnath Singh, he is our elder. He will resolve the matter," Raut said.

Parliament was disrupted over the twin issues of the Alwar lynching and Gaikwad's fly ban. Congress and Shiv Sena, armed with adjournment notices cornered the government.

Shiv Sena members created a ruckus in Parliament demanding the removal of the flying ban against its Osmanabad MP.

Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul gave the adjournment notice stating that decision taken by Air India and other private airlines is a violation of fundamental rights.

RBI governor Urjit Patel on farmers loan waiver: Undermines honest credit culture,impacts credit discipline & blocks incentives for future borrowers to repay.

Guess this will be unnecessary now. ANI reports Air India to tighten security at Mumbai and Pune in the wake of threat by Shiv Sena to stall its operations there.

The fly ban on slap-happy Sena MP Rajendra Gaikwad is likely to be lifted this evening.

Sigh.

The flying ban on Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gaikwad likely to be lifted this evening, say news reports. All airlines, including Air India have been told to honour his ticket. However, the police cases against him will stay.

This comes after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan met Shiv Sena MPs, the civil aviation minister and the home minister in Parliament today.

Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed utter chaos as Shiv Sena members, including Union Minister Anant Geete, surrounded Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju after he refused to heed to their demand for revoking the flying ban on their colleague Ravindra Gaikwad.

Bharatiya Janata Party members, including several union ministers, watched in shock as their allies hit Rajus bench in anger and did not let him leave.

Soon thereafter several leaders, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh, tried to placate Geete and his colleagues while Raju was ushered out.

The incident occurred soon after the House was adjourned as Sena members created a ruckus, protesting Rajus response to Gaikwads statement. Gaikwad attended the House for the first time after the incident.

The Sena MP said, I apologise for my behaviour, but I am not apologetic to the airline official who abused and manhandled me, and spoke in a derogatory manner about the parliamentarians and the prime minister.

This behaviour was unacceptable. It was only after he insulted the PM and the Parliament that I got upset and hit him. Only that clip was shown to the public. I demand justice. What crime have I committed? Without any proper investigation I have to face media trial, he added ruing the media trial.

Comparing his ordeal with what Mahatma Gandhi might have had to face when he was thrown out of a train in South Africa in the pre-Independence era, Gaikwad said the Airlines imposing travel ban on him was like Mahatma Gandhi facing the brunt of apartheid.

Gaikwad also said he had simply asked for a complaint book to register his complaint but the Air India staffer unnecessarily got in to an argument with him.

While coming out of the plane I asked for the complaint book, which I was told the flight staff did not have at that point of time, however, they registered my complaint. The accusation that I fought for the seat is wrong I did not, he said.

In the end, an officer cam and asked me who are you to which I asked him who was he and to that he replied, Main Air India ka baap hoon. I further told him that I am an MP, to which he replied, MP hua to kya hua? Tu Narendra Modi hai kya?

Following his statement, Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju said it was up to Gaikwad to decide if he wanted to defuse the matter or aggravate it, asserting that what has happened is as per the law which will take its own course.

Refusing any preferential treatment to the Sena member, he said the matter was not about an MP but a passenger.

Aircraft is a machine where people fly. Safety is important. Safety cannot be compromised, Raju said, apparently justifying the ban on Gaikwad.

His reply provoked the agitating Sena members who trooped out of their seats and surrounded Rajus seat in the front row.

CRPF commandant Chetan Cheeta's wife Uma Singh (pictured) who was by his side through the two difficult months of recovery tells ANI that stone pelters are the biggest hurdle for armed forces in Kashmir.

"Stone pelters have been the biggest hurdle for our armed forces in securing the place (Kashmir). If Mr Farooq Abdullah says stone pelters are nationalists, then we need to ponder who are anti-nationals?" Uma Singh, Chetan Cheeta's wife, said.

Cheeta received multiple gunshot injuries in a gunfight with three suspected Lashkar militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on February 14.

The operation was conducted after security forces got a tip-off about the militants having holed-up in the village. Eight people seven security personnel and one civilian were injured in the gunfight.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday defended the stone-pelting youth in the Valley, saying they are fighting for the nation and for the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the wishes of its people.

But the remarks by the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister came in for sharp condemnation from the states ruling coalition partners Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The PDP dubbed the remarks as political opportunism while the BJP said it was worrisome.

Abdullah, who also said that the stone-pelting youth were not giving up their lives for tourism, is contesting the bye-election to Srinagar Lok Sabha seat as the joint candidate of opposition NC and Congress. The polling in the constituency is to be held on April 9.

The NC leader was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement on April 2 at the inauguration of Chenani-Nashri tunnel that the youth of Kashmir need to choose between tourism and terrorism.

If he (stone pelting youth) is giving up his life, he is not doing it for tourism. He is giving his life so that the destiny of this nation is decided which should be acceptable to the people of this place. This needs to be understood, Abdullah said at an election meeting in Sonawar.

Recently the tunnel was opened. He (the prime minister) said the youth here should think whether they want tourism or terrorism. I want to tell Modi sahib tourism is our lifeline, there is no doubt about it.

But he is a stone pelter. He has nothing to do with tourism. He will starve to death but he is pelting stones for his nation and there is a need to understand this, he added.

Abdullah also said that if India and Pakistan cannot resolve their problems, then the US should come forward and facilitate as third party to resolve their bilateral issues.

Market benchmark BSE Sensex was trading lower by 63 points at 29,911.37 in late afternoon trade after the RBI kept its key policy rate unchanged.


The 30-share index, which had lost about 122 points in the opening trade, was quoting 62.87 points, or 0.21 per cent lower at 29,911.37 soon after the RBI announced its first bi-monthly monetary review of this fiscal. The barometer had gained over 353.74 points in the previous two sessions.


The wider National Stock Exchange index Nifty dropped 21.55 points or 0.23 per cent to 9,243.60. Brokers said RBI's decision to keep key interest rate unchanged was largely in line with investor expectations.


The BSE banking index was trading little changed at 24,711.29 points. However, the BSE Realty index was quoting 2.63 per cent higher at 1,715.19 points.

Just in: RBI keeps Repo Rate unchanged at 6.25 %, increases Reverse Repo Rate to 6%.

Announcing its first bi-monthly monetary policy statement for 2017-18 today, the RBI kept GVA (Gross Value Added) (projected) growth at 7.4% in 2017-18 as compared to 6.7% in 2016-17. MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) and the bank rate is 6.50, says RBI.

RBI chief Urjit Patel, reading out from a statement, says after demonetisation large liquidity surplus has impacted the banking system.

CRPF officer Chetan Cheeta is welcomed home in Najafgar, Delhi. Cheeta was injured in Bandipora (J&K) during an encounter.

He had slipped into coma after being shot nine times during the encounter, but made a miraculous recovery and was discharged from AIIMS yesterday.

Professor of Trauma Surgery at the AIIMS Subodh Kumar said yesterday that Cheeta's recovery was nothing short of a miracle.

Cheeta was in coma for 16 days and spent a month in the Intensive Care Unit. He was discharged today, Amit Gupta, Additional Medical Superintendent at the AIIMS Trauma Centre, said.

Gupta said the Commanding Officer of the CRPFs 45th battalion in Kashmir Valley had suffered bullet injuries in his brain, right eye, abdomen, both arms, left hand and in the buttock region.

According to doctors, the hope for vision returning to Cheetas right eye is bleak although his left eye which was also injured due to splinters has been restored.

Paid leave of up to 90 days can be given to a woman government employee who has complained of sexual harassment at her workplace while the inquiry is pending, Union Minister Jitendra Singh today said.


In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, he said leave up to a period of 90 days may be granted to an aggrieved female government servant during the pendency of inquiry under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The leave granted shall not be debited against the leave account, said Singh, who is the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

A flood advisory asking people to remain vigilant was today issued for those living in south and central Kashmir after a rise in the water level of River Jhelum and its tributaries.

Jhelum has crossed the 'alarm level' of 18 feet at Sangam in Anantnag district, officials said.

"We have issued the advisory after the water level in River Jhelum crossed the 18 feet mark at Sangam," a senior official of the Irrigation and Flood Control department told PTI.


He said although the water level was still rising in the river, the rate of increase had showed a downward trend in the past couple of hours.


"The rate of increase in the water level has shown a decline and it bodes well if the weather starts improving soon," the official said. He said the water level at noon at Sangam was 18.40 feet while at Ram Munshi Bagh in the city it stood at 15.50 feet.


"In March 2015, a year after the devastating floods of 2014, the water level at Ram Munshi Bagh had reached 21.5 feet. So there is no need to panic yet," he added.


The 2014 floods had caused widespread destruction in the valley as more than 300 persons were killed in the deluge that struck in the month of September.


According to MET department officials, Srinagar received 83.9 mm rain and snowfall over the past 24 hours while Kokernag in south Kashmir received 69.9 mm of rains in the corresponding period.


Image: Two women and a child walk past a flooded road in Srinagar this morning. The Met said there was no need to panic yet. Photograph: Umar Ganie

Casually dressed in a pink-t shirt, a departure from the white kurta and pyjama one is used to seeing him in, Sachin Pilot has been busy with the Dholpur assembly by-election in Rajasthan.

The constituency goes to the polls on Sunday, April 9.

It is the home constituency of state Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, so the battle is prestigious as well as a difficult one.

"In Jaipur, Vasundharaji and my path haven't crossed much. I used to meet her more when I was a minister in Delhi. We have a very cordial relationship on a personal level, but as the principal Opposition party my job to keep the government accountable," he says.


Sitting under portraits of Gandhi, Indira, Rajiv, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in his office, Sachin Pilot discusses with Rediff.com's Archana Masih the road ahead for his party and how he will win back Rajasthan next year.

The 1st part of a 2-part interview. Do read

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today attacked the Rajasthan government over the death of a man after a "brutal and senseless attack" by cow vigilantes in Alwar, terming it a "shocking breakdown of law and order".


"When the government abdicates its responsibility and allows lynch mobs to rule, tragedies of immense proportion happen. Shocking breakdown of law & order in Alwar," he said in a tweet.


He also hoped the government would take stern action against those responsible. "We expect Government to take strict action against those responsible for this brutal and senseless attack...All right thinking Indians must condemn this blind brutality," he said on Twitter.


55-year-old Pehlu Khan died at a hospital in Alwar district on Monday after allegedly being beaten by a group of cow vigilantes. The incident took place on Saturday when 16 people were allegedly transporting bovine animals from Jaipur to Haryana. The police yesterday arrested three persons in connection with the case.

India Today: A Delhi-based freelance journalist, Aparna Kalra, is battling for her life at Fortis Hospital after she was brutally attacked by an unidentified person on Wednesday.

Kalra, 45, was out for her evening walk in a park near her home in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar when she was attacked. She suffered multiple brain injuries, but gained consciousness briefly on Wednesday night, after which she fell unconscious.

During the brief period that she was conscious, she managed to tell the police that she was attacked.

If you've just joined us, the Shiv Sena has issued an open threat in Parliament over Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju's refusal to revoke Air India's no fly order against Rajendra Gaikwad. 

BJP MPs reportedly surrounded Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju soon after Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The Sena MPs were upset with Raju for refusing to intervene in the flight ban against Osmanabad MP Ravindra Gaikwad imposed by Air India and six private airlines.


Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister SS Ahluwalia reportedly shielded him from the Sena MPs. Raju was led to his chamber by Ahluwalia.

Sena MP Anant Geete told the house that they would not allow flights to take off from Mumbai.


Earlier, Gaikwad apologised to the Lok Sabha for his behaviour and demanded the airlines to lift the ban. He, however, refused to apologise to the Air India staff member who was assualted.


Civil aviation minister Gajapathi Raju replying the Sena MP said, the safety of passengers inside an aircraft should not be compromised. "He (Gaikwad) wrote a letter to me and I forwarded it to the police so that it becomes a part of the inquiry. It is a process of the law. A passenger aircraft is a machine where people fly and their safety and security should not be compromised," he said.


Image: Shiv Sena MP Anant Geete who went up to the civil aviation minister's desk and banged his table several times in protest over the refusal to lift the no fly order by Air India.

Veteran actor Vinod Khanna was recently admitted to the HN Reliance Foundation and Research Centre in Girgaum on Friday, due to severe dehydration.


While everyone is praying for actor's speedy recovery, a picture of the actor in the hospital has gone viral on social media.


The 70-year-old-actor looks quite pale in the photo and his body transformation has shocked everyone.


In the picture, he can be seen standing with his family members wearing hospital uniform.


Since the time the picture has gone viral, wishes have been pouring in for his speedy recovery.


Earlier, as per a statement issued by the actor's family, the situation was quickly brought under control and he's doing much better.


The statement read, "The doctors are looking to discharge him soon. Our family is most grateful for the extraordinary care he's been receiving at the hospital and we are touched by all the good wishes pouring in."


The actor is a sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Gurdaspur district of Punjab and has featured in films like 'Mere Apne', 'Insaaf' and 'Amar Akbar Anthony' among others.

Shiv Sena MPs gherao Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju in the Lok Sabha; Union Ministers and BJP leaders escort him out.

Will the Speaker change the aviation minister's decision?

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is now holding a meeting with Home Minister, Civil Aviation Minister and Shiv Sena MPs on Gaikwad issue.

Suo Motu @suo_motu Ravindra Gaikwad until last month: I'm leaving on a jet plane....
Ravindra Gaikwad now: Country roads take me home...

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju snubs Gaikwad's demand that Air India's ban be revoked and the Air India CMD and the staff punished for 'misbehaving with him'. Raju said, "Safety and security in flights cannot be compromised upon."

Sena MP Anant Geete went charging up to Gajapathi Raju, and said, "Not a single flight will take off from Mumbai." Reports say that Geete banged on the aviation minister's table several times.

Gajapathi Raju maintained his calm, and to his credit, his stance on refusing to revoke the MP's fly ban.

NDTV reports that several BJP MPs walked up to Raju's table and tried to shield him as Geete got more and more agitated. It was then that Home Minister Rajnath Singh walked up to Gajapathi Raju and asked Geete to calm down. Finally, the tension in the House dissipated. The Speaker had adjourned the House immediately after Gajapathi Raju made his statement.

The BJP has maintained that it will not interfere in the matter. 

The witty Omar Abdullah @abdullah_omar  quips: What a gem of a constitution we have with so many little hidden treasures - the right to fly by plane being one that my civics books missed.


That's in response to Gaikwad's statement in Parliament saying, "Traveling on airlines is my constitutional right, how can airlines deny me that right."

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who is accused of criminal intimidation and attempt to murder of an Air India employee, speaks in parliament.  Highlights of what he said.

-- There is an attempt to spread false information against me. The Air India official shouted at me.

-- I pushed the Air India staffer because I was assaulted first. I am a victim of injustice, what is my mistake?

-- Action should be taken against the Air India CMD, Air India official, and all the airlines who supported the move to ban me.

-- I apologise to Parliament if I've caused any hurt, but not to Air India official.

-- There is a media trial going on against me.

-- The AI employee told me, 'you may be MP but you're not PM'.

-- Traveling on airlines is my constitutional right, how can airlines deny me that right?

-- The Air India manager insulted MPs and me.

-- This is shameful and unfortunate that without thorough investigation an MP was barred from flying.

Alwar incident: Shocking breakdown of law and order in Alwar, expect Govt to take strict action against those responsible, tweets Rahul Gandhi

Ghulam Nabi Azad told the House, "I am extremely sorry that the minister (Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi) is so ill-informed. Even the New York Times knows and the minister doesn't know."

Parliamentary Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi denies the Alwar lynching that led to the death of one person took place. "No incident of killing described by the Opposition has taken place," Naqvi told the Rajya Sabha. The Speaker has asked for a report on the incident.


The Congress has moved an adjournment motion on the incident with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad quoting from the Indian Express.


As ruckus increased in parliament, Deputy Chairperson PJ Kurien asked the government for the facts in the case. I cannot go by the newspaper report, he said.


He also asked the minister to get a detailed report from the Home Ministry. A discussion cannot take place until and unless the incident has been verified, Kurien said.


The Opposition says Naqvi is ill informed.

The Indian Express reported today that Pehlu Khan, who was lynched to death on the suspicion of smuggling cows, was in fact a dairy farmer. The report said the 55-year-old man had set out on the 240-km road trip from his home in Jaisinghpur village, in Nuh tehsil of Mewat, to Jaipur last Friday. He was planning to buy a milch buffalo, to increase milk production during Ramzan but, later changed his mind and decided to buy a milch cow instead. That decision, his sons said, claimed his life.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut denies Ravindra Gaikwad had assaulted an Air India staffer.

Asked why the MP had been asked not to make any public statements, he replied, "We don't hide or run away. Did he say he's running helter-skelter? He's a member of the Parliament. He has arrived at the Parliament and will present his case."

Both the houses of Parliament witnessed stormy scenes this morning as Congress and Shiv Sena, armed with adjournment notices on the Alwar lynching incident and the Gaikwad fly ban issue respectively, cornered the government.

Shiv Sena members created a ruckus in Parliament demanding removal of the flying ban against its Osmanabad MP Ravindra Gaikwad, who thrashed an Air India employee with slippers at Delhi airport  before being banned by airlines in return.

BJP ally Shiv Sena moved an adjournment notice on Ravinder Gaikwad issue in Lok Sabha. Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul gave the adjournment notice stating that decision taken by Air India and other private airlines is a violation of fundamental rights.

Congress has given adjournment notice to discuss Alwar lynching matter in which 55-year-old Pehlu Khan was attacked by a group of gau rakshaks (cow protection vigilantes) on the National Highway near Alwar.

The Speaker says he cannot allow a discussion in Parliament based on news reports.

Leander Paes dropped from Davis Cup squad. India's Davis Cup Captain Mahesh Bhupathi picks Rohan Bopanna picked for the match against Uzbekistan this weekend. 

Bhupathi has said that the focus should be on winning all the matches instead of obsessing over one. India will take on Uzbekistan in an Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 tie this weekend.

Indias doubles combination for the tie has been a subject of speculation ever since Bhupathi picked four specialist singles players for the tie.

His decision to keep Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna in reserves raised quite a few eyebrows but one of the two is certain to make the squad after Yuki Bhambri pulled out owing to an injury breakdown.

Bhupathi rejected suggestions that his and Paes 22 doubles titles together is a testimony to the fact that doubles is Indias strong point.

"There is a discomfort among many of us at the fact that the Republic is not more Hindu than it could or should be.

"This discomfort is producing laws such as the one we now have in Gujarat," says Aakar Patel on the horror of the Alwar lynching. Do read

In his dying declaration, dairy farmer Pehlu Khan who was lynched to death by gau rakshaks in Rajashtan's Alwar district, said that the mob told him that "whoever passes Behror with a cow will be beaten up".

Behror, on the Jaipur highway, is where the incident happened.

United States President Donald Trump has said the chemical attack on Syria's Idlib province affected his deeply and transformed his thinking about the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.


"I will tell you that attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me - big impact. My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much . You're now talking about a whole different level," the Guardian quoted Trump as saying.


However, during a joint press conference with King Abdullah of Jordan on Wednesday, Trump once again castigated his predecessor Barack Obama and his administration for drawing and then failing to enforce a "red line" over Assad's use of chemical weapons.


"I think that set us back a long ways, not only in Syria but in many other parts of the world because it was a blank threat," Trump said.


"The chemical attack crossed a lot of lines for me. When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that is so lethal - people were shocked to hear what gas it was. That crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines," he added.


When asked if he would opt for military intervention to oust Assad, Trump said, "I'm not saying I'm doing anything one way or another, but I'm certainly not going to be telling you . Militarily, I don't like to say where I'm going and what I'm doing."


Dozens of people, including at least ten children, were killed and over 200 injured as a result of asphyxiation caused by exposure to an unknown gas on Tuesday.


According to Anas al-Diab, an activist with the Aleppo Media Center, airstrikes hit the city of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province giving off a poisonous gas that led to this asphyxiation.


IMAGE: A man carries the body of a dead child, after the suspected gas attack.

Domestic investors were cautious ahead of the RBI's monetary policy meet as the market benchmark Sensex retreated from record close by falling about 122 points in early trade today while Asian cues were muted on overnight losses in the US.

The 30-share index, which had gained 353.74 points in the previous three sessions, was trading 121.94 points or 0.40 per cent lower at 29,852.30 with FMCG, banking, healthcare, metal and oil&gas sectors leading the fall.

The NSE Nifty was also down by 38.25 points or 0.42 per cent at 9,225.90.

Vipin Yadav (19), Ravendra (32) and Kaluram (44), arrested for lynching dairy farmer Pehlu Khan to death have allegedly confessed to their crime.

The men, who are residents of Behror,  where the incident happened on the Jaipur Highway, were arrested along with 11 others. According to reports the men have denied being members of either the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or the Bajrang Dal.

On Saturday, a large group of gau rakshaks had attacked Pehlu Khan and four others while they were transporting cattle along the Alwar highway.

When police reached the spot, they left the five men behind and fled. The men were hospitalised, but Khan, 55, a resident of Haryana, succumbed to his injuries on Monday night.

Police said Khan and four others were attacked even as they produced documents to show that they had purchased the cows.

The Rajasthan police has also announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for information on the other unidentified suspects.

Rajasthan home minister Gulab Chand Kataria had justified the attack by gau rakshaks saying that both parties were to be blamed for Pehlu Khans death. He said illegal transport of cows was banned in the state.


Image: A video grab of dairy farmer owner Pehlu Khan who was lynched to death by a mob of gau rakshaks.

For as long as we can remember, the discussion on electoral reforms has centred on the removal of two perceived evils: muscle power and money power. The fight against intimidation and harassment of voters has been an ongoing venture.

In staggering elections over multiple phases and deploying Central forces - insulated from local pressures - in large numbers at 'sensitive' booths, the Election Commission has helped ensure that the will of the people is expressed in the vote.

At the same time, the use of EC-issued identity cards and the electronic voting machines has helped check distortions arising from booth capturing and ballot stuffing - both widely prevalent in some parts of India till the early 1990s.

Swapan Dasgupta on electoral reforms. Do read

"Modi likes to praise the virtues of ancient Hindu civilization (sometimes to comic excess). But, like Xi, he isn't interested in a past in which the West dominated the world. He wants to build a future in which Asia does. And this, I suspect, isn't at all what someone like Le Pen has in mind when she speaks of "a new world emerging.' Talk of a global turn toward conservatism is all very well. But let's not exaggerate what it means for international relations."

Mihir Sharma on why Modi is neither Trump or Putin. Do read

As per the Maharashtra High Court undertaking, the State Government has tightened the security across government hospitals post the doctors' strike.

The Bombay High Court on March 23 ordered protesting doctors in the state to call off their strike and resume duties and give the government some time to provide proper security.

This came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis appealed to doctors to call off their strike and assured them that the government would ensure their security in hospitals.

The HC also ordered the government to provide adequate security at government hospitals for the doctors, so that they could go to work without fear. The High Court further said that it would hear the matter again after 15 days.

The High Court Chief Justice further asked the government that no punitive action was to be taken against the protesting doctors once they resume their duty.

Nearly 4,000 resident doctors were protesting, demanding enhanced security in the wake of a string of attacks on doctors by patients' relatives at government hospitals across the state.

The protests had hampered the services of Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) in various hospitals.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today said that India's growth rate will improve to 7.4 per cent during 2017-18 and go up further to 7.6 per cent in the next fiscal, remaining ahead of China.

"The impact of the demonetisation of high-value banknotes is dissipating as the replacement banknotes enter circulation. Stronger consumption and fiscal reforms are also expected to improve business confidence and investment prospects in the country," said the Asian Development Outlook, ADB's flagship economic publication.

India recorded a growth rate of 7.1 per cent during 2016-17, notwithstanding the fears that demonetisation of high-value currency notes of Rs 500/1,000 in November last year would adversely impact the economic growth.