Rail traffic was restored on the Meerut-Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur section today, two days after the Utkal train derailment, in the wake of which the Railways promised to upgrade safety features on the tracks.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, CR Saraswathi (pictured) of TTV Dinakaran-VK Sasikala faction on Monday expressed unhappiness for being avoided during the merger of the EPS and the OPS factions.


"We are so happy that the OPS faction and EPS faction has been merged, even we wanted that. But we are very sad, don't know why they want to avoid us," Saraswathi told ANI.


She said that from day one Sasikala and TTV Dinakaran wanted the merger of the party and everybody to come together once again and added that now they have been sidelined.


"Chinamma appointed Edapaddi as the Chief Minsiter before going to jail. Billion Dollar question is why they want to avoid us. It's ok, time will answer for everything, people are with us. We believe that every soon they will come to us for the merger," she said.


Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister under the merged AIADMK government in the state.Earlier, in what can be dubbed as a political turnaround in a state that was embroiled in a political drama till not so long ago, the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by Chief Minister E Palanisamy (EPS) and the other by OPS - announced a merger, citing that "MGR always wanted to see us united, not split.


"The striking part of the merger is that EPS has taken a backseat in the party, declaring OPS as the convenor of the party. EPS will be the co-convenor.EPS will continue to be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.EPS, while addressing a press briefing, said that there will be 11 people in a committee to co-ordinate in the merger.There was no mention of jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala in the press statement.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam is all set to be the Deputy Chief Minister under the merged All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government in the state.

He will also be given the additional charge of Finance Ministry and will be sworn-in at 4:30 p.m. today.

Earlier, in what can be dubbed as a political turnaround in a state that was embroiled in a political drama till not so long ago, the two warring factions of the AIADMK - one led by Chief Minister E. Palanisamy (EPS) and the other by OPS - announced a merger, citing that "MGR always wanted to see us united, not split."

The striking part of the merger is that EPS has taken a backseat in the party, declaring OPS as the convenor of the party. EPS will be the co-convenor.

EPS will continue to be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

EPS, while addressing a press briefing here, said that there will be 11 people in a committee to co-ordinate in the merger.

There was no mention of jailed AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala in the press statement.

"We will get the party symbol back and will defeat the enemy. Jayalalithaa had said before that after me, the AIADMK will be there for 100 years. We all will make it sure," he added.

"We all are children of one mother, and Amma (Jayalalithaa) is that one mother."

Earlier, Panneerselvam had announced that the AIADMK would be one once again, while also adding that the Sasikala clan would not be a part of the party.

The OPS faction, despite welcoming the probe into Jayalalithaa's death, also contemplated on seeking the expulsion of jailed AIADMK general secretary Sasikala from the party as the final pre-requisite before joining hands with the EPS camp.

The formal expulsion of jailed party general secretary and her kin, including deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, from the AIADMK was the other major demand.

The much-anticipated merger of the two warring factions of the AIADMK, however, hit a last-minute roadblock on Friday.

According to reports, EPS and OPS were expected to make a joint appearance at Jayalalithaa's memorial in Chennai and announce the merger.

The security was also stepped up at the Jayalalithaa mausoleum at Marina Beach late in the evening.

The leaders of both the factions, however, started to leave the venue, hinting towards a disruption of the talks again.

Party sources said there were few issues that were to be addressed by both groups, but didn't elaborate further.

The political drama in the state unfolded just after the verdict on the disproportionate assets case involving late J Jayalalithaa and Sasikala was announced and the latter was sentenced to serve the remainder of her jail term.

OPS and EPS at the Amma Samadhi at Marina Beach in Chennai.  The OPS faction has been promised three berths. After the Marina Beach stopover they will go to meet Governor K Rosaiah for the swearing-in ceremony for the Cabinet expansion. So, EPS, who remains the Chief Minister, heads the government in Tamil Nadu, while OPS is the convenor of the AIADMK, will head the party

OPS: Soul of Amma and wish of cadres made AIADMK merger possible.

TN CM EPS speaking : It was a dream of MG Ramachandran that we stay united that we don't split. When other parties split they don't come back together, but the AIADMK is not like other parties. We talked, we resolved our differences and now are back together. Today is a historic day. We will now strive to resolve the differences and work for the betterment of the Tamil Nadu and the Tamil people. We will strive to realise the dream of the founder, MGR. This is a merger for Amma and AIADMK.

"OPS will be convenor of the party, I will be co-convenor of the party. KP Munuswamy and Vaidyalingam will be deputy co-convenors of the party and we will all work together. Eleven people will run the party, the convenor will be head the 11 members.

"The first job will be to retrieve the two leaves symbol. We will vanquish our enemies. Amma said even after me for as 100 years the party will continue. We will fulfill all the promises by Amma ."


No word yet on Sasikala's expulsion, a pre-condition by OPS for the merger.

O Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami seated next to each other at the AIADMK party head office.

O Panneerselvam: The people who are holding this party together are the cadre. I am happy to be back in you midst. The Honourable CM Edappadi Palaniswami called me, all the heads of the party called me. This for revolutionary leader Honourable Amma. There has been a brief interval of 6 months where this party split, but we are back together.

E Palaniswami set to speak now.

Actor-activist Kamal Haasan, who came out strongly against corruption in politics asking why the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister EP Palaniswami has not been asked to step down, tweeted just now to say, "Gandhi cap! Saffron cap! Kashmir cap! Now a clown's cap is on Tamilians' heads. Is this enough, or do you want more?" 

Just in: AIADMK merger shortly. Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami arrives at the party headquarters. O Panneerselvam's official Twitter handle posts, "@OfficeOfOPS Started to AIADMK HQ. #AIADMKMerger."

NDTV quoting sources says EPS has agreed to expel VK Sasikala and the Manargudi mafia from the AIADMK.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami has cancelled his scheduled visit to the AIADMK party headquarters, for now. Hundreds of party workers are at the party office but talks between Palaniswami and his predecessor O Panneerselvam have not gone as planned.  The key condition by the OPS camp ahead of the merger was the expulsion of jailed party chief VK Sasikala, which has not happened.


Image: An AIADMK party worker wears a Amma ring in gold set with precious stones. He said it cost Rs 1.25 lakh. Pic: A Ganesh Nadar in Chennai/Rediff.com

Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said a solution to the ongoing stand-off between India and China at Doklam would be found soon and hoped that Beijing would make a positive move in this regard. He was speaking at a a function of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in New Delhi.

"There will be a solution soon and I am sure China will make a positive move," he said. The home minister said he wanted to convey a message to all neighbouring countries that India wanted peace. However, Singh made it clear that Indian security forces were capable of defending the country's territories.

"Our security forces have all the power to protect Indian borders," he said. The ITBP guards the 4,057 km long Sino-Indian border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area. China claimed it was constructing the road within their territory and has been demanding immediate pull-out of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau. Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory.

China has been ramping up rhetoric against India over the last few weeks demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam. The Chinese state media, particularly, have carried a barrage of critical articles on the Dokalam stand- off slamming India.

Anticipating a merger of the two factions led by Edappadi Palaniswami  and O Panneerselvam, the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai was packed with party cadre. The police have barricaded the roads to the HQ.


Palaniswami and Panneerselvam are likely to arrive at the party headquarters by noon and formalise the merger deal, party sources indicated. Ahead of the formalisation of the deal, the Palaniswami camp is likely to make an announcement in respect of party chief VK Sasikala since the Panneerselvam faction is firm on a 'formal expulsion' of the jailed leader.


In a resolution on August 10, the chief minister's camp had already delegitimised Deputy general Secretary and Sasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran setting the stage for a merger.


Though the merger appears imminent, the faction led by Dinakaran yesterday had flayed the merger attempt as a drama. The deputy general secretary's faction said their leader "has the ability to put a full stop" to whatever decision that could be taken related to a merger. -- PTI


Image: Police keep watch at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai as MLAs and workers arrive. Pic: A Ganesh Nadar

Three Kashmiri students were arrested for allegedly disrespecting the National Anthem as they did not stand up for it when it was played in a cinema hall at Hyderabad.


The incident took place on Saturday afternoon when the trio went to the Mantra mall, located near the Rajendra Nagar Police Station, and allegedly did not stand up when the National Anthem was played before the film's screening.


"On Sunday, we received a complaint that three youth did not stand, while the National Anthem was being played by the theater management at the start of the film and they were also laughing while all the members were standing," Shiva Prasad, Sub Inspector of the Rajendra Nagar Police Station said.


He added that the trio was brought to the police station for enquiry, adding they belong to Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla.


"They are studying B. Tech in the Al-Habeeb College of Engineering. We have registered a case under Section 2 of Prevention of Insult to National Honour 1971 Act," Prasad said. -- ANI

Representational image

Tamil Nadu: Amid AIADMK merger speculation, party MLAs and workers reach party headquarters in Chennai.

All 43 MLAs of Gujarat Congress will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi today.

These legislators recently presented a united stand during the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.

Earlier as many as 44 MLAs of the party were transported to Bengaluru before the Rajya Sabha elections as the Congress feared they could defect towards the BJP even as it accused the saffron party of horse-trading.

Senior Gujarat Congress leaders have already held a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, which was also attended by general secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot. The leaders discussed a strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state in December.

As per initial reports, there is a traction for the Congress in rural areas while the BJP still has an upper hand in the urban areas. In the last Assembly elections in 2012, the Congress won 23 out of the 41 tribal seats in the state.According to reports, out of the 43 legislators, four lawmakers had reached Delhi on Saturday, while 39 left yesterday evening from the Ahmedabad airport.Before coming back on August 23, these MLAs would visit Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

Troubles for jailed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala don't seem to end as a video footage was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Bureaun allegedly by ex-deputy inspector general of police (DIG) (Prisons) D Roopa showing the former and her relative Ilavarasi, convicted by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case, walking into the main entry area of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in civilian attire.

Roopa submitted the footage yesterday as part of her statement to the ACB of the Karnataka Police.

Following the summons by the ACB, Roopa had submitted 74 enclosures as evidence to substantiate her charges. She received summons on July 31, the day Director General (Prisons) G. Sathyanarayan Rao retired.

Earlier last month, Roopa grabbed headlines when she, in a report, said that Sasikala availed VIP treatment in the prison by bribing jail officials.

Roopa, in a report to the Director General (Prisons), had said there are speculations that Sasikala paid bribe to prison officials to get special facilities for herself with rumours also of the DG being a beneficiary himself.

The report by the DIG (Prisons) had asserted that a bribe worth Rs. 2 crore was given to the prison officials by AIADMK chief VK Sasikala for, including the DG (Prisons), in order to avail special facilities in Parappana Agrahara central prison.

The DG (Prisons) categorically denied all the charges, where Roopa, maintained her stand, saying that she has no issue with an inquiry taking place into it.

A notice was then sent to Roopa accusing her of "damaging the integrity and reputation of Sathyanarayan Rao," which according to law comes under defamation.

The notice also said that Rao will also be approaching the concerned Income Tax Department to find out the source from where the "alleged Rs. 2 crore were mobilised."

The notice further said that Roopa also alleged that Sasikala had set up a private kitchen, where special food could be made for her, but as she failed to take snaps of the place, it only shows that the place was "non-existent" although she (Roopa) claims that the evidence was erased.

The notice said that Roopa had tried to defame the "whole system" of this country, including the President of the nation.

Subsequently, Roopa was transferred to the Traffic and Safety wing.


Image: The CCTV grab shows Sasikala (in black) with her relative Ilavarasi behind her in the Bengaluru jail

"Jaish aided by LeT attacked Parliament knowing mobilisation of Indian military assets would be the consequence. That mobilisation happened, necessitating a military response from Musharraf who moved troops guarding back doors out of Tora Bora, facilitating Osama's escape."


Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy allude to the sinister connection between the attack on Parliament, the withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the Afghan border and bin Laden's escape in their new book, The Exile.


In a two-part interview with Rediff.com's Nikhil Lakshman, Adrian Levy discusses bin Laden, the men who protected the Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan, and who could have tipped off the Americans about his presence in Abbottabad. Read

The apex court sets aside the order of the Bombay High Court denying bail to Purohit. The SC says the bail has been granted subject to certain conditions. 

Just in: Supreme Court grants bail to the 2008 Malegaon blast accused Srikant Lt Col Purohit.

The National Investigating Agency had opposed his bail during the last hearing and argued that there was evidence against him. On August 17, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on Lt Col Purohit's plea seeking interim bail.

Lt Col Purohit had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court's order dismissing his bail plea.

During the hearing, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Lt Col Purohit, had said that he has been in jail for the past nine years, but charges have still not been framed against him. He said that the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA charge has already been dropped against him and therefore he is entitled to getting interim bail.

Domestic bourses got back on their feet in early trade after Friday's slump as the benchmark Sensex recovered about 93 points driven by a fresh round of buying amid a firming trend in other Asian markets.

Besides, persistent buying by domestic institutional investors (DIIs) too influenced sentiment. The 30-share index, which had lost 270.78 points in the previous session, was trading higher by 92.83 points, or 0.29 per cent, at 31,617.51 with the sectoral indices led by metal, realty, bank, auto, PSU and capital goods helping the recovery, rising by up to 1.34 per cent. The 50-share NSE Nifty too was quoting higher by 30.15 points, or 0.30 per cent, at 9,876.55.

From the Sensex pack, ICICI Bank, Tata Steel, ONGC, M&M, TCS, ITC Ltd, Dr Reddy's, Hero MotoCorp, Sun Pharma, Coal India, Wipro, Axis Bank and L&T, rose up to 1.71 per cent.  -- PTI

At first glance, the special leave petition before the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Shafin Jahan (petitioner) and Asokan KM & others (respondents) may seem like a page out of a hackneyed screenplay.


Shafin Jahan, a young man from Kerala, knocked on the doors of the country's apex court seeking freedom and justice for his lawfully wedded wife. His petition claimed that she had been placed "under house arrest" by her father, Asokan KM, against her wishes and requested the judges to direct the concerned authorities to produce her before the Hon'ble Court.

In real life as well as on celluloid, we have all witnessed umpteen cases of young couples defying their parents' wishes to marry outside their community and irate fathers doing everything to stand in their way.

Such cases usually get resolved through the intervention of family and friends. Sometimes, the rift lasts for years before time eventually effects a reconciliation.

But nothing is that simple any more in the world we now live in. Not even the most creative Bollywood scriptwriter could have imbued this tale with so many layers of intrigue and suspense, interwoven it with so many strands so dear to the ruling saffron ideology, extended the cast of characters to so many public institutions and transformed one woman's story into a lurid melodrama about Islamic terror and "love jihad".  Read more

A woman was allegedly lynched by a mob on the suspicion that she was a member of a braid-chopping gang in Jharkhand's Sahibgunj district, the police said. Three persons, who too were assaulted on Saturday by the mob on the suspicion that they were members of the gang, have been rescued, a police officer said yesterday.

Superintendent of Police P Murugan said the mob had taken some persons and the woman into captivity and allegedly assaulted them on the suspicion of being braid-choppers.

The district police rushed to the spot, rescued the three and shifted the seriously injured woman to a hospital where she succumbed to injuries, he said. The police used batons and fired a few rounds in the air to disperse the mob, Murugan said.

There have been no incidents of chopping of women's braids in the district and reports of such incidents were canards, the officer said. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has expressed concern over the killing of the woman, terming it as unfortunate.

Das appealed to the people of the state not to take law in their hands and not to pay any attention to rumours of braid cutting, an official release said, adding he also directed the administration to take strict action against the guilty.

The chief minister also announced that the government would take care of the deceased's 14-year-old son, the statement said. In view of rumours of braid chopping, the East Singhbhum district police held a meeting with village heads and elected representatives in several areas to make people aware about facts. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah will meet the Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of all party-ruled states today to discuss core issues like development and social welfare work including the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Besides 13 Chief Ministers and six Deputy Chief Ministers, a few cabinet ministers may also attend the meeting.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's third meeting with the Chief Ministers after the BJP swept to power in 2014, but the first such exercise since it formed a government in Bihar by joining hands with the JD(U).

The meeting is called days after Shah met party leaders in New Delhi to discuss the strategy for 2019 elections.

During the meeting, which was attended by eight Union Ministers, Shah set a target of 350 plus seats for BJP in 2019 polls.