LIVE! Delhi on high alert ahead of Dera chief's sentencing

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Sun, 27 August 2017

Delhi on high alert ahead of Dera chief's sentencing

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23:34 Trump's cybersecurity advisors resign en masse

Seven members of Donald Trump's cybersecurity team, including an Indian-origin data scientist, have resigned, accusing the US president of ignoring the pressing national security matters.

In a group resignation letter, the members of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, whose purview includes national cybersecurity, cited both specific shortfalls in the administrations approach to cybersecurity,

and broader concerns that have undermined the "moral infrastructure" of the US, Fortune reported.

"You have given insufficient attention to the growing threats to the cybersecurity of the critical systems upon which all Americans depend, including those impacting the systems supporting our democratic election process," the

letter reads.

They also cited his failure "to denounce intolerance and violence of hate groups" when asked about the "horrific violences in Charlottesville" as one of the reasons why they left.

Unite the Right march was organised on August 12 to protest against the proposed removal of a statue of General Robert E Lee, who commanded the pro-slavery Confederate forces during the American Civil War. Violence broke out after they were confronted by anti-racism groups and later a car ploughed into one group of anti-racism protesters in Charlottesville.

Trump had blamed both sides including the "alt-left" for the deadly violence.

The members, who were appointed under the previous administration, resigned just before the panel was supposed to hold its quarterly business meeting.

They include Obama-era officials: the first ever White House Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil, Office of Science and Technology Policy Chief of Staff Cristin Dorgelo and White House Council on Environmental Quality Managing Director Christy Goldfuss.

The president recently lost two other panels before the NIAC members resigned. His administration dissolved the Manufacturing Council and the Strategic and Policy Forum, but not before a good number of their members already left.

21:45 Trump's cybersecurity advisors resign en masse

Seven members of Donald Trump's cybersecurity team, including an Indian-origin data scientist, have resigned, accusing the US president of ignoring the pressing national security matters.

and broader concerns that have undermined the "moral infrastructure" of the US, Fortune reported.

letter reads.

They also cited his failure "to denounce intolerance and violence of hate groups" when asked about the "horrific violences in Charlottesville" as one of the reasons why they left.

Trump had blamed both sides including the "alt-left" for the deadly violence.

The members, who were appointed under the previous administration, resigned just before the panel was supposed to hold its quarterly business meeting.

Ahead of Monday's sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, Delhi has been put on high alert and the police have heightened vigil.

Madhur Verma, Delhi Police's Public Relations Officer, said additional forces have been deployed in sensitive areas and senior officers are keeping a tight vigil.

Extra measures like deployment of Special Weapons And Tactics teams and reserve forces were taken. Flag marches were conducted in some areas, including northeast Delhi, police said.

A high alert was sounded in the national capital on Friday night which continued to remain in force today with senior police officers, accompanied by reserve forces, patrolling different areas.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in 11 of 13 police districts, barring north and central Delhi, in the city to prevent gathering of miscreants.

Cases of torching of DTC buses and train coaches were reported from different parts of the city on Friday, following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case, by a Special CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula.

The Dera head has been lodged in a makeshift jail in Rohtak since his conviction and the quantum of punishment will be pronounced.

Violence may erupt in Haryana tomorrow after the quantum of sentence is pronounced against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, state's intelligence agency cautioned today.

"It has been reported by IG/CID that the situation is tense and violence may again continue for several days, especially on August 28, when the quantum of punishment will be announced," an official statement quoting Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Ram Niwas, said.

However, Haryana DGP B S Sandhu assured that maintaining law and order would be the top priority for the police tomorrow.

"The top priority now is to ensure that law and order is maintained when the sentencing of convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief takes place in Rohtak tomorrow," he said.

To ensure that there is no repeat of violence that erupted in Panchkula last week when thousands of Dera followers gathered around the CBI court that convicted Singh, all routes to the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, where the self-

styled godman has been lodged, have been sealed.

As many as 103 'Nam Charcha Ghars' (congregation centers) of the Dera in the state have been "sanitised", he said.

The process to sanitise Dera's headquarters in Sirsa will be undertaken tomorrow, he said.

Officials said the Dera headquarters is witnessing a steady exodus of its followers who had gathered there in large numbers ahead of the verdict. Security agencies are also on maximum alert, they said, adding that the Punjab and Haryana high court has been monitoring the entire situation.

Fifty-year-old Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been lodged in the Sunaria jail after his conviction in Panchkula on Friday.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh had held Ram Rahim, guilty of rape in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.

Minutes after the sect head was convicted, his followers who had gathered in thousands over past few days in Panchkula, unleashed mayhem. 38 people died and over 250 were injured in the violence which broke out at Panchkula and Sirsa.

20:43 My situation is like that of Advani: Khadse

Former Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who resigned over corruption allegations last year, has said his situation is akin to that of party veteran L K Advani.

Speaking at a function of the party's local unit in his hometown Jalgaon yesterday, where Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan was also present, Khadse said, "I think my position in the state BJP is similar to (that of) our national leader L K Advani. The seniors are supposed to be only in the role of guides while the new (leaders) get the opportunity to work."

As he said this, his supporters shouted slogans and demanded that the district unit pass a resolution that Khadse be reinstated in the state cabinet.

Khadse asked them not to make such a demand.

"I have worked for the party for so many years and helped the party grow. Advani did the same thing at the national level. But what we see now is that (the norm is) the elders should guide while the new ones get the chance," he said.

Mahajan, who also addressed the gathering, said, "Everybody wants Khadse to come back to the cabinet, but a case is going on in the court against him. Therefore we will have to wait for some time."

Khadse, who was the senior most member of Devendra Fadnavis-led government, resigned last year after he was accused of purchasing a piece of land illegally in Bhosari near Pune, misusing his official position.

In the recently concluded monsoon session of state legislature Khadse had demanded that the government make a statement on the status of this land, but no statement has been made yet.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today termed the latest political developments in Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK as "low comedy turning into farce", and asked why was the Governor not taking any action?

The Tamil Nadu assembly has 233 members and the Governor should not allow time to "artificially alter strength", he said in an apparent reference to the tug of war between AIADMK factions.

"AIADMK politics is low comedy turning into farce. Where is TN Governor?" he tweeted.

There have been demands for a trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly by the DMK, Congress and the AIADMK faction led by TTV Dinakaran.

In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs. There is no one representing the RK Nagar constituency in the House, which late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had represented.

The DMK has 89 seats, Congress eight and IUML one.

Nineteen AIADMK MLAs loyal to Dinakaran revolted against Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The 19 MLAs have been staying in a resort in Puducherry. Later, two more MLAs jointed the Dinakaran camp.

The AIADMK will soon join the NDA and be a part of the Modi government at the Centre, a senior BJP leader has said.

"The AIADMK will certainly join the NDA. It is only a matter of time. And when it joins the NDA, then it is natural that it will also join the government," the leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

He also played down the rebellion by a group of AIADMK MLAs, who owe allegiance to Dinakaran, claiming that it was more an internal matter of the regional party and not a threat to the state government.

In view of the prevailing tense situation, all schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed tomorrow, a senior official said.

"All educational institutions, including government and private schools, colleges and other institutions in the entire state, will remain closed tomorrow," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas, said in an official release.

Haryana is on a high alert after violence in Panchkula and Sirsa on Friday left 38 people dead and over 250 injured following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula.

The quantum of sentence in the case will be pronounced by the court at Rohtak tomorrow.

The Directorate General of Military Operations of the Army does not have records of any "surgical strike" conducted before September 29, 2016.

Responding to an RTI application filed by PTI, the DGMO at the Integrated Headquarters of the Defence Ministry (Army) said a "surgical strike" was carried out on September 29, 2016.

"This section does not maintain records of any other surgical strikes, if any conducted earlier," the reply said.

It said a statement on this was issued by the DGMO at a press conference.

The RTI application with the defence ministry also sought the definition of the term "surgical strikes" in the records of Indian Army.

The DGMO replied, "As per the information available in 'open source' the definition of 'surgical strike' is '...an operation which is planned based on specific intelligence, on a legitimate military target for maximum effect and with minimum or no collateral damage. It involves deliberate insertion to target area, precise execution and swift extrication of the body of troops back to the base'."

The application asked the Defence Ministry if the "surgical strike" mentioned in a DGMO statement of September 29, 2016, was the first ever in the history of the Indian Army.

It also wanted to know if the Army had carried out a "surgical strike" between 2004 and 2014.

The ministry transferred the application to the Integrated Headquarters (Army) which sought information from the DGMO.

The DGMO provided the responses which were forwarded to the petitioner by the IHQ (Army).

The Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba was severely hit in the cross-LoC surgical strikes on terror launch pads carried out by the Indian Army with assessment reports of radio intercepts indicating that around 20 of its militants were killed.

In a well calibrated operation, on the intervening night of September 28-29, the Indian Army moved across the LoC and smashed four launch pads that were under the guard of a Pakistani post located 700 metres from the LoC.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the bureaucracy to work with clear objectives towards creating a 'New India' by 2022.

He was interacting with a group of 80 Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries serving in the government of India, the third of the five such interactions.

During the interaction, officers shared their experiences on subjects such as agriculture, drinking water, citizen-centric governance, innovation and teamwork in governance, project implementation, education, manufacturing, internal security, and solar energy, a PMO statement said.

On manufacturing, the prime minister said the ecosystem for electronics manufacturing in India should now be focused on manufacture of medical equipment devices, the statement said.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining a positive working environment in government in order to make it an "organic entity", the PMO said.

He said that as new laws are made, old ones should be reviewed and weeded out if found unnecessary.

Modi asked the officers to focus attention on the 100 most backward districts of India so that they can be brought up to the national average level on various development parameters.

READ: Modi's blueprint for 2019: Building a 'New India'

The Sirsa administration has decided to provide buses for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's followers willing to leave the sect's headquarters.

Dera Sacha Sauda followers had on Saturday started leaving the sect's headquarters in Sirsa, where they had gathered in large numbers before the rape conviction of the self-styled godman.

"The district administration has decided to provide four to five Haryana Roadways buses to dera followers so that they can go home," a senior official said.

Army and paramilitary forces have appealed to dera followers inside the sect's headquarters to vacate the area.

The police and the administration have been making regular announcements through loudspeakers, urging those inside to vacate the sprawling premises, even as they maintained a strict vigil.

The violence following the conviction of the Dera head by a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday, resulted in four deaths and injuries to 58 Dera followers in Sirsa.

An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, are present in the sect headquarters. The sprawling campus is spread over nearly 1,000 acres and is a township on its own, with schools, sports village, hospital and cinema hall.

The Unique Identification Authority of India today asserted that Aadhaar system has stringent security features to prevent any unauthorised capture or transmission of data, refuting reports that hinted at sensitive biometric data being allegedly accessed by certain foreign agencies.

The statement by the UIDAI came after WikiLeaks hinted that CIA had allegedly accessed the Aadhaar database.

Dismissing the allegations, UIDAI said Aadhaar biometric capture system has been "developed within our own country and it has adequate and robust security features to prevent any possibility of any such unauthorised capture and transmission of data regardless of any biometric device that may be used."

The UIDAI said that such "misinformation was being spread by certain "vested interests".

"Some vested interests are trying to spread misinformation that since 'Cross Match' is one of many devices which are being used in biometric devices by various registrars and agencies in Aadhaar ecosystem, the biometrics

being captured for Aadhaar are allegedly unauthorisedly accessed by others," the UIDAI statement said rejecting charges of data compromise.

Outlining the stringent checks and balances in UIDAI system, it said that any biometric device before being used in Aadhaar system is "thoroughly tested" internally and externally extensively by Standardised Testing Quality

Certification (STQC) and certified.

Two persons, suspected to be cow thieves, were lynched by villagers near Dhupguri of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal on Sunday.

The victims hailed from Assam and Coochbehar district in West Bengal.

Anwar Hussain, 19, and Hafizul Sheikh, 19, were beaten to death by the mob, which intercepted their vehicle and pulled them out of it in the early hours, the police said, adding that the pick-up van was also badly damaged by the mob.

Police took Hussain and Sheikh to the Dhupguri hospital where they were declared brought dead.

The police also took charge of the animals in the vehicle.

A large contingent of police was deployed in the area.

Students at IITs and central universities across the country would soon groove to patriotic music by rock bands visiting their campuses.

The HRD ministry has asked these institutions to host music bands who would be performing patriotic numbers.

As part of the programme named "Yeh India ka time hai", the government has identified certain bands which would be visiting campuses across the country and perform patriotic numbers, specially from Bollywood.

"A private entertainment firm has been taken on board which has identified around a dozen rock bands. The shows will be planned in various institutions over the next month," a senior official said.

The programme has been organised to celebrate 70 years of India's Independence and 75 years of the Quit India Movement this year.

Earlier this month, the government had also asked all universities and educational institutions to take students to memorials of freedom fighters and residences of martyrs in the run-up to the 70th Independence day celebrations.

The varsities and schools also organised an oath taking ceremony where students, teachers and non-teaching staff took a pledge to make the country a "terrorism-free, caste-free, corruption-free, uncleanness-free and poverty-free society".

16:09 Train services in Punjab and Haryana restored

Train operations in Punjab and Haryana, severely affected by violence in two states, have been restored, except in the Delhi-Rohtak-Bathinda section, a railway ministry statement said today.

The security clearance for the section is awaited from state authorities, it said.

Twenty five train services which were halted due to issues of rake balancing and availability had not been restored.

The railway also asked passengers to check the railway's online or telephonic enquiry facilities to find about train's status.

Protests by followers of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim after he was convicted had forced the railways to cancel many trains in the region.

The Niti Aayog has favoured conducting synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and assembly elections from 2024 in "national interest".

All elections in India should happen in a free, fair and synchronised manner to ensure minimum "campaign mode" disruption to governance, the government think tank said in its report released recently.

"We may begin work towards switching to a synchronised two-phase election from the 2024 election to the Lok Sabha. This would require a maximum one-time curtailment or extension of some state assemblies," it said.

To implement this in the national interest, a focused group of stakeholders comprising constitutional and subject matter experts, think tanks, government officials and representatives of various political parties should be formed to work out appropriate implementation related details, the report said.

"This may include drafting appropriate Constitution and statutory amendments, agreeing on a workable framework to facilitate transition to simultaneous elections, developing a stakeholder communication plan and various operational details," it said in its "Three Year Action Agenda, 2017-18 to 2019-20".

It has made the Election Commission the nodal agency to look into the suggestion and set a "timeline" of March 2018 for this purpose.

The recommendation of the Aayog assumes significance as former President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have pitched for simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

Mukherjee in his speech on the eve of this year's Republic Day had favoured holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together.

"The time is also ripe for a constructive debate on electoral reforms and a return to the practice of the early decades after Independence when elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies were held simultaneously.

"It is for the Election Commission to take this exercise forward in consultation with political parties," the former president had said.

In a display of opposition unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party, political heavyweights, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, shared a platform at Lalu Prasad's mega rally in Patna today.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad has already said the 'BJP bhagao desh bachao' rally would herald the decline of the BJP-led NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, who is staring at an expulsion from the party for defying orders of not to attend the rally, was greeted warmly by Prasad who embraced him on the dais.

Yadav was accompanied by suspended JD-U Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar.

JD-U leader K C Tyagi, in a letter to Yadav, had asked him to skip the rally and if he attends it would mean that he has quit the party voluntarily.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Congress general secretary C P Joshi were present at the rally.

The RJD chief and his wife Rabri Devi greeted Trinamool supremo Banerjee and their son Tejaswi Yadav touched her feet.

Communist Party of India's general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy and secretary D Raja were present on the dais while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik president Babulal Marandi were attended the rally.

Nationalist Congress Party leader and MP Tariq Anwar was also present.

Mobile Internet services will remain suspended in Haryana and Punjab till Tuesday to prevent spread of rumours in view of the tense situation after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

A notification to block mobile Internet services and data services had been issued earlier.

Mobile Internet services, which were suspended for 72 hours in Haryana, ahead of the court verdict on Friday, will continue to remain suspended till Tuesday, officials said today.

Likewise, mobile Internet services, which were suspended in Punjab as well three days back, will remain suspended in the state till Tuesday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said yesterday.

Thirty-six people died in violence in Panchkula and Sirsa after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted by a CBI court on Friday.

The two states have been on high alert with curfew being imposed at many sensitive places.

The CBI court will pronounce the quantum of sentence in the rape case against Gurmeet in Rohtak tomorrow.

Infosys ex-CFO V Balakrishnan has said new Chairman Nandan Nilekani should continue his stint for 2-3 years to chart out a proper succession plan and ensure that efforts of the company to be professionally-managed do

not "fail again".

Balakrishnan, who has been one of the most vocal critics flagging alleged erosion in corporate governance standards at Infosys, also stuck to his demand that co-chair-turned-independent director Ravi Venkatesan step down from the board.

"...it was a big experiment that happened in 2014 with professional board handling the company, CEO replacing the founders but because the Board has not functioned well, that experiment failed. So the experiment should not fail again," he told PTI.

Balakrishnan added that Nilekani should focus on getting a good chairman "whenever he leaves in the future" to ensure that the "Board is in safe hands".

"I think for 2-3 years he should be there because he has several things to do...Board recast, get a CEO, handhold him for sometime and create succession plan for chairman post. The (earlier) Board was weak, it was not able to communicate well... the Board was a big let-down," he said.

It has been two weeks packed with action and escalated tension for India's second largest software firm.

A year-long stand-off between the founders and the management culminated in the sudden resignation of CEO Vishal Sikka as well as that of Chairman R Seshasayee and two other board members.

Haryana Director General of Police BS Sandhu has said that the bodyguards of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who misbehaved with the police personnel while taking the self-styled god man to jail in the police car, were arrested.

"Gurmeet Ram Rahim's bodyguards wanted to take him in his car, but as he was convicted, we said he would be taken in police car. There was an argument and finally he was taken in the police vehicle. We arrested the bodyguards who misbehaved with the police personnel," Sandhu said today.

"We had a plan to take him by road to jail, but were not possible due to the violence. No VIP treatment is given to him," he added.

The Haryana DGP, however, refrained to comment on the reports of the arrest of five Haryana police personnel who were a part of Z-plus security cover of Rahim Singh, for obstructing the government duty.

Meanwhile, DGP Sandhu denied the reports of manhandling of the IPS officers by Rahim's followers.

"I had personally talked to both the IPS officers. One is DCP Sumit Kumar who was in-charge of the court proceedings and the other one was IG Karnal Subhash Yadav, who was security in-charge. Nobody misbehaved with them," he said.

Reportedly, the two private security guards of Rahim who were arrested for obstructing the government duty were produced in a local court on Saturday and remanded to seven days of police custody.

More than 2,30,000 villages have been declared 'open defecation free' and about 67 percent population has toilets now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today and asked people to undertake 'Cleanliness is Service'

campaign ahead of the Gandhi Jayanti.

He asked the people to undertake the campaign to give a push to the creation of an environment of cleanliness while marking the third anniversary of the launch of 'Swachch Bharat' programme.

"The campaign for Cleanliness which was initiated three years ago will be marking its third anniversary on the 2nd October. The positive results are now being seen," Modi said in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

"Toilets have increased from 39 percent to almost 67 percent of the population. More than 2,30,000 villages have declared themselves 'open defecation free'," said the prime minister who had launched the campaign after coming to power.

He said the upcoming Gandhi Jayanti should be celebrated as "Swachch Do Aktoobar, Clean 2nd October".

"To this end, beginning 15th September, let us take the pledge of 'Swachchta Hi Seva' (cleanliness is service). Take one or another step towards cleanliness. Make your effort to be a part of it. You will see how this Gandhi Jayanti shines," Modi told the people.

"You can imagine the inner bliss of paying homage to our revered Bapu, with 15 days of this cleanliness campaign 'Swachchta Hi Seva', when we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on the 2nd of October," he said.

He said the campaign should be undertaken on the lines of the age-old belief 'Jal Seva, Yahi Prabhu Seva' (service of water is the service to God.

He suggested that the campaign, in the form of a movement, could be undertaken utilising the festivals like Diwali, Navratra and Durga Puja.

"Donate labour....I urge all NGOs, schools, colleges, social, cultural and political leaders, people in the government, collectors and sarpanches, to begin creating an environment of cleanliness at least 15 days ahead of Gandhi Jayanti so that it turns out to be the 2nd October of Gandhis dreams," Modi said.

He said social media could also be used to push the campaign which can also be undertaken in the form of essay competitions in any language, short film competitions and painting competitions.

The best three participants three at the district level, three at the state level will be given prizes, the prime minister said, inviting one and all to join the 'Cleanliness Campaign'.

Upping the ante in his fight against the ruling establishment, sidelined AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran today removed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami from the post of party's Salem district secretary.

In a party release, Dinkaran, fighting to assert his supremacy in the wake of recent merger of two AIADMK factions, announced Palaniswami was relieved from his post of Salem Suburban District Secretary effective today.

Palaniswami is also the partys headquarters secretary but there is no mention about it in Dinakaran's release.

Dinakaran has been sacking several party functionaries, especially district secretaries, a key post in the Dravidian parties' hierarchy, and replacing them with his supporters ever since the merger of AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and former chief minister O Panneerselvam on August 21.

After the merger, it has been announced that steps would be taken to expel jailed party general secretary and Dinakaran's aunt V K Sasikala from the party.

The ruling establishment leaders have also been maintaining that Dinakaran has no powers to carry out the changes and questioned his re-induction into the party by Sasikala.

With his latest action, Dinakaran seeks to convey that he is determined to take on even the chief minister for their opposition to Sasikala.

He said Salem Suburban District Secretary and former MLA S K Selvam will replace Palaniswami as the district secretary.

"Party cadres are asked to extend their cooperation to Selvam, he said.

Dinakaran, sidelined by the Palainiswami camp in April last, added that the announcement was being made with the approval of Sasikala, who is serving her jail term in a Bengaluru prison in a corruption case.

11:36 Operation in Pulwama ends

The operation inside a district police complex in south Kashmir's Pulwama ended on Sunday where three terrorists had launched a deadly suicide attack which left eight security personnel, including four Central Reserve Police Force men, dead.

The terrorists were killed by the security forces on Saturday.

A police official in Srinagar that the bodies of all three terrorists had been recovered and they were foreigners.

"The operation in Pulwama is over and three terrorists have been killed," the official said.

"Their identity and group affiliation is being ascertained," he said.

The official said four CRPF jawans and four Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel had lost their lives in the 'fidayeen' attack.

The terrorists had stormed into the district police lines complex in Pulwama, 25 km from here, at the crack of dawn on Saturday.

While the police, CRPF and army personnel quickly swung into action and cornered the terrorists, they first ensured that family members of the police personnel living within the complex were evacuated to safety.

After all the family members were taken out of the residential quarters, the security forces began the offensive which resulted in the killing of the terrorists.

Director General of state Police S P Vaid Saturday said it was a sad day for security forces who suffered such a heavy causality.

"However, the boys fought bravely and we are only more determined to wipe out militancy from the entire state," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned Dera Sacha Sauda followers in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'.

Without taking anyone's name the PM said," India is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Buddha. Violence is not acceptable in the nation, in any form. Those who take the law in their hands or take to violence will not be spared, whoever they are."

Following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh head in the rape case on Friday, at least 36 people were killed and 250 injured in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana.

Here are some highlights of PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat'

- On one hand we await our festivals but on the other hand, when we hear about instances of violence, it is natural to be worried

- While talking about festivals, I want to say- Micchami Dukkadam. This is about values of forgiveness and compassion

- I am happy that festivals like Ganesh Utsav are being celebrated with a concern for the environment

- 'Swachhata Hi Seva', let us create a mass movement around this in the run up to Gandhi Jayanti and give renewed focus to cleanliness

"Papas angel, philanthropist, director, editor and actress Passionate to transform my Rockstar Papas directions into actions".

This is how Honeypreet Insan, considered among the closest to convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his likely successor, describes herself on Facebook.

Honeypreet, whose real name is Priyanka Taneja, has a massive following her Facebook page has almost 500,000 likes, her word is considered Singhs decision and she has even acted opposite the flamboyant 50-year-old rape convict in several films.

She caught media attention when she accompanied Singh to the CBI court on Friday. Insiders say she became his shadow in the past few years. The Deras website on her introduces her as a prodigy of sorts who learnt editing, direction and acting without any training.

JUST IN: After a day's lull, violence returns to the streets of Sirsa in Haryana where headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda is located.

A few media person have been beaten up and vehicles vandalised in Sirsa near Dera headquarters, reports ANI.

Curfew was relaxed for five hours today in and around Dera headquarters in Sirsa, after restrictions were imposed on August 24.

Petrol pumps, shops and other commercial establishments were allowed to open in the area.

Hopeful that India and China can negotiate a peaceful resolution to the ongoing Doklam standoff, a senior Trump official has said the United States 'supports return of status quo' of the tri-junction point.

The US is concerned about 'sovereignty issues and adherence to international law' amidst increased tension between the two Asian giants, said a senior administration official.

"We are monitoring the (Doklam) situation very carefully. We are concerned. We hope that the two sides can negotiate a peaceful resolution to the issue. We support return to the status quo," a senior administration official told PTI.

"We're also concerned about Bhutanese sovereignty issues. We're concerned in general terms about sovereignty issues and adherence to international law. I think that certainly pertains to this particular issue," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity, given the sensitive nature of confrontation between India and China.

Even as China -- both its officials and the state- sponsored media -- have increased its rhetoric over the past few months, which at times is seen as entering the domain of threatening; New Delhi, which has taken a mature and strong stand against Beijing, according to experts, is believed has not reached out to Washington on this issue.

However, as a close friend the US has been closely monitoring the situation.

"We hope that India and China can find a negotiated solution to return to a peaceful state of affairs in the area. We are just watching it very carefully and we are in conversation with the Indian government about the issues. We stand ready to help if that is desired. But, for the time being, we're monitoring the situation carefully," the official said.

The senior administration official, in response to a question, however quickly clarified that there has been no such request from India and there is no such intention on the part of the United States as well.

"What kind of help? You said ready to help," the official was asked.

"Well, you know, I think it's for India and China to decide if that was necessary. I think for the time being the US is monitoring the situation very closely and very carefully," the official said.

"You know, it (the United States) sees it as a bilateral issue between India and China to work through. But certainly, we are interested in seeing peaceful relations prevail in the region.

"So, if there's anything the US can do to help that situation, we stand ready to assist," he added. -- PTI

Haryana Director General of Police B S Sandhu has said that Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's bodyguards were arrested for misbehaving with the cops who went to arrest the self-styled godman.

"Ram Rahim's bodyguards wanted to take him in his car, but as he was convicted and we said he will be taken in police car," Sanshu said.

"There was an argument and finally he was taken in the police vehicle. We arrested the bodyguards who misbehaved," the DGP said.

08:36 Curfew relaxed in Sirsa between 6-11 am

The district administration today relaxed the curfew for five hours in and around Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, after restrictions were imposed on August 24.

Petrol pumps, shops and other commercial establishments were allowed to open in the area.

"I was not able to purchase essential items for my household since Thursday night due to imposition of curfew. I will buy sufficient stock of such items," Surender Soni, a resident of Begu area near Dera headquarters said.

Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in Sirsa on Thursday in view of the rape case judgment against sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Yesterday, several Dera followers made their way out of the sprawling sect premises after police urged them to vacate the place.

Around one lakh people, including women and children, were present in the sect headquarters. -- PTI

IMAGE: An Army jawan stands gaurd after deployment near Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa on Saturday, following violence triggered by the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo

The Gurgaon administration has collected details of direct and indirect properties and bank accounts of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The move comes after the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered the attachment of all properties owned by the Dera chief to compensate for the loss of property and destruction caused by his supporters in Haryana and other states.

Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon Vinay Pratap Singh directed all sub divisional magistrates and tehsildars to collect all the relevant records.

"We have also directed them to ensure that no property related to Dera Sacha Sauda is entitled to sale and purchase. The details would be sent to the high court through the state government," he said.

"Dera Sacha Sauda's 'Charcha Ghar' situated in Gurgaon is being monitored by the SDM concerned," he said.

The official also urged the residents to maintain peace and harmony. - PTI

IMAGE: Charred vehicles lying on a road which were torched during violence triggered by the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case. Photograph: PTI Photo

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