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Sun, 12 March 2017
I welcome Parrikar as Goa CM: Laxmikant Parsekar
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21:20 I welcome Parrikar as Goa CM: Laxmikant Parsekar
Former chief minister of Goa, Laxmikant Parsekar told Rediff.com that he wholeheartedly welcomes Manohar Parrikar as the next chief minister of the state.
Parsekar, who became the chief minister after Parrikar was asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join his cabinet as Defence Minister after a landslide BJP win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections said, "I welcome Manohar Parrikar as Goa chief minister."
Parsekar, however, refused to elaborate much on the verdict delivered by the Goans in the assembly elections in which the BJP could win only 13 seats and he himself lost his seat from Mandrem.
"I welcome the verdict of the people," Parsekar, whose tenure was marked by the overwhelming presence of defence minister Parrikar in Goa, who would often visit the state mostly over the weekends.
Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com
20:52 Like Goa, BJP to stake claim to form government in Manipur
Even after winning the most seats in Goa and Manipur, it looks like Congress will not get an opportunity to form the governments in both the states.
As BJP's chances of forming the next government in Manipur brightened after the National People's Party and the LJP formally extended their support, now Congress MLA Shyamkumar Singh has joined the BJP.
Flanked by NPP and LJP leaders and their winning candidates, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav told a press conference in Imphal, "We have been able to come to an understanding with the NPP and the Lok Janshakti Party in our bid to form the government in Manipur."
The NPP and the LJP, both NDA constituents at the Centre, have won four seats and one seat, respectively, which will add up to 26 with BJP's 21, five short of the magic figure of 31 to form the government.
Madhav said that as per an "understanding" with another NDA partner Naga People's Front, which has won four seats, the number would go up to 30 and the support of one more MLA would be "secured".
He said that yesterday the NPF had issued a press statement wherein it said it was willing to form a non-Congress government in Manipur.
The NPP's Conrad Sangma said that the popular verdict was for a change in Manipur.
20:23 Parrikar to resign as Defence Minister before taking oath as Goa CM: Gadkari
Clarifying the reports over Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's resignation, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that Parrikar will resign as the Union minister before taking oath as the Goa CM.
Gadkari said that the BJP under Parrikar has staked a claim to form the government in Goa with the support of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs, Goa Forward Party MLAs and independents.
Gadkari said that BJP central leadership has agreed to proposal to make Parrikar Goa CM.
20:09 Manohar Parrikar resigns as defence minister: Reports
Amid talks of his becoming the Goa chief minister again, Manohar Parrikar has resigned as the defence minister, some media reports have claimed.
The BJP is almost certain to retain Goa as Parrikar has claimed that he has the support of 22 MLAs.
Goa has 40 seats. The Congress won the most -- 17 -- but not enough to form the government. The target is 21.
The BJP has won 13 seats. However, Parikkar has claimed that he has the support of three Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs, three Goa Forward Party MLAs and three other Independents to form the government.
19:30 Feel good when someone asks why the PM is working so hard: Modi
Thanking Amit Shah and his team for BJP's massive victory in elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his victory speech. Here are some more highlights.
- Feel good when someone asks why the PM is working so hard
- In a democracy, Sarkar is made with 'Bahutmat' but runs through 'Sarvamat' - ours is a government of everyone
- This government is for those who have voted for the BJP and also for those who haven't voted for the BJP. There will be no discrimination
- We can make mistakes. But we will never deliberately make mistakes. We will be the epitome of hard work.
19:19 BJP has surged ahead with every election in the country: PM
- Want to assure the people in the 5 states that we leave no stones unturned to fulfill your aspirations
-This is a golden time for us, but we have worked very hard to achieve it. It is no miracle
- Through the membership drive, the BJP has been able to become the largest political party in the world
- I am not someone who looks at things only from an election perspective. I see things for the well being of the people
- BJP has surged ahead with every election in the country
- In 2022, we mark 75 years of independence, which will be a landmark moment for the nation
19:14 PM Modi praises Shah
During his victory speech, PM Narendra Modi showers praises on Amit Shah.
"Amit Shah has worked hard and has made BJP the largest party in the world," the PM said.
"To win elections is one thing but to take the BJP to every nook and corner is a huge public service," he added.
19:07 Power is not about posts. It is an opportunity to serve: PM Modi
- With these wins we have the responsibility of being humble. Power is not about posts. Power is an opportunity to serve
- There have been drastic changes in the mentality of people and that's the beginning of new India
- Poor want to opportunities, not appeasement
- Political pundits should introspect on the assembly poll results
- Antyodaya is integral to our work. We understand the strength of India's poor
- The burden on the middle class should reduce. This will enable our middle classes to shine
18:59 People are witnessing a new India: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his victory speech wishing everyone happy Holi.
- I wish you a happy Holi. Our festivals teach us to win over our deficiencies and move forward
- There are many reasons for a win but such an empathetic win after a record turnout is special
- Election turnout across India is increasing. I see this as a very good sign- Development is always a central issue during every polls. But, earlier parties were scared to fight polls on development
- Elections empower people to participate in nation-building: PM
- Polling percentage is increasing in our country, this is good for democracy
- People are witnessing a new India
- Polls meant to create awareness
18:51 Our victory in UP is better than 2014 performance: Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah addresses the victory rally at the party headquarters in New Delhi where senior party leaders felicitates PM Narendra Modi.
Here are the highlights of his speech:
- Modi is the most popular PM since independence who has been working for the poor
- After a very long time, a party has got more than 3/4th majority in UP and Uttrakhand
- Our victory in UP is better than our performance in 2014
- Our pro-poor policies have been successful
- Due to demonitisation, poor fully backed Modi
- We will repeat UP magic in Himachal and Karnataka. The BJP will come with more power in 2019
18:42
BJP President Amit Shah and other party leaders felicitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for thumping win in elections.
18:31 PM arrives at BJP HQ amid 'Modi Modi' chants
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at BJP headquarter in Delhi for the victory march after resounding victory in Uttar Pradesh.
Amid shower of petals and chant of 'Modi, Modi,' the PM walked the last stretch to the BJP headquarters.
Later, he will address party cadres.
18:18
BJP president Amit Shah arrives at party headquarters in Delhi.
18:13
Sea of saffron. BJP workers are waiting for PM Modi to begin his victory march in New Delhi.
17:56 We will support any non-Congress party in Manipur: NPF
The Naga People's Front will support any non-Congress party to form the new government in Manipur, an NPF official said on Sunday.
The Naga People's Front bagged four seats in Manipur elections, which threw up a hung assembly with the ruling Congress bagging 28 of the 60 seats and the BJP making giant strides to muster 21.
"We are an alliance of NDA and therefore we will support the North East Democratic Alliance, which comprises non-Congress parties even in Manipur," NPF spokesperson Achumbemo Kikon said.
He asserted that NPF will not join the Congress even if approached to form the government in the state, maintaining the party's earlier stance to rid the region of Congress.
17:52 PM Modi to hold victory march in Delhi
A day after Bharatiya Janata Party's astounding victory in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's victory march is expected to begin shortly.
BJP supporters have gathered outside the partys headquarters at Ashoka Road in New Delhi.
The PM will march from Le Meridien to the BJP headquarters on Ashoka Road where he will attend the BJP parliamentary meet after the march.
Chief ministerial candidates for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be expected to finalise at the meet.
17:38
Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia wins the Asian Tour's Indian Open golf tournament for a second successive time.
17:14 Arun Jaitley slips while boarding chopper in Haridwar; no injuries reported
Just In: While boarding a helicopter in Haridwar, on his way to Delhi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday slipped and fell.
TV reports suggest that his health is fine and that he sustained no injuries.
On Sunday, Jaitley was in the holy city visiting yoga guru Baba Ramdevs Naturopathy centre 'Niramayam'.
16:52 Akhilesh should not be blamed for UP debacle: Mulayam
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday refused to put onus on outgoing Uttar Pradesh chief minister and his son Akhilesh Yadav for the crushing defeat in the assembly poll and admitted it was party's failure that brought their debacle.
"Nobody is responsible for the loss. It seems that we were unable to impress the people. Everyone is responsible for the loss," Mulayam said.
Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav asserted that the party would thoroughly analyse the reasons for its dismal show in Uttar Pradesh.
"Politics is all about winning and losing. The Samajwadi Party has been through many struggles. We have struggled a lot and won several times. We will struggle yet again and win next time," Shivpal told ANI.
16:14 Punjab governor dissolves state Assembly
Punjab governor V P Singh Badnore today dissolved the state assembly after outgoing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal submitted his resignation to him.
"In pursuance of powers conferred upon me by sub clause (b) of clause (2) of Article 174 of the Constitution of India, I, V P Singh Badnore, Governor of the state of Punjab, hereby dissolve the 14th Punjab Vidhan Sabha with effect from the afternoon of 12th March 2017," he said in the order.
Earlier, Badal met the governor and submitted his resignation after his party suffered a loss in the assembly polls.
Prior to it, Badal held a meeting of the Cabinet which took a decision to dissolve the assembly.
16:03 Captain to take oath as Punjab CM on March 16
Congress leader Amarinder Singh today met the Punjab governor and staked a claim to form the government.
Singh said that he will take the oath on March 16.
Earlier, while speaking to media, he asserted that his government will form a 'Special Task Force' to curb the drug menace in Punjab, while making the state more investor-friendly.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him full cooperation for the development of the state.
Winning 77 of the 117 state assembly seats, the Amarinder Singh-led Congress had stormed to power in Punjab riding a strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling SAD-BJP combine and warding off a spirited challenge by newcomer AAP.
15:47 Will support BJP if Parrikar leads government in Goa: MGP
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, a former BJP ally has announced that it will support the Bharatiya Janata Party if Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will lead the government in Goa.
The BJP and the Congress are locked in a post-poll battle as no party secured a majority in the state.
While the Congress emerged as the single largest party, bagging 17 seats in the 40-member House, the BJP secured 13 seats.
The majority mark is 21.
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Forward Party and the independents won three seats each, while the NCP bagged one.
The Goa Forward Party said that it is waiting for a formal proposal from the BJP or the Congress to decide their next move.
Earlier, the BJP legislative wing has unanimously passed resolution in favour of Parrikar to lead the party in the state.
15:30
Hafiz Saeed's brother-in-law Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki gets charge of head of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, PTI reports.
14:56 Day after SP's defeat, Amitabh Thakur urges Centre to dispose of his cadre change request
Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer Amitabh Thakur has urged the Centre to disposed of his request for change of cadre, saying the "bias" against him does not exist anymore following the SP's rout in the polls.
Thakur had last year sent an application to the Union Home Ministry for change of cadre from Uttar Pradesh to any other state, citing threat to his life.
In a letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, he said, "I had sought cadre change in view of serious threat to my life and family after Mulayam Singh Yadav's phone call. With Akhilesh Yadav no longer remaining the Chief Minister, there is already a massive change in behaviour and action of bureaucracy against me and the situation of abject bias does not exist anymore.
"I do not want any cadre change or transfer of departmental enquiries and my request shall be disposed of accordingly."
Thakur was suspended on July 13, 2015, days after he had accused Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav of threatening him.
The state government had then initiated a vigilance inquiry against him. However, the Lucknow bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal had stayed the suspension of Thakur in April and ordered his reinstatement with full salary with effect from October 11, 2015.
He had also requested the Centre to get the departmental inquiries against him transferred to some other state, alleging bias and irregularities on the part of the senior state government functionaries.
13:45 New India is emerging, says PM after resounding win in UP
A day after the BJP's resounding poll victory in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said a "new India" is emerging and it stands for development.
He also asked the people to take a pledge and express their commitment on his Narendra Modi Mobile App towards building a new India.
"A new India is emerging, which is being powered by the strength & skills of 125 crore Indians. This India stands for development," Modi tweeted.
"When we mark 75 years of freedom in 2022, we should have made an India that will make Gandhi Ji, Sardar Patel & Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar proud," he added.
These tweets came a day after the BJP got astonishing poll results in Uttar Pradesh where it stormed to power with three-fourths majority, decimating the rivals SP-Congress combine and the BSP.
The BJP also scored a massive victory in Uttarakhand winning 56 of the 70 seats in the state to storm to power, reducing Congress to minuscule minority in the state assembly with a poor tally of 11 seats.
13:30
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal submits resignation letter to the governor.
13:24 Mulayam blames SP-Congress alliance for UP debacle
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has blamed SP-Congress alliance for the party's debacle in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
While speaking to Economic Times, Mulayam said that the Samajwadi Party would have come to power if there was no alliance.
No one likes Congress here. I have publicly opposed Congress, he was quoted as saying.
While denying the claims that his support was with the alliance, he questioned the need for alliance when the Samajwadi Party came to power in 2012 with full majority.
However, he held the arrogance of the alliance responsible for the downfall of the SP.
The arrogance of the alliance is responsible for the debacle I dont know if you saw a thela-walas byte on TV who said I have always voted for SP but not this time as Netaji has been insulted, he was quoted as saying by the Economic Times.
13:12 BJP will have numbers to form government in Manipur: Ram Madhav
BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said that the party will muster support to have the numbers required to form the government in Manipur.
"The BJP has already got some support and hopes for cooperation of others as well to get the numbers required to form the government in Manipur," he said in Imphal.
He said that the election results were a clear mandate against the Congress and the Ibobi Singh government.
Madhav, the man behind the BJP's turnaround in Manipur and Assam last year, said that all political parties which have secured votes have an obligation toward the people.
He hoped that all elected representatives will come together and support the BJP to help it form the government in the northeastern state.
Manipur threw up a hung assembly with the ruling Congress bagging 28 of the 60 seats and the BJP winning 21.
The Naga Peoples Front and the National People's Party bagged four seats each. The Lokjanshakti Party, Trinamool Congress and an Independent candidate won one seat each.
12:57
J&K: Another ceasefire violation by Pakistan reported in Karmara sector of Poonch. Indian forces are retaliating and firing is on.
12:56 Goa BJP passes resolution to make Parrikar CM
With Goa polls throwing up a fractured verdict, both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress legislature parties are meeting today to decide their respective leaders and work out strategies to form government in the state.
The BJP legislative wing has unanimously passed resolution in favour of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to become the Goa chief minister.
In the 40-member House, the Congress has won 17 seats while the BJP bagged 13. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the Goa Forward Party and the independents won three seats each, while the NCP bagged one.
The stand of regional parties the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party is likely to play a decisive role in the formation of the next government.
The MGP had snapped ties with the BJP ahead of the polls, held in February.
The GFP, which has not revealed its strategy so far, will also be meeting today to discuss the situation.
Both the Congress and the BJP are expected to woo the regional forces to get the required numbers to form government in the tourist state where the majority mark is 21.
11:58 BJP's Dayashankar, who compared Mayawati to a prostitute, back in party
A day after his wife won the election from Sarojini Nagar seat in Uttar Pradesh, BJP leader Dayashankar Singh, who was expelled from the party for comparing Mayawati to a prostitute, is back in the party.
UP BJP President KP Maurya has revoked the expulsion of Dayashankar.
In July last year, Dayashankar, who was the BJPs vice-president in Uttar Prasesh, made the controversial remark. He was arrested subsequently under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Later, he was released on bail.
11:07 Rajnath Singh won't celebrate Holi in view of Maoist attack
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will not celebrate Holi in view of Saturday's Sukma Maoist attack that claimed lives of 12 Central Reserve Police Force jawans.
The incident occurred in the dense forests near Kottacheru village under Bhejji police station, around 450 kms away from the state capital, at 9.15 am when 112 personnel of CRPF's 219th battalion were out for a road opening task.
The Bhejji area in south Bastar region of the state is notorious for Naxal attacks and many security personnel have been killed here in the past.
Rajnath expressed condolences to the bereaved families and announced Rs 1 crore as compensation to the kin of the jawans killed in the attack.
Describing the Naxal attack on CRPF personnel as a "cowardly act", he said that the sacrifices of jawans will not go in vain.
"It is an unfortunate and sad attack on security personnel. I salute their martyrdom," Rajnath told reporters at the headquarters of the 4th battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force in Mana Camp area.
He also assured that the country would not let the soldier's sacrifice go in vain and said that a heavy retaliation would be given to the Maoists.
10:50 Only 6 women make it to Punjab Assembly
Only six of the 81 women candidates managed to secure a place in the 117-member Punjab assembly, merely 5 per cent of the House's strength. These women leaders each of the Congress and the Aam AadmiParty romped home.
In the 2012 assembly polls, 14 out of the 93 nominees had made it to the House.
Among women leaders, Congress's Arun Chaudhary won by the biggest margin -- 31,917 votes and Rubinder Kaur Rubu emerged victorious with the lowest vote (10,778) difference. A transgender candidate, Mumtaz of the BSP, from Buchho Mandi in Bathinda district polled 1,137 votes and lost.
10:18 CM Mamata congratulates poll winners, tells losers not to lose heart
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had been unusually silent throughout the recent elections in five states. She had initially promised to campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Mamata broke her silence, congratulating the winners of the assembly polls, while asking the losers not to lose heart. She, however, did not take the name of any party or individual.
Congratulations to winners in different states. Congratulations to the voters for making their choice. To the losers, dont lose heart In a democracy, we must respect each other because some will win, some will lose. Trust the people, Mamata said in a series of tweets.
Mamata had initially promised to support SP in UP and AAP in Punjab; but she withdrew.
Trinamool leaders, meanwhile, claimed Mamatas next point of collision with the BJP is likely to be during the presidential elections, scheduled to take place before July 25. Mamata, sources said, is likely to support the re-election of Pranab Mukherjee.
09:57 JNU VC credits BJP's UP victory to development, trolled on social media
JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar was at the centre of trolls on social media today over his tweet crediting BJP's victory in UP to "development" and "inclusivity".
Kumar who was associated with Vijana Bharti, an RSS wing involved with Swadeshi Science Movement, before he took over as JNU VC, has often been accused of acting on directions of BJP and for his affiliation with the Sangh.
"People of India have once again demonstrated overwhelmingly that we stand for development and inclusivity," he tweeted this morning referring to the UP assembly election results.
Kumar, also sent the same tweet to few journalists drawing sharp reactions.
Twiterrati soon started trolling him for the tweet terming it to be "unbecoming" of a person holding a post.
09:46 Pakistan, Bangladesh may feel impact of Uttar Pradesh election results
What do the UP election results mean for the Modi government's Pakistan policy? There has been some speculation that the government had been waiting for the UP elections to be over to pick up the threads of engagement with Pakistan, which have gone into deep freeze since the Uri attack.
After a massive electoral endorsement in crucial state elections, Modi now appears politically unassailable. This has implications for his foreign policy, because winning elections halfway through a government's term is tricky everywhere, but he seems to have cracked the code. And that will make him a global leader to reckon with, particularly if established democratic leaders are seen to be floundering in elections across the world this year.
09:23 BJP's win people's endorsement of demonetisation: Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday termed the BJPs big win in state polls as peoples endorsement of demonetisation and asserted that it was seen as pro-poor, reformist and the sole defender of the nationalist constituency in the country.
He also slammed the Congress for its historic blunders including opposing demonetisation and identifying with anti-national activities like the one in JNU which wanted to break the country.
Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modis extensive campaign in Uttar Pradesh gave the party cutting edge, Jaitley also termed the Manipur result as historic as the party advanced from having no seats to a possibility of forming a government.
08:41
This cartoon from the Economic Times is pretty spot on, wouldn't you say?
08:33 Who shall be UP CM? All eyes on Amit Shah
BJP's parliamentary board will meet on Sunday to select the CM candidates for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand amid indications that party chief Amit Shah will exercise oversight over the two state governments.
The parliamentary board will hold deliberations even as speculation escalates over who might get the nod in UP. Besides state party chief Keshav Maurya, hardliner Gorakpur MP Yogi Adityanath and telecom minister Manoj Sinha, who have been speculated as strong candidates for the coveted job, Union home minister Rajnath Singh is also being discussed as a possibility.
Sources close to Rajnath, however, insisted that he was not keen. Other party sources said no decision had been taken yet to send anyone from the Centre.
There were indications that the massive mandate has expanded the scope for Prime Minister Modi and Shah to expand the pool to consider candidates capable of accelerating the implementation of development schemes through synergy with the Centre. "BJP's prospects in 2019 will be determined by its success in retaining the bulk of the 73 seats it won in the last Lok Sabha polls. Amitbhai is clear that the new chief minister should be someone who can hit the ground running," said a party source.
For Uttarakhand, Satpal Maharaj, Devendra Rawat and Prakash Pant are seen as frontrunners after the defeat of Ajay Bhatt, leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly who was seen as a strong candidate.
08:04 Florida man tries to burn store run by Indian-Americans
In yet another attack that shows the hatred in growing against immigrants, a man in Florida tried to burn down a store owned by Indian-Americans, thinking they were 'Arabs'.
A 64-year-old man tried to set the store on fire because he thought the owners were Muslim, St Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said, reports CNN.
The accused named Richard Lloyd confessed that he wanted to "run the Arabs out of our country" so he pushed a dumpster in front of the Port St. Lucie store and set the contents on fire.
Last month, Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed in an alleged hate crime in Kansas, as the gunman shot him dead thinking he was an "Iranian'.
00:57 Preet Bharara doesn't plan to resign, will make Trump fire him
The high-profile United States attorney for Manhattan Preet Bharara has indicated he will not submit a letter of resignation as requested by the Trump administration Friday -- placing the President in the position of having to fire him in a public standoff, CNN said quoting sources.
Bharara, who had been told after a meeting with the President-elect in November that he would stay on, felt blindsided by the move, the sources said.
Read more
Bharara, who had been told after a meeting with the President-elect in November that he would stay on, felt blindsided by the move, the sources said.
Read more
00:55 Goa registers maximum NOTA votes
Goa has come up on top when it comes to voters hitting the None of the Above button in the latest round of assembly polls, closely followed by Uttarakhand.
In Goa, 1.2 per cent of the voters chose NOTA, followed by 1 per cent in Uttarakhand, latest data available with the Election Commission of India showed.
In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP swept the election, the percentage of voters who opted for NOTA was 0.9 per cent.
The figure stood at 0.7 per cent in Punjab while around 0.5 per cent of the people who exercised their voting right in Manipur chose NOTA.-- PTI
In Goa, 1.2 per cent of the voters chose NOTA, followed by 1 per cent in Uttarakhand, latest data available with the Election Commission of India showed.
In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP swept the election, the percentage of voters who opted for NOTA was 0.9 per cent.
The figure stood at 0.7 per cent in Punjab while around 0.5 per cent of the people who exercised their voting right in Manipur chose NOTA.-- PTI
00:48 Intruder arrested at White House
An intruder climbed a White House fence on Friday and gained access to the complex's south grounds before being arrested.
According to a Fox News report, the incident occurred at about 11.38 pm while President Donald Trump was at the White House.
The Secret Service on Saturday said the unidentified individual was carrying a backpack and was arrested near the White House residence without further incident.
No hazardous materials were found during a search of the backpack, the officials added.
The Secret Service also said a search of the south and north grounds of the White House complex found 'nothing of concern to security operations'.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was briefed on the incident. However, the agency didn't provide an update on the individual's status.
Standard practice is to hand intruders over to the local police department.
Representative image.
According to a Fox News report, the incident occurred at about 11.38 pm while President Donald Trump was at the White House.
The Secret Service on Saturday said the unidentified individual was carrying a backpack and was arrested near the White House residence without further incident.
No hazardous materials were found during a search of the backpack, the officials added.
The Secret Service also said a search of the south and north grounds of the White House complex found 'nothing of concern to security operations'.
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was briefed on the incident. However, the agency didn't provide an update on the individual's status.
Standard practice is to hand intruders over to the local police department.
Representative image.
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