The Gujarat chief electoral officer has ordered a probe by the police into the emergence of a video clip whose content is alleged to be aimed at spreading hatred against Muslims 'to polarise votes' in the poll-bound state.

"We have taken cognisance of the matter after learning about it from the media. The matter has been taken very seriously at all levels. The police have been asked to investigate. The cyber crime department will investigate the matter," Chief Electoral Officer B B Swain said today.

He said the district election officers have been asked to be careful about the poll code violation on social media platforms and address the matter immediately.

"We have asked all DEOs to be very careful. Apart from looking into the expenditure part, the teams have also been asked to look into MCC (Model Code of Conduct) violation and initiate due action," the CEO told PTI.

The 1.15 minute-long clip, which begins in Gujarati, shows a girl hurrying back to home through a deserted locality with 'azaan' (a Muslim call to prayer) playing in the background.

The clip ends with a line that reads, 'Our vote, our safety'.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for making and circulating the video clip, which has been doing rounds on social media.

An advocate had written to the CEO, the cyber crime cell of the Ahmedabad Police and the Election Commission with a request to ban the video clip and take action against those responsible for its creation and circulation.

In his letter, advocate Govind Parmar of Human Rights Law Network had written that the video attempts to spread hatred by whipping up fear towards the Muslim community with an attempt to polarise votes.

He also sought action against the persons behind the video clip under section 153(A) - promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion - of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act.  -- PTI

Image used only for representative purposes.

Terrorists today hurled a grenade at a team of security forces which was withdrawing from Parimpora area in the outskirts of Srinagar, sources said.

The militants hurled the grenade towards the team, which was withdrawing after their law and order duties, at a foot overbridge which exploded with a loud bang, the sources said.

They said there was no loss of life or injury to anyone.

However, the police did not confirm the incident.  -- PTI

Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Bharatsinh Solanki said on Sunday, after meeting Patidar quota agitation leaders in Ahmedabad, that the differences have been ironed out and a compromise has been reached between Hardik Patel-led PAAS and the Congress.

"PAAS has not asked for a ticket for any of its leaders. Neither Alpesh Thakore nor Jignesh Mevani has asked for it either," Solanki said.

PAAS leader Dinesh Bambhaniya said, "Our first and last concern is reservation. Hardik Patel will make an announcement from Rajkot, tomorrow."

Solanki also said that he would not contest the polls even as he dismissed reports that he was not happy with the party high command over the selection of candidates.

His announcement assumes significance against the backdrop of the delay on the part of the Congress in releasing its first list of candidates for the assembly polls.

The deadline for filing nominations for the first phase of polls, slated for December 9, ends on November 21.

"I have declared it earlier and I am declaring it today as well that I will not fight Gujarat assembly elections," Solanki said.

On reports that he was not happy with the party top brass over distribution of tickets, Solanki said it is not true.   -- ANI, PTI

The Uttar Pradesh government said today that it will not let Bollywood movie Padmavati be released in the state unless its 'controversial portions' are removed.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the legendary queen had sacrificed her life instead of surrendering before the Mughals and made a place for herself in the history.

"Islamic invaders created a lot of mayhem in the country. The 'Rani' burnt herself alive in 'Jauhar' for her 'satitva' (honour) and dignity," he said.

As an Entertainment Tax minister also, I can that we will not let the movie be released in Uttar Pradesh unless its controversial portions are removed, Maurya said.

Earlier in the day, the movie makers announced that the release date of the film was deferred.   -- PTI

Zimbabwe's ruling party has sacked President Robert Mugabe as its leader, the BBC reported.

Former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa,  who had been fired by Mugabe two weeks ago, has been appointed as the new leader of the party in a widely expected move.

Mugabe's efforts to cling to power appeared close to collapse on Saturday night as tens of thousands marched through Zimbabwe's cities calling for his resignation, while the ruling party prepared to dismiss him.

Protesters took to the streets across the country on Saturday to demand the ouster of Mugabe.

Local media reports said that veterans of the independence war, activists and ruling party leaders have publicly called for Mugabe's exit and exile.

Eight of Mugabe's ruling party's 10 regional branches have appeared on state television and called for him to go.  -- Agencies

Photograph: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters

Days after Income Tax sleuths raided premises linked to the family of jailed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader V K Sasikala, her brother V Divakaran has said that late chief minister J Jayalalithaa did not ensure any 'protection' to his sister.

Since 1996, Sasikala has always been under a cloud of 'inquiry', Divakaran said in an apparent reference to a spate of corruption cases filed against Jayalalithaa and his sister, who was a close aide of the late leader, after the AIADMK lost the assembly elections that year.

"Amma (Jayalalithaa) utilised her fully, but went (died) without giving her any protection," he said without elaborating.

"Just imagine, if someone from your family happened to bewith a powerful leader and did all the things said by theleader, and was still pushed to an unsafe situation later,then that is the best example for all women. It is a lessonfor all," he told reporters in Mannargudi, while responding to queries on the I-T raids.

Divakaran's premises were also raided by I-T officials last week as part of multi-city searches of those associated with Sasikala.

On the recovery of pen drives and a laptop during an I-T search at Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence on Friday, he said, "I am away from the garden for a long time."

However, no such electronic gadgets were recovered fromhis house during the raids last week, he claimed.

Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dinakaran, nephew of Divakaran, however, sought to downplay the latter's remarks on Sasikala.

"He must have made those comments (on Jayalalithaa notensuring Sasikala's protection) out of anguish," he toldreporters at Thanjavur.

I-T sleuths had conducted searches in the office block ofthe Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa, 'Veda Nilayam', days after raids at more than 180 locations.

Following inputs, a search operation was launched in the office block and a room used by Sasikala, who is now serving a jail term in connection with the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case.  -- PTI

Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party's chief media coordinator Suraj Pal Amu has 'congratulated' the Meerut youth who announced a Rs 5 crore bounty for 'beheading' Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

He also announced a bounty of Rs 10 crore for those 'who will behead the actor and the director' and said 'we will also take care of their family needs'.

He dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the issue and said the PM should exercise his powers to strike down film.

He also said he will quit the BJP if needed.

Amu threatened to 'break legs' of actor Ranveer Singh for his comments, though he did not make clear which remark he was referring to.  -- ANI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today visited ailing Congress veteran N D Tiwari at a new delhi hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

The former UP chief minister had yesterday become unresponsive when he was being given physiotherapy and was shifted to the hospital's ICU.

He is undergoing treatment at the private hospital for the last several days.

Adityanath assured all possible help to the ailing politician, Tiwari's family said.  -- PTI

Photograph: Courtesy @CMOfficeUP/Twitter

Viacom18, makers of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, say they have voluntarily deferred film's release date.

The movie was to be released on December 1 earlier.

More details awaited.

Meanwhile, continuing the string of revolts against the film, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha on Sunday staged a protest against its release, in the national capital.

In a video that surfaced, the protestors can be seen raising slogans against Bhansali's magnum opus using brandish swords.

Arjun Gupta, a member of the Central Board of Film Certification and a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, came out strongly against Bhansali and said that the filmmaker should be tried for treason for making such movies.

"I have written a letter to Giriraj Singh and asked him to take strict action against Bhansali and he should be tried for treason," Gupta told ANI.

Joint press conference by 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu and Jammu and Kashmir DGP S P Vaid, General Officer Commanding Victor force, and Inspector General Operations Central Reserve Police Force on Bandipora encounter, in which six terrorists were killed:

"We have killed about 190 terrorists as on date, in 2017. Out of these, 80 are local terrorists and 110 foreign. Of these 110, 66 terrorists were killed near the Line of Control while infiltrating," General Officer Commanding of 15 Corps Lt Gen J S Sandhu said.

"What we find this year is that we have killed approximately 125-130 terrorists in the hinterland of Kashmir Valley. This has resulted in a remarkable change in situation,"Lt Gen Sandhu said.

"We had launched several operations in Hajin mid September onwards we were practically launching search ops on a daily basis, had inducted special forces into the area," he said.

"Based on specific information, joint operation was launched by CRPF, Army, J&K Police in which six terrorists were eliminated, all were foreign terrorists. Commend all agencies who worked to ensure success of the operation," he said.   -- ANI

Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

The birth memorial of Rani of Jhansi Laxmi Bai has been lying neglected in Varanasi on her birth anniversary on Sunday.

The electricity connection to the memorial has been cut for a week now.

The electricity department claimed that the connection was illegal and hence it was cut.

Some activists said that they had appealed to the commissioner, the district magistrate and the municipal body but got no response.

Meanwhile, caretaker of the memorial said, "Since this memorial comes under Municipal Corporation, we reached out to the concerned authorities but no one responded."

The memorial was commissioned by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department before being handed over to the municipal body.

Laxmi Bai, one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, was born on November 19, 1828 in Varanasi.  -- ANI

More than 200 central and state government websites publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, the Unique Identification Authority of India has said.

The Aadhaar issuing body added, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites.

It did not specify when the breach took place.

It said Aadhaar details have never been made public from/by UIDAI.      

'However, it was found that approximately 210 websites of central government, state government departments including educational institutes were displaying the list of beneficiaries along with their name, address, other details and Aadhaar numbers for information of general public,' it said.

The UIDAI took note and got the Aadhaar data removed from the said websites, it said in reply to the RTI application.

'UIDAI has a well-designed, multi-layer approach robust security system in place and the same is being constantly upgraded to maintain highest level of data security and integrity,' the RTI reply said.

The architecture of the Aadhaar ecosystem has been designed to ensure data security and privacy which is an integral part of the system from the initial design to the final stage, it said.

'Various policies and procedures have been defined, these are reviewed and updated continually thereby appropriately controlling and monitoring any movement of people, material and data in and out of UIDAI premises, particularly the data centres,' the UIDAI said.

It said security audits are conducted on a regular basis to further strengthen security and privacy of data.

Besides this, all possible steps are taken to make the data safer and protected, the authority said.  -- PTI

Noted journalist and chairman of the Hindu Group, N Ram, today alleged the 'war' against the NDTV group is 'motivated' because of its coverage of the Gujarat riots of 2002.

Ram, during a discussion at the Tata Literature Live festival here, also said the present government has learnt the art of "targeting" its political opponents as well as the media.

The government has denied that the investigation against NDTV is due to any vendetta, and said it is an off-shoot of continuing investigations by the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate since 2011.

Senior government sources also maintain that the inquiries in this connection were initiated by the IT Department in 2011 during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.

Ram alleged the investigation 'is clearly motivated, it is clearly (to do), I think, with their coverage of Gujarat, of what happened in Gujarat in 2002'.

"I think one of the most objectionable features today is the discriminatory attitude and targeting political enemies. I can say on behalf of many media colleagues, for example, the war against NDTV," he said.

He said the government targeting a media house is as 'bad' as a corrupt deal, 'if not worse'.

He was also severely critical of demonetisation.

"What was said and what was achieved? Politically it seemed to have delivered some dividends to the ruling party," he said.  --  PTI