US-based retail giant Walmart Inc today said it has completed deal with Flipkart and now holds 77 per cent stake in the Indian e-commerce major.

 

Besides, the Bentonville giant's investment includes USD 2 billion of new equity funding to help accelerate the growth of the Flipkart business.

"With the completion of the investment, Walmart now holds approximately 77 per cent of Flipkart. The remainder of the business is held by other shareholders, including Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal, Tencent, Tiger Global and Microsoft Corp," a statement said today.

Moving forward, Flipkart's financials will be reported as part of Walmart's International business segment, it added.

"Walmart's investment includes USD 2 billion of new equity funding to help accelerate the growth of the Flipkart business. Both companies will retain their unique brands and operating structures in India," the statement noted.

It added that Flipkart's existing management team will continue to lead the business.

"Our investment will benefit India by providing quality, affordable goods for customers, while creating new skilled jobs and opportunities for suppliers... we are delighted to learn from, contribute to and work with Flipkart to grow in India, one of the fastest-growing and most attractive retail markets in world," Judith McKenna, president and CEO of Walmart International, said.

Binny Bansal, Flipkart co-founder and group chief executive officer, said by combining Walmart's omni-channel retail expertise, supply-chain knowledge and financial strength with Flipkart's talent, technology and local insights, we are confident that together we can drive the next wave of retail in India".  -- PTI 

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri sector with unprovoked shelling this evening, although there was no loss of life, police said.

 

"Some mortar shells were fired by Pakistani forces on the Thajal-Chranda area of Uri (in north Kashmir's Baramulla district)," Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Imtiyaz Hussain said.

One of the shells hit a washroom adjacent to a house in Thajal and damaged it, he said.

No loss of life has been reported, the SSP added. -- PTI 

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's ashes will be immersed in various rivers across the country, starting with the Ganga at Haridwar tomorrow, the BJP said today.

 

The immersion ceremony at the holy city tomorrow will be attended by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Uttarakhand counterpart Trivendra Singh Rawat among others, BJP leader Bhupender Yadav told reporters here.

One of the most charismatic leaders in independent India, Vajpayee passed away in New Delhi on Thursday at the age of 93. 

He was cremated with full State honours at the Rashtriya Smriti Sthal in the national capital yesterday.

Yadav said an all-party prayer meeting for the BJP stalwart will be held here on August 20 and another such meeting will be organised in Lucknow on August 23 since Vajpayee's appeal cut across political divide.

Apart from the home minister and Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Vajpayee's relatives will attend the Lucknow prayer meeting, he said, adding that the former prime minister's ashes will also be immersed in the Gomati river there.

The prayer meeting in Delhi will be attended by leaders from different political parties and noted citizens, Yadav said.

"His (Vajpayee's) ashes will be immersed in various sacred rivers across the country and the 'asthi kalash' taken to all the districts headquarters and state capitals. Prayer meetings will take place in the state capitals, district headquarters and at the panchayat level," he added. -- PTI

Over 1.28 lakh Indian pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage, officials said.

   

A total of 1,28,702 Indian pilgrims are facilitated by the government to undertake the pilgrimage through the Hajj Committee this year.

As many as 466 flights have brought the Indian pilgrims to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the last flight landed Friday morning, according to the Indian consulate in Jeddah.

A record 1,75,025 Muslims from India are going to Hajj this year. More than 47 per cent of the total number of pilgrims going for Hajj this year are women, which is the highest ever representation of women in Hajj from India. 

Till last year, it was mandatory for a Muslim woman to be accompanied by her husband or a mehram (a person with whom marriage is unlawful) for pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. For the first time this year, Indian women will be going on Haj without the company of a male relative.

This is the first year when Hajj pilgrimage is taking place without being provided any subsidy.

The pilgrimage represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life.

Over 1.6 million Muslim faithful from abroad have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

Since arriving, many have circled the Kaaba in Mecca Islam's holiest site. -- PTI 

In his latest media outburst, Meghan Markle's father has attacked the British royal family for their secrecy and likened them to secret cults like Scientology.

Thomas Markle, who has previously criticised the royals for cutting him out of his daughter's life since her marriage to Prince Harry earlier this year, said the royals are "cult-like" who may even have secret handshakes.

Speaking to the Sun newspaper from his home in Mexican town Rosarito, the 74-year-old former Hollywood lighting director said: "They (the UK royal family) are either like Scientologists or the Stepford family. If they hear anybody say anything they just lock the doors. They need to speak up! They are cult-like -- like Scientology -- because they are secretive."

"They close the door, pull the shades down and put their fingers in their ears so they don't have to hear. Maybe they have a secret handshake too! You cannot ask a question of them as they won't answer," he added.

The Church of Scientology is controversial for its secretive practices and claims of brainwashing its members, which the church denies. 

Its famous celebrity followers include Tom Cruise, who has donated heavily to the Church set up by American author Ron Hubbard in 1952.

'The Stepford Wives' is a 1970s thriller novel by Ira Levin where men in American suburbia turn their spouses into brainwashed submissive robots.

Markle, an Emmy Award winning lighting director, has been trying to persuade Meghan, 37, and her husband Prince Harry, 33, to contact him -- after three months of silence. 

They have not spoken since the day of the couple's wedding at Windsor Castle on May 19. 

Markle did not attend the wedding due to bad health and amid controversy over his media interactions. 

He dismissed some recent reports implying that he was after a payback.

Merkle said: "I worked hard to provide for my children. I am their father, I don't expect them to pay me back."

He has been at the centre of media controversies ever since he was caught up in a staged-photography row days before the royal wedding. 

It resulted in him not attending the wedding to walk his daughter down the aisle, something he later said he cried over. 

Meghan Markle, now Duchess of Sussex, has been busy with her royal duties alongside Prince Harry, the sixth in line to the British throne.

Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment on her father's latest outburst. -- PTI 

The National Disaster Response Force has evacuated over 10,000 people from the heavy rains and flood waters affected areas of Kerala till now as it said it has launched its biggest-ever relief and rescue operation in the country till date.

 

The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 324 lives since August 8. 

A total of 58 teams of the force have been deputed to work in Kerala out of which 55 are working on ground. Three teams are on their way, a spokesperson for the NDRF said.

"The force has intensified its rescue and relief operations in the flood ravaged state of Kerala. 

"This is the highest ever deployment of NDRF in a single state since its raising (in 2006) and hence this becomes this becomes our biggest-ever disaster response operation till date," he said.

Each team of the federal disaster contingency force has about 35-40 personnel.

He said the teams, till now, have rescued 194 persons and 12 animals while it has evacuated a total of 10,467 persons.

"Pre-hospital treatment has been administered to 159 people till now. Operations are still on," the spokesperson said.

The NDRF teams are operational at present in Thrissur (15), Pathanamthitta (13), Alappuzha (11), Ernakulum (5), Idukki (4), Mallapuram (3), Wayanad and Kozhikode (2 each). 

The spokesperson said that a control room based here was monitoring the situation round-the-clock and was in close touch with other agencies and stakeholders involved to provide succour to the affected people. 

As per information from the control room of the State Disaster Management, since August 8, 194 people have lost their lives and 36 are missing. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. -- PTI

The government must slap penalty on anyone using Aadhaar data for purposes other than public services, whistle-blower Edward Snowden has said.

   

Addressing an event via video-conference, he said that if Indian government was serious about implementing Aadhaar for public good, it must ensure "criminal penalty" against anyone misusing the data.

 

Mass surveillance system would look like Aadhaar as it creates systemisation of society, he told the fifth edition of 'Talk Journalism' event organised here last weekend.

 

Systemisation of society is something that is not stated in the scheme of things for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), he added. 

 

Replying to a question the surveillance issue, he said that no government will say that it has decided that "you don't have rights". They would rather say that they are bringing in a new programme that will safeguard people's rights and protect them.

Snowden said that it's a myth that youngsters are not concerned about privacy. Youngsters are very much concerned about their privacy, he added. 

 

He made a point stating that citizens don't need to explain why they need privacy it's the government that needs to explain why people don't need rights.

 

The former USA secret agency CIA employee said that "we have privacy issues" because it helps those who violate it. He said that privacy can be safeguarded through better encryption systems and strong legal system. -- PTI

As Kerala is struggling to cope with the flood fury, 21-year-old college student, who was viciously trolled for selling fish to meet her educational needs, has contributed Rs 1.5 lakh towards the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund.

  

Hanan, a college student from Kochi, said the money was donated by various people after her struggle to fund her studies and take care of her family was widely shared on the social media.

     

"I had got the amount from people and I am happy to give back the amount to the needy," she said.   

Hanan, who also worked as an anchor and flower girl for programmes to make ends meet, requested people to donate for the relief works.

   

A B.Sc student at a private college at Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Hanan's story had gone viral after a Malayalam daily reported her struggles.

    

But, a section of social media users expressed doubts about her struggles and claimed it was "fake."      

Besides Hanan, people from various walks of life are generously contributing money and various essentials for helping the needy.

  

Sajeesh, a government employee and husband of nurse Lini Puthussery, who died of Nipah after she contracted the deadly virus from a patient, donated his first salary of Rs 25,000 to the relief fund.

   

The Kerala government had given Sajeesh a job in the health sector in recognition of Lini's selfless service.

 

Sixty eight-year-old Rohini from Thalassery in Kannur district, who draws a monthly pension of Rs 600 and has no other source of income, contributed Rs 1000 online to the relief fund.

     

Social media groups, students, actors and NGOs are among those who have made contributions to the relief fund. -- PTI 

Image: Hanan with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare floods in Kerala as "a national disaster".

   

The deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century has claimed 324 lives since August 8. Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.  

 

"Dear PM, please declare #Kerala floods a National Disaster without any delay. The lives, livelihood and future of millions of our people is at stake," Gandhi tweeted.

 

He also appealed to Congress workers to help those in need in the flood-ravaged state.

 

"Across Kerala & now Kodagu in Karnataka, heavy rainfall has caused widespread devastation. This is the time for our workers & leaders to demonstrate the core Congress values of service & love. Please focus all our resources & people to help those in need," he said in another tweet. -- PTI  

Several stats have announced relief for Kerala which is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has announced Rs 10 crores from Chief Minister Relief Fund for flood-hit Kerala. 

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has announced Rs.20 crore as immediate assistance from the state government for Kerala floods.

Jhanrkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das announced an aid of Rs 5 crores for flood-hit Kerala.  

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami announces relief materials including rice, milk and Rs 5 crore more for relief operations in the flood ravaged Kerala.

Former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan has died today after a short illness at the age of 80, his foundation announced.

"It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness," the foundation said in a statement. 

Annan was the first black African to take up the role of the world's top diplomat, serving from 1997 to 2006.

He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

All Aam Aadmi Party MPs, MLAs and ministers will donate one-month salary for the relief work in flood-ravaged Kerala, where 324 people have died.

 

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal yesterday announced Rs 10 crore relief for the state from the government.

 

In a tweet, Kejriwal today said, "All AAP MLAs, MPs and ministers (are) donating one month salary for Kerala."

 

Kejriwal appealed to the public to make donations to the crisis-hit state. The Delhi chief minister also spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan.

 

"Spoke to Kerala CM. Del govt is making a contribution of Rs 10 cr. I sincerely appeal to everyone to donate generously for our brothers and sisters in Kerala (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted yesterday.

 

This is the deadliest deluge in Kerala in close to a century, which has claimed 324 lives since August 8. 

Further, a body blow has been dealt to the scenic state, with its infrastructure, standing crops and tourism facilities severely hit.

 

Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. -- PTI 

Imran Khan today stumbled over some of the Urdu words and wrongly pronounced them while taking oath as Pakistan's prime minister.

 

Khan, 65, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, was administered a long oath by President Mamnoon Hussain at a simple ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad.

Clad in a traditional greyish black sherwani, a tearful Khan was seen little nervous as he stumbled over some of the Urdu words of the oath administered to him.

When President Hussain said the words "Roz-e-Qiyaamat" (the day of Judgement), Khan did not hear the exact phrase and called out the words wrongly terming them as "Roz-e-Qiyaadat" (the day of leadership) hence completely changing the meaning of the sentence.

Once corrected by the president, Khan realised his mistake, smiled subtly, said "sorry" and continued with his oath taking.

Some Pakistani journalists even wondered if the prime minister's oath has changed from past years, The News reported.

Salman Masood, The New York Times Pakistan Correspondent, said the oath taking ceremony should have been rehearsed.

"President Mamnoon Hussain is trying to speak in immaculate Urdu accent, making it hard for Imran Khan to catch up. Perhaps, Imran Khan should have taken oath in English," he tweeted.

The Oxford-educated Khan was sworn in as Pakistan's new prime minister today, officially taking over the charge of power in the corruption affected country nearly 22 years after the former cricket hero entered politics. -- PTI 

The United Arab Emirates prime minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has come out in support for deluge-hit Kerala and ordered the formation of an emergency committee to provide relief to the victims hit by devastating rains and floods in the state. 

 

In a series of tweets in English as well as in Malayalam on Friday, he said, "The people of Kerala have always been and are still part of our success story in the UAE. We have a special responsibility to help and support those affected, especially during this holy and blessed days."

 

Sheikh Al Maktoum, who is also the vice president of UAE, said that the UAE and the Indian community will unite to offer relief to those affected.

"We have formed a committee to start immediately. We urge everyone to contribute generously towards this initiative," he said.

"The state of Kerala in India is currently witnessing huge floods, the most devastating in a century. Hundreds have been killed, hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Ahead of Eid Al Adha, do not forget to extend a helping hand to our brothers in India," he further tweeted.

 

Meanwhile, India's ambassador to the UAE, Navdeep Singh Suri, said he will chair a meeting tomorrow with community organisations, activists and business leaders to coordinate relief support for Kerala from UAE. 

"Please contribute generously during this unprecedented crisis," Suri tweeted.

So far, 324 persons have lost their lives while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps.

 

The Indian community in the UAE, numbering 2.6 million, constitutes 30 per cent of the total population. 

It is the largest expatriate community in the country. -- PTI

Image: People wade across waterlogged streets as heavy monsoon rains causes floods at Paravoor in Kochi. Photograph: PTI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi saluted the people of the rain-ravaged Kerala for their "fighting spirit" and said today the nation stands firmly with the state in this hour.

 

He conducted an aerial survey of some of the areas affected by flood.

Kerala Governor P Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Minister K J Alphons accompanied the prime minister during the aerial survey.

"I salute the people of Kerala for their fighting spirit... the nation stands firmly with Kerala in this hour," Modi said in a series of tweets after chairing a high-level meeting to review the flood situation.

The prime minister said his thoughts were with those who have lost their lives in the deluge and hoped that the injured would recover soon.

"My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives due to incessant flooding across Kerala. I hope the injured recover at the earliest. We all pray for the safety and well-being of the people of Kerala," he tweeted.

Modi also complimented the authorities for their efforts in the adverse situation and appreciated the wide support and solidarity extended by people from across the country for Kerala during the "unprecedented" situation.

So far, 324 people have lost their lives while over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. -- PTI

The first picture of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at what is supposedly their roka ceremony in Mumbai is here.

In the picture, Priyanka and Nick can be seen dressed in traditional Indian outfits.

The roka was reportedly attended by Priyanka's cousin Parineeti Chopra, who flew back to Mumbai from a shooting schedule, and other family and friends. 

Earlier, a priest was seen entering Priyanka's building with two bags followed by a man carrying sweet boxes in a bag. 

Also, a mini tempo arrived with caterers and food items.

Nick, 25, arrived in Mumbai on Thursday with his parents -- Denise Miller-Jonas and Paul Kevin Jonas -- and they were seen carrying a Tiffany & Co bag, the famous jewellery brand from whose London store the American singer bought the engagement ring.

They were received by Priyanka, 36, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Munbai.

Last night, the couple walked hand in hand at JW Marriott hotel in Juhu for a dinner along with their families.

 

The couple will reportedly be throwing a party for their friends and family at her residence today in to celebrate their July engagement.

IT major Infosys today said its Chief Financial Officer M D Ranganath has resigned from the company. 

 

Ranganath, who has worked with Infosys for about 18 years, is leaving the company to "pursue professional opportunities in new areas", it said in a statement.

Ranganath will continue in his current position till November 16, 2018.

The board will immediately commence the search for the next CFO, it added.  

"After a successful career spanning 18 years in Infosys including as CFO for the last 3 crucial years, I now plan to pursue professional opportunities in new areas," Ranganath said.

He further said: "I am proud that over the last 3 years, during a critical phase of the company, we delivered strong and consistent financial outcomes, maintained high standards of financial reporting, built a world class finance team, further strengthened the company's competitive position and thereby enhanced value to the stakeholders."

Ranganath had taken over the said role after the then CFO Rajiv Bansal had quit in 2015.

"Over the last 18 years Ranga has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Infosys. During his long stint in the company, I have seen him in a wide spectrum of leadership roles," Nandan Nilekani, Infosys board chairman, said.

Ranganath has been a part of the Infosys Leadership team and has played several leadership roles in the areas of consulting, finance, strategy, risk management and M&A.

He has worked closely with the board and its committees in formulating and executing strategic priorities for the company, the statement said. -- PTI

An academician, working at Mahatma Gandhi University in Bihar, was allegedly thrashed by an angry mob on Friday afternoon for a comment on a social media platform criticising former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who took his last breath on Thursday.

The professor was attacked and dragged down from his flat, situated on the third floor. 

The attackers also attempted to burn him alive.

The professor was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and later was referred to Patna's All India Institute of Medical Sciences for advanced medical treatment.

Speaking to ANI, the victim however claimed that he was not only attacked for commenting on the post criticising Vajpayee, and but also for raising his voice against his university's vice chancellor's decisions in the past.

"The people, who attacked me were all backed by the present VC. I also received a threat call from the attackers, who warned me not to protest against the VC," he added.

A face-off between the VC and the professors started on May 29, after scores of teachers sat on dharna, protesting the decisions taken by the university administration pertaining to reservation and appointment of new faculty members. -- ANI

ANI reports that he has announced a flood relief of Rs 500 crore for the flood-affected state and an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh per person to the next of kin of those killed in the floods.  

He also conducted a review meeting in Kochi.  

"The prime minister is reviewing the flood situation in Kerala at a high-level meeting. @CMOKerala," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted. 

Modi, after an overnight stay in the state capital, left for Kochi this morning for the aerial survey and the review meeting to get a first-hand knowledge of the enormity of the mayhem caused by the southwest monsoon. 

Meanwhile, rains lashing several parts of the state since this morning is causing concern as it could hamper the rescue and relief operations. Chengannur in Pathnamthitta, Chalakudy in Thrissur and various parts of Ernakulam district are among the worst hit where rescue efforts are likely to be concentrated today.  

Since airlifting is the only option in some remote areas, where people are marooned since the past four days, the state government has sought more helicopters for airlifting them, chief minister said. Chengannur MLA Saji Cherian pleaded for more help and said thousands of people were stranded in houses without food and water, if immediate steps are not taken to evacuate them, their life will be in danger. 

"For the past five days people are without food in many places. We urgently need food, medicines, water. People need to be airlifted urgently. Evacuation by Army, Navy and Air Force are urgently needed," Cherian told a television channel this morning.  

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the government machinery has to be  properly coordinated to ensure all the needy get help.  

As per information from the control room of the state disaster management, since August 8, 194 persons have lost their lives so far and 36 are missing.  

Over 3.14 lakh people have been moved to relief camps. The maximum deaths have been reported from Thrissur (42), Idukki (37) and Malappuram (35).  

According to the latest weather report, heavy rains accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 60 kmph is expected in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam districts. 

The state is facing its worst flood in 100 years with 80 dams opened and all rivers in spate.

Khan, 65, who won a simple majority from lawmakers yesterday in a confidence vote,  was administered the oath by President Mamnoon Hussain. 

He outvoted opposition and PML-N prime ministerial candidate Shahbaz Sharif in the PM's election. 

Yesterday, in his first address to parliament, Khan vowed to act against those who looted Pakistan. 

The parade was supposed to be held on November 10 on the occasion of Veterans Day, but has now been pushed back to next year. 

The march was to take place a day before the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War, CNN reported.

In a statement, US defence department spokesman Colonel Rob Manning said, "The department of defence and White House have been planning a parade to honour America's military veterans and commemorate the centennial of World War I. We originally targeted November 10, 2018, for this event but have now agreed to explore opportunities in 2019." 

In February, Trump had said that a military parade would be "great for the spirit of the country," but expressed his reservations that it had to come at a "reasonable cost." 

The idea of the parade came after the US president attended the Bastille Day parade in France last year, saying that he was inspired.  

According to media reports, the Pentagon said that it required USD 50 million to organise the military parade, while the Department of Homeland Security stated that it needed an additional USD 42 million.  

Following the cancellation of the parade, Trump blamed the USD 92 million price tag and local politicians in Washington, DC. He added that he would attend the Paris parade on November 11. 

He wrote on Twitter, "The local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly) know a windfall when they see it. When asked to give us a price for holding a great celebratory military parade, they wanted a number so ridiculously high that I cancelled it. Never let someone hold you up! I will instead attend the big parade already scheduled at Andrews Air Force Base on a different date, & go to the Paris parade, celebrating the end of the War, on November 11th. Maybe we will do something next year in D.C. when the cost comes WAY DOWN. Now we can buy some more jet fighters!" 

Mauritius Prime Minister Praveen Kumar Jagannath will inaugurate the conference in Port Louis. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers are also reaching Port Louis to attend the event. 

The incident took place on the intervening night of August 16 and 17 when the Central Industrial Security Force personnel manning the outermost checkpost of the Indira Gandhi International airport flagged down a taxi on the basis of suspicion.  

The security personnel were taken aback as the passenger in the back seat kicked the driver out of the vehicle, took his position and tried to speed away, a senior police official said. The CISF personnel managed to stop the man, who then got into a physical fight with them, he added.  

The man, identified as Shankar, a resident of Sangam Vihar in Delhi, allegedly hit at least two CISF men and even tried to snatch the pistol of a jawan, who subsequently fired two rounds in the air in order to bring the situation under control. 

"The man is a bouncer and it is suspected that he was intoxicated. He was finally pinned down on the road and tied with ropes," the official said. The man was subsequently handed over to the Delhi police which was taking the probe against him forward, he added.  

No weapon was recovered from his possession and no terror-like link was established, the official said, adding that it was not clear why the man was headed towards the airport as he had no flight to catch. 

During investigation, the police learnt that the man was mentally unstable and was in an intoxicated state, he said, adding that three days ago, a missing report was filed by his brother at the Neb Sarai police station.

BJP corporators allegedly thrashed a Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen member today for opposing a resolution in the municipal corporation to pay tributes to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The alleged incident took place during the general body meeting of the civic body in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, an official said.

After the meeting began, Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Raju Vaidya tabled a proposal to pay tributes to Vajpayee. 

MIM corporator Sayed Mateen opposed it, which infuriated the saffron party members, who allegedly rushed to him and thrashed him in the House.

A video clip purportedly showing Mateen being kicked, punched and slapped by the BJP corporators has gone viral on the social media and was also aired by some TV channels.

In the clip, the corporation security officials can be seen coming to Mateen's rescue and taking him out of the House through a side exit. The MIM corporator was later taken to a nearby hospital.

A BJP corporator said Mateen had been creating nuisance and had also earlier opposed the singing of the national song in the House.

Mateen told PTI that he was opposing the move to pay tribute to Vajpayee in a "democratic manner", but around a dozen BJP corporators assaulted him. He even named some of them.

Immediately after the incident, alleged MIM supporters damaged a car belonging to a local BJP functionary and also beat up the driver.

BJP corporator Pramod Rathod, who was named by Mateen as one of his assaulters, demanded that the MIM corporator be expelled from the civic body for his "anti-national" move in opposing a tribute to Vajpayee.

Later in the evening, Vijay Sainath Autade, Deputy Mayor of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, lodged a complaint against Mateen at the City Chowk police station.

The police said a case under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc. and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 294 (obscene acts in public) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Mateen.

BJP MLA from Aurangabad East Atul Save demanded that a case of sedition be lodged against the MIM corporator. -- PTI