Pakistan on Sunday welcomed India's decision to send its two Union ministers to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor next week, terming it a 'positive response'.

Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

It was established by the Sikh Guru in 1522.

The first Gurdwara, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, was built here, where Guru Nanak Dev is said to have died.

Both India and Pakistan have announced that stretches would be developed in their respective areas, linking Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi welcomed India's decision to send Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri, Radio Pakistan reported. Qureshi termed India's decision as a 'positive response to Pakistan's move', it said.

"India has responded well to Pakistan's initiative in its bid to bring the Sikh community closer," he told the Associated Press of Pakistan during his visit to the stall of Indian High Commission at the Pakistan Foreign Office Women's Association charity bazar in Islamabad.

India's High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria received Foreign Minister Qureshi at the stall.

Qureshi said Pakistan has won the hearts of millions of Sikhs with a single but significant step and expressed confidence that the Kartarpur corridor would attract members of the Sikh community to Pakistan from across the globe including the United States and the United Kingdom.

He said that the Sikh community will be greeted here amid sentiments of love and would take back positive image about Pakistan and its people.

On Saturday, Qureshi extended an invitation to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to attend the ceremony at Kartarpur on November 28.  -- PTI

Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday a magnificent Ram temple should be constructed in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court's judgment and with popular consensus.

At a press conference in Udaipur, the Railway minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party has always made it clear that a Ram temple should be constructed at the birth place of Lord Rama.

"The party has clarified its view that there should be a decision on the matter as soon as possible with the consensus of all," he told reporters in Udaipur.

He said that whatever the Shiv Sena, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS have said on the issue is something which the people of the country want.  -- PTI

The 'Dharma Sabha' in Ayodhya aims to whip up 'communal frenzy' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad alleged on Sunday, and said he will visit the temple town on Monday to urge the authorities to ensure that the rule of law prevails.

Referring to the renaming spree of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh, he said the Yogi Adityanath dispensation should rechristen Ayodhya to Saket, claiming it was the 'name of the area during the Buddhist time'.

"What is happening in Ayodhya right now is nothing but another attempt by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar to whip up communal frenzy, instigate violence and then use the bloodshed to polarise voters to benefit the party in the 2019 elections," Azad alleged.

The chief of the Dalit outfit said, the country should be run according to the Constitution and whatever judgement the Supreme Court pronounces on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit should be respected by all.

But right-wing activists have descended at the temple town, 'posing a threat' to law and order, he alleged.

"So, I will visit Ayodhya on Monday, and I will carry a copy of the Constitution with me. I will also meet the district magistrate, and remind him that the rule of law should be ensured, and things should not be allowed to get out of hand," Azad said.

"The BJP-led government has done nothing in the last four-and-a-half years, and now when the election is approaching, its leaders are raking up the Ram Temple issue," he alleged.

Azad also claimed that for demolishing the mosque, the date, December 6, 1992, was chosen 'very strategically'.

"December 6 is the Mahaprinirvan (death anniversary) of Babsaheb Ambedkar and November 26 is the country's Constitution Day. It was all done deliberately to hijack the legacy of Ambedkar, as the architect of the Constitution," he told reporters.

Asked on what basis, was he claiming that Saket was the name of Ayodhya region in Buddhist time, Azad said, "Some Buddhists have made a petition in the Supreme Court, mentioning that Buddhist-era artefacts have also been found from digging at the disputed site."

"Since Yogiji is saying that we should go back to original names, why should he not rename Ayodhya to Saket, by the same argument," he said.

The Supreme Court recently fixed the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit for the first week of January next year before an appropriate bench, which will decide the schedule of hearing.  -- PTI

Two persons have been arrested in Pakistan in connection with the recent terror attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi in which seven people, including three terrorists, were killed, media reports said on Sunday.

Those arrested are the brothers of Abdul Razzaq Baloch, who was one of the three militants of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) which claimed the attack on Friday, Dawn News reported.

The investigation agencies found that one of the slain militants, Razzaq Baloch, belonged to Kharan district of the restive Balochistan province, it said. Raids were carried out in different areas of Kharan on Saturday and Mohammad Aslam and Khosti were taken into custory, the report said.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Saleem Ahmad Khosa said that Razzaq Baloch's name was on the missing persons' list over the past two years.

A large number of people mentioned in the list had gone aboard for terrorism training, he said. The minister claimed that BLA commander Aslam alias Acho had been injured in a gun battle with security forces last year, but he managed to escape.

On Friday, three heavily-armed suicide bombers stormed the Chinese consulate, killing four people including two policemen before being shot dead by security forces which foiled the daring attack in the high-security zone.

Nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov assault rifles, magazines and explosives were recovered from the possession of the terrorists.

Resource-rich Balochistan is at the heart of the ambitious $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).   -- PTI

Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief Upendra Kushwaha on Sunday said he was in favour of Narendra Modi returning as the prime minister in 2019, 'but will not tolerate any insult' against the party. Kushwaha, in his series of tweets, did not mention the issue of seat sharing, but demanded 'justice and respect'.

The RLSP chief had on Saturday sought the prime minister's intervention to resolve the seat-sharing issue in Bihar National Democratic Alliance.

According to a recent announcement , the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal-United had agreed to contest an equal number of seats in Bihar, out of a total of 40, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

This reportedly would have meant fewer seats for the RLSP.

The RLSP, as an ally of the BJP in the NDA, had won three seats in the 2014 general election.

'Adarniye pradhan mantri Sri @narendramodi jee ko 2019 me fir se pradhan mantri banana chahta hoon. Lekin apman sahkar nahi (We (RLSP) want to see PM Narendra Modi as PM again in 2019 but without tolerating any insult,' Kushwaha said in a series of tweets.

He used excerpts from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's book Rashmirathi to give expression to his thoughts, at times substituting the words of the poet with his words. Kushwaha said 'Do nyay agar to jyada do, par isme yadi badha ho. To de do kewal hamara samman, rakho apni dharti tamam (Give me justice more than what can be, but if there is any problem in it, then give me the respect what I deserve and keep everything with you).'

The minister of state for human resource development, had on Saturday during a RLSP function in Munger, made a fervent appeal to Mosi, seeking his intervention to resolve the seat-sharing issue in Bihar NDA, in which RLSP is one among the four constituents, along with the BJP, JD-U and Lok Janshakti Party.

"Please do justice with RLSP. We expect justice from you (PM)...I could not meet Amit Shah. I have given additional time of 12-14 days to decide the issue of seat sharing.

"I am ready to meet you (Amit Shah) as per your convenient timing but that (ultimatum) is also running out...I would now seek appointment to meet the PM and I hope that justice would be done to RLSP if PM intervenes in the matter," Kushwaha had said.

Kushwaha had on November 17 given an ultimatum to the BJP to conclude seat-sharing talks by November 30, saying the offer made to the RLSP was not respectable.

Earlier on November 10, the Union minister had demanded that his party be allotted more than three seats in the state by the NDA to contest the 2019 election, given that the RLSP's strength has grown significantly. -- PTI

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed Hunkar Sabha of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Nagpur on Sunday.

He once again asked to government to bring a law to facilitate construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

"The matter is in court, the decision should be given early. It has also been proved that the temple was there.

"The Supreme Court is not giving priority to the case. Justice delayed is justice denied," Bhagwat said.

"If for some reason the court thinks that the issue is not a priority for them, then the government should think about how to bring a law to facilitate the construction of the temple.

"It would be appropriate of such a law is brought soon," Bhagwat said.  -- with ANI inputs

10 years after the 26/11 terror attack, Mumbai is safe and police are competent to handle any terror threat, says Police Commissioner Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.

In one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in the country's history, 166 people were killed and over 300 injured as 10 heavily-armed terrorists from Pakistan created mayhem in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.

"We have come a long way in the last 10 years," Jaiswal told PTI in an interview on the eve of the terror attack's 10th anniversary.

"I can assure Mumbaikars that the city is safe and police are capable of protecting you from any eventuality," he said.

"We have a strong and trained police force having latest equipment, weapons, strategy tactics and are always ready to deal with all the challenges," he said.

Jaiswal, who served in the Research and Analysis Wing, said Mumbai Police has an excellent coordination with all state and central agencies dealing with the city security.

The city has a network of around 5,000 CCTVs which help monitor any suspicious activity, he said.

Another top police official said presence of police personnel armed with modern weapons at sensitive locations, a standard operating procedure to respond to any distress and enhanced public awareness are key to Mumbai's security.

"The role of police was redefined after the 26/11 attack and there was major overhaul of the city security system," said Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).

"We have created Quick Response Teams, which will be the first to respond in any situation. There is a dedicated commando team 'Force One', with capabilities to handle any terror threat and also the coastal police to secure coastal area," he said.

After the 26/11 attacks, the state government has made efforts to secure the city, Bharti said.

"We have a strong CCTV network in the city and each CCTV is connected with the main police control room through an integrated system," he said.

"In the last 10 years, we have upgraded in terms of infrastructure, logistics and trained manpower," he said.

"Police have procured modern security equipment, gadgets, bullet-proof jackets and latest weapons," he said.

Anti Terror Cells (ATC) have been set up in every police station to keep a tab on suspected terror movement, he said. The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra Police also keeps a tab on terror-related activities across the state, he said.

There have been cases where youth were radicalised by terror outfit recruiters through internet or social networking sites, he said.

The ATS is working to bring back such 'misguided' youth into the mainstream, he added.

Since the last year, it has 'deradicalised' 120 such men and women, he said.  -- PTI

Ram temple is not a political issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday and expressed hope that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who is in Ayodhya, would get the blessings of Lord Ram.

A senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader also said that the Sena, which is its ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, will remain its partner for the Maharashtra and the Lok Sabha polls due next year.

Thackeray, who offered prayers at the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on Sunday, said the BJP government at the Centre 'may not last' if Ram temple is not constructed in the Uttar Pradesh city, and demanded that an ordinance be brought to pave for its way.

"The construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is not a political issue. Shri Ram is the deity for entire India, Thackeray would get his blessings too," Fadnavis told reporters at Karad in Maharashtra's Satara district.

He was speaking after paying tributes at the memorial of late Y B Chavan, the state's first chief minister.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar also paid floral tributes to Chavan in Karad along with senior leaders of the party from the region.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party chief Raosaheb Danve said the Shiv Sena's stand on the construction of Ram temple supports the BJP and asserted that both the parties will jointly contest the next year's state and general polls.

"It is not like the Sena has backed the BJP recently, but we have been together for decades," Danve told reporters in Jalna district.

The Sena has demanded that an ordinance be brought before 2019 for constructing the temple.

Dashing it aside, Danve said, "The dispute related to temple or mosque is in court. Hence, despite being in power there are limitations to what a government can do."

One has to coin some slogans while undertaking an activity like visiting Ayodhya, 'which does not mean we have severe differences with each other', said the Lok Sabha member from Jalna constituency.

"To avoid division of votes, the Sena is going to be our partner for the general and assembly elections," he said.

The Sena had said earlier that it will fight all the upcoming elections solo.  -- PTI

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared as special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, on Sunday blamed the Pakistan government for delay in the trial against masterminds of the attack.

On the eve of 10th anniversary of the terror attack, he accused the neighbouring country of providing patronage to those accused in the case.

On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) terrorists had sailed into Mumbai from Karachi and carried out coordinated attacks, killing 166 people and injuring over 300.

Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was captured and hanged after he was awarded death sentence by a court. Dubbing LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as the 'real terrorists' behind the attack in Mumbai in 2008, Nikam said the authorities in Pakistan should make efforts for cancellation of the bail granted to them.

"Still, a decade after the terror attack, there's little to show that Pakistan has acted against the masterminds," Nikam said.

Hewas speaking as the chief guestat a conference on law and justice organised in Vadodara.

"The Pakistan government is responsible for delay in the trial (against the masterminds)," he said, adding that the neighbouring country needs to fight terrorism emanating from its soil.

In order to bring the guilty to book, the Indian government had in the past written to Pakistan, suggesting ways in which the trial could be expedited by cooperation through the legal channel, he added.

Hafiz Saeed was earlier put under house arrest after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, but was freed by a court in Pakistan in 2009.

He carries a reward of $10 million on his head, announced by the authorities in the US for his role in terror activities.  -- PTI

In a bid to garner support for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Bharatiya Janata Party's youth wing has come out with 'Ram Dhun', a one-minute devotional song, which can be downloaded as a ringtone to mobile phones by devotees.

Abhijat Mishra, the national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, said the 'Ram Dhun' is meant to 'effectively propagate the message about Ram temple construction in Ayodhya'.

Fervent appeals are being made to people to download the 'Jai Jai Shri Ram' tune to their mobiles, he said.

"More than 10,000 people have downloaded it in just a couple of days," Mishra told PTI.

The tune will 'create positive vibes' for the receiver and those around him, he said.

"Lord Ram is the biggest symbol of harmony. He broke caste barriers and took members from different sections of society along on his mission," he said.

"Lord Ram is the identity of India, and he had made India a true global superpower. A grand Ram temple in Ayodhya will restore India's glorious history," Mishra said.  -- PTI

Vishwa Hindu Parsihad's 'Dharma Sabha' commenced in Ayodhya on Sunday afternoon with senior leader Champat Rai declaring that no formula dividing the disputed land will be acceptable for temple construction.

Addressing the sabha after the inauguration marked by chanting of mantras and lighting of lamp, the international general secretary Champat Rai said 'we want the entire land for temple construction...no formula dividing the land is acceptable'.

Though Rai did not spell out the details, his assertions are considered to be in reference to the Allahabad high court verdict dividing the land into three parts.

The Allahabad high court had ruled by a majority verdict that the disputed land in Ayodhya be divided equally into three parts among Hindus and Muslims and that the place where the makeshift temple of Lord Ram exists belongs to Hindus.

In their separate judgements on the sensitive 60-year old title dispute on Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid structure, Justices S U Khan and Sudhir Agarwal said that the area under the central dome of the three-domed structure where Lord Ram's idol exists belongs to Hindus.

Rai also said that the delay in the temple construction is not a good sign.

The Dharam Sabha site wore a festive look with placards, saffron flags and buntings with the head gear of enthusiastic Ram bhakts all over.

The VHP which has claimed that 3 lakh people will be participating in the sabha has made elaborate arrangements  including for food and medical facilities.

While hoardings of VHP stalwart late Ashok Singhal were set up at various places, devotees were seen blowing conch shells to express their enthusiasm for the dharma Sabha.  -- PTI

After Raj Babbar and C P Joshi, another Congress leader has added to the party's embarrassment by making controversial comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lineage.

Former Union minister Vilas Muttemwar made the comments at a party meeting in Rajasthan on Saturday.

The video of his speech has gone viral on social media.

"Who knew you (Modi) before you became the PM. Even now, nobody knows the name of your father, but everybody knows the name of (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi's father," Muttemwar is heard saying in the viral video.

Muttemwar, who hails from Vidarbha region, told PTI that the video in circulation was distorted.

"It was an internal party meeting yesterday. The person who shot the video distorted it and posted it online," he said.

The Congress leader said it was a fact that people of the country knew who Rahul Gandhi's father was but not many knew about Modi's father.

"The world knows past generations of Rahul Gandhi but no one knows who Modi's father was," he said.

Babbar had likened the falling rupee to the age of Modi's mother, after Joshi's casteist remark on the PM and Union minister Uma Bharti.

"Before becoming PM, Narendra Modi used to say that the value of the rupee has fallen to a level where it is almost the same as the age of the then-PM (Manmohan Singh). Now, it is inching towards the age of Modi's respected mother," Babbar had said.

The PMs mother, Heeraben Modi, is 98 years old.

Addressing a poll meeting in Rajasthan on Thursday, Joshi had reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP Uma Bharti and Hindu activist Sadhvi Ritambhara are from 'lower castes' and know nothing of Hinduism.

He said it is the Brahmins who are learned and know of Hinduism. --  PTI

The Reserve Bank will hold the rates for the remainder of the fiscal year ending March 2019 and is likely to go for 'measured hikes' in FY20 as inflation inches up, Singaporean lender DBS has said.

Decision on rates will be majorly influenced by the movement in oil prices and also the currency, which were termed as 'wildcards' by its house economists.

In a report that comes days after the headline inflation print eased to a surprising 3.31 per cent for October, the lender lowered its consumer price inflation (CPI) expectations for FY19 to 4 per cent from 4.4 per cent earlier.

It said the price rise scenario will go up to 4.2 per cent for FY20, which may prompt the RBI to go in for a hike.

'The RBI is likely to get the leeway to hold the rates unchanged this year owing to the below target inflation. We pencil in measured hikes in FY20 to contain core pressures, with oil and currency direction seen as wildcards,' it said in the note.

The lender said inflation is averaging at 4.2 per cent for the first seven months of the fiscal year and points out to lower procurement of food crops by the government through the minimum support price (MSP) mechanism.

The increase in inflation expectations next fiscal will be largely driven by food, it said.

'While (slower procurement) is positive for inflation, a prolonged phase of weak food/farm prices trigger concern over the negative repercussions for agricultural incomes and rural demand,' the lender warned.

It can be noted that under its medium term inflation targeting framework, the RBI is committed to anchor the price rise at 4 per cent with a leeway on either side.

So far, the RBI has hiked rates twice by a cumulative 0.50 per cent this fiscal, responding to inflationary concerns from factors like rupee depreciation which lost over 13 per cent year to date and higher oil prices which had jumped to $86 a barrel earlier this month but considerably down now.

However, in the past month, both the crude prices and the rupee have shown movements which are positive for the domestic economy.

The RBI's inflation modelling has also come for criticism following the release of data for October, which saw the headline number declining to a surprising low.

Even as the rupee strengthens, the Singaporean lender said, India needs to be watchful of hardening of rates in the US, which may lead to capital outflows.  -- PTI

Hitting out at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused it of indulging in caste politics and said the party has touched a 'new low' and forgotten all courtesies.

Addressing an election rally in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the prime minister also accused the Congress of using the threat of impeachment to 'scare' judges.

"Congress leader abused my mother, another questioned my caste. I'm not surprised. They say it at the behest of 'naamdar',' Modi said in a veiled attack to Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The prime minister said Congress did not remember Dr B R Ambedkar and members of only one family were honoured with Bharat Ratna.

Accusing the Congress of dragging the judiciary into politics, he alleged that if a Supreme Court judge does not work as per their 'politics' then Congress MPs start 'scaring' them in the name of impeachment.

"This is a dangerous game. Congress has no faith in the judiciary. They are working to scare judiciary on the grounds of their numbers in the Rajya Sabha but I we will not let this 'kala karnama' happen in the temple of democracy," he said.

"I would also like to tell judges that do not be afraid and keep going on the path of justice," Modi said.

"When a hearing on Ayodhya was going on, a Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP told that it should be deferred till 2019 elections. Is such politicisation of judiciary correct?" the PM said.

Referring to senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal without naming him, Modi said Congress leaders 'scare' judges with impeachment when they hear sensitive issues like Ayodhya.

"When an SC judge wants to hear all sides in a sensitive issue like Ayodhya to deliver justice to the people of the country, Congress Rajya Sabha MP threatens the SC judges by proposing impeachment," Modi said.  -- PTI, ANI

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has declined Pakistan's invite for Kartarpur corridor foundation stone-laying ceremony, citing terror attacks in Punjab as the reason.

However, responding to invitation of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to attend the opening ceremony, Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu writes 'I look forward to meeting you on this historic occasion. My application for permission to attend is now lodged with the MEA (ministry of external affairs)'.  -- PTI/ANI

The Prime Minister's Office has refused to share details on the quantum of black money brought back from abroad, citing a provision of the Right to Information Act that bars disclosure of information that may impede investigation and prosecution of offenders.

Its response came on an October 16 order passed by the Central Information Commission, asking the PMO to provide details of black money within 15 days.

Replying to an RTI query, the PMO said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already been formed and its investigation is underway.

"As such, disclosure of all the action/efforts undertaken by the government at this juncture may impede the whole process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders and hence would attract the provision of exemption under Section 8 (1) (h) of the RTI Act," it said in response to the RTI application filed by whistleblower bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi.

Such investigations come under the purview of different government intelligence and security organisations which have been excluded from the ambit of the RTI Act, the PMO said.

Chaturvedi, an Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer, had sought information on the quantum of black money brought from abroad since June 1, 2014.

In its initial reply to the RTI application, the Prime Minister's Office had in October last year said the query was not covered under Section 2(f) of the transparency law that defines information.

Chaturvedi thereafter moved the Central Information Commission which had last month ordered the PMO to provide information within 15 days.

There is, at present, no official assessment on the quantum of black money in India and abroad.

According to a study by US-based think-tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI), an estimated $770 billion in black money entered India during 2005-2014.

Nearly $165 billion in illicit money exited the country during the same period, the report by the global financial watchdog said.

In response to another query mentioned in the Chaturvedi's application, the PMO refused to share details of corruption complaints received against Union ministers, saying providing such information 'may be a subjective as well as a cumbersome exercise'.  --  PTI

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray offered prayer at Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on Sunday morning.

The Shiv Sena chief arrived in Ayodhya along with his family on Saturday afternoon for two-day visit.

He later offered prayers at the Sarayu river along with his wife Rashmi and son Aditya and addressed a gathering.

During his public address, Thackeray asked the central government to announce the date for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"We want the date when the temple will be made. First, tell us when you will make the temple, then we can talk on other things. Today, I want the date. I don't want to take credit for the construction of Ram temple, we want a date," he had said.

Ayodhya is set to witness two separate mega events today being organised by the Shiv Sena and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Ayodhya to press for the construction of a Lord Ram temple.

The VHP's event, called as 'Dharma Sansad' would be congregation of saints and supporters of the Ram temple.

Meanwhile, security has been heightened in Ayodhya with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel keeping a strict watch to keep the situation under control.

"We have made all the arrangements for the VHP's 'Dharma Sansad' programme. We have allotted spaces for parking and bypass is running smoothly. We will ensure it stays like that. 'Darshan' will be from the usual routes. We will do everything in an organised way," Ayodhya Deputy inspector general of police , Omkar Singh said. --- ANI

Six terrorists and a soldier were on Sunday killed in an encounter between ultras and security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said.

The six were killed in an encounter at Hipura Batagund village in Kapran area of Shopian district of south Kashmir, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

He said a soldier also lost his life in the operation.

Col Kalia said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained.

He said weapons and war-like stores have been recovered from the encounter site.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area around midnight following specific information about the presence of militants there.

The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, who retaliated.

The operation is over, the defence spokesman said.

Pictures of 26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan are everywhere in his two-storey house tucked in a quiet locality in Bengaluru

  

The gallery in the two-storey house of the National Security Guard Commando is full of memories and a collection of personal articles stare from the shelves and whisper stories of valour into ears of visitors.

The constant presence of these articles is painful, but also joyful and inspiring for any visitor.

They narrate the winning-attitude, valour and charitable nature of Sandeep, who lost his life while battling the Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists during the 26/11 attack on Mumbai in 2008. 

Sandeep always had a winning attitude and liked Sachin Tendulkar for the same reason, his father Unnikrishnan said.

 

"My son always had this attitude of winning in everything that he did. He liked Sachin Tendulkar for this reason.

"Sandeep always wanted our country to win. When India lost a match, he used to be very disappointed.He also used to console me whenever an ISRO project failed. He did not like defeat," the retired ISRO officer said.

Talking about Sandeep's charitable nature, Unnikrishnan said, "I did not know about it.Only after he had gone I realised it. Going through his bank balance, I only found Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, though he was drawing a decent salary".

"I thought he could not save much because he could have been buying costly branded products. But his colleagues talked about his charity.One of his colleagues told me that he had borne all health expenses of his mother, who was suffering from a spine problem," he said.

"Also, Sandeep was regularly donating money to a number of charitable institutions.I realised this when I started receiving reminders on renewal of donations after his departure," he added.

Sandeep was a nationalist too.

 

"He always supported nationalism.For him nationalism meant that you do something good for the country, not extract benefits from it. Somebody should decide whether you are a nationalist, not that you go around calling yourself a nationalist. He always opposed these people," Unnikrishnan said.

The last message of the braveheart to his personnel while carrying out the operation was, "Don't come up, I will handle them."

These words have left a deep impression on his troop commandos.

"Sandeep used to say he did not want to see a mother weeping over his colleague's body and preferred his mother to bear the loss," said Unnikrishnan, as he recollected the sterling qualities of his braveheart son.

Major Unnikrishnan was leading a team of NSG commandos to flush out terrorists from the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai when he was fatally wounded  

He was conferred the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peace time gallantry award, on 26 January 2009. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath viewed presentations of number of architectural firms in connection with the construction of 151m tall Lord Ram statue in Ayodhya.

Five firms gave a presentation before the chief minister.

A museum showcasing the history of Ram Janmabhoomi and related subjects will also be constructed.

The location for the construction has not been finalised yet.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on November 7 had made it clear that a statue of Lord Ram will soon be built in Ayodhya.

"One idol (of Lord Ram) will be placed inside the temple for worshipping and another will be constructed outside the temple, for the latter idol, we will decide a place after discussion. We will ensure that everything is done in a manner that people's faith is also respected and Ayodhya gets the needed recognition," he had said.

The temple town of Ayodhya is all set to witness the biggest congregation of Hindus on Sunday for the VHPs Dharma Sabha since December 6, 1992, when Kar Sevaks had razed the Babri Mosque.

Thousands of Hindu religious figures and their followers have descended on the city to crusade for the construction of a Ram temple on the ruins of a disputed 16th century mosque, as the authorities threw a tight security ring around the tense but calm holy city to deter troublemakers.

More than a lakh people are expected for the rally which will be held at the Bade Bhakt Mahal ground near Ram ghat. The meeting will start around 12 noon but the main speakers are likely to address the gathering between 2pm and 4pm. A senior functionary of the RSS might also attend the rally and address the gathering.

International vice-president of the VHP, Champat Rai has said that no politician will be allowed to share the main stage with seers and address the rally.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had on Saturday demanded that the government should announce a date for the construction of the Ram temple raising the pitch for the building of the Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has written a "letter to the nation" vowing to campaign with "heart and soul" for her Brexit deal once EU leaders sign off on it this weekend.

  

May, who hopes to seal the divorce agreement and outline of future ties with Europe at a Brussels summit Sunday, faces a daunting challenge winning the support of Britain's parliament.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that members of her own cabinet and EU diplomats are secretly working on "plan B" proposals, fearing lawmakers will reject the current deal.

But in the letter published in several newspapers, May insisted her agreement would "honour the result" of the 2016 referendum - when 52 per cent backed Leave - and be "a moment of renewal and reconciliation".

"It will be a deal that is in our national interest -- one that works for our whole country and all of our people, whether you voted 'Leave' or 'Remain'," May wrote on Saturday.

"It is a deal for a brighter future, which enables us to seize the opportunities that lie ahead." Reiterating Britain would be leaving the European Union on March 29 next year, she urged people to get behind the deal.

"Parliament will have the chance to do that in a few weeks' time when it has a meaningful vote on the deal," the prime minister said.

"I will be campaigning with my heart and soul to win that vote and to deliver this Brexit deal, for the good of our United Kingdom and all of our people."

May is struggling even to unite her ruling Conservatives, and Northern Irish parliamentary allies the Democratic Unionist Party, behind the plan.

India will send Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri to Pakistan next week to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said while responding to an invite to her by Islamabad for the event.

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a tweet, said he has extended an invitation to Swaraj, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to attend the ceremony at Kartarpur on November 28.

In a letter to Qureshi, Swaraj thanked him for the invite but said it would not be possible for her to travel to Kartarpur Sahib due to prior commitments, and India will send Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Puri for the event.

The visit of the two Union ministers to Pakistan is expected to ease tension between the two countries.

"Being mindful of the sentiments of our Sikh citizens and the importance of facilitating their smooth and easy access to holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, we will be sending Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Minister for Food Processing and Industries, and Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, as the Government of India's representatives for the event planned for November 28," she said in the letter.

On Thursday, both countries announced that they would develop Kartarpur corridor in their respective areas, linking Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. 

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, is located across the Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab in India.

The corridor, once built, will give Indian pilgrims easy access to the shrine.

In her letter to Qureshi, Swaraj also hoped that the government of Pakistan will expedite the construction of the corridor in order to ensure that "our citizens can pay their respects at the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor as soon as possible." 

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony of the corridor on the Pakistani side on November 28. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hoped the Kartarpur corridor would act as a bridge between the peoples of India and Pakistan. He even referred to the fall of the Berlin Wall to underline the importance of the corridor.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared a proposal to develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

Following the Cabinet decision, India urged Pakistan to build the corridor to Kartarpur Sahib on the Pakistani side.

Later, Qureshi said Islamabad has conveyed to India its decision to build the Kartarpur corridor. 

The issue of Kartarpur Sahib came into focus after Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu visited Pakistan in August to attend the oath-taking ceremony of his cricketer-turned-politician friend Imran Khan as the prime minister of that country.

After his return, Sidhu said that Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had told him that the country may open a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib.   

Kannada actor and politician Ambareesh has passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru due to cardiac arrest, sources have said. He was 66.

 

A former Union minister, Ambareesh was rushed to the hospital after he complained of breathing trouble and passed away on Saturday night, officials at the hospital said.

"Ambareesh was brought to hospital around 9 pm and he passed away because of cardiac arrest," Vikram Hospital officials said.

According to the hospital spokesman, Ambareesh was found unresponsive at his residence and the resuscitation efforts were initiated there and continued en route while he was shifted to the hospital.

"Despite all aggressive resuscitation efforts, he could not be revived and was declared deceased at 2215 hrs," the spokesman added.

Ambareesh, a three-time Lok Sabha member and also a former State minister, is survived by actress Sumalatha and son Abishek.

Born as Malavalli Huchche Gowda Amarnath on May 29, 1952, Ambareesh popularly known as a "rebel star" has acted in over 200 films in a more than four-decade long movie career with a fan following of his own at the peak of his popularity.

Ambareesh had not been keeping well in recent years and was hospitalised frequently. In 2014, he was shifted to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

Entering the movie world through film "Nagarahavu" (king cobra), directed by veteran late Puttanna Kannagal in 1972, Ambareesh had carved a niche for himself in the Kannada film industry, particularly as an "angry" man, earning the title "rebel star".

Beginning his film career in antagonistic roles, he later emerged on his own to become a hero.

Ambareesh also had a successful career in politics having been an MLA, a Lok Sabha member and a former minister at the state and central levels.

He was in the Janata Dal, the JD-S and the Congress in his political career that took a hit when he was asked to resign as minister for housing during the previous Siddaramaiah government.

Uttar Pradesh government will install a 221-metre bronze statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Information) Avanish Awasthi said.

  

While the height of the actual statue would be 151 metres, its overhead umbrella would be 20 metres while the pedestal would be 50 metres, he said.

A museum would be housed at the pedestal, Awasthi said.

Five firms shortlisted for construction of the statue gave presentations before Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath this evening, the officer said, adding soil testing is being done for installing the statue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had on October 31, inaugurated an imposing 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country's first home minister, in Gujarat.