Eknath Khadse, who last week resigned from Maharashtra cabinet over multiple allegations of wrongdoing, is likely to be exonerated by the state police in connection with the charge that he received calls from fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, a senior official said.

The Home Department official said on the condition of anonymity that investigation into the alleged calls made to Khadse's cell phone from a Karachi-based landline (allegedly registered in the name of Dawood's wife) was almost over, and the final report may come out within a week.

"The Anti-Terrorism Squad (which probed the allegation) has received all the call data records... so far nothing significant has come out of the investigations into these call data records," the official said.

Earlier, crime branch of Mumbai police too had said the allegation, made by the Aam Aadmi Party first, had no substance. The  ATS had summoned Gujarat-based Manish Bhangale, who calls himself 'ethical hacker' and who had claimed to have obtained the records of a Pakistani telecom firm, for questioning last week. But he did not turn up.

Bhangale has moved the Bombay high court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation probe; his petition would be heard on June 14. AAP had cited the records obtained by Bhangale. "The source of the information might have been fake and the agency is exploring this possibility," the official said.

Khadse has denied the allegation saying that the mobile number concerned was not even in operation for the past one year.

Russia's lower house of parliament today voted to dismiss the only lawmaker who opposed Moscow's annexation of Crimea over his extended absence from the legislative body.

Ilya Ponomaryov, a regular at opposition meetings who has lived in the United States since 2014, has been accused of complicity in the embezzlement of $750,000 from the Skolkovo Foundation, a high-tech project the Kremlin had hoped would be its answer to Silicon Valley.

The opposition has dismissed the charges as politically motivated. Today, 413 lawmkers voted in favor of stripping Ponomaryov of his seat in the legislature.

Only three State Duma deputies voted against the proposal, opposition lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov wrote on his Facebook page.

Flamboyant lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who heads a nationalist party, in parliament accused Ponomaryov of spreading 'nasty anti-Russian propaganda,' TASS news agency reported.

Congress  said India has suffered a "setback" as it has failed to gain entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the backdrop of China playing a spoiler. 

BJP today played down the buzz over Home Minister Rajnath Singh as its face for Uttar Pradesh assembly election, saying he has been a lead campaigner in most recent state elections and its ranks were full of capable leaders. 

A sailor and a civilian worker killed in accident on board aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya undergoing a refit at Karwar.  

Crowds of onlookers, line either side of a funeral procession through Louisville, Kentucky, chanting 'Ali' and 'the champ,' as the motorcade transporting Muhammad Ali's body drives from AD Porter & Sons Funeral Home to Cave Hill Cemetery.

Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was present early this morning to pay homage to his friend.

Abdul-Jabbar said in a Facebook post on June 4: During my more than 50 years in the public eye, I have met hundreds of renowned celebrities, artists, athletes, and world leaders. But only a handful embodied the self-sacrificing and heroic qualities that defined my friend and mentor, Muhammad Ali.'

Muhammad Ali funeral: The motorcade will drive past his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage and down Muxhammad Ali Boulevard. The procession is expected to last about 90 minutes before ending at the Cave Hill Cemetery where Ali will be laid to rest in a private ceremony.

The funeral procession has started now in Louisville, Kentucky. The route follows a homecoming parade held for Muhammad Ali in 1960, after he won an Olympic gold medal in Rome.


Pic: The Cave Hill Cemetery were Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest

Flower petals are being laid out at the gate of Cave Hill Cemetery in preparation of the arrival of Muhammad Ali's coffin. Picture courtesy: Scott Utterback/Twitter.

Following the service, a private ceremony will be held inside the Muhammad Ali Center. During that ceremony, an Olympic flag will be given to the Ali family from the International Olympic Committee.

Muhammad Ali's childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky. The picture was tweeted by @TDtommy77.

World leaders, celebrities, boxing fans and people who admired Muhammad Ali as a man will gather today at his Kentucky hometown for one last goodbye to a towering global figure who died a week ago at age 74.

Ali's pall bearers include Rahaman Ali, Victor Bender, Howard Bingham,
The Honorable John Y. Brown, George Chuvalo, Ronald DiNicola, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Gene Kilroy, Jerry Perenchio, Michael Phenner
Dr. Harvey Sloane, Cleve Walker, Mike Tyson, Will Smith and Harlan Werner.

The procession will pass by Ali's boyhood home on the West End, traditionally an African American section of town, and the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum in the center of the mid-sized city, which is also home to the Kentucky Derby. The memorial is expected to be an interfaith service with representatives from different religions. A family spokesman said 15,000 people are expected to attend the service.

Mourners will line the streets of Louisville for a funeral procession starting at 9 am (1300 GMT) that will bring his body to Cave Hill National Cemetery for a private burial. Thousands of people will then fill the KFC Yum Center for a memorial service featuring eulogies by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal, beginning at 2 p.m. (1800 GMT). Jordan's King Abdullah and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan are expected to be among the dignitaries at the sports arena for the service.

Pic: The memorial outside the Muhammad Ali Center at Louisville, Kentucky

Ten years after his infamous headbutt on Italian defender Marco Materazzi which earned him a red-card, retired France football great Zinedine Zidane today expressed regret over the incident in the 2006 World Cup final.

"I am not proud of what happened in 2006. I am not advising anyone (player) to behave in the same manner," said the 43-year-old Zidane to a query at the fag end of a press meet in Mumbai.

The final was the French football legend's last ever appearance as a player. Zidane, who guided France to its first-ever World Cup title in 1998 with two goals in the summit clash against Brazil, is on his first ever visit to India with his wife Veronique as "wellness ambassador" of "Kanakia Paris", which is a French-themed residential project coming up in the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

The three-time FIFA player of the year was answering a query on what advice he gives to the players of famous Spanish club Real Madrid as the manager when confronted with a similar situation.

In a move which could have knocked Leander Paes out of Olympic reckoning, Rohan Bopanna today picked Saketh Myneni as his preferred partner for the men's doubles event at the Rio Games, but the AITA is set to reject his demand.

Bopanna, who earned India a direct entry in the men's doubles event courtesy his top-10 rank, issued a statement that he has told AITA about his choice earlier in the day.


"I look forward to representing India at my second Olympics and consider it a privilege, responsibility and honour. A Direct Acceptance provides me the right to nominate my men's doubles partner, an opportunity for me to exercise my judgement as to the best possible partner for me. I am looking forward to the support and good wishes of all concerned in the lead-up to the Olympics," Bopanna said in a statement.

He did not mention the name of the player but AITA sources told PTI that Bopanna has named 28-year-old Myneni as his choice. "Yes, he wants to play with Myneni and not Leander," an AITA source said.

Paes, a winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, is eyeing a record seventh Olympics, but Bopanna's choice reflects that he does not bother about the personal milestone of India's most accomplished tennis player. Bopanna is justified in picking a partner of his choice since rules permit him to do so but at the same time it holds true that even if Bopanna had ended 11 in the world rankings on the cut-off date, he and Paes with their combined rank would have made the draw.

Sources claimed AITA acknowledged Bopanna's preference but it is understood they would not like the player to dictate terms. "It's not a wise move. People are not going to forget if Paes happens to miss this Olympics because of Rohan... he will face lots of criticism," said an AITA official. "Leander, ranked 46, is number two player in the country and Saketh is fifth at number 125.

Saketh is a good player. He has made progress but you can't ignore Leander, who has experience of playing on the big stage. Our best team should play and Rohan and Leander, our number and two players should play as a team."

Belgian police arrest new suspect over Brussels attacks: prosecutor. (AFP)

Tens of thousands of people are set to say a final farewell to boxing legend Muhammad Ali in his home city of Louisville in Kentucky.


The heavyweight champion and rights activist died last Friday aged 74.

A procession will take Ali's body past key sites in his life, ahead of an interfaith memorial service.

Actor Will Smith and ex-boxer Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers, while former President Bill Clinton will deliver one of the eulogies.

Narendra Modi concluded his fourth visit to Washington as Indias prime minister. Addressing Congress, Modi spoke of the growing trade, diplomatic, and military cooperation between the U.S. and India. He also cited his personal affection for America. Thanking the sacrifices of young Americans in the cause of freedom, he applauded the chamber. That moment was genuine and inspiring. Yet it was also a metaphor for untapped opportunities: A U.S.​India alliance is the opportunity of the century and has never been more possible or closer to being lost.

Read more

JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and other protesters detained by Delhi Police outside Bihar Bhawan. They were protesting against the alleged brutality of the Bihar Police against Patna arts college students.

The marriage may not have been 'happily ever after', but the couple remained friends.

Shane Warne @ShaneWarne Happy birthday to my ex & still a very close & an amazing friend @ElizabethHurley Have a G8 day & c u next week.

Delhi's Patiala house Court acquits Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy of all terror charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Ghandy was acquitted under section 20 & 38 of UAPA but convicted him of cheating, forgery and impersonation under IPC. Ghandy will remain in jail as he still has 14 cases pending against him.

The court also convicted his associate, co-accused Rajinder Kumar, of charges dealing with cheating but acquitted him too of terror charges.

According to police, Ghandy was involved in setting up a new network of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in Delhi. He was arrested here in September 20, 2009, while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Ghandy was living in Delhi to propagate the activities of the CPI-Maoist and he was helped by co-accused Rajinder Kumar, police said.

Kumar was arrested on March 19, 2010.

Maoist activity in Koraput's Jeypore forest division appears to have had a positive impact on the wildlife in the region, specially the leopards. The number of these spotted carnivores in the area has gone up from one to five in the last two years, said senior forest officials. Read more

An Indian-origin teen has been charged with illegally purchasing a gun with a fake ID and allegedly plotting the murder of New York police officers, authorities have said.

Sensex sheds 128 points to end at 26,636; Nifty cracks below 8,200 mark by falling 33 points to 8,170

In a snub for Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Pahlaj Nihalani, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "does not need sycophants", reports NDTV.

"Yes, I am a chamcha of Narendra Modi as Anurag Kashyap said. I am proud to be a Modi Chamcha. Should I be a chamcha of the Italian Prime Minister instead?" Nihalani had said to NDTV earlier this week, amid widespread outrage over his censorship of Kashyap's film "Udta Punjab".

"Such comments should be avoided. Our Prime Minister describes himself as the "pradhan sevak (one who serves the public) and I don't think the Pradhan sevak needs any sycophants," Prasad said.

Pahlaj Nihalani, a known BJP supporter, has been accused by other political parties and many top filmmakers of imposing 89 cuts on "Udta Punjab" at the behest of the BJP, which partners the Akali Dal in Punjab, where elections will be held early next year.

They allege that the Akali Dal wants to scuttle the film, based on drug abuse in Punjab, as it will reflect poorly on its governance over the last 10 years.   

Amid speculation over the BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said there is no dearth of capable people in the party.

"UP mein kabil chehron ke koi kami nahi hai (There is no dearth of capable faces in UP)," he said when asked about BJP's chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Assembly polls.

Speculation is rife ahead of BJP's national executive meeting in Allahabad that Singh could play a "lead role" in the party campaign for the UP polls even if he is not declared the choice for the top political office in the state.

Asked whether he would be made the party's face in UP, Singh, who is Lok Sabha member from Lucknow, said, "Yeh kalpnik prashna hai. Iska koi matlab nahi hai (This is a hypothetical question. It has no meaning)."

The possibility that the party could enter the UP arena with a chief ministerial candidate has gained currency after BJP's victory in Assam where it had declared the name of Sarbananda Sonowal months ahead of the contest. As against this, the party had not declared a CM candidate in Bihar.

The Shyam Benegal panel is likely to submit the second part of its report on reforms in film certification process to the I&B ministry next week. In the backdrop of censorship row over film 'Udta Punjab', Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley had yesterday said "some very radical changes" will be announced over the next few days.

The panel had on April 26 submitted the first part of its report in which it had emphasised that Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should only be a certification body to categorize suitability of the film to audience groups on the basis of age and maturity barring some exceptions.

However, the committee had been given time till June 20 to submit its recommendation on issues relating to clearances to be obtained from the Animal Welfare Board under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and also matters related to depiction of smoking in films.

Speaking to PTI, Benegal said the report would be ready and submitted "well before June 20 which is the last date". He said that in relation to one of the two issues, panel members needed to travel to Chennai and that work has been done, and the other subject also would be included in the report in a couple of days.

The Benegal committee had got a two-month extension for submitting the first part of its report which is already being vigorously being examined by the I&B ministry.

Jaitley had yesterday said that movie certification norms have to be liberal and "some very radical changes" will be announced over the next few days.

Apart from Apart from Benegal, the committee includes actor Kamal Haasan, filmmakers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Gautam Ghose, adman Piyush Pandey, film critic Bhawana Somaaya and some officials.

All five convicts who raped a Danish tourist in Delhi have been given a life sentence.

Yesterday, the Delhi Police sought jail term for the  entire life for the five convicts in the gang-rape case of a 52-year-old Danish woman near the New Delhi railway station two years ago.

Seeking maximum punishment, the prosecutor argued that the offence was committed with the foreigner in a "barbaric and inhuman manner" and "these convicts have caused a dent to the reputation of the country".

"The way the crime has been committed, it demands maximum punishment of imprisonment till remainder of life prescribed under the new law for the offence of gang-rape. The crime was committed with a foreigner and a message should be sent to the society that rule of law prevails in India and wrong-doers would be dealt with an iron hand," special public prosecutor Atul Shrivastava argued on quantum of sentence.

Legal aid counsel Dinesh Sharma, who represented the convicts, sought leniency for them on the ground that they were aged in 20s and belonged to poor background and minimum sentence of 20 years for the offence would be enough for them.

Additional Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar II, after hearing arguments on the quantum of sentence, reserved the order for tomorrow.

During the hearing, the five convicts were also present in the court.

The court, on June 6, has convicted Mahender alias Ganja (25), Mohd Raja (25), Raju (23), Arjun (21) and Raju Chakka (30) for the offences under sections 376 (D) (gang rape), 395 (dacoity), 366 (kidnapping), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of IPC.

The sixth accused, 56-year-old Shyam Lal had died in February this year and proceedings against him were abated.

Three other accused in the case are juveniles and inquiry against them is in progress before the Juvenile Justice Board.

According to the prosecution, the five men, all vagabonds, had robbed and gang-raped the Danish tourist at knife-point on the night of January 14, 2014, after leading her to a secluded spot close to the Divisional Railway Officers' Club near the railway station.

Bombay HC to announce its verdict on Udta Punjab on Monday. Arguments conclude in Udta Punjab censorship row with the Court set to pass the order on June 13.

The Bombay High Court reminded Pahlaj Nihalani, chief of the Central Board of Film Certification, that his job is to certify films not censor them.

Nihalani is in the eye of the storm for the 89 cuts he has inflicted on Bollywood film "Udta Punjab", whose producer Anurag Kashyap and his Phantom Films have taken the board to court over it.

"The word censor is not anywhere in the act. Your power is to certify films for public exhibition," the court observed today.

The Udta Punjab makers have agreed to delete the scene showing the protagonist urinating, but have refused to delete the explitives.

"Adult with Caution' or 'A/C' may be a new category for certification for films with excessive adult content, according to a recommendation by the Shyam Benegal Committee on Cinematograph Act/ Rules in an interim report submitted to Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley on April 26.


"Films with 'A/C' will have restricted viewing as they can't be screened at cinema halls located near residential areas. We do not want to deny the filmmakers the right to screen their movies. When you do that, the movies go underground," said veteran filmmaker Benegal, speaking a day after watching Udta Punjab, which he described as a "well-made' movie, at a special screening.

Read more

#UdtaPunjab: Court to CBFC: Do you see the word censor anywhere in the act? If you want to see something, use the remote. All this is giving unnecessary publicity to the film.


Filmmaker's lawyer gives example to court: Delhi belly, Bandit Queen, Gangs of Wasseypur, they too had been passed. We have got the trailer passed with the same word 'Chita Ve'.

Revealing his choice of partner for the men's doubles event at the Rio Games, India's tennis star Rohan Bopanna has picked young Saketh Myneni over the legendary Leander Paes on Friday.

This means Leander Paes' hopes of a record 7th Olympic appearance seem to have ended.

In a letter to All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Olympic selection, Bopanna has made his choice of nominating his doubles partner on Saturday.

Bopanna has secured a direct entry for Rio Olympics courtesy his top-10 ranking.

Just in: Rohan Bopanna chooses Saket Myneni as his doubles partner for Rio 2016.

First reactions from Censor Board chief Pahlaj Nihalani: "Won't comment till the hearing is over, but it is up to the court now. Our job is over."

And the final rap on the knuckles... the Bombay High Court tells the CBFC, "Your job is to certify films, not censor." 

A day after Shyam Benegal gave a thumbs up to Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab, the makers of the film have another reason to rejoice as Bombay High Court has stood by creativity and asked CBFC to give reasons for suggesting 89 cuts.

On Day 2 of the hearing, the court told CBFC, "A multiplex audience is mature enough to watch Udta Punjab. Whether it is TV or cinema, let the people see it. Everybody has a choice. Why are you concerned?"

A CBFC lawyer tells the court that it opposes the dialogue "zameen banjar to aulaad kanjar", saying it is abusive. "The word "kanjar" is very offensive to use and the way it has been used is objectionable. 'Kanjar' can be replaced as the word throws a bad light on the state that Punjab is an "upjau" (fertile) state.

Justice SC Dharmadhikari who is hearing the case said yesterday that he was stunned about the entie hue and cry on the part of CBFC for calling the film anti-Punjab. He questioned the Censor Board, "Has drug menace never been portrayed on celluloid? Some may be crude, while some may be artistic. How does this signboard insult anyone?"

On Wednesday, the producers of Udta Punjab moved the Bombay High Court against the CBFC for advising 89 cuts and giving an A certificate to the film.

The hearing is still on.

An elderly Hindu ashram worker was today hacked to death by suspected Islamists in Bangladesh, becoming the fourth person from the minority community to be killed in a series of brutal attacks on secular activists in the Muslim-majority nation.


Nityaranjan Pandey, 60, who was working as a volunteer for the past 40 years at the Thakur Anukul Chandra Satsanga Paramtirtha Hemayetpurdham Ashram, was murdered this morning in Pabna's Hemayetpur Upazila.

Pandey was taking his routine morning walk when several machete-wielding attackers hacked him in the neck, killing him on the spot only 200 yards away from the ashram, Pabna's police superintendent Alamgir Kabir told PTI over the phone.

It appears, he said, the same group which carried out the recent clandestine attacks on secular and liberal activists and religious minorities killed Pandey.

It's taken over a month for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to visit the parents of Aditya Sachdeva, the student shot dead by the son of a JD-U MLA.

"Nitish Kumar has visited Aditya Sachdeva's house and met his parents and assured them justice during his day-long visit to Gaya town to attend official functions," a district police official said.

Rocky Yadav, the son of JD-U MLA Manorama Devi, has been arrested as in judicial custody. Rocky, whose real name is Rakesh Ranjan Yadav, is accused of killing the Class XII student for overtaking his car. According to the police, Rocky has confessed to the murder, which took place on the night of May 7.


Aditya's parents -- Shyam Sundar Sachdeva and mother Chanda Sachdeva -- have expressed dissatisfaction over the probe and had said the case was progressing at a tardy pace. They had also parents demanded Nitish Kumar visit them and assure them of speedy justice.


According to district officials, Nitish Kumar has told Aditya's parents that the police has been doing its work and they will get justice. "Nitish Kumar told them that the police investigation into the case is on the right track and police have already framed a chargesheet within a month of the incident as promised and a speedy trial will begin," officials said.


The Bihar CM said last month that his government would not spare anyone found guilty and stern action would be taken as no one is above the rule of law.

Rocky's mother Manorma Devi, who surrendered in the court last month in a case related to the recovery of liquor bottles in her residence, was granted bail by the Patna high court early this week.

#UdtaPunjab row: Hearing begins in Bombay High court.

DMK leader M Karunanidhi's son, M K Stalin, has accepted an invitation from the Seychelles government to participate in the India Day celebrations on October 4. "Seychelles tourism and culture minister Alain St Ange met Stalin at his residence on Thursday and invited him to participate in the India Day celebrations," said a statement released by Stalin's office.

The Foreign Office in South Block is in celebration mode after an MoU was signed between India and the US to facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians into the US at selected airports. Naturally, it's being called as the "Modi USA effect" and the foreign office has been speculating that it may mean that Indians will not be frisked at airports.

From September 2017 onwards, students, businessmen, industrialists, film artistes and journalists travelling from India to the US will not be frisked at US airports.


The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Ambassador to US, Arun K Singh and Kevin K McAleenan, Deputy Commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection.


The Indian government will come up with a list of nearly 2,000 important personalities who will be allowed hassle-free immigration at US airports.


In 2012, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a New York airport for over two hours by immigration officials after arriving from India in a private plane with Nita Ambani, to address students at Yale University.

While Nita, wife of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, and the rest of their group were cleared immediately, Khan was stopped and was given immigration clearance only after about two hours.

An Indian woman working with an NGO was kidnapped in Afghanistan capital Kabul on Thursday night, sources said.

Times of India reports: Delhi Police arrests four contract killers who were allegedly hired to kill Chhota Rajan, reportedly by Chhota Shakeel

ANI reports: Fire breaks out near Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, 3 fire tenders at spot

Taking dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati on Thursday dubbed as false the party's love for Dalits and said leaders dining with Dalit families was a 'purely political act'.

"Why don't they dine with them without prior information," the Shankaracharya of Dwarkapeeth and Shardapeeth questioned.

"For political gains, a new tradition of Dalit bathing at Kshipra river in Ujjain was established. There is no differentiation on the basis of caste, creed or colour in rivers, temples and religious places," he argued.

Terming BJP's love for Dalits as 'false', he said political leaders dining with Dalit families was a purely political act.

On May 31, Shah had a meal with a Dalit family in Jogiyapur village in Sevapuri assembly segment in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

Shah, who was on his way to Allahabad to address a farmers' rally, took a brief halt at Jogiyapur and had lunch with the family of Girjaprasad Bind and Ikbal Bind.

The BJP chief sat on the ground with the family membersand shared the meal with them.

'Delete your account,' Hillary Clinton's snarky tweet to her White House rival Donald Trump was among the funniest of the campaign.

Almost as funny as it was awkward. The message by the 68-year-old secretary of state -- actually penned by a young staffer, a Clinton aide told AFP -- was in response to the latest broadside by Trump, who had commented on how 'Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary' yesterday.

Social media ate it up, and within 90 minutes the message was re-tweeted 145,000 times, making it 'now the most re-tweeted tweet of the campaign!' according to Clinton's social media director Alex Wall.

With 'Delete your account', Clinton, who has struggled to connect with young voters, embraced the quick-witted dry humor of America's millennials.

But it also triggered ferocious comebacks from her critics over use of a private email account while she served as America's top diplomat -- a scandal she has been unable to shake.

Leaders like Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee had congratulated former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi after he floated a new political party quitting the Congress, his associate said on Thursday.

'Leaders from different states have congratulated Jogi over phone after he announced on June 6 that he would form anew party,' Jogi's political secretary Ashok Sharma said in a statement.

These leaders included Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, and Yuvajana, Shramika, Rythu Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said.

They hoped that with the formation of a regional party, importance of Chhattisgarh at the national level will increase, Sharma said.

Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan, who is facing flak over his comments on Dadri incident, today condemned Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sadhvi Prachi's comment that 'it is time to make India Muslim free'.

"Such comments should not be made. I condemn it. It is wrong to make such statements," Balyan, Union minister of state for agriculture, said.

Known for courting controversies, on Tuesday the VHP leader has claimed in Roorkee in UP that the mission of a Congress-free India has already been 'accomplished' and it is 'now time to make India Muslim-free'.

On Sadhvi Prachi's another statement that Yogi Adityanath should be made Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Balyan said, "I am not the right person to comment on it."

The newly launched semi-high speed Gatiman Express, which runs between Delhi and Agra rammed into the dead end and hit the platform buffers at the Agra Cantonment station on Thursday.

'The Gatiman Express arrived at platform number six. The driver was pulling the train backwards. The buffer touched the dead end. Due to that, there have been minor damages,' Railway Officer Bhupinder Dhillon said.

Dhillon further stated that there have been no damages to the coaches of the train and that an investigation would be done in the matter.