Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the Balakot air strike continue to be under the examination of the Election Commission to ascertain whether they violate its directive to political parties against using the armed forces in their campaign, sources said on Friday.

The Commission is understood to have sought certain details from poll authorities in Maharashtra in this regard. Local poll authorities are learnt to have told the EC here that Modi's remarks are prima facie violative of its orders on armed forces.

Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra's Latur on April 9, Modi said, "Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike." "I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan. Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)."

The EC had sought the report in the context of an advisory issued last month asking parties to desist from indulging in political propaganda involving actions of the armed forces.

"...parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces," the Commission had said on March 19.  -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj on Friday told people that if they do not vote for him, they will face divine displeasure, prompting the police to lodge an first information report against the priest-turned-politician.

"If you ensure my victory, I will work for you, otherwise do 'bhajan-kirtan' in temple," he said at an election meeting at Sheshpur village in Sihramau area.

"I am a 'sanyasi'. When a 'sanyasi' comes to your door and asks for 'bhiksha' (alms), and is not heard, he takes away all the happiness of the family and transfers his sins onto them," he added.

"I am quoting from sacred scriptures. I am not asking for money or land. I am here to seek votes with which fate of Indians will be changed," he said.

Taking a serious note of the controversial comments, city magistrate Rakesh Kumar Gupta said a case has been registered against the Bharatiya Janata Party MP at Sihramau police station under Indian Penal Code Section 171C (undue influence at elections) and relevant sections of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Unnao will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29.  --  PTI

Amidst intense global pressure to rein in terror outfits, Pakistan on Friday launched guidelines for implementing the United Nations Security Council 1267 Sanctions targeting UN-proscribed individuals and entities in the country.

The guidelines will help meet international obligations against people and groups targeted by the UN, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua said Pakistan had to be mindful of fulfilling its international legal obligations, including the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Sanctions.

She expressed hope that the guidelines would assist all stakeholders in better discharging their responsibilities for the effective implementation of the UN Sanctions.

The guidelines were prepared by the National Committee for overseeing implementation of Sanctions against individuals and entities designated by the UN Security Council 1267 Al Qaida/Da'esh Sanctions regime and Security Council 1988 (Taliban Sanctions regime), the FO said.

The guidelines have been formulated in consultation with stakeholders and in compliance with international standards especially the requirements of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Pakistan is under intense global pressure to rein in terrorist outfits operating from its soil after the Pulwama attack.  -- PTI

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday termed a reported letter written by over 150 military veterans to President Ram Nath Kovind a 'disgusting act by grand alliance', saying it reflected disappointment and nervousness of the Opposition.

Expressing outrage over the 'use' of the armed forces for 'political purposes', military veterans have written to Kovind to seek his intervention in preserving the apolitical character of the services.

The letter, dated April 11, carries the names of eight former service chiefs but two of them -- former Army chief General (retd) S F Rodrigues and Air Chief Marshal (retd) N C Suri -- said they have not signed it.

"It is a proof that how disgusting acts are being done by a gathering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A letter in the name of ex-servicemen has surfaced which is not signed by those whose names appear in the letter," Javadekar told reporters.

"The letter which was not sent to the president is sent to media houses. There cannot be a more shameful incident than this," he said.

On Income Tax Department's raids on the premises of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's aides, the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll in-charge for Rajasthan said the Congress has started scams within 100 days of coming to power in MP.

He added that the party should clarify the source of the unaccounted cash seized in the raids.  -- PTI

Actor Urmila Matondkar, who is contesting as a Congress candidate from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat against sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gopal Shetty, on Friday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders to discuss about her poll campaign.

Matondkar met MNS's North Mumbai vice president Nayan Kadam and other local leaders.

"Had a strong strategic meeting with the MNS leaders. It's exhilarating to see the strength multiplying everyday. It's their trust that will make my journey towards the victory an incredible one," she said in a statement.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray himself is in Nanded to campaign against Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Pratap Chiklikar.

During his 'gudhi padwa' address to party workers last week, Thackeray lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, and said it did not matter to him if his campaign against the saffron party benefited the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

State congress president Ashok Chavan is the sitting MP from Nanded and is seeking re-election.  -- PTI

The Prime Minister's Office has called an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis in private airline Jet Airways, which is facing acute financial woes.

According to sources, the meeting has been called after Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu asked the secretary of the department to review issues concerning Jet Airways.

Crisis-hit Jet Airways is facing acute financial crunch and has grounded several of its flights and stopped international operations.

The drastic measure was announced after the airline informed the exchanges that it was forced to ground 10 more planes due to non-payment of rentals to the lessors.  -- PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party is capable of defeating both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in Delhi and an alliance is possible with the Congress only when it will be done on 33 Lok Sabha seats, said AAP leader Gopal Rai on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the Congress announced that it will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi alone, but maintained that it is still willing to have an alliance with the AAP provided that the tie-up is restricted only to the national capital.

The AAP, in turn, wanted such an alliance to extend to Haryana and Punjab as well.

"We want alliance on all 33 seats with the Congress and not three seats in Delhi. We are capable of defeating the BJP and the Congress on our own in Delhi. If an alliance has to be there, it has to be on 33 seats," Rai said.

Another AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party was even ready to make the Congress its senior partner in Haryana, but now it has moved ahead.

However, sources said there was still a slim chance of an alliance as the AAP might offer a 5:2 seat sharing formula in Delhi, where the party would contest from five seats and the Congress from two seats.

Congress' in-charge for Delhi P C Chacko said the Congress will go alone in Delhi since the AAP has taken an 'impractical stand'.

He, however, said, "We are still ready (for alliance) if the AAP is willing to have an alliance in Delhi alone. We want to fight the BJP together."  -- PTI

Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Friday claimed that poll strategist Prashant Kishor had met her husband Lalu Prasad with the proposal that the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United merge together and the new entity thus formed declare its 'prime ministerial candidate' ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

If Kishor denies having met Prasad with such a proposal, he is speaking a 'blatant lie', she said.

"I got infuriated and asked him to go away as I had no trust left in Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar following his betrayal," the RJD national vice-president, who is also the leader of the opposition in the legislative council, told a regional news channel in Patna.

Kumar had in 2017 walked out of the Grand Alliance, which was formed upon his party's partnership with the RJD and the Congress.

He re-joined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

"All our staff and security personnel deployed here are witnesses. He called on us at least five times, mostly here (her 10, Circular Road residence), and one or two times at paanch number (5, Deshratna Marg - the bungalow allotted to her younger son Tejashwi Yadav)," Rabri Devi said.

"Kishor was sent by Nitish Kumar with the proposal - 'let us merge both parties and declare a prime ministerial candidate'. He came in broad daylight and not clandestinely in the dark of night," she asserted.

Expressing displeasure over Kumar's claim that the RJD supremo keeps talking to Kishor from jail, she said, "Even we, (family members), do not get an opportunity for a telephonic talk with him (Lalu Prasad). And what about the claim by Anant Singh that while he was in jail, Lalan Singh (minister) used to arrange his telephonic talks with Nitish."

A mafia don-turned-politician who represents Mokama assembly segment, Anant Singh was earlier considered close to the Bihar chief minister, but fell out with him prior to the 2015 assembly polls.

His wife Neelam Devi is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as a Congress candidate from Munger, where she is pitted against JD-U's Lalan Singh -- a state minister and close aide of the chief minister.

Anant Singh made the claim in a recent interview to a local news portal. Notably, in his recently-published autobiography, Prasad had claimed that Kishor -- now the JD-U national vice-president -- had met him as an emissary of Nitish Kumar with the proposal that the chief minister's party be re-inducted into the Grand Alliance.

Kishor, who became a full-time member of the JD-U in September last year, took to Twitter admitting that he had met Prasad 'many times' before joining the party, but added, "If I were to tell what all was discussed, he (Lalu) would be quite embarrassed".  -- PTI

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday hit back at the Congress over its allegations that she 'falsified records' of her educational qualifications, saying she will continue to work hard for Amethi no matter what its leaders say.

Dubbing Irani a 'serial liar', the Congress also alleged that she submitted contradictory affidavits to the Election Commission for which she should be disqualified.

"In the past five years, there has not been any attack which has not been made against me by the Congress and its 'chele chapate' (stooges), nor is there any bad word or disrespect which has not been hurled at me," Irani said when asked to comment on Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi's swipe at her qualifications through a spoof on her hit TV serial.

"I have a message for them... as much as you try, I will work for Amethi against the Congress. No matter what you say, the more you harass me, the harder I'll work," she said, adding that the Congress supporters were targeting her because she was taking on the 'Namdar' (dynast), referring to Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier, Chaturvedi also alleged that Irani was misusing her influence and power as a Union minister.

"Union Minister Smriti Irani, who had been rubbishing Opposition's claim that she is not a graduate, yesterday accepted that she enrolled for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did not complete it," the Congress leader said.

The Union minister and BJP candidate for Amethi Lok Sabha seat, Irani on Thursday submitted to the Election Commission that she did not complete her graduation from the Delhi University.

In her affidavit filed during her nomination, Irani, who is contesting against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, said she passed secondary school examination in 1991 and senior secondary school examination in 1993.

Irani has said she did not complete her Bachelor of Commerce (Part-I) -- a three-year degree course -- from Delhi University's School of Open Learning in 1994.

In her 2004 affidavit, she had claimed that she is a graduate.

There was a controversy when her 2014 affidavit contradicted her own claim.  -- PTI

After rising over 200 points intra-day, the 30-share BSE Sensex finally settled 160.10 points, or 0.41 per cent, higher at 38,767.11, led by FMCG, auto and banking stocks. The broader NSE Nifty rose 46.75 points, or 0.40 per cent, to 11,643.45. 

During the week, the Sensex fell 95.12 points or 0.24 per cent, while the Nifty shed 22.5 points or 0.19 per cent. "General elections and upcoming Q4FY19 numbers will remain the crucial triggers for the market in the short term. 

On the earnings front, we expect that a low base effect, turnaround in profitability of corporate lending banks and healthy growth in earnings of energy companies are expected to largely drive aggregate Sensex earnings," said Hemang Jani, Head - Advisory, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas. 

ITC was the biggest gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying 3.14 per cent. Maruti Suzuki, Axis Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Vedanta, Asian Paints, M&M, HUL, Bajaj Auto and PowerGrid were among the other top gainers, rising up to 2.13 per cent. On the other hand, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance, L&T, Tata Motors, IndusInd Bank, Tata Steel, HCL Tech and ONGC were among the top laggards, shedding up to 1.71 per cent.

Image courtesy: KBK News Graphics

"Congress is saying that they will repeal the sedition law. I want to ask you all, should we forgive those anti-nationals who are trying to break the unity and social fabric of our country?" he asked. 

"If it's within our powers, we will make the sedition law even more stringent. We will make such a strict law that it would send shivers down their spine. (Agar hamara bas chaley toh rashtradroh ko aur kadaa hum banayenge, taaki iss kanoon ki provisions ki yaad aate hee logo ki rooh kaanpe... aisa kanoon banayenge)," Singh said.

The senior BJP leader also attacked former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his demand for a separate prime minister for the region. "I want to tell these leaders that if you continue to raise such demands, then we will be left with no other option than to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution. We don't want such an India," said Singh. 

He also blamed former PM Jawaharlal Nehru for the Kashmir crisis. "Had Pandit Nehru given full powers to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to handle the issue, we might have got a solution at that time," said Singh.

Speaking on the performance of the Modi government, Singh said, "I do not want to claim that we have uprooted the corruption completely. But, our government has definitely taken some decisive steps towards that direction." The minister claimed that nobody could doubt the commitment and integrity of Modi. -- PTI

His last rites were performed at Lodhi Crematorium in Delhi. Kapoor was best known for the 1989 show "Fauji" which chronicled the training of an Indian Army commando regiment. Sharing a throwback photo with Kapoor on Twitter, Shah Rukh said the director played an important role in making a "Fauji out of a boy". "He loved me so much. Encouraged me. And today if I am used to being mollycoddled on sets it's because of this man who made a 'Fauji' out of a boy, like his own. Will miss you Sir...always. May you find peace in your new mission," he said.

In reply to Shah Rukh's tweet, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur recalled that Kapoor had introduced the actor to him. "Yes, I remember well the day the 'Colonel' brought you to my house during 'Fauji'. 'Watch this young man,' he said. And he was so right. What a wonderful compassionate man," Kapur wrote.

To this, Shah Rukh said Kapoor was always very "jovial" and "full of life". "Somehow in the midst of all stresses he had a way that could make you smile away your troubles. One of those people you assumed will never leave your side cos he was so full of life," he wrote. According to reports, Kapoor passed away due to age-related issues. He was 87. -- PTI

Modi branded the earlier government (Siddaramaiah's) as a "10 per cent commision" government, but now with Congress and JDS joining hands, it had become a "20 per cent commission government." He asked whether the Lok Sabha elections was about "nation first or family first," as he attacked the dynasty politics of several anti-BJP parties. 

Modi also asserted that there was a wave across the country favouring the return of his government. In the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on Thursday, the opposition parties would not be able to sustain, Modi said. "Phir Ek Bar...." Modi said, and the huge crowd roared in approval saying, "Modi Sarkar. 

The Prime Minister also drew huge applause when he spoke in Kannada towards the end of his speech, hailing every strata of society and asking them to say Chowkidhar'. -- PTI

The court questioned the CBI for not sending the LRs till now even though it had passed in January the order dismissing the pleas of Asthana and two others seeking to quash the FIR.

Justice Mukta Gupta said the document, to be filed through Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee, should also include when the requirement of issuing LRs came to the knowledge of the investigating officers and the details of the CBI officers who spent last 2-3 months on it.

-- PTI

The Panaji assembly constituency was represented by Manohar Parrikar for long and a bypoll is being held on the seat following his death last month. Utpal Parrikar is being rumoured to be the BJP's candidate from Panaji, where by-election is slated on May 19. 

However, Utpal Parrikar is yet to publicly speak about contesting from the constituency won by his father multiple times since 1994. Sardesai, whose Goa Forward Party (GFP) is a partner in the BJP-led ruling coalition, maintained it is up to Utpal Parrikar to decide if he wants to contest the bypoll. 

"I am of the opinion that Parrikar's legacy has to be kept alive but by whom is the question," Saresai told reporters Thursday when asked whether he supports Utpal Parrikar's candidature for the Panaji bypoll. 

"First is whether Utpal is interested... if he is interested then certainly he becomes the rightful heir to his father's legacy," the deputy chief minister added. However, Sardesai said the final decision on candidature has to be taken by Parrikars family and the BJP. On Thursday, Utpal Parrikar told PTI he has been asked by the BJP to campaign for its candidate in the North Goa Parliamentary constituency.

Clearly, dynastic politics is not a Congress legacy. 

Image: Utpal performs the last rites of his father Manohar Parrikar. 

With Pakistan using heavy weaponry and 120 mm mortar bombs targeting civilian areas, people have been advised to stay indoors, officials said. 

"At about 0830 hours, Pakistani Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC in Swajian sector of Poonch," PRO defence said. 

The Indian Army is effectively retaliating, he said. 

Three persons, including two women, identified as Tasveer Akhtar, 19, and Shabina Akhtar, 18, of Chapprian village, were injured in the Pakistani shelling and they have been hospitalised, officials said. A house of one Gani Mir suffered damages in Chapprian-Sawjian forward belt, they said. 

As Pakistani army often targets civilian areas, people of the Chapprian-Sawjian area are demanding construction of bunkers for their safety. We are living along the zero line near the border fencing but have no protective enclosures like bunkers, said Abdul Rashid of Chapprian village. -- PTI

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi also accused Irani of misusing her influence and power as a Union minister. "Union Minister Smriti Irani, who had been rubbishing Opposition's claim that she is not a graduate, yesterday accepted that she enrolled for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did not complete it," Chaturvedi said.

She should step down and also be disqualified from contesting the polls, Chaturvedi said. "We have no issue with the fact that Smriti Irani is not a graduate. The issue here is that she has lied repeatedly on oath and to the courts. People of India will see through these lies and give a befitting political reply to a 'serial liar'!" It is clear that she has not only "falsified records" of her degrees but has submitted contradictory affidavits to the EC for which she is guilty of offence under Section 125A read with Section 33 of the Representation of Peoples Act, Chaturvedi said.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it will hear the plea filed by the biopic's producers. The poll panel had on Wednesday banned the screening of the biopic during the current poll period, saying any such film that subserves the purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed in the electronic media. The Commission, in a separate order, had also directed the producers "not to exhibit the film titled 'PM Narendra Modi' till further orders.

The Commission's order came on April 10, a day before it was to be released, coinciding with the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. 

Votes for all 543 seats will be counted on May 23 after the end of the seven-phase polling on May 19. 

Acting on the complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the poll panel had asserted that any biopic material with the potential to disturb the level playing field should not be displayed in the area where Model Code of Conduct was in force. The copy of the order was also sent to the Central Board of Film Certification chairman and Secretary, Information and Broadcasting ministry.

"It is claimed that such creative contents are kind of surrogate publicity by the candidate or the political party during the period of model code. Though the display materials claim to be part of creative content, it is contended that these have propensity and potentiality to affect the level playing field which is not in consonance with the provisions of the model code of conduct," the EC had noted. 

The order had specifically stated that in view of the admitted acts and material available on record, this film being a biopic on Narendra Modi, "prime minister and a political leader and a prospective candidate in the current general elections" can not be exhibited in view of Commission's order. 

The EC order came after the apex court on Tuesday disposed of the petition filed by a Congress activist seeking stay on the release of the biopic, saying the poll panel was the right forum to decide the issue. 

The Modi biopic, starring Vivek Oberoi and directed by Omung Kumar, tells the story of PM Modi's rise to power from his humble beginnings. PTI

In Cooch Behar (SC), 83.88 per cent electorate cast their votes till 6 pm Thursday, while Alipurduar (ST) seat registered 83.70 per cent polling, he said. No incident of violence was reported from any part of the two constituencies and the first-phase of the seven-phase election in the state was largely "peaceful", he said. 

The ruling Trinamool Congress as well as the opposition BJP and the Congress, however, complained that polling was not undertaken in a free and fair manner in the two parliamentary seats. 

Two of the 156 veterans, who are signatories to a letter sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan expressing concern on the politicisation of  the armed forces, say they have not signed the letter. General SF Rodrigues who is mentioned as the first signatory in the letter purportedly written by armed forces veterans to President Ram Nath Kovind, denies signing it. "Don't know what it (the letter) is all about. All my life, we've been apolitical. After 42 years as an officer, it's a little late to change. I have always put India first. Don't know who these people are. This is a classic manifestation of fake news."

Air Chief Marshal NC Suri, also an alleged signatory to the letter tells ANI: "This is not Admiral Ramdas' letter. It has been written by some Major Chaudhary.  He has written this and it was coming on WhatsApp & emails. To put an end to it, I wrote that armed forces are apolitical and support the politically elected govt. And no, my consent has not been taken for any such letter. I don't agree with whatever has been written in that letter. We have been misquoted."

Rashtrapati Bhavan also denies receiving any letter written by armed forces veterans to the President which is circulating in the media. 

A group of retired officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force have allegedly written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to urgently direct all political parties to stop using the services to further their political agenda."We hereby respectfully urge to take all necessary steps to urgently direct all political parties that they must forthwith desist from using the military, military uniform or symbols, and any actions by military formation or personnel, for political purposes or to further their political agendas," the letter said on Thursday.

The 156 signatories include eight former service chiefs - General Sunith Francis Rodrigues, Shankar Roy Chowdhury Deepak Kapoor, Admiral Laxminarayan Ramdas, Vishnu Bhagwat, Arun Prakash, Suresh Mehta and Air Chief Marshal NC Suri. 

Image: File pic: Air Chief Marshal NC Suri

Helmed by Anand Mangnale and Bilal Zaidi, Our Democracy aims at bringing clean money into the murky world of campaign funding.

Mangnale has worked on the campaign of Jignesh Mevani, volunteered for Irom Sharmila when she contested the Manipur state election in 2017 and consulted on campaigns of couple of candidates in rural Maharashtra.

Co-founder Bilal Zaidi is a former journalist who has also worked with the Global Campaign Organisation Avaaz and worked on United States Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign.

"If we look at our own country's history, Gandhiji took Re 1 donations from people for the Congress during the freedom struggle," Anand Mangnale, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih in an e-mail interview.

Read the interview here. 

Before her entry to politics, Irani was best known for the Balaji Telefilms soap, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. 

Using the signature lines of the serial, Chaturvedi said, "A new serial is going to come, 'Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi'; Its opening line will be 'Qualifications ke bhi roop badalte hain, naye-naye sanche mein dhalte hain, ek degree aati hai, ek degree jaati hai, bante affidavit naye hain.

"Smriti Irani ji ne apne educational qualifications ko lekar ek cheez kaayam ki hai ki kis tareeke se graduate se 12th class ke ho jaate hain, wo Modi sarkar se hi aur Modi sarkar mein hi mumkin hai."

Irani, in her affidavit for 2014 polls, she had reportedly said she graduated from the university in 1994, triggering a row over the veracity of her claim, with opposition parties alleging she was not a graduate.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused any interim stay on the electoral bond scheme and directed all parties to submit details of political funding to the Election Commission in "sealed covers".

The court's interim order, asked political parties to give details of donors who donated through electoral bonds, the amounts received from them, the details of payment received on each bond etc., to the Election Commission by May 30.

The top court was hearing pleas by the CPI(M) and the NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) challenging the scheme. Appearing for petitioner ADR, advocate Prashant Bhushan had earlier said that according to the Election Commission figures, bonds worth Rs 210 crore of the total Rs 221 crore purchased had gone to the BJP.

However, objecting to it, Attorney General K K Venugopal said Bhushan was making an election speech. 

Responding to queries from the apex court earlier, he had said transparency cannot be the mantra and my opinion is voters have the right to know about their candidates why should they know where the money of political parties is coming from.

The BJP-led NDA government had announced electoral bonds in the earlier budget, claiming that the scheme would clean up political funding. On Thursday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley defended the use of electoral bonds, saying that if the donors are asked to disclose names of political parties to whom they give money, it would result in return to the earlier system of usage of cash and black money in political funding.

Speaking to ANI, one of the fishermen said, "Many of us accidentally cross the border while some go to that side knowingly for catching fish. I was in Pakistan for about 17 months. We were always confined in a particular cell and were never allowed to venture out. We were clearly told to stay in the definite cell for our own safety."

Another fisherman Vikram said, "I was caught accidentally while we were sleeping on over boat. The boat had accidentally crossed inside their border."

The fishermen were brought to Vadodara through train from Amritsar by the state fisheries department.

In an unprecedented move, over 150 veterans of the Indian armed forces, have written a letter to the President Ram Nath Kovind complaining about the manner in which the ruling party has taken credit for cross-border military ops and the claim that armed forces are 'Modiji ki Sena'   

The letter, made public yesterday, on the 1st day of polling in the Lok Sabha elections, is signed by among other veterans, three former Army chiefs, four former Navy chief and a former Air Force chief.  

The letter, urges President Ram Nath Kovind "to take all necessary steps to urgently direct all political parties that they must forthwith desist from using the military, military uniforms or symbols, and any actions by military formations or personnel, for political purposes or to further their political agendas."

This is the full text of the letter:

Remember in 2014, Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat CM landed himself in a soup by displaying the BJP lotus symbol and making a speech in a polling booth in violation of electoral laws following which police filed an FIR against him.

Image: The selfie at a poll booth with the BJP symbol when Narendra Modi was the party's PM candidate in 2014. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three mega rallies today in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will also hold a rally in Tamil Nadu.

Making history of sorts, polling in some booths in Andhra Pradesh continued till midnight on Thursday as the total voter turnout reached nearly 80 per cent, capping hours of tension and clashes that left two dead and scores of others injured.

The polling concluded around midnight in some polling stations in Guntur, Krishna, Nellore and Kurnool districts as authorities allowed all the voters standing in queues at 6 pm to cast their votes.

Malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines and clashes led to the delay in about 400 polling stations in different parts of the state.

Tension prevailed in Mangalagiri constituency in Guntur district, where Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son and Telugu Desam Party candidate staged a protest against the failure of election authorities in making proper arrangements. Leaders of opposition YSR Congress Party staged a counter protest.

Tension was also palpable at a booth in Vijayawada and in Kurnool district due to the clashes between rival groups.

As many as 25 incidents of violence marred polling for simultaneous elections to the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.

US President Donald Trump has said he is considering a potential third nuclear summit with North Korea's leader.

  

"We will be discussing that and potential meetings, further meetings with North Korea and Kim Jong Un," Trump said in the Oval Office at the start of talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday.

A third summit would follow on Trump's historic breakthrough last year, when he met Kim in Singapore, and a follow-up this February in Hanoi that ended without progress in getting North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.

Both Trump and Moon are heavily invested in bringing North Korea out of the cold. But the unsuccessful summit in Vietnam was a setback for the two allies that has yet to be resolved.

The Supreme Court will today deliver its verdict on a plea challenging the validity of electoral bonds. 

The plea, filed by an NGO, has sought that either the issuance of electoral bonds be stayed or the names of donors be made public to ensure transparency in the poll process.

During Thursdays hearing, the top court had contended that if the identity of the purchasers of electoral bonds meant for transparent political funding is not known, then the efforts of the government to curtail black money in elections would be "futile".

The Centre had vehemently supported the scheme in court, saying the purpose behind it is to eliminate the use of black money in elections and asked the court not to interfere with it at this stage and examine the whether it has worked or not only after the elections. 

"So far as the electoral bond scheme is concerned, it is the matter of policy decision of the government and no government can be faulted for taking policy decision," the government told the bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.

The bench asked Attorney General KK Venugopal, representing the government, as to whether bank knows the identity of purchasers at the time of issuing the electoral bonds.

Venugopal answered in affirmative and then said the banks issue bonds after ascertaining KYC, which is applicable for opening the bank accounts. 

The Centre and the Election Commission had taken contrary stands in the Supreme Court on Wednesday over political funding with the government wanting to maintain anonymity of the donors of electoral bonds and the poll panel batting for revealing the names of donors for transparency.

Seeking to assuage concerns over the orbital debris created by India's A-SAT test, Defence and Research Development Organisation chairman G Satheesh Reddy on Thursday again assured that the mission was planned in a way that the resulting fragments will decay in a few weeks and there was no threat to the ISS.

 

Speaking at the Vivekananda International Foundation, a think-tank, Reddy said the location for the test was "well away" from the International Space Station.

"The debris will decay in a few weeks. That's how the whole mission was planned," he said.

Noting that the A-SAT test was an exemplary effort reflecting India's indigenous defence technology, the Defence and Research Development Organisation chief said more than 50 industries participated in the mission contributing 200 components to make the mission a success.

India shot down one of its satellites in space on March 27 with a ground-launched anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, joining the elite club of countries -- the US, Russia and China -- which have such capabilities.

The A-SAT test was successfully conducted with a new interceptor missile against a live orbiting satellite in the Low Earth Orbit in a hit-to-kill mode.

This had raised concerns about the threat the debris will pose to global space assets, including the ISS.

During his address on Thursday, Reddy emphasised that India has to become self-sufficient in areas like making bulletproof jackets to manufacturing composite materials. -- PTI