After rechristening Allahabad, Mughalsarai and Faizabad, another city in Uttar Pradesh is headed for a name change. This time it is Sultanpur. 

In a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Ram Naik has endorsed the name change of Sultanpur to Kushbhawanpur, after the name of lord Rams son Kush.

The Governor, in the letter, has referred to a book 'Sultanpur Itihas ki Jhalak' (A glimpse of history of Sultanpur). The book claims that the town was established by Lord Rams son Kush. The book was presented to the governor by a delegation from Sultanpur, which also submitted a memorandum. 

The delegation demanded to change the name of the city to restore its past glory and also a heritage city status for Sultanpur. 

Uttar Pradesh, under chief minister Yogi Adityanath, has changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Shri Ayodhya. The iconic Mughalsarai junction was also renamed to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya station.

Railway Board Chairman VK Yadavon  Sunday wrote to all zones, asking them to remove all kinds of political advertising from railway premises after a series of instances of violation of the model code of conduct.

  

The message sent to all zonal general managers and divisional railway comes days after railways had to explain why tickets issued to passengers had photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the MCC had come into force.

Just two days ago, a tea cup bearing the BJP' election campaign slogan "main bhi chowkidaar" created a furore.

"Dear GMs/DRMs, any advertisement having photograph of any political leader on railway ticket, any other railway stationery, railway coaches, railway stations, any other railway premises should be immediately removed and advertising agency should be suitable informed," the message from Yadav says.

EC sources on Saturday said that Railways have been asked to explain the prima facie violation of the model code of conduct. It has also been asked to explain the person responsible for the tea cups carrying the chowkidar slogan.

The EC is learnt to have invoked the 'party in power' clause of the poll code in the case as it could be averred that party in power' is using government transporter for election publicity.

"Reports that tea has been served in cups labelled as 'main bhi chowkidar' have been investigated. This was without any prior approval of IRCTC. Explanation has been sought from Supervisor/Pantry Incharges over lack of devotion to duty. One lakh fine has been imposed on the service provider. Show cause notice has also been served to the service provider for this misconduct," IRCTC had said in a statement on Friday.

This particular cup was found on board 12040 Kathgodam Shatabdi. Tea was served twice in these cups.

In a first three-way amalgamation, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will merge with Bank of Baroda from April 1 to create the third-largest lender of the country.

As a result, branches of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will function as BoB outlets from Monday onwards.

"Customers including depositors of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will be treated as customers of Bank of Baroda with effect from April 1, 2019," the Reserve Bank of India had said in a statement on Saturday.

To make merger a smooth affair, the government last week decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore in BoB to enhance its capital base to meet additional expense.

According to the Scheme of Amalgamation, shareholders of Vijaya Bank will get 402 equity shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares held. In the case of Dena Bank, its shareholders will get 110 shares of BoB for every 1,000 shares.

The government in September last year announced the first-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with a combined business of Rs 14.82 trillion, making it the third-largest bank after State Bank of India and ICICI Bank.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs Twitter account is indeed probably one of the most witty accounts among other politicians in India. 

On Sunday, when a Twitter user commented on the social networking site that her tweets are actually done by some PR professional, Swaraj instantly replied that it was her, and not her ghost.

An user with Twitter handle @samitpadhy said, Certainly its not Sushma Swaraj who is doing this tweets. Some PR guy is doing his / her duty for what they being paid for !! (sic).

"Rest assured - it's me, not my ghost," said the tech-savvy minister.

Recently, she proved that she is master of comebacks once again, when a troll tried to target her by questioning the precedence of Chowkidar before her name in Twitter. She shot back, by tweeting, Because I am doing Chowkidari of Indian interests and Indian nationals abroad.

Her reactions have been winning hearts of the Twitterati all across the country.

Swaraj is known for her personal engagement with people on Twitter in addressing their concerns. She has often earned praise for reaching out to distressed Indians through her social media profile.

Chowkidar is a spirit, a sentiment, PM Modi said in his speech at a town hall programme at the Talkatora Stadium.

Accusing the BJP of indulging in "despicable politics", Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Sunday alleged that the ruling party had conspired to field Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat to divide the Dalit votes.

  

Azad had announced earlier this month that he will contest the general elections from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency.

"With the ill-intention of dividing Dalit votes & taking advantage, the BJP has conspired to field Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar from Varanasi LS seat. This organisation was formed under BJP conspiracy & with its anti-Dalit mindset, it is now indulging in despicable politics," Mayawati said in a tweet.

"The BJP tried hard to help Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar join the BSP as its mole but failed in its conspiracy. It is very imperative in the national interest to dislodge autocratic, despotic anti-Dalit, OBC & minorities BJP from power. Pls ensure no vote goes waste. My Appeal," she added.

Later, in a statement, the BSP chief said, "Each and every vote of the Dalits is important to remove the arrogant, autocratic, casteist and communal BJP from power. This should not be allowed to go waste, so that one regrets in future and life does not become hell."

Azad launched his Lok Sabha campaign with a roadshow in Varanasi on Saturday. He accused Modi of only favouring the rich and "harassing" small borrowers and poor.

The Dalit leader declared at the roadshow that the countdown to Modi's defeat had begun.

A major crisis at the struggling carrier Jet Airways was averted on Sunday after its pilots body National Aviator's Guild deferred to April 15 its call of halting operations.

  

The decision was taken at an open house meeting of NAG members that took place both in Mumbai and Delhi Sunday afternoon, a guild source said.

The NAG, which claims representation of around 1,100 pilots of the total 1,600 with the full service carrier, last month announced that its members will not fly from April 1 unless their pending salary dues were cleared and a clarity on future payments was provided by March 31.

Jet Airways has been defaulting on salary payments to pilots, engineers and senior management since August last year.

The loss-making airline, which is now under the ownership of SBI-led consortium of lenders following a debt-recast plan, Saturday said it could remit only the remaining amount of December salary to pilots and others.

Jet Airways engineers have also reportedly threatened to stop work from April 1 if their dues are not cleared by March 31.

The court martial proceedings against Major Leetul Gogoi, who was at the centre of the 2017 'human shield' controversy, have been completed and he may face reduction in seniority as a punishment for "fraternising" with a local woman in Srinagar last year, officials said.

The court martial process against his driver, Sameer Malla, who was facing charges of unauthorised absence from the unit, was also completed recently in the Kashmir valley and he is likely to be given a "severe reprimand". 

Malla was recruited in the Territorial Army in 2017 and he was posted with 53 sector of Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-insurgency force fighting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

After completion of Summary of Evidence against Major Gogoi and his driver in early February followed by the initiation of court martial proceedings, the two men have been held guilty on two counts -- "fraternising" with a local in spite of instructions to the contrary and "being away from the place of duty while in operational area", the officials said.

Statements of the accused as well as other witnesses were recorded by the army court and the punishment, which will be vetted by the Army headquarters, has been given, they added.

The Army Court of Inquiry  had recommended disciplinary action against Major Gogoi after it indicted him as well as his driver for the Srinagar hotel incident on May 23 last year. 

Major Gogoi was detained by police following an altercation with the hotel staff when he was allegedly trying to enter inside with an 18-year-old woman. 

The woman had expressed her unwillingness to depose during the court martial proceedings and informed the army authorities that she had given a statement before a magistrate and the same should be treated as her final stand.

Lt General D S Hooda (retired), the main architect of the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir on Sunday submitted a report on national security to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, over a month after he was tasked by the party to come out with a vision document.

 

The former northern army commander was made the head of a 'task force on national security', set up by Gandhi in February to prepare the vision paper for the country.

"Lt General D S Hooda (retired) & his team have put together a comprehensive report on India's National Security, that he presented to me today. This exhaustive report will at first be discussed & debated within the Congress party," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress chief thanked Hooda and his team for their effort.

The retired army officer headed the panel set up by the party and prepared the paper in consultation with a select group of experts.

 

After meeting Gandhi, Hooda said, "The Congress president had constituted a task force on national security headed by me. I prepared a national security strategy document and today submitted it to him."

On September 29, 2016, the Army had carried out the strikes on seven terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in retaliation of an attack on its base in Uri earlier that month.

Among the threads being investigated in the February 27 crash of an IAF Mi-17 helicopter near Srinagar during a tense standoff with Pakistan include the possibility that it may have been "accidentally" shot down by Indian Air Defence System, officials said.

  

The officials, who are familiar with the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity, believe that the Indian Air Force helicopter may not have switched on the Identification Friend or Foe system which identifies the flying object to radars, whether it is a an enemy or one of its own. 

The IFF technology developed during World War II is an instrument within the aircraft or a helicopter which sends signals to nearby radars giving its identification signatures.

The IAF refused to comment on speculation that the helicopter, which crashed in Kashmir region killing all six personnel on board, may have been shot down by the air defence system which was on the highest alert after Indian air strikes at Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.

An IAF spokesperson would only say, "In any flying accident the Court of Inquiry looks into all possibilities before conclusively establishing the cause of an accident. In the instant case also, the ongoing Court of Inquiry is looking into every possibility that could have caused the accident. Before the court submits it's report it will be premature to comment."

The helicopter was flown by Sqdn Leader Siddharth Vashisht with other members Sqdn Ldr Ninad Mandvgane, Kumar Pandey, Sergeant Vikrant Sehrawat, Corporals Deepak Pandey and Pankaj Kumar. 

It crashed at Budgam after taking off from Srinagar airport at 10:10 am, soon after Pakistani air force jets had attempted to violate the Indian airspace at around 9.30 am on February 27.

Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas are not having a good time with each other and the couple is already headed for a divorce, claims a magazine.

According to OK! magazine, the 36-year-old actress and the 26-year-old singer are quickly falling out of love now that they are "starting to really get to know each other", reports gossipcop.com.

"They've been fighting about everything -- work, partying, spending time together. The bottom line is that Nick and Priyanka rushed into things...And now they're paying the price. Their marriage is hanging by a thread," said a source.

The source added that Nick believed the actress was "cool and easygoing" when they got married.

"But recently Nick has seen a controlling side to her. She also has a temper -- that's something Nick wasn't aware of until after the wedding celebrations."

According to the source, Nick's family is "begging him to end" the marriage as they initially thought Priyanka was "this mature woman who was ready to settle down and have kids", but they now feel she's a party girl who "acts like she is 21".

The source says a split could result in a major battle over money.

The couple got married in India in December last year. Priyanka and Nick had three-day wedding festivities at Jodhpur's royal Umaid Bhawan Palace, where they exchanged wedding vows as per both Christian and Hindu rituals in two separate ceremonies.

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2019, which are scheduled to be held in seven phases beginning from April 1, poll campaigns across the country have gathered heat.

Speaking at a rally in UP, BJP president Amit Shah said, "Congress vote bank politics hampered with the countrys security. Rahul Gandhi is now running to Kerala because he knows things wont work out for him in Amethi."

Earlier in the day, the Congress announced that their party chief would be contesting from a second seat in Wayanad besides Amethi in UP. 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised to provide special category status to

Andhra Pradesh, if the party was voted to power in coming Lok Sabha elections, and expressed surprise that parties in the state failed to 'aggressively' push the issue.

     

Assuring that his party would also launch a 'surgical strike' on poverty, the Congress chief said Nyay, his promise of a minimum income scheme, was a "non-violent weapon" that will be used to uplift the poorest.

     

Addressing his first election rally in the state, which goes to simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi said while the previous Congress-led UPA had created poverty eradication schemes, prime minister "Narendra Modi dismantled everything."

    

"He destroyed the pillars of MGNREGA and Food Security Act," the Congress chief said in his over 30 minute speech.

    

Terming his proposed minimum income scheme 'Nyay' as historic, he said it was the party's "non-violent weapon" against poverty.

    

Gandhi, whose party is contesting the polls in Andhra Pradesh alone, said while Modi did "surgical strikes against the poor" his party will carry it out against poverty.

A 27-hour countdown began on Sunday for the launch of India's EMISAT satellite along with 28 nano satellites of global customers from Sriharikota Monday, a mission which would witness the ISRO placing payloads in three orbits and conducting space experiments for the first time.

  

The EMISAT satellite is aimed at electromagnetic measurement.

 

The countdown began at 6.27 am for the launch on board Indian Space Research Organisation's third generation workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its 47th flight, ISRO said.

     

The four-stage PSLV-C45 will blast off from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota, about 125 km, at 9.27 am Monday, agency officials said.

     

The mission will mark several firsts to the credit of the space agency as it would manoeuvre satellites in various orbits and orbital experiments including on maritime satellite applications.

     

According to ISRO, a new variant of the rocket PSLV-QL equipped with four Strap-On motors in the first stage is used for the launch.

      

PSLV, also used in India's two key missions -- "Chandrayan" in 2008 and Mars Orbiter in 2013, is a reliable and versatile launch vehicle for ISRO with 39 consecutive successful flights till June, 2017 and five-in-a row from January 2018.

    

Absconding businessman Vijay Mallya on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for saying that he ran away from the country, while ignoring the fact that he has been a UK resident since 1992.

In a tweet, Vijay Mallya said, "Fact that I have been a UK resident since 1992 ignored. Suits the BJP to say I ran away."

Vijay Mallya also said that PM Narendra Modi mentioned in his interview that the BJP government has confirmed that they full recovered what Mallya owed the banks but the party spokespersons continue to target him over it.

"Saw PM Modis interview in which he takes my name and says that even though I owe Rs 9,000 crore to banks, his government has attached my assets worth Rs 14,000 crore," Vijay Mallya said.

"So, the highest authority has confirmed full recovery. Why do BJP spokesmen continue their rhetoric?" Mallya tweeted.

Vijay Mallya has been accused of defrauding a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore.

Thirteen coaches of the Chhapra-Surat Tapti Ganga Express derailed at Gautamsthan in Varanasi, officials said on Sunday.

  

No casualties have been reported. 

The incident took place at 9:45 am. 

Rescue operations are underway, officials said. 

Further details are awaited.

Thirteen coaches of the Chhapra-Surat Tapti Ganga Express derailed at Gautamsthan in Varanasi, officials said on Sunday.

  

No casualties have been reported. 

The incident took place at 9:45 am. 

Rescue operations are underway, officials said. 

Further details are awaited.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi to contest second Lok Sabha seat from Wayanad in Kerala besides his family stronghold, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

"Rahul ji has given his consent to contest from two seats, very happy to inform you that he will also contest from Wayanad in Kerala," senior Congress leader AK Antony said.

 

A 17-year-old girl in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra was allegedly killed by her father who was against her friendship with a boy studying with her in a college, police said on Sunday.

Jamkhed police station inspector Pandurang Pawar said they suspected it to be a case of 'honour killing'.

The girl used to frequently chat with the boy on phone and go to college with him on his two-wheeler, he said.

Her father Pandurang Shreerang Saygunde, 51, asked her several times to discontinue her friendship with the boy but the girl failed to heed his advice, he said.

On March 23, Saygunde, in a fit of anger, allegedly strangled his daughter to death at their home in Chondi village, located around 60 km from here, Pawar said.

He also allegedly tried to burn the body with the help of the girl's two maternal uncles and later lodged a missing complaint about his daughter at Jamkhed police station on March 24, he said.

The half-burnt body was found by the deceased's sister on March 25 near a water body close to their house, he said.

The police later sent the body for postmortem.

They questioned around 35 people and based on information and clues gathered in connection with the incident, Saygunde and the girl's two uncles - Rajendra Jagannath Shinde (30) and Dnyandev Jagannath Shinde (35) - were arrested on Saturday evening, Pawar said.

The accused were booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), he said, adding that a probe was underway into the case. -- PTI 

In an apparent setback to budget carrier IndiGo's international operations, it chief planning officer Micheal Swiatek has left the airline, a source said.

He is the second senior executive to part ways with the airline since December 2018.

Swiatek joined IndiGo early last year and was working on strengthening its overseas routes, the source said.

"Michael Swiatek, who moved to IndiGo from Chillean carrier Latam in February last year, has quit the job and left the country. He was working on IndiGo's international routes," the source said.

When contacted, an IndiGo spokesperson said Swiatek resigned from the airline due to personal reasons. 

"Mike has moved on from IndiGo and it was mutually agreed on personal reasons," the spokesperson told PTI.

Swiatek is the second senior executive after Cindi Szadokiersky, who was working as vice-president (airports), to have deboarded the largest local airline by domestic market share, in the last four months.

Szadokiersky quit the position last December.

IndiGo cited completion of contract period as the reason for her quitting the carrier. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today interact with people, who have pledged their support to the 'main bhi chowkidar' campaign in all parliamentary constituencies.

The prime minister will address the town hall programme at New Delhi's Talkatora Stadium at 5 pm today. 

As many as 5,000 people are expected to attend the town hall.

At the same time, PM Modi will interact with lakhs of people across the country, through video conferencing set up at more than 500 locations across the country.

Taking to the Twitter, Modi said: "The day we were most looking forward to is here! At 5 PM, lakhs of Chowkidars from different parts of India will interact in the historic Main Bhi Chowkidar programme. This is an interaction you must not miss."

Expressing confidence that vibrant professionals especially youngster will facilitate 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign with their presence, the PM said: "These professionals energise and strengthen India. It is their hardwork that is powering the rise of a New India in the 21st century."

'Main bhi chowkidar' campaign was launched on March 16 by Modi to counter Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's 'chowkidar chor hai' jibe.

Gandhi has been repeatedly hurling the 'chowkidar chor hai' (watchman is the thief) jibe at Modi to claim irregularities and favouritism in the Rafale fighter jet deal, a charge the BJP-led government has rejected.

India is becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which everything is controlled by the establishment, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday.  

 

The Peoples Democratic Party chief also said that invoking fear and terror to help the Bharatiya Janata Party win the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls was "fraught with dangers".  

"Invoking fear & terror to propel BJP to a victory this general election is fraught with dangers. After narrowly escaping a direct confrontation with Pak, efforts are on to punish minorities. India is becoming an Orwellian dystopia in which the establishment controls everything (sic)," she tweeted.

Her tweet came in response to BJP MP Hema Malini's remark that it will be dangerous for the country if Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't return to power as he alone has the courage to do what is right for the country. -- PTI 

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Saturday launched his Lok Sabha poll campaign, holding a roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi and declaring that the countdown to his defeat has begun.

 

Commencing his roadshow from the Kutchehri crossing after garlanding a statue of BR Ambedkar, the Dalit leader alleged the PM had only favoured the rich by waiving their loan worth billions of rupees, but "harassed" small borrowers and the poor. 

"The countdown to Modi's defeat has begun," he declared.

Modi came to power in 2014 making tall promises about creating crores of jobs but he rendered millions of people jobless during his five year tenure, he said.

He snatched jobs of over two crores youths of the country, Azad alleged. 

He announced he will contest the Lok Sabha elections against the Prime Minister from Varanasi.

Earlier, the district administration Friday granted Azad permission to hold roadshow between 11 AM-4 PM, from the Ambedkar Park at Kutchehri to the Ravidas Park in Lanka area.

Azad also visited the Sant Ravidas temple at Seer Govardhan with few of his supporters and offered prayers after police took a written submission that the roadshow had ended and he was visiting the temple in individual capacity.

Meanwhile, some college students tried to show him black flags during the roadshow but the police took them in custody and the roadshow proceeded in a peaceful manner uninterrupted. -- PTI 

Photograph: PTI Photo

Six persons were killed and another critically injured Sunday when a vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. 

 

The accident occurred at Ujhan-Dhandkote in Darhal area around 12.30 am when the driver of the private vehicle, which was on way to village Sabzi, lost control while negotiating a curve, a police official said. 

He said local residents launched a rescue operation immediately and were joined by police parties and a team of doctors and paramedics.

Four persons were found dead while three others were rescued in a critical condition, the official said, adding two of the injured succumbed at community health centre Darhal this morning. 

He said the critically injured person was referred to Jammu for specialised treatment. 

         

Rescue operation was completed by 3.30 am, the official said. -- PTI 

The affidavit filed on Saturday by Bharatiya Janata party chief Amit Shah while submitting his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat showed that his assets had grown over three times in the last seven years.

 

According to the affidavit, the movable and immovable properties of Shah and his wife stood at Rs 38.81 crore, up from Rs 11.79 crore in 2012.

 

The Rs 38.81 crore figure included inherited property, both movable and immovable, of Rs 23.45 crore, the affidavit states.

 

While Shah had Rs 20,633 cash in hand at the time of filing the papers, his wife possessed Rs 72,578.

As per the affidavit, Shah and his wife had Rs 27.80 lakh in several savings accounts, and fixed deposits of Rs 9.80 lakh.

Shah and his wife have a cumulative income of Rs 2.84 crore as per their latest Income Tax Returns.

 

Shah's affidavit mentions his sources of income as salary received as Rajya Sabha MP, rent on properties and income from agricultural activity.

In 2017, when Shah contested the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, he had declared assets worth Rs 34.31 crore. The latest affidavit, thus, puts the rise in his assets at Rs 4.5 crore since 2017.

While fighting the 2012 Assembly polls, Shah had declared that he along with his family, including wife Sonalben and son Jay (who was a dependent at the time), owned movable and immovable assets worth Rs 11.79 crore.

 

In Saturday's affidavit, Shah has mentioned that he and his wife's annual incomes, as per ITR of 2017-18, stood at Rs 2.84 crore, which comprised Rs 53.90 lakh for Shah and Rs 2.30 crore for Sonalben.

 

The income of Shah's wife more than doubled in a year as her 2016-17 ITR placed her annual income at Rs 1.05 crore.

Shah's income as per his 2016-17 ITR was Rs 43.68 lakh.

The affidavit goes on to inform that the BJP chief and his wife do not own a car.

 

It also stated that Shah had not pursued his Bachelor of Commerce degree beyond the second year.

 

Shah has further declared that though four criminal cases were pending against him, he has not been convicted in any of them. -- PTI

A civilian was critically injured Saturday as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by targeting forward posts and villages along the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

 

Mohammad Mushtaq was hit by splinters of a mortar shell which exploded near his house at Narala village in Mankote sector, the officials said.

 

They said the critically injured civilian was rushed to hospital.

 

A defence spokesman said the Pakistani Army initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling with mortar and firing by small arms from across the border in Mankote and Krishna Ghati sectors at around 2000 hours.

 

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he said, adding that the cross-border firing between the two sides was still continuing intermittently.

 

Seven persons including three soldiers were killed in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch since India's air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 in response to the February 14 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. -- PTI