Lavasa is learnt to have written to the Chief Election Commissioner that he will be recusing from EC meetings as his dissent was not being recorded on clearances given by the poll panel to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged poll code violations. 

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked whether the EC will save itself more embarrassment by recording Lavasa's dissent notes, as he accused PM Modi of "muzzling" democratic institutions. 

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said there must be a credible investigation into the issues raised by Lavasa, alleging that the sanctity of the electoral process and the institutional integrity of the Election Commission was in jeopardy. 

"There must be a thorough credible enquiry into the issues raised by Mr Lavasa and restoration of the Commission's independent status as the watchdog of world's largest democracy. Mr Lavasa's letter -- contents of which have appeared in the media -- is extremely serious.

"The sanctity of the electoral process and the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India is in jeopardy,' said Patel on Twitter. 

Another senior party leader, P Chidambaram, said the EC has been "captured" by the Modi government. 

In a series of tweets, he said, "Mr Ashok Lavasa, EC, complained that his 'dissent' was not being recorded and hence decided to stay away from meetings of the Commission. The CEC has replied that silence is eloquent. I am still trying to find the connection between the complaint and the answer! 

"CEC tells the people that some matters are best kept 'internal'. Is he saying that the people -- the voters -- should not know or be concerned about the manner in which the Commission is conducting its business? 

"There is no need for any more proof that another independent institution has been captured by the Modi sarkar."

India has offered full support to Sri Lanka in dealing with the common threat of 'Jihadi terrorism' following the deadly Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed nearly 260 people, including 11 Indians.

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Friday also discussed the prevailing security situation during his recent meeting with two top-ranking Buddhist monks at Sri Dalada Maligawa or the temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, Indian High Commission in Colombo said in a statement.

"High Commissioner....discussed the prevailing security situation with the Most Venerable Mahanayake theros and offered India's full support to Sri Lanka in dealing with the common threat of Jihadi terrorism," the statement said.

The High Commissioner also paid respects at Sri Dalada Maligawa and received the blessings of the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatu Chapter and the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter in Kandy, it said.

Both the Mahanayake Theros deeply appreciated India's unconditional and strong support for Sri Lanka, including in the security sphere, the statement said.

Sandhu also conveyed greetings on the auspicious occasion of Vesak to the Most Venerable Mahanayake Theros and recalled the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka for the International Vesak Day celebration in 2017 and the exposition of the sacred Sarnath Relics in Sri Lanka in 2018.

Sri Lanka has declared two days of holidays for nation-wide celebrations of Vesak, or the commemoration of the birth, enlightenment and passing away of the Gautama Buddha.

Both the Mahanayake Theras deeply appreciated India's unconditional and strong support for Sri Lanka including in the security sphere, it said.

Indian authorities shared  intelligence with Sri Lanka before the serial blasts rocked the neighbouring country. However, Sri Lankan authorities failed to act on the intelligence inputs.

Nine suicide bombers, including a woman, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others.    -- PTI

Trinamool Congress leader and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday sent a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the alleged derogatory remarks made against him at a public rally on May 15 in Diamond Harbour.

'Your speech, punctuated by false, malicious, and defamatory content, was an embodiment of political calculation and mischievous intent. Your imputations were deliberate and mala fide, perpetrated through thinly-veiled references of 'Bhatija' (nephew) and 'Didi' while being fully aware that Mamata Banerjee is referred to as 'Didi' and my client himself is the only nephew of the said Banerjee who is involved in public life and is the sitting MP from Diamond Harbour,' read the letter from Abhishek Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu.

Calling all the allegations against Abhishek as 'slanderous, malicious and false', the lawyer said: 'In your speech, you referred to my client as a 'Gunda' or 'goon'. Such statements, other than being attempts to deceive the public through rhetoric, are hardly appropriate for a person holding your position.

'My client denies all your claims and challenges you to provide proof of such deliberate misstatements.'

In the letter, the lawyer also stated that Prime Minister Modi threatened to lock Abhishek's office after the results of Lok Sabha elections are announced.

'In the event an unconditional apology is not issued to my client within 36 hours of receipt of this notice, my client will be constrained to initiate appropriate proceedings against you in accordance with the laws of this country without any further notice,' the letter read.

'The aforesaid is without prejudice to my client's other rights and contentions,' the letter added.

Addressing a rally in Diamond Harbour on May 15, Modi hit out at Banerjee for her 'anarchist behaviour' in the state and said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's office will be 'locked' up soon after the results of Lok Sabha polls.   -- ANI

In a far cry from last year's situation, 26 reservoirs in Maharashtra have reached 'zero storage' as on May 18, according to statistics put out by the Water Conservation department of the state government.

The department's website informed that water storage in Aurangabad Division, which comprises Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Parbhani and Osmanabad districts, was 0.43 per cent as against 23.44 per cent at the same time last year.

The dams in these division are Paithan, Manjara, Majalgaon, Yeldari, Siddeshwar, Lower Terna, Sina Kolegaon and Lower Dhudna, all of which have zero storage at the moment, the department informed.

The storage in these dams in May last year was 34.95 per cent in Paithan, 21.24 per cent in Manjara, 17.5 per cent in Majalgaon and 52.03 per cent in Lower Terna.

Other dams that have hit the zero storage level as on May 18 are Kadakpurna and Pentakli in Buldhana, Gosikhurd, Dina and Nand in Nagpur Division, Upper Tapi Hathnur in Jalgaon, Waki, Bham, Bhavli and Punegaon in Nashik Division, Dibhe, Ghod, Pimpalgaon Joge, Wadaj and Temghar in Pune, Bhima, Kundali Tata and Lonavala Tata in Solapur, it informed.

Meanwhile, Tisgaon dam in Nashik and Totladoh in Nagpur have 0.01 and 0.08 per cent water respectively.

It said water storage in the state's 103 large, medium and small reservoirs stood at 11.84 per cent, against 23.73 per cent last year.

Sanjay Lakhe Patil, a social activist, alleged that the state government's distribution of fodder camps for cattle in the drought-affected regions was not proper. Terming it an 'animal farm' situation where only the fittest survive, Patil said, "Only the strong political leaders got cattle camps, fodder, water in their districts in large numbers, whereas drought relief should have been distributed equitably."

He added that drawing dead water stock would impact the safety of the dams.

Dead water storage refers to the water in a reservoir that cannot be drained using the dams outlets and can only be pumped out.

"There is no surface and ground water in most parts of the state. The water quality supplied through tankers is of very poor quality. This is affecting the health of children and pregnant women in the rural areas.

"The government was in election mode and ignored drought-relief measures. It is monitoring such work from AC offices," he alleged.

"The Central Water Commission has issued an advisory to the Maharashtra government stating that water storage is the lowest in reservoirs here in a decade.

"Monsoon prediction of the IMD and Skymet is about a delayed one. It will be disastrous if there are no rains in June," he claimed.

Patil had petitioned the Bombay high court on drought management under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.   -- PTI

A two-year-old girl died and three others were injured when the two-wheeler they were travelling on was hit by an MLA's car in Mulugu district of Telangana on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred this morning when the family was going to an Anganvadi centre at Jeeduvaagu village when the SUV belonging to Mulugu constituency MLA, Seethakka knocekd down their two-wheeler, they said.

While the girl died on the spot, her parents and sister suffered minor injuries, they added.

Seethakka rushed the injured to the hospital.

Investigation is on, police said.  -- PTI

Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu met leaders of the Samajwadi Party the Bahujan Samaj Party, continuing his efforts to put together a coalition to form the next government at the Centre.

Naidu reached the state capital after meetings in New Delhi with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Communist Party of India leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav.

Naidu met SP president Akhilesh Yadav first and later met BSP president Mayawati at her home on Mall Avenue, sources said.

The TDP chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

His TDP had been a part of the National Democratic Alliance and had quit the alliance a few months ago.

Opposition parties are pitching for a joint anti-Bharatiya Janata Party front to steer the next government.   --  PTI

Alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party was after his life, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that he will be assassinated like former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by his personal security officer.

"The BJP would get me murdered by my own PSO (Personal Security Officer) one day like Indira Gandhi. My own security officers report to BJP," Kejriwal told a news channel in Punjab.

"The BJP is after my life, they will murder me one day," he added.

Kejriwal was in Punjab to campaign for his party which is contesting on all seats in the state.

Earlier this month, he was slapped by a man during a roadshow in Delhi's Moti Nagar area on Saturday.

The Delhi Police had claimed that the culprit was a disgruntled AAP worker but the party blamed the BJP for the attack.  -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meditates at a holy cave near Kedarnath Shrine in Uttarakhand.

The PM trekked 2 km to the cave and on request of media allowed cameras to make initial visuals.

Sources said the PM will begin his meditation in a few hours which will last till tomorrow morning.

No media or personnel will be allowed in the vicinity of the cave.   -- ANI

A Central Reserve Police Force jawan, deployed at the  residence of former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi here,allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself from his service revolver, police said on Saturday.

Giriayappa Kirasoor, 29, a constable with 122 battalion of the CRPF, shot himself dead at the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader'shigh-security Circular Road bungalow on Friday, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Secretariat) A K Prabhakar said.

The body has been sent to the jawan's native villagein Bagalkot district of Karnataka, the DSP said.

The weapon, an Israeli made rifle, has been seized and investigations are on, he added.

According to reports, Kirasoor had a 'heated argument' over phone with his wife the previous day after which he was upset.  -- PTI

Police on Saturday filed a chargesheet against the accused in the Alwar gang-rape case in a court in Alwar.

Five accused had allegedly gang-raped a woman in front of her husband when she was going with him on a motorcycle on Thanagaji-Alwar road on April 26.

Another accused had shot a video clip of the crime and circulated it on social media.

"The chargesheet was filed Saturday against the accused," Additional Superintendent of Police Chiranjee Lal told PTI.

The first information report was lodged on May 2 and later the police arrested the five rape accused, Inderraj Gujar, Ashok Gurjar, Chotelal Gurjar, Hansraj Gurjar and Mahesh Gujar, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST Act.

Mukesh Gujar, who had shot and circulated the video, was also held under the IT Act.

The case had triggered widespread protests after the victim's husband alleged that there was a delay in filing the FIR with the police officers asking him to wait till the elections were over.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had met the victim in Alwar's Thanagji on Thursday and assured her of justice.  -- PTI

Three minor girls were raped in different parts of Rajasthan, including one in Alwar where the family members of the victim lynched one of the three accused, the police said on Saturday.

Aged around 15 years, the girl was allegedly gang-raped by three minors on May 14 in Hasraura village under Sadar Police Station of Alwar where the girl had gone to attend a relative's marriage.

"While one of the accused managed to flee, the other two were caught by the victims' family members and thrashed the next morning... Few hours later, one of them was found dead on the roadside," SP Paris Anil Deshmukh said.

"The family members of the victim and the deceased have lodged separate FIRs. The mother of the girl lodged an FIR against the three accused, the family members of the deceased registered a case of murder against the girl's brother and others," he added.

Deshmukh informed that both the accused were detained on Friday and will be sent to juvenile home.

In a separate incident, a six-year old girl was allegedly raped by her relative in Churu's Bhanipura area.

"The girl had gone to fetch water when the 14-year old accused took her to an isolated place and committed the crime on Friday. He has been detained," SHO of Bhanipura Police Station Malkiyat Singh said.

In another incident, an eight-year-old girl was raped in Khurd village of Dholpur on Thursday.

"The victim was staying at her maternal grandfather's home where the accused, identified as Parvesh, 18, raped her. He was caught today (Saturday)," SHO of Mahila Thana-Dholpur Yashpal Singh said.  -- PTI

Stressing that Mahatma Gandhi is above power and politics, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi on Saturday said people like Pragya Singh Thakur are killing the soul of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party should expel her from the party.

His comments came after Malegaon blast accused and BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Thakur lauded Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as a 'patriot' in an election rally in Madhya Pradesh.

She later apologised for her statement, saying she respected Gandhi and his work for the country cannot be forgotten.

'Godse had killed Gandhi's body, but people like Pragya are killing the soul, non-violence, peace, tolerance and the soul of India. Gandhi is above all power and politics.

'The BJP leadership should forego its interest of any small benefit and immediately take her out of the party in compliance with the Raj dharma,' Satyarthi, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, tweeted.

Thakur on Thursday had said, "Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain a patriot. Those who call him a terrorist should look within they will get a reply in this election."

She made the remarks reacting to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's comments calling Godse as the first Hindu terrorist.

Thakur, who is facing trial in the Malegaon blast case that killed six people, has apologised for the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said he will never forgive Thakur for calling Godse a true patriot.

In April, the BJP candidate had claimed that police officer Hemant Karkare had died in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai as she 'had cursed him" due to "years of mental and physical torture' he gave her.   -- PTI

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora issues statement on Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa recusing himself from EC meetings to discuss poll code violations:

The three members of EC are not expected to be template or clones of each other, there have been so many times in the past when there has been a vast diversion of views as it can, and should be.

But the same largely remained within confines of ECI after demission of office unless appearing much later in a book written by the concerned ECs/CECs.

I personally never shied away from a public debate whenever required but there is time for everything.

An unsavoury and avoidable controversy reported in sections of media today about internal functioning of ECI in respect of handling of Model Code of Conduct, Arora said in the statement.

A media report claimed that Lavasa, who disagreed with the poll panel's decisions to clear Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah of charges of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), has since May 4 recused himself from all meetings to discuss MCC issues.

Lavasa has reportedly insisted that he will do so only after dissent notes and minority decisions are included in the orders of the commission.

The Congress also hit out at the Modi government on the issue, saying erosion of institutional integrity is the hallmark of the present dispensation.

The Election Commission or Election Omission! Another Dark Day for Democracy! Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, tagging the media report.

Sh Ashok Lavasa, Member CEC, who dissented on multiple occasions when EC was busy giving clean chits to Modi-Shah duo, opts out of EC as the ECI even refuse to record dissent notes, he said.

Erosion of institutional integrity is the hallmark of the Modi government, Surjewala alleged.

SC Judges going public, RBI Governor's resigning, CBI Director getting removed, CVC giving vacuous reports, Now dividing Election Commission! the Congress leader said in another tweet.

Will EC save the embarrassment by recording Lavasa's dissent notes, he asked.

Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress president Rahul Gandhi and discussed firming up an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party front to keep the saffron party out of power after poll results are declared.

Before meeting the Congress chief, Naidu, who is spearheading an effort to cobble up an anti-BJP front, met Communist Party of India leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja.

He is scheduled to meet Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav in the national capital later in the day.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister is also scheduled to meet Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow in the evening.

In an hour-long meeting with Gandhi, sources said, Naidu discussed the impending need to bring together all parties which are against the BJP after the Lok Sabha election results are declared on May 23.

Sources said Naidu also told Gandhi to have a strategy ready in case the BJP falls short of numbers and still stakes claim to form the government.

Naidu is also in touch with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over the phone on this issue, the sources added.

On Friday, Naidu had said that not only the Telangana Rashtra Samiti but any outfit which is against the saffron party are welcome to join a grand alliance after the election results are declared.

He had also met Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as well as Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury on the matter.

The seven-phase polling will end on Sunday and the counting of votes will be done on May 23.  -- PTI

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sunny Deol for allegedly violating of the model code of conduct.

Poll officials took serious note of a public meeting held by Deol in Pathankot on Friday night, after the silent period come in force.

They also found that a loud speaker was used in the public meeting in which around 200 people were present.

In the notice, it was pointed out that by holding a public meeting during the silent period, Deol has violated the model code of conduct.

Election campaign is completely banned 48 hours before the polling process. Polling in all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on Sunday.

Deol is pitted against Congress's Sunil Jakhar from the Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency.   -- PTI

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir even if it stays in power for 100 years at the Centre.

"The BJP will not remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir even if it stays in power for 100 years at the Center, I can assure you. It was in no mood to do that even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power," Azad told reporters addressing an election rally on Friday.

Azad was campaigning in Haroli along with Congress' star campaigner Acharya Pramod Krishnam and party's MLA Mukesh Agnihotri.

He also said Azhar Masood's release by the BJP government was not a major point in the ongoing elections.

"Masood Azhar's release by the previous BJP government is not an important point in the ongoing elections. These are useless points being raised just to create drama, our topics for elections used to be whether poverty has been wiped out, unemployment ended," he said.

The senior Congress leader also said Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the Prime Minister's post was important but it would be achieved through consensus.

"We are aiming for 273 plus seats so that there is no confusion but even if we don't achieve that we would like to form the government with the other parties. Rahul Gandhi, being the leader of the biggest party in the country, would be an ideal candidate for the PM post," he said.

Earlier on Friday, Azad appeared to have made a u-turn saying his party must be given a chance if a stable government is needed at the Centre, in remarks that came a day after he had said that Congress was only keen on defeating NDA and the prime minister's post was not its primary concern. -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand. 

Modi will also go to the Badrinath shrine during his two-day visit of the state.

Early in the day, PM Modi arrived at the Jollygrant airport after he finished his whirlwind election campaigning on Friday ahead of Sundays final phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha polls.

The portals of the both the shrines were reopened for devotees after winter break early this month. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in  Kedarnath to pay obeisance.

   

The prime minister's visit to Uttarkahand comes a day after campaigning for the general election came to a close.

A former official of the Central Intelligence Agency was on Friday sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment on charges of spying for China.

 

The former official, Kevin Mallory, was convicted under the Espionage Act for selling classified US "defense information" to a Chinese intelligence agent for USD 25,000.

 

"Former US Intelligence officer Mallory will spend the next 20 years of his life in prison for conspiring to pass national defense information to a Chinese intelligence officer," Assistant Attorney General John Demers said.

 

This case is one in an alarming trend of former US intelligence officers being targeted by China and betraying their country and colleagues, he said.

 

"This sentence, together with the recent guilty pleas of Ron Hansen in Utah and Jerry Lee in Virginia, deliver the stern message that our former intelligence officers have no business partnering with the Chinese, or any other adversarial foreign intelligence service," Demers said.

 

Mallory, 62, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2018 of conspiracy to deliver, attempted delivery, delivery of national defense information to aid a foreign government and making material false statements.

 

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in March and April 2017, Mallory travelled to Shanghai to meet with an individual, Michael Yang, who held himself out as a People's Republic of China think tank employee, but whom Mallory assessed to be a Chinese intelligence officer.

 

Mallory, a US citizen who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, consented to an FBI review of a covert communications (covcom) device he had been given by Yang to facilitate covert communications between the two.

 

Analysis of the device revealed a number of communications in which Mallory and Michael talked about classified information that Mallory could sell to the PRC's intelligence service.

 

FBI analysts were able to determine that Mallory had completed all of the steps necessary to securely transmit at least five classified US government documents via the covcom device, one of which contained unique identifiers for human sources who had helped the United States government. -- PTI

A day after election campaign ended, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday begin his two-day visit to Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines in Uttarakhand. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission is learnt to have given its nod to Modi's proposed visit to the Himalayan shrines.

The EC also "reminded" the prime minister's office that the model code of conduct is still in force. 

   

The prime minister's office is learnt to have sought the views of the Election Commission on the two-day official visit of Modi to Uttarakhand.

 

As it is an official visit, the commission has only "reminded" the PMO that the model code of conduct which came into force on March 10 with the declaration of Lok Sabha polls, is still in force, sources aware of the development said.

 

The last and seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls is on May 19.

 

"The visit is official so it can be undertaken. But the office of the PM has been reminded that the poll code is still in force," a source said without elaborating.  

Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Uttarakhand beginning May 18. While he will be in Kedarnath Saturday, he will visit Badrinath on Sunday before returning to the national capital in the afternoon. 

A terrorist was shot dead in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama early this morning.

Acting on specific information about the presence of terrorists in Panzgam area of Awantipora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there, a police official said.

The body of the terrorist was found during a post-encounter search.

Taiwan's parliament has become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage following a vote on Friday.

In 2017, the island's constitutional court ruled that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry.

Parliament was given a two-year deadline and was required to pass the changes by May 24.

Lawmakers debated three different bills to legalise same-sex unions and the government's bill, the most progressive of the three, was passed.

Thousands of gay rights supporters gathered in the rain outside the parliament building in the capital, Taipei, to await the landmark ruling.

There were shouts of joy and some tearful embraces as the result was announced.