Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he hurls "four quintals of gaalis" (abuses) at the grand old party everyday and targets its leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

  

Kharge was addressing a rally at Waghodia town in Vadodara district of Gujarat in support of Congress candidate Satyajitsinh Gaekwad. 

While the first phase of the assembly election was conducted on Thursday, the second phase will be held on December 5.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed a rally at Kalol town in Panchmahal district, where he said a competition was on among Congress leaders as to who will use the most abusive words against him. Last month, speaking at a public meeting in Hyderabad, Modi had said he receives "2.5-3 kg" of abuses everyday, but he turns the harsh remarks into positive energy.

 "Modiji repeatedly claims that we insulted him. He accuses me and other Congress leaders of using abusive words for him. Sometimes Modiji says he is poor. For how long you will keep saying this (that I am poor)? How is this possible when you have served as the chief minister of Gujarat for nearly thirteen-and-a-half years and have been serving as the PM for the last eight years?" asked the Congress chief. 

If Modi remains poor even after serving as CM as well as PM for two decades, then imagine the plight of Dalits, poor people and tribals, Kharge said. 

Accusing Modi of making such claims to get "sympathy", the Congress president asked him to raise the issue of development during polls.

"Modi claims that Congress gives him two kilograms of gaalis (abuses) everyday. The fact is that you give us four quintals of gaalis everyday. Sometimes you target me or Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi. Without giving us gaalis, you are unable to digest your food. But for the sake of citizens, we never say anything," Kharge said.

He said that had the Congress not preserved Indian democracy and Constitution for seven decades, then Modi and his friends could have never become prime minister and chief minister.

Kharge also accused the PM and his government of "selling" assets, which were created during the erstwhile Congress regime.

"Whatever we have created in the past, Modiji is selling everything, be it ports or airports. After selling such assets off, they ask us what we have done in the past 70 years. I want to tell him that you are selling whatever we have created," he alleged.

Voting on 93 seats, including Waghodia seat, will be held on December 5 in the second phase. -- PTI

The Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Superfast Express hit a cattle between Udvada and Vapi stations in Gujarat on Thursday evening, a railway official said. 

  

The collision caused a minor dent to the train's front panel, he added.

This is the fourth such incident involving the semi-high speed train on the route since it began operating two months ago.

Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway, said the incident occurred near level crossing gate no 87 between Udvada and Vapi around 6.23 pm.

"There was a minor dent in the front portion with no operational issues. The dent will be attended to tonight," he said. 

After a brief halt, the train resumed journey at 6.35 pm. -- PTI 

In a bid to reduce vehicular pollution, the Centre's air quality panel has directed Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to register only CNG and electric autos from January 1 and complete the phase out of the diesel ones in the National Capital Region by the end of 2026.

 

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) issued an order on Wednesday, saying the target was that only CNG and e-autos ply in the NCR from January 1, 2027.

It directed the three states to ensure registration of only CNG and e-autos from January 1 in the NCR and phase out diesel autos in a graded manner by the end of 2026.

The NCR covers Delhi, 14 districts of Haryana, eight districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Rajasthan.

According to the order, diesel autos in Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad and Gurugram will have to be moved out of service by the end of 2024.

Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Baghpat will have to do so by December 31, 2025. The deadline for the rest of the areas in NCR is the end of 2026.

Delhi had launched a programme in 1998 to convert its fleet of diesel auto rickshaws into CNG ones. No diesel-run auto is registered in Delhi at present.

The Delhi Transport Department had launched a scheme in October last year for registration of 4,261 e-autos.

Vehicles account for 40 per cent of PM 2.5 emissions in the capital.  

According to an anti-air pollution policy unveiled by the CAQM in July, vehicles not having a valid pollution-under-check certificate will not be given fuel at fuel pumps from January 1.   

The use of coal in industrial applications will also be banned from next year. -- PTI 

Five commandos of a battalion of CRPF's jungle warfare unit CoBRA were on Thursday injured in a gun-battle with activists of the banned CPI (Maoist) in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police said.

Three jawans suffered bullet injuries while two others had splinter injuries, SP Ashutosh Shekhar told PTI.

The injured security personnel have been airlifted to a hospital in Ranchi, and their condition is stated to be stable, he said.

        

Shekhar said several Maoists were also injured in the gunfight that broke out in a forest in Tonto area, after the red rebels opened fire on approaching security personnel, who were undertaking a search operation.

They, however, managed to escape through the dense forest, he said.

Security forces comprising joint teams of the CRPF and Jharkhand Police have been conducting a massive search operation in the area since the last two weeks to nab Maoist leader Misir Besra, who carries a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.

        

A large number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), along with arms and ammunition were seized during the operation. -- PTI 

One of the sons of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden has claimed that his father was training him to follow in his footsteps, making him fire guns as a child in Afghanistan and using his dogs to test chemical weapons.

In an interview with The Sun newspaper while on a visit to Qatar, Bin Laden's fourth eldest son Omar claims he was a "victim" and has tried to forget the "bad times" with his father. 

The 41-year-old, who now lives with wife Zaina in Normandy, France, recalls Bin Laden telling him that he was the son chosen to carry on his work. He, however, chose to leave Afghanistan in April 2001, just months before the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York.

"I said goodbye and he said goodbye. I'd had enough of that world. He wasn't happy that I was leaving, he tells the newspaper.

"I saw it," he says, with reference to chemical experiments conducted by his father's henchman.

"They tried it on my dogs and I wasn't happy. I just try to forget all the bad times as much as I can. It's very difficult. You suffer all the time," he said.

Now a painter, Omar believes his art is like therapy and his favourite subject is "mountains after living in Afghanistan for five years". His artwork reportedly sells for up to GBP 8,500 a canvas.

"They give me a safe feeling, like I'm untouchable," said Omar, born in Saudi Arabia to Bin Laden's first wife Najwa in March 1981.

"My father never asked me to join Al-Qaeda, but he did tell me I was the son chosen to carry on his work. He was disappointed when I said I was not suited to that life, he is quoted as saying.

When asked why he thinks his father chose him as his heir, he tells the newspaper: "I don't know, maybe because I was more intelligent, which is why I'm alive today."

His 67-year-old wife Zaina tells the newspaper Omar is her "soul mate" and believes he suffers from very bad trauma, stress and panic attacks.

"Omar loves and hates Osama at the same time. He loves him because he is his father but hates what he has done, she says.

According to the Sun report, Omar was in Qatar on May 2, 2011, when he heard the news that US Navy Seals had assassinated his father who was holed up in a Pakistan safehouse.

 The official US account is that Bin Laden's body was buried at sea from the supercarrier USS Carl Vinson within 24 hours of his death.

An inquiry found that jailed Delhi minister Satyendar Jain met with co-accused in a money laundering case as well as family members in Tihar Jail where he "misused" his position to receive VIP treatment, official sources said on Thursday.

In its report, the inquiry committee formed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena also claimed "collusion" between Jain and then Director-General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel over "VIP treatment" to the minister in jail.

No immediate reaction was available from the Aam Aadmi Party or Goel on the findings of the report.

Jain, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case on May 31, was being provided with various services in the jail by five inmates and other prison staff, a copy of the report revealed. 

Two of the inmates -- Rinku who was seen in a purported video giving a massage to Jain in his cell and Manish who provided fruits and outside food to Jain -- are accused under the POCSO Act for raping minors, it said.

According to the report, Rinku told the committee members that he had no training in massage or physiotherapy and worked as a supplier of mare for 'Ghudchadi' ceremonies in weddings.

Saxena formed the enquiry committee comprising the principal secretaries of Home, Law and Vigilance departments after the ED claimed in a city court that Jain was being provided with "special facilities" inside Tihar Jail.

The committee has also recommended "departmental proceedings" against Goel for "extending VIP treatment" to Jain. Goel was transferred after jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar accused him of taking money. Tihar Jail Superintendent Ajit Kumar has been suspended.

"...in violation of prison rules, Jain frequently held court in his room with co-accused in the money laundering case in which he was arrested. These co-accused included Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain, apart from Sanjay Gupta and Raman Bhuraria, who are accused in other cases filed by the ED," said the report.

The committee also found that Jain's wife and other family members "frequently" met him at "restricted places" in jail in "blatant violation" of the rules and with the "collusion" of senior prison officials, including Goel and Kumar.

The report cited eight meetings Jain had with his wife and other family members at Tihar from September 16 to October 13. -- PTI

Several parts of northwest India may see a warmer winter season primarily due to likely subdued activity of western disturbances, the Met office said on Thursday.

 

India Meteorological Department head Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said there could be variations in the temperature on a day-to-day basis and the impact on the wheat crop depends on the dynamic behaviour of the weather and the stages of plant life cycle.

Wheat is sensitive to high temperature during reproductive stages as compared to vegetative stages.

"During the upcoming winter season (December 2022 to February 2023), below normal minimum temperatures are most likely over many parts of peninsular India and some parts of central India and isolated parts of northwest India," the IMD said.

"Normal to above normal minimum temperatures are most likely over many parts of northwest India and most parts northeast India," it said.

Mohapatra attributed the higher-than-normal temperature in many parts of northwest India to likely subdued Western Disturbance activity and the penetration of easterly winds.

"The WD activity will be subdued. Hence, there will be less cloudiness and higher day temperatures. There could be penetration of easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal. It will lead to an increase in the minimum temperature but will not necessarily yield rainfall," Mohaptara said.

The IMD said minimum temperatures in December are most likely to be below normal over most parts of peninsular India, many parts of Central India and some parts of northwest India.

"Normal to above normal minimum temperatures are most likely over most parts of northeast India and some parts of east and northwest India," it said.

The Met office said normal rainfall is likely in December over peninsular India consisting of five meteorological subdivisions -- Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, Rayalaseema, Kerala and Mahe and South Interior Karnataka.

Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole in December is most likely to be below normal. -- PTI 

The government has planned to introduce 16 new bills, including the one which seeks to increase accountability and reform electoral process in multi-state cooperative societies, in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning December 7. 

 

The National Dental Commission Bill, which seeks to set up a National Dental Commission and to repeal the Dentists Act, 1948, is also in the tentative session agenda of the government.

The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, another measure the Health Ministry plans to introduce, seeks to set up a National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) and to repeal the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947.

According to a Lok Sabha bulletin issued on Thursday, the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is being introduced with an objective of strengthening governance, enhancing transparency, increasing accountability and reforming electoral process in the multi-state cooperative societies by supplementing existing legislation and incorporating the provisions of 97th Constitution amendment.

It also aims to improve monitoring mechanism and ensuring ease of doing business for multi-state cooperative societies.

The Cantonment Bill, 2022, is another draft law the government proposes to bring in the session which will conclude on December 29.

The cantonment bill relates to the administration of cantonments with a view to impart greater democratisation, modernisation and efficiency. 

It also seeks to achieve greater developmental objectives in alignment with municipalities across the country.  The Bill also intends to facilitate 'ease of living' in cantonments.

Another bill in the list is the Old Grant (Regulation) Bill, 2022. 

The purpose of the bill is to regulate land given under Governor General Orders of 1836, 1827, 1838, 1849 and 1851, including their transfer, subdivision and change of purpose. It also seeks to delegate powers for better management of such land. 

The bill aims to enhance ease of living while ensuring effective protection of government rights over the land.

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It also envisages to remove ambiguity in the applicability of the provisions of the Act, promote plantation in non-forest areas and conserve the forests.

The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which the government proposes to bring seeks to revise the provisions of the principal Act to reduce the regulatory compliance burden to the stakeholders without diluting the core principles of environment protection in coastal areas.

It also proposes to decriminalise "the offence(s)" under the Act and to expand the scope of the law to bring all coastal aquaculture activities under its ambit.

It also aims to remove difficulties and regulatory gaps in the Act for effective implementation, and to facilitate ease of doing business. -- PTI 

China relaxed its stringent zero-Covid restrictions in several cities after public protests and stepped up security across the country on Thursday as it braced for next week's high-profile funeral of former president Jiang Zemin who died a day earlier.

Flexible measures were implemented across China to ensure people's livelihoods amid the cold front, the official media reported.

After protests against zero-covid lockdowns, China's top industrial and business hub Guangzhou lifted temporary restrictions in some regions and officially allowed qualified close contacts to be quarantined at home instead of in temporary shelters.

Such announcements relaxing the Covid curbs were announced in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan besides several other cities, the official media reports said.

Beijing witnessed mixed lockdown covid policies. While some buildings went into lockdown on Thursday, all over the city people complained that many of the Covid testing centers have been closed following complaints of people getting infected while standing in long lines.

Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who headed the anti-covid fight for the past three years, has signalled a new chapter in the country's pandemic response with small, progressive refinements to restrictive measures, in a sign the zero-Covid policy may be gradually phased out.

In a meeting with experts from the National Health Commission on Wednesday, Sun also acknowledged that the Omicron variant is more transmissible but less deadly, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Sun said the country is facing a new situation and new tasks as the pathogenicity of the Omicron virus diminishes, vaccination becomes more widespread and experience in prevention and controls.

It is the first time a senior official has acknowledged the change in the nature of the virus without the usual caveat that Omicron could still lead to more deaths in China because of its large population an argument that has previously been used to justify the country's strong Covid-19 controls, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in Beijing, Shanghai and several other cities which witnessed anti-zero covid measures rattling the government as it prepared for next Tuesday's funeral of former Chinese President Jiang who died on Wednesday.

Deaths of top Chinese leaders including former premier Zhou Enlai and former General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Hu Yaobang followed mass protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

A Border Security Force jawan, who inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistani side on Thursday morning in the Punjab sector, has been handed over to the Indian authorities, a force spokesperson said.

   

The jawan was undertaking zero line checking along the India-Pakistan international border near BSF post G G Base in Abohar sector.

 

The jawan crossed over to the other side inadvertently due to dense fog and resulting "extremely poor visibility" around 6.30 am, the spokesperson said.

 

"He was safely handed over to the BSF during a flag meeting with Pakistan Rangers at 1.50 pm," he said. -- PTI 

The National Investigation Agency has taken over the probe into the November 19 Mangaluru auto-rickshaw blast that injured two, including the prime suspect, officials said on Thursday.

 

The Islamic Resistance Council (IRC), a little known outfit, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast, saying one of its "Mujahid brothers Mohammed Shariq" attempted to attack a "Hindutva Temple in Kadri".

In the incident, which took place under the Kankanadi police station area, the auto driver and alleged prime suspect Shariq were injured.

Police had called it an act of terrorism, invoking a stringent provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and held the passenger, Shariq, responsible for the incident. 

The Karnataka government wrote to the Union home ministry for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the incident. 

"As this is a scheduled offence under section 6 of the NIA Act, 2008, the matter is being submitted for further necessary action," the government wrote to the home ministry recommending the probe by the agency.

Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood had said the NIA and other central agencies are already working with the state police in cracking the case from day one even before getting a formal direction from the Centre.

For the "premature explosion" that led to Shariq's arrest, the IRC in a message, which went viral on social media, said such possibilities exist with "all military and subversive operations".  

Reacting to the message, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar had said police are verifying the genuineness of the avowed organisation and veracity of the contents of the message. -- PTI 

"I will stand and fight again, against what is wrong and for what is right," said Bilkis Bano, who has moved the Supreme Court challenging the remission and release of 11 convicts in the 2002 case related to her gangrape and murder of seven members of her family. 

 

Bano was 21 years old and five-month pregnant when she was gangraped while fleeing the 2002 Gujarat riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed.

In her two separate petitions, she has challenged the premature release of the convicts by the Gujarat government on August 15, saying it has "shaken the conscience of society".  

In a statement, issued on Thursday, she said, "The decision to once again stand up and knock on the doors of justice was not easy for me. For a long time, after the men who destroyed my entire family and my life were released, I was simply numb. I was paralysed with shock and with fear for my children, my daughters, and above all, paralysed by loss of hope."  

She added, "But, the spaces of my silence were filled with other voices; voices of support from different parts of the country that have given me hope in the face of unimaginable despair; and made me feel less alone in my pain. I cannot express in words what this support has meant to me."  

Bano said the support to her cause from different parts of the country has helped her in rekindling her faith in humanity and renewed her courage to believe again in the idea of justice.  

"So, I will stand and fight again, against what is wrong and for what is right. I do this today for myself, for my children, and for women everywhere", she said. -- PTI  

India on Thursday dismissed China's objection to the joint Indo-US military exercise near the Line of Actual Control in Uttarakhand's Auli, saying it did not give a veto to third countries on these issues.

 

Hitting back at China, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the joint exercises with the US in Auli has nothing to do with the 1993 and 1996 agreements with China.

"But since these were raised by the Chinese side, I must emphasise that the Chinese side needs to reflect and think about its own breach of the agreements of 1993 and 1996," Bagchi said responding to questions at the weekly briefing of the ministry.

"India exercises with whomever it chooses to and it does not give a veto to third countries on these issues," the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said.

The 1993 agreement deals with maintaining peace and tranquility along the LAC with China in the India-China Border Areas, while the 1996 pact was about confidence building measures in the military field along the LAC with China in the India-China Border Areas.

 

On Wednesday, China said it was opposed to the joint Indo-US military exercises and claimed that it violated the spirit of the two border agreements signed between New Delhi and Beijing.

The 18th edition of the India-US joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' is currently underway in Auli, about 100 km from the Line of Actual Control.

To questions on protests in parts of China against prolonged lockdowns and isolations to contain Covid, Bagchi said he would not comment on specific Covid strategies pursued by any country.

"We would hope that humanity as a whole is able to emerge fully from Covid at the earliest. But insofar as specific Covid strategies that each country may be pursuing, I might not like to get into that. Just like to hope that we are able to come out of Covid,' he said. -- PTI

A large number of people standing on both sides of the route welcomed Modi and greeted him with flowers during the roadshow that began around 5.20 pm. Standing on a specially-designed vehicle, the prime minister waved back at the crowd. 

The mega roadshow will cover the eastern side of Ahmedabad and ends at the IOC circle in the Chandkheda area on the city's western side, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in a release. 

The roadshow is scheduled to pass through various parts of the city, including Hirawadi, Hatkeshwar, Maninagar, Danilimda, Jivraj Park, Ghatlodia, Naranpura and Sabarmati. It will cover 13 seats of Ahmedabad city as well as Gandhinagar-South, the release said. 

Polling under the first phase of elections in 89 seats of Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions was held on Thursday, while the polling in the remaining 93 seats including 16 of Ahmedabad city will take place on December 5.

Due to the server being down at Mumbai International Airport, the crowd is slightly more than normal. The crowd is being managed well and there is no chaos as manual passes are being issued, the CISF at Mumbai international airport told ANI. 

Details soon.

Several buildings on Jawaharlal Nehru University campus were defaced on Thursday with anti-Brahmin slogans, photos of which were shared on social media.

   

Students claimed that the walls in the School of International Studies- II building were vandalised with slogans against Brahmin and Baniya communities.  

 

There was no immediate reaction from JNU Administration on the incidents.

 

Some of the slogans on the wall are "Brahmins Leave The Campus", "There Will Be Blood", "Brahmin Bharat Chhodo" and "Brahmino-Baniyas, we are coming for you! We will avenge."

 

RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad accused the left of the vandalisation.

 

"ABVP condemns the rampant vandalisation of academic spaces by communist goons. The communists have written abuses on the walls of JNU in the School of International Studies- II building. They have defaced chambers of free-thinking professors to intimidate them," said ABVP JNU President Rohit Kumar.

 

"We believe that academic spaces must be used for debates and discussion and not for poisoning the society and students' community," Kumar added. -- PTI 

Thakur and Kulkarni withdrew their petitions, filed in 2018, as the trial is in its fag end and 289 witnesses have been examined already.

Another accused, Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, withdrew one of his petitions alleging defective sanction to prosecute him under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Purohit's plea for discharge was heard by HC last week and is closed for orders.

In December 2017, the special court had rejected their pleas following which they moved the HC.

Advocate Prashant Maggu, appearing for Thakur, on Thursday told HC since 289 witnesses have already been examined by the trial court, it would not be right to press for discharge from the case at this juncture and, hence, they would withdraw the plea.

The HC accepted the statement.

On September 29, 2008, six people were killed and more than 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a communally sensitive town in Maharashtra's Nashik district.

As per teh police, the motorcycle was  registered in Thakur's name. which led to her arrest. The case was later handed over to the NIA.

Besides Thakur, Kulkarni and Purohit, others facing trial in the case are Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi and Sudhakar Chaturvedi. They have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

All the accused are currently out on bail.

Sheela Bhatt, a senior journalist who has written several pieces for Rediff.com over the years, is third from left. Kanti Bhatt, her husband, passed away in 2019.

"On May 16, 2014 (Delhi) - Crude per barrel was USD 107.09. Petrol - Rs 71.51. Diesel - Rs 57.28. On December 1, 2022 - Crude per barrel is USD 87.55. Petrol - Rs 96.72. Diesel - Rs 89.62. Crude is 10-month low, But BJP's Loot remains high!" Kharge said on Twitter.

 Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said while global crude oil rates have come down by 25 per cent but the government has not reduced a single rupee in petrol and diesel prices in the country. He alleged that while the people are suffering from high inflation, the prime minister is busy in recovering money from taxes. 

 "In the last 6 months, crude oil has become cheaper by more than 25 per cent. Petrol and diesel prices in the country can be reduced by more than Rs 10, but the government has not reduced even one rupee," he said in a tweet in Hindi. 

 "The people of India are suffering from inflation. The Prime Minister is engrossed in recovery," Gandhi also said. Global crude oil prices have come down considerably but oil companies have not reduced the price of petrol and diesel in the country. PTI

 The voting began at 8 am in 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and South Gujarat on Thursday and will continue till 5 pm. The voter turnout was 34.65 per cent till 1 pm. 

 According to the Election Commission data till 3 pm, Tapi recorded the highest voter turnout with 64.27 per cent voting while Narmada stood second with 63.88 per cent turnout. 

Dangs reported 58.55. The much-talked-about Morbi saw a turnout of 53.75 per cent while Jamnagar saw a 42.26 per cent. Other districts where voting is underway are Amreli (44.62), Bharuch (52.45), Bhavnagar (45.91), Botad (43.67), Devbhumi Dwarka (46.55), Gir Somnath (50.89), Junagadh (46.03), Kachchh (45.45), Navsari (55.10), Porbandar (43.12), Rajkot (46.68), Surat (47.01), Surendranagar (48.60), and Valsad (53.49). A total of 2,39,76,670 voters will cast their votes by 5 pm today and will decide the fate of 788 candidates who are in the fray for the first phase.

Lapid, who was the international jury chair at the recent International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and stirred massive controversy by terming the Vivek Agnihotri film "vulgar" and a "propaganda", reiterated that he only criticised the film for its "series of cinematic manipulations". 

 "I didn't want to insult anyone. My aim was never to insult the people or their relatives, who have suffered. I totally apologise if that's the way they interpreted it," Lapid, who has left the country since his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 53rd edition of the festival in Goa this week, told news channel CNN-News18 on Wednesday night. 

 "But at the same time, whatever I said and I said clearly that for me and my fellow jury members, it was and it is a vulgar propaganda movie that didn't have a place and was inappropriate for such a prestigious competitive section. I can repeat it again and again," he added. 

"The Kashmir Files", written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri, centres on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits during militancy in the early 1990s. It was screened at the festival on November 22 under the Indian Panorama section. 

 The acclaimed director, known for his anti-establishment stance, said his remarks were neither a statement on the political situation in Kashmir nor a denial of the tragedy. 

 "I have enormous respect for the tragedy, victims, survivors and for whoever suffers there. It (my remarks) was not at all about this. I'll repeat these words 10,000 times if I have to say that I was not talking about the political issue, historical equation, or disrespecting the tragedy that happened in Kashmir," he said. "I was talking about the movie and that such serious topics deserve, in my opinion, a serious film... ," he added.\

Lapid also dismissed claims made by IFFI international jury member Sudipto Sen, who had said the comments on Agnihotri's directorial were the Israeli director's "personal opinion". 

"It wasn't a personal opinion at all," Lapid countered. "We all thought that the movie used a series of manipulation, vulgar, violence because it was supposed to transmit a message that can cause hostility, violence and hate in the environment," he added. 

 A day after the controversy erupted, Agnihotri said he would quit filmmaking if intellectuals, including Lapid, were able to prove that events depicted in his film were false. 

 Asked to comment on Agnihotri's statement, the filmmaker said it was a natural reaction from the "The Kashmir Files" helmer. 

 "I'm sure that the director is furious. I would be furious too if someone would talk about my film the same way. My films are often looked upon as very controversial and polemic. Certain people have said some very harsh and horrible things about my movies. 

"The filmmaker knows very well that the question is not what exactly were the facts. None of us (in the jury), especially myself, ever doubted the facts. I don't have any capacity, the tools to say what happened in Kashmir," Lapid, who lives mostly in France," said. 

Lapid came under attack not just by "The Kashmir Files" team but also several BJP leaders and Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon as well as its Consul General to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani. 

"Although he (Israeli ambassador) was absolutely aware of the fact that I was talking about the movie as propaganda, he blamed me for talking disrespectfully about the tragedy in Kashmir which is total nonsense. He is aware of it but he is a manipulator. He knew I was judging the movie as a filmmaker," he told the channel. -- PTI

Swara has the answer: "Joined @bharatjodo yatra today & walked with @RahulGandhi. The energy, commitment & love is inspiring! The participation & warmth of common people, enthusiasm of Congress workers & RG's attention & care toward everyone & everything around him is astounding!  

"At a time when hate is normal & the dominant logic is that 'no low is too low as long as the election is won'.. when society is so brutalised that we barely blink at heinous crimes, @bharatjodo yatra is a radical new imagination & expression of how we can resist hate," she tweeted.

"This happened to me in another country too, but at that time I couldn't do anything to call the police. In India, action is being taken very quickly. I've been in Mumbai for over three weeks and plan to stay longer.

"I don't want this one bad incident to ruin my whole travel and my passion to show how wonderful India is to other countries."

The Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested two men for allegedly molesting and stalking a South Korean woman YouTuber on a street in the city, an official said. 

 A video surfaced on Wednesday showing the woman being sexually harassed by a young man in the Khar area of Mumbai. 

 A Twitter handle which had shared the video claimed the woman was from South Korea and was livestreaming in suburban Khar when the incident took place around 8 pm on Tuesday. 

 The video showed a young man coming very close to her and trying to pull her by holding her hand even when she protested. 

 As the woman began to walk away from the spot, the man again appeared on a motorbike with a friend, offering her a lift while she told him in broken English that she did not want it. 

 The police took notice of the incident on their own after receiving the video on their Twitter handle, an official from Khar police station said. They registered an FIR and started a probe into the incident and the accused are now in police custody. 

 He was addressing a rally in Bodeli town of Chhota Udepur district in Gujarat, where Assembly elections will be held in its second phase on December 5. 

 "For decades, Congress has been saying only one thing -- Garibi Hatao (eliminate poverty). People gave you power to do that, but you were asking people to remove poverty. The only thing they did was to raise slogans, give promises and misguide people. That was the reason why poverty actually increased during its regime," Modi alleged. 

 Due to the previous Congress-led government's policies, poor citizens could not play an active role in the economy, he said, adding that although banks were nationalised under the Congress rule, the poor could not open their bank accounts. 

 The prime minister claimed that poor people, tribals and those from Other Backward Classes (OBC) community were not given priority in education, health and industrial sector by the Congress during its government.

 Referring to Droupadi Murmu's election as the President earlier this year, Modi alleged that the opposition party was not in favour of a tribal woman occupying the country's top constitutional post and that was why it fielded its own candidate. 

 "She (Murmu) is the pride of every tribal family and every citizen. But Congress had opposed her candidature. They did not want a tribal woman as India's president. That is why they have fielded a candidate against her. Otherwise, she would have been elected unanimously," he said. 

 Voting is underway on Thursday for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats in the state. The remaining 93 seats, including Kalol, will go to polls in the second phase on December 5. PTI

Notably, the BJP in its manifesto has promised to create an Anti-Radicalisation Cell to identify and eliminate potential threats and sleeper cells of terrorist organisations and anti-India forces if voted to power again in the State. 

While holding a roadshow in Sanand in Ahmedabad, the Home Minister told ANI, "Anti-radicalisation Cell is a proactive step, it is one thing to monitor an incident after it has happened, and it is another thing not to allow it to happen. If we control radicalisation, then terrorism and riots will be controlled."

The Home Minister's roadshow is being held when polling for the first phase in 89 of the 182 constituencies is underway in the state. Scores of people joined the Home Minister in the roadshow.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda promised to create an Anti-radicalisation Cell to identify "any potential threats".

"We will create an anti-radicalisation cell to identify and eliminate potential threats, and sleeper cells of the terrorist organisations and anti-India forces," Nadda said while addressing a gathering after releasing the party manifesto, Sankalp Patra, for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.

The BJP has highlighted the issues of terrorism and communal riots in their campaigning in Gujarat.

While holding a roadshow in Sanand in Ahmedabad, the Home Minister told ANI, "Whenever Congress has used inappropriate words against PM Modi, then the people of Gujarat have given a reply through the ballot box. This time also the people of the state will give a reply." 

The Home Minister's roadshow is being held when polling for the first phase in 89 of the 182 constituencies is underway in the state.

Scores of people joined the Home Minister in the roadshow.

Shah said that when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of the State, he had solved several basic problems of the people."Under the tenure of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, various problems were solved in Gujarat. Gujarat used to face the problem of water scarcity, but a permanent solution was found by Narendra Modi by building check damns, bringing 'Naramada Yojna' and 'Sujalam Sufalam Yojana. Electricity is being supplied for 24 hours and health services have been upgraded across the State. The enrollment and dropout issue in schools was solved. Efforts made by Narendra Modi in solving these basic problems of Gujarat is deeply appreciated by the people of Gujarat," Shah told ANIHe said that the anti-radical cell is a proactive step adding that "If we control radicalisation, then terrorism and riots will be controlled".Notably, during a poll campaigning for the Party, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at a rally in the Behrampura area of Ahmedabad described PM Modi as Ravana, wherein he said, "In all these campaigns, he (Modi) only talks about himself. 'Don't look at anyone else, just look at Modi and vote'... how many times do we have to see your face? How many forms do you have? Do you have 100 heads like Ravan?"

Shraddha Walkar murder accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala underwent a narco analysis test for almost two hours at a Rohini hospital in New Delhi on Thursday as part of the ongoing investigation in the case, officials said.

Officials said Poonawala's narco test was completely successful and his health condition was absolutely fine.

They said Poonawala reached Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini at 8.40 am and the narco test started around 10 am.

After the test, he was kept under observation.

Before undergoing the test, a general check-up was done to check his blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature and heart beat, a senior official said.

A consent form with complete details of Poonawala and the team conducting his narco test was read out to him as part of the procedure.

After he signed the form, the narco analysis procedure was started, the official said.

Narco analysis involves intravenous administration of a drug (such as sodium pentothal, scopolamine, and sodium amytal) that causes the person undergoing it to enter into various stages of anaesthesia.

In the hypnotic stage, the person becomes less inhibited and is more likely to divulge information, which would usually not be revealed in the conscious state.

Investigating agencies use this test after other pieces of evidence do not provide a clear picture of a case.

The Delhi Police earlier said it sought Poonawalla's narco analysis test as his responses during interrogation were 'deceptive' in nature.

The Supreme Court has ruled that narco-analysis, brain mapping, and polygraph tests cannot be conducted on any person without his or her consent.

Also, statements made during this test are not admissible as primary evidence in the court, except under certain circumstances when the bench thinks that the facts and nature of the case permit it.

Twenty-eight-year-old Poonawalla allegedly strangled his live-in partner Walkar and sawed her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in South Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the city over several days.

He was arrested on November 12 and sent to five-day police custody, which was further extended by five days on November 17.

The court on November 26 sent him to judicial custody for 13 days.  -- PTI

Before Kharge, another Congress leader had said the party will show Modi his 'aukat' (place), the PM said, apparently referring to Madhusudan Mistry's remark. 

 Kharge on Monday night addressed a rally in Behrampura area of Ahmedabad city where he said the prime minister asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. 

"Are you 100-headed like Ravan," he had said. 

 Addressing a poll rally in Kalol town of Panchmahal district in Gujarat on Thursday, Modi said, "There is a competition among Congress leaders as to who will use the most abusive words for Modi." 

 "Those who never believed in the existence of Lord Ram have now brought in (demon king) 'Ravan' from Ramayana. And, I am surprised they never expressed repentance, forget about tendering an apology, after using such cuss words for me," the PM said.

 Voting is underway on Thursday for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats in the state. The remaining 93 seats, including Kalol, will go to polls in the second phase on December 5. PTI

 It is the latest health scare for Clinton, the 42nd US President, who was hospitalised in October 2021 for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream. 

"I've tested positive for Covid. I've had mild symptoms, but I'm doing fine overall and keeping myself busy at home," Clinton tweeted on Wednesday.

 "I'm grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, which has kept my case mild, and I urge everyone to do the same, especially as we move into the winter months," he added. 

 Clinton, 76, has served two presidential terms between 1993-2001. He also supported his wife Hillary's unsuccessful presidential campaign against Donald Trump in 2016. US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time in July this year, in what was described as a "rebound" infection by his doctor. In March, former US President Barack Obama also tested positive for the virus.

 Congress leader Paresh Dhanani, the candidate from Amreli seat, and Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Rajkot-South seat nominee Dinesh Joshi paddled their way to polling stations with gas cylinders tied on the back of their bicycles as a mark of protest against inflation. 

 The EC in the morning tweeted a picture of a centenarian voter, Kamuben Patel, proudly showing her inked finger after casting her vote at a polling station in Umbergaon Assembly constituency in Valsad district. 

 Those who voted in the initial hours of polling included senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, state BJP chief CR Paatil, Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani, BJP candidate from Jamnagar (North) Rivaba Jadeja, Congress's former leader of opposition Paresh Dhanani and state AAP president Gopal Italia. 

 While Rivaba Jadeja voted at a polling booth in Rajkot, her husband and cricketer Ravindra Jadeja exercised his franchise in Jamnagar.

A day after Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy quit as the directors of the NDTV promoter company RRPR Holding Private Limited, Ravish Kumar, Senior Executive Editor at NDTV India, put in his papers on Wednesday "with immediate effect".

Today, the Ramon Magsaysay  Award winner tweeted that he would now be found on YouTube. 

"Dear people,

I exist because you are with me. Your love is my wealth. I have so far held long, one-sided discourses with my viewers. My YouTube channel is my new address. Everyone has to fight from being enslaved by the 'godi media'," Ravish Kumar tweeted in Hindi.

Read the full mail here. 

The Delhi Police moves the high court against the discharge of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the Sunanda Pushkar death case.

The Patiala House Court in a judgement passed on August 18, 2021, had discharged Tharoor in connection with his wife's death.

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to Tharoor on an application moved by the Delhi Police seeking 'condonation of delay' in filing the revision petition. Court fixed the matter for February 7, 2023

 This is the third occasion in the history of the apex court that an all-women bench has been constituted. 

 The two-judge bench is currently sitting in Court number 11 of the top court. The bench has 32 matters listed before it, starting with 10 transfer petitions involving matrimonial disputes and followed by 10 bail matters.

 The first all-women bench was set up in 2013 when a bench of Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Ranjana Prakash Desai was constituted followed by a bench of Justices R Banumathi and Indira Banerjee in 2018. 

 There are three women judges in the top court at present including Justice Kohli, B V Nagarathna, and Trivedi. Justice Nagarathna is also set to become first woman Chief Justice in 2027. The apex court currently has a strength of 27 judges including the CJI, against a sanctioned strength of 34.

The official Twitter handle of the Indian National Congress shared a picture of Bhasker with Gandhi.

"Today famous actress @ReallySwara became part of #BharatJodoYatra. The presence of every section of the society has made this yatra a success," the tweet read. 

 Bhasker, known for being vocal about her opinions on topical issues, also retweeted the post by the Congress party. 

Previously, cinema personalities such as Amol Palekar, Sandhya Gokhale, Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, Sushant Singh, Mona Ambegaonkar, Rashmi Desai, and Akanksha Puri took part in the yatra. 

 Hollywood star John Cusack on Twitter had also extended his support to the foot march, a mass contact programme of the Congress, in late September.

 It resumed from Ujjain on Thursday morning after a day's break and headed for Agar Malwa, the last district of its Madhya Pradesh leg. 

The yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 380 km in the politically crucial Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh within 12 days.

 The Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state are due next year. From Madhya Pradesh, the yatra will enter Rajasthan on December 4, according to a programme announced by the Congress. -- PTI

 "After the country accepted Gujarat's model of development in the year 2014, these 2022 assembly elections are the semi-finals for 2024 elections," Kanubhai Desai said in a conversation with ANI.

 He said that every person in Gujarat has decided to vote for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to bring it to power once again.

 "Gujarat has been progressing and the people of the state have decided to vote for the BJP. People have trust in BJP that there will be more development in the state," he added.

 Further talking about the people's enthusiasm, Desai said that people have an "unbreakable trust" in the BJP.

 "The craze with which they are voting, the margin of victory will rise," the state Finance Minister said. 

 "People will decide how many seats will BJP get, but I can say that it is 100 per cent that BJP will come to govern the state," he asserted. A total of 2,39,76,670 voters who will cast their votes by 5 pm today will decide the fate of 788 candidates who are in the fray for the first phase. -- ANI

 Though police and other official sources have claimed that Poonawala had confessed to killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and dismembering her body, his counsel has said Poonawala had denied that he had confessed.

 The legal experts also questioned Poonawala's confession before a magistrate through video conferencing and termed it objectionable and unprecedented. 

 News reports quoting sources in the Delhi Police have claimed on multiple occasions that Poonawala had confessed to killing Walkar, cutting her body into 35 pieces and dumping them in different areas of the city. 

 On Wednesday, it was reported that he has confessed to his crime in a polygraph test conducted at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Rohini, to which retired Delhi High Court judge Justice RS Sondhi said narcoanalysis and polygraph test are "useless and a waste of time as they have no legal sanctity".

 "What he did after killing the girl is merely destruction of evidence," he said. 

 Earlier, on November 22, Delhi Police sources had claimed that during the hearing of extension of Poonawala's remand application, he told the magistrate through video conferencing that he killed Walkar in the heat of the moment and it was not deliberate.

 Soon after that, Poonawala's lawyer Abinash Kumar contradicted the police version and said he never made any such confession before the magistrate. On his confession through video conferencing, Justice Sondhi said, "This is an objectionable method of appearance. You do not know under what pressure he was in. He should have been physically present before the magistrate." 

The Delhi Police has claimed that he appeared through video conferencing as there was a safety issue. On November 28, a police van carrying Poonawala was attacked by some weapon-wielding people outside the FSL where he was taken for polygraph test. -- PTI

 Modi said that India's yearlong G20 presidency will be "inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented".

The government also seeks to build consensus on creating disaster and climate-resilient infrastructure and debt sustainability.

 "Today is the first phase of the Gujarat elections. I call upon all those voting today, particularly first time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers," Modi said. 

 Polling began at 8 am on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch region and southern parts of the state to decide the fate of 788 candidates. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday lead a more than 30-km-long roadshow in Ahmedabad city, where polling will be held in the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections. 

Voting is underway on Thursday for the first phase of elections in 89 seats of Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions, while the polling in the remaining 93 seats including 16 of Ahmedabad city will take place on December 5.

Modi's mega roadshow will start from Naroda Gam area on the eastern side of Ahmedabad in the afternoon and end at the IOC circle in Chandkheda area on the city's western side in the evening, the Bharatiya Janata Party in a release. 

 The roadshow will pass through various parts of the city including Hirawadi, Hatkeshwar, Maninagar, Danilimda, Jivraj Park, Ghatlodia, Naranpura and Sabarmati. It will cover 13 seats of Ahmedabad city as well as Gandhinagar-South, the release said. -- PTI

Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, has been brought to Ambedkar hospital in Rohini from Tihar jail for a narco-analysis test.

According to the officials, the narco test would take around three to four days.  -- ANI/PTI

The United States is looking forward to supporting India's G-20 presidency next year, the White House said on Wednesday.

India formally takes over the presidency of the group of the world's richest economies on Thursday.

"We look forward to supporting India's G20 presidency next year on a range of issues, including addressing current food and energy security challenges while continuing our efforts to build a resilient global economy," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference.

"As you've seen, the President has attended, has been participating in the G-20 in his tenure here. Don't have anything specific to announce or any specifics to announce on travel," she said when asked about a presidential travel to India next year.   -- PTI

As Gujarat is all set to vote for the first phase of the assembly elections, Jambur, India's mini African village will vote in its special tribal booth for the first time.

Voting for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly election will take place in 89 out of the 182 seats spread across 18 districts of Gujarat on Thursday.

The remaining seats will vote in the second phase on December 5.

Rahman, a senior citizen of Jambur village, said that it is a matter of great pleasure.

"It is a matter of great pleasure for us that the Election Commission has decided to make a special booth for us to vote. We have been living in this village for years. But this is happening for the first time which makes us very happy. Our forefathers are from Africa and we came to India many years ago. When the fort was being built in Junagadh, our forefathers came here for work, First, we settled in Ratanpur village and then gradually settled in Jaanwar village. We have got the status of Siddhi tribal community," Rahman said.

Rahman said that despite the fact that our ancestors are from Africa, we follow the tradition of India and Gujarat.

Abdul Maguj Bhai, who contested as an independent from Talala, said that the local community suffer in the area.

"The village is situated in the middle of two rivers. Everyone lives together here. I am contesting elections from here for the third time. We want that we should also go to the assembly. We get rights so that we can do more good work. We are called Africa of India. We are known as Siddhi tribal community. The government keeps on giving help to the tribals, there is no problem in that, but our local community suffers here, we do not get that much of facilities," Abdul Maguj Bhai said.

Maguj Bhai further said that the tribals follow their own path.

"We have talked to the government regarding the problems of the locals and have also given it in writing, but our community becomes a tribe here and everyone follows their own path, that's why there is a problem. They defame the government without any reason," he further said.

Maguj Bhai added that farming is the main occupation of the community.

"Apart from farming, the people of our community perform local Jus Siddhi tribal dance. The programs are performed at various places, wherever tourists come. This is also our source of income," Maguj Bhai added.   -- ANI

Polling began at 8 am on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch region and southern parts of the state to decide the fate of 788 candidates.

The voting is being held across 14,382 polling stations, of which 3,311 are in the urban and 11,071 in rural areas, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

Live webcasting is being done from 13,065 polling stations to keep a close eye on the process, it said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has ruled Gujarat for 27 years, is trying to retain power in the state for the seventh term in a row. If it succeeds, it will equal the record of the Left Front government which won the West Bengal elections for seven consecutive terms till 2011.

This time, the BJP faces competition not just from its traditional rival Congress but also the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has tried to position itself as the main challenger of the ruling party.

The BJP and the Congress are contesting in all 89 seats.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is contesting in 88 seats.

Its candidate from Surat East constituency had withdrawn his candidature, leaving the party with one less seat to contest in the first phase.

Apart from the BJP, Congress and AAP, 36 other political outfits including the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist and Bharatiya Tribal Party have also fielded candidates in various seats up for grabs the first phase.

The BSP has fielded 57 candidates, BTP 14 and CPI-M four candidates. As many as 339 independents are also in the fray in the first phase.   -- PTI

The Border Security Force has also identified a total of 635 "vulnerable patches" all along the 2,289-km-long international border with Pakistan and along West Bengal and Assam (as part of the India-Bangladesh border) for installing surveillance systems developed in-house by the force. 

The force has procured two vehicle-mounted jammers, onboard Mahindra Scorpio vehicles, for protecting troops against remotely triggered IEDs during their movement in Jammu and Kashmir (from Jammu to Srinagar in convoys), the officer said. 

A CRPF bus carrying 39 personnel, apart from one official on road opening duty, were killed when a terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle in their convoy on February 14, 2019 while they were moving on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. 

The BSF has also placed orders for procuring a total of 1,424 hand-held thermal imagers for its border security units, he said. 

The gadget is used to detect movement of terrorists along the front during night time and foggy climate. 

Almost 100 small and big drones have been procured by the force for watching the border areas and "we have also received a sanction from the Union home ministry for purchase of an equal number of more such drones or unmanned aerial vehicles", the officer said. -- PTI 

"I think it's safe to say that Chancellor is planning a bilateral visit to India next year. We have to compare agendas," Ackermann said at the press conference in New Delhi.   

Ackermann also responded when asked whether the chancellor could come twice to India, one for the G20 summit and the other time for a bilateral meeting.      

"The prime minister (Modi) came twice to Germany, why shouldn't chancellor come twice, India is a great place. I would even say come thrice to India," Ackermann said.      

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. 

The two leaders discussed ways to boost economic ties, defence collaboration and other important issues. 

The G20 meet was the third meeting between Chancellor Scholz and PM Modi this year.      

PM Modi visited Berlin on May 2 this year for the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations, which was followed by his visit to Schloss Elmau in Germany for the G7 Summit at the invitation of Chancellor Scholz. -- ANI