If the Bharatiya Janata Party is unable to declare its leader in Rajasthan for the upcoming assembly polls, then it has already surrendered, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed on Saturday.

Gehlot, who was speaking after taking part in the meeting of Congress' state election committee here, also asserted that 'winnability' would be the only criteria for giving tickets in the assembly election.

He exuded confidence that the Congress government would retain power in the state, saying people have made up their mind in this regard and cited the welfare measures taken during his tenure.

Taking a dig at the central leaders of the rival BJP being active in Rajasthan, Gehlot said it seems the saffron party has already surrendered before the elections.

"People will ask them -- if after the elections, decisions on electricity, water, medical and other matters will also be taken while sitting in Delhi. Who will do it (decision)?

"If you are not in a position to tell who is your leader in Rajasthan and the election will be fought on the face of the prime minister, then I think that such a situation has come that they have surrendered before the election," Gehlot said.

Asked about the criteria for giving tickets, Gehlot said, "Winnability is the first criterion. The first and last parameter will be winnability -- a person who can win the election. A 90-year-old won the election in Karnataka."     

Replying to a question over a defamation case lodged against him by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Gehlot said that whatever he said was based on the report of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on the alleged Sanjeevani Cooperative Society scam.

He said that if Shekhawat is not guilty, 'why did he take interim bail from the high court'.

Referring to the public welfare schemes of the state government, Gehlot said that Rajasthan is showing direction to other states and the country in many respects and the work of the Rajasthan government is being discussed in the whole country.

"Other governments are keeping our schemes in their manifestos," he said.     

Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra termed the state election committee meeting a success and claimed that the Congress government would repeat in the state.

He said, "Every person is talking about our government's major public welfare schemes, our good governance. We are all united. There are no differences between any of us. We all will fight the elections together."

He further said, "We will win in 2023 and the way to Delhi in 2024 will be open for us."

The Congress leader said, "Everyone has come to know about the lies of the BJP, its deceit, its failure as the opposition in Rajasthan."

Dotasra said that from August 25 to 27, the members of the party's state election committee will visit districts in groups to hold discussions in the District Congress Committee offices.

The screening committee headed by Gaurav Gogoi will be in Rajasthan for four days from August 28 to 31.

After this, the process of candidate selection will be taken forward, he said.

Party's state in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, co-incharges Amrita Dhawan, Qazi Nizamuddin and Virendra Rathore and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also participated in the meeting on Saturday.  -- PTI

Eight soldiers were feared dead after their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Leh district of Ladakh on Saturday, officials said.

The accident took place at Kerey in southern Ladakh's Nyoma Saturday evening, the officials said.

They said a rescue operation was underway at the site.  -- PTI

Congress Saturday suspended Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar from the party for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party activities'.

The action against Jakhar came following a complaint filed by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

Jakhar is the nephew of Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar who had last year left the Congress.

Punjab Congress posted a communication on X and said, 'Sandeep Jakhar is suspended from the party with immediate effect.'

According to the party's communication to Jakhar, Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said, 'You have not been participating in any of the party programmes including Bharat Jodo Yatra' and also 'The house in which you stay is a common accommodation on which a BJP flag flies atop'.

The communication also alleged open rebellion against party's on Jakhar's part.

'You have been speaking against the party and the PCC president and also you are openly defending your uncle Sunil Jakhar,' it read.

'After careful consideration, the DAC (Disciplinary Action Committee) has decided to place you under suspension from the party with immediate effect,' wrote Anwar, a DAC member.

Jakhar, the first time MLA, and Warring had earlier engaged in a war of words.

Warring had once dared Jakhar to resign from the Congress and get a fresh mandate 'if he was so confident about their support in Abohar'.

Sandeep Jakhar had then challenged Warring to throw him out of the outfit by issuing him a notice.  -- PTI

Landslides triggered by incessant rains in the past couple of days have snapped road communication to several Arunachal districts.

Continuous landslides have blocked a portion of the Akajan-Likabali-Aalo road at Siji in Lower Siang district.

Several vehicles remained stranded since the last couple of days, a district official informed on Saturday.

Though the MSV International Inc, the company constructing the Trans Arunachal Highway (TAH) portion of the road (package I&II), has deployed men and machineries to clear the blockade, continuous rain has hampered restoration work as landslides continued to occur, Lower Siang DC Marto Riba said.

While small vehicles were allowed to move after frequent clearing of the blockade, heavy vehicles were not allowed due to continuous landslides and remained stranded for the past couple of days on both sides of the vital road. 

The road connects Leparada, West Siang, Upper Siang, Siang, Upper Subansiri and Shi-Yomi districts of the state. Meanwhile, Lower Siang administration has ordered closure of traffic movement for three days from Saturday till complete restoration of the road is made.  -- PTI

The government on Saturday imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export of onions to check price rise and improve supplies in the domestic market.

The Finance Ministry through a notification imposed a 40 per cent export duty on onions till December 31, 2023.

The export duty comes amid reports that onion prices are likely to rise in September.  -- PTI

The death toll in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh over the past week rose to 78 on Saturday with the recovery of one more body from the debris of a collapsed Shiv temple in Shimla, officials said.

Out of the 78 deaths since Sunday night, 24 were in the three major landslides in Shimla alone -- 17 at the Shiv temple in Summer Hill, 5 in Fagli, and 2 in Krishnanagar, Superintendent, Shimla, Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi told PTI on Saturday.

Joint operations of Army, National and State Disaster Response Force, Police and Home Guards are underway to retrieve the bodies from the landslide rubble and at least three persons are still feared buried under the temple debris, the SP said.

Drones are being used for identification of high risk zones and monitoring of sliding sites in the state capital, he added.

On Friday, the Himachal Pradesh government declared the state as a 'Natural Calamity Affected Area' in view of the damage caused by heavy rains leading to loss of human life and extensive damage to property.

Since the onset of the monsoon on June 24, as many as 221 persons have died in rain-related incidents in Himachal Pradesh and over 11,600 houses got partially or completely damaged, according to the state emergency operation centre.

About 415 roads are still closed in the rain-battered state and 253 transformers and 107 water supply schemes have been disrupted.

The local MeT office has sounded a yellow warning of heavy to very heavy rains on August 20 and 21 and heavy rains on August 22 and 23.

It also cautioned of moderate to high risk of flash floods in Shimla, Sirmaur and Chamba districts.

Heavy rains can result in landslides, flash floods and increase in water level in rivers and drains besides causing damage to the standing crops, fruit plants and young seedlings, the MeT warned.  -- PTI

Mahindra & Mahindra is recalling over 1 lakh units of its sports utility vehicle XUV700 to inspect wiring routing in engine bay, as per a regulatory filing.

The company said it will inspect wiring loom routing in the engine bay of 1,08,306 units of XUV700 manufactured between June 8, 2021 and June 28, 2023 for a potential risk of abrasion cut of wiring loom.

Also, 3,560 units of XUV400 vehicles manufactured between February 16, 2023 and June 5, 2023, will be inspected for ineffective spring return action of the brake potentiometer, M&M said.

The inspection and subsequent rectification will be carried out free of cost for all customers, who will be individually contacted by the company, the automaker said.

The action is in compliance with voluntary code on vehicle recall, it added. -- PTI

Seeking to make inroads in Chhattisgarh, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced 10 'guarantees' for the upcoming assembly polls in the Congress-ruled state including free electricity, monthly 'samman rashi' for women and Rs 3,000 monthly allowance for the unemployed.  

Addressing an AAP workers' convention in Raipur, the Delhi chief minister said his party's governments in Delhi and Punjab have fulfilled the guarantees given to people, and if it comes to power in Chhattisgarh, it would do the same thing.

"Today I am giving you 10 guarantees which are not like a fake manifesto or 'sankalp patra'. Kejriwal will die (if it comes to it) but fulfill these promises," he said.

The guarantees included 24-hour uninterrupted power supply -- free up to 300 units -- to every household, waiver of pending electricity bills till November 2023, Rs 1,000 monthly 'samman rashi' (honorarium) to all women aged above 18 years and free quality education to school children, he said.

As in Delhi, an AAP government will also provide free and better health treatment to every citizen of Chhattisgarh, mohalla clinics in every village and ward in cities, employment and allowance of Rs 3,000 per month to those unemployed, free pilgrimage for senior citizens, corruption-free Chhattisgarh, Rs 1 crore to the kin of personnel of state police and army jawans (who belong to Chhattisgarh) martyred in the line of duty as 'samman rashi' and regularise contractual employees, Kejriwal said.

The tenth guarantee is about farmers and tribals but he will reveal it during his next visit, he said.

Kejriwal was accompanied by AAP leader and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

Kejriwal had addressed a public rally in Bilaspur last month. In March, he had attended an AAP workers' convention in Raipur.

The AAP tried its luck for the first time in the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh in 2018 and fielded candidates in 85 of 90 seats but failed to achieve success.   -- PTI

Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata was on Saturday conferred the first ever Udyog Ratna' award instituted by the Maharashtra government.

The award was presented to the 85-year-old chairman emeritus of Tata Sons by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the industrialist's home in Colaba, South Mumbai.

The honour comprised a shawl, a citation and a memento from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

Talking to reporters afterwards, Shinde said honouring Tata as 'Udyog Ratna' has enhanced the prestige of the award.

The contribution of the Tata group in all sectors is immense. Tata means trust, he said.

The steel-to-salt group operates in more than 100 countries across six continents.

In 2021-22, the collective revenue of Tata companies stood at $128 billion. -- PTI

IMAGE: Industrialist Ratan Tata being conferred with the 'Udyog Ratna award by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during a ceremony, at his residence, in Mumbai on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

A 31-year-old man from Sikkim faced racist taunts saying he was a 'Chinese' and subsequently got brutally assaulted by unknown people that left him with grievous injuries, police said in Bengaluru on Saturday.

According to police, the incident occurred on the night of August 15.

Dinesh Subba, a native of Rinchenpong town in Sikkim, was admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries in his body, including nose.

Subba had moved to Bengaluru seven months back with his wife and three-month-old child to eke out a living.

He is currently working in a restaurant in the city, police said.

On August 15, he celebrated his marriage anniversary with some friends and was on his way home alone late in the night when a few miscreants waylaid him.

Calling him 'Chinese', they thrashed him black and blue leaving him badly injured.

After beating him up, the accused fled the spot.

A police patrol team spotted him lying with grave injuries and writhing in pain.

They admitted him to the hospital.

Later, Subba lodged a complaint with the police. Police have started investigation and were looking for CCTV footage to trace criminals involved in the assault.  -- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday claimed that a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has pointed out that the Centre's flagship UDAN scheme did not work on 93 per cent of the routes, and said that the common people only got 'lies' and 'jumlas' from the government.

A regional connectivity scheme was launched under the name of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) on October 21, 2016, by the Union government to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and towns.

In a post in Hindi on X, Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Modi government's promise of enabling those wearing slippers travel by air has not been fulfilled 'just like all their promises'.

'We are not saying this, the CAG Report is saying this! The scheme (UDAN) did not work on 93 per cent of the routes. Even independent audit of airlines was not done. The much publicised Helicopter services also remained stalled,' Kharge alleged.

'Didn't get 'UDAN', just talk of lies and jumlas! India will not forgive such an incompetent government now!' the Congress president said.

The Congress on Wednesday had also alleged the CAG has pointed out 'scams' in infrastructure projects of the BJP-led central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be held accountable.

There should be a probe into the alleged scams and accountability should be fixed, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate had said, asking when will the PM break his 'silence' on the alleged irregularities.   -- PTI

Facing flak from various quarters including the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, the Karnataka government has withdrawn the circular that stopped funding to state-run temples for development work.

Muzrai or Hindu Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments Department Minister Ramalinga Reddy clarified that the circular was issued due to 'confusion', and the government has no intention to stop any development or repair work at the temples.

He said he has asked both the Principal Secretary and the Commissioner of the department to immediately withdraw the circular.

Following the minister's directions, the Commissioner on Friday withdrew the circular.

The Muzrai department Commissioner on August 14 had issued a circular directing all district administrations to stop funding for repair and development works of state-run temples, wherever 50 per cent of funds were granted and the works had not commenced or where funds were sanctioned, but not released.

Officials were also asked not to approve any new proposals for which administrative sanction was pending.

Clarifying, Reddy said, recently 'held a meeting with the Principal Secretary and Commissioner (Muzrai department), in which it was directed to submit a report before August 30 regarding -- orders issued but funds not released during the previous government, for temples which 50 per cent funds were given, and the funds available for this year'.

He said, "The Commissioner had got confused. We had not asked any work to be stopped."

Noting that the circular was issued without bringing it to his notice, the Minister said, the Commissioner has issued it under confusion.

Hitting out at the Congress government, BJP MLC N Ravi Kumar called it 'anti-Hindu temples' development'.

Former Muzarai Minister and BJP leader Shashikala Jolle, pointing out to the importance of temples in Indian and Hindu culture, condemned the government's circular, and urged it to release the funds and develop the temples.

She had also threatened protests if the government did not withdraw the circular.  -- PTI

The Congress on Saturday accused the government of running an 'election campaign' using the upcoming G20 meeting in India and said this was being done to divert people's attention from real issues.

The G20 Leaders' Summit is scheduled to be held at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre on September 9-10.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The G20 was formed in 1999. 19 countries and the European Union are its members. Since its formation, the G20 summit has been held in 17 countries in turns. Now it is India's turn."

"But the kind of election campaign that is being run here and efforts being made to create such an atmosphere around it, has not happened in any other country. In fact, this is being done to divert the attention of the people from the important issues," Ramesh said.

He said India successfully organised the the Non-Aligned Summit of more than 100 countries in 1983 and after that the summit of Commonwealth countries in New Delhi.

But the then government did not use those opportunities for electoral gains, he said.

"Then I remember that statement of L K Advani. On 5 April 2014, he described Narendra Modi as a great event manager. To divert the attention of the public, the Prime Minister is only doing event management," Ramesh alleged.

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. 

The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).

As the grouping's current president, India will host the G20 summit next month in New Delhi.   -- PTI

Heavy rainfall on Saturday morning led to waterlogging in several parts of Gurugram, including the Narsinghpur stretch of the Delhi-Jaipur highway, police said.

While there were no reports of major traffic congestion, vehicular movement was slow on the highway for some time and school students and office goers faced inconveniences, they said.

In addition to the usual spots on arterial roads that get waterlogged, some internal roads were inundated too on Saturday.

According to the district administration, the city received 66 mm of rainfall between 5.10 am and 6.30 am.

The areas affected included Narsinghpur, Golf Course Road Extension, Pataudi Chowk, Udyog Vihar, AIT Chowk, Sohna Road, Subhash Chowk, Vatika Chowk, sectors four, nine, 10, 14, 38, 45, 54 and 100 to 104, and Basai road but no major traffic congestion was reported, the traffic police said.

Traffic movement was not affected anywhere and traffic personnel are stationed across the city to deal with any situation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Virender Vij said.  -- PTI

The Uttar Pradesh government has directed all district magistrates to seek clarification from the manager of a media group if it publishes 'negative' news that can tarnish the state's image or presents 'wrong facts' in its reports.

In an order dated August 16, Sanjay Prasad, principal secretary to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said 'negative' news articles will be registered on the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS) and sent to the concerned divisional commissioners, district magistrates, and departmental heads for action.

'If it comes to notice that if in any newspaper/media, an incident is twisted or wrong facts are being mentioned, and negative news is published while making an effort to tarnish the image of the state government or district administration, then a letter should be sent by the concerned district magistrate to the manager of the respective media group/newspaper to clarify the situation. And, a copy will be marked to the Information Department,' the order issued to the district magistrates and divisional commissioners said. 

Prasad said the Information Department collates 'negative news' published in daily newspapers and media.

'It is necessary to immediately probe the facts of these negative news because these news tarnish the image of the government,' he said.

'Such articles will be registered on the IGRS and sent to the concerned divisional commissioners, district magistrates, and departmental heads for action. Interim report will not be considered as valid,' Prasad said.

After sending the letter of such incidents to the concerned department, the DM office will upload the said letter on the IGRS portal, arrangements for which are being made, he added.  -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release the Madhya Pradesh government's report card in Bhopal on Sunday and address the Bharatiya Janata Party's working committee meeting in Gwalior, the home turf of Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, a party functionary said.

Shahji will come here (Bhopal) in the forenoon of August 20 and release the report card of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government at a function. 

Thereafter, he will leave for Gwalior where he will chair and address a working committee meeting, Ashish Agrawal, state BJP media cell head, told PTI over phone on Saturday.

BJP insiders said party MLAs, MPs, district presidents and general secretaries have been told to reach Gwalior.

Around 1,500 office-bearers have been called to the meeting where the party is expected to come out with its final plan for the polls, they said.

"This will be the last meeting of the state working committee before MP goes to polls, due by the year-end. We want to increase our movement in Gwalior, the erstwhile kingdom of the Scindias," another BJP leader said.

According to political observers, the BJP is striving to put up a good show in Gwalior and Chambal region, especially after losing the Gwalior mayoral elections last year to the Congress, after 57 years.

This will be Shah's second visit to the state in the last 21 days. On July 30, Shah visited Indore district where he addressed booth-level workers.

In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress won 26 of the 34 seats in the Gwalior and Chambal region.

Jyotiraditya Scindia was a part of the Congress then.

After Scindia switched over to the BJP along with his loyalists, the Congress could win just 7 of the 19 seats in the bypolls in Gwalior and Chambal region in November 2020.

However, after the setback in last year's Gwalior mayoral elections, the BJP doesn't want to take any chances, said a political observer.   -- PTI

Sunny Deol-starrer Gadar 2 has crossed the Rs 300-crore mark at box office in the country.

On Saturday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to Twitter and shared the film's latest collection numbers.

He wrote, '300 NOT OUT' #Gadar2 continues to ROAR' Mass pockets are in an altogether different league' Also, the contribution from Tier 2 and Tier 3 sectors will set a new benchmark' Expect BIGGG JUMP on [second] Sat and Sun' [Week 2] Fri 20.50 cr. Total: Rs 305.13 cr. #India biz. #Boxoffice.'

In fact, the film also became the highest Independence Day Bollywood grosser as it collected Rs 55.40 crore.

Gadar 2 is running with houseful boards on single screens across mass centres in India, and has been creating history at the box office with each passing day despite facing a clash with Akshay Kumar's OMG 2.

On Monday, the Gadar 2 team held a press conference about the film's huge success.

Sharing how he initially reacted seeing the audience's love for Gadar 2, Sunny said, "I was quite stressed before the release of the movie. When the movie was released, I cried and laughed the entire night. My father was around and he saw me. I told him, 'I have not had alcohol. Main khush aa main ki kara (I am happy, what can I do)'."

Helmed by Anil Sharma, Gadar 2 is a sequel to the hit film which was released in theatres in 2001.

In the film, Sunny Deol played the role of Tara, a truck driver, while Ameesha Patel played Sakina in the film that was set during the partition of India in 1947.

Gadar 2 follows Tara Singh as he ventures across the border in a daring attempt to rescue his son, portrayed by Utkarsh Sharma, who has been captured in Pakistan.   -- ANI

Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda will be visiting his home state Himachal Pradesh on Sunday to take stock of the heavy damage inflicted by the recent floods and landslides, which have left at least 77 people dead.

The BJP said Nadda will meet the families of some of those who lost their lives, visit an ancient Shiva temple destroyed by heavy rains and landslides in Shimla.

He will meet the local administration in Shimla and Bilaspur, and discuss relief and rehabilitation work.

At least 16 people died in the temple collapse, the party noted.

Nadda will also be visiting villages in Sirmaur district where five persons lose lives due to cloudburst.

Shimla SP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi had said on Friday that the death toll in the rain-battered state stood at 77 and 23 of these deaths were in the three major landslides in Shimla alone -- at the Shiva temple in Summer Hill and in Fagli and Krishnanagar.

The state government has declared the massive damage caused by heavy rains as a state calamity.  -- PTI

An outbreak of African swine flu has been reported in Kanichar village in this north Kerala district, following which the district Collector ordered culling of pigs in two farms there.

The district animal husbandry official confirmed the flu at a private farm located at Malayampadi on Friday.

Subsequently, the district authorities ordered culling of the pigs there and in another nearby farm located in a 10km radius, and bury the carcasses as per protocols.

An area of one km around the pig farm, where the infection had been detected, was declared as an infected area and a radius of 10km as a disease surveillance zone, official sources said.

Distribution and sale of pork in the area and its transportation to other places have been banned for three months, they said.

The Collector, the chairman of the district disaster management authority, also asked the local authorities to submit an urgent report to confirm whether the pigs from the affected farm were transported to other farms in the last two months.

If any fresh case of the disease was reported anywhere in the village panchayat, the disaster management authority should be informed about it at the earliest, an order in this regard said.

The veterinary officer in the hamlet was directed to take urgent measures to check the further spread of the disease, it added.  -- PTI

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued a summons to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a money laundering case, sources in the agency said on Saturday.

ED has asked the Jharkhand CM Soren to join its investigation in the alleged money laundering case on August 24.

Earlier on August 14, Soren was summoned by the ED in connection with an alleged land scam case.

However, Soren did not join the central agency probe citing he was busy with the preparation of the Independence Day celebration in the state.

'Your choice of the date of 14th August does not come as a surprise to the undersigned (Hemant Soren). You and your political masters are fully aware that being the chief minister of the state of Jharkhand, the undersigned is scheduled to hoist the national flag on the occasion of the 77th independence day of the Republic of India on 15th August 2023,' Soren wrote in his letter.

'Preparations for the Independence Day function start from a week before and 14th August is an important day for the same when many meetings are scheduled. The caption summons requiring the undersigned to appear before you on 14 August 2023, is deliberate and part of the design to besmirch the reputation not only of the undersigned but also the democratically elected government of the state of Jharkhand and the people of the state of Jharkhand,' the chief minister said.

He further stated that the central agencies were targeting him because he is not aligning with the central government.

The chief minister has also mentioned that he has provided the details of his movable and immovable assets to Central Bureau of Investigation in an enquiry directed by Lokpal against his father Shibu Soren in 2020.

ED may obtain the details from CBI.  -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded the feat of the number of Jan Dhan accounts crossing the 50-crore mark as a significant milestone.

It is heartening to see that more than half of these accounts belong to women, Modi posted on X.

The Union Finance Ministry said on Friday that the total number of Jan Dhan accounts in the country has crossed the 50-crore mark, with 56 per cent of them belonging to women.

About 67 per cent of these accounts have been opened in rural and semi-urban areas, the ministry said in a statement.

Terming it a significant milestone, Modi said, "It is heartening to see that more than half of these accounts belong to our Nari Shakti. With 67% of accounts opened in rural and semi-urban areas, we are also ensuring that the benefits of financial inclusion reach every corner of our nation."

The total deposits in the Jan Dhan accounts are above Rs 2.03 lakh crore while around 34 crore RuPay cards have been issued with these accounts free of cost, the finance ministry said.

The Modi government launched a massive nationwide exercise in 2014 to open Jan Dhan bank accounts to boost financial inclusion with the aim of making a host of financial services, including direct benefit transfers, accessible to the poor. -- PTI 

A fire broke out in the two air-conditioned coaches of the stationary Udyan Express at the Bengaluru City Railway Station on Saturday morning.

 

However, there were no casualties as no passengers were inside the bogies.

According to Railway officials, the train had arrived from Mumbai at 5.45 am and was stationed at platform three of the Bengaluru City Railway Station.

"At 07.10 am smoke in B1 and B2 coaches was noticed. Immediately a message was given to the fire brigade. Fire brigade arrived by 7.35 am and extinguished the fire," the Chief Public Relation Officer of South Western Railway Anish Hegde said in a statement.

He said the cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Other sources said fire-fighters broke the window of the coach to extinguish the fire. -- PTI 

More than 200 Meiteis who had crossed over to neighbouring Myanmar to escape the ethnic violence in Manipur have safely returned to the state after more than three months, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, while lauding the role of the Army in bringing them back.

More than 160 people have been killed and several hundreds injured in clashes between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur since May 3.

"Relief and gratitude as 212 fellow Indian citizens (all Meiteis) who sought safety across the Myanmar border post the May 3rd unrest in Moreh town of Manipur are now safely back on Indian soil," the chief minister wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.

He hailed the efforts of the Army in facilitating their safe return to their hometown.

"A big shout-out to the Indian Army for their dedication in bringing them home. Sincere gratitude to GOC (General Officer Commanding) Eastern Command, Lt Gen R P Kalita, GOC 3 Corps, Lt Gen HS Sahi and CO (Commanding Officer) of 5 AR, Col Rahul Jain for their unwavering service," he added. -- PTI 

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal will be on a day-long visit to Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Saturday, his third trip to the poll-bound state in the past five months.

Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the duo will address an AAP workers' convention in Raipur at Jainam Manas Bhavan opposite Raipur airport at 12 noon, the party's state unit chief Komal Hupendi told reporters on Friday.

Kejriwal will also release "guarantee cards" for the people of Chhattisgarh to mention what his party will implement if voted to power in the state, he said.

Assembly elections in the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh are scheduled by the year-end.

Hupendi said the visit of the AAP's top leadership and their interaction with party workers will strengthen their preparations for the assembly elections.

Kejriwal addressed a public rally in Bilaspur last month. In March, he attended an AAP workers' convention in Raipur.

        

The AAP tried its luck for the first time in the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh in 2018 and fielded candidates in 85 of 90 seats but failed to achieve success.

        

Meanwhile, eyeing a comeback, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its first list of candidates, including Durg MP Vijay Baghel, for 21 seats where it had faced defeat last time. -- PTI 

The country's first long-range side swing revolver 'Prabal' with "twice the range of other revolvers" was launched on Friday for civilians and arms dealers.

   

Manufactured by the state-owned enterprise Advanced Weapons and Equipment India (AWEIL) based in Kanpur, the Prabal revolver boasts of a firing range of up to 50 metres, officiating director Rajiv Sharma said.

Sharma said the .32 bore revolver is capable of accurately hitting targets up to 50 metres away.

"This range is more than double that of other revolvers currently in production, establishing Prabal as a frontrunner in the field of long-range handguns," he added.

"The feature that sets Prabal apart from its counterparts is the incorporation of a side swing out cylinder. This innovative design element eliminates the need to fold the firearm for cartridge insertion, simplifying the reloading process and enhancing user convenience," he said.

Sharma said the single and double action 'Prabal' revolver weighs 675 grams (excluding cartridges). It has a chrome platted barrel length of 76 mm, and an overall length of 187.7 mm, he said. -- PTI 

But according to our sources, there is a significant reason why she might feel obligated to send him a sizeable cheque. 

TMZ is informed by sources with first-hand knowledge of the prenup. 

If Sam gets divorced, he is not compensated. 

Furthermore, the prenup bars him from receiving spousal support. 

Only his automobiles and the trinkets Britney gave him are his to keep. 

According to TMZ sources, the prenup contains a extensive confidentiality clause that forbids Sam from discussing his marriage to Britney. 

On the surface, it may appear like Sam is receiving nothing of note, but that is not the case. 

Neal Hersh, Sam's attorney, filed divorce papers that include a spousal support request. 

Hersh's action indicates a challenge to the prenup because it forbids such support. 

Other aspects of the divorce file, such as the discussion of community and quasi-community property, seem to indicate a challenge. 

According to the argument, the confidentiality clause is unenforceable if the prenuptial agreement is successfully contested. Britney will pay attention if even the prospect of it exists. -- ANI

Praful Patel, national working president of the NCP faction of Ajit Pawar, has been given the responsibility of strengthening the organisation in Bhandara, Gondia, Amravati, Wardha and Nagpur by the state unit chief, it said. 

In all, the nine ministers have been given the task of building the party organisation in 36 districts. 

Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will look after Nashik, Mumbai city and Mumbai suburbs, it said. On July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government, resulting in a vertical split in the Sharad Pawar founded Nationalist Congress Party. -- PTI

The passenger deleted the pictures and gave a written apology for the incident that happened on August 2, the airline said in a statement. 

"A passenger seated in the first row of SpiceJet flight SG157 operating from Delhi to Mumbai on August 2 was found clicking pictures of the cabin crew, while she was seated on the jump seat at the time of take-off," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. 

"The passenger was confronted by the crew members. He deleted the pictures from his phone and apologised for his action. The passenger also gave a written apology," the spokesperson added. 

The Delhi Commission for Women, taking suo moto cognisance of a purported video of the incident on Instagram, has issued notices to the Delhi police and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation over the matter. 

"It is alleged in the viral video that a passenger was trying to click obscene pictures of a woman flight attendant and his woman co-passenger. It has been stated that when his mobile phone was checked, objectionable pictures of the women onboard the plane were found in his mobile," the panel said. 

The DCW said it has issued notices to the DCP, IGI Airport and director general, DGCA in the matter. 

The commission has asked the Delhi police and the DGCA to provide action taken reports by August 23. -- PTI

According to the police, the trio were arrested from their village in Jhajjar district on Friday and sent to two-day police remand. 

The woman was identified as Anjali, a resident of Surheti village. 

She married Sandeep, who hails from the same village and works at a pub here, in December last year. 

They were living in a rented flat in Sector 102. 

According to a complaint lodged by Sandeep, Anjali was killed by her parents and brother on Thursday when he had gone out of home and her body was cremated in their native village in a bid to destroy evidence. 

Around 1 pm on Thursday, one of Sandeep's companions called him and told him that his wife Anjali had died and her family members were performing her last rites in village Surheti. 

"After getting information when I reached the flat, I found the flat locked. My wife Anjali was murdered by her father, mother, brother and her brother's wife and her body was burnt," he said in his complaint. 

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered against all four accused under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (hiding evidence), 34 (common intention) of the IPC at Rajendra park police station on Thursday evening. 

Anjali's father Kuldeep (44), mother Rinki (42) and brother Kunal (20) were arrested on Friday, the police said. -- PTI