LIVE! Don't vote for us if satisfied with...: Farooq

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Mon, 08 April 2024

Don't vote for us if satisfied with...: Farooq

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23:17 Don't vote for us if satisfied with...: Farooq

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday told the voters of Jammu and Kashmir not to vote for the party if they are satisfied with the decision of the abrogation of Article 370.

He also appealed to the people of the Union Territory to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party and its 'B' and 'C' teams to send a message across to Delhi.

Abdullah chaired a meeting with constituency in-charges of the North Kashmir parliamentary seat at NC headquarters Nawa-i-Subah here, a party statement said.

The discussions encompassed crucial matters concerning the region's issues and organisational affairs with key emphasis on strengthening the party for the parliamentary elections.

Emphasising on defeating the BJP and its 'B' and 'C' teams, he said time and again these parties have proved that they hold a tacit understanding with the BJP.

"With each passing day our stand is vindicated. However, they all will meet the same fate on the voting dates. I can sense that people are readying themselves to give the BJP a befitting reply through the ballot," the NC president said.

He said there is a 'groundswell of anger' against the BJP and this needs to be demonstrated.

"There is an increasing realisation in people of Jammu that BJP has denuded them of their exclusive land, job rights and contracts. The complete failure of BJP in living up to their promises on development has also badly exposed their double standards," he added.

Abdullah said the BJP's team 'Bs' are now 'nakedly supporting' the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"Conspiracies hatched by them to defeat the NC candidates would prove futile. Those who want to vote for BJP should rather vote directly for the BJP, because eventually these A, B, C, D teams will sell your mandate to BJP to negotiate power. Every vote cast in favour of these B teams will go to BJP.

"People should decide and send a message to Delhi. If the people of Jammu and Kashmir are satisfied with the August 5, 2019 decision, then they should not vote for the National Conference," he said. -- PTI

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee went to the Raj Bhavan on Monday night to lodge a complaint with West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose regarding the detention of party leaders by Delhi Police for holding a dharna outside the EC office demanding the removal of Central Burau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department chiefs.

According to TMC sources, an 11-member delegation led by Banerjee went to the governor's house around 9pm.

"The delegation will lodge its complaint against the detention of the TMC leaders by Delhi Police in the national capital," a TMC leader said.

The TMC leaders were detained by Delhi Police while they were holding a dharna outside the poll panel's office, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed.

A 10-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sat on the dharna after meeting the full bench of the Election Commission (EC).

The delegation urged the commission to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha polls and stop the 'misuse' of the central agencies against opposition parties and leaders, TMC Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose, who was among the leaders who met the poll panel, said. -- PTI

Manoj Sinha

22:32 J-K LG Manoj Sinha may quit, contest LS polls

Manoj Sinha may resign as the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir and contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ghazipur, sources said on Monday.

Sinha, who became the L-G of Jammu and Kashmir on August 7, 2020, hails from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, and has been a Union minister in the Narendra Modi government from May 2014 to May 2019, when he was MoS, railways, and MoS with independent charge of communications.

In 2014 Sinha had defeated the Samajwadi Party's Shivkanya Kushwaha from Ghazipur, before losing to the BSP's Ansari in 2019.

The BJP is yet to finalise its candidates from some seats in Uttar Pradesh, including Ghazipur which was bagged by the BSP in 2019. Afzal Ansari had defeated the BJP's Manoj Sinha, the three-time MP who had won the seat in 1996, 1999, and 2014.

The BJP may once again field him from Ghazipur seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.

Hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders were detained for staging a dharna outside the Election Commission in New Delhi, party leader and MP Derek O'Brien said they will continue their protest at the Mandir Marg police station.

A 10-member delegation of the TMC had announced the dharna after meeting a full-bench of the poll panel to demand that the chiefs of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Income Tax (I-T) Department be changed.

The Mamata Banerjee-led party has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls at the behest of the BJP, which is in power at the Centre.

"Our 24-hour dharna will continue inside the police station or outside. We will carry on," O'Brien told reporters from behind the gates of the Mandir Marg police station, around 2.5 km from the Election Commission (EC) office on Ashoka Road in Central Delhi.

Besides O'Brien, TMC MPs Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha were detained.

"We were supposed to have our protest outside the EC. But now we are here (police station)," O'Brien said.

On their detention, a senior police officer said the action was taken as section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure -- that prohibits large gatherings -- is imposed in the area around the EC office and no permission was taken for the protest.

O'Brien claimed that after being detained, they were driven around the city, before being brought to the police station.

"They drove us around Delhi for about one and half hours... after we protested, they brought us to the Mandir Marg police station," he said.

In a letter to the EC, the TMC alleged that BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari met NIA Superintendent of Police D R Singh on March 26 allegedly with a 'packet', and left the flat empty handed after around an hour long meeting.

'The sequence of events are ample evidence of the unholy nexus and agreement between the BJP and the NIA to harass AITC's workers so as to ensure that they are diverted from performing their electioneering duties,' the TMC said in its letter to the EC.

The party has alleged that during this meeting, the BJP leader handed over a list of TMC leaders and workers to be targeted.

"This is complete murder of democracy. Abhishek Banerjee, our national general secretary along with my fellow MPs and ministers have asked for an appointment with the West Bengal governor tonight," O'Brien said.

"We are here to fight. So we will carry on our peaceful dharna. This is the situation," he said. -- PTI

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

21:58 Tax dept finds mismatch in HRA claims by employees

The income tax department on Monday said it has found mismatch between rent paid by salaried employees vis-a-vis rent received by the recipient for 2020-21 fiscal year and conducted data analysis for high-value cases.

Refuting reports that there is a special drive by the department to reopen cases regarding House Rent Allowance (HRA), the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the verification of rent paid by the tenant and the rent received by the recipient was done in a "small number" of cases.

"Data analysis was carried out in some high-value cases of mismatch between the rent paid by the employee and receipt of rent by the recipient for the FY 2020-21.

"This verification was done in a small number of cases without re-opening bulk of cases, especially since Updated Return for FY 2020-21(AY 2021-22) could have been filed by the taxpayers concerned only till 31.03.2024," the CBDT said in a statement.

The objective of the e-verification was to alert cases of mismatches of information for FY21 only without affecting others, it added.

The CBDT said certain instances of mismatch of information as filed by the taxpayer and as available with the income tax department have come to the notice of the department as part of its routine exercise of verification of data.

In such cases, the department has alerted the taxpayers to enable them to take corrective action.

HRA forms part of salary income, or CTC, and is calculated in taxable income. However, if an employee lives in a rented accommodation, he/she can claim income tax exemption for HRA received during the year by submitting valid rent receipts.

However, the tax exemption is not available in case taxpayers opt for the new tax regime, which doesn't have exemptions.

-- PTI

In a relief to Tamil Nadu Rural Development Minister I Periyasamy, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed till further orders the proceedings against against him in a corruption case.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra said since the top court is examining the appeal of the minister, who has challenged a February 26 Madras high court order which set aside the trial court order discharging him in the case, the proceedings in the matter need to be stayed.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Periyasamy, said the apex court had granted his client the liberty to approach the trial court for deferment of the proceedings but his application was dismissed.

"The trial court said that the high court has fixed a time frame for completing the trial and hence dismissed my application for deferment of proceedings," the senior lawyer said.

The bench then passed the order for stay of proceedings before the court in Chennai.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar vs Shashi Tharoor

20:58 Coming soon: The Tharoor-Chandrasekhar debate

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has accepted the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar's challenge to have a debate on the development of Thiruvananthapuram.

In his post on X, Tharoor said that he welcomed the debate but also accused Chandrasekhar of evading the debate till now.

"Yes, I welcome a debate. But the people of Thiruvananthapuram are aware of who has been evading a debate till now. Let us debate politics and development. Let us debate price hike, unemployment, corruption, communalism and the BJP's 10 years of propagating politics of hatred," he said.

"Let us also discuss about the development of Thiruvananthapuram and the visible progress we have made in the last 15 years," Tharoor added.

In a post on X earlier, Chandrasekhar accused Tharoor of spreading misinformation during a recent interview with the Kerala-based news organisation.

The constituency of Thiruvananthapuram will go to the polls on April 26 during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

This constituency in Kerala is being closely watched due to a high-profile contest between Congress's Shashi Tharoor and the BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

20:38 Stock markets to shut on May 20 for elections

Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Monday declared a trading holiday on May 20 on account of voting for general elections in Mumbai.

There will be no trading on that day in equity, equity derivatives and SLB (Securities Lending and Borrowing) segments.

In view of the general elections (Lok Sabha) for constituencies in Mumbai on Monday May 20, 2024, the exchange will remain closed on May 20,2024, the two exchanges said in separate circulars.

Additionally, the exchanges will remain closed on April 11 and April 17 on account of Eid-Ul-Fitr (Eid) and Ram Navami, respectively.

Besides, there will be a trading holiday on May 1 on the occasion of Maharashtra Day.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will stay overnight in Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh as his helicopter could not take off due to inclement weather, a party functionary said on Monday.

Gandhi is in MP for his party's Lok Sabha campaign and he addressed two rallies in Mandla and Shahdol, which will go to polls on April 26.

"His helicopter could not take off due to bad weather in Shahdol. Gandhi was supposed to fly to Jabalpur from where he was to leave for Delhi," MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari told PTI.

"Now, he will stay overnight in a hotel in Shahdol and leave at 6am on Tuesday," Patwari informed. -- PTI

19:53 Delhi HC verdict on Kejriwal's arrest tomorrow

The Delhi high court is scheduled to deliver on Tuesday its verdict on a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in judicial custody in a money laundering case linked with the alleged excise scam, challenging his arrest.

As per the cause list uploaded on the high court's website, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma will pronounce the order at 2.30 pm on Tuesday.

Besides his arrest, Kejriwal has also challenged his subsequent remand in the Enforcement Directorate's custody.

He was later remanded in judicial custody and is currently lodged in Tihar jail.

The AAP national convener has questioned the 'timing' of his arrest by the agency and said it was in contravention of the basic structure of the Constitution, including democracy, free and fair elections and level playing field.

The ED has opposed the plea and contended that Kejriwal cannot claim 'immunity' from arrest on the ground of upcoming elections as law is applied equally to him and an 'aam aadmi'.

Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency.

He was sent to judicial custody in the case on April 1 after he was produced in the trial court on expiry of ED custody.

The matter pertains to the alleged corruption and money laundering in formulating and executing the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped. -- PTI

19:30 Lashkar threat against NRC in Bengal: Minister

Union minister and BJP leader Shantanu Thakur on Monday claimed to have received a letter from terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT), threatening him that if NRC is implemented in West Bengal, they will burn the entire country.

The purported letter, typed in Bengali, also threatened to raze the 'Thakurbari', a pilgrimage of the Matua community, in case Muslims were tortured following the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"I am shocked to receive this letter. I have informed my department. I will also inform the PM, the home ministry and lodge a case in this connection," Thakur, the Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways, told reporters.

Thakur said he would like to ask Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the home minister of the state, whether she had any information about the LeT sending such a letter.

When contacted, Bongaon Police District SP Dinesh Kumar said they have not yet received any formal complaint from the minister.

The signatories to the letter, a copy of which is available with PTI, claimed they were members of the LeT in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi has donated Rs 5 crore to the Jana Sena party.

Chiranjeevi's younger brother Pawan Kalyan is the chief of the Jana Sena party which is contesting the Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly elections, alongside the TDP and BJP.

Jana Sena chief Kalyan met the Tollywood superstar and his brother Chiranjeevi at a movie shooting location.

Pawan Kalyan's second brother Naga Babu also accompanied him.

A press note released by the Jana Sena stated that on the occasion, Chiranjeevi handed over a Rs 5 crore cheque to Pawan Kalyan for the party to fight the elections.

The Jana Sena chief went to Pochampally, 80 km from Hyderabad, where Chiranjeevi was shooting for his new film, Vishambhara. The two brothers had a chat about politics and other things during their meeting.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh are scheduled for May 13.

'The Delhi police has kidnapped us 5 TMC MPs & 4 former MPs. We were protesting at EC & were told we'll be taken to Mandir Marg Police Station. And then, suddenly, the bus has been diverted & going to an unknown location,' TMC MP Saket Gokhale has posted on X.

'Note this - 5 SITTING MPs & 4 former MPs assaulted, detained, & now being illegally taken to some unknown place by @DelhiPolice,' he has posted.

Earlier, the TMC leaders were detained by Delhi police on Monday while they were holding a dharna outside the Election Commission's office, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed.

A 10-member delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) had announced the dharna after meeting a full bench of the Election Commission (EC) to press their demand.

TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, MLA Vivek Gupta, former MPs Arpita Ghosh, Santanu Sen and Abir Ranjan Biswas, and the party's students' wing West Bengal vice president Sudip Raha were detained.

Courtesy: @ChBirenderSingh on X

18:18 Ex-minister Birender Singh, wife, quit BJP, to follow son into Congress

Former Union minister Birender Singh on Monday said he has quit the BJP and will join the Congress, the move coming almost a month after his son Brijendra Singh joined the grand old party.

His wife Prem Lata Singh -- a former BJP MLA from Haryana -- also quit the party.

"I have resigned from the primary membership of the BJP and sent my resignation to party chief JP Nadda. My wife, Prem Lata, who was an MLA from 2014-2019, has also quit the party. Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will join the Congress," Birender Singh (78), a prominent political figure in Haryana, told reporters in Delhi.

After quitting the BJP, Birender Singh also met Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Delhi.

Birender Singh joined the BJP nearly 10 years ago after an over four-decade stint with the Congress.

After his son joined the Congress on March 10, there was speculation that Birender Singh would follow suit.

Birender Singh was Union steel minister in the first government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also held charge as minister of rural development, Panchayati Raj, and drinking water and sanitation.

During the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws, Birender Singh had extended his support to the farmers.

Birender Singh -- who also served as a minister in the Congress government led by Hooda in Haryana -- is the grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram, considered as a "messiah of farmers".

The Congress and the National Conference on Monday announced contesting the Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in alliance, with each fielding candidates in three seats.

At a joint press conference in Srinagar, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the Congress would contest in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats while the National Conference would field candidates in Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla.

"I want to formally announce that the National Conference and Congress will jointly contest the elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with three candidates for each of the two parties," Abdullah said.

"The National Conference will support Congress candidates in Udhampur, Jammu and Ladakh seats. The INDIA bloc with contest the polls to help fulfil the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh and truly represent them in Parliament," he said.

The seat-sharing agreement was finalised after consultations between the Congress and NC leaders.

Member of the Congress seat sharing committee Salman Khurshid was also present during the joint press conference.

Asked whether People's Democratic Party was still a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), Khurshid said, "PDP is in our alliance. Seat adjustment is one part of the alliance and an overall alliance is a different issue. Since Jammu and Kashmir is small in area, there is not much scope for seat adjustment despite our best efforts."

The PDP has named candidates for three seats in Kashmir, fielding Mehbooba Mufti against DPAP president Ghulam Nabi Azad in Anantnag.

Khurshid said, "The National Conference already has three Lok Sabha MPs and we have decided to give them a chance."

Asked if Omar Abdullah will also contest the polls, the NC leader said in that case one would have to convene another press conference in Srinagar as and when a decision is taken. -- PTI

KBK Infographics

17:22 Automobile retail sales log double-digit growth in FY24

Automobile retail sales in India saw double-digit growth in 2023-24 driven by record offtake of passenger vehicles, three- wheelers and tractors, dealers' body FADA said on Monday. The retail sales across segments rose by 10 per cent to 2,45,30,334 units last fiscal as compared with 2,22,41,361 units in 2022-23.

Leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) sat on a 24-hour dharna outside the Election Commission's office here, demanding that the chiefs of CBI, NIA, ED and Income Tax Department be changed.

A delegation of the TMC leaders, including Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, met a full bench of the Election Commission (EC) over their demands.

The TMC has been alleging that the central probe agencies have been targeting opposition parties at the behest of the BJP-led Centre. "The BJP is misusing central agencies against us. The way NIA, ED and CBI are working and targeting TMC leaders is shameful. We would request the EC to ensure a level playing field for all political parties," Sen told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for New Delhi.

The TMC alleged on Sunday an "unholy alliance" between the NIA and the BJP ahead of elections, prompting the central investigating agency to deny any mala fide intention and label the entire controversy as "unfortunate".

A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. PTI

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty reached their fresh record highs on Monday, amid optimism in global markets and foreign fund inflows.

Buying in index major Reliance Industries also fuelled the rally in equities. The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 494.28 points or 0.67 per cent to settle at a new closing peak of 74,742.50.

During the day, it zoomed 621.08 points or 0.83 per cent to reach a record intra-day high of 74,869.30. The NSE Nifty climbed 152.60 points or 0.68 per cent to 22,666.30. During the day, it jumped 183.6 points or 0.81 per cent to hit a lifetime high of 22,697.30.

From the Sensex basket, Maruti, Mahindra & Mahindra, NTPC, JSW Steel, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, and Power Grid were the major gainers. Nestle, Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, Titan, HCL Technologies and Infosys were the laggards.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor has said that Bihar has a lot of space for a new party as it has "maximum anti-incumbency" following the nearly 35-year rule of ideologically similar formations headed by either Lalu Prasad Yadav or Nitish Kumar.

His comments came as his ongoing 'Jan Suraaj' yatra through his home state is expected to end with the formation of a political party before the assembly polls in the latter half of the next year.

Once the party takes shape, it will contest every election, Kishor said. Asked if Bihar, with two strong regional parties in Yadav-led RJD and Kumar-led Janata Dal (U) besides the formidable BJP, the Left and the Congress, has space for one more political party, he told PTI that the state has more space than other states.

"Almost similar formations built around Lalu and Nitish have been there for 35 years. They have similar ideologies more or less," he said, noting that issues like social justice, socialism and 'jungle raj' have been there all these years.

"Anti-incumbency is maximum there. There has been no fundamental change in these 35 years. According to me, there is space," he said. Noting that it is one of the stated goals of his 'yatra' that people associated with it will form a political party, he said once such a party takes shape, it will contest every election.

Having worked with many political parties in shaping their election campaigns, often successfully, before launching his 'padyatra' in Bihar with a stated goal to usher in transformative changes to boost the backward state's development, Kishor said he does not think he is doing anything drastically different.

What he was advising political parties and their leaders earlier, he is now directly communicating to people, be the issues they should raise or building grassroots organisation, he said.

He said when he started the 'Jan Suraaj' yatra on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, 2022, he planned to identify 20 "right" people in every block but has received a massive response, with anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people willing to become its founder members.

Kishore said he has so far travelled through 60 per cent of the state. Asked what role he sees for himself in the likely political party, he likened himself to a potter collecting raw materials to build a good earthen pot. PTI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that an "exodus" of Congress leaders began after Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' passed through the state.

In an interview with PTI at Titabor in Jorhat district, Sarma slammed Gandhi for raking up topics such as caste census and Manipur violence in Assam without having a proper briefing on the ground situation. He claimed that more leaders of the grand old party will join the BJP after the Lok Sabha elections.

"During 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', he (Gandhi) did a lot of (political) harakiri on the roads. People, including Congress leaders, got very offended. That helped us a lot," he said when asked if the yatra would have any impact on Lok Sabha elections in the state. Sarma claimed the exodus from Congress started after the yatra and it is continuing.

"Rahul doesn't know the culture of a state. He doesn't study or discuss with his colleagues. He comes and irritates people. If we go to a state, we will have a proper briefing like who are the cultural icons, what things are to be said or not to be said and what are the sensitivities of that state," he added.

The Chief Minister, who travels extensively across India to campaign for BJP during different elections, claimed that he takes briefing and debriefing before going to a state so that nothing goes wrong.

"Rahul comes without that kind of briefing. And he, directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, ends up humiliating the local people and that creates a problem," he added.

Giving an example, Sarma said Gandhi raised the issues of caste census and Manipur violence in Assam although "none of these topics have any relevance here".

"Assam is a casteless society and people do not believe in casteism. If suddenly someone comes here and talks about caste census, nobody will accept that. Caste census may be relevant in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but not in Assam," he said.

"When you come to Assam and go on speaking about Manipur, people feel disconnected because Manipur and Assam are two different states," Sarma said.

He said neither Manipur has any impact on Assam nor has Assam any impact on Manipur.

"But many people coming to Assam started asking questions about Manipur. That means they came without briefing. Every time, Rahul comes to Assam without taking a briefing of Assam and that's the problem," Sarma said.

When asked if it was the fault of Assam Congress for not briefing Gandhi properly, Sarma, who was once a member of the opposition party, chose to blame the Wayanad MP, calling him as an "impatient" person.

"Getting an audience for the briefing is the problem. You have to give time, you have to have patience. He (Gandhi) is an impatient person. You need a lot of patience to understand the culture, anthropology and geography. So, you have to give at least two hours before you come to a state," the BJP leader said.

The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' passed through Assam from January 18 to 25, during which Gandhi had locked horns with Sarma, terming him "the most corrupt CM of India". The eight-day journey remained very eventful witnessing high-voltage drama, accusations from both sides, clashes and multiple FIRs at different police stations. Sarma, in several election campaign meetings in the last one month, claimed that all Congress leaders, including the party's state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah will join the BJP in the coming days.

Asked if he made this statement on the basis of facts or if it was just political rhetoric, the BJP leader said, "Today, if you go to the Congress headquarters or any district office, you will see empty chairs and empty rooms. Because in the last three months, most of the Congress people I know have joined the BJP." "Now, there are hardly 30-40 state leaders in the Congress. I think that after Lok Sabha elections, all other leaders will join the BJP," he said.

16:14 Rs 1 lakh to accounts of SC, ST women: Cong

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday exuded confidence to win the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and said the new government will transfer Rs 1 lakh annually into accounts of women belonging to SC, ST, and backward categories.

Addressing a rally at Dhanora in Seoni district, which is part of the Mandla Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi also assured to provide guaranteed apprenticeships to unemployed youths.

"Our manifesto mentions three to four revolutionary steps taken by us like transferring Rs 1 lakh into (bank) accounts of women belonging to SC and ST categories, backward classes, and for women from poor families. This way we will provide thousands of rupees in their accounts every month," he said. Congress has fielded former minister and MLA Omkar Singh Markam from the Mandla constituency against the sitting MP and Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste.

The Congress has also promised to double the money being paid to Asha and Anganwadi workers, Gandhi said.

"We will also bring a new law to ensure that every unemployed youth in the country gets a one-year apprenticeship in the public and private sector during which they will also get Rs one lakh as allowance," the former Congress chief said. After completing the apprenticeship, they will get a job at the same place if they perform well, he added.

"After forming a government at the Centre, we will end the contractual system in employment and will fill 30 lakh vacancies in the government sector," Gandhi said. The Congress government will frame a law to ensure that farmers get adequate MSP for their crops for which they have been agitating for a long period, he said.

16:11 A hero passes into the ages

Air Commodore (Retd) CM Singla has passed away.

Read this story to understand why the air commodore played such a crucial role in the Bangladesh War of 1971. Read the story here.

Facing attack from PM Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and their daughters and sons, will visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya after the campaigning ends for the Lok Sabha polls, reports MI Khan.

Congress senior leader Jairam Ramesh tweets: "My colleagues @salman7khurshid, @MukulWasnik, @Pawankhera and @gurdeepsappal have just met with the Election Commission and presented and argued 6 complaints, including 2 against the PM himself. This is the time for the Election Commission to demonstrate its independence by ensuring a level playing field for all parties. We live in hope that the Hon'ble Commission will uphold its Constitutional mandate. For our part, we will continue to pursue all avenues, political and legal, to expose this regime."

The biker crashed into the open door of Karandlaje's car

15:22 Biker crashes into minister's car, run over by truck

A biker died allegedly after he crashed into the open door of a car belonging to Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje at KR Puram in Bengaluru on Monday.

According to police, the incident occurred near Ganesha Temple in the locality. The deceased has been identified as Prakash.

Sources said the minister was inside the car and she was going for election campaigning. As soon as the door of her car was opened, Prakash crashed into it and fell down.

There was a truck coming from behind, which ran over him, killing him instantaneously. It was not known if it was Karandlaje who opened the door or someone else. The minister was not available for her comment. PTI

The Congress on Monday alleged that the BJP and its allies first "cheated their way" into power in Maharashtra and have since left the state in shambles, asking how much did the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi cost.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rally in Maharashtra's Chandrapur.

"The BJP and its allies first cheated their way into power and have since left the state in shambles. The statue of Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea that the PM laid the foundation stone for seven years ago is illustrative of his governance style: seven years later, it has been silently abandoned by his government," Ramesh said.

"What hope can the common person have from a man who has given "jumlas" even to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj?" he said in a post on X. Ramesh said farmers in Maharashtra have had an incredibly challenging year and in November, the state government declared that 60 per cent of rural Maharashtra faced drought conditions last year.

"Between March and September, more than 16 lakh hectares of agricultural land was affected by unseasonal rains in the kharif season. Then, over 60% of districts suffered major damage to the rabi crop due to hailstorms and unseasonal rains in November and February," he said. Despite all of these hardships, farmers received no assistance from the government and haven't received their insurance compensation either, he said.

"In 2014, the PM had promised farmers in Yavatmal District he would give MSP at 1.5x the cost of production, in accordance with the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. Why has the PM forgotten this promise?" the Congress leader said. In its 2024 Nyay Patra, the Congress has committed to a legal guarantee for MSP, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, a loan waiver for farmers, and a mandatory transfer of all insurance payments for crop loss within 30 days, he pointed out. What is the BJP's vision to support Maharashtra's farmers, he asked.

"According to the Government's own data from the NCRB, two youths in Maharashtra commit suicide every day because of unemployment even as 2.5 lakh jobs are vacant across the state.To make matters worse, paper leaks have plagued almost every competitive exam conducted under CM Eknath Shinde's government," he said.

Ramesh pointed out that in the latest case, hundreds of PhD holders boycotted the common entrance test (CET) after finding that exam papers were not properly sealed. This exam had already been cancelled once in late December when the question paper turned out to be the same as the 2019 SET exam, he said.

"The BJP and its allies have been irresponsible and have left the futures of lakhs of honest students hanging in the balance. Why has the PM failed to create opportunities for Maharashtra's youth?" he said. Ramesh said that in its 2024 Nyay Patra, the Congress has guaranteed 'Paper Leak se Mukti' with new laws to prevent leaks from occurring in the first place.

"We've also guaranteed the filling of 30 lakh vacancies at the central level, and a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide 1 year of employment to every graduate below the age of 25. What is the BJP doing to ensure the prosperity and security of young India?" he said.

Ramesh said Maharashtra's 2022 political crisis showed the nation that the BJP's greed for power is much greater than its regard for democratic values.

"They did not hesitate to use their ill-gotten Electoral Bonds chanda to buy Shiv Sena MLAs, and have destroyed Maharashtra's political culture in the process. We now know that the Electoral Bonds Scam cost Indian citizens Rs. 4 lakh crore -- the question is how much did the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi cost?" the Congress general secretary said and asked the prime minister to break his "silence" on these issues. PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that no Indian, irrespective of their faith, will lose citizenship with the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

He charged the opposition Congress and DMK with "creating confusion" over the issue. Rajnath was speaking after taking out a roadshow in Namakkal in Tamil Nadu in support of the party's candidate for the April 19 Lok Sabha elections, KP Ramalingam.

A town in western Tamil Nadu, Namakkal is located about 400 km from state capital Chennai. The BJP always implemented what it promised and the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 and the CAA were such assurances, he said.

"We promised a citizenship act, and we did it. I want to clarify that any citizen of India--whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew--nobody's citizenship will go away," he said. "The DMK and Congress are creating confusion on the matter," he alleged.

Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit. He is the sitting MP from Pilibhit

14:48 Party decides, but Varun a good MP: Maneka

After three-time MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi was denied a BJP ticket for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Maneka Gandhi, his mother and a party candidate from Sultanpur on Monday said that the decision of fielding someone is taken by the party's high command.

Speaking to ANI, the former union minister said that Varun will continue to do a good job for the country in future. "What should I say, it's about what the party decides. Varun has been a good MP. Whatever he will be in life, he will do good for the country," Maneka said.

BJP has nominated UP public works minister Jitin Prasada from Pilibhit, replacing Varun. For the first time since 1989 when Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi won the Lok Sabha polls in Pilibhit as a Janata Dal candidate, a Gandhi family member is not fighting from this constituency.

Maneka lost the 1991 election from Sultanpur but after that, she and Varun have won seven consecutive elections from Pilibhit.

Pilibhit will vote in the first phase on 19 April.

Speaking about the general elections, Maneka also hit out at the Opposition, saying that the BJP is not like the parties that have done nothing for four years and come to woo voters just before the polls.

"We are always ready for the elections. We never stop after the election, we are connected to the people and hence we try to work all five years and not like those who have done nothing for four years," she added. The BJP has retained Maneka from Sultanpur seat. -- ANI

Let there not be a "contest" between the Union and the state, the Supreme Court said on Monday while hearing the Karnataka government's plea seeking a direction to the Centre to release financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta was told by Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who were appearing for the Centre, that they would seek instructions in the matter.

The apex court, which observed that various state governments were required to approach the court, initially asked the Centre to file a response to Karnataka's plea.

Urging the court to take up the matter after two weeks, the solicitor general said they would take instructions in the matter.

"Let there not be a contest between the Union and the state," the bench said. Mehta said instead of filing a petition in the top court, if somebody would have spoken to the authorities on the issue, the problem could have been resolved.

"We have seen various state governments are required to approach the court," the bench observed. Mehta said, "I don't wish to say why, but this is a growing tendency". When the bench orally said it would issue notice to the Centre, the solicitor general said, "Your lordships may not issue notice. It also becomes news. We are here".

The bench noted that the top law officers, who were appearing on advance notice, have stated that they would seek instruction and make a statement before the court on the next date. It posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.

Rahul Gandhi at a rally in MP

14:07 Oops! BJP MP's face on Cong banner at Rahul rally

The Congress was left red-faced after a video surfaced on social media, showing a picture of Union Minister and BJP candidate Faggan Singh Kulaste on a banner at Rahul Gandhi's rally in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla Lok Sabha seat on Monday.

While the Congress termed the goof-up a "human error", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the opposition party had accepted defeat even before the elections.

The purported video showed a picture of Kulaste on a banner serving as a backdrop of the stage at the rally scheduled later in the day at Dhanora, some 80 km from Seoni district headquarters under the Mandla Lok Sabha seat.

In the video, workers were seen covering the Union minister's picture with an image of Rajneesh Harvansh Singh, the Congress MLA from the Keolari assembly seat. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the Congress has already accepted defeat by putting up a picture of BJP candidate Kulaste.

"This shows the Congress's seriousness. They put up a picture of the BJP candidate instead of their own. They have accepted defeat even before the elections," he said.

Talking to PTI, senior Congress leader KK Mishra termed the banner goof-up a "human error". "The BJP has made it a habit to politicise every issue even if it is a human error. We can't say anything about such habits of the BJP," he said.

Pic: Umar Ganie

13:55 Kashmir turns golden

A mustard field in Kashmir in full bloom.

Pic: Umar Ganie

13:51 Tastes yummm...

If there is paradise on Earth, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast...

Sheep graze on gorgeous almond flowers in a pasture in Srinagar as spring begins.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by AAP leader Sanjay Singh challenging an order of the Gujarat High Court which refused to quash summons issued against him in a defamation case for alleged comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification.

"We are not inclined to entertain the present petition," a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said. The bench said the high court had already observed in its order that all contentions available to the parties were kept open and the trial judge would not be influenced by any observations made in the order.

The high court had on February 16 dismissed the pleas by Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking quashing of the summons issued against them in the defamation case.

Kejriwal and Singh had challenged in the high court the summons issued by a trial court in the case filed by the Gujarat University and the subsequent order of the sessions court dismissing their revision applications against the summons. PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of taking action against the corrupt after June 4 meant that opposition leaders would be imprisoned post Lok Sabha elections.

Results of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections from April 19 to June 1 will be announced on June 4.

Addressing a rally at Bankura, the TMC chief alleged that the National Investigation Agency had gone to Bhupatinagar in Purba Medinipur district without informing the local police.

"The Prime Minister is coming to West Bengal to address election rallies. I have no issues with that. But the way he is saying that stern action will be taken against the opposition over corruption after the Lok Sabha poll results is unacceptable," she said.

Modi, while addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri on Sunday, had claimed that while he says "remove corruption", the opposition says "save the corrupt", promising more stringent action against the corrupt after June 4.

"Is this how a Prime Minister should speak? What if I say I will put BJP leaders in jail after the election? But I will not say this as this is unacceptable in a democracy," she said. "This is actually 'Modi ki guarantee', putting all opposition leaders in jail after June 4," Banerjee alleged.

A team of the NIA was allegedly attacked by a mob on Saturday when it went to arrest two main suspects in a 2022 blast case in Purba Medinipur district, sparking a political slugfest with Banerjee accusing the investigators of assaulting the villagers. PTI

13:08 Pawar: When Modi was CM I helped him but he...

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar addresses public rally in Maharashtra Baramati.

"When I was the Union agriculture minister, I helped the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi without any partiality, but today the same person is making personal comments against me. Today, if someone comments against the PM, then action is taken against them.

"Jharkhand CM spoke against the PM, and he was sent to jail.

"Arvind Kejriwal who made a statement against the PM has also been sent to jail.

"This is not democracy, it is dictatorship. Today, the power has been centralised in the hands of Modi, we need to release it from him."

Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule has claimed the fight between her and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar in Baramati constituency is a design of the Bharatiya Janata Party to politically finish off Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar.

KC Venugopal with Rahul Gandhi

13:07 'Some Cong leaders quit when they receive notices'

Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal on Monday said some leaders quit the party the moment they receive notices from Central investigating agencies and 'fall at the feet of BJP and Union government.'

Venugopal, who is AICC general secretary (Organisation), however, hailed leaders like Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and said according to him, he defeated the alleged pressure exerted by BJP through various agencies.

Citing the example of Shivakumar, he further said the Karnataka Deputy CM was a leader who had shown the courage to continue in the party despite being jailed for no reason by Central agencies. While many other leaders quit Congress when they received notices from Central investigating agencies and surrendered (before the BJP-led Union government), Shivakumar declared the Indian National Congress is his mother and he won't leave the party.

"Shivakumar was sent to prison...Sent to Tihar jail for no reason. He was told that he would be freed if he was ready to leave the party. I am aware of those who told him about it. But he told them that the Indian National Congress is like his mother, and he won't quit it," Venugopal said.

The AICC general secretary, who is contesting from Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, was speaking during a campaign programme attended by Shivakumar.

He said Shivakumar was a leader who showed courage to tell his political opponents that he wouldn't leave his party, even though he was jailed for months. Some leaders could not say so, and they easily surrender and fall at the feet of political opponents when they receive notices (from investigating agencies), Venugopal further said.

"I am really happy for Shivakumar," he added. Venugopal also slammed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his continuous criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He reiterated that if Vijayan was trying to please anyone by criticising Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has no issue with it.

India agreed to give up the Poonch salient as well as Uri.

To the north India also proposed to give up land in the Gurez sector giving the entire Neelam/Kinshanganga valley to Pakistan.

In return, India sought control of the post dominating Kargil town, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

Read the column here.

Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama and with a saffron scarf around his neck, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Pilibhit Jitin Prasada reads out the names of a few local party workers from a paper at a public meeting in Pilibhit.

"I might not know the names of people here but I will get to know them in the coming years," says the Public Works Department (PWD) minister, who hails from adjoining Shahjahanpur district. The BJP chose Prasada over sitting Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi.

The constituency has been represented by Varun Gandhi or his mother Maneka Gandhi since 1996. Prasada is among the only two Uttar Pradesh cabinet ministers to have got a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the other being Minister of State for Revenue Anoop Pradhan Valmiki -- BJP candidate from Hathras.

The minister's campaign appears focused on the work done by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the last 10 years and his vision for a 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). Prasada makes no mention of local issues like flooding during monsoon or lack of industrial infrastructure and direct road and railway links to important cities.

"I have come here as a 'doot' (messenger) of Modi ji. All of us are working to fulfil his dream of 'Viksit Bharat'," Prasada told PTI while walking through narrow alleys on his way to the Jhandewala crossing to address a public meeting.

Addressing the gathering, he said, "Modi ji removed (Article) 370, Modi ji constructed the Ram temple and has ushered in development which is being seen all around the country."

"Every vote cast for the lotus (BJP's election symbol) will go to Modi ji and strengthen him," he said, adding, "Modi ji will return as the prime minister for the third time."

Asked if he has identified any local issues to focus on during campaigning, Prasada said, "Our campaign is not being run by the party but by the people themselves who are happy with work done by PM Modi and want to make him the PM again."

Asked again about the local issues, he said, "I am not going anywhere. I will stay here and work for people for the next five years under the leadership of PM Modi."

On the BJP picking him over Varun Gandhi as its Pilibhit candidate, Prasada said, "The BJP is a party of paramount discipline. When the party makes a decision or gives any direction, everyone works towards the same goal."

"We all are here to take forward the good work being done under the leadership of PM Modi. That must be our ultimate goal," he said as he got inside his car to head to another public meeting organised in the Tel Mill area.

Addressing the gathering, Prasada once again appealed to people to vote for Modi. "Vote in such a way on April 19 that the entire country sees how strong the Modi wave is," he exhorted the gathering. -- PTI

Kangana's 2021 post on Twitter

11:24 I'm a proud Hindu, I don't eat beef: Kangana

BJP candidate and actress Kangana Ranaut makes a meaty claim. "I don't consume beef or any other kind of red meat, it is shameful that completely baseless rumours are being spread about me, I have been advocating and promoting yogic and Ayurvedic way of life for decades now such tactics won't work to tarnish my image. My people know me and they know that I am a proud Hindu and nothing can ever mislead them, Jai Shri Ram," the candidate from the Mandi Parliamentary constituency said.

Her remarks came after Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on April 5 alleged that Kangana Ranaut had once said that she ate beef.

"Actor Kangana Ranaut had written on X that she liked and ate beef. And the BJP has given her a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP was welcoming all corrupt leaders," Wadettiwar said at a public rally.

Reacting to Wadettiwar's beef remark against Kangana Ranaut, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said it reflected the dirty culture" of the Congress party.

The more progressive and successful part of the country is drifting away from the poverty-ridden north and its majoritarian leader. Read the column here.

11:11 BJP MLA Shelar meets Salman Khan

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar has met Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his family members and discussed the social work being carried out by them in the fields of healthcare and assistance to the needy persons. Shelar in post on X on Sunday mentioned about his meeting with the Khan family over lunch.

The Bandra (West) MLA also posted a photo in which he is seen along with the actor and his father, noted scriptwriter Salim Khan. "Pleased to meet Shri Salim Khan ji, Smt Helen ji, @BeingSalmanKhan & family over lunch & discuss their social work in areas of healthcare & assisting the needy- started by Salim ji & pursued for two decades with utmost sincerity," the Mumbai BJP chief said in the post.

All six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai will go to polls in the last phase on May 20. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after 80 in Uttar Pradesh. PTI

An altercation broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during BJP MP Dilip Ghosh visit to Durgapur on Monday morning. Later, police officials controlled the situation.

Visuals from the spot showed two groups pushing each other and shouting slogans against one another, waving their party flags. A police officer was seen trying to bring the situation under control.

"This is their (TMC) attitude. Some people had come here to protest and they have been removed. So many people have come here to see me, that is why they (TMC) are protesting," Ghosh said, speaking to reporters.

While the TMC has fielded Kirti Azad from the Burdwan-Durgapur parliamentary constituency. Dilip Ghosh is the BJP candidate from the constituency.

Polling for the Lok Sabha in Bengal will take place across all 7 phases, starting April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4. The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 16 after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4. However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC's 22. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank.

10:53 No interim bail for BRS leader K Kavitha

A court in Delhi on Monday denied interim bail to BRS leader K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy-related money laundering case. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the plea, saying the stage was not right to enlarge her on interim bail.

Kavitha had approached the court for interim bail, saying her 16-year-old son has exams and needs his mother's "moral and emotional support".

The ED had opposed the submission, claiming Kavitha destroyed evidence and influenced witnesses in the case.

The agency had alleged that Kavitha is a key member of the "South Group", which has been accused of paying the ruling AAP in Delhi kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital. Kavitha, 46, was arrested from her Banjara Hills residence on March 15 amid protests by BRS supporters.

She was then sent to seven-day ED custody the next day. Her custodial interrogation was later extended by three days. She was sent to 14-day judicial custody last Tuesday. -- PTI

MDMK's Vaiko

10:50 INDIA ally MDMK promises to get back Katchatheevu

Founder of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Vaiko has said that his party will strive to get Katchatheevu back from Sri Lanka.

The veteran leader of MDMK, which is part of the Opposition INDIA bloc, told reporters on Sunday at Tiruchirapalli, said that he wants the island to be returned to Tamil Nadu.

"They claim that the entire country is in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In fact, it is the INDIA alliance that has a chance of winning from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas. In the critical situation of that day, Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka. At that time DMK protested against it. We will not give even one inch of Indian soil to Sri Lanka. To recover the island through the court, efforts will be made by Chief Minister MK Stalin," he said.

The Katchatheevu issue recently came to the fore again after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of handing over the island to Sri Lanka in 1974. He slammed the DMK and the Congress over the island row, saying the ruling alliance parties of Tamil Nadu have done nothing to safeguard the state's interests.

Notably, the retrieval of Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka was among the promises the MDMK has included in its manifesto titled, 'Sloganeering for 24 Rights' which was released on Saturday.

Other promises by the party included--bringing constitutional amendments granting more autonomy to states and clipping governors' powers, and scrapping the national education policy (NEP).The manifesto read out by party leader Vaiko vows abrogation of Article 361 granting powers to governors, introducing Thirukkural across the country and removal of toll plazas.

Sanjay Nirupam with Rahul Gandhi in 2019

10:23 Why I Quit Congress: Sanjay Nirupam Spills the Beans

In a two-part interview, former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com why he quit the Congress, how five power centres within the Congress are ruining the party, the reasons why the Congress has been in a tailspin since the party's 2014 defeat.

Nirupam has been expelled from the Congress for six years as disciplinary action for speaking against the Congress's Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray

Read the interview here.

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

10:10 Khalistani terrorist Pannun swears to embarrass PM

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has released a video in which he is purportedly heard saying that his group will challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the former Research and Analysis Wing chief Samant Goel, "right in their own backyard."

Pannun accuses the Modi regime of "transnational terrorism" and says his outfit, the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) will continue to campaign for the so-called Khalistan referendum.

He termed the general elections, that begins on April 19 a time when people can "embarrass Modi" by "show shoes" and "shame" him.

The close to 3-minute-long video shows clips from Rajnath Singh's recent interview to a TV channel in which the Defence minister says that the government will give a befitting reply to any terrorist who tries to disturb the peace of India. The video also shows a clip of the PM at a rally stating that "aaj ka bharat ghar mein ghus kar maarta hai."

During his public rally in Jamui on April 4, PM Modi had launched a scathing attack on the Congress and claimed that during the UPA rule, India was considered a weak country.

"Terrorists from small countries, used to launch attacks in India and Congress used to complain about it to other countries. But today India can strike inside enemy's home," said PM Modi ahead of Lok Sabha election.

He further said, "You remember 10 years ago, what was the opinion of India in the world? During the rule of Congress, India was considered a weak and poor country. Terrorists from small countries, used to launch attacks in India and Congress used to complain about it to other countries. But today India can strike inside enemy's home."

Meanwhile, the designated terrorist Pannun urges pro-Khalistan terrorists to shame Prime Minister Narendra Modi by "showing shoes".In the video, Pannun also urged the governments of the US, Canada and Pakistan to follow 'LexTalionis' which implies an equal punishment approach.

It is not the first time that Pannun has released a video on social media. He is known to routinely release such videos on social media in the past.In November last year, designated terrorist Pannun , released a new video asking Sikhs not to fly in Air India aircraft after November 19, as their lives can be under threat. He claimed that Air India would not be allowed to operate on November 19.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor shares this image saying, "I have been blessed to have had the presence of my mother in all my campaigns. This time, at the age of 88, she gamely came out yesterday, to hand over some food she wanted me to eat during the pariyadanam! I didn't argue, though the feasibility of tucking into a healthy salad on top of a moving vehicle while waving at voters had not occurred to her! My wonderful sister @ShobhaTharoor has joined her too -- though I doubt this campaign will give her any material for one of her popular children's books!"

Shashi Tharoor, who is eyeing a fourth consecutive win from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, has declared assets of over Rs 55 crore in his nomination papers.

Representational image

09:51 Man dies minutes after using water slide in Noida

A 25-year-old Delhi-based man died shortly after using a slide at a water park located in a mall's premises in Noida, prompting an investigation by the local police, officials said.

Dhanjay Maheshwari along with his four friends had on Sunday afternoon visited the Entertainment City water park at the Great India Place (GIP) Mall in Sector 38A, under Sector 39 police station limits, they said.

"After collecting costumes and keeping their belongings in lockers, all the friends went straight to the slide. They arrived one by one and started sliding, when Maheshwari suddenly started having trouble breathing," a police spokesperson said.

"He sat on the ground to take rest but not feeling any better, he was taken to nearby Kailash Hospital by an ambulance of GIP Mall authorities, where the doctors declared him dead," the spokesperson said. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida) Manish Mishra said the family members of Maheshwari also reached Noida soon after the incident and the body was being sent for postmortem.

Maheshwari lived in Delhi's Adarsh Nagar, Shivaji Road Extension. On the cause of the death, Mishra said, "We have initiated legal proceedings and the body has been sent for autopsy after which the reason could be confirmed." On the family's allegation of negligence on part of the mall's management, the police officer said the claims are being investigated. PTI

09:45 Banks to remain closed for four days this week

Banks across India will remain closed for multiple days in the upcoming week. National banks, including the State Bank of India have announced a five-day holiday streak beginning April 9. The holidays are slated for various festivals and occasions, including Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Telegu New Year, Bohag Bihu, and Eid celebrations.

Indian American physician, researcher, and best-selling author Siddhartha Mukherjee will deliver the address at the University of Pennsylvania commencement on May 20 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. He will also receive an honorary doctor of sciences degree. Read more here.

Manipur will vote on April 19 and 26

09:37 Give us 'right to live' before we vote: Manipuris

"Why should I vote to elect a representative of a place which is no longer mine... elections mean nothing to us," says a distraught Nobi who lost her home 11 months ago to ethnic violence in Manipur, and is living in a relief camp.

The 42-year-old is not alone as 'right to live before right to vote' and 'peace before polls' was the common refrain of many who have not been able to return to their home due to recurrent clashes and lingering hostilities between the warring ethnic groups in the northeast state.

The state has traditionally seen a very high voter turnout with more than 82 per cent polling recorded in the 2019 elections. But the ethnic violence has cast a shadow on the polls this time around with several civil society groups and the affected people questioning the relevance of holding elections in the current circumstances.

"The government hasn't been able to ensure my right to live with dignity and they are going to ensure my right to vote?" Nobi asks. "My house was burnt in front of my eyes. I and my family left overnight. We do not even know what is left there."

"Why should I vote for representative of a place which is no longer mine? This is all a gimmick... Elections mean nothing to us," Nobi told PTI.

The hills state has witnessed sporadic, sometime intense, ethnic clashes since May 3 last year between the majority Meitei community and Kukis, resulting in loss of over 200 lives.

While Meiteis have concentrated in Imphal city while Kukis have shifted to the hills. The elections for two Lok Sabha seats in Manipur will be held in two phases on April 19 and 26.

While Inner Manipur and some segments of Outer Manipur will vote in the first phase on April 19, the remaining segments of Outer Manipur will vote in Phase 2 on April 26. According to officials, more than 50,000 people are living in camps following the unrest.

They question the timing of the Lok Sabha elections and say the idea of organising voting in relief camps is nothing but a gimmick as the real issues remain unaddressed.

PTI visited four relief camps in the Imphal Valley where the displaced people expressed discontent with the poll process.

Eighteen-year-old Dima, who has finished her schooling under the shadow of the conflict, said she has no idea what she is going to do next.

"How can I plan studying further in such a situation? And why should I waste my first vote at a time when I feel elections should not be conducted... I won't," she told PTI. Living in a relief camp set up in the Government Dance College auditorium in Imphal's Peace Compound, Dima spends her day teaching primary school children who have begun going to a nearby government school. The Election Commission has announced that the displaced population will have the opportunity to cast their votes from relief camps.

The Matua-majority Thakurnagar area in West Bnegal's North 24 Parganas district witnessed dramatic scenes on Sunday night with supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party MP Shantanu Thakur and Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur coming face to face over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as 'Boroma', lived till her death five years back.

According to TMC, the incident happened when Shantanu Thakur along with his supporters allegedly tried by force to take control of the Boroma's house, where Mamata Bala presently resides.

Shantanu is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law.

"BJP's hooliganism at its peak. Shocking visuals are coming from Bongaon where BJP candidate & their leader @Shantanu_bjp, along with his goons carrying sharp objects & arms, are planning a violent attack on our Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakur's residence," the TMC posted on the X handle along with a video of the incident.

In the purported video, Shantanu and his supporters were seen breaking the gates of the house.

Shantanu told reporters that despite him being one of the legal claimants of the property, "Mamata Bala Thakur has been illegally occupying the entire property and even turning a portion of it into a TMC party office."

"I am one of the legal heirs and have full right over half of this property. But Mamata Bala Thakur has taken full control of it illegally," he alleged.

Mamata Bala Thakur denied the allegations and lodged a police complaint against the incident.

"I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my residence. They have forcibly entered into my residence," she said.

Shantanu had defeated his nearest TMC rival, Mamatabala Thakur, who is also an influential leader of the Matua community, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where the CAA and NRC issues were the main poll planks. -- PTI

Slamming the Centre for doing "injustice" to the state, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has "thanked" Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for admitting the delay in releasing drought relief funds to the state.

Speaking after a meeting with apartment owners in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Shivakumar said, "Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the announcement of general elections delayed drought relief funds to Karnataka. By saying this, she has admitted that drought relief is delayed and the Centre has done injustice to Karnataka. She was accusing the state of not doing enough for drought relief."

"What is the connection between elections and drought relief?" he added.

Sitharaman reportedly said on Saturday that there was a delay in providing drought relief to Karnataka and it was not intentional because the Union government had to seek permission from the Election Commission.

Shivakumar further said that the people are aware of the injustice the Centre has done to Karnataka.

"We submitted our drought relief appeal four months ago. There was no model code of conduct for four months after our appeal. Now she is giving the pretext of a code of conduct. People are aware of the injustice of the Centre. This justifies D K Suresh's 'Our tax our right' campaign, thanks to her," Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar also responded to comments by H D Kumaraswamy regarding the Mekedatu project, noting the former chief minister's previous inaction on the matter.

"Kumaraswamy is talking about Mekedatu and Mahadayi now, but he didn't do anything about it when he was in power. When we were on a padayatra for Mekedatu, he ridiculed us for taking out the yatra to eat kababs. He is now talking about a padayatra. It looks like Mandya heat is affecting him," Shivakumar said. -- ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party betrays those who help it in times of need, claimed Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday.

Addressing a rally for his party's Mumbai North East Lok Sabha candidate Sanjay Dina Patil, Thackeray said the BJP betrayed the Shiv Sena by contesting the 2014 assembly polls alone despite the two parties having a several decade long alliance.

"Despite this, we remained the BJP's ally. It again betrayed us in 2019 and we accepted support from the Congress and NCP. The BJP then broke our party to form government (in 2022). The BJP deceives those who support it," Thackeray claimed.

The BJP government at the Centre arrested former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to muzzle the voice of the opposition but it is going to repent since people are upset, he added. -- PTI

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