A court in Gujarat's Kutch district on Sunday granted bail to Mumbai-based Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari in a second 'hate speech' case registered against him in connection with a religious event organised at Samakhiali town of the district around two weeks back.

The cleric was granted bail by a court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Y Sharma at Bhachau, Samakhiali police sub-inspector Vishal Patel said.

After being granted bail, Azhari was taken to the Rajkot central jail from where the Arvalli police will take his custody in a third 'hate speech' case registered against him at Modasa police station on Friday, Patel said.

On February 8, the Bhachau court had remanded Azhari in police custody till Sunday. When he was produced before the court on Sunday, Azhari's lawyer moved a bail application. After hearing both sides, the court allowed his bail plea.

Azhari was on February 7 granted bail in the first FIR registered against him for delivering an alleged hate speech in B division police station limits in Junagadh on January 31.

He had been held from Mumbai on February 5 in connection with this case.

A day after getting bail by the Bhachau court, he was arrested by the Kutch police in connection with an alleged inflammatory speech during a religious event at Samakhiari on January 31.

He secured bail in the second case, registered on February 8, on Sunday.

On Friday, the preacher was booked in a third case for giving allegedly an inciting speech in an open ground in Modasa in Arvalli district on December 24 last year.

In Junagadh and Kutch, Azhari was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief).

In Modasa, apart from sections 153B and 505(2), he has also been charged under section 298 for 'uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person'.

Relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked as he made derogatory remarks against the SC community in his speech, as per police.   -- PTI

The health condition of veteran actor and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Mithun Chakraborty has improved and he is 'quite stable', an official said on Sunday.

Chakraborty, 73, was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on Saturday, after he complained of severe chest pain.

"He is recuperating well, is fully conscious, well-oriented, active, and has consumed a soft diet. He will undergo certain investigations before his discharge," the official of the medical facility said.

The popular actor has already undergone an MRI, along with other medical tests at the hospital.

Chakraborty, who has been honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country, has acted in around 350 films in Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri and Tamil.   -- PTI

IMAGE: West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar meets with veteran party leader Mithun Chakraborty at a hospital in Kolkata on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Senior politician Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the Election Commission's decision to allot the Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol to Ajit Pawar-led group was 'surprising' as the poll body has 'snatched' the party from the hands of its founders and gave it to others.

He also said the programme and ideology are important for the people while a symbol is useful for a limited period.

In a setback to Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission on February 6 recognised the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and also allotted the party symbol 'clock' to the group led by him.

"I am confident that people will not support the Election Commission ruling against which we have approached the Supreme Court," Sharad Pawar told reporters in Pune.

The Election Commission not only snatched our symbol but also handed over our party to others, he said.

"The EC snatched the party from the hands of those who founded and built it and gave it to others; such a thing never happened before in the country," said Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999 after breaking away from Congress. 

Pawar, who had served as chief minister of Maharashtra and also as union minister, recalled that he had contested his first election on the symbol of 'a pair of bullocks'.

"The programme and ideology are more important than any symbol," he said. 

The EC had said that its decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of such a petition which included tests of aims and objectives of the party constitution, the test of party constitution and tests of majority, both organisational and legislative.

The poll body has allotted 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the group led by Sharad Pawar.  -- PTI

The Rashtriya Janata Dal on Sunday made it clear that it will give no walkover to the ruling National Democratic Alliance in Bihar a day later when the assembly is scheduled to take up a no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary.

RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, whose party has been claiming that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's volte face has caused resentment in the Janata Dal-United, urged legislators to vote during the motion in accordance with their conscience.

"Tomorrow, the MLAs would have to choose between two Gandhis. One is just an image inscribed on currency notes. The other was a living epitome of truth who had uttered the name of Lord Ram upon being felled by an assassin's bullets," Jha said with a rhetorical flourish.

Waving a few sheets of paper which he claimed were Supreme Court's orders on removal of an assembly Speaker passed earlier, the RJD leader said, "Going by these judgements, a no-confidence motion in the Bihar assembly must be supported by at least 122 MLAs in the 243-member assembly. We will ensure that the voting tomorrow is held within the Constitutional framework. We wish the NDA all the best."

Notably, the NDA, which includes the JD-U, the BJP, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha and an Independent, has a combined strength of 128 as against 114 MLAs of the 'Mahagathbandhan', which comprises the RJD, the Congress and three Left parties.

Jha's declamation comes in the wake of speculations that Chaudhary, who has so far refused to step down, might do so on Monday without in order to avoid the embarrassment of being voted out.

As per the business agenda released by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat, the no-confidence motion against the Speaker will be taken up immediately after the governor's customary address to members of the bicameral legislature on the inaugural day of the budget session.

Jha scoffed at suggestions that RJD MLAs had been placed 'under virtual house arrest' at former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav's residence out of fear that some of them might get enticed by the NDA.

"You can see me here, outside Tejashwi Yadav's house, with my alliance partners. All the MLAs are here together voluntarily, out of solidarity. We are not like those who go into a huddle, calling it a training workshop. We also are unlike those who host a luncheon only to find that many are not turning up."

The allusion was to a two-day workshop in Bodh Gaya which is being attended by legislators of the BJP and a lunch hosted by JD-U chief whip Shravan Kumar on Friday when at least five of the party's 45 MLAs remained conspicuous by their absence.  -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pleaded with a child at a tribal rally to stop waving at him so that his arm doesn't ache.

"I got your love, son. Please lower your arm, otherwise it will start to pain," Modi appealed to the child, who was held up by a man, apparently his father, as the crowd cheered.

While acknowledging the child's gesture Modi, repeatedly told him that his arm will start aching if he continues to wave at him.

Modi was addressing the Jan Jatiya Mahasabha in Jhabua district after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of Rs 7,550 crore development projects in Madhya Pradesh.   -- PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will visit Ayodhya on Monday to pay obeisance at the Ram temple, Aam Aadmi Party sources said.

The AAP convener was invited to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the temple but had said that he wanted to visit the temple later with his parents, wife and children.

"Kejriwal and Mann will be going to Ayodhya tomorrow. They will be accompanied by their families also," a source said on Sunday.  -- PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for peaceful protests across the nation against Returning Officers (ROs) on Sunday, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported.

He said that the people of Pakistan had complete trust in former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision of 'slavery unacceptable' in the aftermath of the February 8 polls.

He noted that despite the challenges faced on February 8, the people have showcased a clear and transparent mandate in favour of the PTI.

He accused the ROs of 'attempting to usurp their mandate once again'.

He condemned these 'unacceptable attempts to undermine democracy through tampering with election results'.

Gohar Ali Khan warned that any such action would be detrimental to Pakistan and unacceptable to the people, 'who will not tolerate any violation of their voting rights'.

He highlighted the importance of making use of 'constitutional, democratic, and political rights for the fundamental purpose of protecting the people's mandate', The Express Tribune reported.

The PTI chairman asserted that gaining a clear majority in the Centre, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the 'constitutional and democratic right of the PTI', according to The Express Tribune report.

He stated that 'preserving complete respect for the people's mandate is in the best interest of Pakistan and should be maintained under all circumstances'.  -- ANI

After his expulsion from the Congress over indiscipline and anti-party remarks, Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Sunday said that there cannot be any compromise on 'Ram' and 'Rashtra'.

Coming down heavily on the Congress party following his expulsion, Krishnam said that he would wish to be expelled for 14 years instead of six years as Lord Rama also went into exile for 14 years.

"Last night through many media outlets, I got to know that the Congress party has issued a letter from its side. KC Venugopal in the letter has said that I have been expelled for anti-party activities. First of all, I thank Congress leadership for freeing me from the party. Along with this, I want to ask them what activities were there that were against the party,?" Krishnam said while addressing a press conference.

"Secondly, I wish to Congress party to expel me for 14 years instead of 6 years. Lord Rama was also expelled for 14 years," he added.

Questing the allegations of anti-party activity, the expelled Congress leader said, "Taking the name of Lord Rama or going to Ayodhya or accepting the invitation of Pran Pratishtha event or laying the foundation of Shri Kalki Dham or meeting Narendra Modi ji is anti-party activity? These are my questions from the leadership of Congress and they must tell the people what are the things that are anti-party activities."

He said that there were many decisions taken by the grand old party that he did not agree with, which included opposing the abrogation of Article 370.

"There were many decisions taken by the Congress party that I did not agree with, like opposing the abrogation of Article 370. Congress should not have opposed this. Congress should not have supported DMK leaders when they compared Sanatana Dharma with Dengue and Malaria. I want to clarify one thing, no compromise should be made on Ram and Rashtra. Today, I got free," Krishnam said.

Reacting to the action taken against him, Pramod Krishnam said that the promise made by him to former Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi that he wouldn't leave the Congress Party till he died, was the reason he didn't leave the party despite various insults.

"I have been connected through Congress for years. Rajesh Pilot made me meet Rajeev Gandhi Ji. I said then that I won't leave Congress till I die. I have made my promises. There were many issues of Congress that I did not agree with. Like the abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq, the Congress should not have opposed it," he said.

"The party started insulting me. I have faced a lot of insults, yet I didn't leave the party. The promise that I made to Rajiv Gandhi, used to come in between and hence I did not leave the party. I also thought that the person who does not know how to respect people who have stood with their grandparents, from Ghulam Nahi Azad to Kamal Nath, from Bhupendra Singh Hooda to Digvijaya Singh and Anand Sharma. These are the people who were with Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi. They were the people who held the hands of Rahul Gandhi and made him learn how to walk," the expelled Congress leader added.

Hitting out at the grand old party, Krishnam said, "The question is not of my expulsion, the question is that the Congress, which was of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, Indira Gandhi, where they have brought this congress?"

In a veiled attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, "The question is of the future of the country. I know that in a democracy, a strong opposition is necessary. But in the name of strong opposition, they only have hate against one person. Being in opposition doesn't mean hating your prime minister. I have to say that it is unfortunate that he hates PM Modi to the extent that now he has started to hate the country. A person who doesn't respect his mother or sister, how will he respect others?"

"Sachin Pilot has been disrespected a lot in the party and like Lord Shiv, he is gulping the poison. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also being disrespected...You should ask her why is she not joining Rahul Gandhi in his Yatra. The question is who is giving instructions to disrespect them because our president (Mallikarjun Kharge) is just a rubber stamp," Krishnam added.

He said that from now on, he will stand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the nation's development.

"I am happy to say that I did not leave Congress. I did not break the promise 

that I made with Rajiv Gandhi. But from today, for the nation's development, I will stand by the prime minister of the country. Shri Kalki Dham foundation laying ceremony will be held on February 19. And I am proud that PM Modi will be attending the event. I thank UP CM Yogi Adityanath ji as well for accepting the invitation to come to Shri Kalki Dham," the expelled Congress leader said.

When asked about joining hands with the BJP, Krishnam said, "I don't know where I will go. I have faith in god. I will go wherever God takes me. I am with Modi ji because he is with the country."

The decision to expel Krishnam was taken by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday after a proposal seeking his dismissal from the party was mooted by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

'In view of the complaints of indiscipline and repeated statements against the party. Congress President has approved the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee to expel Pramod Krishnam from the party for six years with immediate effect,' read an official statement issued by the Congress on Saturday.   -- ANI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said state cabinet ministers will soon visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, were the idol consecration of the Ram Temple took place on January 22.

Fadnavis, however, did not share further details.

Queried on similar temple disputes in Kashi and Mathura, Fadnavis told reporters an amicable solution within the legal framework would be found the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured the Ram Temple was constructed in Ayodhya (following a Supreme Court verdict).

Asserting that Mathura, Kashi and Ayodhya are all sacred places, Fadnavis said after the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, it is natural for people to expect solution to the dispute in Mathura (Krishna Janmabhoomi) as well.

"I believe just as the Ram Temple got constructed due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi will also be resolved with harmony and within the framework of the law," the senior BJP leader said.

"A new corridor has been built in Kashi Vishwanath. Permission for worship has also been granted there and a conducive environment is being witnessed. In simple words, all these things are happening with harmony and as per law." said Fadnavis.

He was in Pimpri Chinchwad in Pune to attend the Geeta Bhakti Amrit Mahotsav in Alandi in Pune along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Hindu litigants say the Shahi Idgah in Mathura was built on the site believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. A Krishna temple stands next to the mosque.

Also, a court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India report recently suggested that the Gyanvapi mosque Varanasi (Kashi) was built after demolition of a temple there during Aurangzeb's rule.

A district court in Varanasi last month ruled that a priest can perform prayers before the idols in a cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid, a significant development in the legal battle over the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. -- PTI

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday announced the names of journalist Sagarika Ghose, party leader Sushmita Dev and two others for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls from the state.

'We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6 and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections,' the party said in a tweet.

'We extend our heartfelt wishes to them and may they work towards upholding Trinamool's enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the rights of every Indian,' it said.   -- PTI

With less than 24 hours left for the crucial trust vote in Bihar, legislators of the Congress, who had been made to camp in Telangana for a week, are all set to return by Sunday evening, party sources said.

They said the party legislators' flight is expected to land at the Patna airport by 5 pm and they will drive straight to the residence of former Deputy Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav.

The Congress legislators will be staying, until Monday, with their counterparts from RJD and the Left, at 5, Deshratna Marg, the government bungalow allotted to Yadav when he was the Deputy CM.

The 'Mahagathbandhan', as the Congress, RJD and Left combine is known in local parlance, lost power less than a month ago as a result of Janata Dal-United president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's abrupt return to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.

The NDA is comfortably placed, having a combined strength of 128 MLAs in the 243-member state assembly.

Nonetheless, the Congress, which has only 19 MLAs, was plagued by fears of a split ahead of the trust vote, a reason why it may have chosen to transport its legislators to the southern state.

Meanwhile, RJD legislators, who had reached Yadav's home on Saturday for a luncheon, but were asked to stay back till the trust vote, seem to be enjoying a carnival-like atmosphere.

The party has shared a video of them sitting around a bonfire and Yadav, dressed in a tracksuit, applauding a young MLA who crooned a song while playing the guitar.   -- PTI

Security has been increased near the Tikri border amid calls issued by farmer organisations to march to the national capital on February 13.

To prevent any untoward incident, big containers, cemented and iron barricades, and water canons were placed by police officials at the Singhu border of Delhi.

In Haryana, the CRPF and other security agencies have been deployed to ensure law and order is maintained.

Mobile internet services and bulk SMS have also been suspended in seven districts until February 13.

A top police official said that Section 144 has been imposed in Panchkula.

Sirsa-Chandigarh Highway has been blocked by digging the road, and heavy stones have been placed near Musahib Wala village along the Haryana-Punjabi border.

The Shambhu border has been sealed on the Punjab-Haryana border.

Border Security Force and Rapid Aaction Force personnel have also been deployed.

DCP Arshdeep Singh told ANI, "Due to the farmers' movement, we have sealed the Shambhu border...When they come here, we will request that they not go beyond this because they do not have permission for it. We want them to end the movement peacefully..."

Deputy Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra and Sirsa Sadar Police Station Incharge Sukhdev Singh are present at the spot to oversee security arrangements.

Traffic restrictions have been imposed on vehicular movement between Haryana and Punjab.

Roads leading to Punjab have been blocked near Dabwali, Rodi, and Kalanwali in Haryana.

According to Panchkula DCP Sumer Singh Pratap, "Section 144 has been imposed in Panchkula. A ban was imposed on taking out processions, demonstrations, march pasts on foot or with tractor trolleys and other vehicles, and carrying any sticks, rods or weapons."

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government on Saturday announced the suspension of mobile internet, bulk SMS, and all dongle services in several districts till February 13 in view of the farmers call.

According to a notification issued by the Haryana administration, bulk SMS and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls, will remain suspended.

According to an official order, mobile internet services will remain suspended in seven districts--Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa--from 6 am on February 11 till 11.59 pm on February 13.   -- ANI

People showered petals on MLAs visiting Ram Janmabhoomi temple on Sunday near the border of Barabanki and Ayodhya.

Bulldozers were also lined up to welcome the convoy of UP MLAs.

Visuals showed flowers being showered on the buses of the UP MLAs from both sides of the highway as buses reached Barabanki border.

Members of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Legislative Council are on their way to Ayodhya for a momentous visit to the newly inaugurated Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya on buses, today.

Buses carrying MLAs left for Ayodhya's Ram Temple from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in Lucknow on Sunday morning.

Visuals showed MLAs chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' as they gathered outside the UP Assembly before leaving for their journey.

The legislators have been invited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana to offer prayers before Ram Lalla.

Speaking to media, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker, Satish Mandan, expressed his joy at being part of the 'Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Andolan'.

Reflecting on the occasion, he stated, "This is a special moment for me because I was part of the 'Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Andolan. This is an emotional moment for me. I am very happy. God has bestowed upon me the opportunity to be with all legislators in this form, and it is a matter of great fortune for me."

On being asked about the Opposition's participation, the speaker said, "Those who are meant to come will come. These discussions of faith and religion cannot be imposed on anyone, but at the time when I asked to raise the hand in the legislative assembly, only 14 legislators objected, saying they wouldn't go. Others are ready to attend."

Expressing gratitude, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ritesh Gupta shared, "I am fortunate to get the opportunity to have the darshan of Lord Ram Lalla. After the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, everyone wanted to visit Ayodhya and have a darshan. Today, because of CM Yogi Adityanath, all the MLAs will be travelling to Ayodhya together."

Similarly, MLA Sarita Bhadauria expressed her feelings, saying, "I consider myself very lucky that I got the opportunity to go to Ayodhya. I am fortunate enough to get the Ram Lala Darshan. Our whole generation is lucky. I belong to the village which is in between the Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh border. People were getting beaten up & still chose to say Ram's name."

Meanwhile, RLD leader Rajpal Balyan acknowledged the decision as good, leading them together for the visit.

"We are heading to Ayodhya today under the guidance of our CM for the darshan of Ram Lala. The decision is very apt, leading us all together for this visit," Rajpal Balyan said.

When asked about the Samajwadi Party's refusal to visit Ram Lala in Ayodhya, he responded, "They had refused even when there was a conference in Varanasi involving leaders from across India. If they are still not going today, it's their decision. We, being Hindus and followers of our faith, are going today."

The 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's historic temple was held on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the rituals, led by a group of priests.  -- ANI

An IndiGo aircraft from Amritsar missed the taxiway after landing at the Delhi airport on Sunday morning, leading to blocking of one of the runways for around 15 minutes, according to a source.

The A320 aircraft, operating flight 6E 2221, went to the dead end of the runway 28/10 after missing the designated taxiway at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

The source said that due to the incident, the runway was blocked for around 15 minutes and impacted some flight operations.

Later, an IndiGo towing van towed the aircraft from the dead end of the runway to a parking bay, the source added.

Comments from IndiGo on the incident are awaited. IGIA is the country's largest airport and handles around 1,400 flights daily. It has four operational runways.  -- PTI

The Supreme Court has asked its registry to stop referring to trial courts as 'lower courts'.

The apex court said even the record of trial courts should not be referred to as 'lower court record'.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order while hearing a plea filed by two persons challenging the Allahabad high court verdict which dismissed their appeal against conviction and life sentence awarded to them in a murder case of 1981.

"It will be appropriate if the registry of this court stops referring to the trial courts as 'lower courts'. Even the record of the trial court should not be referred to as lower court record (LCR). Instead, it should be referred as the trial court record (TCR). The registrar (judicial) to take a note of this order," the bench said in its order passed on February 8.

The top court asked its registry to call for the soft copy of trial court record of the case concerned and posted the matter for hearing on August 6.

The two petitioners have challenged the October 2018 order of the high court which dismissed their appeals and asked them to surrender fore the court concerned to serve the remainder sentence.

They had approached the high court challenging the verdict of a trial court convicting and sentencing them to life imprisonment in the case.   -- PTI

The Uttarakhand government has sought more central forces for deployment in Haldwani where violence erupted on February 8 after the demolition of an "illegal" madrassa, officials said.

   

They said four companies -- containing about 100 personnel each -- of the Central Paramilitary Forces have been sought from the Home Ministry to maintain law and order in Banbhoolpura area, the epicentre of the mob violence.

The requisition was sent to the Centre by Chief Secretary Radha Raturi. 

Curfew remains in force in Banbhoopura area but has been lifted from the outer areas of the town. Nearly 1,100 security personnel are already deployed in the town. 

Shops are still shut in Banbhoolpura and the roads deserted. 

Internet services also continue to be suspended in the area to prevent rumour-mongering through social media platforms. 

 Six rioters were killed while 60 people were injured in Thursday's violence, officials said. -- PTI

The Congress on Saturday expelled Acharya Pramod Krishnam from the party for "indiscipline" and making repeated statements against the party.

   

Krishnam, who had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow on a Congress ticket but lost, had recently praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya and criticised the Congress' stance of its leadership skipping the event.

"In view of complaints about indiscipline and repeatedly making statement against the party, Congress president has approved the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee's proposal to expel Shri Pramod Krishnam for six years with immediate effect," a statement issued by Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said.

Krishnam had also met Prime Minister Modi earlier this month and invited him to the foundation stone laying ceremony of Shri Kalki Dham in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on February 19.

Of late, he has been criticising some of the decisions of the Congress leadership, including that of not participating in the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. 

Pakistan President Arif Alvi expressed his frustration over the delayed election results and stated that if the electronic voting machines (EVMs) had been in use during the general elections on February 8, the nation would not be facing this current crisis, Geo News reported.

 

Despite the commission's lofty claims, the Election Commission of Pakistan's new Election Management System (EMS) failed, he said.

 

Notably, the election regulator has yet to release the preliminary results for every constituency, nearly seventy-two hours after the polls closed.

 

In a post on social media platform X, President Alvi said: "Had EVMs been there today, my dear beloved Pakistan would have been spared this crisis."

 

President Alvi recalled the fight for the EVMs waged by the previous PTI-led government, saying that the entire endeavour -- which involved more than 50 meetings at the presidency alone -- was abandoned.

 

"Remember 'our' long struggle for EVMs. EVM had paper ballots that could be counted separately by hand (like it is being done today) but it also had a simple electronic calculator/counter of each vote button pressed," he said. 

 

The president, according to Geo News, said that the totals of every candidate would have been available and printed within five minutes of the closing of the poll if the machines were used.

Subhash K Jha reports:

I connected with Mithun Chakraborty's wife and son for a report on the actor's health.

Mithunda's media shy wife Yogeeta Bali (herself a notable star of the 1970s) says, "He's absolutely okay now. His sugar levels had shot up. Now it's totally under control."

Mithunda's son Mimoh told me, "Dad is a hundred percent fine. He was admitted to the hospital for a routine sugar-level checkup."

Some time ago in December when I had interviewed Mithunda for his touching performance in Kabuliwala, we had spoken about his unfulfilled wishes he had passionately replied, "None,  absolutely nothing, Subhash my friend. I have got more than I ever dreamt of. Bass ab sirf ek tamanna hai. I want good health for myself and my family."

An MLA of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has courted controversy by asking children not to eat for two days if their parents don't vote for him.

  

Kalamnuri MLA Santosh Bangar's remarks came less than a week after the Election Commission issued directives against the use of children in poll-related activities.

"If your parents don't vote for me in the next election, don't eat for two days," Bangar is seen telling school children in a viral video, shot when he visited a zilla parishad school in Hingoli district.

Bangar is seen telling the puzzled students, all less than 10 years old, that if their parents question their refusal to eat, they should reply, "Vote for Santosh Bangar, only then will we eat."

The MLA then asked the children to repeat and recite what they would say in front of their parents about whom to vote for in the next elections.

Bangar's remarks have prompted leaders from the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to seek action against him.

NCP-SP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, "What Bangar told the school children goes against the directive of the Election Commission, therefore, strict action must be taken against him. He is a repeat offender and goes scot-free as he is an ally of the BJP. The Commission must act against him without prejudice."

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar sought action by the Election Commission against Bangar and also wondered if the state education minister was sleeping when an MLA of his party was making such remarks to school children.

Bangar is known for his shocking remarks and actions, which have been the subject of much controversy in the past.

Last month, he said he would hang himself if Narendra Modi did not return as Prime Minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

In August last year, he was booked by the Kalamnuri police for allegedly brandishing a sword during a festive rally.

In 2022, a video of him slapping a catering manager of a midday meal programme for labourers had gone viral. -- PTI 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party received nearly Rs 1300 crore through electoral bonds in the 2022-23, which was seven times more than what the Congress got in the same period through the same route.

   

The BJP's total contributions stood at Rs 2120 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal, of which 61 per cent came from electoral bonds, according to the party's annual audited report submitted to the Election Commission.

In FY 2021-22, the party's total contributions were to the tune of Rs 1775 crore.

The party's total income in 2022-23 stood at Rs 2360.8 crore, up from Rs 1917 crore in FY 2021-22.

The Congress, on the other hand, earned Rs 171 crore from electoral bonds which was down from Rs 236 crore in  FY 2021-22.

The BJP and the Congress are recognised national parties. 

The Samajwadi Party, a recognised state party, had earned Rs 3.2 crore through electoral bonds in 2021-22. In 2022-23, it received no contributions from these bonds.

Another state recognised party, the TDP, earned Rs 34 crore through electoral bonds in 2022-23 which was up 10 times from the previous fiscal.

The BJP also earned Rs 237 crore from interests in the last fiscal, up from Rs 135 crore in 2021-22. -- PTI