The Bahujan Samaj Party will organise public meetings in all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh on January 15 to take stock of the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The party also plans to launch the 'Behan Ji' app on the occasion of her birthday (January 15). The party intends to connect youth workers with this app, made on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'NaMo' app.

 

BSP's UP unit chief Vishwanath Pal told PTI on Saturday, "This time on behen Mayawati's birthday, the party is organising public meetings in all 75 districts of the state. In these public meetings, the people of the state will be given information about the various public welfare schemes of the BSP."

 

He said that the party is fully prepared for the Lok Sabha elections to be held in the next two-three months and is organising these public meetings to energise its workers for the elections.

 

When asked whether the party would make any electoral understanding with the 'INDIA' bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Pal said, "Only behen ji (Mayawati) will take any decision in this regard. We are just workers. All the decisions in the party are taken by behen ji." 

On a question that Mayawati had earlier said she would contest the Lok Sabha elections alone, Pal said, "If our leader has said that our party will contest the elections alone, then all of us party workers will contest the elections alone with full strength and will win." 

The BSP's state unit president claimed the party is fully prepared to contest elections on all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

 

BSP chief Mayawati had announced in July last year that her party would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections alone. She had also criticised the NDA as well as the 'INDIA' bloc and alleged that none of them were "friendly" to Dalits and oppressed classes.

 

Meanwhile, sources said the party will also hold a show of strength at district levels on Mayawati's birthday. In this, the popularity of the contenders for the Lok Sabha constituencies will be assessed based on their ability to gather crowds.

 

The BSP and the SP had formed an alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BSP was the bigger gainer with 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP had won five seats.

 

On being asked whether he would attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony to be held at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Pal said, "I was born in Ayodhya and am a resident of that place. Since childhood, my mother used to take me in her lap and go to the Ram Janmabhoomi for 'darshan'. 

"Therefore, it is useless for you to ask me whether I will go to 'Pran Pratistha' or not. When I stay in Ayodhya, I will go for 'darshan' whenever I feel like." 

Ahead of the Ram Temple consecration, Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Saturday expressed concern over the government's "active participation" in temple-related events and urged the Centre to refrain from adopting "biased policies."

   

The Jamiat (Mahmood Madani faction) said that despite the Supreme Court's assurance in its Ayodhya judgement regarding strict enforcement of the Places of Worship Act 1991, petitions concerning other mosques are still being entertained in several courts, eroding citizens' confidence in the fairness of the judiciary.  

"This approach has eroded the citizens' confidence in the fairness of the judiciary," the Jamiat said in a statement.  

The Jamiat made the assertions at its national working committee meeting chaired by its president at the organisation's headquarters here.

The meeting addressed key issues such as the protection of waqf properties, enforcement of the Places of Worship Act 1991, Ram Temple events, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, a statement issued by the Jamiat said.

Resolutions were unanimously passed on these issues, it said.

On the upcoming Ram Temple events, Jamiat said that in light of the recent events linked to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, it deems necessary to draw the attention of the government and law enforcement agencies to concerns about the breach of peace and attempts to "harass and intimidate the minority community."

"The escalating atmosphere of animosity within the country is detrimental to its overall well-being. Furthermore, we perceive the active participation of the government as an attempt to unduly influence in upcoming elections," Jamiat said.

"It is crucial to reiterate our stance on this matter, emphasising that the Supreme Court's judgement on the Babri Masjid does not align with principles of justice," the statement said.

Considering the "active participation in the Ram Mandir celebrations, we urge the government and its institutions to refrain from adopting biased policies," it said.

"Additionally, we appeal to citizens of the country to make every possible effort to uphold law and order and maintain peace in these challenging circumstances. Despite provocations, Muslims should remain resilient and patient, not succumbing to despair," the Jamiat said.

In his address, Mahmood Madani emphasised the protection of mosques as a key objective of the Jamiat.

He highlighted the need for a strategic plan of action and remedial measures amid controversies surrounding places of worship. -- PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership and split the Shiv Sena in June 2022 only to save the party. 

  

Launching the campaign of the Sena faction led by him for the Lok Sabha elections at Rajgurunagar in Pune district at a 'Shiv Sankalp' rally, he also defended his government's record on the investment front.

"I took the stand with honesty and with the intention of saving the party," said Shinde who toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government of the Sena, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, and formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party to become chief minister. 

Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray could have become Maharashtra's chief minister when the party came to power (in alliance with the BJP) for the first time in 1995, but he made another party worker (Manohar Joshi) chief minister instead, Shinde said. 

"(Someone said) I have promised that I will make a Shiv Sena worker chief minister but then he himself became CM," Shinde said, taking a jibe at Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray, who broke off a decades-old alliance with the BJP in 2019 on the issue of the chief minister's post, had defended his decision by stating that he had promised his late father that a Sena worker would once again get the top post in the state.

Shinde, meanwhile, also responded to the criticism his government is facing over big-ticket projects going outside Maharashtra. Of Rs 1.37 lakh crore-worth investment deals signed at Davos last year, 85 per cent of the deals materialised, he claimed. 

"In the preceding two-and-half years, Gujarat had overtaken Karnataka and Maharashtra, but in the last year and a half, we have regained the top rank," the chief minister said. -- PTI

Aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Saturday directed domestic airlines to immediately carry out inspection of emergency exits of all Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleet.

   

The directive comes in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident involving Boeing 737 -9 Max aircraft.

On Friday,  the Alaska Airlines plane's outer section, including a window, fell off mid-air.

A senior DGCA official said the latest directive is an abundant precautionary measure.

 "The DGCA has directed all the Indian air operators to carry out a one-time inspection of the emergency exits immediately on all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft currently operating as part of their fleet," the official said.

The official also said that pursuant to the Alaska Airlines incident involving Boeing 737 -9 Max aircraft, there have been no inputs or guidance from Boeing so far.

When asked whether flight schedules could be impacted by the inspection, the official replied in the negative.  

"No, these one-time checks will be done during the night halt of aircraft," the official said.  

Currently, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have Boeing 737-8 Max planes in their fleets. -- PTI

In an apparent swipe at Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, veteran lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar has said that commercial success of films with problematic scenes is a "dangerous" trend. 

 

The 78-year-old screenwriter expressed his concerns about the current state of cinema at the Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival in Aurangabad early this week. He, however, did not mention the name of Animal.

"I believe it's a testing time for the young filmmakers today as to what kind of characters they want to create that the society will applaud. For instance, if there's a film in which a man asks a woman to lick his shoe or if a man says it's okay to slap a woman, and if the film is a super duper hit, then that's very dangerous," Akhtar said.

He was apparently referring to a key scene in Animal, where the film's lead character Rannvijay (Ranbir Kapoor) asks his mistress Zoya (Triptii Dimri) to lick his shoes to prove her love for him.

While it has set the cash registers ringing, grossing close to Rs 900 crore globally, Animal has been labelled misogynistic and brutally violent by a section of viewers and critics.

The veteran screenwriter believes the onus is on the audiences today to decide which films to accept and reject.

"Nowadays, I feel that a bigger responsibility is on the audiences than filmmakers. The audiences have to decide what kind of movies should be made, and what kind of films should not be made. Also, what kind of values and moralities should be shown in our films, what should we reject, that decision is in your hands. The ball is currently in the audience's court," he added.

Akhtar also said writers face a big challenge about the representation of a hero on celluloid.

"Today, the writers face a big challenge about what kind of a hero should be presented on screen. This confusion is there because there's a confusion in society itself. When society is clear about what is right and wrong, then you get great characters in a story. But when society is unable to understand what is right and what is wrong, then you can't create great characters," he said.

"There was a time when life was simple, rich people were considered bad, and the poor people were considered good. But today, we all have that thought in our head, Kaun Banega Crorepati? Hence we can't make the rich people look bad since we ourselves want to be rich. So, who should we say bad? And we don't want to go jail either, we have a lot of constraints on us," he added. -- PTI 

Union minister Rajnath Singh Saturday said Lord Macaulay was sent to India to throttle the country's traditional system of education and enslave people mentally.

 

He said the revival of 'gurukuls' was necessary to counter the effects of the Macaulay's system of education on Indian minds. 

However, the defence minister advised that these centres of learning should synthesise the traditional education of system with emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and quantum technology. 

"Macaulay was sent to India to enslave Indians even mentally by colonising their minds," Singh told a large gathering of seers and students at the foundation laying ceremony of the Patanjali Gurukulam in Haridwar. 

Talking about Macaulay's attitude of disregard towards India's cultural and literary legacy, the Union minister said the British official had once declared an almirah in a European library as more than all of India's cultural and literary heritage. 

The western education system was introduced in the country by Lord Macaulay.

"The education system introduced by Macaulay spawned generations of Indians who grew up with a sense of inferiority about their own culture and traditions," Singh said.  

The revival of the traditional 'gurukul' system of education is necessary to keep "our moral legacy alive", Singh said, adding these centres are to play an important role in the country's cultural development. -- PTI

A man who was declared dead four days ago because of a mistaken identity and found to be alive later, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, officials of the hospital concerned said.

With the death of Dilip Samantray, who was found to be under treatment in a private hospital on Friday, the toll in the AC compressor explosion in the same medical facility rose to three.

Samantray was initially declared dead on December 30, but he was found under treatment on Friday. The man, however, died on Saturday afternoon, the hospital's CEO Dr Smita Padhi said.

"We tried our best, but he couldn't be saved. The patient's heartbeat and oxygen level reduced drastically. As per the procedure, we will hand over the body to the police. If required, a DNA test will be conducted. We will collect samples," she told reporters.

Of the four injured persons admitted to the hospital after the December 29 evening blast, three have died. They were: Sritam Sahu (29), Dilip Samantray (34) and Jyoti Ranjan Mallik (34). All were employees of a firm engaged by the hospital for AC maintenance.

Samantray, a resident of Khurda district, was declared dead on December 30, and a body was handed over to his family which cremated it. His wife died by suicide out of grief the next day.

Actually, it was Jyoti Ranjan Mallik's body. Doctors said the confusion was created as the persons' faces were beyond recognition because of the burn injuries due to the blast that occurred on the roof of the hospital.

Samantray's mother alleged that her son was killed by the hospital. 

On the cremation of the first body, she said, "The doctors gave us a different body. We believed them and cremated it. After the funeral was over, the hospital authorities on Friday said Dilip was alive."

"Subsequently, we reached the hospital and requested the doctors to allow me to meet my son. When I called him by his name, he responded by shaking his head," said Dilip's mother. 

She said after her daughter-in-law's death by suicide, the family found solace in the news that Samantray was alive.

"But all our hopes were shattered again," she said.

Dilip's brother alleged that he died of medical negligence. -- PTI

Bharat Rashtra Samithi Working President K T Rama Rao on Saturday slammed the Congress government in Telangana over Formula E cancelling the Hyderabad E-Prix slated to be held on February 10. 

Rama Rao, who played a key role in bringing the race to Hyderabad as IT and Industries Minister during the previous BRS regime, said events like the Hyderabad E-Prix enhance the brand image of the city and the country. 

"This is truly a poor and regressive decision by the Congress government. Events like Hyderabad E-Prix enhance the brand image of our city and country across the world. We had put in a lot of effort and time to bring Formula E-Prix for the first time to India," Rama Rao said on social media platform X. 

The K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS government had taken the initiative to use the Formula E Race as an occasion to also conduct a week-long electric vehicle (EV) Summit attracting enthusiasts, manufacturers and startups to showcase Hyderabad as an attractive investment destination, he noted.

"We had also launched the Telangana Mobility Valley to promote the state as the epicentre for sustainable mobility solutions," he said.

Formula E has announced the cancellation of the Hyderabad E-Prix, alleging a contract breach by the new Telangana government. The second Formula E race in India was scheduled to be held on February 10.        

"The cancellation comes following a decision by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MAUD), under the control of the Government of Telangana, not to fulfil the Host City Agreement signed on October 30 2023," Formula E said in statement on Friday. 

The inaugural electric race in the country was held in February last year in Hyderabad. -- PTI 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said his party is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise issues in Parliament.

 

The Rahul Gandhi-led Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra, which will begin on January 14, will cover 6,713 km and its participants will travel on buses and foot. 

"The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will focus on basic social, political and economic issues of the country," Kharge told a press conference in Delhi.

He added that INDIA bloc leaders and members of the civil society have also been invited to join the march along its route.

The Congress had earlier said that the east-to-west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would prove to be as impactful and transformative as the earlier south-to-north Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

The Congress is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as "the government did not give us the chance to raise our issues in Parliament", Kharge said and added that "we will listen to people through this platform (yatra)".   

The yatra being organised ahead of the 2024 general elections will cover 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats and 337 assembly segments in 66 days, starting from Manipur capital Imphal.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said unfortunate incidents have taken place in Manipur and the prime minister who speaks everywhere and does photo sessions has not visited the state.

He also attacked the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that it is blatantly misusing agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department to threaten opposition leaders. 

On whether he would attend the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, Kharge said he has got an invite for the ceremony and will decide on it very soon.

Referring to the new labour laws and criminal laws, the Congress chief said the legislations that have been brought by the government show signs of dictatorship. -- PTI 

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Saturday performed the final manoeuvre to inject Aditya-L1 spacecraft -- the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun -- into its final destination orbit, some 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth.

"India creates yet another landmark, country's first solar observatory Aditya-L1 reaches its destination," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X while announcing the news.

"Testament to relentless dedication of our scientists in realising among most complex space missions. I join nation in applauding extraordinary feat; we'll continue to pursue new frontiers of science," he added.

Delhi Police on Saturday urged a court here to frame charges against BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

   

The police opposed the contention of the accused that since some of the alleged incidents took place overseas, they do not fall in the jurisdiction of courts in Delhi, as it concluded arguments on framing charges against Singh.

The police submitted before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot that the incidents of sexual harassment, allegedly committed by Singh, overseas and inside India, including Delhi, are part of the same offence.

"Delhi court has jurisdiction to try this case," the police told the judge.

The court will further hear the matter on January 20.

The city police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh, a six-time MP, on June 15, 2023 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. -- PTI 

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's press adviser Abhishek Prasad and Sahibganj Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav for questioning in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, official sources said.

 

Prasad alias Pintu has been asked to depose at the federal agency's Ranchi office on January 16, Yadav on January 11 and another person, Binod Singh, on January 15, they said.

The sources said their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided their premises and those of Sahibganj Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajendra Dubey and some others on January 3.

The action was related to a case of "illegal stone mining prevalent in Sahibganj, having proceeds of crime of more than Rs 1,000 crore", the agency said. 

"Rampant illegal mining activities were being done in the Sahibganj area and in order to ascertain the extent of this act, 20 joint inspections of illegal mining activities were carried out by the officers of the ED along with administrative, forest, mining and pollution control departments of the Jharkhand government," it said 

"The joint inspection has confirmed the instance of huge illegal mining as well as denudation of land and forest area leading to environmental hazards," the ED said. -- PTI

A Varanasi court on Saturday fixed January 24 for deciding whether to make public the sealed ASI report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex and provide copies to parties.

   

The order to this effect was given by District Judge A K Vishvesh, Madan Mohan Yadav, counsel for the Hindu side, said.

The counsel of the Hindu and Muslim sides and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) were present in the court.

 

The court said it will decide the issue after the hearing in the matter before the Civil Judge Senior Division Fast Track Court takes place.

The Fast Track Court is scheduled to take up the matter on January 19. -- PTI 

Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, who has so far not received an invitation for the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22, on Saturday said he and his party leaders will visit Kalaram temple in Nashik that day and perform a 'maha aarti' on the Godavari river bank. 

Talking to reporters in Mumbai after paying respects to his mother late Meena Thackeray on her birth anniversary, the former chief minister said he will visit Ayodhya whenever he feels like.

"The consecration of Ayodhya Ram temple is a matter of pride and self-respect. On that day (January 22), we will visit the Kalaram temple at 6.30 pm where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and (social reformer) Sane Guruji had to stage protests. At 7.30 pm, we will hold a maha aarti on the banks of the Godavari river," Thackeray said.

The Kalaram temple, located in Panchavati area of Nashik, is dedicated to Lord Ram. The temple derives its name from the idol of Lord Ram carved out of black stone. It is believed that Lord Ram stayed in Panchavati with wife Sita and his brother Lakshman during their exile. 

In 1930, Dr Ambedkar had led a protest at the Kalaram temple to seek entry of Dalits into the temple.

The consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya will be held on January 22. Thackeray has not received an invitation for the event. 

Thackeray also said that on January 23, the birth anniversary of his father and Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, the party will hold a rally in Nashik. -- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said he will "very soon" take a decision on whether he will attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.

Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi have been invited for the event and the Congress had earlier said that their decision would be conveyed at the "right time".

Besides them, Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has also been invited for the ceremony.

"I have got the invitation. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's former principal secretary had come along with the secretary of the (temple) trust, they have invited me. I will decide on it very soon," Kharge said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi when asked about the invite sent to him for the ceremony. 

Being pressed about a Congress chief minister's remarks on the Ram Temple consecration ceremony invite, Kharge said, "It is about 'personal astha'... If there is an invite, you can go, anyone else can go."

The consecration ceremony will be held on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people are expected to attend it. -- PTI 

An anti-terrorist search operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district entered the second day on Saturday, officials said.

 

The operation was launched in nearly a dozen forward villages in the forest area of Mankote and Mendhar on Friday following reports of suspicious movement, they said.

Intermittent gunfire was reported from Uchhad forest but it was later clarified that security forces had opened fire while clearing a natural cave, the officials said.

The search operation was underway when the last reports were received, they said. -- PTI 

Less than a fortnight after joining the ruling YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh in the presence of its chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu announced his decision to quit the party on Saturday.

Making the announcement, Rayudu said he wanted to stay out of politics 'for a little while'. 

Rayudu's decicion comes ahead of the state Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. 

"This is to inform everyone that I have decided to quit the YSRCP Party and stay out of politics for a little while," said Rayudu in a post on social media platform X. 

However, he promised to convey his future plans in 'due course of time'. 

He had joined YSRCP on December 28, 2023, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy and Rajampeta Lok Sabha member P Mithun Reddy. 

Rayudu had represented the Indian cricket team and also played for Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

He also played for a bunch of state teams in domestic cricket. 

Over the past few months, Rayudu had reached out to the masses through various programmes. -- PTI  

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has arrived in Goa on a personal visit, a local party office-bearer said on Saturday. 

The former Congress president arrived in the coastal state on Friday, he said. 

Talking to PTI, Deputy Superintendent of Police Salim Sheikh said, "Gandhi arrived at the Dabolim international airport at around 2.40 pm yesterday in a regular flight. After that, she went to a resort in South Goa."

"It is her private visit as there is no intimation of any official programme as of now," he said.

The local Congress functionary said that during her stay in Goa, Gandhi is not scheduled to hold any party meetings or interaction with leaders.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar was not available for comment.

An offence has been registered against a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA for allegedly slapping an on-duty police constable in Maharashtra's Pune city, police said on Saturday. 

A video of the incident that occurred on Friday surfaced on social media, in which Sunil Kamble, the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency, hit an on-duty constable at Sassoon General Hospital in  Pune.

Based on a complaint lodged by the constable, a case has been registered against Kamble under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code, an official said. 

A programme was organised at the Sassoon General Hospital, where Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was also present. 

In the video, Kamble is seen coming down the stairs after the event and slapping a man who came in his way. The person was an on-duty constable attached to the Bundgarden police station, the official said.

Refuting the allegations, Kamble said, "I did not assault anyone. I was coming down the steps when someone came in the way. I pushed him and went ahead." -- PTI 

The panel on 'One Nation, One Election' led by former president Ram Nath Kovind has invited suggestions from the public "for making appropriate changes in the existing legal administrative framework to enable simultaneous elections in the country".

 

In a public notice, the high-level committee said the suggestions received by January 15 would be taken up for consideration.

The suggestions can be posted on the committee's website onoe.gov.in or sent by e-mail to sc-hlc@gov.in, the notice said. 

The committee has held two meetings since it was constituted in September last year. It had also recently written to political parties seeking their views and an interaction on a "mutually agreed date" on the idea of holding simultaneous polls. It had later sent a reminder to the parties.

Letters were sent to six national parties, 33 state parties and seven registered unrecognised parties.

The committee has also heard the views of the Law Commission on simultaneous polls. The law panel could be called again on the issue.

According to its terms of reference, the committee is meant to "examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), State Legislative Assemblies, Municipalities and Panchayats, keeping in view the existing framework under the Constitution of India and other statutory provisions, and for that purpose, examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the rules made thereunder and any other law or rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections". -- PTI 

India has recorded a single-day rise of 774 COVID-19 cases while the number of active cases stands at 4,187, the Union health ministry said on Saturday.

Two deaths -- one each from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases was in double digits till December 5 but it began to rise again amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1.

After December 5, the highest single-day rise of 841 cases was reported on December 31, 2023, which was 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said.

Of the 4,187 active cases, the majority (over 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation.

An official source said, "The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in the hospitalisation and mortality."

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily cases and deaths being reported during the Delta wave during April-June 2021.

At its peak, 4,14,188 cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have been infected and over 5.3 lakh have died across the country.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website.

According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far in the country.   -- PTI

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sharad Sharma on Friday said that the agitation for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was bigger than the movement for the country's independence in 1947.

The VHP leader said that lakhs of people sacrificed their lives for the movement and it took nearly 500 years to give a final shape to the construction of the temple of Lord Ram Lalla.

"Ram Temple movement was a bigger movement than the independence movement. Because it was a religious movement in which people associated with religion, culture and history participated and brought it to climax. Lakhs of people sacrificed their lives. It took 500 years. So from this, it can be assumed that this was a bigger movement than 1947," Sharma said.

He said that a total of 7,000 invitation cards are being sent for the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla, which is scheduled later this month.

"About four thousand saints and three thousand other people of the country are being invited," the VHP leader said.

On the invitation card for the consecration ceremony, he said, "There is a picture of Lord Ram Lalla on its first page. Also, various dates and details of the programme have been mentioned."

"Apart from this, we are providing a booklet on those people who played a role in the Ram Temple movement from 1949. (It is) for the present generation, so that they know about the legends who were part of the movement," the VHP leader added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22.   -- ANI

A 32-year-old man from Thane district in Maharashtra was allegedly duped by two unidentified persons who took more than Rs 2 lakh from him on the pretext of giving a job of professor in Qatar University, police said on Saturday.

The case was registered on Friday at the Ambernath police station, they said. 

"The victim is a resident of Gautam Nagar area of Ambernath. In his complaint, he said that two unidentified persons posing as recruiters contacted him over the phone and emails and offered to provide him the job of professor at Qatar University," an official said.

"The accused asked him to pay money for registration, document verification, visa processing and a medical examination. Believing them, the victim transferred Rs 2,28,600 to the fraudsters between August and October 2023," he said.

But when the victim sought to know when he would be appointed, they gave evasive replies. Finally, he approached the police and lodged a complaint, he said, adding that investigation into the case is on.   -- PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar, on Friday said that an advisory has been issued for police personnel who will be deployed in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple later this month.

The police personnel engaged in the Ayodhya inauguration on January 22 should not use smart phones, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22.

Many VVIP guests from the country and abroad are expected to come to the temple town to attend the event.

Preparations are underway in full swing for the event, which is expected to be attended by thousands of dignitaries and people from all sections of society.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22.   -- ANI

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar faction leader Jitendra Awhad has been booked at a police station in Mumbai over his controversial remarks on Lord Ram, police said on Friday.

As per police, a case has been registered against Awhad at the MIDC police station in Mumbai under Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for his statement that Lord Ram was a non-vegetarian.

The NCP MLA on Wednesday claimed that Lord Ram belonged to the 'Bahujans' (people in majority) and was a non-vegetarian, contrary to common belief.

"Lord Ram is ours. He belongs to the Bahujans. Lord Ram, who hunts and eats (flesh) is ours, we belong to the Bahujans. Some people make us out to be vegetarians. But we follow the ideals of Lord Ram and today we consume mutton. This is in keeping with the ideals of Lord Ram," Awhad said while addressing an event in Shirdi on Wednesday.

"Ram was not a vegetarian, he was non-vegetarian," he added.

Nevertheless, on Thursday, the seasoned member of the NCP and a significant associate of the party's patriarch, Sharad Pawar, attempted to justify his statement by referencing a research paper on the Valmiki Ramayana conducted by IIT Kanpur.

Additionally, he appealed for forgiveness from the public, expressing remorse if his remarks had offended anyone's sentiments.

Awhad maintained that he did not present his personal interpretation on the matter but rather grounded his opinion in an 'authentic' version of the Valmiki Ramayana.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Awhad pointed to the extensive research conducted by IIT Kanpur on this version of the Ramayana.

"Look, I am telling you I did not bring my own interpretation or views into it. I did not incorporate any ideas of my own. I based my opinion on whatever is written in Valmiki Ramayana," asserted the NCP leader, resolutely defending his stance amidst strong opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the country's seer community.

However, saying he regretted his remarks if they hurt public sentiments, the NCP leader said, "I do express regret if my words offended someone's feelings. I did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments."

Emphasising that he did not manipulate or misrepresent the Valmiki Ramayana, which was scripted eons back, Awhad outlined the six khands (chapters) of the ancient text -- Balakand, Ayodhyakand, Aranyakand, Kishkindakhand, Sunderkand, and Yudhkand.

"Valmiki Ramayana has six khands. What does the 120th verse of the Ayodhya khand say? My remarks were based on the verses from Valmiki Ramayana. Please read the Valmiki Ramayana and you will know for yourself," the NCP leader said.

"I have an authentic version of the Ramayana, which was written eighteen hundred years ago. This book was printed in Kolkata in 1891. IIT Kanpur has even published a research paper on it. And what I said is already in the public domain," the NCP leader added.

He asserted that his words were a reflection of the ideas and principles that he holds dear, reiterating, however, that he did not intend to offend anyone's sentiments.

Outraged over Awhad's controversial statement, BJP MLA Ram Kadam filed a complaint against the NCP leader in Mumbai.

"It is their mindset to hurt the sentiments of the Ram bhakts. However, we won't tolerate it if they make fun of our Sanatan Dharm for votes. The realisation of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya doesn't seem to have gone down well with the ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance," Kadam said.  -- ANI

The incident happened around 9 pm when four carriages of the Benapole Express that runs from Benapole, a town bordering the Indian state of West Bengal, were set on fire as it nearly reached its destination of the capital's Kamalapur Railway Station. 

"So far we have found four bodies . . . searches are still underway," Shahjahan Shikdar, the spokesman of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told newsmen at the scene. 

Railway officials said that most of the train's nearly 292 passengers were returning home from India and the train was set on fire at 9 PM as it reached the Gopibagh area near the station. 

When we tried to bring out a middle-aged man through a window of the train but he asked me to leave him and rather save his wife and children from inside, a local youth was seen telling the private Jamuna TV. -- PTI

The officers said the reports will be sent to their New Delhi office by Saturday, and their next course of action will be decided by their seniors there. 

"We are preparing two sets of reports on Friday's attack on our team during the raid at Trinamool Congress leader Sahajahan Sheikh's residence at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas. We will include every detail of the attack, how we were forced to abandon the assignment and flee from the place, and the damage to our vehicles. We will also include photographs and video grabs of the attack," the official told PTI. 

Meanwhile, other ED teams conducting raids in connection with the ongoing probe into the multi-crore ration distribution scam in West Bengal, continued their operations until late evening. 

The ED officers, who conducted raids at the residence of the in-laws of the TMC leader and former chairman of Bongaon municipality, as well as two of his associates, left after 12 hours. 

They collected a few documents and bank details and spoke to the locals. Search operations at two other places, including an ice cream factory belonging to a close aide of the TMC leader in Bongaon, continued until 10pm, he said. -- PTI