Sharma, who served as the Union minister for commerce and industry between 2009 and 2014, is the Congress candidate from the Kangra Lok Sabha seat. 

Campaigning for Sharma in the Jwalamukhi assembly segment, Sukhu highlighted the former Union minister's contributions to the state during his previous stint in the central government. 

"Kangra needs an MP whose voice is heard across the country. Anand Sharma has been fielded from Kangra as he is a tall leader and contributed a lot to Himachal as Union minister," Sukhu said. 

The National Institute of Fashion Technology in Kangra, spice park in Nadaun, regional passport office in Shimla, expansion of industrial areas in the state, and the Shimla-Matour four-lane highway are results of his vision. 

If Sharma wins, his berth in an INDIA bloc government is certain, Sukhu asserted. 

Sharma and other Congress functionaries were also present at the rally. 

The chief minister also accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to topple the state's Congress government. 

Sukhu said rumours had been spread that he had resigned, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said even God could not save the government. -- PTI 

The missing persons have been identified as Sushila Gopalsinh Rajput (42), her sons Daksh (11) and Yuvraj (17), and her sister's daughter Durga (17). 

"Three persons were rescued by Home Guards while four others could not be saved as they were swept away into the sea before help could reach them," said deputy collector Janam Thakore.

He said a search operation was launched with the help of local fire brigade and police personnel.

A relative of the Rajput family told reporters that they originally belonged to Bhilwara in Rajasthan but settled at Khadsupa village in Navsari district. -- PTI

Sitting MP and BJP's nominee for Bolangir seat, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, is the richest candidate, with total assets worth Rs 67.30 crore. 

Aska, Bargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Sundargarh Lok Sabha seats and 35 assembly constituencies falling under these parliamentary constituencies will go to polls in the fifth phase, and second in the state. 

According to the report brought out by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Odisha Election Watch, Singh was followed by Sundargarh's two major contestants -- BJD's Dilip Tirkey (Rs 12.26 crore) and former Union minister and BJP MP Jual Oram (Rs 8.63 crore). 

Three candidates with the lowest assets were National Apni Party's Bargarh nominee Devika Sika (Rs 10,000), Bolangir's Independent candidate Balaram Sa (Rs 30,000) and SUCI's Sundargarh nominee Justin Lugun (Rs 33,000), the report stated. 

The average assets per candidate in fray for the five seats was Rs 3.05 crore. -- PTI

In a post in Hindi on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "@moliticsindia journalist Raghav Trivedi was brutally beaten up by BJP men at the home minister's rally in Rae Bareli. The home minister kept speaking and the police kept watching as mute spectators. The journalist was beaten up only because he had spoken to some women who were saying that they were paid to attend the rally." 

"The BJP, which has silenced the media in the entire country, cannot tolerate any voice being raised against them. The BJP, which is running a campaign to abolish the Constitution, wants to end democracy in the country and snatch the people's voice," she added. 

Priyanka Gandhi also shared a video of the journalist in hospital. -- PTI

"I want to ask five questions publicly - triple talaq, which was abolished by Modi ji... Was it good or bad? Rahul baba, answer the people of Rae Bareli whether you want to bring back triple talaq? They were saying that they will bring it back. Today, I want to ask in the presence of the public of Rae Bareli to make (your stand) clear," Shah said. 

"Instead of Muslim personal law, should there be a Uniform Civil Code or not? They say that they will bring (back) the Muslim personal law," he said. 

On surgical strikes, Shah said, "Modi ji conducted the surgical strikes, was it good or bad? Rahul baba raises questions on surgical strikes. (I) want to ask him, do you support the surgical strikes or not? "I also want to ask him why you did not go to the Ram temple in Ayodhya (after 'Pran Pratishtha'). Give an answer," Shah said. 

"At last, Rahul baba should tell the people of Rae Bareli that do you support the scrapping of Article 370 or not? Rahul baba should answer these five questions," Shah said, adding that the former Congress president should seek the votes of the people of Raebareli after answering these questions. -- PTI

As per the police officials, bomb threat emails were received at Burari Government Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital. 

The Delhi police swiftly acted upon receiving the information regarding the threatening emails and started an investigation.  

"Bomb threat email received at Burari Government Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Mangolpuri, search operation underway," Delhi Fire Service said in a statement.  

"An email was received at Burari Hospital regarding a bomb threat. The local police and bomb disposal teams are at the hospital, checking for any suspicious activity. Nothing has been found yet," Delhi police said.  

This comes days after multiple schools in Delhi received bomb threats. 

According to the Delhi police, a total of 131 schools received threat emails on May 1.  

However, the ministry of home affairs issued an official statement calling the email a "hoax." -- ANI 

The disputed region witnessed clashes on Saturday between the police and activists of a rights movement amid a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike across the territory, the Dawn newspaper reported. 

Mirpur senior superintendent of police Kamran Ali told Dawn.com that sub-inspector Adnan Qureshi succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest in the town of Islamgarh, where he was deployed along with other police personnel to stop a rally for Muzaffarabad via Kotli and Poonch districts under the banner of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee. -- PTI

The slogans were seen at Karol Bagh and Jhandewalan Metro Stations.  

Reportedly, the slogans were written by supporters of Sikhs For Justice, a banned Sikh separatist group based in the United States.  

An FIR has been filed by the Delhi police, and CCTV footage of the two metro stations has been obtained from the Delhi Metro authorities.  

A security guard at a building close to the Karol Bagh Metro station said that he noticed the writing in black paint on the pillars of the metro station when he came for duty on Sunday morning.  

"I came to duty at 8 am and saw that something was written in black colour on the pillars of the metro station. A huge crowd had gathered there and was reading the slogans," Bajrangi, the security guard, said. 

"These slogans may have been written at night because no one was there at that time and no one saw who wrote these slogans," he added.  

In a similar incident in January this year, the Delhi police apprehended a man for his alleged involvement in making pro-Khalistani graffiti on walls in Delhi's Tilak Nagar area.  

In August last year, the Delhi police Special Cell detained two persons from Punjab in connection with pro-Khalistan graffiti and slogans painted at more than five metro stations in Delhi. -- ANI 

Voting will be held in four Lok Sabha and 28 MLA segments in nine districts in the first phase on May 13, of which six districts -- Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Kalahandi -- are Maoist affected, he told a press conference. 

Elections will be held in 7,298 polling stations, of which 537 booths are located in the LWE (left-wing extremism) affected areas. 

To ensure free and fair elections in these areas, special operational arrangements have been launched, Sarangi said. 

"We have launched 539 anti-Maoist operations in these districts since January first week and one Maoist leader was neutralised in Nabarangpur district, while 138 operational parties of CAPF and 37 units of SOG/DVF (state armed police force) are in action," the DGP said. 

The security force units are conducting operations and area-dominating exercises in the Maoist-hit areas, he said. 

As the election in Chhattisgarh has already been completed, it was expected that some Maoists may infiltrate into Odisha from the neighbouring state. So, Chhattisgarh is also launching operations in five locations whereas Andhra Pradesh is launching nine such operations in the bordering areas, the Odisha DGP said. -- PTI

The PDP candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Waheed Para has accused a senior IPS officer of trying to engineer a low voter turnout in areas where the party has a strong support base. 

"I am writing to you with a profound sense of urgency and grave concern regarding the troubling developments in the run-up to the elections in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, scheduled for May 13. It has come to my attention that the state administration, under the control of the Union government, is shamelessly engaged in activities aimed at intimidating voters and supporters of the People's Democratic Party," Mufti said in the letter to the commission. 

She referred to the 1987 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying it is distressing to witness history repeating itself, reminiscent of the 1987 rigged elections that caused immense suffering and political disillusionment in the region. 

The former chief minister said she was "deeply troubled" by reports that the security agencies were conducting raids and harassing PDP workers in Pulwama and Shopian districts. -- PTI

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is likely to hear the matter in which Kejriwal has admitted that he "committed a mistake" by retweeting the alleged defamatory video. 

On March 11, the top court asked Kejriwal whether he wanted to give an apology to the complainant in the matter. Kejriwal on February 26 told the apex court that he made a mistake by retweeting an allegedly defamatory video circulated by YouTuber Rathee related to the BJP IT Cell. 

The counsel appearing for complainant Vikas Sankrityayan has told the top court that Kejriwal may issue an apology on social media platforms like microblogging platform 'X' or Instagram. 

On February 26, the apex court, without issuing notice on Kejriwal's plea challenging the high court order, had asked the complainant whether he wanted to close the matter in view of the petitioner accepting it was a mistake. -- PTI 

The two girls, aged 6 and 7, and the boy, who had burn injuries, were found abandoned near the booking counter on Friday night, Railway Protection Force police station in-charge Sanjay Arya said.

The boy was immediately admitted to the government-run Kamla Raja hospital while the two girls were sent to a shelter home with the help of the women and child development department, he said.

The official said the girls told the police that they travelled in different trains for the previous two-three days with their parents who left after abandoning them while they were sleeping.

The girls also informed that they came here from Dholpur (Rajasthan), he said. -- PTI

Based on the orders of commissioner of police, Greater Chennai, Sandeep Rai Rathore, the detention order under the Goondas Act was served on Shankar by a cyber crime (Chennai) police inspector on May 12, they said.

There are seven cases pending against Shankar in Chennai police's central crime branch/cyber crime out of which three are under investigation, charge sheets have been filed in two and the remaining are pending trial, according to a police press note. -- PTI

The former Congress president was reacting to Modi's remarks on the Congress receiving cash loaded in tempos from Adani and Ambani.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "They have been 'counting notes' they got from 'tempo wale billionaires' for the last 10 years. We will X-ray the country through 'caste census' and ensure equitable share for every section."                  

He also shared a party advertisement which takes on the government over the caste census issue.

Gandhi and other Congress leaders have said the PM should order a CBI or ED probe into whether Adani and Ambani had sent them black money. 

The Congress has also asked the prime minister to share his views on a socio-economic census. -- PTI

Basarnas Search and Rescue Agency said in a statement on Sunday, mentioning that the disaster hit Agam and Tanah Datar districts in the West Sumatra province at about 10:30 pm (15:30 GMT) on Saturday after hours of heavy rain, triggering a flash flood and a cold lava flow from Mount Merapi.  

Cold lava, also known as lahar, is volcanic material like ash, sand and pebbles carried down a volcano's slopes by rain.  

Moreover, photos and videos posted on social media showed large rocks and thick mud covering the streets of West Sumatra, as reported by Al Jazeera.  

The disaster comes just two months after another deadly flooding hit the same island.  

Following the floods, the authorities dispatched a team of rescuers and rubber boats to look for the missing victims and to transport people to shelters.  

Meanwhile, the local government set up evacuation centres and emergency posts in several spots in the two districts to extend help, as reported by Al Jazeera.  

Notably, Indonesia is prone to landslides and floods during the rainy season.  

Last week, 15 people were killed in South Sulawesi after landslides and flooding swept away homes and damaged roads in the region. -- ANI

"On May 11, 2024, during the night hours, vigilant BSF troops on duty intercepted the movement of a drone in the border area of district Amritsar. As per the laid-down drill, BSF troops immediately got into the action and tracked the movement of the drone. The likely dropping zone was cordoned and an extensive search was conducted," public relations officer of BSF said in a statement.  

"At about 11:40 pm, BSF troops successfully recovered 1 small drone along with 1 packet of suspected heroin ahead of a border security fence in a farming field in village Havelian in district Amritsar, the PRO further said.  

The PRO added, "The recovered packet (gross weight- 498 grms appox) was wrapped with yellow adhesive tape and 1 torch and 1 nylon loop were found attached to the packet. The recovered drone is a quadcopter (Model- DJI Mavic 3 Classic, made in China)."  

Earlier on Saturday, the BSF recovered two packets of suspected heroin from Punjab's Tarn Taran district.  

"On May 11, BSF and Punjab police recovered 1 packet of suspected heroin of gross weight 2.175 Kg from village Sankatara and one packet of suspected heroin of gross weight 569 grams from village TJ Singh," the BSF Punjab Frontier PRO stated. -- ANI

The federal agency had last week arrested Alam's personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the latter's domestic help following the seizure of more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them. 

Alam, 70, has been asked to depose at the zonal office of the ED in Ranchi on Tuesday for recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the sources said. 

The money laundering investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in the state rural development department. -- PTI

The 33-year-old JD-S MP, who is grandson of JD-S patriarch and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing women. 

The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD-S engaged in a slugfest. 

While the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the cases, the BJP and JD-S -- NDA partners -- have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action taken against those behind the circulation of explicit videos. 

BJP leader and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said bringing out the guilty and ensuring punishment was the primary duty of the SIT, and accused it of "witch hunting". 

"People are questioning the way in which the inquiry is progressing. A complaint has been lodged with the National Commission of Women about (a woman) being forced to file a complaint (in connection with case), also complaints are being filed against those who gave information about the sexual abuse case," Bommai said. Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, he said, bringing the guilty to book and ensuring punishment to them is the primary duty of the SIT, but instead "witch hunting" is being done, and thereby causing investigation to lose track. -- PTI

Alekh Randhari, a class-IV employee of a government school, died on Saturday in a road accident near Swami Vivekananda Vidyamandir in Nabarangpur district while he was on the way to a polling station for Monday's elections. 

Meanwhile, a report from Ganjam district said that a bus carrying polling personnel and EVMs turned turtle near Pitatali in Ganjam district on Saturday. 

At least 14 polling staff along with EVM machines were being transported to Kharriaguda in Chikiti assembly segments in the district when the bus turned turtle. 

SP (Berhampur) Sarthak Sarangi said all the polling personnel were safe. -- PTI

The 54-year-old veteran climber reached the 8,849-metre peak at 7:25 am local time on Sunday, according to Rakesh Gurung, director at the tourism department in the ministry of tourism and civil aviation. 

The expedition was organised by the Seven Summit Treks and had 20 climbers. 

They scaled Everest on Sunday morning, said Thani Guragain, a senior staff at the Seven Summit Treks. 

At least 20 climbers from Seven Summit Treks including Kami made a successful ascent of Mt. Everest Sunday morning, Seven Summit Treks said, issuing a statement. 

The climbing members were from countries including the USA, Canada and Kazakhstan besides thirteen climbers from Nepal. Kami had climbed Everest for the first time in 1994. -- PTI

The size of India's GDP is currently ranked 5th, after the US, China, Germany, and Japan. 

It overtook the UK in 2022.  

Just a decade ago, Indian GDP was the eleventh largest in the world. Currently, India's GDP is estimated to be around $3.7 trillion.  

Some highlights of India's journey to the top 5 economies of the world in 2024 from fragile 5 in 2013, according to Kant, among others, record GST collection, over 8 percent GDP growth in the past three quarters, trading in Indian currency Rupee with various countries (to be precise 27), inflation at manageable levels.  

The term fragile 5 was coined by a Morgan Stanley analyst in 2013 and refers to a set of five emerging countries, including India, whose economy was not doing well back then. 

The other four countries were Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey.  -- ANI

He was referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks on Pakistan having an atom bomb. Addressing an election rally in Pratapgarh in support of BJP candidate from Kaushambi (SC) Lok Sabha seat, Shah said, "Rahul baba, if you want to be scared of the atom bomb, then be scared, we are not scared. Pakistan occupied Kashmir belongs to India and we will take it." 

In a video which had gone viral, Aiyar was heard saying that India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses an atom bomb.

He indicated in the video that if a "mad person" comes to power there and uses the atomic bomb, it will not be good and will have its effect here too. 

As the remarks triggered a row, the Congress had said it totally disagreed with the remarks made by Aiyar some months ago. -- PTI

The hideout was unearthed by the joint troops of Rashtriya Rifles and police during search and cordon operation in Kot Budhan forest in Mahore area on Sunday morning, the officials said. 

Besides nine IEDs fitted with electric detonators and three pistols along with three magazines and 20 rounds, the forces also recovered one kg explosive powder, seven explosive safety fuses, 21 batteries of various types, 50 metre electric wire, 15 AK assault rounds, eight metre rope, one blanket and three dressing bandages, the officials said. 

They said the operation was still continuing when last reports were received. -- PTI

He also cautioned political leaders about making public statements or sharing information in connection with the case, which is sensitive. 

The 33-year-old Prajwal Revanna, who is grandson of Janata Dal-Secular patriarch and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing several women. 

The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD-S engaged in a slugfest. 

Prajwal Revanna is said to have flown abroad on April 27, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held. 

He was BJP-JD-S alliance's joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase. 

"No, there is no such option. Blue Corner Notice has been issued and the Interpol will share the information. The respective country in which he is found or identified-- they will inform them (Interpol) and then our agencies, the CBI will get to know, and through them we will get to know. So far there is no information," Parameshwara said.

Gusty winds at the speed of 40-50 km per hour are also predicted in these districts, which include Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, the MeT office said. 

A yellow alert has also been issued for the rest of the districts during the period, it said, adding the administration should take all precautionary measures to ensure safety of people. 

The lightning might cause damage to property, humans and livestock in isolated places, the MeT office said. It added that minor damages to kuccha' houses and insecure structures could also be caused in these five districts. -- PTI

RMP leader KS Hariharan made the objectionable remark on Saturday night while speaking at a meeting in Vadakara here which was inaugurated by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan. 

The event was organised in response to the ruling LDF's charges that UDF workers had made a morphed video of Shailaja who was a candidate in Vadakara in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. 

As the remark sparked a huge political storm, his own party high command and the UDF openly criticised him and said Hariharan should not have made such objectionable comments against any woman. 

Later, Hariharan came out with a Facebook post saying friends and journalists brought to his notice that he had made an "inappropriate" remark during the speech. 

The senior leader, through the post, also expressed regret for his comment. -- PTI

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear the plea of Soren in which he has challenged the May 3 order of the Jharkhand high court dismissing his petition against the arrest. 

Soren had also sought interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections till the court delivers its verdict on his plea against arrest. 

On May 10, the top court had disposed of Soren's plea seeking a direction to the high court to deliver its verdict on his petition challenging his arrest by the ED in a money laundering case. 

The court had observed that the petition of Soren has become infructuous as the high court has delivered its judgement on May 3 and the JMM leader has already challenged the same in the apex court. 

"This has become infructuous," the bench had told senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Arunabh Chowdhury, who were appearing for Soren. -- PTI

Local officials said five security personnel were killed and two injured during the first attack that took place in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan district, bordering Afghanistan, in when an improvised explosive device went off targeting a bomb disposal unit on Saturday. 

Militants opened fire on the forces soon after the blast triggered off, Dawn News quoted the official as saying. 

In another incident, militants stormed a security post in the Seeman area of the same district, killing two security personnel on Saturday, local authorities said. 

They said the bodies of the security personnel and the injured were airlifted to Combined Military Hospital in Bannu. 

Security forces cordoned off the areas immediately after the attacks and launched search operations in the regions. 

The two attacks come after, a private girls' school was blown up by unidentified militants in Tehsil Shewa of North Waziristan district on the night of May 8, police said. -- PTI

Speaking about the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray, in an interview to his party mouthpiece Saamana which appeared in its Sunday edition, said the people of India will decide the future of their leaders. 

"The future of the country will be peaceful and democracy will thrive if the present government is defeated...else the country will see black days. Acche din (good days) never came, but black days will..," he claimed. 

The former Maharashtra chief minister also alleged that protection of the corrupt is the "Modi guarantee". 

All other political parties and the country are being cleansed of the corrupt people since the BJP has assured protection to them with their induction into its fold, the Shiv Sena-UBT leader claimed. -- PTI

Kharge on Saturday addressed back-to-back Lok Sabha election rallies in Samastipur and Muzaffarpur in the state. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's helicopter was checked in Kerala and, now, party president Kharge's has been checked in Bihar's Samastipur, Congress leader Rajesh Rathorre claimed in a video message on X. 

Rathorre, who is the chief spokesperson of the Congress' Bihar unit, also shared a video to claim that the chief electoral officer of Bihar is herself monitoring the checking of Kharge's helicopter in Samastipur. 

 The video showed a helicopter with officials, including from police, around it. 

"The Election Commission should clarify whether such checking of choppers of Congress leaders is routine and whether similar checks were also conducted on top leaders of the NDA," Rathorre said in his video message. -- PTI

The recent derailment incident between Jatinga Lumpur and New Harangajao disrupted goods trains and exacerbated the fuel shortage in Tripura.  

Indian Oil Corporation Limited state coordinator Pramit Dhar told ANI that unloading of the product had already started based on the requirement of the North Tripura district and on Sunday the rake will reach Agartala railway station.  

"The railway department has informed that the restoration work is completed and now the petroleum carrying rakes can move without any hassle. 

After the clearance from the railways, the first train was moved which successfully reached Tripura at around 3:30 pm," Dhar has said.  

On being asked whether more trains were coming or not, he said, "Another train is now at a halt at Silchar in Assam. After addressing the supply requirements there, it will steadily move towards Tripura."  

According to Dhar, primarily crisis of petrol is hurting the public and the restoration of the railway tracks would help mitigate the problems.  

The train comprises as many as 49 wagons, including 19 filled with diesel and 30 loaded with petrol. -- ANI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in the national capital on Sunday. 

This will be his first meeting with legislatures after he walked out of Tihar Jail post the Supreme Court decision of granting him interim bail till June 1. 

 

 In a post on X, CM Arvind Kejriwal wrote, "11 am - MLA meeting 1 pm - press conference at party office, 4 pm - Road Show - New Delhi Lok Sabha - Moti Nagar 6 pm - Road Show - West Delhi Lok Sabha - Uttam Nagar. All of you have to come." 

 

 Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti organised the 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' cyclathon in the national capital. 

 

 A day after his release, he visited Hanuman Mandir at Connaught Place in Delhi and held a roadshow in the national capital along with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

 

 He also held a press conference at the party office in Delhi on Saturday and attacked the BJP. 

 

 Arvind Kejriwal questioned the fulfilment of "Modi's guarantee" as he pointed out the possibility of PM Modi's retirement as he will turn 75 in September this year.

The doors of the Badrinath temple in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand opened for devotees on Sunday after remaining closed during the winter season.

 

With the opening of the shrine, the Chardham Yatra to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri has started. 

 

The doors of the Badrinath temple were opened amid the chanting of vedic mantras, a pooja and beats of dhols and nagadas, authorities said.

Scores of devotees had gathered on the premises of the temple, which was decked up with flowers, to witness the ceremony despite rain. The process of opening the doors began at 4 am.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami greeted the people on the occasion.       

The doors of the Kedarnath, Yamyunotri and the Gangotri temples opened for devotees on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on Friday. 

Till 4 pm on Saturday, 7,37,885 people had registered online for a darshan at Badrinath, according to official data. Last year, 18,39,591 people had visited the shrine. -- PTI 

Taking a dig at the Congress over its Indore Lok Sabha seat candidate withdrawing from the fray at the last moment, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said it was not his party's fault if the "bridegroom fled before the wedding".

The Congress received a jolt in Indore after its candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date of withdrawal, and later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"The Congress claimed that the BJP did something wrong in Indore. What was our fault? It is like inviting the entire village to the wedding feast and the groom running away before the marriage ceremony," Yadav said at the BJP's campaign rally at Betma near here on Saturday.

The opposition party, which has no candidate left in the fray for the May 13 election in Indore, is insulting democracy by appealing to local voters to press the NOTA (None Of The Above) button, the chief minister said.

"If someone's child runs away from home, whose fault is it? They are your children, you should take care of them," he said.

Yadav also participated in a roadshow in Indore city in support of BJP candidate and sitting MP Shankar Lalwani.

Terming the opposition INDIA bloc as "Ghamandiya" alliance, Yadav evoked the epic Ramayana and the city of Lanka, the capital of its arch-villain Ravan.

"These arrogant people were born in Lanka 17 lakh years ago during the time of Lord Ram. Due to the bankruptcy of their intellect, they posed as fake saffron-clad (monks) to abduct Sita," the chief minister said during the roadshow. -- PTI

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning why his government did not take any action if, as per his allegation, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani were sending black money to the opposition party.

Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Bihar's Samastipur and Muzaffarpur, Kharge asserted that Modi could become the prime minister of India only because Congress fought for its Independence.

"PM Modi says we are silent on Ambani and Adani, we are not... I am asking why his government did not take any action if, according to his allegation, we received black money from these industrialists? Is it because they themselves received black money?" Kharge asked.

"Finally, the PM has admitted that these two businessmen have black money... Then why did you not take action against them? Where was the black money coming from? You should answer," he said.

Modi on Wednesday, for the first time during the Lok Sabha elections, accused the Congress of having a "deal" with "Ambani and Adani", and asked if the party had received "tempo loads of black money" from the two industrialists.

Kharge said that the PM calls himself "chowkidar" of the country, "so why did not the chowkidar stop these tempos?"

Alleging that the BJP would end democracy if it was not voted out, Kharge said it was because of this democracy that a tea-seller's son could become the prime minister of India and he, the son of a labourer, could become the president of the opposition Congress.

He alleged that the BJP was spreading communal hatred to divert the attention of the people from issues that mattered.

"Neither the PM nor other BJP leaders will talk about issues such as growing unemployment or price rise. They are spreading communal hatred. The forces that are attacking the Constitution and spreading the politics of hate, must be defeated. They are dividing this country on lines of religion and castes," he alleged.

Recalling the contributions made by the Congress for India, he said former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives for the country and the people got the right to vote due to the struggles of icons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rajendra Prasad. -- PTI

A fourth Indian national has been arrested by Canadian authorities in connection with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in this country, a week after police arrested three Indians linked with the high-profile case that has severely strained India's relations with Canada.

Amardeep Singh, 22, a resident of Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Nijjar, 45, was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that Singh was arrested on May 11 for his role in the killing of Nijjar. He was already in the custody of the Peel Regional Police for unrelated firearms charges, the release said.

"This arrest shows the nature of our ongoing investigation to hold responsible those that played a role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar," said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, the Officer in Charge of IHIT.  

"IHIT pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the British Columbia  Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder," the police statement said.

Investigators said no further details of the arrest can be released due to ongoing investigations and court processes.

IHIT investigators on May 3 arrested three Indian nationals -- Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh -- for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

All three individuals are Indian nationals living in Edmonton and have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.

India has dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."  

Nijjar was a Khalistani separatist and he was wanted in India on various terror charges. -- PTI