MOVIESS MAZA / Online Movies Masti

The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has fielded Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey from the Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat in Odisha. The former Indian hockey captain will lock horns with senior BJP leader Jual Oram, a five-time parliamentarian from Sundargarh. Here are five key facts about Dilip Tirkey: 1. Born on November 25, 1977, in Sundargarh, Dilip Tirkey is the son of Regina Tirkey and Vincent Tirkey, a former hockey player. Mr Tirkey made his debut for the India back in 1995 and was part of the squad that won the gold at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998. He also represented the country in the Olympics thrice – Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004). 2. Under his captaincy, the Indian hockey team won a silver medal at the 2002 Asian Games, a gold in the 2003 Afro-Asian Games and the 2003 Asia Cup in Malaysia. He represented India in as many as 412 matches. 3. After being honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2002, Dilip Tirkey received Padma Shri in 2004. He announc...

Top INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav among others will attend a 'maharally' to be held by the AAP at the Ramlila Maidan on March 31, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Friday. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has received the permission of the authorities concerned to hold the rally for an attendance of more than 20,000 people. It is being held in the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, he said. The call on whether Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal will address the 'Maharally' will be taken later, Mr Rai said. Other prominent political leaders and members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) like TMC's Derek O'Brien, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, NC's Farooq Abdullah and Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren of JMM will also attend the rally, he said. Kalpana Soren, the wife of former Jharkhand chief minis...

A red-headed vulture, a scavenger and predatory bird was released into the open sky with a satellite ring tied to its leg in the Chilla range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, a forest official said on Thursday. "Every organism in the ecosystem has a role to play in maintaining its balance," Saket Badola, the reserve's Director, who released the bird on Wednesday, said. The satellite ring will track the bird's movements and areas frequented by it, locations or tree species it prefers to make its nest in, and the ambience it selects for breeding, Badola said. The bird was released under a programme being conducted jointly by the forest department personnel and an NGO, he said. Due to the use of banned chemicals like diclofenac, birds of prey and scavengers have been under constant threat for the last several years and their numbers have declined. Therefore, there is a great need for scientific research and study on birds of raptor class, said Badola.  (Except for the head...

Soon after AAP's lone Lok Sabha MP from Punjab and an MLA joined the BJP on Wednesday, three AAP legislators from the state claimed that they received calls offering them money to join the BJP. The Aam Aadmi Party alleged that the BJP had "again started Operation Lotus" in Punjab and was trying to break Arvind Kejriwal's party. There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the allegations. AAP legislator from Jalalabad Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy claimed that he received a call from one Sewak Singh from an international number on Tuesday with an offer to join the BJP. Mr Kamboj told reporters that he asked the MLA to join the BJP and said, "'We will give Rs 20-25 crore'. I said I do not need it." Similar claims were made by Balluana MLA Amandeep Singh and Ludhiana South legislator Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina. They asserted that they would not leave the party. Mr Kamboj alleged that the BJP was scared of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP. "Where they fail to ...

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, reached the office of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday evening to meet the AAP chief. The Rouse Avenue Court on Friday remanded Mr Kejriwal to six days of ED custody in the money laundering case related to the alleged liquor policy scam case till March 28, following his arrest on March 21. Earlier on Saturday, March 23, Sunita Kejriwal met CM Kejriwal at the ED's office. Meanwhile, the BJP has been demanding that Mr Kejriwal relinquish the chief minister's post after his arrest in connection with the liquor policy case. However, the AAP has maintained that he will run the government from ED custody. Earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that CM Kejriwal has issued a second order from the ED custody, asking him to address the shortage of medicines and diagnostic tests at mohalla clinics and hospitals in the national capital. Mr Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the ...

The family members of a CRPF soldier in Odisha's Khurda district on Monday donated his heart and liver following his brain death. A doctor in the private hospital where he died said the two organs were carried to Kolkata and Mumbai to give a new lease of life to two persons. According to sources in the hospital, Krushna Chandra Mahabhoi was serving as a havildar in CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir. Suffering from a chronic kidney disease, he has been undergoing dialysis for some two years. He was found brain dead at a hospital here on March 20. “After his brain death, we sought permission from the family members for organ donation and they agreed. Subsequently, arrangements were made for that,” said Dr Alisha Choudhury of the private hospital. Initially, the family was reluctant to allow doctors to take out the organs from his body. "But my mother suggested that my father has devoted his life to the nation. Now, if two people can survive with my father's organ, that will al...

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the BJP has kept its assurance of giving at least one Lok Sabha seat with 'winning chance' to its alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) so that the regional party has representation in the lower House once again after 15 years. He also said the BJP will lend complete support in ensuring victory of candidates belonging to its allies, while also exhorting the partners to give similar backing to its nominees. The BJP, which leads a five-party coalition government in the state, is contesting in 11 seats, leaving two seats for AGP and one for United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), out of 14 seats in the state. Two other allies, Ganashakti and Rabha Joutha Mancha, are not fielding candidates in the Parliamentary elections. Addressing a meeting of party workers at AGP headquarters here, Mr Sarma said, "We had assured the AGP during talks on seat sharing that it will be given at least one seat with winning cha...

The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has come up with its fifth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Among them are two names from the entertainment industry in the form of Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil. They will be fighting from the Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh and Meerut constituency in Uttar Pradesh respectively. Kangana has been a vocal supporter of BJP and its governance for years. After getting the news, the Gangster actress shared her happiness on her X (formerly Twitter) page by writing, “My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta’s own party, Bharatiya Janta party (BJP) has always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Loksabha candidate from my birth place Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency) I abide by the high command’s decision on contesting Loksabha polls. I feel honoured and elated to officially join the party. I look forward to be a worthy karyakarta and a reliable public servant. Thanks.” My...

Police in Nagpur foiled a web series-inspired kidnapping attempt by two persons allegedly posing as National Investigation Agency (NIA) personnel, an official said on Saturday. Accused Swapnil Dilip Maraskolhe (24) and Chetna (23) approached the woman victim on March 20 while she was on her way home on a two-wheeler, showed a fake NIA notice and brandished a pistol, the Rana Pratap Nagar police station official said. "They took the woman to their rented accommodation in Mahajanwadi area in Hingna and confined her after tying her hands and legs. Her family got a ransom call of Rs 30 lakh, following which they alerted police," he said. "On Friday, she managed to call her parents while in captivity. Based on her mobile phone signals, police raided the place and rescued her. Chetna and Maraskolhe were arrested soon after," he said. A probe has revealed Maraskolhe had a debt of Rs 3 lakh and thought up this plan after watching a web series and communicated with the v...

A special court in UP's Bahraich sentenced a 50-year-old man to life in prison for raping an infant. The Additional District Judge (POCSO) Varun Mohit Nigam also imposed a fine of Rs 1.29 lakh on the convict. The man, Bhondu Rehman, raped the one-year-old girl who belonged to the Scheduled Caste, Special District Government Advocate (POCSO Act) Sant Pratap Singh said. On February 17, the man took the girl out on some pretext. When she did not return home for a while, the family started looking for her. Soon, they found Bhondu in a mustard field with the infant who was bleeding. After seeing the family, Bhondu ran leaving the girl, Mr Singh said. A case was registered under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code, including for rape, and the POCSO Act. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/pd8itxb

Security was tightened around Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in the city's Civil Lines area this evening and personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), the CRPF, and the Delhi Police have been deployed as Enforcement Directorate officials reached there in connection with an excise policy-linked money laundering case. "The deployment has been made in anticipation of a gathering of AAP workers near his residence," a police officer said. The move came as the ED sought additional security measures in view of the possible protests, sources said. Barricades have been put up on the lane leading to Mr Kejriwal's official residence in north Delhi and additional police personnel have been deployed there, officials said. Officers of the rank of assistant commissioner of police have also been deployed near the Chief Minister's home, they said. According to ED officials, the agency team went to Mr Kejriwal's residence to serve him a summons, hour...

In yet another incident of moral policing in Karnataka, a student was allegedly thrashed for talking to a Hindu girl in the Yadgir district, police said on Wednesday.   The incident took place on March 18 when he was returning home from college.  He told the police that he was conversing with a girl from the Hindu community over the phone when a group of nine people attacked him near the Gogi Mohalla. He said that they confined him in a room for five hours and assaulted him. The student said they brandished a knife and threatened to kill him.  The police have filed a case and further investigation is underway. Earlier in January, an inter-faith couple in Karnataka's Haveri was subjected to harassment and threats by a group of nine individuals. The incident took place just days after six men barged into the room of a lodge and assaulted a couple for the 'crime' of being together despite following different faiths. from NDTV News-India-news https://ift.tt/H5owIvy ...

In a recent sighting that has sent tech enthusiasts into a frenzy, Bollywood sensation Kriti Sanon was spotted flaunting a yet-to-be-unveiled Motorola smartphone. The phone, shrouded in mystery and anticipation, is rumoured to be packed with cutting-edge features that promise to redefine the smartphone experience. Netizens quickly reacted to the phone in Kriti’s hand saying how she keeps her A-game on in styling her outfits as well as choosing her tech accessories. One of the standout features of this up Motorola device is its appealing design, coupled with a stylish new finish that is sure to turn heads. From sleek curves to a premium build, the aesthetics of this phone are set to make a bold statement in the world of smartphones. Sources close to the development have hinted at a range of impressive specifications that are expected to make this Motorola phone a game-changer. Among the most anticipated features are the latest AI capabilities, allowing users to experience seamless pe...

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday administered the oath of office to jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh after his re-election to the Upper House from Delhi for a second term. He was administered the oath in Dhankhar's office in Parliament House in the presence of his mother and father, wife, and son and daughter. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh and secretary general P C Mody and AAP MPs Sanjiv Arora, Sandeep Pathak and N D Gupta were also present at the oath-taking ceremony. "Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar administered oath to re-elected Member of Rajya Sabha Sanjay Singh ji, in Parliament House today," the vice president's office said in a post on X while sharing pictures of the oath-taking. Sanjay Singh, who is lodged in Tihar jail, was brought under a security cover on the order of a local court. "The Jail Superintendent concerned is directed to ensure that the accused is taken to Parliament...

The battle for Maharashtra will not be simple and the state, with the largest number of seats after Uttar Pradesh, will definitely play a key role in who controls Delhi. In all the elections except the ones of 1977 and 1989, the party that has won more seats in Maharashtra went on to form the government at the Centre. Maharashtra has 48 seats and it is tough to say which way the state would go, concluded a panel of experts at NDTV this evening. The factors that are expected to affect the election in the state are multiple including caste, the swing of the minority vote and the unrest among farmers, the panelists said. But at this point, it would also depend on what the BJP and the Opposition choose to focus on. Psephologist and educationist Sandeep Shastri -- one of the panelists on "Battleground" anchored by NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia -- said: "If the campaign is focussed on the BJP, it might change certain things. And what the MVA will focus on -- on Uddhav ...

Bollywood Hungama was one of the first ones to inform readers on March 10 that the makers of a Bhojpuri film, Rang De Basanti, have accused the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairperson, Prasoon Joshi, of deliberately delaying the censor process as their film has a similar name to that of a 2006 Hindi film, starring Aamir Khan. They claim that Prasoon is probably doing so as he was associated with the Hindi film as a lyricist. After the news grabbed several eyeballs, the CBFC presented a list of cuts to the makers. Though it didn’t mention that the name of the film should be changed, the modifications asked by the CBFC’s Examining Committee were considered unfair by the makers. With the film’s release just a few days away, the producer, Roshan Singh, knocked on the doors of the Bombay High Court. Sadly, the Court refused to grant them relief. As a result, Rang De Basanti won’t be able to make it to cinemas this Friday, March 22. An industry insider told...

Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday for his visit to the state of Andhra Pradesh, drawing a parallel between PM Modi's arrival and the mythological tale of King Bhagiratha bringing the River Ganga to Earth for his ancestors' salvation. A day after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi reached Andhra Pradesh and addressed a public rally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan at Chilakaluripet town in Palnadu district. The NDA rally, named "Prajagalam," marks the first NDA election meeting in Andhra Pradesh in the run-up to the simultaneous Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha polls scheduled for May 13. "PM Narendra Modi's arrival in Andhra Pradesh resembles how Bhagiratha brought Ganga to Earth. Modi has come here to support us and save us from undemocra...

Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a scathing attack on the Congress party on Sunday, stating that the party is neither left with an army nor a leader. Shivraj  Chouhan asserted that the Congress, once a formidable force in Indian politics, now resembles a 'sinking ship without direction and vision.' Addressing a press conference in state capital Bhopal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "On one hand, the BJP is a shining star, and on the other hand, the Congress is a sinking ship. Neither does the party have a way nor a vision, that is why their condition is depleting." Exuding confidence in the BJP's victory in the upcoming elections, Shivraj Chouhan stated, "Ab ki baar 400 paar" is not a BJP slogan, but rather an announcement of the public." Taking a dig at Congress' leadership, Shivraj Chouhan said, "Rahul Gandhi is such a captain who doesn't know what needs to be done in the party. When election pre...

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar used a verse on Saturday to take a dig at the critics of electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the poll authority is often at the receiving end of "unfulfilled desires". " Adhoori hasrato ka iljam har bar hum par lagana thik nahi, wafa khud se nahi hoti, khata EVM ki kehte ho, aur baad mein jab parinam aata hai toh uspe qayam bhi nahi rehte ," Mr Kumar said, announcing the seven-phase Lok Sabha election. The couplet, which Mr Kumar said he thought of on Friday night, means it is not proper to blame the Election Commission for unfulfilled desires when one has not done his or her job properly. He said this to buttress the point that even ruling parties have lost elections when EVMs were used for polling. Apparently anticipating a vitriolic poll campaign, the CEC also urged political parties and leaders to refrain from abusing and vilifying their rivals. He quoted a couplet from Bashir Badr: " Dushmani jam ke ...

Senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Friday announced that he will contest as an independent candidate from the Shimoga seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, blaming party veteran and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa for his son KE Kantesh being denied a ticket for the Haveri constituency. However, he claimed that this was a fight to save the party and its ideology and to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister once again. "I will contest as your independent candidate from the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency," Eshwarappa said, announcing his banner of revolt against BJP, at a meeting convened by his supporters. "The party may issue notice to me or expel me. In case I win within two months, I'm confident that my supporters will join me at the feet of my mother -- the BJP," he added. Yediyurappa's son and sitting MP B Y Raghavendra is the party candidate from Shimoga, where Congress has fielded former Chief Minister S Bangarappa's daughter Geetha Shivarajk...

A purported video of a murder accused lodged in Bareilly Central Jail hosting a live video on a social media platform has surfaced and a probe has been ordered into the matter, police said on Thursday. Action will be taken against whoever is found guilty in the investigation, they said. Asif is accused of shooting a public works department (PWD) contractor Rakesh Yadav (34) to death on December 2, 2019, in the Sadar Bazar Police Station area of Shahjahanpur. Another accused Rahul Chaudhury was also accused of having killed Yadav and the duo are currently lodged in Bareilly Central Jail. A video of a murder accused lodged in prison went viral on social media, Deputy Inspector General (Prison) Kuntal Kishore said. In the 2-minute-long video, Asif is heard saying, "I am in heaven and enjoying it." On seeing the video on social media, the victim's brother met District Magistrate Umesh Pratap Singh on Thursday and gave him a complaint letter. He said in the letter that t...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held extensive talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay focusing on ways to further strengthen the ties between the two countries. The talks took place hours after Mr Tobgay began a five-day visit to India, his first foreign trip after assuming the charge of the top office in January. Mr Tobgay was received at the airport in the national capital by Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey. "The visit of @PMBhutan is in keeping with the exemplary ties of friendship between India & Bhutan," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on extending cooperation in the field of energy efficiency. The Cabinet also cleared the signing of an agreement between Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for cooperation in the are...

The Supreme Court collegium on Wednesday recommended the transfer of two Delhi High Court judges to Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh High Courts. The five-member collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud transferred Justice V Kameswar Rao to the Karnataka High Court after he requested for a shift to any other court. "By a communication dated March 4, 2024, Justice V Kameswar Rao, Judge, High Court of Delhi, has requested for transfer to any other High Court. Acceding to his request, the Collegium resolves to recommend that Justice V Kameswar Rao be transferred, in the interest of better administration of justice, to the High Court of Karnataka," the collegium, also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose said in its resolution. The collegium also recommended the transfer of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva to the Madhya Pradesh High Court. "By a communication dated March 3, 2024, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Judge, High Court of Delhi, has ...

The government on Tuesday granted a six-month extension in service tenure of Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who was scheduled to retire at the end of next month, according to an official order. The decision was taken by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Kwatra, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, took charge as the foreign secretary on April 30, 2022. According to the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service of Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra (IFS:1988) as Foreign Secretary for a period of six months beyond 30.04.2024 i.e. up to 31.10.2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in public interest, in terms of provisions of FR 56 (d)."  Under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (d), the government can give extension in service to the defence secretary, foreign secretary, home secretary, Intelligence Bureau direct...

The prime minister-chaired high-powered committee on selecting election commissioners will now meet on March 14 to finalise the names of two new ECs, top sources said. They said that the Law Ministry has sent an amended communication to all panel members for the meeting to be held now at 12 noon on March 14. The meeting was earlier slated at 6 PM on March 15. Two vacancies of election commissioners came about following the resignation of Arun Goel on Friday and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement on February 14. The selection panel is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has a Union minister and the Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury as its members. The election commissioners will be appointed by the president. The sources said the appointment of two new election commissioners is likely to be made by the same day or the next. They said the notice for the meeting to select one EC was earier sent on Saturday afternoon while Mr Goel's resignat...

Three labourers from Jharkhand were killed and two others injured in an avalanche at Musring in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on Monday, officials said. The avalanche, which was preceded by a blizzard in the Bhaba Valley area, struck when a large number of labourers were having lunch at a worksite, they said. Bhaba Valley Tehsildar Arun Kumar confirmed the incident. Seamon Kindo and Birya, residents of Jharkhand, died on the spot while Ratan Lal also from that state died at a hospital, police said. They said a Nepali labourer, Krishana, suffered serious injuries and was referred to the Rampur hospital while Chandra Nath was admitted to a hospital at Katgaon. A team of officials and police personnel led by Bhawanagar Station House Officer Jagdish Thakur reached the spot to take stock of the situation. While snowfall is expected in the higher reaches of Chamba, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Shimla on March 13 and 14, rain accompanied by hailstorms and thunderstorms...

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday apprised the Centre of the arrest of 22 fishermen and the seizure of their three boats by Sri Lanka and sought swift measures to secure the release of the men and their boats. Writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Mr Stalin said the Sri Lankan Navy seized three mechanised fishing boats, two registered in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry, and arrested 22 fishermen in two separate incidents on March 10. "Given the sensitivity of this matter, I appeal to you to intervene swiftly and to decisively secure the immediate release of our fishermen and their boats," he wrote. The arrest has deprived the fishermen of their only source of livelihood besides causing them and their families immense distress, Mr Stalin noted in the letter. "As you are aware, our fishermen have been fishing in the traditional waters adjacent to our nation for generations. It is the only source of their livelihood. However, in recent months,...

As the Lok Sabha elections loom closer, the political landscape of Jamui constituency in Bihar paints a picture of intrigue and complexity. Situated amidst historical significance and cultural heritage, the Jamui Lok Sabha constituency holds a unique blend of tradition and modern-day politics. Jamui KYC Historical Reverence and Religious Significance Jamui, formerly known as Jambhyagram, is steeped in history dating back to the era of the Mahabharata. Its association with Jainism, particularly as a place where Lord Mahavir is believed to have attained divine knowledge, adds to its religious prominence. The constituency, spanning across six assembly constituencies, encompasses a significant portion of forested land, contributing to its natural allure. Jamui MP Political Dynamics and Ongoing Turmoil The constituency, currently represented by two-time MP Chirag Paswan, finds itself embroiled in political turmoil. Paswan, the scion of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founded by hi...

In a swipe at the Opposition's criticism over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the parties only have a problem when they lose. His remarks come a day after the Congress said it was "concerned" over Election Commissioner Arun Goel's resignation. The Congress alleged that there is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the Election Commission has been functioning and how the government "pressures" it. Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections schedule. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired next February. The opposition parties make statements and raise questions on EVMs and the functioning of the Election Commission only when they "lose", Mr Thakur said. All is fine if they win and nothing is fine if they lose, the...

Arriving here days after being made BJP nominee for Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for the third time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a rousing reception at the Varanasi airport on Saturday. BJP workers and locals lined up on the roads outside the airport from where PM Modi began a 28-km long roadshow during which he also stopped at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to offer prayers. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a roadshow in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/1Ors42a6JQ — ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2024 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, senior party leaders and office bearers were present at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in Babatpur to welcome the prime minister. Prayed at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Har Har Mahadev! pic.twitter.com/sDeJIDioYF — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 9, 2024 BJP regional chief Dilip Patel said that Varanasi district and metropolitan unit made elaborate arrangements for Modi's visit. The locals, including women and children, sh...

India's point-person on Afghanistan JP Singh met senior members of Afghan authorities in Kabul and discussed New Delhi's humanitarian assistance to Afghans and the use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders. Mr Singh, the joint secretary heading the division for Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), held talks with the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the delegation met senior members of Afghan authorities, former President Hamid Karzai, officials of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and members of the Afghan business community. "The delegation held discussions on India's humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and also discussed use of Chabahar port by Afghan traders," he said. An Afghan readout said Mr Singh and Mr Muttaqi discussed issues relating to security, trade, and ways to counter drugs. Extending gratitude to India for i...

In a jolt to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Mukut Mani Adhikari, a BJP MLA from the Matua belt in Bengal's Nadia district, joined the Trinamool Congress today and participated in a rally in Kolkata. Mr Adhikari, who represents the Ranaghat Dakshin constituency for the BJP, expressed his dissatisfaction with the party's decision to field sitting MP Jagganath Sarkar again from Ranaghat. "I think the TMC is the only platform where you can work for the masses. So I have decided to join them," he said. During a TMC rally in Kolkata, Mr Adhikari was spotted walking alongside Abhishek Banerjee, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, further solidifying his move to the ruling party. "BJP4Bengal leader and MLA Mukutmani Adhikari joined our party and marched in our rally on the eve of #InternationalWomensDay. When BJP leaders leave their anti-women party and extend support, you know that you are on the right side of history. Standing tall for women's r...

An MP/MLA court here on Wednesday sentenced former MP Dhananjay Singh to seven years of imprisonment in a 2020 kidnapping and extortion case. Presently with the Janata Dal (United), Dhananjay Singh was reportedly preparing to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Jaunpur. But the conviction now makes him ineligible under the Representation of the People Act to contest election. Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Kumar Tripathi, who held Dhananjay Singh and his associate Santosh Vikram guilty in the case of kidnapping of Namami Gange project manager Abhinav Singhal on Tuesday, also imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on each of them, District Government Counsel (Criminal) Satish Pandey said. Satish Pandey said that Muzaffarnagar resident Abhinav Singhal had filed a case against Dhananjay Singh and his partner Vikram on May 10, 2020, at Line Bazar police station under IPC sections of kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy and others. According to the FIR, Vikram, along with two associates, ...

A case of police negligence has landed members of Mumbai's police force in the dock. The man who escaped. Bipul Sikari, was accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old boy, whose body was found on Monday. The parents have now refused to cremate the body, demanding that the killer be caught first. 12-year-old Sandeep Yadav, living in Wadala Shanti Nagar, Mumbai, had gone missing on January 28. After a long search and scanning of CCTVs in the area, the family and their neighbors caught one Bipul Sikari, who, they alleged, was involved in the kidnapping. The family has claimed their son had said he was going to visit his uncle. In a CCTV from the area, Bipul Sikari was seen making Sandeep sit in a taxi. When he returned home late that evening, the locals caught him. The accused was beaten up and taken him to the Wadala Truck Terminus Police Station. The boy's family has alleged that after seeing the man was injured, the police made the locals sit outside. The accused was asked to was...

An eight-year-old boy from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramullah has received a new lease of life after undergoing a challenging life-saving cardiac procedure at an Army hospital here, officials said on Tuesday. The pediatric cardiology team of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), "in an extraordinary medical achievement, successfully performed a high-risk transcatheter (non-surgical) lifesaving cardiac procedure" at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi Cantonment, the defence ministry said in a statement. The procedure was performed on "an eight-year-old civilian boy from Baramullah, Jammu and Kashmir, who had a critical narrowing of the aorta (blood channel supplying pure blood to all the parts of the body) resulting in compromised blood supply to few vital organs of the body as well as the reduced function of the heart". This complex procedure was done through a small nick in the groin and involved implantation of a large stent, it said. It ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, visited an ailing monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. PM Modi will address a public rally at Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, where Sandeshkhali is situated, and inaugurate the country's first underwater Metro section between Howrah Maidan and Kolkata's Esplanade on Wednesday. Upon his arrival in the city, he went to Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan where Ramakrishna Math and Mission president Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj is undergoing treatment, and inquired about his health. "Upon reaching Kolkata, went to hospital and enquired about the health of the President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Srimat Swami Smaranananda ji Maharaj," PM Modi said in a post on his official X handle. Upon reaching Kolkata, went to the hospital and enquired about the health of the President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Srimat Swami Smaranananda ji Maharaj. We are all praying...

A local court here on Tuesday held former MP Dhananjay Singh and one other guilty of kidnapping 'Namami Gange' project manager Abhinav Singhal, demanding extortion, abusing and threatening him. Additional Sessions Judge Sharad Kumar Tripathi, after hearing both the factions, held Singh and his associate Santosh Vikram guilty in the matter. The punishment will be decided on Wednesday. Both Dhananjay Singh and his associate have been sent to judicial custody. Giving details of the case, District Government Counsel (Criminal) Satish Pandey said that Muzaffarnagar resident Abhinav Singhal had filed a case against Dhananjay Singh and his partner Vikram on May 10, 2020, at Linebazar police station under sections of kidnapping, extortion, conspiracy and others. It was alleged that Vikram, along with two associates, kidnapped Singhal and took him to the residence of the former MP where Dhananjay Singh came with a pistol and abused him and pressurised him to supply low quality mater...

A 40-year-old dental surgeon died by suicide after poisoning his two minor daughters in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Monday afternoon, police said. The exact cause has not yet been established, but family feud is suspected to be a reason, a police officer said. Raj Kumar fatally slit his wrist veins after poisoning his two daughters, identified as Anvi Raj (8) and Adhya Raj (5), to death in Bishnu Puri locality under Hazaribag Sadar police station, the officer said. Raj Kumar's clinic was situated in the busy Nawabganj locality of Hazaribag town. Raj Kumar's wife Chandani Devi (35), along with her three children, including their three-year-old son Ranjeet, had gone to her parents' place to attend a family function when the doctor arrived there in Kumhartoli area of the town, police said. According to the relatives of the victim, the doctor picked up his two daughters on his scooter under the pretext of purchasing gifts for them as they had performed well in th...

The BJP won all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan for two consecutive times and each party candidate will go to Parliament with a margin of five lakh votes this time, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said. 60% of the tickets for the Lok Sabha elections have been finalised and the remaining tickets will be decided upon soon, he said. Mr Sharma, addressing an event to mark the departure of LED raths for the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Patra', said the party is sending LED raths to collect suggestions from people for the party's election manifesto. A similar move was carried out ahead of the latest assembly election in the state, he said. "Just as we had prepared a ' sankalp patra ' (manifesto) by taking suggestions from the general public for the assembly election, and we are trying to fulfil those promises, we are sending raths now for the Lok Sabha elections," he said. The BJP has become the biggest party not just in the country but in the world because of t...

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has demolished the farmhouse of liquor baron late Ponty Chadha in Chhatarpur worth around Rs 400 crore, officials said on Saturday. The demolition took place on Friday and Saturday, DDA officials said. "Continuing with its exercise to reclaim government land over which unauthorised occupation and illegal construction has been done, the DDA on Friday demolished the farmhouse of high-profile liquor baron late Ponty Chadha alias Gurdeep Singh, spread over about 10 acres in Chhatarpur worth about Rs 400 crore," the officials said. The ongoing demolition exercise claimed five acres of land on Friday. On Saturday, demolition of the main building over the remaining land of farmhouse was carried out, it said. It may be noted that in an earlier demolition programme in northeast Delhi, carried out between January 13 and January 17 at Gokulpuri, unauthorised encroachments that included commercial showrooms over about four acres of land were demo...

The perception that adjournment has become a part of the judicial system is disheartening, underlined Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on Saturday, adding that it prolongs the agony of litigants and perpetuates the cycle of backlog. "One of the major issues is that of "adjournment culture." This practice, characterized by repeated requests for delays in proceedings, has far-reaching implications for the efficiency and integrity of our legal system," said the Chief Justice addressing the All India District Judges Conference at Dhordo in Gujarat's Kutch. "The issue of adjournment and tareekh pe tareekh prolongs the agony of litigants. Common citizen feels that adjournment is part of judicial process and my experience is that it is easy to decide a complex case with a judgment than to persuade a lawyer to argue a case," he said. The Chief Justice also expressed concern that the longstanding principle of "bail is the rule, jail is the exception" i...

A special welcome by wife was waiting for former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at home as his name figured on the BJP's first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. His wife, Sadhna Singh, greeted him at their home's doorstep, applied tilak on his forehead and garlanded him. She also performed ' aarti ' - a ritual of welcoming guests by offering blessings - and touched his feet. #WATCH | BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan to contest from MP's Vidhisha His wife welcomes him home by putting a 'Tilak' on his forehead after the announcement of his candidature in the Lok Sabha elections, in Bhopal pic.twitter.com/SEc9gjHZ8J — ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2024 The BJP's first list of 24 candidates for Madhya Pradesh featured Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, while Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur was replaced by another candidate. "I am grateful to the central leadership, Prime Minister N...

On a day that the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, the National Democratic Alliance led by the party also got a boost with Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal formally joining the bloc. The Uttar Pradesh-based party was a part of the opposition INDIA alliance and had been indicating for some time now that the switch was likely to happen.  Posting photos of Mr Chaudhary meeting him and Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nadda said in Hindi on X, “I met RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary in the presence of Amit Shah. I heartily welcome his decision to join the NDA family. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, you will make an important contribution to the journey towards a developed India and the development of Uttar Pradesh. Ab ki baar NDA 400 paar. ”  Rumours that an alliance between the BJP and the RLD was in the works had been doing the rounds for a while and had got credence when the Bharat Ratna was announced for Mr Chaudhary's g...