New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at the Election Commission after sources in the poll panel rejected his allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would. In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing". EC sources wo...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi has raised serious concerns claiming the non-functional status of three newly built government school buildings in the city, alleging that the BJP-led government is deliberately stalling admissions to benefit private schools. There was no immediate response available from the Delhi government or the BJP over the allegations. In a letter to Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday, Atishi said the school buildings ...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday accused Rahul Gandhi of resorting to lies and misinformation to cover up his own shortcomings as the Congress leader has claimed that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election was a "blueprint for rigging democracy". Gandhi's remarks in an article published in "The Indian Express" drew a sharp rebuke from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who accused the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha of "cooking up bizarre conspiracies" in ...Read More
Mhow, Jun 7 (PTI) In a disturbing incident, a stray dog was seen clutching a dead newborn in its jaws near the toilet of a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district on Saturday before a security guard managed to retrieve the body after shooing away the animal. Authorities at the civil hospital in Mhow, some 25 kilometres from the district headquarters, and police have begun a probe into the antecedents of the newborn and the chain of events that followed. "As per CCTV footage, th...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Saturday that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were a "blueprint for rigging democracy" and alleged this "match-fixing" would next happen in Bihar, even as the Election Commission rejected the charge saying defaming the poll panel after an unfavourable verdict is absolutely absurd. The BJP also hit out at Gandhi over the allegations with party chief J P Nadda accusing the Congress leader of cooking up "bizarre conspiracies" a...Read More
Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) A delegation of Indian Olympic Association, Central and Gujarat state government met Commonwealth Sport officials in London to have a better understanding of the process and the framework relating to securing hosting rights of the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. The delegation included IOA chief PT Usha and officials from the Union Sports Ministry as well as the Gujarat state government. They met the Commonwealth Sport officials over two days in London. While the prop...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) The coordination committee of all the district courts' bar associations in Delhi passed a resolution on Saturday, withdrawing the lawyers' protest scheduled for Monday in connection with the shifting of the digital Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act courts to Rouse Avenue. "A meeting of the coordination committee was held with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, wherein it was assured that all digital courts will function strictly as digital platforms only. All remain...Read More
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 7 (PTI) Odisha Police on Saturday arrested four persons on the charge of raping two minor sisters in Ganjam district. The four accused were nabbed while trying to escape from the state, Superintendent of Police (Berhampur) Saravana Vivek M said, adding they were booked under different sections of BNS and POCSO Act. He said while the accused youths were in the age group of 21-22 years, the cousins were 13 years and 14 years old. The incident took place in a village in G...Read More
Chennai, Jun 7 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah would visit Madurai on June 8, during which he is set to review the preparedness of the party to face the Tamil Nadu Assembly election next year and devise a strategy to fight polls, BJP sources said on Saturday. Shah, in a post on 'X,' said: "Leaving for Tamil Nadu. Tomorrow, will chair a meeting of the state core committee of the Tamil Nadu BJP, in Madurai. In the evening, will interact with state, district, and mandal-level office bearers of...Read More
Jaipur, Jun 7 (PTI) Congress national general secretary Sachin Pilot met former chief minister Ashok Gehlot here on Saturday and invited him to a programme on the 25th death anniversary of his father and former Union minister Rajesh Pilot. Gehlot shared the video of their meeting on X and recalled his long association with Rajesh Pilot. "AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot invited me to the program organised on the 25th death anniversary of former Union minister Rajesh Pilot at his residence,"...Read More
Bengaluru, Jun 7 (PTI) The one-man inquiry commission constituted by the Karnataka government under retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha to inquire into the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, has been asked to identify the persons responsible for the omissions or deficiencies that led to this incident. As per the terms of reference to the commission from the government, it has also suggested precautionary measures that can be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the futur...Read More
Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs defeated North Mumbai Panthers by 22 runs in a rain-truncated match of the T20 Mumbai League, here on Saturday. Heavy rains delayed the start of the contest which was reduced to a five-overs-per-side affair in which Aakash Tigers MWS scored 66 for seven on a track which offered a lot of assistance to the fast bowlers here at the Wankhede Stadium. In reply, Prithvi Shaw struck a four and a six each to make 19 off 12 balls but North Mumbai...Read More
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): All India Institute Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Director Dr Ajai Singh spoke to Free Press on problems and facilities at AIIMS. People feel that AIIMS doors remain closed for them in case of emergency. Earlier, there was infrastructure and manpower for 960 beds. Increased number of beds to 1400 with same infrastructure and manpower. So, there is acute shortage of manpower and facilities specially to accommodate more patients in case of emergency. We have sent the proposa...Read More
Faridabad, June 7 (PTI) An MBBS-qualified doctor allegedly posed as a cardiologist and performed more than 50 heart surgeries in over eight months at a government hospital here using the registration number of a practising cardiologist, police said on Saturday. The matter came to light when a patient approached the real doctor, prompting an inquiry. Despite having an MBBS degree, Dr. Pankaj Mohan Sharma was not authorised to carry out critical cardiac procedures, police said, adding that severa...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Realty firm G Square Group has acquired 714-acre project from Rakindo in Coimbatore for Rs 707 crore and will develop it as an integrated township. In a statement on Saturday, the company announced launch of 'G Square Seven Hill', a township project that combines plots and mixed-use development. "The acquisition of the 714-acre project from Rakindo for Rs 707 crore, marked the latest in a series of major investments transforming Coimbatore into a premier real estate dest...Read More
Ludhiana, Jun 7 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday said the Election Commission (ECI) should immediately ban AAP leaders facing criminal charges from campaigning for the upcoming bypoll to the Ludhiana West Assembly seat. Taking strong exception to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia - both accused in the Delhi excise policy case - campaigning for the by-election, Chugh demanded that they be prohibited from entering the constituency. The bypoll to the Ludhi...Read More
Bengaluru, Jun 7 (PTI) Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA)president Raghuram Bhat on Saturday said the resignation of A Shankar and ES Jairam, secretary and treasurer of the governing body, was accepted in an emergency meeting but ruled out dissolving the rest of the managing committee. The emergency meeting was convened after the two senior officials stepped down from their respective roles through a letter to the KSCA president, taking moral responsibility for the stampede in which 11 ...Read More
Guwahati, Jul 7 (PTI) The overall flood situation in Assam improved marginally as the affected population decreased to 3.37 lakh in 12 districts, though the death toll in this year's deluge and landslides reached 23 with two fresh fatalities, an official bulletin said. Water levels of major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, were on a receding trend. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) bulletin said 3,37,358 people in 41 circles and 999 villages in 12 districts remained affec...Read More
Shimla, Jun 7 (PTI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday emphasised the need to empower the rural youth to become instruments of change in India's enormous but "underutilised" agricultural economy. Interacting with students, faculty and researchers during his visit to Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Solan, he also called for giving direct subsidy to farmers and claimed it will increase their annual income by Rs 30,000. Dhankhar said that instead of giving indirec...Read More
Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) At least eight people, including actor Dino Morea, his brother and some BMC officials, have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning next week in a money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 65 crore worth Mithi River desilting "scam", official sources said on Saturday. The federal agency, in a statement, said that it has frozen and seized cash and deposits worth about Rs 1.25 after conducting searches at 18 locations in Mumbai in Maharashtra and Kochi...Read More
Guwahati, Jun 7 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday requested his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to conduct a "fair and impartial inquiry" by a senior police officer into the death of a 25-year-old woman in a road accident in the hill state earlier this week. He said that the bereaved family of the Golaghat native has raised concerns regarding the accident and urged Sangma to ensure that all facts surrounding it are brought to light. The victim, Namrata Bora, who wo...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at the Election Commission after sources in the poll panel rejected allegation of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying evasion would not protect its credibility but telling the truth would. In an article, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had alleged "match-fixing" in the Maharashtra polls and claimed that it would next happen in the Bihar elections and "anywhere the BJP is losing". "Dear EC, You...Read More
Chennai, Jun 7 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Tamil Nadu is to review the preparedness of the party to face the Tamil Nadu Assembly election next year and devise a strategy to fight polls, BJP sources said on Saturday. Senior party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Shah will be in Madurai on June 8 and leaders including her were going to the southern city with enthusiasm and she hit out at the ruling DMK alleging the Dravidian party feared that the Saffron outfi...Read More
New Delhi, June 7 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced the formation of the Transgender Welfare and Empowerment Board to address the grievances of the community. The Board will help the transgender community receive their rightful entitlements in education, healthcare, employment, and safety, Gupta said in a statement. Stating that the Board will work on policymaking and recommending welfare schemes, the chief minister added that it will also coordinate with various dep...Read More
Prayagraj (UP), Jun 7 (PTI) A two-judge vacation bench of the Allahabad High Court has come down on the Uttar Pradesh government over a delay in disbursing ex-gratia compensation to the families of those who died in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on January 29. Hearing a writ petition filed by one Uday Pratap Singh, the bench of Justices Saumitra Dayal Singh and Sandeep Jain said once the government had announced compensation, it was its "bounden duty" to ensure timely and dignified ...Read More
Chandigarh, Jun 7 (PTI) Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate a dialogue with the UAE government to sensitise it about the religious significance of the five articles of faith, especially the 'kirpan', for the initiated Sikhs. In a letter to the minister, the Bathinda MP said she was making this appeal in the wake of a recent "advisory" by the Indian Embassy in UAE directing Indians not to carry sharp ob...Read More
Hyderabad: The bodies of seven Maoists in the ongoing combing operations and gunfight inside the Indravati National Park of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh were recovered on Saturday, June 7. After the killing of Communist Party of India (Maoist) central committee member Narasimha Chalam alias Sudhakar on June 5, another top leader and special zonal committee member of the Telangana state committee, Mylarapu Adelu alias Bhaskar, was gunned down on June 6. He was carrying a bounty of Rs 45 lakh...Read More
Bhubaneswar, Jun 7 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday inaugurated a 100-seat government medical college and a 650-bed hospital at Phulbani, the district headquarters of Kandhamal. The chief minister, during his one-day visit to Kandhamal, also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 10 development projects worth about Rs 750 crore. This included the inauguration of five projects worth Rs 655 crore and the foundation stone laying of five other projects worth over Rs ...Read More
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday left for France to attend an international meeting to discuss sustainable ocean governance and concrete actions for the health of the world's oceans. Scheduled to be held at the French city of Nice, the third edition of United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) is taking place from June 8 to 13. Over the next four days, Singh will participate in bilateral meetings with ministers from key partner countries, deliver India's ...Read More
Bengaluru, Jun 7 (PTI) Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil on Saturday urged both central and state food and drug authorities to closely monitor and regulate the standards of street and hotel foods. Speaking at the World Food Safety Day programme organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) here, Patil highlighted the serious health risks posed by unhygienic and adulterated food. "Children and the elderl...Read More