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11 Bihar Migrant Workers Burnt To Death In Huge Godown Fire In Telangana

SECUNDRABAD, March 23: At least eleven people were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a timber godown in Telangana's Secunderabad in the early hours of Wednesday.

Police said that twelve migrant workers from Bihar were sleeping in a room on the first floor of the two-storey building, located in a crowded area of Secunderabad's Bhoiguda, when the fire erupted at around 3 am.

While one worker escaped the fire by jumping out of the room, eleven workers lost their lives. There was only one internal spiral staircase in the building, The workers appeared to have tried to escape but soon fell unconscious after inhaling the thick smoke, said officials.

It is suspected that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the godown. The matter is being investigated, officials said, adding that the fire has been doused.

Expressing condolences over the incident, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced a compensation of ₹ 5 lakh each to the families of the workers who were killed in the fire. He also directed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to make arrangements for the repatriation of their bodies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is "pained by the loss of lives" in the fire tragedy and announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each to the family members of the workers.

8 burnt to death in Bengal’s Birbhum after Trinamool leader’s murder

KOLKATA, March 22: Eight people, six women and two children, were burnt to death in violence that erupted at Baktui village in West Bengal ‘s Birbhum district on Tuesday following the murder of a deputy pradhan of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Several houses were set on fire after the murder and seven charred bodies recovered from one house alone. One person died of burn injuries at a hospital in Birbhum, the police said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malaviya said the police were probing the connection between the murder and the violence. A special investigation team (SIT), comprising ADG CID Gyanwant Singh, IG Burdwan Zone B. L. Meena and DIG CID (Ops) Meeraj Khalid, had been set up to probe the incident.

“It is not political rivalry. It could be deep-rooted personal enmity between two groups,” the DGP said. Miscreants hurled bombs at deputy pradhan Bhadu Sheikh on Monday evening and he sustained grievous injuries. According to villagers, after his death, miscreants set several huts on fire. Senior police officers said the retaliation was immediate. Seven bodies were recovered from the house of Sanju Sheikh.

The SDPO of Rampurhat and the officer in charge of the local police station have been removed after the incident. The situation in the village was under control, Malaviya said.

Villagers alleged that about 10 houses were set on fire following the murder of the TMC leader, who hailed from the same village

Minister and senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said, “A deputy pradhan has been killed. We have to find out whether the incident has anything to do with the houses being set on fire.” After visiting the village that falls under the Rampurhat subdivision, he stated that there was a greater conspiracy at work to defame West Bengal by the Opposition.

Political Parties Create Division: Ghulam Nabi Azad

JAMMU, March 20: Stating that political parties, including Congress, create division among people on various grounds, former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, member of G23 of the Opposition party, on Sunday, while referring to the 1990 exodus and killings of the Kashmiri Pandits, said that Pakistan and terrorism were responsible for all that took place in the valley.

His remarks came in the backdrop of the ongoing controversy over the film 'The Kashmir Files', which is based on the 1990 exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits.

"Political parties create division (among people) 24x7 on the basis of religion, caste and other things. I'm not forgiving any party, including mine (Congress). Civil society should stay together. Justice must be given to everyone irrespective of caste, religion," Azad said.

He stressed that "Mahatma Gandhi was the biggest Hindu and secularist". "Pakistan and militancy are responsible for what has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. It has affected all in Jammu and Kashmir, including Hindus, Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims, Dogras," added Azad.

The film, which focuses on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s, has been mired in controversy since its release on March 11 with the BJP and Opposition parties sparring over the portrayal of the incidents.

At a BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for the film. saying that attempts were being made to discredit it.

Security Force CRPF May Not Be Needed In J&K In Few Years: Amit Shah

SRINAGAR, March 19: Praising the Central Reserve Police Force or the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said in a few years' time the force may no longer be needed in Jammu and Kashmir and northeast.

This is for the first time that the government at the highest level has broadly indicated doing away with massive security deployment in Kashmir and also set a timeline of achieving it within a few years.

"The resolve with which CRPF has been working in Kashmir, Naxal areas and Northeast, I'm confident that within next few years, in all three regions, we may not require use of CRPF and maintain complete peace in three regions. I'm confident. And if it happens, the whole credit goes to CRPF," Shah said today at the 83rd raising day parade of the CRPF in Srinagar's Maulana Azad Stadium.

The CRPF has a huge presence in Kashmir. Around one fourth of its total manpower is deployed in the region to deal with militancy and law and order situation.

Besides the CRPF and J&K police, the Army, BSF, ITBP and SSB is also deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter terrorism and law and order duties.

This is for the first time that the parade has been held outside the CRPF headquarters in Delhi.

The Home Minister said the biggest work done in Jammu and Kashmir is that the central forces have taken "decisive control" of the fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

"I believe the biggest achievement after abrogation of 370 is security forces having a decisive control on terrorism," said Shah.

The Article, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019, and the state was bifurcated into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Home Minister said the situation in the region has improved and talked about democracy at grassroots level and investment of ₹ 33,000 crore in J&K.

He also welcomed the efforts of the local administration in its crusade against corruption and taking developmental activities to new heights in the Union Territory.

May Soon Top Hate, Anger Charts: Rahul Gandhi On India's Happiness Rank

NEW DELHI, March 19: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday in an apparent jibe at the Centre over the country's ranking in the latest World Happiness Report, said India would soon top hate and anger charts.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi shared the report and said, "Hunger Rank: 10, Freedom Rank: 119, Happiness Rank: 136. But, we may soon top the Hate and Anger charts!"

Published by United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the World Happiness Report ranks 150 countries of the world on several factors such as sense of well-being, GDP per capita, social support system, life expectancy, generosity, liberty to make life choices and perceptions of corruption, etc.

In this year's report, Finland topped the list. The other countries ranked among the top 10 list include Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand (rankwise from second to tenth).

India performed slightly well this year and moved up three places to 136th position in the World Happiness Report. Last year, India was ranked 139th in this list.

The United States ranked 16th, the United Kingdom ranked 17th and France secured 20th position in the said report.

Sonia Gandhi meets Ghulam Nabi Azad as G-23 group pushes for ‘inclusive leadership’ after poll drubbing

NEW DELHI, March 18: Two days after some of the Congress’s G-23 leaders met and issued a statement calling for “collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels”, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday met party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi.

The development comes in the backdrop of Sonia Gandhi reaching out to Azad with sources saying that a meeting between Sonia and some of the leaders was on the cards.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Azad said, “The meeting with Sonia Gandhi was good. All members of the Congress party decided unanimously that she (Sonia) should continue as the president; we just had some suggestions that were shared.”

“The Working Committee was asked for suggestions on the reasons for the defeat in the five states. The discussion was held to fight unitedly in the forthcoming Assembly elections to defeat the opposition parties,” said Azad.

On Wednesday, some leaders of the Congress’s ‘Group of 23’ had met at the residence of Azad over dinner to work out the grouping’s future strategy and discuss the party’s poll debacle in the just-concluded assembly polls.

Following the meeting, they issued a statement which read: “We the… members of the Congress party met to deliberate on the demoralising outcome of the recent results of the Assembly elections and the constant exodus of both our workers and leaders. We believe that the only way forward is for the Congress party to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels.”

On Thursday, former party president Rahul Gandhi met former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda — his first meeting with a G-23 leader after the Assembly poll rout which has deepened the schism.

G-23 meeting held at Azad's residence, Congress names leaders to assess poll debacle

NEW DELHI, March 16: Some senior Congress leaders met at the residence of former Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad in the national capital in the wake of the party's humiliating defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Issuing a joint statement after the meeting, the leaders (18 of them) said, “We demand Congress to initiate dialogue with like-minded forces to create way for credible alternative for 2024 LS polls.”

The letter, written by the 'Group of 23' or ‘G-23’ leaders, said the only way forward is for the Congress to adopt the model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels. They said the meeting of the Congress leaders was held to deliberate on the demoralising results of the Assembly elections and constant exodus of party workers, adding the next steps in this.

The letter was signed by 18 Congress veterans, including Azad, Manish Tewari, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Shankar Singh Vaghela, Sandeep Dixit, Vivek Tankha and Raj Babbar.

In another development, the Congress assigned a leader for each of the five states to take stock of the post-poll situation. A letter signed by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the party was appointing Rajani Patil, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken, Jitendra Singh and Avinash Pandey, to assess the post-poll situation and suggest organisational changes in the recently concluded poll states. A day ago, Gandhi asked state unit presidents of all the five states to resign.

Meanwhile, the G-23 meeting came amid an open war of words among functionaries and loyalists following Sunday’s Congress Working Committee meeting where it was unanimously decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party’s interim chief. The CWC meeting was held in the aftermath of the party’s disastrous performance in the recent Assembly elections.

According to reports, the G-23 leaders had earlier planned a dinner at Kapil Sibal's residence, but it was changed at the last minute.

The grouping had given an open invite to other Congressmen to join them at the dinner meeting.

In the latest round of rifts, Sibal has said the Gandhis should step aside and give some other leader a chance to helm the party, provoking a backlash from Gandhi family loyalists who accused him of speaking the language of the BJP and the RSS.

Bhagwant Mann assumes office as Punjab Chief Minister

CHANDIGARH, March 16: ‘Inquilab’ on his lips, Mann takes oath as new Punjab Chief Minister At a venue brimming with ‘basanti’ turbans and dupattas, Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann Wednesday took oath as the 18th Chief Minister of Punjab at Khatkar Kalan, the native village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

The event, where Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mann (48), was attended by Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal along with members of his Cabinet. But Mann was the only one who addressed the crowd.

The usual sarcasm of political speeches missing, Mann delivered a short – less than 10 minutes – and measured speech where he told the crowd that his mission was to make Punjab the state of Bhagat Singh’s dreams. He ended his address with the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad’.

At the swearing-in ceremony at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of Bhagat Singh, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters turned up in ‘basanti’ turbans and dupattas, the colour associated with the freedom fighter.

At the oath taking ceremony, Mann said people will visit Punjab just like they visit Delhi to see its schools and mohalla clinics.

Before ending his speech with ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ and ‘Jo Bole So Nihal’, Mann quoted another verse: “Hukumat vo karte hain jinka dilon par raj hota hai, yun to kehne ko murge ke sar pe bhi taaj hota hai (The ones who rule are those who rule hearts, crowns even rest on roosters’ heads).”

The ‘pandal’, with yellow drapes and 50,000 chairs, has been set up on 40 acres land near the Bhagat Singh memorial in the village in Nawanshahr district.

The Aam Aadmi Party won 92 seats in the 117-member Punjab Assembly, decimating the Congress and the SAD-BSP combine.

Karnataka Hijab Ban Challenged In Supreme Court After High Court Upholds It

BENGALURU, March 15: The hijab is not an essential religious practice, the Karnataka High Court said as it backed a ban on hijabs in classrooms today, weeks after violent protests in many parts of the state against the restriction.

The order has been challenged in the Supreme Court by Niba Naaz, a student who was not among the five who had originally petitioned against the hijab ban.

"We are of the considered opinion that wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in Islamic faith," said the Karnataka High Court, refusing to strike down the state government's ban and dismissing the students' petitions.

In an order on February 5, the Karnataka government had banned clothes "which disturb equality, integrity and public order" in schools and colleges.

Upholding that order, the High Court said a school uniform is a reasonable restriction that students cannot object to.

Schools had reasonable grounds to impose dress codes that forbade the hijab in the interests of preventing divisions on religion and other grounds, the judgment said. "The aim of the regulation is to create a 'safe space'... and the ideals of egalitarianism should be readily apparent to all students," it said.

"The constitution allows us the right to profess our religion. We are shaken, we expected so much. We will not go to college without the hijab," the girls told reporters, vowing to fight the verdict.

The students had told the court that wearing the hijab is a fundamental right guaranteed under India's constitution and an essential practice.

Anticipating tension, the government had banned large gatherings in cities like Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Shivamogga for a week. Schools and colleges are closed today in Udupi, where the protests began in December.

The Karnataka High Court had earlier temporarily banned religious clothes, including Hijab and saffron scarves, last month as the controversy snowballed into protests and a face-off between different sections of students.

The massive hijab controversy erupted when students at a school in Udupi alleged that for the first time in years, they had been banned from entering class in headscarves. As the restrictions spread to more campuses, an escalation saw saffron-wearing students launching rival protests.

The state's ruling BJP has denied accusations of targeting Muslim students and trying to drive a wedge between communities. Party leaders said no religious symbols should be allowed in places of study.

"I welcome the court's decision. I appeal to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the High Court order. The basic work of students is to study. So, leaving all this aside they should study and be united," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said in Delhi.

Sonia Gandhi Fires 5 State Chiefs Over Humiliating Losses

NEW DELHI, March 15: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today sacked the party's chiefs in the five states where it suffered massive defeats last week, taking what it called the first step towards "reorganisation". Navjot Singh Sidhu, who took over as Punjab Congress chief eight months ago, is among the leaders asked to resign.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted that the resignations were sought to "facilitate the reorganisation" of the state Congress units.

The Congress lost Punjab to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and failed to put up a credible fight in the four states where it had hoped for a comeback - or even manage a close contest with the BJP.

The Punjab loss was the worst; the Congress collapsed after months of infighting as Sidhu clashed with veteran Amarinder Singh as well as his eleventh-hour replacement Charanjit Singh Channi.

Sonia Gandhi's move is a follow-up to the Congress leadership meeting on Sunday to discuss the latest poll drubbings.

In her speech to senior leaders at the Congress Working Committee (CWC)'s poll post-mortem, Sonia Gandhi offered to resign along with her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Mrs Gandhi presented the resignation offer as the "ultimate sacrifice in the interest of the party", according to party leaders. But it was "unanimously rejected", the leaders said.

"Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi said that she along with her family members Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are ready to sacrifice their posts for the party, but we all rejected this," said senior leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary.

Rahul Gandhi, however, does not hold any post in the party after he quit as Congress president owning responsibility for the Congress's 2019 national election drubbing.

After a four-and-a-half hour meeting, the CWC said Sonia Gandhi would remain party president and authorised her to take "effective and immediate steps" to address organisational issues.

The party even put out a video of all its former leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, on its Twitter handle, signalling that the Gandhis would remain in charge.

The Congress "dissidents" or G-23 - the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi calling for sweeping organisational changes - have been critical of the Gandhis' leadership and have openly called for a complete overhaul.

Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal, a very vocal member of the G-23, said the Gandhis should step aside and give some other leader a chance to lead the party.

"Leadership is in cuckoo land... I want a 'Sab ki Congress'. Some want a 'Ghar ki Congress'," said Sibal.

Those remarks have intensified the "Congress versus Congress" feud that has defined the party since it lost power in 2014 and faced many more election defeats.

'Caught With Hand In Till: Punjab Congress Leader Blasts Channi

NEW DELHI, March 14: Punjab Congress leader Sunil Jakhar today blamed the party's crushing defeat in the state on the choice of Charanjit Singh Channi, saying that the Chief Minister had been caught with his "hand in the till" when he was brought in to fight the perception of corruption.

"I do not want them to compound this mistake again. The way he was built up as a hero - a guy who was caught with his hand in the till. For a leader you need chaal, chalan, charitra (good conduct, integrity, character). There is nothing which inspires confidence in him. You want to build him as a hero, a mascot? I'm sorry, I don't accept him," said Jakhar, blasting the outgoing Chief Minister in an exclusive interview.

"The Congress worker in Punjab deserves better."

Weeks before the election, Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested after raids by the Enforcement Directorate revealed a large amount of cash at his home. Honey was accused of making money from illegal sand mining. Channi distanced himself from the allegations.

Firing more truth bombs, Jakhar said there was a perception that the new Chief Minister would get anything done in the limited time that he had and that Channi acted out of greed.

"The perception of this government in the last 111 days was that the whole clan was (Channi's) working as if there was no tomorrow. Let's make use of every single day - not to address people's concern but to address our own need more money. This was the perception that the common man carried. Short of an advertisement in the paper that if we have something to be done, come to us...we'll do it. This kind of perception did us in," said the Congress leader.

He continued: "You cannot fight corruption with corruption. (Channi)'s relative was caught red-handed. This man was caught with his hand in the till."

The party's disastrous Punjab campaign, he said, was a combination of "compounding one mistake after another" and bad choices driven by senior leaders "misleading" the Gandhis.

The Congress, wracked by infighting in Punjab, lost to Arvind Kejriwal's eight-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in elections last week.

Jakhar said he had hoped the problems would be discussed threadbare in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting yesterday but instead, he saw "sycophants".

Reeling off a long list of problems that he said "could have been handled otherwise", Jakhar said the defeat was "scripted by Harish Rawat"; the former Uttarakhand Chief Minister was Punjab in-charge.

"He came to Punjab with a set agenda," Jakhar remarked, suggesting that this was to promote Navjot Singh Sidhu, who aggressively demanded top billing in the run-up to the Punjab election and who played a big role in Amarinder Singh's replacement as Chief Minister by Channi four months before the election.

"I suspected what he was up to. He got his agenda implemented at the cost of bickering. I told Rahul (Rahul Gandhi) ji - he may be in charge of the Punjab Congress but I never accepted him as my in-charge. You can be in charge of the Congress but you cannot be in charge of me," Jakhar said.

Pointing out that Rawat lost in his own seat in Uttarakhand, Jakhar sneered: "Divine justice has been done - look at the hate he got in Uttarakhand."

The former Punjab Congress chief also questioned the logic of leaving the question of the party's Chief Ministerial candidate wide open even after appointing a new Chief Minister.

"After you have nominated Channi, it is insulting to ask who will be Chief Minister. How can you say that? A general fights the war for you and you will appoint another general? This is not the way," said Jakhar.

Jakhar was also asked about his acerbic post reacting to Channi being described as an "asset" at a Congress post-mortem on Sunday and appearing to target Ambika Soni without naming her.

"An asset - are you joking? Thank God he (Channi) wasn't declared a 'National treasure' at the CWC by the 'Pbi' lady who proposed him as CM in first place" - Jakhar tweeted this morning.

"Pbi is Punjabi," Jakhar said. He did not deny that this "Punjabi lady" could be Ambika Soni, a long-time Rajya Sabha member who was reportedly offered the Chief Minister's post but recommended Mr Channi for the job.

"Why do you want me to name her? She's very senior. "

But Jakhar said he believes it is not all over for the Congress in Punjab.

"A ragtag outfit like the Aam Aadmi Party won't last long. But we have to put up a credible face here if we want to win," he said.

CWC meet: Sonia stays Congress president, party to hold brainstorming session soon

NEW DELHI, March 13: After a nearly five-hour meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday, the Grand Old Party said Sonia Gandhi will remain the party president. The CWC reaffirmed its faith in Sonia’s leadership and authorised her to make necessary organisational changes. The party will soon hold a brainstorming session to draw up the future roadmap, the CWC added.

Sonia will remain as the Congress president till organisational elections are held later this year to appoint a new president. Sources said Sonia told the meeting if any of the members has any reservations over her leadership, she was ready to step down. Briefing reporters, AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K C Venugopal said the CWC had a “sincere” and “very fruitful” discussion.

The CWC admitted that the defeat of the party in the Assembly elections was a cause of serious concern for the Congress. It said the party accepts that there were some shortcomings in its strategy. Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said every Congress worker wants Rahul Gandhi to return to the helm but pointed out that the organisational election process is already underway to elect a new president.

“The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, and requests the Congress president to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, affect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges,” the CWC resolution read.

On the defeat, the CWC said, “The recent Assembly election results of five states are a cause of serious concern for the Indian National Congress. The party accepts that due to shortcomings in our strategy, we could not effectively expose the misrule of BJP state governments in four states and overcome the anti-incumbency in the state of Punjab in the short time after effecting a change of leadership.”

Earlier, familiar scenes played out with some party leaders calling for former president Rahul Gandhi to return to the helm.

Notably, despite the rout – the party’s tenth Assembly election defeat since its disastrous showing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections – none of the senior leaders has expressed lack of faith in the Gandhis.

Instead, ahead of the CWC meeting, there was a chorus expressing faith in their leadership. Such shows of support have now become a regular affair in the Congress.

Unlike in the past, the party did not circulate Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s opening speech at the CWC meeting, which began a little after 4pm.

Almost all the members, barring former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leader AK Antony (who has tested positive for Covid-19), attended the meeting. The two chief ministers of the party – Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel – were among those who attended.

Ahead of the meeting, Gehlot said Rahul should take over as party president again. “Rahul Gandhi should take over as president (so that) the party remains united. It will remain united and it was united under his leadership. They talk about the family. In the last 30 years, no one from the family has become the prime minister or chief minister or minister. Even then, why is the leadership of the party given to them? (Because) people of all sections and religions have faith in the family. And the family is necessary for strengthening the Congress,” said Gehlot.

DK Shivakumar, the party’s Karnataka unit chief, echoed Gehlot when he posted on Twitter, “As I have said earlier as well, Rahul Gandhi should take up the Congress presidency in a full-time role immediately. This is the wish of millions of Congress workers like me.”

Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV said the Gandhi family is the “thread that binds together not only the Congress but all sections of the country and it is not dependent on any electoral victory or defeat.” The Jharkhand unit of the party passed a resolution expressing faith and confidence in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.

Gehlot said winning and losing are part of politics and accused the BJP of misleading people in the name of Hindutva and indulging in “dangerous politics”.

“It is very easy to do politics in the name of religion and caste. They are doing that. They are not bothered about the interests of the country. They are only bothered about their interests. It is a dangerous situation. The people of the country will realise all this one day… They painted the Congress as a party of Muslims and through social media they managed to take this (message) to every home. The people started thinking that there must be some truth in it. Slowly, the people will realise and the truth will come out one day,” he said.

As the CWC meeting progressed at 24, Akbar Road, the AICC headquarters, a group of Youth Congress workers assembled outside raising slogans in support of the Gandhis. They were joined by a group led by Delhi Congress leaders, including Alka Lamba.

BJP's Historic Win Gives Glimpse Of Next General Elections: Modi

BJP wins UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur

NEW DELHI, March 10: The BJP registering a historic win in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the results "give a glimpse" of the outcome of the general elections of 2024 -- predicting a third straight term in power for the BJP at the Centre.

"Many people had said that the fate of the 2019 general election was decided when the 2017 UP election result was declared," Modi said, addressing the BJP workers at the party headquarters in New Delhi this evening.

"All I can say is that the same thought applies now too... the 2024 general election result can be glimpsed in the result of the 2022 UP election," he added.

The BJP has set a record of sorts being the first party in nearly 40 years to get a second straight term. It was a first also in hill state Uttarakhand, which, since inception, has never re-elected a ruling government.

It was the party's chief strategist Amit Shah, who had drummed in the need for a victory in Uttar Pradesh months ago, saying "A win in UP will influence the 2024 elections". The BJP has done more than just win -- it has also increased its vote share from the 39.7 per cent of 2017 to 45 per cent.

The party's performance will also give it a boost in the coming Rajya Sabha polls on March 31 and thereby, the Presidential elections due later this year.

Pointing to the spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh, Modi also said this election has proved once again that there is no truth to the allegations of caste based politics in Uttar Pradesh.

"People keep insulting Uttar Pradesh by saying that in UP, only 'jaatiwaad ki rajneeti (politics of caste)' works," Modi said.

"But since 2014, in 2014, 2017, 2019 and now 2022, the people have shown again and again that they vote only for vikaswaad ki rajneeti (Politics of progress and development). What more proof do these naysayers want - that UP votes for progress, not for caste," he said.

Of UP's 403 seats, the BJP is on way to win 270-plus seats -- 48 below its 2017 score of 320-plus seats.

The party is also set to win Manipur with leads in 32 of the 60 seats and is cruising to a comfortable victory in Uttarakhand with 48 of 70 seats. In Goa, the BJP has touched the halfway mark of 20 seats and declared that it will form government in the coastal state with the support of three Independents.

At 92, AAP Sweeps Punjab

NEW DELHI, March 10: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday swept Punjab, winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats, in a record second to only that of an Akali Dal-BJP joint tally in 1997. The AAP's score matched the Akali Dal's figure of 92 from that election.

This time, the AAP decimated the Congress and the Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party combine, sending leaders like Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh home with pink slips.

While AAP scored three-fourths of the seats, the Congress won 18, SAD 3, BJP 2 and BSP 1. An Independent also emerged victorious.

AAP will now form its second government in the country after the one led by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi.

AAP's Mann To Take Oath At Bhagat Singh's village

DHURI (Punjab), March 10: Punjab Chief Minister-elect Bhagwant Mann drew cheers from the crowd on Thursday as he announced that his oath-taking ceremony will be held at Khatkarkalan in Nawanshahr district, the ancestral village of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.

He also announced that government offices will not have the photo of the Chief Minister as is the custom.

"The oath-taking ceremony will not be held at Raj Bhawan, but at Khatkarkalan. The date will be announced later," he said in his victory speech in Dhuri, where he won by over 58,000 votes.

"No government office will carry a picture of Chief Minister, instead there will be pictures of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar," Mann announced.

Underlining the scale of the Aam Aadmi Party's victory by naming the heavyweights who have lost, the AAP leader said, "Bade (Parkash Singh) Badal Sahib has lost, Sukhbir (Badal) has lost from Jalalabad, Captain has lost from Patiala, Sidhu and Majithia are also losing, (Charanjit Singh) Channi has lost on both the seats."

Mr Mann said his first order of business after taking office will be schools, health, industry, making agriculture profitable, the safety of women and improving sports infrastructure.

"You will start seeing the change in Punjab within one month," he promised.

Appealing to people to work together, he said those who did not vote for the AAP need not worry as the government will work for all sections of the society.

The Aam Aadmi Party has closed a clean sweep in Punjab with a lead in 91 of the 117 assembly seats after the first six hours of counting of votes on Thursday.

The party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the people of the state for a "revolution".

Jammu And Kashmir Village Chief Shot Dead Near Srinagar, Second In 1 Week

SRINAGAR, March 9: A village chief or sarpanch on the outskirts of Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar has been shot dead by terrorists.
Sameer Ahmad Bhat, sarpanch of Khanmoh area, was fired upon this evening. He received multiple bullet injuries.

Bhat is the second panchayat member killed by terrorists in a week.

The targeted killing was carried out hours after an Improvised Explosive Device attack in Udhampur town in Jammu region, in which one person was killed and 14 others injured.

On Sunday, terrorists threw a grenade at a busy market place in Srinagar, killing two and injuring 38 others.

Police said they have arrested two persons involved in the grenade attack.

 



Cosmetic Dentist New Delhi India

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