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Varanasi Cops Arrest 3 In IIT Student's Gangrape Case

VARANASI, Dec 31: Police here have arrested three accused in connection with the alleged rape of a woman student of IIT on the Banaras Hindu University campus, a police officer said today.

The in-charge of Lanka police station Shivakant Mishra said that the accused have been identified as Kunal Pandey, Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel.

The alleged incident of rape occurred on the night of November 1. According to the complainant, she had gone out of her hostel with a friend when three men on a motorcycle forcibly took her to a corner and gagged her after separating her from her friend.

The accused then allegedly stripped the woman, made a video of her and took photos. They let her go after about 15 minutes and took her phone number, the complainant stated.

On the basis of the victim's complaint, an FIR has been registered under section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC and under provisions of the Information Technology Act at the Lanka police station. Subsequently, a section of gangrape was also added to the case, police said.

After Ambush, Suspected Insurgents Fire Rocket-Propelled Grenade At Manipur Police Commandos In India-Myanmar Border Town Moreh

IMPHAL, Dec 31: From a daytime ambush on a police convoy by suspected insurgents to a nighttime rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the barracks of police commandos, Manipur's border town Moreh saw violence on the last day of 2023.

Four police commandos were injured in the RPG attack; another was injured in the ambush on Saturday.

The first attack began with ambushes on special police commandos posted in Moreh, near a "key location point" of the Assam Rifles. A commando was injured in this attack on Saturday.

At 11.40 pm, the situation became extremely volatile after suspected Kuki insurgents fired an RPG at a police barrack and opened up concentrated fire towards the police camp.

The police commandos took position and fired back; the gunfight continued through the night, sources said. Four commandos were injured in the attack, which caught them off guard as they were retiring for the night.

Visuals of the barrack shows shrapnel holes on the walls. The injured commandos were taken to the Assam Rifles' medical facility in Moreh.

A police commando, standing at the site from where the RPG was launched, pointed towards a small window where the projectile had penetrated.

The Kuki group Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) in a statement alleged a Moreh resident, Peter Mate, was arrested and tortured by the police.

Mate, a local school teacher and youth secretary of St George Catholic Church, was arrested on Saturday evening while he was going home and amid the gunfight between the commandos and the suspected insurgents, the ITLF alleged.

In the state capital Imphal, meanwhile, students protested after a bomb found was found in their school, Princeton International School.

Police Commandos Ambushed By Suspected Insurgents In Manipur, 1 Injured

IMPHAL, Dec 30: A gunfight broke out between suspected insurgents and police commandos in Manipur's border town Moreh today. The insurgents allegedly fired at a convoy of police vehicles while they were moving towards a patrolling point from Moreh town, a news agency reported.

A commando was injured. He is being treated at an Assam Rifles camp.

The fresh violence in Moreh also led to the burning of two homes, local reports said.

In a separate incident, a teen was shot dead by unidentified men in Manipur's hill district Kangpokpi, 45 km from the state capital Imphal. The incident happened at 2.30 am on Saturday.

More security forces have been deployed in the village and combing operations are going on, sources said.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh condemned the killing of the youth.

"A few evil elements are trying to disrupt the peace in the state. It's an unfortunate incident and we highly condemned the incident. Combing operation is on to nab the culprits. We won't spare the culprits," Singh told reporters today.

"Many civil society groups are trying hard to restore peace in the state. This fresh incident is highly condemnable. Let us hold dialogue and resolve issues peacefully," he added.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Leaves Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award On Kartavya Path

NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Four days after announcing that she would return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, wrestler Vinesh Phogat left the accolades on a pavement on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Saturday. She did this after the Delhi Police stopped her from going to the Prime Minister's office.

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist had announced her decision to return the awards in an open letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday. This had come days after Sakshee Malikkh said she was retiring from wrestling and Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri.

The three wrestlers were at the forefront of the protests against then Wrestling Federation of India Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The BJP MP had been accused of sexual harassment by several women wrestlers.

Bajrang Punia posted a video of Ms Phogat walking on Kartavya Path, which stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, holding the Arjuna Award trophy and what appears to be a letter. She is then seen talking to a policeman who approaches her.

The ace wrestler had been awarded the Khel Ratna, which is the country's highest sporting honour, in 2020 and the Arjuna Award in 2016.

Ms Phogat, Ms Mallikh and Mr Punia had expressed their disappointment after a panel led by Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan, won the elections to the Wrestling Federation of India by a landslide on December 21, indicating a continuity of leadership in the body. Singh had defeated Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Anita Sheoran, who was backed by the wrestlers, winning 40 out of 47 votes.

On December 24, the Sports Ministry had suspended the panel led by Singh for not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions, and asked the Indian Olympic Association to constitute an ad-hoc panel to manage day-to-day affairs at the Wrestling Federation of India. The panel was constituted three days later.

In the open letter that she posted on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Phogat had asked whether women wrestlers were made only to grace government advertisements and said she was returning the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award so that they don't become a "burden on the path of living with dignity".

Referring to Brij Bhushan's remark after the wrestling body elections that his dominance would continue, Ms Phogat claimed he had earlier admitted on television that he had made women wrestlers uncomfortable, and had used every opportunity to humiliate them.

ULFA signs peace accord with Centre, Assam government

NEW DELHI, Dec 29: The pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Friday signed a peace accord with the Central government and the Assam government in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

With this Memorandum of Settlement, the ULFA faction has formally agreed to shun violence and join the mainstream.

The Central government had been holding unconditional negotiations with the Arabinda Rajkhowa-led faction for over 12 years.

The peace pact has brought the decades old insurgency a step closer to a complete closure.

The hardline faction of the ULFA headed by Paresh Baruah is still not part of the peace accord.

Baruah reportedly lives along the China-Myanmar border. ULFA was formed in 1979 to press for the demand for a "sovereign Assam. It was banned by the government of India in 1990 for taking part in subversive and violatent activities.

The Rajkhowa faction joined peace talks with the government on September 3, 2011, after an agreement for Suspension of Operations was signed between it and central and state governments.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was a matter of joy for him that the agreement was signed.

"It is a matter of joy for me that today is a bright day for the future of Assam. For a long time, Assam, Northeast faced violence and after Modi became PM in 2014, efforts were made to reduce the gap between Delhi and Northeast," he said.

'Loud Blast' Near Israel Embassy, Delhi Police Finds Letter Addressed To Envoy

NEW DELHI, Dec 26: The Delhi Police received a call about a "blast" being heard near the Israeli embassy this evening.

A team of the Delhi Police rushed to the spot but left after they searched the perimeter and found nothing suspicious.

However, at an empty plot of land just a few metres away from the embassy, the police have found a letter addressed to the Israeli Ambassador.

They also found a flag wrapped with the letter. The letter has been seized by the police.

Israel's deputy envoy Ohad Nakash Kaynar, in a video statement, said, "This evening, several minutes after 5 pm, an explosion occured in close proximity with the embassy. All our workers are safe. Our diplomats are safe. Our security teams are working in full cooperation with the local Delhi security."

Retired Kashmir Cop Shot Dead By Terrorists While Praying In Mosque

JAMMU, Dec 24: A retired police officer was shot dead by terrorists while offering prayers at a mosque in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla today. Kashmir police said that terrorists fired on Mohammed Shafi during Azan in the mosque.

The area has been cordoned off.

"Terrorists fired upon Shri Mohd Shafi, a retired police officer at Gantmulla, Sheeri Baramulla, while praying Azan in the mosque and succumbed to injuries. Area has been cordoned off," Kashmir Zone Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In the last few months, there have been a series of targeted attacks on cops in the Valley. Security forces have intensified the checking of vehicles and pedestrians in Pulwama and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir following the attacks. Mobile vehicle checkpoints have been established at all major intersections in Srinagar as well as at the city's exit points.

The worrying trend comes amid infiltration attempts by terrorists.

Drone Strikes Ship With 20 Indians Off Gujarat

NEW DELHI, Dec 23: A drone strike caused an explosion and fire on a merchant ship in the Arabian Sea on Saturday, but no casualties have been reported.

The crew includes 20 Indians, and an Indian Coast Guard vessel is moving towards the merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which is 217 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast, a news agency reported.

Coast Guard officials said a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft has established communication with the distressed vessel.

The vessel, which is carrying crude oil, was going towards Mangaluru from a port in Saudi Arabia. Defence officials said the Coast Guard ship, ICGS Vikram, which was patrolling the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, has been directed towards the merchant ship in distress. The Coast Guard vessel has alerted all ships in the area to provide assistance to it. All crew members are safe.

As per a report, Coast Guard officials said MV Chem Pluto has begun moving at a speed of 11 nautical miles and will be joined by ICGS Vikram around 10 pm. They said the vessel is expected to reach Mumbai early on Monday.

After the drone attack, the ship had switched off its Automatic Identification System, which can be used for tracking.

The incident comes days after the Indian Navy helped in the evacuation of an injured sailor from a hijacked Malta-flagged cargo vessel on Monday. It had been reported that six “pirates” had illegally boarded the ship, the MV Ruen, in the Arabian Sea.

Sachin Pilot Gets Key Role In Congress' Major Reshuffle Ahead Of Polls

NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Sachin Pilot has been appointed Congress General Secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh today as the party continues its organisational overhaul with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been replaced as the party's Uttar Pradesh in charge.

She continues to be the party's General Secretary "without any assigned portfolio", the party said in a statement. Avinash Pandey has replaced her in the state.

Sachin Pilot's appointment is being seen as a move to pacify the leader, who has been seeking a greater role in the party. Pilot's dissatisfaction with the party's Rajasthan leadership almost cost Congress the desert state mid-term in 2020, when the disgruntled leader, then the Deputy Chief Minister, led a coup against Ashok Gehlot.

After days of stalemate during which Mr Pilot moved to a resort in Haryana with his loyal MLAs, the Congress leadership managed to placate him. Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka assured Pilot his grievances will be addressed.

As the Congress somehow managed to hold onto power in Rajasthan, the rift between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot widened. Despite the party's efforts to put up a united front, it failed to retain Rajasthan this year.

The party, following an abysmal show in three heartland states, retained the chiefs of Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh. However, in Madhya Pradesh, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath was replaced as the Congress' state unit chief with OBC leader Jitu Patwari.

In addition, Mukul Wasnik has been assigned Gujarat, Jitendra Singh Assam with the additional charge of Madhya Pradesh, Randeep Surjewala Karnataka, Kumari Selja Uttarakhand, while Deepa Dasmunshi got Kerala, Lakshadweep, and the additional charge of Telangana.

In Bihar, the party has appointed Mohan Prakash as the state in-charge. Mr Prakash has close ties with both Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar. He is a socialist who has been a part of Janata Dal.

The appointments come two days after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. It was attended by senior leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

₹ 10 Lakh Compensation For Families Of 3 Civilians Killed After J&K Attack

SRINAGAR, Dec 23: Killing of three civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district has evoked condemnation and protests by political parties demanding justice for victims. The three men were found dead on Friday hours after they were detained for questioning by the army.

At least seven other villagers, who were also detained, have been injured and shifted to hospital for treatment. A compensation of ₹ 10 lakh has been announced for the families of the victims.

Over a dozen men from Gujjar community were detained a day after major terrorist attack on army in which four soldiers were killed in action and three others were injured. In a statement, the army said search operations are on and the matter is under investigation.

Tension gripped the area after the deaths and internet services have been suspended in Poonch and Rajouri districts. A larger number of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in Bafliaz and Surankote areas to prevent any protests and roads leading to Bafliaz have also been closed.

The government today said that legal action will be taken into the incident and announced compensation for the families.

"The death of three civilians was reported yesterday in Baffliaz of Poonch District. The medico legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority," a statement by the administration said.

On Friday, amid ongoing operation to track down terrorists behind the attack, over a dozen men in Bufliaz area were detained by troops in full media glare. They were taken to a nearby military station for questioning. In the evening, it was reported that three men - Showkat Hussain, Shabir Ahmed, and Mohammad Safeer - have died. Mohammad Safeer's brother is a serving BSF head constable.

The National Conference and Apni party held protests against civilian killings, demanding justice for victims. Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister and PDP leader in a press conference claimed bodies of victims had torture marks and some villagers were detained for questioning are injured.

Sources say internet shutdown in the region was also necessitated after a video went viral showing people being beaten and tortured.

On Thursday, four soldiers were killed and three others were injured after terrorists targeted two army vehicles on Bafliaz -Thanamadi road. While a massive counter terrorist operation was launched, it appears terrorists have managed to escape taking advantage of dense forests and treacherous terrain.

Terrorist group Peoples Anti-Fascist Front or PAFF, a front for Lashkar e Toiba, claimed responsibility for the attack and released pictures of the attack indicating they filmed the gunfight with body-cams. The PAFF is known to use body cameras footage for propaganda. A search is underway for the terrorists.

In April, the PAFF attacked an army truck in Poonch and filmed it. After the attack, police and security forces detained a large number of locals. One Mukhtar Hussain Shah committed suicide after alleging harassment and humiliation by security forces. Before his death, Shah left a video message in which he appealed to people to help army in its fight against terrorism.

Bajrang Punia to return Padma Shri award in protest over WFI chief election

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: A day after wrestler Sakshi Malik hung up her boots protesting the election of Brij Bhushan's close aide Sanjay Singh as the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Bajrang Punia wrote a letter to PM Modi returning his Padma Shri award. "I am returning my Padmashree award to the Prime Minister. This is just my letter to announce that. This is my statement," Bajrang Punia tweeted.

After the X post, Bajrang Punia went to keep his Padma Shri award on the footpath outside the PM's residence. He was stopped at Delhi's Kartavya Path by police officials.

On Thursday, Brij Bhushan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh was elected the president of the Wrestling Federation of India winning 13 of the 15 posts. Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat addressed a press conference after Sanjay Singh's election in which Sakshi announced that she would quit the sport as a mark of protest.

"We fought from our heart but if a man like Brij Bhushan, his business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I give up wrestling. From today onwards you will not see me on the mat," Sakshi said as she kept her boot with tears in her eyes.

"Dear PM Ji, hope your health is well. You must be busy in many work but I am writing this to draw your attention to the wrestlers of the country. You must be aware that the women wrestlers of the country started a protest in January this year against Brij Bhushan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment. I too joined their protest. The protest stopped after the government promised strong action," Punia wrote.

"But there was no FIR against Brij Bhushan even after three months. We again took to the streets in April so that the police at least file an FIR against him. There were 19 complainants in January but the number came down to 7 by April. This means Brij Bhushan exerted his influence on 12 women wrestlers," Bajrang Punia wrote.

"Our protest went on for 40 days. There was much pressure on us during those days...We went to immerse our medals to the Ganga River. Then we were stopped by farmer leaders. At that time a responsible minister from your cabinet called us up and assured us of justice. Meanwhile, we met Union home minister Amit Shah who too promised us of justice. We stopped our protest," the letter read.

"But in the election of the WFI on December 21, the federation came under Brij Bhushan once again. He himself said he would prevail over the federation like he did always. Coming under tremendous pressure, Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling," it added.

"We all spent the night in tears. We did not understand what to do, or where to go. The government has given us a lot. I was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2019. I also received the Arjuna, Khel Ratna award. When I got these awards, I was on cloud nine. But today the sadness weighs more. And the reason is a woman wrestler left the sport because of her security," Bajrang wrote.

"Sports have empowered our women athletes, changed their lives. All credit to the first-generation women athletes. The situation is such that the women who could have been the brand ambassadors of beti bachao, beti padhao are now taking back their steps in their sports. And we 'awarded' wrestlers could not do anything. I can't live my life as a Padma Shri awardee while our women wrestlers are insulted. Hence I return my award to you," Bajrang wrote.

Arvind Kejriwal Summoned For Third Time In Delhi Liquor Policy Case

NEW DELHI, Dec 22: A day after Arvind Kejriwal snubbed the Enforcement Directorate's second summons in the liquor policy case, the agency has now asked the Delhi chief minister to appear before it on January 3.

Kejriwal had been summoned by the agency on Thursday, but had left for a 10-day pre-scheduled vipassana (meditation) retreat a day earlier.

If the AAP chief skips the summons for a third time on January 3, the Enforcement Directorate will have the option of seeking a non-bailable warrant against him.

4 soldiers die, 3 injured as terrorists attack two army vehicles in Rajouri

JAMMU, Dec 21: Four soldiers were killed and three injured when heavily armed terrorists attacked two army vehicles in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening, people familiar with the matter said.

The vehicles, carrying personnel to the site of an overnight cordon-and-search operation, came under attack at Dhatyar Morh at about 3.45pm on Thursday.

A defence spokesperson said a search operation was launched in the general area of Dhera Ki Gali (DKG) in Poonch district on Wednesday night based on “hard intelligence” about the presence of terrorists and an encounter ensued there.

As additional forces were moving to the site, the terrorists fired at an army truck and a Gypsy killing four soldiers and seriously injuring three others, officials said. “The fire was immediately retaliated upon by own troops,” Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said.

“In the ongoing operation, own troops sustained 3 Fatal and 3 non fatal casualties,” the spokesperson said.

Sakshee Malikkh Quits After Brij Bhushan Aide Wins WFI Chief Post

NEW DELHI, Dec 21: Shortly after an aide of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh succeeded him in the top post in elections held today, Olympic medallist and ace wrestler Sakshee Malikkh declared that she is quitting the sport.

Sanjay Singh is a long-time aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was WFI chief for 12 years. A six-time BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had to step aside after top wrestlers, including Ms Malikkh, accused him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

In today's elections, Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran, the protesting wrestlers' choice for the post of WFI president, got just seven votes.

The country's top wrestlers, Ms Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia expressed their disappointment at the results.

Breaking into tears during an interaction with the media, Commonwealth and Asian Games Gold medallist Vinesh Phogat said, "Now that Sanjay Singh has been elected chief of the federation, women wrestlers will continue to face harassment." Ms Phogat said she has "no clue how to find justice in the country". "The future of our wrestling career is in the dark. We do not know where to go," she said.

Punia, an Olympic bronze medallist, said it is unfortunate that the "government's promise to us was not fulfilled". "We are not linked to any party, we did not come here for politics. We were fighting for truth, but today an aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has become the WFI president," he said.

Ms Malikkh said they had wanted the wrestling body to get a woman chief. "But that did not happen," she said. "We fought, but if the new president is Brij Bhushan's aide, his business partner, then I quit wrestling," the Olympic bronze medallist said, putting her boots on the table.

In January this year, the three wrestlers led a huge protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing several wrestlers and demanding action against him.

They called off their protest after the government ordered a probe. The wrestlers were also assured that no aide or relative of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh would be allowed to contest the next polls of the wrestling body. While Brij Bhushan's son Prateek and son-in-law Vishal Singh did not enter the poll contest, his aide Sanjay Singh's nomination was cleared.

Sanjay Singh has earlier served as vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body. He was part of the WFI's last executive council and its joint secretary since 2019.

Following his victory in today's elections, Sanjay Singh said it was a win of truth over lies. "They levelled such allegations against a person whose character does not have a place for those traits," he said. On a question on whether he is close to the BJP MP, Sanjay Singh said, "Of course, no doubt I am close to him." Asked about concerns of a section of wrestlers about how the federation would function now, he said, "There will be no injustice against any woman wrestler."

On Sanjay Singh's victory, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told news agency ANI, "I want to give the credit of victory to the wrestlers of the country and the secretary of WFI. I hope that after the formation of the new federation, wrestling events will resume."

The process for the WFI election began in July, but court cases kept delaying it. This led to the international wrestling body suspending WFI. The Supreme Court recently set aside a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, clearing the decks for the polls.

People familiar with the matter said ambulances besides reinforcements of 48 RR and 43 RR have been rushed to the site. “Public movement in the area has been restricted,” an intelligence officer said. Reinforcements were also rushed and a massive anti-terrorist operation was launched.

The stretch between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, the site of the attack on Thursday, is densely forested and leads to Chamrer and Bhata Dhurian forests, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush on an Army vehicle on April 20 this year.

In May, five more Army personnel were killed and a major-rank officer was injured in Chamrer forest during an anti-terrorist operation. A foreign terrorist was also killed in the operation.

Five army men including two officers died in an intense gunfight with heavily armed Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in the dense jungles of Kalakote in Rajouri.

With 3 More, Total Suspensions Of MPs Reach 146

NEW DELHI, Dec 21: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla suspended three more Opposition MPs over "unruly behaviour" on Thursday, taking the total number of suspensions to 146. The action comes hours after the INDIA bloc marched from the Parliament to Vijay Chowk against the government. The three MPs suspended today -- DK Suresh, Nakul Nath and Deepak Baij -- belong to the Congress party.

During the protest, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had violated parliamentary privilege by not speaking on the security breach issue inside the Parliament.

Reacting to the suspension of MPs and passage of important bills in the absence of Opposition, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the government didn't want the Opposition in the House.

"It's like batting in a cricket match without any fielders. They are bringing very far-reaching laws which will have grave impact on to the daily life of this country, but they don't want any discussion, debate or dissent about it," he said.

Carrying a huge 'Save Democracy' banner and placards with messages like 'Opposition MPs Suspended' 'Parliament Caged' and ''Democracy Expelled' written on them, the lawmakers took out the march.

Kharge said after the march Modi spoke about the Lok Sabha security breach outside the Parliament but not inside it.

"We wanted to raise Parliament security breach issue as to why it happened and who is responsible. Parliament is a big Panchayat. If one will not speak in Parliament where would one speak. It is unfortunate that Home Minister Shah and Prime Minister Modi did not come to the House to apprise about the security breach. They spoke about issues which should be spoken in the House, outside it," he said.

He claimed Modi had disrespected the Parliament.

"He (Modi) talks in Varanasi, Ahmedabad, on TV but not in Parliament. They have disrespected the House. He should come and speak in the House first, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Instead of that he was speaking outside. This is condemnable and it was a violation of privilege (of House)," Kharge alleged.

Meanwhile, BJP MP SP Singh Baghel slammed the Opposition for supporting TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the row triggered by the former's mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

"INDIA Alliance is working with the principle of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. The suspended members should look into their actions, it was the Parliament session and not the set of a comedy show," he said.

141 Opposition MPs Suspended In Record-Breaking Parliament Standoff

NEW DELHI, Dec 19: Adding to the shock surrounding the suspension of 79 Opposition MPs from Parliament in a single day, as many as 49 members faced the same action today. This has taken the total number of MPs suspended this session to a whopping 141, the highest ever.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Karti Chidambaram, NCP's Supriya Sule and Samajwadi Party's Dimple Yadav are among the MPs suspended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for disrupting proceedings today.

The Opposition MPs have been protesting in both Houses of Parliament over the massive security breach in Lok Sabha last week. They have been demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah address the Parliament on the security failure due to which two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber, jumped from desk to desk and released coloured smoke from canisters.

The Lok Sabha Speaker has maintained that any security-related incident in the House comes under the purview of the secretariat, and it will not let the centre intervene. "The government cannot intervene in (responsibilities of) Lok Sabha secretariat. We will not allow that either," he said last week.

The spree of suspensions began last week. A day after the security breach, Opposition MPs started demanding a statement by the Home Minister. Thirteen Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP were suspended on the grounds of unruly behaviour. Yesterday, the Opposition MPs resumed their protest. This led to a record 79 suspensions across both Houses. Today's 49 add to the spree.

Out of these 141 MPs, most have been suspended for the remainder of the session, while some await a report by the privileges committee on their conduct in the House.

The Opposition MPs have been protesting against their suspension on Parliament premises.

Responding to the latest round of suspensions, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that a "complete purge is being executed so that draconian Bills are passed without any meaningful debate". He alleged that the suspension spree is also aimed at shielding the BJP MP whose office had facilitated the entry of two Parliament intruders.

"The new Parliament reflects Namocracy in all its tyranny," Ramesh, one of the suspended MPs, added in his post.

Today's suspensions came after Opposition members raised slogans and some of them came to the Well of the House. Many of the MPs waved placards and some carried a morphed picture of Prime Minister Modi. The Speaker said it was against the rules to bring placards into the House.

"This House belongs to you. We all have decided that no one will bring placards inside the House. But you have come here with placards. Even you have come to the podium. Is it correct? Please go back to your seat. I am giving you a last warning," he said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said all MPs, at the time of the inauguration of the new Parliament building, had resolved not to come to the Well. He demanded action against the MPs carrying the Prime Minister's morphed picture.

"Both the buildings are under the Speaker's purview. We are following the Speaker's order. A high-level enquiry is going on. Saying that we will not allow the House to function ... they (opposition) should behave responsibly," he said.

Congress forms 5-member panel to discuss seat sharing with INDIA allies

NEW DELHI, Dec 19: The Congress party on Tuesday announced a five-member national alliance committee (NAC) comprising five senior leaders to negotiate with INDIA allies to adjust seats for the 2024 parliamentary polls.

The NAC, headed by party leader Mukul Wasnik designated as convenor, has two former chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, former Union minister Salman Khurshid, and veteran party leader, Mohan Prakash.

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“In the run-up to the General Elections-2024, Hon’ble Congress president has constituted a National Alliance Committee, as follows, with immediate effect,” said a communique issued by party general secretary KC Venugopal.

The announcement of the committee by Venugopal came minutes before the fourth meeting of the INDIA group in Delhi was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

The inclusion of five senior leaders of the party in the panel indicates that they would be allowed a free hand in negotiating the tricky issue of sharing seats with allies. “They are also experienced enough to handle pressure from INDIA partners,” said a Congress functionary close to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

The announcement assumes significance as some INDIA bloc partners had blamed the Congress for delaying the talks to discuss seat adjustment. Even as the INDIA bloc’s Mumbai meeting on September 1 had resolved to start seat sharing talks at the earliest, the Congress waited for the assembly election results in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram to be out in a bid to bargain better.

The INDIA alliance meeting is expected to consider setting deadlines to finalise seat arrangement talks, a critical part as the bloc begins preparations for the general elections next year.

In Unprecedented Move, Close To 100 MPs Suspended From Parliament

NEW DELHI, Dec 18: In an unprecedented development, 78 MPs, including both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, were suspended today for staging protests in demand of a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach in Parliament last week.

Fourteen MPs had been suspended last week, also for demanding a statement on the security breach. So, this takes the total number of MPs suspended in this session to 92.

In Lok Sabha, 30 MPs have been suspended for the remainder of the session and three have been suspended till the privileges committee submits a report on their conduct.

As for Rajya Sabha, 35 members have been suspended for the rest of session and 11 till a report by privileges panel.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien had been suspended after he demanded a discussion on the breach.

The suspended MPs from Lok Sabha include Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress's leader in Lok Sabha, and Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader of the party in the House. Trinamool MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saugata Ray and Satabdi Roy, and DMK members A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran are also on the list.

In Rajya Sabha, Congress's Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Singh Surjewala, DMK's Kanimozhi and RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha are among those suspended.

Speaking to the media, Chowdhury said the government was behaving in a dictatorial manner and treating Parliament as BJP headquarters. He said the Opposition had been cooperating with the government ever since the session began.

"This government has reached the apex of dictatorship. They have the majority, and they are wielding the stick of power. They want to run Parliament like a party office. But that cannot happen. We were eager for a discussion. The productivity of Parliament before December 13 is for all to see. It seems they find it easier to talk to the media, but are scared to speak in Parliament," he said.

Gogoi said the BJP government is bulldozing the Opposition and claimed that the Home Minister is scared of taking responsibility for the massive security breach. He said they will continue their protest outside Lok Sabha.

Amid the chaos in Rajya Sabha today, Vice-President and Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar was heard saying, "Many members are deliberately ignoring the bench. House is not functioning due to disruption."

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said with an Opposition-less Parliament, the government can now "bulldoze important pending legislations, crush any dissent, without any debate".

Earlier, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that the Opposition is protesting because of the government's refusal to accept their demand of a statement by the Home Minister.

"The Prime Minister speaks to a leading newspaper on the very serious December 13th security breach in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister speaks to a TV channel on the security breach. Parliament is in session. INDIA parties are demanding a statement from the Home Minister in both Houses on the shocking incidents. It is a simple, straightforward and legitimate demand. But Home Minister refuses to make a statement which is his duty and responsibility," Ramesh said in the post.

On the Opposition's demand for the Home Minister's statement, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has maintained that security inside the House is under the secretariat's purview and that it will not let the Centre intervene. "The government cannot intervene in (responsibilities of) Lok Sabha secretariat. We will not allow that either," he said last week.

Shocking scenes played out in the Lok Sabha chamber Wednesday when two intruders jumped from desk to desk and deployed coloured smoke from canisters. Their co-accused staged a similar protest outside the Parliament. They have told investigators that their objective was to draw attention to Manipur violence, unemployment and farmers' problems. A total of six people have been arrested in connection with a case so far. Delhi Police have invoked the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, against the trespassers.

Modi says Parliament security breach 'Very Serious, We Need To Know Who's Behind This'

NEW DELHI, Dec 17: In his first remarks on the Parliament security breach last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was "very serious". He said there is "no need to debate" this and that a "detailed investigation" should be carried out.

"The seriousness of this incident should not be downplayed. The (Lok Sabha) Speaker is taking all the necessary steps. Probe agencies are investigating the matter. It is important to find out which elements are behind this and what their objectives are. There is no need to debate this, there should be a detailed investigation into this," he told a newspaper.

The Opposition has criticised the government over the huge security breach and demanded a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, however, has said the security inside Lok Sabha is under the secretariat's purview and that it will not let the Centre intervene. "The government cannot intervene in (responsibilities of) Lok Sabha secretariat. We will not allow that either," he said, responding to Opposition MPs' slogans.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the security breach is a serious issue. "We are asking for the Home Minister's statement in Parliament, but the Home Minister is not saying anything, neither is he giving a statement. He is speaking in TV shows, but not inside Parliament. This is not good for democracy," he told reporters.

Unemployment, price rise behind Parliament security breach: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that rising unemployment and inflation, brought about by the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were behind the security breach in Parliament earlier this week.

“Why did it [the security breach] happen? The biggest issue in this country is unemployment, which is boiling over in the entire country. India’s youths are unable to find employment because of Modiji’s policies,” Gandhi told reporters after an election strategy meeting with leaders of the Congress’s Gujarat unit.

In a major security lapse on December 13, two men walked through three layers of security with smoke canisters concealed in their shoes, vaulted into the Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery, and set off smoke inside the chambers. Of the six suspects, family members of two — Neelam Singh and Amol Shinde — have said that they were in distress due to unemployment.

In a separate post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi asked: “Where are the jobs? The youths are desperate. We have to focus on this issue and give jobs to the youth. There has definitely been a security lapse, but the reason behind it is the country’s biggest issue - unemployment.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, hit back at Gandhi.

“Rahul Gandhi never disappoints; always talks trash. For the record, unemployment in India is at 3.2%, the lowest in six years. Instead, Rahul Gandhi and I.N.D.I Alliance leaders must explain the close linkages of those involved in the Parliament breach with Congress, TMC, and CPI(M). Rahul Gandhi, in particular, must clarify his association with Asim Sarode, who was part of Bharat Jodo Yatra and has offered to provide legal aide to the intruders,” BJP IT in charge Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, and the Delhi Police are on the lookout for an alleged sixth conspirator. All of them have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The six do not seem to have any common links, except that they met through a FaceBook page called the ‘Bhagat Singh Fan Club’.

The accused have reportedly told the police that they wanted to highlight issues like unemployment and the violence in Manipur and ensure that they were discussed in Parliament. They also wanted to speak to PM Modi.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has also linked the security breach to unemployment. “Unemployment is a significant issue. The fact that unemployed youth are driven to such desperate acts on the day Parliament was attacked by terrorists is something all politicians, and particularly PM Narendra Modi, must deliberate upon,” he wrote on X.

Lok Sabha Speaker's Letter To MPs Days After Smoke Scare In Parliament

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday rejected suggestions that the suspension of 13 opposition members was linked to their protests over the recent security breach and recalled that the House had displayed exemplary solidarity and collective resolve when breaches had happened in the past.

On December 13 afternoon, two men jumped inside the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery with canisters of yellow smoke. They were pinned down by MPs who were in the House during the Zero Hour.

With protests by the opposition disrupting Parliament proceedings, Birla wrote a letter to all MPs, informing that he had constituted a "high-powered committee" to review all aspects of security in the Parliament complex and formulate a concrete action plan to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

This committee is in addition to a CRPF director general headed panel which is investigating the incident. The speaker said he will share its report with the House once it is submitted.

With opposition parties seeking a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah and some even demanding his resignation, Mr Birla noted that security in the Parliament House Estate comes under the jurisdiction of Parliament.

"Accordingly, it is the Parliament's responsibility to formulate a detailed action plan on security measures in accordance with your suggestions, and thereafter, their implementation is also the responsibility of Parliament," he said.

Birla said 13 opposition members have been suspended from the House "purely to uphold" its sanctity.

"At the time of inauguration of the new building of our Parliament, we had resolved that we will refrain from bringing placards inside the House; we will not create ruckus in the Well of the House," he said.

It is indeed unfortunate that some members and political parties are linking the decision of the House to suspend these members to the security breach when two persons had jumped into the MPs' chamber from the visitors' gallery on December 13, he said.

Opposition parties have slammed the suspension, noting that no action has been taken against BJP MP Prathap Simha, who facilitated the passes of two accused who carried smoke cannisters with them, while their members have been suspended for raising the issue.

"This is unwarranted. There is no association between the suspension of Hon'ble members and the incident which took place on December 13, 2023," the speaker said.

Birla noted that he had discussed the security issue with leaders of all parties on the same day and added that some of the important suggestions made during the meeting were implemented immediately.

In a message to the opposition, he said incidents such as visitors carrying pistols, shouting slogans, jumping from the visitors' gallery and throwing leaflets have occurred in the past as well.

The nation has also witnessed an incident when some members carried pepper spray inside the House, he said in a reference to the chaotic scenes witnessed during the process to divide Andhra Pradesh to form the separate state of Telangana.

At the time of all such incidents, the House displayed exemplary solidarity and expressed its collective resolve against such incidents, he said.

The speaker said people of the country do not appreciate the inappropriate conduct and interruptions during the proceedings of the House. "It was in this context that the House was compelled to take strict action of suspending Hon'ble members," he said.

As the opposition looks to intensify its protests, Birla urged all members to faithfully discharge their duties towards the nation.

Official sources noted that numerous incidents of violation of security norms have happened in the past, including three cases of visitors jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber between 1991-94.

There have been a dozen cases of people shouting slogans and throwing leaflets from the visitors' galleries, they added.

In 1983, a visitor shouted slogans and threw a slipper into the Rajya Sabha MPs' chamber. There are at least six instances of visitors shouting slogans and throwing pamphlets in the Upper House of Parliament.

UP BJP MLA Gets 25-Year Jail For Raping Minor, Faces Disqualification

LUCKNOW, Dec 15: Nine years after he was accused of raping a minor, a BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh has been sentenced to 25 years in jail and now faces disqualification from the Assembly. The crime took place in 2014 and the survivor's brother said the MLA had pressured and threatened the family for over a year after the complaint was filed.

Ramdulare Gond, a tribal MLA from the Duddhi Assembly constituency in Sonbhadra district, was sentenced to 25 years' rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹ 10 lakh by an MP-MLA court on Friday.

In 2014, Gond's wife was the head of a village panchayat in the Duddhi constituency. Gond, who was a local strongman, was trying to make it big in politics by leveraging his wife's position. Gond raped the girl on November 4, 2014, and a complaint was registered at the Myorpur police station.

Gond won the Assembly election from the Duddhi constituency on a BJP ticket last year and his case was transferred to the MP-MLA court in Sonbhadra, which pronounced him guilty on Tuesday.

Public prosecutor Satya Prakash Tripathi said, "MLA Ramdulare Gond had been convicted in the case, which was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act as well as sections pertaining to rape and destroying evidence of the Indian Penal Code."

"Ahsan Ullah Khan, the additional district and sessions judge of the MP-MLA court, has sentenced the MLA to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹ 10 lakh. The amount will be given to the survivor," he added.

The survivor's family said it took them a long time to get justice but they are happy with the verdict. Her brother said Ramdulare Gond threatened him and his family for a year to get them to withdraw the case.

Gond will now be disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and while it won't affect the BJP in terms of numbers because it has 254 members in the 403-strong house, it will leave the party vulnerable to attacks from the opposition.

As per the Representation of the People Act, a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for six years after serving time.

14 Opposition members suspended over protests against Parliament security breach

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Fourteen Opposition members were suspended from Parliament on Thursday following protests against the security breach a day earlier involving two intruders, who jumped into Lok Sabha from the visitors’ gallery and sprayed smoke in a major security breach. The intrusion on the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament sparked questions about laxity in security.

In Lok Sabha, parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi urged the lawmakers against politicising the issue as they demanded Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation over the breach. He moved a motion to first suspend five Congress members Jothimani, Hibi Eden, TN Prathapan, Kumari Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose for the rest of the session for “misconduct”. The motion accused the members of “utter disregard to the House and the authority of the Chair”.

Joshi asked the Opposition to rise about partisan politics and “speak in one voice”. He said it has become the habit of some members to politicise all the issues as Opposition members continued raising slogans against the government and demanding answers over the breach from Shah.

Eight more Opposition members—Manickam Tagore, K Kanimozhi, PR Natarajan, Md Jawaid, VK Sreekandan, S Venkatesan and Benny Behanan, K Subbarayan— were later suspended for the rest of the session.

Of the 13 suspended members, nine belong to the Congress, two each to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and one to the Communist Party of India.

Joshi sought the continuation of the business, saying many members had prepared to speak on important bills including the three seeking to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act.

He cited security breaches in Parliament in 1974 and 1999 while saying he was not drawing any comparisons to “defend” the latest breach but because Parliament must “learn a lesson” from the past on how to deal with such issues.

Joshi appreciated Speaker Om Birla for promptly calling a meeting of the floor leaders and taking their suggestions for strengthening the security. He said some of the suggestions have been implemented.

Joshi said the security agencies were dealing with the breach and an inquiry has been initiated. “The Speaker will deal with the matter with great sensitivity like previous Speakers did after the past incidents. The government is also very sensitive to this issue,” he said.

In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien was suspended for allegedly disregarding chairman Jagdeep Dhankar’s directions and continuing to protest demanding a discussion on the security breach.

The Lok Sabha secretariat earlier on Wednesday suspended eight security personnel for lapses. Officials familiar with the matter said the suspensions were ordered based on preliminary findings that the two intruders, Sagar Sharma, 27, and Manoranjan D, 34, managed to hide gas canisters inside their shoes, which means frisking was not properly done.

Sharma and Manoranjan D shouted slogans and released yellow smoke before parliamentarians and security staff overpowered and dragged them away. Outside Parliament, Neelam Singh, 37, and Amol Shinde, 24, shouted slogans such as, “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Jai Bhim”.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell and central intelligence agencies were interrogating the four as they were booked under the stringent anti-terror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The Union home ministry has ordered a Central Reserve Police Force chief Anish Dayal Singh-led probe into the breach, and to identify lapses, and recommend action. “The committee will submit its report with recommendations, including suggestions on improving security in Parliament, at the earliest,” said an official.

Only parliamentary staff and those working in nearby offices with valid identity cards were allowed to access the road between Parliament and the Red Cross building in central Delhi as part of tightened security arrangements.

At least two security checkpoints were put up on the road even as no visitors will be allowed from Thursday. Journalists were prevented from standing outside barricaded Makar Dwar from where the lawmakers enter and exit the House.

Officials and staff of ministers and lawmakers will also not be allowed to use the Makar Dwar. It will be exclusively for the use of members of Parliament.

The intruders cleared three layers of security and gained access to the visitors’ gallery using guest passes. Bharatiya Janata Party member Pratap Simha signed the passes, according to a preliminary investigation.

The four perpetrators, an e-rickshaw driver, a farmer, a government job aspirant, and a daily wage labourer, along with a fifth absconding conspirator identified as Lalit Jha, planned the intrusion to protest against the government, unemployment, and price rise, said police.

Lok Sabha secretary-general Utpal Kumar Singh wrote a letter to the home ministry seeking a detailed security review. This will be the second such exercise in 22 years.

At the all-party meeting, the Opposition leaders pushed the government for a detailed statement on the issue. They also raised concerns about Sharma and Manoranjan passing through three layers of checks—the outer gate of the Parliament complex, the visitors’ gate of the new building, and the final round of frisking near the gallery—with plastic canisters.

The two men overstayed their allotted one-hour slot before leaping into the House without getting noticed.

Lok Sabha security breach: Suspended MPs stage sit-in protest in Parliament

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Suspended opposition MPs on Thursday staged a sit-in protest inside the Parliament complex over their suspension for the remainder of the Winter session from the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien held a silent protest in the Parliament complex after he was suspended from the upper house for ‘unruly behaviour’ and disrupting the house proceedings.

A total of 14 MPs - 13 from Lok Sabha and 1 from Rajya Sabha - were suspended today for the remainder of the winter session of the parliament.

Sixth Parliament security breach accused Lalit Jha arrested by Delhi Police: Report

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Parliament security breach accused Lalit Mohan Jha arrested by Delhi Police, ANI reported. Jha is the sixth accused to have been arrested in connection with the security breach that took place in the Parliament on Wednesday.

“Lalit Mohan Jha came to the police station on his own. He is being interrogated,” said a Delhi Police official.

Earlier in the day, the fifth accused named Vishal Sharma, who gave shelter to the four people carrying out the security breach, was arrested from Gurugram. Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D, the two intruders who actually jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from visitors' galleries, were overpowered by the MPs and handed over two the police.

Outside Parliament, Amol Shinde and Neelam Devi were found protesting and arrested later.

The police have filed terror charges against four people arrested after two of them jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber and set off smoke canisters in a major security breach inside Parliament that also led to the suspension of eight Delhi Police personnel.

4 Accused In Parliament Security Breach Sent To Police Custody For 7 Days

New Delhi: The four persons arrested from parliament yesterday after a massive security breach, have been sent to police custody for seven days for questioning. Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan, who were caught inside the Lok Sabha, and Neelam Devi and Amol Shinde -- arrested outside Parliament -- have to be questioned in detail, the Delhi Police contended.

Five persons were arrested yesterday for the security breach in the afternoon in which two men got into the Lok Sabha and let off thick yellow smoke from canisters they smuggled in.

Sagar Sharma from Lucknow and D Manoranjan from Mysuru, had smuggled in smoke bombs which they let off inside parliament. The thick yellow smoke had caused panic for a while. The two were soon caught and overpowered by MPs and parliaments Watch and Ward staff.

The other two, unable to get visitors' passes, were shouting slogans outside parliament, carrying the smoke bombs.

All four have been charged under tough anti-terror law UAPA and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Their accomplice Vishal Sharma and his wife, in whose house in Gurugram they stayed before reaching Parliament,were detained. They have now been released. Lalit Jha, a key conspirator and the alleged mastermind, is on the run.

The police said Jha, unable to get a visitor's pass, had stayed outside and filmed the 'protest' by Neelam and Amol Shinde. This he uploaded online before showing a clean pair of heels. Investigators said he was last seen in Rajasthan's Neemrana.

In court today, the police contended that the whole operation resembled a terror attack and questioned the motive. "Was the purpose of the incident only to express one's point or to carry out some major incident? It has to be investigated whether any terrorist organisation is involved in this entire issue," they told the court.

The court was also told that the accused had probably smuggled in the smoke canisters in their shoes. The men had purchased two pairs of shoes from Lucknow and brought them here, the police said.

The canisters were purchased from Mumbai. The accused were also found carrying some pamphlets, which they apparently wanted to give to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the police said.

Presenting the accused before the special judge Hardeep Kaur, the police had sought 15 days' custody, citing the need to take them to Mumbai and Lucknow for further investigations. The judge, however, granted a week's time.

Supreme Court To Hear Mahua Moitra's Challenge To Expulsion As MP Tomorrow

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra's challenge to her expulsion from parliament will be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SV Bhatti will hear Ms Moitra's request to restore her Lok Sabha membership.

Ms Moitra has accused the parliamentary ethics committee that looked into cash-for-query allegations against her and recommended her expulsion of "breaking every rule".

The ethics committee submitted the report in parliament on December 8 after weeks of cross-examining all the people involved in the matter, including the complainants lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai and BJP leader Nishikant Dubey.

Ms Moitra has alleged the committee "broke every rule" in how they handled the matter.

The Trinamool Congress leader has called Mr Dehadrai, who filed the complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), her "jilted ex".

Following the complaint, Mr Dubey had led the call to investigate the allegation that Ms Moitra gave her parliament login ID to businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Huge Indian Parliament Security Breach: 2 jump with smoke bomb into Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI, Dec 13: There was a major security breach during Zero Hour in the Indian Parliament on Wednesday afternoon after two men, both carrying canisters emitting a yellow smoke, jumped from the visitors' gallery and ran into the Lok Sabha chamber.

Footage from the CCTV system showed one man, wearing a dark blue shirt, leaping across desks to evade capture, while the second also jumped from the visitors' gallery spraying smoke. Both were overpowered by MPs and security staff.

After the Lok Sabha resumed, Speaker Om Birla made a brief statement. "We are investigating the matter and have asked Delhi Police to join the inquiry," he told understandably agitated MPs.

"Both have been caught and the materials with them have also been seized. The two people (they have been identified as Sagar Sharma and D Manoranjan) outside Parliament have also been arrested."

Earlier, shocking visuals shared by a news agency showed a Lok Sabha official reading to the House seconds before the chaos. Suddenly, shouts of "catch him, catch him" could be heard as one of the intruders, Sagar Sharma, was shown trying to reach the Speaker's Chair. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Anupriya Patel were present at the time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not in Parliament; he was in Chhattisgarh's Raipur about to preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP's new Chief Minister, Vishnu Deo Sai.

A visitor's pass was recovered after the two Lok Sabha intruders were caught; photographs of the pass indicates they were issued by the office of Pratap Simha, the BJP MP from Mysuru. Any visitor must clear multiple levels of security before being allowed inside Parliament.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said he initially thought somebody had fallen down from the visitors' gallery. "It was only after the second person jumped that I realized it was a security breach... the gas could have been poisonous. One of the men was running to the Speaker's Chair. This is a serious breach of security especially on December 13, the day when Parliament was attacked in 2001."

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay called it a "terrible experience". "Nobody could guess their target... why were they doing this? We left immediately but it was a security lapse!" he said.

Meanwhile, two other individuals - a man and a woman - were detained outside Parliament, also with coloured pressurised canisters that exploded and spewed red and yellow smoke..

Delhi Police sources have said the two incidents are likely related. The man and woman have been identified as Amol Shinde, 25, and Neelam, 42.

Visuals of this incident showed the two shouting "dictatorship will not be tolerated".

Delhi Police's anti-terror unit has taken over the investigation into both incidents.

Serious questions are already being questioned about the security breach, which comes on the 22nd anniversary of the terror attack on the old Parliament building. In fact, hours earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu led a tribute to the nine people who were killed.

Bhajanlal Sharma Is BJP's Rajasthan Chief Minister Choice

JAIPUR, Dec 12: Bhajanlal Sharma, a first-time MLA from Sanganer, has been named as the next Chief Minister of Rajasthan. The oath ceremony is likely to be held on Friday, December 15, which also happens to be the Chief Minister' designate's birthday.

The MLA, who is from Bharatpur, was not given ticket from there as the seat wasn't considered winnable for upper castes.

Sharma will have two deputies -- "People's princess" Diya Kumari, who was an aspirant for the top post -- and senior leader Prem Chand Bairwa.

Vasundhara Raje was the one to propose the name of the new Chief Minister at the legislature party meeting this afternoon. It was seconded by state leaders Kirori Meena, Madan Dilawar and Jawar Singh.

J&K Didn't Retain Sovereignty When It Joined Union Of India: Chief Justice

NEW DELHI, Dec 11: Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court cannot sit in appeal over the decision of the President of India on whether the special circumstances under Article 370 exist. History shows the gradual process of constitutional integration was not going on. It was not as if after 70 years, the Constitution of India was applied in one go. It was a culmination of the integration process.

It said "We direct that the restoration of statehood in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be done at the earliest."

"We direct that steps be taken by the Election commission to conduct elections of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly by September 30, 2024."

The Supreme Court has held that all provisions of the Constitution of India can be applied to Jammu and Kashmir using Article 370(1)(d) in one go. "We do not find the use of Presidential power to issue CO 273 was mala fide. Thus we hold the exercise of Presidential power to be valid."

The principle of consultation and collaboration was not required to be followed for the exercise of Presidential power. Concurrence of the state government was not required to apply all provisions of the Constitution using Article 370(1)(d). So the President taking the concurrence of the Union Govt was not mala fide.

We have held that Article 370 is a temporary provision. Article 370 was an interim arrangement due to war conditions in the state.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have internal sovereignty different from other states. Whether Jammu and Kashmir retained an element of sovereignty or internal sovereignty when it joined the Union of India, we have held no.

There is a clear absence in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir to the reference of sovereignty. That the State of Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India is evident from Articles 1 and 370 of the Constitution of India.

The Supreme Court refused to rule on the validity of the Presidential rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in December 2018 since it was not specifically challenged by the petitioners.

When a proclamation under Article 356 comes into force, countless decisions weree taken by the Centre. "Not every action can be challenged," it said.

BJP Picks Mohan Yadav As Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

NEW DELHI, Dec 11: The BJP has named a surprise pick as the new Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh - Mohan Yadav, 58, a leader from the Yadav OBC community. OBCs make up more than half of the state's population but, interestingly, the Yadav community is not among the most influential.

On Monday evening, Mr Yadav was elected as leader of the BJP's legislative party - 15 days after the party routed the Congress to win Madhya Pradesh. The outgoing Higher Education Minister, he thanked the BJP, saying, "I am a small party worker... I thank the party for this opportunity."

"I thank all of you... state and central leadership (and), with your love and support, I will try to fulfil my responsibilities," Yadav, festooned with garlands, said after the meeting of the MLAs.

Soon after the BJP announcement, Yadav met Governor Mangubhai Patel and staked a claim to form the next government.

In a key move seen as an emphasis on unity, Yadav was nominated by outgoing Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a four-time head of the state government. "Other senior leaders... (former union ministers) Prahlad Patel and Narendra Singh Tomar, and (National General Secretary) Kailash Vijayvargiya supported the proposal, the BJP's state unit boss, VD Sharma, told reporters.

The BJP, in a bid to soothe ruffled feathers ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, also named two deputy chief ministers - Jagdish Devda and Rajesh Shukla. Devda was elected from Malhagarh by nearly 60,000 votes and Shukla, who won the Rewa seat for a fifth time by around 21,000 votes.

Both Devda and Shukla also held cabinet berths in previous Chouhan governments.

Tomar, one of three former cabinet members to contest the election, is the Assembly Speaker.

There was speculation he was in the running to succeed Chouhan to the top post, as were Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Patel. Both Scindia and Patel are also from OBCs. Shukla, who must now be content with a deputy's post, was believed to be a dark horse.

Shortly after Yadav was announced, Shivraj Chouhan offered his congratulations, signalling an amicable transfer of power. Chouhan hailed his successor as a hard-working person.

The appointments end suspense over the identity of two of three chief ministers for the states the BJP won on December 3. Vishnu Deo Sai was named Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on Sunday.

Now, of the five states that voted in November, only Rajasthan is without a Chief Minister; the Congress, which won Telangana, has installed Revanth Reddy in the top post and, in Mizoram, the fledgling Zoram People's Movement claimed an impressive win and Lalduhoma is Chief Minister.

A three-time MLA from Ujjain, Yadav's appointment has also been seen as the end of the political road (at least in the state) for his predecessor. Chouhan is a four-time Chief Minister and arguably the BJP's tallest leader in the state, but seemed to have been side-lined in favour of a campaign based on "collective leadership" built around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's face.

The strategy reaped dividends; the BJP won 163 of 230 seats and the Congress, which actually won the 2018 election but saw its government fall two years later, was left with just 66, down from 114.

That campaign, though, also drew heavily from the popularity of Chouhan's many welfare schemes, including the 'Ladli Behna Yojana' that emerged as his flagship measure.