Modi fell into Gehlot's trap: Cong takes a dig

A special court in Guwahati has granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) five-day custody of the four accused arrested in connection with a probe into the cases of two missing Manipuri students believed to have been killed, officials said Monday.

Phijam Hemanjit (20) and Hijam Linthoingambi, a girl aged 17 years, had gone missing on July 6. Photos purportedly showing their bodies surfaced on September 25, leading to violent protests, mainly by students.

The CBI on Sunday had arrested two men, Paominlun Haokip and Smalsawm Haokip, and two women, Lhingneichong Baitekuki and Tinneilhing Henthang, in connection with the cases registered by it on August 23.

The accused were produced before a special court in Guwahati which said 'prima facie' enough material exists to send them to CBI custody for five days, they said.

The accused will be produced before the court again on October 7.

The court also ordered the district child welfare officer of Kamrup district to ensure proper care of two minor daughters of an accused who were brought along with them to Guwahati for safety reasons.

CBI sources said the agency had deployed enough women officers during the arrest of the accused and all legal formalities were completed.

Based on the complaints of the victims' parents, the two cases related to the missing students were earlier registered with the Imphal Police and Lamphel Police on July 8 and July 19, respectively.

A team of CBI officials, led by the agency's Special Director Ajay Bhatnagar, reached Manipur on September 27 to monitor and help the probe after the photographs purportedly showing the bodies went viral on September 25.

Violent protests by students rocked the Manpir capital during the next two days. A mob tried to attack the ancestral house of Chief Minister N Biren Singh on the night of September 28, but security forces foiled the attempt. 

Another mob vandalised the deputy commissioner's office in Imphal West district.

More than 180 people lost their lives and several hundreds were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3, after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts.   -- PTI

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi fell into Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's trap as he 'accepted' that the Rajasthan government has done a good work.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur organised hours after Modi's public meeting in Chittorgarh, Congress leader Pawan Khera also said the prime minister has betrayed the people of Rajasthan on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) by not declaring it a project of national importance.

Our chief minister laid a trap and the prime minister fall into it by saying that the Gehlot government's schemes will be continued if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in the state.

When our schemes are good then who will vote for you (BJP), Khera said. At the Chittorgarh rally, Prime Minister Modi said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already conceded defeat in the upcoming assembly elections by requesting him not to scrap the welfare schemes started by the Congress in Rajasthan, and gave a 'guarantee' that the BJP will not discontinue them. 

Gehlot has demanded that Prime Minister Modi give a guarantee that schemes, including Cheeranjivi health insurance and Old Pension Scheme, run by the Congress government will not be stopped if BJP government is formed after the upcoming assembly elections due later this year.  -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress of playing vote bank politics in Rajasthan, claiming that the party was worried about this even when tailor Kanhaiya Lal was killed in Udaipur last year.

He brought up the episode while addressing a public meeting in Chittorgarh. 

The Udaipur tailor was murdered on June 28 last year by two cleaver-wielding men who accused him of insulting Islam.

"Tell me, had you ever imagined what happened in Udaipur? Such a big sin was committed in the land of Rajasthan, which has followed the tradition of not attacking the enemy by deceit. People come on the pretext of getting clothes stitched and cut the tailor's throat without any fear. And proudly make a video and make it viral," Modi said.

"The Congress government was worried about the vote bank in this too. What image of the brave land of Rajasthan has Congress presented to the world? It is not possible to celebrate any Teej or other festival peacefully in Rajasthan. No one knows when riots will break out or when curfew will be imposed," he alleged.

Modi also raised questions over the law-and-order situation in the state, saying there has been a rise in crime against women, Dalits and backward classes.

"The Congress has created such an environment in Rajasthan that common people are worried about their lives, businessmen are worried about their businesses and workers are worried about work. This anti-development environment must change," he said.

"I want to ask with great pain, great sorrow and great distress, did you vote for Congress for this five years ago," the prime minister asked.

"It is very important to remove the Congress government as it cannot protect people's life and property," he added.

Modi said it pained him to hear about the incidents of crime that take place in the state.

"I feel pained when I see and hear about injustice being done to daughters anywhere in the country. But in Rajasthan, the Congress government has created a tradition of injustice to daughters.

"Here in Barmer, a Dalit woman was raped and acid poured on her. In Suratgarh, a woman was murdered and her body thrown on the road. After gang rape in Bhilwara, a girl was burnt in a furnace. And in Jamwa Ramgarh, a woman was burnt alive," the prime minister said.

"Be it a rioter or a criminal, only the BJP government can correct them, this is our track record That is why today mothers, sisters and daughters of Rajasthan are saying that they are confident that the BJP will come and bring women security," Modi added.   -- PTI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan turned emotional at an event on home turf Budhni in Sehore district and told the women in the gathering they would never get a 'brother' like him and would miss him when he is not around.

Speaking at an event last week in Khargone, Chouhan had turned emotional similarly and had said he had no greed for any post and would be happy if his 'flesh and bones could come of use to people'.

"Meri behno, aisa bhaiya tumhe milega nahi. Jab main chala jaunga, tab tumhe yaad aaunga (sisters, you will not find a brother like this. When I leave, you will miss me)," he said at an event in Ladkul in his assembly seat Budhni on Sunday.

Assembly polls are set to be held at the end of the year in the state.

His efforts to strike an emotional chord with the public with such statements come at a time when there is speculation about whether he will be chief minister if the BJP wins in the state.

His name has not figured in the first two list of 78 candidates announced by the BJP for the upcoming polls.

Incidentally, the 78 names include those of Union Ministers Narendra Sinmgh Tomar, Prahlad Patel and Faggan Singh Kulaste, as well as Indore strongman Kailash Vijayvargiya, all political heavyweights and contenders for the chief minister's post.

Hitting back, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath said Chouhan will be remembered for his 'lies and (hollow) announcements'.

Nath's colleague and former MP Congress president Arun Yadav said Chouhan's statements indicate the BJP is going to be voted out of power in the upcoming polls.

"I have heard his statement. This shows the BJP government is going to get voted out," Yadav, a former Union minister, asserted.

In several of his recent speeches, Chouhan has claimed he runs a family and not a government.

During a press conference in August, when asked if Chouhan would be chief ministerial face of the party, Union Home minister and key party strategist Amit Shah had counter questioned the media on why it was doing the 'party's work (choosing persons for posts)'.

Shah had further said the need during election time was to take the development works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Chouhan to the electorate.

Senior journalist and political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said Chouhan's statement at Ladkul indicates his days as CM are numbered.

"There is no plausible explanation for his exit because the BJP has been talking about the Shivraj model and crediting the (state government's) Ladli Behna scheme (in which more than a crore eligible women get Rs 1,250 per month) as a game changer," Kidwai said.

Chouhan, while addressing the gathering at Ladkul, had also said he changed the definition of politics in MP.

"I have changed the definition of politics in Madhya Pradesh. You have seen Congress rule for years. Have you ever seen them caring for the public," Chouhan had asked the crowd.

Chouhan has been CM since 2005, with a break between December 2018 and March 2020 when Kamal Nath was on the top post heading a Congress government.

The poll schedule for MP has not been announced as yet.   -- PTI

As the Bihar government released caste survey data, state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that the report will be presented in the all-party meeting scheduled on Tuesday.

"After doing everything the result came out. We have taken the financial condition of every family... Tomorrow in all party meetings we will keep everything in front of everyone...The government will take all the necessary steps after taking everyone's suggestions in the meeting," Kumar said while speaking to reporters in Patna.

Earlier in the day, the Bihar chief minister congratulated the entire team engaged in the work of caste-based enumeration stating that the survey not only revealed the castes but also gave information about the economic condition of everyone.

'Today, on the auspicious occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the data of the caste-based census conducted in Bihar has been published. Many congratulations to the entire team engaged in the work of caste-based enumeration!' Bihar CM posted on the social media platform, X.

'The proposal for caste-based enumeration was passed unanimously in the Legislature. It was decided with the consent of all 9 parties of the Bihar Assembly that the state government will conduct a caste-based census from its own resources and its approval was given by the Council of Ministers on June 6, 2022. On this basis, the state government has conducted caste-based census from its own resources,' he said.

'Caste-based census not only revealed the castes but also gave information about the economic condition of everyone. On the basis of this report, further action will be taken for the development and upliftment of all sections,' he added.  -- ANI

The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration will constitute a committee soon to look into the repeated incidents of 'anti-national' slogans raised on campus, an official said here on Monday.

It comes a day after pictures of slogans like 'Indian-Occupied Kashmir', 'Free Kashmir', and 'Bhagwa Jalega' scribbled on the School of Languages building wall went viral on social media.

The walls have now been repainted by the administration.

"We are waiting for a report from our chief security officer and based on its suggestions, steps will be taken to deal with the issue," JNU Rector Satish Chandra Garkoti told PTI.

Garkoti said the university has planned to constitute a committee to look into the repeated incidents of 'anti-national' slogans on its campus.  -- PTI

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar on Monday voiced dissatisfaction with the caste survey conducted by the Nitish Kumar government, stressing that it did not give an idea of the 'changed social and economic realities' over the years.

State BJP president Samrat Choudhary emphasised that his party had 'given its consent' for the exercise and would make an assessment of the findings which have now been made public.

"The BJP will give a statement on the findings after studying the same. However, we wish the survey had studied the social and economic conditions of different castes and placed these on record. We need to take into account the changed social and economic realities," Chaudhary told reporters in Patna. 

According to the figures released by the government, OBCs and EBCs constitute more than 63 per cent of the state's total population.

The findings are likely to give a boost, in the state, to the ruling 'Mahagathbandhan' which claims to represent the interests of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs).

Two of the largest constituents of the ruling alliance, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal, are run by leaders owing their rise to the Mandal wave of 1990s, which helped OBCs gain political primacy in a state traditionally dominated by the upper castes. 

The BJP, which has been generally seen as being pro-upper caste, has begun warming up to the changed political landscape, as evident from the rise of OBC leaders like Choudhary and Union minister Nityanand Rai who headed the party's state unit earlier.

Choudhary's statement is in line with the contention that over the years, the condition of many among the upper castes has 'worsened', a reason why the Narendra Modi government at the Centre introduced quotas for the economically weaker sections.   -- PTI

China's next lunar mission scheduled for 2024 will also carry a payload from Pakistan, the country's space agency has said, as the two all-weather friends step up their cooperation in the space sector.

The Chang'e-6 lunar mission is currently undergoing research and development work as planned, state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Friday quoting China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The Chang'e-6 mission, with the launch scheduled for around 2024, is tasked with bringing back samples from the far side of the moon. To date, all 10 lunar sampling missions conducted by humans have taken place on the near side of the moon, The Global Times newspaper reported.

The far side is generally older and contains the Aitken Basin, one of the three major lunar landforms, making it of significant scientific value, the report said, quoting CNSA.

The Chang'e-6 mission aims at landing the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side to explore and collect lunar samples from different regions and ages.

To promote international cooperation, the Chang'e-6 mission will carry payloads and satellite projects from different countries and regions - France's DORN radon detection instrument, the European Space Agency's negative ion detector, Italy's laser retroreflector, and Pakistan's CubeSat, the CNSA said.

A CubeSat is a miniaturised satellite from Pakistan.

Earlier this year, Pakistan also sent seeds to the Chinese space station, Tiangong, for research into environmentally tolerant seeds. Similarly, Pakistan is exploring the possibility of a formal agreement to join both the Tiangong space station, as well as the more ambitious China-led base on the lunar South Pole, the Dawn newspaper reported last month.

The lunar far side is the side that faces away from the Earth and is sometimes also called 'the dark side of the Moon' because so little is known about it.     

To support the communications between the moon's far side and the Earth, China plans to launch its newly developed relay satellite Queqiao-2, or Magpie Bridge-2, in the first half of 2024, the Xinhua report said.   -- PTI

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Katalin Karik and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

'Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,' the panel that awarded the prize said.  -- Agencies

A passenger was arrested for allegedly attempting to open the emergency exit door of an IndiGo flight from Nagpur to Bengaluru prior to take-off, police said on Monday.

The man identified as Swapnil Holey had boarded Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight 6E 6803 from Nagpur at around 10 pm on September 30, they said.

According to police, the passenger was seated next to the emergency exit door of the aircraft. Before takeoff, while the crew members were briefing passengers, the man allegedly attempted to open the door.

After the flight landed at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru at 11.55 pm, Holey was escorted by the airline's staff to the police station, a senior police officer said.

He was scheduled to take a flight to Bangkok on October 1, police said.         

Based on the complaint filed by the airline staff, an FIR under section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and the accused passenger was arrested in connection with the incident, he said.

However, he was later released on bail.   -- PTI

Security forces on Monday launched a search operation in the forest area of Kalakote in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district following information about suspicious movement, officials said.

The Army along with police cordoned off Broh and Soom forest belt in Kalakote area for the searches, the officials said.

They said a few rounds were heard during the cordon and search operation but it was later clarified that the security forces fired the probing shots o check the presence of suspected terrorists.

There was no contact with any suspected person during the operation which was continuing when last reports were received, the officials said.  -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan over the issue of corruption and women's safety.

Rajasthan top the list when it comes to crime, riots, atrocities against women, Dalits and backward classes, Modi said at a rally in Chittorgarh.

The prime minister said that he feels pain when atrocities against daughters take place anywhere in the country but charged that the Congress has made this a tradition in Rajasthan.

He also assured the people that all public schemes initiated by the Congress government will continue if the BJP is elected to power in Rajasthan.

"Gehlot knows that the countdown of the Congress government has started. He in a way has congratulated the BJP by publicly requesting that the schemes should not be stopped. I assure you that BJP will not stop any scheme of public interest but will try to improve it. This is Modi's guarantee," he said.

The prime minister said if his party his voted to power, action against the corrupt and those involved in the alleged paper leak mafia will be taken. -- PTI

At least 13 people lost their lives in Spain's deadliest nightclub fire in decades, with fears the toll could rise further as emergency services search for more victims, CNN reported on Monday.

According to CNN who quoted the Murcia emergency services website, reported that the blazing fire left four injured including two women, two men who were all taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent his condolences.

'My love and solidarity with the victims and families of the tragic fire that occurred this morning in a nightclub in Murcia. I have just conveyed to the president of the Murcia region all our support and collaboration,' Sanchez posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

At the time of the incident, emergency services were dispatched, with local firefighters calling in helicopter help to tackle the blaze.

'The General Director of Security and Emergencies, Ricardo Villalba, is on-site coordinating with the Murcia City Council the necessary means to manage this tragedy,' the emergency services said.

Following the incident, the emergency personnel are searching for additional victims on-site, if any. The origin of the fire, however, is still unknown.

'Worried and dismayed by the news coming from there (Murcia). The emergency services continue working,' the President of the Murcia region posted on X.

Emergency services were called in at the scene, and local firefighters asked the General Directorate of Security and Emergencies for a helicopter to help put out the fire.

Later, the emergency services declared that ground resources were sufficient to do the job 'The General Director of Security and Emergencies, Ricardo Villalba, is on-site coordinating with the Murcia City Council the necessary means to manage this tragedy', CNN quoted the emergency services as saying.

In light of the incident, Murcia's mayor Jos Ballesta announced on X that the city has announced three days of mourning for 'those who died in the fire that occurred at the Teatre de Atalayas nightclub'.   -- ANI

The Shivamogga district administration in Karnataka imposed section 144  in the premises of Shivamogga Mahanagara Palika limits following stone pelting during Milad-un-Nabi procession in Shantinagar-Ragigudda on Monday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the situation is now under control and 40 people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

He further said that the government will not tolerate such activities.

"An Eid-i-Milad procession was underway when some miscreants pelted stones. They also threw stones at the police. So far 40 people have been arrested. Our government will not tolerate such activities. The situation is under control now," Siddaramaiah said while speaking to reporters.

According to the police, a group of miscreants pelted stones at some vehicles and houses during the Eid-i-Milad procession in Shantinagar-Ragigudda.

Shivamogga Superintendent of Police (SP) GK Mithun Kumar said that security has been tightened in the area and a case has been registered based on complaints from the police personnel who were injured during the incident.

"Some vehicles and houses were damaged due to this. Some police officers have also been hit by the stones. We have asked all of them to file a complaint. Security has been tightened in the area. A group of people have already been arrested in connection with the incident. Based on video clips and information from witnesses, the miscreants were arrested. Section 144 has been imposed in the area as a precautionary measure," Kumar said.

The SP further said, "Two Rapid Action Force (RAF) platoons, 20 Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and 500 Home Guard personnel deployed. A case has been registered in connection with the incident. Complaints are also taken from police personnel who have been pelted with stones."

The official also informed that the Eid-i-Milad procession was peaceful apart from the Shantinagar-Ragigudda incident and the situation is presently under control.

"No one should listen to rumours, strict action will be taken against the culprits," the SP added.   -- ANI

The incident took place Sunday night when Purshottam Das, 35, and Vishal Kumar, 19, both residents of Hardaspur village in Bareilly, were in their field to protect their crops from stray cattle. 

A speeding car hit them while they were taking a rest on a roadside, Sirauli police station SHO Rajesh Maurya said. 

The two were dragged under the car for more than 10 metres before it fell into a ditch, Maurya said. 

Both of them died on the spot. 

After the incident, angry villagers placed their bodies on the road demanding local BJP MLA and Minister Dharmpal Singh visit the spot. -- PTI

Modi on Monday paid tribute to Lal Bahadur Shastri at Delhi's Vijay Ghat on the occasion of Shastri Jayanti. 

"Remembering Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji on his Jayanti. His simplicity, dedication to the nation, and iconic call for 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' resonate even today, inspiring generations. His unwavering commitment to India's progress and his leadership during challenging times remain exemplary. May we always work to realise his vision for a strong India," Modi said in a post on X. 

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar also paid tribute to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri at Vijay Ghat on his birth anniversary. 

Paying homage to Shastri, Congress national president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the simplicity of Shastri will always be an inspiration to all. 

"From land reforms to laying the foundation of milk and green revolution, from abolishing the third class in railways to providing seats for women in buses, from the 1965 war to serving the country with our Gandhian ideas, our ideals, We remember the unprecedented contribution of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri ji. The simplicity and simple life of Shastri ji, who was rich in high thoughts, will always be an inspiration for us.'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan'," Kharge said in a post on X. -- ANI

The incident took place under Manpur range of the reserve on Sunday when the man went into the forest to graze his cattle, forest ranger Mukesh Ahirwar said. 

When the victim did not return home till evening, his family members started searching for him and found the body on Monday morning, he said. 

After the spot inspection, it was found the victim died in a tiger attack as the feline's pug marks were found in the area, the official said. 

Further legal steps, including providing financial assistance to the victim's family, were being taken, he said. -- PTI

The Dominican Republic Vice President is set to visit India at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Jagdeep Dhankhar. 

This will be the first-ever visit of the Vice President of the Dominican Republic to India. 

"The visit is significant as it takes place at a time when India-Dominican Republic bilateral relationship is entering its 25th year. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 04 May 1999," the MEA said in an official release. 

During her visit, Rodrguez will call on President Droupadi Murmu. 

She will also hold discussions with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and other Indian dignitaries, and will also deliver a lecture on India-Dominican Republic relations at the Indian Council for World Affairs. 

Diplomatic relations between India and Dominican Republic were established in May, 1999. -- ANI

The raids are still underway at the premises and hideouts of suspects in both the states. 

Separate NIA teams started conducting raids in close coordination with state police forces since morning following inputs. 

"A total of 60 locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are being searched in left wing extremism or Maoist case," a top NIA source said. 

The raids are learnt to be conducted at Telangana's Hyderabad, and in Andhra Prdesh's Guntur, Nellore and Tirupati districts. 

The places being searched are houses of several leaders of civil rights sympathizers who are suspected of having links with Maoist sympathisers. -- ANI

The injured cop, K P Sharma, has been hospitalised, the official said.                 

The incident took place at Karaira police station where the accused had come to record their statements in connection with a suicide abetment case, inspector Suresh Sharma told reporters.                 

According to the injured cop, a youth hanged himself at Toriya Khurd village of the district four days ago and the police registered a case against five people for abetment.                 

People from the youth's side were called to the police station on Sunday to record their statements, he said.                 

However, a young man who had come to record his statement started to make a video of the goings-on on his mobile. 

When he was told to refrain from recording the video, about nine people thrashed me inside the police station, said the injured cop. -- PTI

According to The New York Times, the Turkish airstrikes destroyed 20 targets, consisting of caves, bunkers, shelters and warehouses' belonging to the separatist Kurdistan workers party, or P.K.K. 

"Many terrorists were neutralized," the ministry added. 

Earlier on Sunday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that two police officers were injured after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in front of the ministry building in Ankara, Al Jazeera reported. 

Yerlikaya said two attackers were behind the explosions in front of the ministry building. 

He said that one of terrorists blew himself and the other was "neutralised." 

The attack comes as Turkish authorities have been conducting operations against ISIL (ISIS) members, according to an Al Jazeera report. -- ANI

The Mumbai police said that the injured official, Rahul Sharma was checking cars at a checkpost on the airport premises when a car came at full speed and hit him. 

"Rahul Suresh Sharma, a CISF official, was seriously injured after being hit by a BMW car at the checkpoint of Mumbai International Airport. Five people in the car were handed over to the Sahar police station," the police said. 

"The injured official was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment," it added. 

The police said that the accused driver has been detained and a case has been registered against him under IPC sections 279,338 and Motor Vehicle Act. 

Further investigation is underway. -- ANI

The NIA had placed a reward of Rs 3 lakhs on the arrested terrorist Shahnawaz, he was wanted in the Pune ISIS case. 

Shahnawaz, an engineer by profession, is a resident of Delhi, had escaped from Pune police custody and was living in Delhi. 

The Delhi police special cell has also detained some other people also. 

Further investigation underway, said the police. -- ANI

Mahatma Gandhi's impact is global, said Modi in a post on X, on Monday while also urging to work towards fulfilling Gandhi's dreams.  

"I bow to Mahatma Gandhi on the special occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. His timeless teachings continue to illuminate our path. Mahatma Gandhi's impact is global, motivating the entire humankind to further the spirit of unity and compassion. May we always work towards fulfilling his dreams. May his thoughts enable every youngster be the agent of change he dreamt of, fostering unity and harmony all over," the PM said in his post.  

Earlier in the day, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge paid tributes to Gandhi at Rajghat.  

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Delhi Lieutenant Governor LG Saxena also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.  -- ANI

The incident took place in Sankara village under the Bhat police station area, they said. 

Additional superintendent of police Sansar Singh said, "A wall of Ale Hasan's house, which was in a dilapidated condition, collapsed on five children who were playing nearby." 

The villagers managed to rescue two children, Shariq and Kumari Anam, but three of them, Albaksh (3), Inayat (5) and Alim (8), died, he said. 

The injured children have been admitted to the district hospital and their condition is said to be critical, Singh said. 

The police and administrative officials reached the village following the incident and assured the family members of the deceased children of all possible help. -- PTI

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said besides inaugurating the Expressway, Modi will also lay the foundation stone for five different road projects worth more than Rs 1,880 crore during the Gwalior visit. 

The PM will initiate the 'grih pravesh' ceremony for more than 2.2 lakh homes built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin, as well as inaugurate the houses constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban at a cost of about Rs 140 crore, it said. 

Modi will lay the foundation stone of Jal Jeevan Mission projects worth over Rs 1,530 crore in Gwalior and Sheopur districts, which will benefit more than 720 villages in the region. 

The PMO statement said Modi will also lay the foundation stone of nine health centres under the Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission and inaugurate and launch several other projects. 

"Modiji is expected to arrive at around 4 pm and will leave Gwalior before 6:30 pm," MP Bharatiya Janata Party chief VD Sharma said on Sunday. -- PTI

Public representatives belonging to the Jat community participated in this parliament. 

Demands of making the western Uttar Pradesh region a separate state, Bharat Ratna to former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Sir Chhotu Ram and Raja Mahendra Singh, and installing a memorial of Maharaja Surajmal in the new Parliament building of the country were raised at the event. 

In his address, Balyan said, "Western Uttar Pradesh should become a separate state and Meerut should become its capital. The population here is eight crore and the high court is 750 kilometres from here (Meerut). So this demand is completely justified." 

On Jat Reservation, the Union minister said, "It is wrong to say that reservation ended due to the poor advocacy. The government presented its stand in the court strongly. I will be behind whoever talks about reservation in the future." -- PTI

According to the police sources, an angry mob is said to have thrown stones at a few houses and vehicles, and injuring several people, allegedly following the rumours that there was a stone pelting on the Eid Milad procession in Shivmogga on Sunday. 

A police official said they have dispersed the crowd, and the situation is currently under control. 

The police resorted to lathi-charges to disperse the mob, police said, adding, additional forces, including the Rapid Action Force, have been dispatched to the spot. 

They said some people have also been taken into custody. 

Earlier in the day, there were protests in the same area over a cutout that was put out as part of the procession, as the police had covered a portion of it due to "bit controversial (content)", which upset people of a community, a police official said. -- PTI

The total normal rainfall from June 1 to September 30 is 734.4 mm of which 448.1 mm was recorded in July. 

Himachal Pradesh received 884.8 mm of rain against normal rainfall of 734.4 mm, an excess of 20 per cent since during the monsoon season in the same period. 

The state received 448.1 mm rainfall in July against normal rainfall of 256.8 mm, an excess of 75 per cent and 50.63 per cent of the total rainfall of 884.8 mm. 

During June, the state received 19 per cent excess rain, 75 per cent excess rain in July, four per cent deficit rain in August and 42 per cent deficit rain in September. 

As many as 45 flash floods including 26 in Kullu district alone occurred during July and 7 during August. -- PTI

The incident happened on September 28 in Zhob area of the province which is near to the country's border with Afghanistan, the statement issued by Pakistan military's media wing Inter Services Public Relations on Saturday said. 

"Four soldiers were martyred on September 28 while trying to prevent a group of terrorists from illegally entering Pakistan territory from Afghanistan," the statement said. 

The ISPR said that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan terrorists had tried to infiltrate into Pakistan territory through the Sambaza border area from Afghanistan in Zhob. 

The media wing said that security personnel thwarted the attempt and in the ensuing gunfight four soldiers lost their lives while three terrorists were also killed and some others injured. -- PTI