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Sat, 30 November 2024

Attacker wanted to 'burn Kejriwal alive': AAP

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20:23 Attacker wanted to 'burn Kejriwal alive': AAP

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged that the man held for attacking Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal wanted to set him afire after throwing spirit on him on him during his Padyatra campaign.

In a post on X, Bharadwaj also alleged that the attacker was connected with the BJP.

On Saturday evening, Kejriwal was greeting people standing behind a cordon when the man approached him and splashed some liquid on him, following which the security personnel swiftly overpowered him. Kejriwal and the security personnel accompanying him were later seen wiping their faces.

"A man threw spirit on him (Kejriwal). We could smell it. And there was an attempt to burn him (Kejriwal) alive.

"The man was carrying spirit in one hand and a matchbox in the other hand. He threw spirit that fell on Kejriwal and me... but he could not start the fire. Our alert volunteers and the public caught him," Bharadwaj claimed in a press conference.

The attacker was beaten up by people present there before he was taken away by the police from the spot.

Targeting the BJP, the AAP leader alleged that the BJP is resorting to dishonest means as it fears a third consecutive defeat in the upcoming Delhi polls. -- PTI

Amid a debate on the EVM credibility re-started by some Opposition parties after the debacle in Maharashtra assembly polls, rights activist Medha Patkar on Saturday said many countries have stopped using them.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge recently suggested that ballot papers be reintroduced in the election mechanism.

"I am not an expert on EVMs but it is true that many countries have stopped using them. Experiments show that certain systems can be changed with a mere electric connection," Patkar told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city.

She was conferred the honorary D.Litt by the Mahatma Gandhi Mission University.

Patkar said the code of conduct for polls cannot be implemented impartially if the Election Commission has links with any political party.

The activist said the monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 being given to women who come from poor families under the Maharashtra government's "Mazi Ladki Bahin" scheme won't resolve their problems. -- PTI

19:34 Cyclone Fengal begins landfall near Puducherry

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm Fengal began near Puducherry, the Indian Meteorological Department said.

Meanwhile, heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of northern Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

What began as intermittent rainfall in coastal regions on the night of November 29, gradually became steady leading to inundation in several areas, including portions of the premises of government hospitals in suburban Chrompet in Chennai, and trees were uprooted in a number of places.

Operations at the Chennai airport were suspended on Saturday due to gutsy winds and heavy rains. Parts of the airport were inundated due to the heavy rains.

18:43 Man throws liquid at Kejriwal in Delhi

In a security scare, a man was detained for allegedly splashing some liquid on AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal during his 'padyatra' in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Saturday, police said.

Reacting to the development, AAP said, "If a former chief minister is not safe in the national capital, where will the common man go?"

Kejriwal was greeting people standing behind a cordon when the man approached him and splashed the liquid on him, following which the security personnel swiftly overpowered him. Kejriwal and the security personnel accompanying him were later seen wiping their faces.

The man, believed to be a resident of the same locality, was taken to the local police station, an officer said. -- PTI

Days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, another Hindu priest was arrested in Bangladesh's Chattogram, ISCKON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed.

The arrested priest was identified as Shyam Das Prabhu, who reportedly went to meet Chinmoy Krishna Das in jail.

Widespread protests have been taking place across Bangladesh and India, with people calling for the release of former ISCKON member Chinmoy Krishna Das.

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed the misuse of power and money to control the entire election mechanism, which was never before seen in any state assembly or national polls, was witnessed in Maharashtra.

Pawar made the statement when he visited senior activist Dr Baba Adhav, who is protesting against the alleged "misuse of EVMs" in the recent state polls in Maharashtra.

Adhav, who is in his 90s, began his three-day protest at Phule Wada, the residence of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in the city on Thursday.

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, the Congress, Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP-SP, have been alleging manipulation of EVMs in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections, which saw a landslide victory by the Mahayuti.

The Mahayuti, comprising the Shiv Sena, BJP and NCP, won 230 out of 288 assembly seats in the November 20 polls, while the MVA managed just 46 seats.

Talking to reporters, Pawar said while there is some truth to claims by some leaders about votes being added to EVMs, he did not have proof to corroborate them.

He said, "There is a murmur among the people that the recent polls in Maharashtra saw 'misuse of power' and 'floods of money', which was never seen in the past. Such things are heard of in local-level polls, but taking over the entire election mechanism with the help of money and misuse of power was not seen before. However, we witnessed it in Maharashtra, and people are restless now."

He added that people were recalling late socialist ideologue Jaiprakash Narayan and felt somebody should take a step forward.

"I heard Baba Adhav has taken a lead into this issue and is agitating at Phule Wada. His protest gives hope to the people, but it is not enough. A mass revolt is necessary, as the danger of the parliamentary democracy getting destroyed looms," Pawar said.

The former Union minister said those who have reins of the country in their hands are least bothered about this. -- PTI

A 45-year-old passenger fell to his death from an air-conditioned Uttar Pradesh roadways bus allegedly after he opened its door to spit 'pann' as the vehicle moved through the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place on the 93-km milestone of the expressway around 10.30 am when the bus was en route to Lucknow from Azamgarh.

"As the bus reached near Bihi village in the Baldirai police station area, a passenger opened the door of the moving bus to spit. He lost balance and fell onto the road, resulting in his death. He had opened the door to spit 'paan'," a police official said.

"The bus was stopped immediately, and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) officials along with the police were informed," the official said.

Baldirai Station House Officer (SHO) Dheeraj Kumar said that UPEIDA personnel rushed the victim to the local Community Health Centre via ambulance, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

"The deceased was identified as Ram Jiavan, a resident of Chinhat area in Lucknow. His wife, Savitri, was also travelling with him on the bus," Kumar said.

He added that the bus has been taken to the police station for further investigation and the body has been sent for post-mortem. -- PTI

16:46 Indian student shot dead at gas station in US

A youth from Khammam district of Telangana was shot dead by miscreants at a gas station in United States where he was working, family members said on Saturday.

Sai Teja Nukarapu (22) was shot at by the assailants in the gas station near Chicago in the early hours of Saturday Indian time, BRS MLC Madhusudan Thatha said, citing preliminary information received from the US.

The MLC, who called on the parents of the victim at their residence near Khammam, said Sai Teja was not on duty when the incident happened but helping a friend who asked him to stay on for some time. The friend had gone out on some work.

Sai Teja completed BBA in India and is pursuing MBA in US. One of the relatives of the victim told media persons that the deceased was doing a part-time job. It is sad to know that Sai Teja was shot dead when he stayed on at the place of work to help a friend, the relative said.

The MLC said he spoke to the members of Telugu Association of North America (TANA) for help in the incident. The body is expected to reach India next week. -- PTI

A case has been registered against Bollywood actor Sharad Kapoor for allegedly misbehaving with a woman and touching her inappropriately at his house in the western suburbs here, police said on Saturday.

The alleged incident occurred at the actor's residence in Khar earlier this week, an official said.

The 32-year-old woman, in her complaint, has alleged that Kapoor invited her to his house on the pretext of discussing a film shoot. He called her into his bedroom, behaved inappropriately and forcibly touched her, the official said.

He also allegedly sent the woman a message on WhatsApp using foul language after their meeting, he said.

The official said the woman claimed that she came in contact with the actor on Facebook and later communicated with him through video calls.

Based on a complaint, the police have registered a first information report (FIR) against Kapoor under sections 74 (using criminal force or assaulting a woman with the intention of outraging her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (insult the modesty of a woman through words, gestures, sounds, or any object), he said.

Further probe is underway, the official said.

Kapoor featured in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Josh, Kargil LOC and Lakshya. -- PTI

The Mumbai Police has invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOC) Act in Nationalist Congress Party politician Baba Siddique murder case, officials said on Saturday.

The crime branch has so far arrested 26 persons, including the alleged main shooter Shiv Kumar Gautam, in the case.

Provisions of stringent MCOCA are invoked in the Baba Siddique murder case, a Mumbai Police official said without elaborating.

It is important to note that confessions made to the police under MCOCA are admissible as evidence in court. It is also difficult to secure bail under the MCOCA.

Former Maharashtra minister Siddique, 66, was shot dead on October 12 by three assailants outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office building in Bandra East, Mumbai. -- PTI

Kolkata Police have arrested a Bangladeshi from a hotel in Kolkata for illegally entering India without any valid travel documents.

According to police sources, Selim Matubber was arrested from a hotel here on Friday, where he had provided fake identity documents.

Matturber claimed he was a former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) local leader and had arrived in Kolkata two years ago.

The police have registered a case against him under the Foreigners Act and sections related to cheating. He will be produced in court on Saturday.

During investigation, police seized a fake Aaadhaar card in the name of Rabi Sharma, which he had used to obtain a fake Indian passport. -- PTI

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that the "unnatural" verdict in Maharashtra, which saw Mahayuti winning big in assembly polls, has delayed the selection of chief minister for the last eight days.

Raut indicated that differences in Mahayuti forced caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde to go to his village in Satara district amidst the government formation efforts.

Notably, a key Mahayuti meeting scheduled on Friday was put off as Shinde headed to his native village, delaying government formation a week after poll results.

"Eight days have passed since results were declared but Maharashtra has not been able to get a CM. The caretaker CM (Eknath Shinde) has gone to his village. Why is this happening?...The results are unnatural and against the wishes of people. There are agitations all over the state," Raut said.

He alleged that a sudden rise in the number of votes cast in the last hours of polling was the "architect" of the Mahayuti's victory in Maharashtra and Haryana.

"76 lakh votes were polled from 5 pm to 11.30 pm (on November 20 in Maharashtra). What happened to these 76 lakh votes? Similarly, in Haryana, 14 lakh votes rose. This vote rise was the architect of Mahayuti's victory," Raut told reporters.

He said the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was studying the poll results and "technicalities" behind them. -- PTI

The Congress on Saturday took a swipe over the Ministry of External Affairs' statement that the Indian government is not part of the United States probe into Adani Group in any manner, asking how can this government be part of a probe into itself.

In the first official reaction after the industrialist was charged with alleged fraud by prosecutors in the United States, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is yet to receive any communication for cooperation in the case.

The Indian government is not part of the matter in any manner at this point of time, he said.

Tagging a media report on the remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The MEA spokesperson says that the Indian Government is not part of the US probe into the Adani Group. He has simply stated the obvious. How can this Government be part of a probe into itself?"

The MEA has said the indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani by the US prosecutors is a "legal matter" involving private firms, individuals and the US Department of Justice and that New Delhi was not informed about the case in advance.

"We see this as a legal matter involving private firms and individuals and the US Department of Justice. Obviously, there are established procedures and legal avenues in such cases, which we believe would be followed," Jaiswal said.

"The government of India was not informed in advance on the issue. We have not had any conversation with the US government on it," he added. -- PTI

The new government of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra will be formed on December 5 with Devendra Fadnavis emerging as the frontrunner to become the next chief minister, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said on Saturday.

In the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, retained power, pocketing a whopping 230 of the 288 assembly seats.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 132 seats, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 and NCP with 41 seats.

However, even after the announcement of poll results on November 23, no decision has been made on who will be the chief minister. Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar met BJP president J P Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah late Thursday to thrash out a power-sharing pact for the next government in Maharashtra.

A key Mahayuti meeting scheduled on Friday was put off and likely to take place on Sunday now as caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde headed to his native village in Satara district, delaying government formation.

The BJP leader, who did not wish to be quoted, said the swearing-in of the new government will take place on December 5.

The Election Commission on Saturday asserted that all poll procedures it followed in Maharashtra were transparent and assured that it would review all legitimate concerns flagged by the Congress, which alleged serious inconsistencies.

In its interim response to the party, the poll authority invited a Congress delegation on December 3 to discuss concerns expressed by it.

The Congress on Friday raised with the Election Commission "serious and grave inconsistencies" which it said were being revealed in the data relating to the polling and counting processes for the recently-concluded Maharashtra Assembly polls and sought an in-person hearing to present relevant evidence.

In the response, the EC reiterated that the process was transparent with the involvement of candidates or their agents at every stage.

The commission also assured of a review of the Congress' legitimate concerns and a written response after hearing the party's delegation in person.

It asserted that a transparent electoral roll updation process was undertaken with the involvement of all political parties.

Responding to the issue regarding the voter turnout data, the EC asserted that there was no discrepancy in it and the data was available with all candidates polling station-wise and is verifiable. -- PTI

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday appealed to the Bangladesh interim government to ensure the atrocities on the Hindus are stopped and ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das is released from jail immediately.

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in a statement also appealed to the Indian government to continue its efforts to stop the atrocities on the Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and take necessary steps to build global opinion in its support "as soon as possible".

"The attacks, murders, looting, arson as well as inhuman atrocities by Islamic fundamentalists on Hindus, women and all other minorities in Bangladesh are extremely worrying and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh condemns this," he said.

Instead of stopping this, the present Bangladesh government and other agencies are only silent spectators, Hosabale said.

"Out of helplessness, a new phase of injustice and atrocities seems to be emerging against the Hindus of Bangladesh to suppress the voice raised by them in a democratic way for self-defense," the RSS general secretary said.

"It is unjust for the Bangladesh government to send ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is leading the Hindus in such peaceful demonstrations, to jail," he added

Bangladesh Police earlier on Monday arrested International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka while he was travelling to Chittagong.

"The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh appeals to the Bangladesh government to ensure that the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh stop immediately and release Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das from imprisonment," Hosabale said.

"The RSS also appeals to the Indian government to continue its efforts to stop the atrocities on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and take necessary steps as soon as possible to build global opinion in its support," he added. -- PTI

Over 150 two-wheelers were destroyed in a fire that broke out at a parking stand in Varanasi's Cantt railway station, officials said on Saturday.

There were no reports of any casualties.

The incident took place on Friday night when the fire erupted near the platform one parking stand, according to railway officials.

Upon receiving information about the incident, teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) along with the fire department rushed to the spot to douse the flames, they said.

The blaze was brought under control but over 150 vehicles were reduced to ashes, they added.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager Lalji Chaudhary expressed regret over the incident.

He said that the parking stand was set up for railway employees and because of the fire there has been a lot of damage.

There has been no loss of life of any kind in the fire, Chaudhary said, adding that a committee has been formed to investigate the matter. -- PTI

Heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds pounded several parts of northern Tamil Nadu on Saturday, affecting normalcy, as cyclonic storm Fengal, expected to make landfall near Puducherry later in the day, continued moving towards the coast.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin reviewed the situation at the State Emergency Operations Centre with top officials and later told reporters that all precautionary measures have already been taken and camps have been set up for people of vulnerable areas and food was also being distributed to them. Also, the Chief Minister inspected a pumping station.

Greater Chennai Corporation authorities said 22,000 personnel including engineers, officials and sanitary workers were on the job and a total of 1,686 motor pumps of various capacities including 25-hp and 100-hp were in use. As many as 484 tractor-mounted heavy-duty pumps and 137 pumps of 100-hp capacity have been deployed.

The GCC said work was on in a 'war footing' to clear waterlogging in 134 spots and out of the 9 trees that fell, 5 have been cleared. Out of the 22 subways, traffic flow is smooth in 21 of them. The Ganesapuram subway had already been closed for tasks related to railway bridge work.

Reservoirs that cater to the city's drinking water needs such as Chembarmbakkam and Poondi received copious inflow.

Many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their cars on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover.

Residents of similar vulnerable areas too parked their vehicles in safe areas. Roads were largely deserted and civic workers, police, and fire and rescue personnel, deployed in vulnerable places performed rain-related relief/rescue tasks. -- PTI

Businessman Raj Kundra, whose premises were raided by the Enforcement Directorate on Friday, has requested the media to "respect boundaries" and not drag his wife, actor Shilpa Shetty's name into "unrelated matters".

The ED raided the premises of Kundra and some others as part of a money laundering case linked to alleged distribution of pornographic and adult movies, official sources said.

Kundra said unlike media reports, he was "fully complying" with the ongoing investigation that has been unfolding for the last four years.

In his first public statement after the raids in an Instagram Story, the entrepreneur said: "As for the claims of 'associates', 'pornographic' and 'money laundering', let's just say that no amount of sensationalism will cloud the truth, in the end, justice will prevail!"

"A note to the media: It's unacceptable to repeatedly drag my wife's name into unrelated matters. Please respect the boundaries!!! #ED," he added in the post shared on Friday night.

Shetty, who tied the knot with Kundra in 2009, is yet to comment on the raids.

Previously, Shetty's lawyer Prashant Patil told PTI that the action was not against the actor and Kudra was "cooperating in the investigation for the truth to come out." -- PTI

The Punjab police arrested two people after eight sophisticated pistols smuggled into the country from Pakistan were found in their possession, a top officer said on Saturday.

They were held from Nurpur Padhri in Amritsar, director general of police Gaurav Yadav said.

"In a major blow to illegal arms smuggling networks, Counter Intelligence, Amritsar apprehends 2 persons from Nurpur Padhri, near Gharinda, Amritsar while they were waiting for another operative to handover the weapon consignment smuggled from Pakistan," Yadav said in a post on X.

A case under the Arms Act has been registered in Amritsar, the police said, adding that investigations were underway to establish backward and forward linkages.

The police said it recovered eight sophisticated weapons -- four Glock pistols (made in Austria), two Turkiye 9mm pistols and two X-Shot Zigana pistols, along with 10 rounds. -- PTI

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11:10 Manipur: 8 arrested over attacks on police station, MLAs' residences

Eight people have been arrested in connection with attacks on a police station and residences of MLAs in strife-torn Manipur, a police statement said on Saturday.

One person, identified as 20-year-old Chongtham Thoicha, who hails from Kiyam Mamang Leikai in Patsoi police station area in Imphal West district, was arrested on Thursday in connection with arson at the properties of elected representatives on November 16, it said.

Also, seven people were arrested on Thursday for attacking Kakching police station and its personnel on November 27.

"The attack was carried out to demand the release of four persons arrested on November 16 for vandalising properties of an elected member," it said.

The houses of several MLAs were vandalised in Imphal Valley by irate mobs after the bodies of six women and children belonging to the Meitei community were found in rivers.

The civilians were abducted allegedly by Kuki militants following a gunfight with security forces in Jiribam district on November 11.

Ten Kuki insurgents were also killed in the gun-battle.

More than 250 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year. -- PTI

In a bid to maintain peace and order in the district, the Sambhal district administration on Saturday prohibited the entry of outsiders till December 10.

"No outsider, any social organisation or any public representative can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10," Sambhal district magistrate Rajendra Pensiya in a statement issued in Sambhal.

The move assumes significance as it came on a day when a 15-member delegation of the Samajwadi Party was to visit Sambhal to gather information about the violence that broke out after a survey in the Shahi Jama Masjid complex.

Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh assembly Mata Prasad Pandey, who was to lead the 15-member SP delegation, told reporters outside his residence in Lucknow that home secretary Sanjay Prasad had called him up and requested him to not visit Sambhal.

"The DM Sambhal had also called me up telling me that the ban on entry of outsiders has been extended till December 10. So I will now visit the party office and discuss the issue before deciding on our next action," said Pandey.

"The government perhaps wanted to prevent me to hide its wrongs in Sambhal as our visit would have exposed its several mistakes," he added.

Heavy security was deployed outside Pandey's residence since Friday night. -- PTI

Veteran actress Meenakshi Seshadri will perform during the ongoing International Gita Mahotsav in Kurukshetra on December 11, officials said on Friday.

The popular actress of yesteryears also released a video clip announcing her participation in the festival, a Haryana government statement said, adding that Seshadri and her troupe will perform a play on Draupadi based on the Mahabharata on December 11.

The schedule for the cultural programmes to be held from December 5 to 11 at the Brahmasarovar Purushottampura Bagh in Kurukshetra has been finalised, it said.

The festival being celebrated from November 28 to December 15 has roped in Tanzania as the partner country and Odisha as the partner state this year.

As part of the celebrations, renowned personalities from the film industry have been invited to perform at the Mahotsav, the statement said.

On December 5, artistes from Tanzania and Haryana will present a choreography performance on the main stage, it added.

"On December 7, actor Ashutosh Rana and his team will present the play Hamare Ram. On December 8, artistes from the North Zone Cultural Centre will perform, while on December 9, artist Manisha will present a sand art exhibition based on the Mahabharata, followed by a poetry session by Kumar Vishwas and others," the statement said. -- PTI

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10:36 4 militants arrested in Manipur, arms recovered

Four militants belonging to two banned outfits have been arrested in Manipur for possession of firearms and involvement in extortion, a police statement said on Saturday.

Three militants belonging to the Kangleipak Communist Party (Peoples' War Group) outfit were arrested on Thursday for possessing firearms and extorting people, it said.

They have been identified as Chongtham Shyamchandra Singh (23), hailing from Imphal West district, and Maibam Suraj Khan (32) and Boghimayum Sahid Khan (30), who hail from Imphal East district.

Three 5.56 mm INSAS live cartridges, an empty case of .32 ammunition and three mobile phones were seized from their possession.

In another incident, a militant belonging to the banned United National Liberation Front (Ningon Macha group) was arrested on Thursday for illegal possession of firearms.

The arrested militant was identified as Sangomshumpham Warish (25), who hails from Lilong Haorou in Thoubal district.

A .32 pistol and ammunition were seized from his possession, it added.

Meanwhile, security forces seized arms and ammunition during an area domination exercise in S Mongpi ridge in Kangpokpi district on Thursday.

A .303 rifle, a 9mm pistol, two SBBL guns, a 5.56mm INSAS LMG magazine, two hand grenades, two detonators, 16 cartridges and three tear smoke grenades were seized, it added. -- PTI

Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde/File image

10:17 Should get home portfolio in new govt: Sena leader

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday insisted that the party must get the crucial home department in the new Maharashtra government and claimed attempts were being made to sideline caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Talking to PTI, Shirsat said considering Shinde's positive image and the schemes he rolled out, he would have contributed more if he had gotten two and half years more as the CM.

"The home department should be with the party (Shiv Sena). The department is (usually) with the deputy chief minister. It would not be right if the chief minister heads the home department," said the MLA who represents the Aurangabad West assembly seat.

Devendra Fadnavis holds the home portfolio in the outgoing government.

Shirsat's remarks indicate fissures that have developed among Mahayuti allies, the BJP, Shiv Sena and the NCP, who put up a stellar performance in the recently held Maharashtra state polls by winning 230 out of 288 assembly seats.

BJP won 132 seats, followed by its allies Shiv Sena (57) and NCP (41). -- PTI

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10:09 AQI in Delhi continues to remain 'very poor'

The air quality in the national capital Delhi continued to remain in the 'very poor' category for the third day in a row, as the AQI was recorded as 349 as per the Central Pollution Control Board on Saturday as of 7 am.

AQI in different areas of Delhi were recorded as 351 at Alipur, 351 at Burari crossing, 377 at DTU, 328 at ITO as per CPCB data.

Visuals from Connaught Place, India Gate, and Anand Vihar showed a thick blanket of smog covering the whole area.

Residents suffering from the drastically increasing pollution levels said that the government's intervention could help resolve several issues.

"The pollution is a lot; we are not able to breathe properly. The government needs to do something about this. The situations are worse for the elderly people and the labourers who are not able to work because of the current situations," said a cyclist near the India Gate.

Another pedestrian said that the government should attempt to make a transformation to EV cars and learn better technologies for stubble burning.

"The government should work on the vehicles and try to shift the current transportation to EV cars. The government should also learn about better technologies for stubble burning," said the pedestrian. -- ANI

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

09:51 TMC MLA apologises for claiming 'coterie' remark on Mamata

Trinamool Congress MLA Humayun Kabir has apologised to the party's leadership for his recent comment that a "coterie" was influencing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's key decisions.

Kabir, the MLA of Bharatpur in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, expressed his apology on Friday in reply to a show cause notice issued by the party's disciplinary committee.

"Yes, I have sent a reply. I will certainly follow party discipline. But I think being a person from the rural belt, not conversant with the ways of the city, I faced this situation for speaking my mind. However, I had not said anything against my party or its leadership," he told reporters.

"Our CM epitomises the spirit of 'Maa-Mati-Manush' and being a person of the grassroots level, I always stay rooted to the ground. Maybe I should have been more careful about my way of expressing," he said.

A senior member of the TMC's legislative disciplinary committee said the reply to the show cause letter was received, and a decision on it will be communicated soon.

Kabir, however, said some other TMC MPs had on earlier occasions made comments against party colleagues but were not censured.

On Thursday, he met the CM in the assembly's lobby where she had asked him to reply to the show-cause notice first. -- PTI

09:28 Tight security in Sambhal amid tension

The security deployment in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district continued for the sixth consecutive day on Saturday amid tensions over the Shahi Jama Masjid Survey.

As per party sources, a delegation of the Samajwadi Party is likely to visit Sambhal on Saturday.

The stone-pelting incident that escalated into violence over the survey team on November 24 claimed the lives of 4 and injured many, including officials and locals.

UP Governor Anandiben Patel has constituted a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission to be headed by Justice Devendra Kumar Arora (Retired), Allahabad high court, to probe the stone-pelting incident in Sambhal. -- ANI

A view of the rough sea at Devanampattinam beach in Tamil Nadu/ANI on X

09:20 Heavy rains lash TN as 'Fengal' nears coastline

What began as intermittent rainfall in coastal regions on the night of November 29, gradually became steady leading to water logging in several areas and many residents of low-lying Madipakkam parked their vehicles on both sides of nearby Velachery flyover.

Residents of similar vulnerable areas too parked their vehicles in safe areas.

Roads were largely deserted and civic workers, police, and fire and rescue personnel were deployed in all vulnerable places.

Departure and arrival schedule of flights were affected to some extent. Chennai Metro Rail said its services were operational without any glitches and informed public of parking areas in specific stations that were prone to inundation.

State-run transport corporations operated skeleton services in Chennai and nearby areas.

As the sea was pretty rough, police put up barricades blocking access to noted beaches including the Marina and Mamallapuram.

State-run Aavin milk supply was not affected and power supply continued to be normal in most areas.

The government had already declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and requested IT firms to make their employees work from home. -- PTI

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09:05 RG Kar irregularities: CBI files chargesheet, not accepted by court

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with the RG Kar Hospital financial irregularities in which it has named former principal of the medical establishment Sandip Ghosh as the prime accused, an official said.

The Special CBI court at Alipore in Kolkata, however, did not accept the chargesheet as the official approval required to file a chargesheet against any state government employee was not available, he said.

In the 100-odd page chargesheet, the central probe agency has also named four others who were arrested for alleged involvement in the irregularities, he said.

"Apart from Ghosh (who has been suspended), the chargesheet includes the names of the other four arrested accused - Biplab Singh, Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra and Ashish Pandey. The CBI has also attached at least 1,000 pages of documents in support of their investigation of the case," the officer told PTI.

Another official said: "The West Bengal government needs to approve a chargesheet that has the name of its employee before it is submitted in the court. In this case, the approval has not yet come."

Both Ghosh and Pandey are doctors of the state-run hospital.

The chargesheet was filed almost three months after Ghosh was arrested on September 2 in connection with the financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which grabbed national headlines after the body of an on-duty medic was found in the seminar room in August.

It has been alleged that the financial fraud was underway at the hospital for over three years.

During this period, tenders were rigged while purchasing medical equipment for the hospital, and Ghosh allegedly helped his close associates to bag the tenders. -- PTI

A man was arrested in West Bengal's Darjeeling district with confidential DRDO documents and a large quantity of radioactive materials, the police said on Friday.

The accused was identified as Francis Ekka.

He is the husband of Amrita Ekka, a Trinamool Congress leader of Naxalbari Panchayat Samiti.

The arrest was made from Belgachi village in Naxalbari block on November 26 in a joint raid by the Army and the West Bengal police, a police officer said.

"We found several confidential DRDO documents and a large quantity of radioactive Californium in his possession. The accused person failed to give any clear answer as to why those materials were with him," the said.

The market value of a gram of the seized material could be around Rs 17 crore, he claimed.

"The accused has been charged with smuggling sensitive DRDO documents and radioactive materials. He may have links to foreign organisations. He is being interrogated," the officer said.

The police sealed the house from where the radioactive materials were seized, he added. -- PTI

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08:07 Cyclone 'Fengal' likely to make landfall today near Puducherry

Cyclonic storm 'Fengal' over Bay of Bengal is likely to make a landfall on Saturday afternoon, close to Puducherry, with wind speed upto 90 kmph, the India meteorological department said on Friday.

Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places is expected in north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The IMD said the deep depression intensified into cyclonic storm With Fengal (pronounced as Feinjal) all set to cross coast, the Tamil Nadu government appealed to people to stay indoors and declared November 30 a holiday for educational institutions and IT companies were requested to allow employees to work from home.

Public transport has been suspended on the East Coast Road and Old Mahabalipuram Road in Chennai, which is close to the shoreline.

Minister for revenue and disaster management KKSSR Ramachandran held a meet at the state emergency operations centre in Chennai with senior officials to review preparatory and relief measures.

An official release said: "Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority urges the general public to avoid visiting beaches, amusement parks and attending recreational events. The general public are requested to cooperate fully with the disaster prevention measures taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu."

Also, construction companies were asked to take precautionary measures to ensure that equipment, machinery does not fall down. -- PTI

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00:19 Drunk man rams car into police barricades in Mumbai to flee 'nakabandi'

A man allegedly under the influence of alcohol rammed his car into barricades put up as part of a police 'nakabandi' and also hit other vehicles in a bid to escape checking, an official said on Friday.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday at Gokhale bridge on Western Express Highway in Andheri East, the official said.

"Accused Devpriya Nishank (32) was driving his high-end car in an inebriated condition. The woman occupant of his car had also consumed liquor. After noticing a nakabandi ahead, he rammed his car into the barricades we had put up and then hit three other vehicles. Police personnel on the spot and passersby gave chase and forced him to halt his car," the official said.

"He was not opening the door of the car so people broke open the glass. He was also thrashed by the mob that gathered. Nishank was detained for medical examination. He is a businessman staying in Worli," the official said. -- PTI

Spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das

00:11 3 Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh

Three Hindu temples were vandalised by a slogan-shouting mob on Friday in Bangladesh's Chattogram which has witnessed protests and violence since a former ISKCON member was booked under sedition charges.

The attack took place around 2:30 pm in the port city's Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shoni Temple, and the Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, news portal BDNews24.com reported.

"A group of several hundred slogan-shouting people threw brickbats at the temples, damaging the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two temples," the news portal quoted temple authorities as saying.

Kotwali police station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack, saying that assailants attempted to damage the temples.

The police, however, said the damage to the temples was minimal after the confrontation between the two sides, with both groups throwing brickbats at each other, it added.

Tapan Das, a permanent member of the Shantineshwari Main Temple management committee, told bdnews24.com: "A procession of hundreds arrived after the Juma prayers. They started shouting anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans. We did not obstruct the attackers. When the situation worsened, we called the army, who arrived quickly and helped restore order. All the temple gates were closed before noon. The miscreants arrived unprovoked and carried out the attack."

Spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of International Society of Krishna Consciousness of Bangladesh, was arrested in connection with a sedition case on Monday and denied bail on Tuesday.

It triggered protests by Hindu community members in various locations in Bangladesh, including in the capital Dhaka and Chattogram. -- PTI

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