Trinamool Used Chopper For Campaigning On 521 Occasions, BJP 124 Times

The maximum use of helicopters for campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal was done by the Trinamool Congress, according to the records of the Election Commission of India.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that helicopters were used for campaigning by the Trinamool leaders on 521 occasions.

The BJP, which is the principal opposition party in the state, used choppers for campaigning on 124 occasions.

While the Congress used helicopters only twice, the constituents of the Left Front didn't use choppers for campaigning.

Interestingly, there have been two instances when helicopters were used by Independent candidates for campaigning.

Sources in the CEO's office said that West Bengal tops all other states in terms of the number of campaign-related programmes, including election meetings and roadshows.

The CEO's office received as many as 1,19,276 applications for conducting campaign-related programmes, out of which 95,000 were approved.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Case Against Gujarat BJP MLA's Son For Assaulting Student Leader: Cops

A case of attempt to murder was registered against Gujarat BJP MLA Geetaba Jadeja's son Ganesh Jadeja and others here on Friday for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a local NSUI leader, police said.

As complainant Sanjay Solanki, city unit chief of the National Students' Union of India, a Congress-affiliated organisation, is a Dalit, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act too was invoked.

"The incident took place in the early hours of Friday. We have registered an FIR against Ganesh Jadeja and his men. No one has been arrested yet," said inspector V J Savaj of Junagadh A Division police station.

As per the First Information Report, 26-year-old Solanki asked Jadeja to drive carefully on Thursday night when the latter's car passed too close to Solanki's two-wheeler in Kalva Chowk area.

Angered, Jadeja and his associates followed Solanki to his residence on Datar Road but left after Solanki's father, who knew Jadeja, intervened.

When Solanki went out on his two-wheeler early in the morning, a car with Ganesh Jadeja's men in it allegedly rammed it from behind around 3:00 am. As Solanki fell to the ground, five men stepped out, allegedly beat him with sticks, and put him in the car.

He was taken to Jadeja's residence in Gondal where Ganesh and others mercilessly thrashed him and asked him to quit the NSUI, the complainant said.

In the morning, the accused dropped Solanki at Bhesan crossroads, the FIR said.

Geetaba Jadeja represents Gondal constituency in Rajkot district.

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Will Go To Supreme Court To Get Delhi's Share Of Water From Haryana: Atishi

The Delhi government will approach the Supreme Court over Haryana not releasing the capital's share of water, which has led to a crisis, Water Minister Atishi said today.

Addressing a press conference, Atishi said Delhi is staring at an "emergency" and announced many measures to tackle the crisis, including banning the use of drinking water for washing cars and at construction sites.

The government held an emergency meeting over the water crisis that the city is facing amid a heatwave.

"We are going to the Supreme Court so that the court tells Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, from where Delhi's water comes, that Delhiites should get their rightful share of water. Apart from this, many emergency measures are being taken by the Delhi government," Atishi said.

She said a central water tanker control room is being set up in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and will be monitored by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

"There will be a central command and control centre. Any Delhi resident who wants a water tanker should dial 1916. From 1916, the request will go to our water tanker war room and from there, tankers will be provided to places where there is a shortage of water supply," the minister added.

She said from June 5, an ADM-level officer and an SDM-level officer will be stationed in each of the 11 water zones of the national capital.

"Why June 5? Because all the ADMs and SDMs are busy with election duty. These officers will form a quick response team. Wherever there are water-shortage hotspots, these ADMs, SDMs and their tehsildars will be fully available to deliver tankers and solve the problem," Atishi explained.

She added that a special team of the DJB's electrical department is being formed and it will work round the clock to ensure that no borewell is damaged or dysfunctional.

"We had announced on Wednesday itself that we are forming 200 enforcement teams of the DJB, which will check the wastage of water. A senior IAS officer is being appointed to head these teams. He will monitor these 200 teams and the challans issued by them," the minister said.

Further elaborating on the measures, she said there will be a complete ban on the use of potable water at construction sites, whether it comes from tankers, pipelines or borewells.

"If any construction site is found using potable water, it will be sealed by the MCD," she said.

Atishi said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) reinforcement teams will start visiting construction sites from Friday morning.

"There are many car-repair and car-wash centres that use potable water supplied by the DJB via the drinking water pipeline. The use of drinking water to wash cars and at car-repair centres is being completely banned.

"From Friday, DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) teams will be on the ground to inspect car wash and car service centres. If any such centre is found using drinking water, it will be sealed immediately," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.

Delhi is "going through an emergency situation", she said while attributing it to the heatwave in the national capital and Haryana not releasing water from the Yamuna River.

"We appeal to Delhiites to cooperate with the government. Use as little water as possible, do not waste water. Only when all Delhiites come together, we will be able to face this crisis," Atishi said.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the health and water departments will play the most important role during this heatwave.

"But the health department's secretary and the CEO of the DJB have gone on leave without informing their ministers and without taking permission from them.

"We do not even know the reason why they have taken leave. The people of Delhi should be our priority. The chief secretary told Thursday's meeting that he has given leave to both of them. The chief secretary is giving leave to the head of such an important department on his own without informing the minister. This is surprising and unfortunate," he said.

Bharadwaj said they will tell the apex court that if there is any possibility of getting water from the neighbouring states, the states should provide water to Delhi for a few days.

"If we get at least 50 MGD (million gallons per day) water in the Wazirabad pond, it will provide some relief," he said.

The capital is facing a water shortage due to unprecedented summer heat, with temperatures hovering around the 50-degree Celsius mark in parts of the city.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Sharad Pawar Leader Tears BR Ambedkar's Poster, Later Apologises

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad apologised today for tearing posters denouncing the Manusmriti that also had a picture of Dr BR Ambedkar.

The rival Nationalist Congress Party headed by Ajit Pawar targeted him over the incident and demanded that he be arrested, while the BJPsaid it would stage protests in Maharashtra over the issue.

Mr Awhad, a former state minister, was taking part in a protest at Mahad in Raigad district against the state government's alleged plans to introduce some verses from the Manusmriti in the school curriculum.

The ancient text supported the caste system and denigrated women, he said earlier, asking people to oppose the decision.

But a new controversy erupted when videos of the protest showed him tearing up a stack of posters that also had Dr Ambedkar's picture on them.

NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil demanded that Mr Awhad be arrested for insulting Dr Ambedkar.

Mr Awhad was responsible for "spoiling the social environment in the country and state by performing the stunt of burning the Manusmriti in Mahad," Mr Patil alleged, seeking to know what action NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar would take against his party's leader.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said his party would stage protests against the former minister on Thursday.

In a video statement later, Mr Awhad said party workers brought posters denouncing the Manusmriti which had Dr Ambedkar's photograph. "I tore them without realizing this. I apologise publicly," he said.

Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said two days ago that verses from the Manusmriti were not part of the curriculum in the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Shashi Tharoor's Request To PM After Payal Kapadia's Big Win At Cannes

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he hailed director Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival, asking if India is proud of her, shouldn't his government immediately withdraw the "cases" against her and fellow FTII students.

Last week, Ms Kapadia became the first Indian woman filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award, the second highest honour at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, for her Malayalam-Hindi feature film "All We Imagine As Light". Following the win, PM Modi had said the country is proud of her.

Back in 2015, Ms Kapadia was one of the protesting students who went on strike to oppose actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as the chairperson of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

In a post on X, Mr Tharoor said, "Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government's arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman?"

Modi ji, if India is proud of her, should your government not immediately #WithdrawTheCases against her and fellow FTII students protesting against your government's arbitrary appointment of an unqualified Chairman? https://t.co/BmZNifLLj9 pic.twitter.com/psZMwSADnn

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 28, 2024

Mr Tharoor's remarks came in response to PM Modi's post on X on May 26 in which he wrote, "India is proud of Payal Kapadia for her historic feat of winning the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her work 'All We Imagine as Light'. An alumnus of FTII, her remarkable talent continues to shine on the global stage, giving a glimpse of the rich creativity in India. This prestigious accolade not only honours her exceptional skills but also inspires a new generation of Indian filmmakers."

According to protesting students in 2015, Mr Chauhan did not match the vision and stature of past chairmen of the FTII governing council, and his appointment appeared "politically coloured".

During the 139-day strike, the students had also allegedly gheraoed and confined the then FTII director Prashant Pathrabe in his office over some academic issues. This had led to the police entering the campus and arresting some of the protesters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Two Dead As Car Overturns En Route To Kota Coaching Center

A car carrying seven members of an extended family from Madhya Pradesh overturned after crashing killing two persons and injuring five, police said.

The family were heading to Kota for the admission of two persons -- also in the car -- in a coaching institute when around 11.30 am, the accident happened near Anta town on the national highway, Circle Inspector at Baran Sadar Police Station Chuttan Lal said.

One person has sustained critical injuries is under treatment at Baran district hospital while others in the car suffered minor injuries and were discharged after primary medical care, Anta circle DSP Sheoram said.

Kesrilal Dhakad (55) and Jagdish Dhakad (43), both cousins and residents of Fatehgarh in MP, died in the accident, police said.

The car reportedly went out of control in an attempt to save a motorbike rider on the wrong side on the highway and rammed into divider and overturned, the CO said.

Police said the two bodies were handed over to family members after post-mortem. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Centre Allocates Rs 200 Crore To Tackle Waterlogging In Thiruvananthapuram

The union government has offered Rs 200 crore to Kerala under the Urban Mitigation Programme for the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, which witnessed waterlogging during the recent pre-monsoon showers.

This was informed by Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Develpment, Electronics & Technology and the BJP's Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha candidate, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, through a social media post.

In a post on 'X', Mr Chandrasekhar urged the Left government in Kerala to submit the proposal for Thiruvananthapuram to the Centre by the end of this month.

"In yet another gesture of extending helping hand to #Kerala, PM @narendramodiji's Govt offers assistance for Rs 200 Cr project under the Urban Flood Mitigation Programme for #Thiruvananthapuram.

In yet another gesture of extending helping hand to #Kerala, PM @narendramodi ji's Govt offers assistance for Rs 200 Cr project under the Urban Flood Mitigation Programme for #Thiruvananthapuram.

The @pinarayivijayan government must now act - by submitting a proposal for… pic.twitter.com/jweqOkWx6E

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar ??(Modiyude Kutumbam) (@Rajeev_GoI) May 26, 2024

"The @pinarayivijayan government must now act - by submitting a proposal for Thiruvananthapuram. The deadline for this proposal is the end of May'24," he wrote.

Mr Chandrasekhar said this programme aims to solve the problem of floods caused by heavy rains, "which wreak havoc on the people of Thiruvananthapuram."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Congress Yet To Properly Apologise For Operation Bluestar: Hardeep Puri

Union Minister for Urban Housing, Petroleum, and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said Congress is yet to apologise properly for Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple - the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, even after 40 years.

Addressing the media on the occasion of the release of the BJP's "Chandigarh Manifesto", the Union Minister said Congress was responsible for the massacre of Sikhs after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

Hardeep Puri said Congress had been calling it anti-Sikh riots. But it was a massacre and "not a riot because, in a riot, two sides are involved. In the massacre, only one community, i.e. Sikhs were targeted".

The Union Minister also ridiculed the Congress' promise of putting Rs 1 lakh in the bank accounts of a woman of every family.

"This will be a drain of around Rs 32 lakh crore and is practically impossible to implement. It was clear that the Congress was trying to push a false narrative. AAP's scheme of supplying 300 units of free electricity was also part of the same 'revdi' culture about which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had frequently spoken.

"PM Modi believes good governance is good politics," Mr Puri added.

The Union Minister also targeted Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal over the corruption charges.

Under PM Modi-led government, there has been a manifold increase in capital expenditure which in turn has led to a spurt in the economic growth rate of the country, he said, adding: "The Indian economy now occupies the fifth place in the world and will soon become the third largest economy in the world."

Hardeep Puri also said Chandigarh was among the top cities not just in India but in the world and must be represented in the Parliament by a person of the calibre of Sanjay Tandon, who was familiar with the city's ethos and problems.

Referring to a suggestion that India should open trade with Pakistan, Hardeep Puri said Pakistan had been using terrorism against India as an instrument of state policy.

"India has sent a clear message to Pakistan that it would not accept terrorism and that it would kill terrorists in their homes," he added.

Punjab will go to the polls for its 13 Parliamentary seats along with the lone Chandigarh seat on June 1.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Families Struggle To Identify Their Babies Killed In Delhi Hospital Fire

“Allah ko pyaari ho gayi meri beti," said a father, whose 11-day-old daughter died in the massive fire in a Delhi childcare hospital. In the aftermath of the devastating fire that killed seven newborn babies, families are struggling to identify their children.

Meanwhile, three of the six of the families are reliving the trauma of losing their child.

Ruhi, a 17-day-old baby, was admitted to the hospital two days ago due to a fever and died in the fire. Her mother said, "Yesterday I met my baby, and this morning, we received information about the fire. Since then, we have been trying to find out about her." "We admitted her to this hospital to improve her health but we didn't know that this hospital would take away our only child," she said.

"They removed all her necklaces, including her 'Najar ki mala'. When they took her in, she was just wearing a diaper," she said.  Ruhi was born on May 10, and her family lives in Karkardooma.

A fire broke out at Baby Care New Born Hospital around 11:30 PM on Saturday, officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said. The blaze quickly spread to two adjacent buildings, requiring 16 fire engines. Three buildings were affected by the fire.

"Allah ko pyaari ho gayi meri beti," said a father, whose 11-day-old daughter had not yet been identified.

"My daughter was born on May 15 at another hospital. They asked us to keep her in the childcare hospital for 72 hours for observation. After that, we admitted her to the childcare hospital, where she had been for the last 10 days," he said.

"My friends called and told me that there was a blast at the childcare hospital in Delhi where my daughter was. When I found out and came here, I learned that my daughter had passed away," he said.

Meanwhile, three families among the six of them have lost children before and are reliving the ordeal after their newborn babies died in the fire. Masialam, a labourer and a father of one of the fire victims had lost a son five years ago. “I have lost my newborn son. What kind of facilities do they have? You can ask the parents who have sold their jewellery or took money on interest for the treatment of their kids. I am a labourer and after finding out that the child, who was born in Manglam Hospital, had an infection, we admitted him to this hospital. I have a three-year-old daughter and lost a son around five years back.” 

Parvinder Kumar, the relative of another fire victim, said, “We have not even informed the mother yet.”  Kumar said, “This was the first child of my relative, Pawan Kumar. We have no idea how the incident unfolded. The girl was born around six days ago at a hospital in Ghaziabad and was admitted to the care centre the same day. 

"She was having breathing issues when she was born and was showing improvement in the care centre. Our relative called us around 9 am and informed us about the incident. The negligence was on the hospital's part. Strict action must be taken against its owner,” Parvinder said.  

He further stated that they are farmers and belong to the Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh. Hritik Chaudhary, whose newborn son also died in the fire, said that every single official who is visiting the hospital is tight-lipped. They have no answer if the hospital was legal, or whether the hospital had an NOC from the fire department.  Chaudhary's cousin, Robin said that nobody informed them about the incident and they came to the spot after watching the news.

The confusion and lack of information left many families in despair when they reached the hospital.  After the incident, District Magistrate (DM), Shahdara, Ritisha Gupta also reached the GTB Hospital. Many families stood outside and raised slogans, ‘Humein Insaaf Chahiye (we want justice)". 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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North-South Divide Has Ended In These Elections: Rajnath Singh To NDTV

Exuding confidence about the BJP doing well in the south, where it had managed to secure only 29 of 130 seats in the 2019 polls, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said there won't be any state in the region where the party would not win at least a few seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP has never won a Lok Sabha seat in Kerala and had failed to open its account in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in 2019 despite winning 303 of the country's 543 constituencies and sweeping several states.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, the senior BJP leader also said the perceived north-south divide in terms of how people in the regions vote has ended in these elections because the belief in Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened across the country.

To a question on how the party would meet its target of winning 370 seats on its own and 400 for the NDA alliance given that it won 100% of the constituencies in places like Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi last time, Mr Singh said other states, especially those in the south would help them get to the figure.

"I don't think there will be any state in the south where the BJP will not win at least a few seats... In Uttar Pradesh, we had won 62 seats last time and we are confident of getting at least 75 seats... These numbers can vary by one or two," the minister said in Hindi.

Mr Singh asserted that the party not only has a presence in Tamil Nadu now but is also in a position to win a few seats there. 

"I have been campaigning during elections for a long time but the response I have seen in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh this time has been unprecedented. In Andhra Pradesh, I believe we should win nearly 20 out of 25 seats as part of the alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)," he claimed. 

The YSR Congress had won 22 out of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh in the last Lok Sabha elections and the remaining seats had gone to the TDP. The BJP is contesting the polls in an alliance with the party and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party this time around. 

Figure Dipping In Karnataka?

In 2019, the BJP's seats in the south had come from only two states - Karnataka, the only state in the region where it has consistently done well, and Telangana. It had bagged 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka - while the Congress just won one - and four out of 17 in Telangana. 

Both Karnataka and Telangana have Congress governments now, and when Mr Singh was asked about surveys indicating that the party would win more seats in Karnataka than the BJP this time, he scoffed and said there is no question of that happening. 

"That can't even be imagined. Maybe there will be a difference of two or three seats but we cannot even imagine that our seats will be reduced so much and the Congress will overtake us. Our figure will increase in Telangana as well. It is after considering all of these things that I said the BJP is heading towards fulfilling its resolve of winning 400 seats," he asserted.

The defence minister also said the north-south divide will end after these elections.

"The opposition has been talking about this for a long time, but no one thinks that way anymore. This is because the belief in PM Modi has strengthened substantially among the general public. He has established a reputation, a credibility for himself in Indian politics. People believe he is a Prime Minister who says what he does, that there will be no difference between his words and deeds," Mr Singh said.

"And the way he has enhanced India's stature on the world stage has also made people feel a sense of pride," he added. 

The seventh and final phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections will be held on Saturday. Counting will take place on June 4. 

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Fact Check: Painting Behind Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Not Of Jesus Christ

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared a selfie of him and Sonia Gandhi having voted during the sixth phase of polling for the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the photo was widely shared on social media.

The claim

Those sharing the photograph took a dig at Gandhi calling himself a 'janeudhari brahmin', (thread-wearing Brahmin), while claiming that he had a photo of Jesus Christ in his room, but none of Hindu Gods.

• Among those sharing this is X (formerly Twitter) user 'MrSinha_'.

But...?: The photo does not show Jesus.

• It is a painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by Russian painter Nicholas Roerich, where the lady in the painting is holding a banner of peace.

How did the Quint find out the truth?: We noticed that the photo in the background showed a person holding a banner with three red dots, surrounded by a red circle.

• Using this description ('person holding red circle with three dots painting') as a search term led us to a 2017 blog post with the same image.
• It identified the image as a 1932 painting titled 'Madonna Oriflamma' by one Nikolai Roerich.
• It also mentioned that the geometrical art was Roerich's creation, which he called the 'Banner of peace', elaborating on the symbolism of the banner.
• We looked up the name of the painting and found it on several websites across the internet.
• One of the results included the painting's WikiArt page, last updated in 2013, which mentioned that the art was on display at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York.

• The museum's Facebook page also shared the painting's photograph in 2021, discussing its meaning and symbolism.
• Moreover, Roerich's website also carries a visual of the painting with details about its medium and dimensions, stating that it has been on loan to the museum since 1960.

Reproduced and printed versions of the painting are also easily available for purchase on the internet, as seen here, here, and here.

Conclusion: The painting seen in Rahul and Sonia Gandhi's photo is not one of Jesus Christ.

(This story was originally published by The Quint and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective.)

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J&K's Anantnag-Rajouri Seat "Shatters" Turnout Record With 53% Polling

The Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat "shattered" the voter turnout record with 53% of voters exercising their franchise, the highest in 40 years, the Election Commission (EC) said today, adding that a record polling percentage was also logged in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar and Baramulla.

With this, the three seats in the Kashmir valley - Srinagar (38.49%), Baramulla (59.1%), and Anantnag-Rajouri (53%) - recorded the highest voter turnouts "in many decades", the poll panel said.

This was the first major election in the Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution by the Centre in August 2019.

The high voter turnout in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat was in sharp contrast to the poll percentage of nine registered in the 2019 election.

Even the militancy-infested Zainapora Assembly segment, which saw a 2% turnout in 2019, recorded a poll percentage of 41.

Addressing reporters in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pandurang Kundbarao Pole said the voter turnout in Anantnag-Rajouri was 53%. The voter turnout for the five Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir stood at 58%, he said.

"It is the highest turnout for these five seats in the last 40 years. The previous high was 49% recorded in 2014, while the turnout in 1996 was 47.99%," Mr Pole added.

The Surankote, Rajouri, and Budhal Assembly segments recorded the highest turnout of 68%, he said.

The Kulgam Assembly segment recorded the lowest poll percentage of 32.

Mr Pole said the polling was mostly peaceful, with no violence reported from anywhere.

Officials said barring an isolated incident in Bijbehara, polling was smooth across the Lok Sabha constituency comprising 18 Assembly segments spread over the five districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Poonch, and Rajouri.

In a delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, Pulwama district and the Shopian Assembly segment were removed from the south Kashmir Lok Sabha seat, while seven Assembly segments from Poonch and Rajouri were added to it.

Earlier in the day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said the EC, encouraged by the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir, will "very soon" initiate the process of Assembly polls in the Union Territory. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve their own government, he said.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir, in the Anantnag-Rajouri polling too, have reposed faith in democracy and proved naysayers wrong," the EC said in a statement.

According to the poll panel, the erstwhile Anantnag seat recorded the lowest turnout of 5.07% in 1989 and 50.2% in 1996.

Due to the delimitation exercise, the voter turnout data from previous elections for the current Anantnag-Rajouri seat may not be directly comparable, the EC noted.

Twenty candidates, including two women, were in the fray from Anantnag-Rajouri.

People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti contested the polls from Anantnag-Rajouri. She was up against the National Conference's (NC) Mian Altaf Ahmad. Apni Party's Zafar Iqbal Manhas was also among the 20 candidates in the fray.

In the 11 Assembly segments falling in the Kashmir valley, the poll percentage was around 42.

The EC also enabled the Kashmiri migrant voters residing at various relief camps in Delhi, Jammu, and Udhampur to have the option of voting in person at the special polling stations or through postal ballots. Twenty-one special polling stations were set up in Jammu, one in Udhampur and four in Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Corrupt Leaders Including Hemant Soren Sitting On Congress Lap: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked Congress and said that the Congress party sees Jharkhand as an "ATM of corruption," adding that corrupt leaders of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren are sitting on "Congress lap."

Addressing a public rally in Jamtara in support of BJP candidate Sita Soren, the Union Home Minister on Friday also alleged that Congress and Hemant Soren's JMM are competing with each other on corruption in the state.

"Jharkhand is just a vote bank, property, land bank and corruption ATM for Congress and for the one who is requesting from jail. Hemant Soren is doing injustice to Jharkhand by sitting in the lap of Congress that roadblocked the development of Jharkhand for years just to become CM," Mr Shah said.

He further assured Sita Soren, the wife of Hemant Soren's late elder brother, Durga Soren, who died in 2009, of justice.

"Modi Ji believes that the development of the country is not possible without the development of Jharkhand. PM Modi will also come here after two days and today I have come here, the reason behind this is that Sita Soren is the candidate from here. Wife of Durga Soren who was a participant in the Jharkhand, Sita Soren did not get justice... She carried the heritage of Durga Soren. I assure her that even though Hemant Soren did not do justice to you, BJP will give you justice," he added.

Mr Shah claimed that PM Modi not only freed the country from Naxals, including red rebels in Budha Pahad in Jharkhand, but did "justice to tribals".

"Budget for tribals during the Sonia-Manmohan regime was barely Rs 25,000 crore. PM Narendra Modi enhanced it to Rs 1.25 lakh crore in 10 years," he said.

The BJP leader alleged that cattle smuggling was rampant in Jharkhand.

"The issue of infiltration here is a big question for the tribals. Congress, Hemant Soren and his minister who was just arrested, have carried out love jihad, land jihad and forest jihad against the tribals by infiltrating into Jharkhand.

Soren, who joined the BJP on March 19 and was declared the party's candidate from Dumka in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on March 24.

In the Lok Sabha election 2019, the BJP won 11 seats with a 51.9 per cent vote share, while Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and ASJU won one seat each.

The elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held from April 19 to June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Madhya Pradesh Woman Slips At Toll Booth, Run Over By Truck

A 28-year-old woman employee of a toll booth lost her life after she slipped near a counter and was run over by a truck in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Thursday, an official said.

The incident occurred at the toll plaza on Maxi Road near Kaytha village.

CCTV footage of the toll booth shows the woman walking on an elevated platform towards a toll collection counter.

Just when a truck passes next to the counter, victim Pooja Rathore loses her balance and falls on the lane. The rear wheels of the truck run over her head.

Kaytha police station in-charge Jyoti Dixit said that the truck driver was detained after the woman's death in the accident.

The victim's body has been handed over to her relatives after post-mortem, she added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"If Pak Can't Dismantle Terror Factories On Its Soil...": Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday shed light on the Modi government's emphasis and focus on attaining 'atmanirbharta' in the defence sector and revealed how a marked shift in focus, as compared to previous regimes, resulted in big achievements.

Rajnath Singh in an exclusive interview with IANS said, "In 2014, the country's defence exports stood at around Rs 600-800 crore, today it has gone beyond Rs 31,000 crore. And, in the next five years, we hope to take it beyond Rs 50,000 crore."

He further said that the Defence sector forms an important constituent of the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission and making India, one of the biggest defence suppliers in the world ranks is high on the government's priority.

He also blamed the previous dispensations for 'laggardness' in the defence sector and said that prior to 2014, the country remained dependent only on foreign countries for its pool of arsenals and never made an effort to develop indigenous weapons.

"It was on the back of firm resolve of Modi government that India is fast achieving self-reliance in the defence sector and also emerging as a global superpower," he pointed out.

The Defence Minister, further laying out the Modi government's vision, said that India should position itself as a leading defence exporter in next few years and should also look forward to occupy the 'numero uno' spot.

He also underscored the need for India's emergence as 'Vishwashakti' in a world marred by military face-offs and armed conflicts.

"India should be a Vishwashakti, not just for global hegemony, not for annexing any country's territory but for protecting the interest of all," Rajnath Singh told IANS.

The Defence Minister further asserted that India's enemies will be punished, not just within its borders but also on the other side of the frontiers.

"If Pakistan can't dismantle terror factories on its soil, it should take our help. Our forces will raze it for once and all," he said, sending out a strong message.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi Records Maximum Temperature Of 43.4 Degrees Celsius: Weather Office

Delhi's maximum temperature on Wednesday reached 43.4 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, and remained in the 'Yellow' alert zone, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

There is a very high likelihood of developing heat-related illnesses and heat stroke in people of all ages, and a significant health concern for vulnerable individuals, such as infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases, the weather office said.

"Avoid heat exposure and keep cool. Avoid dehydration," the IMD advised, adding that people should drink sufficient water and use ORS or homemade drinks like lassi, torani (rice water), lemon water and buttermilk to stay hydrated.

According to the IMD, the city will be on orange alert on Thursday.

It predicted mainly clear skies with heatwave conditions at a few places, accompanied by strong surface winds at speeds of 25-35 kmph on Thursday.

In a seven-day forecast, the weather office issued a red alert from Thursday to Saturday and urged "extreme care for vulnerable people" due to the heatwave.

Delhi's relative humidity oscillated between 59 and 37 per cent during the day.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches. A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.

The weather department has four colour-coded warnings -- green (no action needed), yellow (watch and stay updated), orange (be prepared) and red (take action). 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Naveen Patnaik Should Retire Due To His "Advanced Age": Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is 77 years old, should retire due to his "advanced age and health issues", while promising that the BJP will make a young Odia-speaking 'bhumiputra' the CM if the party is voted to power in the state.

Mr Shah asserted that the BJP-led NDA has already bagged 310 seats after the conclusion of five phases of Lok Sabha polls and will secure its 400-target in the next two phases.

Hitting out at bureaucrat-turned-politician V K Pandian, a close aide of Patnaik, without taking his name, Mr Shah said a "Tamil babu" is ruling the roost in Odisha and people will vote for the BJP to free the state from "babu raj".

Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Odisha ahead of the third phase of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state on May 25, Mr Shah said the ongoing polls are to make Narendra Modi the PM for the third term and restore Odisha's glory, which has been "destroyed" by the Patnaik-led BJD government.

"With the conclusion of five phases of polling, NDA has already won 310 seats. We will achieve our 400-plus seats target after the sixth and seventh phases," Mr Shah said.

"Naveen babu has made a Tamil officer ruler of the state. Oust the BJD government... we will give a young Odia-speaking chief minister... babus (officers) have looted the state of its minerals. I promise you these babus would be jailed after the BJP forms the government in Odisha," Mr Shah said.

"If BJP is voted to power in Odisha, a 'bhumiputra' (son or daughter of the soil) will rule the land of 'Utkala Bhumi' and not a Tamil babu," he said.

Stating that people now realised that 25 years of BJD rule have become "lost years" for Odisha, he alleged that healthcare system, entrepreneurship, education and infrastructure have "derailed" in the state and only PM Modi can bring these sectors back on the track.

"Naveen babu is not keeping well, as a result of which 1.5 lakh government vacancies are not being filled up. If we form the government, we will make appointments to these posts," he said.

On the missing key of Lord Jagannath's Ratna Bhandar (treasury), the Union Home Minister said, "I want to ask Naveen babu, where is the key of Ratna Bhandar and why he has not released the judicial commission report (on the matter)? After coming to power, the BJP government will punish those responsible for the missing key." Addressing a rally in Keonjhar, Mr Shah alleged that local tribals get no benefit despite the district being mineral rich.

Coming down heavily on the previous Congress government, Mr Shah said, "Congress has done nothing for tribals... former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had formed a separate ministry for tribal affairs, while Narendra Modi has worked to eliminate Naxalism in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana." Mr Shah said Modi has constituted DMF (district mineral foundation) and given crores of rupees for the development of the tribal-dominated district.

"The budgetary allocation for tribal affairs has been enhanced to Rs 1.25 lakh crore under Modi government from Rs 25,000 crore given during the previous UPA regime," Mr Shah said, adding that the BJP government has set up 740 'Ekalabya schools' where one lakh students are studying.

Mr Shah said kendu leaves pluckers will get proper price, besides bonus, for their minor forest produce. Besides, they will also have provident fund.

He also announced that a 500-bed hospital will be set up in Keonjhar, while a 500-bed medical college will be established in Sambalpur.

Claiming that terror incidents have sharply dipped under the Modi government, the Union home minister asserted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Mr Shah also accused the BJD government of "insulting" Odisha's pride, language, culture and tradition.

He urged people to elect a BJP government in Odisha to ensure speedy development and preservation of the state's rich culture.

Alleging that the BJD government wants to "convert Jagannath temple into a commercial centre", Shah said mutts and temples have been "destroyed" in Puri and all four gates of the temple are yet to be opened for the public.

"Even a conspiracy was hatched to halt the world-famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath," Mr Shah alleged.

At the Nayagarh rally, Mr Shah warned the BJD against indulging in rigging and called upon people to cast their votes freely without fear as central forces would keep a watch on the polling.

"Though Odisha has rich mineral resources, the state doesn't have a chief minister who can protect the resources. The BJD government has also neglected western Odisha. BJP is committed to equal development of all parts of the state," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Tamil Nadu Cops Use AI To Find Girl Missing Since 2011

The police in Chennai are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the hope of cracking a missing girl child's case.

The girl, Kavitha, had gone missing 13 years ago and the police are now using AI to determine how she would look now.

A composite image of Kavitha when she was two years old and a new picture of how she would look now has been generated using AI.

The police have printed pamphlets containing the pictures which will be distributed among the public to gather information on the missing girl.

Kavitha had gone missing while playing outside her home near the Valampuri Vinayagar temple at Saligramam on September 19, 2011.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Indian Navy Officer First To Conduct Training In UK's Royal Naval College

In a significant milestone for India-UK defence cooperation on Tuesday, Lieutenant Commander N Dinesh Anand became the first Indian Navy officer to conduct training at the Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth, south-west England.

Lt Cdr Anand took charge as Divisional Training Officer at the premier UK training institution, an assignment which will involve him training Royal Naval Officer Cadets in crucial skills. The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that while the UK and India have a long tradition of working together as allies, this is the first time an Indian officer has worked at BRNC, Dartmouth.

In a significant step bolstering ??-?? Defence Cooperation - Lt Cdr N Dinesh Anand, #IndianNavy, joins Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as Divisional Training Officer.
As the first Indian Instructor at the premier U.K. training establishment, the officer would play a… pic.twitter.com/TmGPQEhQqF

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 21, 2024

“Thrilled to welcome Lt Cdr Dinesh to BRNC Dartmouth as our first Indian Navy Divisional Training Officer; India-UK navies working together, making history, building bonds, stronger together,” said Captain Andrew Bray of the Britannia Royal Naval College.

The MoD said the role of Divisional Training Officer means Anand will be a key part of a division/class of Naval Officer Cadets to transform them from civilians to Naval Officers. This training will include navigation, seamanship and leadership training.

The spokesperson for the Indian Navy said in a statement on social media: “In a significant step bolstering India-UK defence cooperation, Lt Cdr N. Dinesh Anand, Indian Navy, joins Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as Divisional Training Officer.

“As the first Indian Instructor at the premier UK training establishment, the officer would play a pivotal role in fostering friendship and interoperability between the Indian Navy and Royal Navy.” BRNC Dartmouth, located in the county of Devon, serves as the initial training establishment for officers in the Royal Navy and is renowned as the premier officer training academy in the UK. According to the MoD, it plays a vital role in defence by providing Initial Officer Training and ongoing leadership development. The college also supports defence diplomacy efforts by training international officers.

Its overarching goal is to produce courageous leaders with the determination to succeed in combat, enduring leadership training, and support to defence diplomacy outputs through the training of International officers. 

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Mohan Yadav Speaks To Madhya Pradesh Students Stuck In Kyrgyzstan

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav spoke to students of Madhya Pradesh who were stuck in the violence-hit Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday via video call and assured security and their safe return after their exams get over.

"It was brought to my attention that some students from our state went for medical study in Kyrgyzstan and there was some dispute between local students and foreign students in which some students were also injured. After which, we are worried about the Indian students studying there. I have just talked to the students of our state who are stuck there. They are safe. We are also in constant touch with the Indian government and the Kyrgyzstan government. Students have been given proper security there," Chief Minister Yadav said.

He added that about 30,000 students, including around 1200 students from Madhya Pradesh, were studying there and all of them were safe.

"We have decided that the students should be brought back from there after their exams get over, otherwise, they will face a year loss. We have told the administration there that in any case, the examinations should be conducted on time and proper security measures should also be ensured. The government is in contact 24 hours, no one is hurt. We hope that the situation will become normal soon," the chief minister further said.

The CM also assured the parents of the students that the government was continuously making an effort to make the situation normal there.

Earlier on Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, said that the situation there was normal and the Indian students were safe.

In a post on X, the Embassy wrote, "Situation in Bishkek is normal. All Indian students are safe."

"They are requested to continue to follow the guidelines prescribed by authorities in the Kyrgyz Republic. In case of any issue, students can contact the Embassy at 0555710041," it added.

Reportedly, there have been several incidents in Bishkek since Friday evening, the Pakistan embassy in Kyrgyzstan said in a social media post, adding that the situation has heated up.

"There have been a number of incidents of mob violence against foreign students in Bishkek since last evening. According to the Kyrgyz press, the matter boiled over yesterday due to sharing online videos of a fight between Kyrgyz students and medical students from Egypt on May 13," the Pakistan embassy in Kyrgyzstan stated earlier.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan had then advised the Indian students to stay indoors and to get in touch with the Indian Embassy. The Indian Embassy also shared a helpline contact number for the students.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Will Women Wearing Nail Polish Be Allowed To Vote? A Fact Check

A viral WhatsApp forward telling women voters that they won't be allowed to vote if they have nail polish on their fingernails is fake. BOOM reached out to an Election Commission of India (ECI) official who rubbished the viral forward. 

Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha 2024 was held in several states today, with the last two phases scheduled for May 25 and June 1. Meanwhile, votes will be counted on June 4.

The viral message reads, "Attention to All Ladies, Please remove Nail polish from fingers or else you will not be allowed to Vote".

BOOM also received the viral message on its WhatsApp number - 7700906588 - inquiring about its authenticity.

FACT-CHECK

BOOM found that the viral message is fake and that the ECI has not announced any rules for women voters to remove nail polish before voting.

We reached out to ECI joint director Anuj Chandak, who dismissed the viral message and said it was fake. Mr Chadak further told BOOM, "Indelible ink is applied to the skin and nail both."

Two of BOOM's fact-checkers also independently confirmed with polling booth officials that the viral message was fake when they went to vote. Additionally, there are no recent ECI guidelines that say that voters with nail polish will not be allowed to exercise their franchise.

We also found several examples of women voters voting in the Lok Sabha election 2024 with nail polish on their fingernails. 

The polling process by ECI can be seen below:

(This story was originally published by BOOM, and republished by NDTV as part of the Shakti Collective)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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1st Indian Goes To Space As Tourist On Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Flight

Jeff Bezos-backed Blue Origin resumed its space flight today, after a two-year hiatus. A group of six adventurers completed an 11-minute journey to space after liftoff from Texas.

Mission NS-25 is the seventh crewed mission for Blue Origin, the space company founded and owned by Jeff Bezos.

30-year-old Gopi Thotakura, a pilot from Andhra Pradesh, was also part of the six-man crew. Preserve Life Corp, a medical institution close to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that focuses mostly on holistic health methods, was co-founded by Gopi Thotakura.

He has become the first Indian to travel into space as a tourist on Blue Origin's return flight.

"It was amazing... you have to see it with your eyes", said Gopi Thotakura after his space trip.

"I can't describe how it is to look into space... everybody should go to the space. It was good to see Earth from the other side," he added.

"Gopi Thotakura is a lifelong pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive. He flies jets commercially, in addition to piloting bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes. He's also the co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global center for holistic wellness and applied health", said Blue Origin about the Indian crew member on social media platform X.

Gopi Thotakura is a lifelong pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive. He flies jets commercially, in addition to piloting bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes. He's also the co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global center for holistic wellness and applied… pic.twitter.com/of2nzsPvEd

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) May 19, 2024

The other crew members included Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schallera, and Ed Dwight.

90-year-old Dwight surpassed Star Trek star William Shatner, who was nearly two months younger, to become the oldest person to travel into space.

Ed Dwight is the first American Black man to be trained as an astronaut. Dwight was unable to achieve his goal of being the first black astronaut in space in 1961.

"We just completed our seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program. Our #NS25 astronaut crew included: Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Ed Dwight, Ken Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Thank you, astronauts", said Blue Origin on X after the space flight.

We just completed our seventh human spaceflight and the 25th flight for the New Shepard program. Our #NS25 astronaut crew included: Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Ed Dwight, Ken Hess, Carol Schaller, and Gopi Thotakura. Thank you, astronauts! Learn more: https://t.co/4a0UXRy6p6 pic.twitter.com/kzL5GIQSql

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) May 19, 2024

"I was the first guy in the world to be famous for not doing something. Needless to say, I'm overwhelmed", said Dwight before the liftoff.

Dwight was a skilled test pilot when President John F. Kennedy reassigned him to a highly competitive Air Force program, which was considered a path to the astronaut corps. But in the end, he was not chosen.

"This is a life-changing experience, everybody needs to do this," said Dwight after the 11-minute space flight.

"I thought I didn't really need this in my life," reflecting on his omission from the astronaut corps, which was his first experience with failure as a young man. "But I lied", he added.

With inputs from IANS, AFP

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Case Against Nagpur Cop For Sexually Harassing 22-Year-Old Woman: Police

A police inspector from Maharashtra's Akola district has been booked for allegedly molesting a 22-year-old woman in Nagpur, an official said on Sunday.

Dhananjay Sayre (53), posted at Khadan police station in Akola district, is an acquaintance of the woman's father.

In her complaint, the woman said Dhananjay Sayre was in touch with her on the pretext of helping her prepare for competitive exams. She grew suspicious when Dhananjay Sayre frequently called her and asked her to stay with him for guidance.

The woman then stopped communicating with Dhananjay Sayre.

The policeman traced the young woman's location and arrived in Nagpur on Saturday. When she stepped out for work, he followed her for some distance and grabbed her hand. Dhananjay Sayre fled the scene after she raised an alarm, the official said.

Acting on the woman's complaint, the Nandanvan police in the city booked Dhananjay Sayre for molestation, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Election Official Dies Of Heart Attack In Odisha, Poll Body Announces Aid

A school teacher, who was assigned to election duty in Odisha's Bolangir district, passed away due to a heart attack at a polling party disbursal centre in Titlagarh on Sunday.

Sushil Kumar Acharya (52) suddenly fell unconscious at the disbursal centre. He was rushed to Titlagarh hospital where doctors declared him dead, an official said.

Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal expressed condolences over the incident and announced that the victim's family would receive an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh, as per the Election Commission's announcement.

Mr Dhal has instructed Bolangir collector to expedite the formalities for the prompt disbursal of the compensation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Unrelenting Heatwave Disrupts Daily Life, Severe Warning For Delhi, Bihar

The unrelenting heat turned daily activities into an arduous task in large parts of India on Sunday, with Najafgarh in southwest Delhi reaching a sweltering 47.8 degrees Celsius -- the highest in the country so far this season.

The crippling heat strained low-income households, which often have poor access to water and cooling, and tested the endurance of outdoor workers toiling in the searing sun, forcing them to take frequent breaks.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported a severe heat wave in parts of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Even the hill stations in Himachal Pradesh, safe havens for people escaping the punishing heat in the plains, reeled from the scorching conditions.

Maximum temperatures reached 36 degrees Celsius in Dharamshala, 44.4 degrees in Una, 42.4 degrees in Bilaspur, 36.6 degrees in Solan and 40 degrees in Kangra.

The Met office has issued a red warning for Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, stressing the need for "extreme care for vulnerable people". An orange alert was issued for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat, emphasising "high health concern" for vulnerable people, including infants, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases.

The mercury reached or surpassed 47 degrees Celsius in at least eight places across India, with Najafgarh logging a searing 47.8 degrees, making it the warmest place in the country for the second time in the last three days.

In the national capital, Pitampura recorded 47 degrees Celsius and Mungeshpur 47.7 degrees, at least seven notches above the usual temperature for these areas at this time of the year.

According to a new analysis of airport site weather data, Delhi reached or surpassed 40 degrees Celsius on 1,557 days (around 43 per cent) in the last 10 years.

The densely packed city recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius on 1,254 days (around 34 per cent) during 2004-2013 and 1,180 days (around 32 per cent) during 1994-2003, according to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

In Rajasthan, the mercury soared to 46.7 degrees Celsius in Sriganganagar and Anta, 46.6 degrees in Churu, 46.5 degrees in Dholpur and Jalore, 46.2 degrees in Kota, 46.1 degrees in Pilani (Jhunjhunu) and Karauli, 45.9 degrees in Jaipur, 45.8 degrees in Barmer and Phalodi, 45.6 degrees in Jodhpur and 45.5 degrees in Jaisalmer.

Nuh in Haryana recorded a blistering high of 47.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while Sirsa sizzled at 47 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature was recorded at 45.6 degrees Celsius in Hisar, 46 degrees Celsius in Mahendragarh, 45.2 degrees Celsius in Rohtak, 45.1 degrees Celsius in Gurugram, 46.1 degrees Celsius in Jhajjar, 43.8 degrees Celsius in Ambala and 44 degrees Celsius in Bhiwani.

Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana, recorded a high of 44.2 degrees Celsius.

In Punjab, Amritsar recorded a maximum temperature of 43.9 degrees Celsius while Faridkot recorded a high of 44 degrees Celsius. The mercury settled at 45 degrees Celsius in Patiala and 44.2 degrees Celsius in Ludhiana. Gurdaspur recorded a high of 43.5 degrees while Mohali registered a maximum of 43.4 degrees. Pathankot's maximum settled at 44.6 degrees Celsius, while Bathinda recorded 47.7 degrees.

Madhya Pradesh's Datia saw 47.5 degrees, while in Uttar Pradesh, Agra recorded 47.7 degrees and Jhansi recorded 47.2 degrees.

High heat and humidity also troubled residents in coastal areas of Gujarat.

The IMD, in its bulletin on Sunday, predicted heatwave conditions for the next five days in many parts of north India.

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions are very likely in many pockets of Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi from Monday to Thursday.

In west Rajasthan, heatwave to severe heatwave conditions could be seen on May 21-23, while in Rajasthan it will be seen on May 22-23.

In western UP, heatwave conditions could be observed from May 19-21 while in eastern UP, they may be seen on May 19-20.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a weather station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees in the coastal areas, and 30 degrees in the hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 notches.

A severe heatwave is declared if the departure from normal exceeds 6.4 notches.

Anna Walnycki, a principal researcher on IIED's human settlements team, said the alarming rise in extreme heat events in India due to climate change is significantly impacting the health, wellbeing and productivity of everyone, especially those living in low-income and informal communities.

"Low-income households have limited capacity to adapt to extreme heat because of poor access to water and electricity. In addition, the design and construction of informal houses often mean there is poor ventilation and little shelter from extreme heat," she said.

Chandni Singh, senior researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and IPCC lead author, said state and city-level heat action plans are proving "insufficient to deal with the heat we are now experiencing." In urban areas, Singh noted, the experience of heat depends on factors such as residential location, occupation, and access to cooling.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rush Him To Hospital: Mamata Banerjee Stops Speech As Man Faints At Rally

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered immediate arrangement of medical treatment for a person who fell ill during her speech at an election rally in Bankura district on a hot Saturday afternoon.

While addressing the gathering, the TMC chief found someone collapsing to the ground in front rows and fainting.

She stopped her speech midway and told party workers: "Sprinkle water on his face, make an ambulance ready to rush him to a nearby hospital." Ms Banerjee waited patiently while he was being attended to.

As the ailing person regained composure and was back on his feet, she directed that he be taken to his residence in an ambulance.

"Such oppressive heat, it is obvious someone could fall sick in such hot and humid conditions. Please ensure he is checked by a doctor," Ms Banerjee asked health department officials and trauma care personnel present there.

Ms Banerjee then resumed her speech.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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UP Teen Strangles Sisters Over Father's Worry Of Having 5 Children: Cops

A 13-year-old girl allegedly strangled her two younger sisters to death as her father was worried about having five children, police said on Friday.

Late on Thursday night around 12:30 am, an information was received at Noorpur police station about bodies of two girls found in a house in village Gauhawar Jait, Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said.

When the police reached the house, they found Ritu (7) and Pavitra (5) lying on the floor, he said, adding that spot investigation did not reveal any signs of forced entry.

Sahdev and Savita lived in the house with their five children.

Savita's two eldest daughters, a 13-year-old and a 9-year-old, were from her first husband, Pukhraj. The two dead girls and their 1.5-year-old brother were from her second husband, Sahdev.

SP Jadaun said that during initial questioning, the 13-year-old said that two unknown people entered their house and strangled her sisters.

However, she later confessed to strangling them to death with a scarf as her father was worried because of the size of the family, he said.

The bodies of the victims have been sent for post-mortem examination and the minor accused girl is being interrogated, the police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Last Rites Of Ex Army Officer Killed In Gaza Performed In Pune

The last rites of Colonel (retd) Waibhav Anil Kale, a former Indian army officer who was killed in Rafah region of Gaza earlier this week while working with the United Nations (UN), were performed here on Friday with full state honours.

The body of the 46-year-old former infantry officer were flown here earlier in the day, and kept at his residence in Kalyaninagar for some time before they were taken to the crematorium in Pune Cantonment.

Besides family members, his colleagues in the army, course-mates from the National Defence Academy (NDA), friends and government officials were present at the crematorium.

Wrapped in the Indian tri-colour and the UN flag, he was cremated with full state honours.

Colonel Kale, who had joined the UN as a security service coordinator two months ago, was killed on Monday while travelling in a vehicle carrying the UN flag when it came under fire.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, had said that the UN had established a fact-finding panel to look into the deadly attack.

Originally from Nagpur, Colonel Kale had retired from the army prematurely in 2022, and settled down in Pune before joining the UN.

Harshad Kale, a cousin, recalled that he always wanted to join the army as some other members of the family were serving in the armed forces.

"As he had worked in the UN peacekeeping mission earlier, he decided to join the UN (after leaving the army), but that career turned out to be short," Harshad said.

One of Mr Kale's coursemates from the NDA who came from Delhi to attend the last rites reminisced that Mr Kale had an infectious smile and positive attitude.

Pune divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Brigadier (retd) Rajesh Gaikwad, director of the Department of Maharashtra Sainik Welfare; and serving and retired military veterans paid homage to Mr Kale.

He is survived by his mother, wife, son and daughter.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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At 43.2 Degrees, Himachal's Una Records Hottest Day Of The Season So Far

With the temperature soaring in the lower and mid hills of Himachal, Una experienced the hottest day of the season as the mercury touched 43.2 degrees Celsius on Friday, the MeT office said.

Neri in Hamirpur recorded 43.1 degrees, and Dhaulakuan and Bilaspur recorded a high of 41.7 degrees. Key summer tourist destinations of Shimla, Dharamsala and Manali were warmer, with day temperatures rising to 29.4 degrees, 34.9 degrees and 27.5 degrees, 4.4 degrees, 3.7 degrees and 2.5 degrees above normal.

Rising temperatures in Una and Hamirpur districts where Lok Sabha and four assembly by-elections for Gagret, Kutlehar, Barsar and Sujanpur assembly seats, are scheduled for June 1, the political parties and candidates are facing problems in campaigning as people are avoiding coming out during the day under the scorching sun.

The temperatures will gradually rise in the lower areas and Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur, parts of Kangra and Mandi could witness heat waves in the coming days, Director, Shimla MeT Office Surender Paul told the PTI.

While thunderstorms could not be ruled out at higher reaches, the weather would remain mainly dry in low hills. However, there is a possibility of rain and snow at isolated places in higher reaches in the next four days till May 21, he said.

The weather remained dry throughout the state in the past 24 hours. Kukumseri in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district recorded a night temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Bus Carrying Uttarakhand Pilgrims Catches Fire In Madhya Pradesh, None Hurt

Pilgrims travelling to Uttarakhand for 'Char Dham Yatra' in a private bus from Maharashtra's Buldhana town had a providential escape when their vehicle suddenly caught fire on Friday here in Madhya Pradesh and was completely gutted, officials said.

No one was injured in the incident which took place in the afternoon as passengers quickly came out of the bus, which was totally gutted, a police official said.

A total of 30 passengers, including eight children, were on-board the ill-fated bus when it caught fire near Kolaras town in Shivpuri district, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Vijay Yadav said.

As soon as the travellers noticed smoke emanating in the bus, they immediately came out, a woman passenger said.

Later, the bus was engulfed in flames which were doused by a fire tender, Yadav said, adding it appears the blaze was caused by an electrical short-circuit.

The luggage of the passengers bound for Uttarakhand was damaged in the fire, the official added.

A total of 60 passengers in two private buses had left from Buldhana town on May 15 for the popular pilgrimage to four sacred Hindu sites located in the Himalayas, he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Indore Civic Body Withdraws 'Military' Uniform Of Anti Encroachment Team

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Thursday said it would withdraw the new uniform of its anti-encroachment squad after opposition Congress alleged that it resembled military fatigues and amounted to insulting the Army.

The uniform has a camouflage pattern, generally associated with the armed forces.

Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said in a statement that the civic body decided to give a uniform to its anti-encroachment squad staff for promoting discipline besides bringing uniformity in their attire.

"If this uniform is hurting the sentiments of any person, necessary changes will be made," he said.

Earlier, Congress' Chintu Choukse, leader of opposition in the IMC, had claimed that the civic body insulted the Army by selecting "the uniform of soldiers" for the anti-encroachment squad personnel.

"These employees are infamous for extortion from carts and street vendors," he had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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6 Of Family Killed Over Land Dispute In UP's Sitapur: Police

At least six members of a family were killed over land dispute in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur, police said. 

"On the intervening night of 10th and 11th, a very serious crime took place in Rampur Mathura Police Station area of Sitapur district in which six family members were murdered," said IG Range Lucknow, Tarun Gaba.

However, after the police investigation, it was revealed that the witness was misleading them.

As per the witness, one of the deceased's brothers, Anurag killed five people of the family and later committed suicide.

"One of the deceased's brothers said that Anurag after killing 5 people of the family died by suicide. After investigation, it was found that the deceased's brother had been misleading us. The truth was there had been no suicide and Anurag had also been murdered...It was later revealed that Anurag's brother Ajit had committed this crime," said IG Range Lucknow.

Tarun Gaba further said that accused Ajit felt that he was being ill-treated by his brother Anurag and his wife.

"There was a dispute of money and land. There was a loan of 24 lakhs which had to be repaid by the accused and the victims were not helping him. Getting agitated he carried out this crime. Technical analysis has been done. The role of Ajit is clear," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Army Sets Up 2 Of World's Highest Tank Repair Facilities Near China Border

With over 500 of its tanks and infantry combat vehicles deployed in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has created a record of sorts by setting up two of world's highest tank repair facilities in that area to support its operations there.

The Indian Army has set up two armoured vehicle maintenance and repair facilities near the China border in Nyoma and the DBO Sector in that region to at altitudes of over 14,500 feet in the area, which is the world's highest battlefield for tanks and infantry combat vehicles along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

A large number of tanks and BMP combat vehicles, along with Indian-made armoured vehicles like the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles, have been deployed in Eastern Ladakh after the stand-off between India and China started in April-May 2020, post-Chinese aggression there.

"The tanks and infantry combat vehicles have been deployed in these sWith over 500 of its tanks and infantry combat vehicles deployed in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has created a record of sorts by setting up two of world's highest tank repair facilities in that area to support its operations there.uper-high-altitude areas, where it is very difficult even to get them back for maintenance and repair," Indian Army officials told ANI.

"To help sustain the armoured vehicle operations in the region, we have set up these Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facilities at Nyoma and near KM-148 on the DS-DBO Road in the DBO sector. These are the two main areas where tank and ICV operations are focussed in the eastern Ladakh sector," they added.

The Indian Army has been creating infrastructure in a big way for housing its tanks, including the T-90 and T-72, the BMPs and the K-9Vajra self-propelled Howitzers, in the high-altitude areas where temperatures are extremely low in winter.

Recently, Army Chief General Manoj Pande visited the Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facility for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), where he saw the unique maintenance facility. Army officials said the new facilities promote enhanced serviceability and mission reliability of tanks and infantry combat vehicles.

The facilities also keep the combat fleet operationally ready even in rugged terrain and challenging weather with temperatures dipping down to minus 40 degrees, the officials said. 

Staging forward of specialist technical support infrastructure for the AFVs has resulted in higher standards of operational efficiency and battle readiness.

India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the eastern Ladakh region for the past four years and have deployed around 50,000 troops each near the borders in the region.

At the time of aggression, China had brought in a large number of infantry, combat vehicles and tanks to unilaterally change the status along the line of actual control there.

The Indian Army responded in a very swift manner and within no time, heavy armoured elements were brought in from the deserts and planes in C-17 transport aircraft to counter the adversary.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Southwest Monsoon Likely To Reach Kerala Around May 31: Weather Office

Southwest Monsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala around May 31, setting the stage for the four-month rainfall season crucial for India's farm-based economy.

"This year, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on May 31 with a model error of four days," the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

"This is not early; it's close to the normal date," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The date of monsoon onset over Kerala has varied widely over the last 150 years, the earliest being May 11, 1918, and the most delayed being June 18, 1972, according to IMD data.

The rain-bearing system arrived in the southern state on June 8 last year, May 29 in 2022, June 3 in 2021 and June 1 in 2020.

Last month, the IMD had forecast above-normal rain in the monsoon season in India with favourable La Nina conditions expected to set in by August-September.

Parts of the country battled brutal heat in April, with maximum temperatures shattering records in several states and severely impacting health and livelihoods.

The crippling heat is straining power grids and drying up water bodies triggering drought-like conditions in parts of the country. A prediction of above-normal monsoonal rainfall, therefore, comes as a huge relief to the fast-developing South Asian nation.

The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water, apart from power generation across the country.

June and July are considered the most important monsoon months for agriculture because most of the sowing for the Kharif crop takes place during this period.

El Nino conditions are prevailing at present, and La Nina may set in by August-September, scientists say.

El Nino - the periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean - is associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina - the antithesis of El Nino- leads to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.

The IMD is also anticipating the development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) or cooler-than-normal Indian Ocean in the east compared to the west, which helps bring rain to several states in southern India. The IOD is currently 'neutral' and is expected to turn positive by August.

Another factor is below-normal snow cover in the northern hemisphere and Eurasia. Historically, there has been an "inverse relationship" between the levels of snow here and the monsoon.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Raebareli, Amethi Not Constituencies, But Our Karmabhoomi": Rahul Gandhi

As he seeks to retain the Rae Bareli seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi for two decades, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has an emotional family relationship with the people and will stand by both Amethi and Rae Bareli whenever required.

He shared an emotional video with his mother on social media, where he is seen watching family pictures in Amethi and Rae Bareli and remembered their connect with the people of both Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and is pitted against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election against Sonia Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi was earlier an MP from Amethi but had lost to Smriti Irani in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Rae Bareli and Amethi are not just constituencies for us, they are our 'karmabhoomi', every corner of which is holding the memories of generations.

रायबरेली और अमेठी हमारे लिए सिर्फ चुनाव क्षेत्र नहीं, हमारी कर्मभूमि है, जिसका कोना कोना पीढ़ियों की यादें संजोए हुए है।

मां के साथ पुरानी तस्वीरें देखकर पापा और दादी की याद भी आ गयी, जिनकी शुरू की गयी सेवा की परंपरा मैंने और मां ने आगे बढ़ाई।

प्रेम और विश्वास की बुनियाद पर… pic.twitter.com/9RKgGG8qjb

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 14, 2024

"Looking at old photographs with my mother, I also remembered my father and grandmother, whose started this tradition of service and was carried forward by me and my mother," he said in a post in Hindi on X.

"This relationship of more than 100 years old, built on the foundation of love and trust, has given us everything. Whenever Amethi and Rae Bareli calls us, we will be there," he also said while sharing the video.

In the over 6-minute video, Sonia Gandhi said she started visiting Amethi in 1982 when they used to go there for holding medical camps and several good doctors from Delhi used to always work there and offer help.

"Panditji started this political life with the area in 1921 and a farmer leader Baba Ram Chandra shared his grief with Panditji. Rahul's grandfather Feroze Gandhi was the MP from Rae Bareli in 1952," she also said, adding that after his demise, his grandmother Indira Gandhi started representing Rae Bareli.

"We used to visit village to village during weddings or deaths and even visited during floods or drought and visited people during to attend villages. They accepted me immediately and I shared a relationship like a daughter and daughter-in-law," Sonia Gandhi also said.

Mr said, "Our family has a relationship of over 100 years with Amethi and Rae Bareli".

He added that his great grandfather started his politics against the British from Rae Bareli.

He also said that during Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, people of the area had come to them when an ITI was being shut in Rae Bareli and said, "we worked hard to save it as we wanted to save that technological spirit in the area." "In 1982 when my father went there, he worked hard and initiated a lot of development work and transformed Amethi completely.

"In Rae Bareli, my grandmother had initiated a lot of development and it was ahead of Amethi. But, whn my father went to Amethi, he ushered in a lot of developmental works and then it looked as if Amethi is ahead of Rae Bareli," he also said.

Then, he said, our government was formed and my mother and I initiated a lot of works and ensured road connectivity and constructed national highways and other roads. "We also started self help groups and helped lakhs of women and opened their bank accounts that transformed their lives." Mr Gandhi said they also opened institutions there like the Petroleum institute and CRPF training camp.

"The biggest work that could have transformed Amethi and Rae areli, and was stopped by the BJP, was the food park, where 40 separate storage would have been created. I felt that that food park would have changed the face of Amethi and Rae Bareli.

"That is my plan for Rae Bareli, to connect Rae Bareli with the entire country and open up manufacturing units there. I would also want to set up a food processing unit there," Mr Gandhi said.

"I also want to hear out the hearts of people of Rae Bareli and act on it. The works done by my grandmother and mother in Rae Bareli, I want to take that forward," he noted.

"That relationship is different, it is like a family, friendship and affection. Like I have my relationship with my mother and sister, I have the same relationship with Rae Bareli. I also like the food there and the 'Arhar ki Dal' made there, you can't find anywhere else. For me, Amethi and Rae Bareli are the same and whenever Amethi and Rae Bareli require us, we will be available," Rahul Gandhi also said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Sushil Modi Cremated In Patna With Full State Honours

Senior BJP leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was cremated with full state honours in Patna on Tuesday evening.

The air reverberated with chants of 'Sushil Modi Amar Rahein', as surging crowds broke down barricades when the body of former Bihar deputy chief minister was consigned to flames at Digha Ghat crematorium in Patna.

The last rites were performed by his sons Uttarkash Modi and Akshay Modi, who lit the pyre in an emotionally surcharged atmosphere.

BJP President JP Nadda, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary and several other ministers also attended the funeral.

The body of the former BJP leader was kept at the party's state office in Patna before it was taken out in a procession to the crematorium. During the procession, people chanted slogans like "Sushil Modi Amar Rahein" as the cortege made its way from the BJP headquarters to the cremation ground.

JP Nadda placed a wreath on the body of the late leader at the party office in Patna. Several Union ministers, and Bihar ministers, including DyCMs - Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha -- offered floral tributes to the late leader.

Sushil Modi, 72, who was suffering from cancer, died in a New Delhi hospital on Monday evening.

Earlier in the day, the body of the former deputy chief minister was brought to Patna from New Delhi. The special flight carrying the body of the leader from New Delhi reached Patna airport in the afternoon. Several senior BJP leaders were present at the airport to receive the body. The body was taken to his residence in Rajendra Nagar area in the state capital.

After the public homage at his house, the body was taken to the Bihar Assembly premises where several ministers, MLAs and MLCs paid their tributes to the departed leader. Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav also paid his respects to his long-time friend and associate. From there the hearse reached the BJP state office. A large number of people walked along the route.

Sushil Modi served as the deputy chief minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013, and again between 2017 and 2020.

He breathed his last around 9.45 pm at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Last month, he took to X to announce that he was battling with cancer for the last six months, and will not be able to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cellphones Of Indians On Ship That Hit US Bridge Seized By FBI: Report

The FBI has seized the cellphones of the mostly Indian crew on board a crippled cargo ship in Baltimore as part of the investigation into the deadly bridge accident in the US city, a non-profit organisation in touch with the personnel said.

The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River came crashing down on March 26 after the 984-foot ship ‘Dali' collided against it. The crew on board Dali included 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan. The crew has been on the ship since the accident and has been cooperating with the investigation.

Executive Director of the Baltimore International Seafarers' Centre The Rev. Joshua Messick told PTI that he is working with all of the relevant organisations to make sure the crew has what they need and that their rights are being upheld.

“They are well cared for with the sole exception that their cellphones were seized as part of the FBI's investigation and have not been returned,” he said.

Mr Messick said he is in “contact with the crew to purchase some SIM cards for them and to plan trips ashore when they are able to have shore leave”.

The Baltimore International Seafarers' Centre is a non-profit organisation serving seafarers that call on the Port of Baltimore from all over the world. The mission of the organisation is to “facilitate the well-being of crew members by offering transportation ashore,” according to information on its website.

Last month, US authorities opened a criminal investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse incident that killed six construction crew workers, who were repairing potholes on the bridge when the collision occurred.

The Washington Post had said that the FBI opened the criminal investigation "focusing on the massive container ship that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month — a probe that will look at least in part at whether the crew left the port knowing the vessel had serious systems problems”.

The Key Bridge Response Unified Command is scheduled to use precision cuts made with small charges to remove a large section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage from on top of the Dali.

For safety reasons, the controlled demolition to remove the bridge section resting on the deck of the Dali has tentatively been scheduled for Monday. Due to weather conditions producing lightning within 10 miles of the M/V Dali, remaining daylight, and rising tide, Unified Command has moved the demolition to Monday.

The Key Bridge Response Unified Command said in a statement that the safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the Dali is by “precision cuts made with small charges. This is an industry-standard tool in controlled demolition that will break the span into smaller pieces, which will allow the work of refloating the vessel and removing it from the federal channel”.

Authorities said the small charges, a standard controlled demolition tool, will split the large section of truss at specific locations to create multiple, smaller sections, which allows salvors to use cranes and barges already on scene to remove these sections of the bridge and ultimately remove the Dali from the channel.

“We remain focused on restoring the Marine Transportation System, while ensuring the protection of the public and the environment,” said Capt David O'Connell, Key Bridge Response Federal On-Scene Coordinator. “By using precision cuts, we reduce risks to our personnel and can safely and efficiently continue clearing the channel for the Port of Baltimore,” he said.

The Singapore-flagged Dali is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Group. In the days following the accident, US authorities had begun interviewing personnel, including the Indian crew members, on board Dali.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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'400 Paar' Push, BJP's Governance Model: PM Modi Exclusive On NDTV. Full Transcript

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke exclusively to NDTV during a roadshow on Sunday and predicted a clean sweep for the alliance in Bihar. He said the BJP will expand its footprint hugely in eastern India this time, which would take the NDA easily over the 400-seat mark.

Here is the full transcript of the exclusive interview:

NDTV: The tallest mass leader that India has seen in many decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is today in Patliputra and in this epic battle and has decided to give us time from his busy schedule.

Thank you very much for speaking to the viewers of NDTV. The viewers of our six channels are watching you right now. You have done programmes across the country. Is Patna's vibe a bit different?

PM Modi: I have visited almost all the states of India. And I can say that Bihar has added many colours to the BJP and NDA's resolution of '400 paar'. The atmosphere in Bihar is the same as that of the entire country.

NDTV: Many people are speculating that there is a BJP upswing in east India, whether you talk about Bengal or Odisha, even in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. What is your assessment?

PM Modi: If I talk beyond politics, there is a 2013 speech by me. I was not even the PM candidate then. So, if we want to develop India, we will have to develop east India. Eastern India should be made a growth engine. In the last ten years, I have laid emphasis on infrastructure, education, health and many such projects in eastern India. As far as this election is concerned, there is a huge storm that will sweep north, south, east and west. In the east, this time the results will be better than before and I believe that these will be surprising for the people of the country. One example for that would be Telangana. In Telangana, you won't be able to imagine the results. You will get the same results in Andhra, you will get the same results in Odisha, Bengal. You will get the same results in eastern India, be it Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam. So, in a way, I can see that the the Bharatiya Janata Party will be adding more areas to its tally.

NDTV: You are talking about these catchment areas. Please assess Bihar. What do you think will happen in Bihar?

PM Modi: In Bihar, I spoke to our colleagues that we had lost one seat earlier, perhaps this time we will not lose any.

NDTV: We are near Charkha samiti right now. Tell me what comes to your mind when you come to Bihar.

PM Modi: Well, I have come here a lot for organisational work and I have been to many areas. I am connected with many old things here.

NDTV: Do you see this election as a referendum or as a governance model fight?

PM Modi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has given a model of governance to the country. The country has seen the model of Congress, the country has seen the model of the Left, the country has seen the model of coalition governments and the country has seen the model of BJP and NDA full majority and it has seen a dynamic government and a decisive government, a risk-taking government. And on the basis of that we have been moving ahead.

NDTV: The number of women is very high here. You have created a constituency for yourself because whatever you have done, Ujjwala scheme, many states also have women-centric schemes, so do you think that women voters are with you?

PM Modi: Empowerment of women is my commitment and I have taken lead in G-20 summit on women-led development and for this we should give opportunities to women. Women should rise above the traditional things that we have. Like we initiated drone didi (scheme) in the villages, like we opened the doors of the Army, when we made them pilots in the Air Force, we sent our daughters to the border, our daughters are going to Siachen and protecting the country. So I have succeeded in bringing in a psychological change. And the power of women will become an additional force in the country's development journey and will accelerate the results.

NDTV: Thank you very much for talking to us.

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