The 12-hour Karnataka bandh called by pro-Kannada groups to protest the alleged assault on a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for being unable to understand Marathi passed off peacefully on Saturday. With elaborate security arrangements in place, the police ensured that no untoward incidents occurred during the shutdown, PTI reported. According to PTI, ahead of the Karnataka bandh, state Home Minister G Parameshwara requested the people to protest peacefully, warning that any attempt to disturb law and order or resort to vandalism would be dealt with an iron hand. Pro-Kannada groups staged protests in various parts of the state and convincing shopkeepers to support the Karnataka bandh. However, most shops remained open as usual. In Bengaluru, activists came together at Mysore Bank Circle, raising slogans and holding placards, reported PTI. Some demonstrators staged a protest at the bus stands in Majestic, urging bus drivers and conductors to support the bandh. As their agitation intensified, police took them into preventive custody. Leading the agitation, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) convener Vatal Nagaraj staged a demonstration at Majestic. He termed the bandh a "success", claiming that bus stands were deserted, many shopkeepers had shut their shops, and several autorickshaw drivers stayed off the roads. According to PTI, Nagaraj informed that he had explained to both the government and the people why his organisation had called for the bandh. He further claimed that over 3,000 Kannada activists were taken into preventive custody on Friday night itself. Nagaraj was also detained as he began his protest at Town Hall, accompanied by Kannada filmmaker Sa Ra Govindu. In Mysuru, some pro-Kannada activists staged a sit-in protest, blocking buses at the suburban bus stand. They demonstrated a dharna near the exit gate to prevent buses from leaving for Bengaluru and other parts of the state. Several pro-Kannada activists were taken into preventive custody after they attempted to stop a KSRTC bus in Mysuru. Similar protests took place in Davangere, where demonstrators hit the streets. Sources in Belagavi said KSRTC buses were operating as usual, but the movement of buses from Maharashtra to this border town in north Karnataka was restricted, as it remained at the center of the linguistic row. Besides the attack on a bus conductor in Balekundri, Panchayat officials in Kinaye village, Belagavi, were abused for not speaking Marathi. Located on the Maharashtra border, Belagavi has a substantial Marathi-speaking population, and the border dispute flares up from time to time. The accused in both incidents have been taken into custody. Extensive security measures were implemented across the state, with senior officers closely monitoring the situation to prevent any untoward incidents. Police in various districts deployed home guards along with City Armed Reserve units as a precautionary measure to ensure that the bandh remained peaceful and did not cause inconvenience to the public, officials informed, reported PTI. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda warned of legal action against anyone found coercing people into participating in the bandh. He stated that 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the entire civil and traffic police force were deployed in Bengaluru as a precaution. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged people to maintain peace and follow the law. "We will protect the interests of the state. Everyone should maintain peace and abide by the law. However, I feel there is no need for a bandh," he asserted on Friday. According to Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G, no holiday was declared for schools and colleges. On February 28, Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella organisation representing various pro-Kannada groups, announced the statewide bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on March 22. State-owned public transport corporations such as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) largely remained operational. According to sources, some autorickshaw, cab, and private transport unions extended support to the bandh, while others, including hotel associations, malls, bars, and restaurants, chose to stay away, offering only "moral support." Meanwhile, essential services, including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services, continued to operate amid the bandh. (With PTI inputs)
22 March,2025 09:53 PM IST | Benguluru | mid-day online correspondentThe Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday said they plan to take the Saurabh Rajput murder case to a fast-track court, even as a post-mortem revealed the extreme brutality with which he was killed and his body dismembered, allegedly by his wife and her lover. According to news agency PTI, the autopsy disclosed that Rajput's head was severed from his body, both hands were cut off at the wrists, and his legs were bent backwards, suggesting an attempt to fit the body into a drum. The cause of death has been attributed to shock and excessive bleeding. Following the murder, Muskan Rastogi and her lover Sahil Shukla travelled to Kasol in Himachal Pradesh on March 10 and checked into a hotel, introducing themselves as husband and wife. They left on March 16, the hotel operator said, adding that their driver accompanied them. "They stayed in their hotel room the whole day, only going out once in their car, which was unusual. They had minimal interaction with staff and did not allow anyone to clean their room," he said. During check-out, they claimed to have come from Manali and said they would return to Uttar Pradesh, PTI reported. Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada told PTI that police would prioritise filing a charge sheet as quickly as possible. "We will try to run the case in a fast-track court so that the accused get punished as soon as possible," he said, adding that police would seek custody of Rastogi and Shukla once their 14-day judicial custody ends. The gruesome details of the murder have attracted nationwide attention. Doctors who conducted the post-mortem reported that Rajput was stabbed in the heart with extreme force three times, indicating a sustained and violent attack. "The blows from the sharp long knife pierced deep inside the heart," one of the doctors said. Superintendent of Police (City) Ayush Vikram Singh confirmed the post-mortem findings. "Muskan brutally stabbed Saurabh in his heart, puncturing it. His neck was severed, and both palms were cut off. The body was cut into four pieces to fit inside the drum," the officer said. Meerut murder: Saurabh Rajput was drugged, stabbed to death on March 4 The medical team further detailed the gruesome attempt to conceal the body. "It was placed in the drum, which was then filled with dust and cement. The body solidified in the cement and did not decompose due to the lack of air. The smell was not extremely foul," a member of the post-mortem team disclosed. The drum had to be cut open, and the hardened cement painstakingly removed to retrieve the body. Rajput was allegedly drugged and then stabbed to death by his wife and her lover on 4 March. His body was dismembered and sealed inside a drum with cement. The duo then went on holiday to Himachal Pradesh, misleading Rajput's family by sending messages from his phone. The matter was reported to police on 18 March, following which Muskan and Sahil were arrested. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Meerut Zone) Kalanidhi Naithani has directed the force to conduct a thorough investigation, file a charge sheet promptly, and ensure strong prosecution to secure severe punishment. Meerut murder: Statements of vendors who sold knife, drum and cement being recorded As part of the investigation—now overseen by an inspector and monitored by an assistant superintendent of police—statements of vendors who sold the knife, drum, and cement were being recorded. Police are also investigating the accused’s activities after the murder. A video circulating on social media purportedly shows Rastogi and Shukla dancing at a party. "In the video, both are seen dancing to DJ music at a party while drenched in the colours of Holi," a police source said. The source added that Rastogi's online chats and audio messages exchanged with the driver of the cab in which she and Shukla travelled to Himachal Pradesh had also surfaced online. "One such video showed Rastogi sending an audio message to the cab driver via WhatsApp, asking him to bring a cake," the police source said. Rastogi and Rajput got married in 2016 against his family's wishes after a relationship and had a six-year-old daughter. Rastogi and Shukla had known each other since school and reconnected via a WhatsApp group in 2019, police said. (With PTI inputs)
22 March,2025 08:15 PM IST | Meerut | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis stated on Saturday that a bulldozer "will roll if necessary" when asked whether those involved in the Nagpur violence would face action similar to the "Uttar Pradesh style." Addressing the media, Fadnavis affirmed that the government would recover the cost of damage caused during the unrest from the rioters. If they failed to compensate, their properties would be seized and sold to cover the losses, reported news agency PTI. In response to a query about the possibility of "bulldozer action" against rioters in Nagpur, akin to the approach in Uttar Pradesh, Fadnavis said, "The Maharashtra government has its own style of working... bulldozer will roll when necessary." "Wherever wrong things are happening, they will be crushed. Nobody [perpetrators] will be spared," he added. According to PTI, the Maharashtra CM also emphasised that stringent action would be taken against those who attacked police officers during the unrest, asserting that his government would not tolerate any form of disturbance. However, he dismissed the notion that the incident was an "intelligence failure," stating instead that intelligence gathering could have been better. "Police will be alert. We won't tolerate any kind of disturbance," he assured. Fadnavis also informed that 104 individuals had been identified through CCTV footage and video analysis. Legal action has been initiated against 92 people, including 12 minors. PM Modi to visit Nagpur on March 30 The violence broke out on Monday after rumours spread that a 'chadar' bearing religious inscriptions had been burnt during a protest by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The unrest resulted in widespread stone-pelting and arson, injuring 33 police personnel, including three officers of Deputy Commissioner of Police rank. Meanwhile, Fadnavis confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Nagpur on 30 March would proceed as planned. "The cost of properties damaged during Nagpur violence will be recovered from rioters, and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses. My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly," asserted Fadnavis, who also heads the state Home Ministry. According to PTI, the CM mentioned that the situation in Nagpur had calmed down and efforts were underway to ease the curfew in affected areas. "Riots broke out only in parts of the city, while 80 per cent of Nagpur wasn't impacted," he clarified. Fadnavis said that compensation distribution for victims of Nagpur violence would begin soon. Additionally, 68 social media posts that aggravated the violence had been identified and removed. He added that those responsible for circulating inflammatory content would be treated as co-accused for their role in inciting violence. Fadnavis noted that it was too early to comment on a possible foreign or Bangladeshi connection to Nagpur violence, as the investigation was ongoing. However, he claimed that there appeared to be a "Malegaon connection" as one of the accused, reportedly from Malegaon, was associated with a political party. Without naming anyone, he alluded to the arrest of Minority Democratic Party leader Fahim Khan on sedition charges. Nagpur violence: 105 people arrested so far Regarding allegations of rioters misbehaving with a female police constable, Fadnavis said he had spoken to the Police Commissioner, who confirmed that the purported incident had not occurred. However, he acknowledged that stones had been thrown at female constables. Notably, an FIR had alleged that a group of rioters had inappropriately touched a woman constable and attempted to disrobe her during the violence. Addressing speculation that the violence in his hometown was orchestrated to target him politically, Fadnavis dismissed such claims as baseless. "It is foolish to say such things. There is no political angle to the violence," he asserted. During his visit to Nagpur following the violence, the Chief Minister assessed the situation and chaired a meeting with senior police and administrative officers at the Police Commissionerate. When asked about the Congress party’s decision to send a committee to visit the violence-hit areas, Fadnavis noted that one of the committee members was accused in the Akola violence case. "If rioters are coming to enquire about riots, it is akin to appeasement politics," he remarked. Nagpur Police reported that 105 individuals had been arrested so far in connection with the violence, including Fahim Khan. (With PTI inputs)
22 March,2025 06:54 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentA Kerala court on Saturday sentenced to varying jail terms, ranging from five years to 13 years, the three persons convicted for the abduction of a Mysuru-based traditional healer and his brutal killing at one of the accused's residence at Nilambur, Malappuram, in 2019. Additional District and Sessions Judge Thushar M sentenced Shaibin Ashraf, the main accused, to a total of 13 years and nine months in prison in connection with the abduction and killing of 60-year-old Shaba Sharif. The court sentenced him to eight years under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), three years under section 347 (wrongful confinement), two years under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and nine months under section 201 (destruction of evidence) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and said the sentences shall run consecutively, Public Prosecutor EM Krishnan Namboodiri said. The court sentenced Shihabudheen for a total of eight years and nine months. The third convict, Nishad, was sentenced for a total of five years and nine months, the prosecutor said. Besides this, the court also imposed a total fine of Rs 3.5 lakh on the three and said that if the amount was recovered from them, it shall be given to the victim's family, according to the prosecutor. The court had convicted the three of them on March 20. The court had acquitted nine others who were accused in the case. After the conviction of the three, the prosecutor in the case had told reporters outside the court that a single hair found in Ashraf's car became instrumental in proving that Sharif was killed and his body disposed of by the accused. "No body or body parts were found and therefore, it was very challenging to prove the case against the accused," the prosecutor had said and praised the investigation carried out by the police.He said that through the mitochondrial DNA of Sharif found in the hair, it was possible to prove the crime against the accused."We were able to prove his abduction, wrongful confinement and killing," the prosecutor said. The abduction and homicide case came to light in 2022 during an investigation into a burglary case. Ashraf, a businessman hailing from Kaipancheri here, had lodged a theft complaint against some of his associates. The associates had then created a ruckus in front of the Secretariat in the state capital by attempting self immolation, claiming that they were being intimidated by the businessman. They were arrested and handed over to Malappuram police and during their interrogation, the abduction and killing of the Mysuru-based traditional healer was revealed. One of the accused also handed over to the police a pendrive containing a video of the victim being held confined in Ashraf's house. Subsequent investigation revealed that Sharif's family had lodged a missing complaint in 2019. The police, thereafter, found that Sharif, after being abducted, was subjected to brutal torture in captivity for over a year at Ashraf's house for a secret medicinal recipe of the healer to treat piles. However, Sharif succumbed to the injuries suffered during his torture and his body was cut into pieces and dumped into the river, according to the police.Ashraf had plans to launch a clinic after getting hold of the medicine formula and reap huge profits. But, he and his associates had a falling out, leading to them stealing some of Ashraf's valuables and cash and him lodging a complaint against them. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 04:21 PM IST | Kerala | PTIAir India, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways operated their scheduled flights from the national capital to London Heathrow on Saturday as the UK airport resumed operations after being impacted by a power outage. Travel plans of thousands of passengers who were scheduled to fly to London Heathrow Airport (LHR), including from Indian cities, were disrupted on Friday due to the cancellation of flights. An official said Air India, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operated their flights to LHR on Saturday morning, and another Air India flight is scheduled to depart in the afternoon. Delhi Airport has six daily flights connecting with LHR. British Airways has eight flights per day between India and LHR, including three from Mumbai and two from Delhi. Virgin Atlantic has five daily flights to LHR from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Air India has six flights to LHR. In a series of posts on X, LHR airport on Saturday said flights have resumed and "we are open and fully operational". Teams across the airport continue to do everything they can do to support passengers impacted by yesterday's outage at an off airport substation, it said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
22 March,2025 03:27 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIA 22-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly pouring petrol on a man and setting him ablaze in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said. The victim, Vijay Gehlot, is undergoing treatment for burn wounds following the attack that took place in the Thakkar Bazar area on Friday evening, an officer said. According to the officer, the accused, Shubham Jagtap, lived in a room next to a public toilet, and Gehlot used to tease and beat him up without any reason. Fed up with the harassment, Jagtap allegedly poured petrol on Gehlot and set him ablaze with a lighter, the officer said, adding that the victim sustained serious injuries in the attack. The accused has been arrested under section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
22 March,2025 02:53 PM IST | Nashik | PTIIn a major crackdown on drug trafficking, East Agartala Police seized a massive consignment of 1,10,000 Yaba tablets from a hotel in the city. The raid was conducted at Woodland Park Hotel, Room No. 207, in Moth Chowmohani which led to the arrest of three individuals. During the operation, the police recovered one large trolley bag containing 11 yellow plastic packets, each filled with 10,000 Yaba tablets, Rs 1,600 in Indian currency, and three smart mobile phones. "Today, we received secret information that drug smuggling was taking place at Hotel Wooden Park. Acting swiftly, we formed a team under the leadership of the SDPO (Sadar) and the OC (East Police Station) and conducted a raid. During the operation, we arrested three individuals from Room No. 7", Dr Kiran Kumar K, SP, West Tripura said. The arrested individuals have been identified as Sadul Hussain Talukdar (32), a resident of Dudh Patil, Silchar Sadar; Nayan Mani NamaSudhra (29), a resident of North Kachu Chara under Kachuchara PS; and Biswajit Biswas (28), a resident of Purba Dulo Chara under Salema PS. "Upon searching their belongings, we discovered a trolley bag containing eleven packets. Each packet held approximately 10,000 Yaba tablets, making a total of 110,000 tablets. The estimated market value of these drugs is around Rs 5.5 crore. We quickly secured the contraband and arrested the suspects", he said. The operation was carried out under SDPO Sadar, Debaprasad Roy, O/C East Agartala PS, Rana Chatterjee, SI Dilip Das, SI Subendu Das, and SI Amlesh Debbarma. "The mastermind behind this operation has been identified as Sadul Hossain Talukdar, a notorious drug dealer from Assam. Another suspect, Nayan Moni Namashudra, is from Khowai, while Biswajit Biswas is from Dhalai. The key figure behind the smuggling ring is based in Assam and is known to be a major trafficker of narcotics", SP Kiran Kumar K added. "We have taken them into custody and will seek remand for further interrogation. A case will be registered against them under the NDPS Act. Our goal is to extract all possible information about their network. This raid is one of the biggest operations we have conducted in the past three months", he said. OC Chatterjee also stated that the case has been registered under East Agartala PS Case No. 2025/EAG/035 dated 21/03/2025 under sections 22(C), 27(A), and 29 of the NDPS Act. The seizure marks a significant success in the fight against narcotics in the region. Authorities are now investigating further links to the smuggling network, and the arrested individuals are in police custody, with legal proceedings. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 10:54 AM IST | Agartala | ANIHitting out at DMK over its opposition to the three-language formula, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said no attempt should be made to divide the nation on the basis of language and "some people are using language as a cover to hide their scams and corruption". Amit Shah, who was replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of his ministry, said the Tamil Nadu government "does not have the courage" to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil. "I would like to say something so that those who divide the country in the name of language do not get their agenda. Under the Department of Official Languages, Narendra Modi government has set up Indian Languages Section which will work to enhance the use of all Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, all languages. After December, I will have written correspondence with citizens, CMs, Ministers and MPs in their own language," Amit Shah said. Without naming DMK, he accused it of using language issue to hide scams. "This is a strong reply to those who run their shops in the name of language to hide their corruption...What are they saying? That we oppose languages of the south? How can this be possible?...I come from Guajrat, Nirmala Sitharanan from Tamil Nadu. How can we oppose this? What are you saying?" he said. Amit Shah said when an NDA government comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil. "We have worked for languages...I would like to tell Tamil Nadu Government - we have been saying for two years that you do not have the courage to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil...You cannot do this. When an NDA government comes to power (in Tamil Nadu), we will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil, in Tamil Nadu," he said. The Home Minister said that Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language and is a friend of all Indian languages. "I would like to tell those who spread poison in the name of language that you like languages from thousands of kilometres away but you do not language of India...I have said this again and again Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language. Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages, all Indian languages strengthen from Hindi and Hindi strengthens from all Indian languages," he said. He also said that the BJP will expose DMK's "wrongdoings" by visiting every village and engaging with the public. There has been a stalemate between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the implementation of the three-language formula as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Union Home Minister said that the Inter-State Council operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and works to resolve issues between the center and the states. Between 2004 and 2014, only 11 meetings of the Zonal Council were held, but since 2014, 27 meetings have taken place. The Standing Committee had 14 meetings between 2004 and 2014, but since 2014, 33 meetings have been held. In the past, only 448 issues were resolved in the Zonal Council meetings, but during our government, 1280 issues have been resolved. He said that the Inter-State Council is an important tool in strengthening our federal structure. Amit Shah said that the Vibrant Village Programme is important initiative. There has been migration from villages located in difficult conditions on the country's borders in search of better facilities, and a country whose border villages are empty can never be safe. Earlier, the villages located on the borders were called the "last villages," but due to the new approach of the Modi government, these are now called the "first villages." In the next few years, these villages will also become the first in terms of facilities, and this is the aim of the Vibrant Village Programme. Under this programme, 90 per cent of the funding is from the central government, and 10 per cent from the state government. In the first phase, 455 villages from Arunachal Pradesh, 75 from Himachal Pradesh, 51 from Uttarakhand, 46 from Sikkim, and 35 from Ladakh have been adopted under this programme. The Union Home Minister said that many efforts have been made for border security. He mentioned that "out of the total 12 Land Ports, 11 have been established during our time, and through these Land Ports, trade worth Rs70,959 crore and the movement of over 30 million passengers have taken place". Amit Shah further stated that the government has plans for a total of 26 Land Ports. He said that the Padma Awards have been given to people who were heroes to ordinary citizens and dedicated their entire lives to bringing small changes in society and the country. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 10:53 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIGovernment has “zero tolerance policy” towards terrorism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday as he also asserted that Maoism will end in India by March 2026. Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on the working of the home ministry, he said the Narendra Modi government fulfilled the dream of the architects of the Constitution by abrogating Article 370. Shah said the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, left-wing extremism, and insurgency in the Northeast were among the biggest challenges for India. He also said the number of deaths of civilians and security personnel in terror incidents has drastically come down, while there has been zero incidents of stone pelting in the Kashmir valley. “There has been a 70 per cent reduction in deaths due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir during Modi govt; terror incidents too fell sharply,” he said. Shah also said grassroots level democracy has been established in Jammu and Kashmir by successfully holding elections in urban and rural local bodies. He also accused previous governments of not taking action against Naxalism. “By March 21, 2026, Maoism will end in this country,” he said. Talking about the Northeast, Shah said the region is by and large peaceful, and ever since the Modi government came to power, a new era of development has been ushered in. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 08:07 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday announced a major organisational reshuffle, naming former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj as president of its Delhi unit and senior leader Manish Sisodia as its in-charge for Punjab, over a month after losing the Assembly polls in its home turf, Delhi. While Bharadwaj replaces Gopal Rai, Sisodia takes charge of Punjab, the only state in the country where the AAP is currently in power. The decisions were made during a meeting of the AAP's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) at the residence of party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. AAP General Secretary (Organisation) Sandeep Pathak, after the meeting, said Rai would now be in charge of Gujarat, where the party is aiming to expand its base. “We will strengthen the party and expand the organisation,” said Bharadwaj after his appointment. Sisodia, in a post on X, thanked Kejriwal and the party leadership for giving him the responsibility to work as in-charge of Punjab. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 08:04 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesEighteen BJP MLAs were suspended for six months from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday for “disrespecting” Speaker U T Khader after a resolution, was moved by the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The incident occurred on the last day of the Assembly’s budget session, when BJP MLAs staged a massive protest. They climbed onto the podium and threw papers at the Speaker. The protest was sparked by opposition anger over the allocation of a four percent reservation to Muslims in public contracts. Earlier, the BJP had protested, accusing the state government of attempting to “honey trap” a minister and demanding a judicial probe into the matter. Among those suspended are BJP chief whip Doddanna Gouda Patil, C N Ashwath Narayan, B A Basavaraju, M R Patil, Sharanu Salagar, Yashpal Suvarna, B P Harish, Bharat Shetty, Muniratna and Basavaraj Mattimood. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 March,2025 08:02 AM IST | Bengaluru | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
