Bengaluru, May 29 (IANS) The Karnataka government is concerned about incidents of revenge killings and…

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved an application seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the renewal of his passport, which expired in 2018. The plea, filed in light of the procedural requirements necessary for renewing a passport while in judicial custody, is currently under consideration by the Rouse Avenue Court.In response, the court has issued notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), directing them to file their replies.The matter is scheduled for further hearing on June 4.Kejriwal is currently on bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. He secured bail from the Supreme Court almost six months after he was arrested in March 2024 on charges of alleged money laundering and corruption related to the now-scrapped policy.His legal team told the court that since his passport had expired in 2018, it now needs to be renewed, and a court clearance is required.During the hearing, the CBI informed the court that it was prepared to proceed with the arguments on the issue of framing of charges.However, the agency also expressed concern over the number of petitions being filed in the case. It said that the court had already made it clear that no new petition will be filed now, yet many petitions are pending before the court, sources said.On the same day, Kejriwal, along with the co-accused, including former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, BRS leader K. Kavitha and others, appeared before the court via video conferencing.The proceedings marked a significant step in the excise policy case, which had seen prolonged delays.More than two-and-a-half years after it was first registered, the corruption case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam finally progressed on May 23.This came after months of back and forth between the prosecution and defence, particularly over scrutiny of documents. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh resolved the issue that had stalled the case for nearly a year, even though the CBI had completed its investigation much earlier.The delay had seen as many as 25 adjournments over the last 10 months, largely due to a list of arguments requested by the accused from the prosecution.–IANSsd/dpb

Palamu, May 29 (IANS) At least six people, including four children, were killed and more…

Chennai, May 29 (IANS) Unseasonal and continuous summer rain have severely impacted the tourism industry…

Patna, May 29 (IANS) In a landmark move to boost infrastructure and connectivity in eastern India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the second phase of the Varanasi-Gaya-Ranchi-Kolkata Expressway (NH-319B) on Thursday, during his visit to Bihar.This expressway, which is part of the Bharatmala Project, is a massive infrastructure initiative that promises to transform road travel and economic activity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.The 690-kilometre-long expressway, with a width of 36 metres, will be Bihar’s first six-lane greenfield expressway.Starting from Barhauli near the Varanasi Ring Road in Uttar Pradesh, it will traverse through Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, and Gaya in Bihar before entering Jharkhand and continuing to Kolkata.The expressway promises to halve travel time between Varanasi and Kolkata from 12–14 hours to just 6–7 hours.The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 35,000 crore, with around Rs 5,994 crore allocated for Bihar alone, and Rs 1,200 crore earmarked for Gaya district.In Gaya, the expressway will cut through the heavily forested and historically Naxal-affected blocks of Imamganj and Dumaria, covering 29 revenue villages (mauzas) across 33.5 kilometres.The route includes Anwar Salaiya, Barha, Chhakarbandha, Tarchua, and Dhakpahari, areas that were once difficult to access due to insurgency.A construction company from Rajasthan has begun setting up a work centre in Chhakarbandha forest and a project office in Baseta to oversee operations.”Till just a decade ago, even common people hesitated to visit Chhakarbandha due to Naxalite dominance. Today, the expressway is a symbol of development reclaiming such regions,” said a local resident, Rahul Manjhi, while noting the missed opportunity of not having an interchange point at Chhakarbandha itself.Deepa Manjhi, MLA from Imamganj, hailed the project as a game-changer for traffic and economic growth.“The expressway will improve inter-city connectivity, reduce traffic congestion, and boost freight movement. Industrial development will follow, generating employment and fostering economic prosperity,” she said.–IANSajk/rad

Kolkata, May 29 (IANS) A group of ‘untainted’ teachers in West Bengal, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order last month in the cash-for-job case, reached Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s official residence on Thursday morning to meet her and update her on their condition.However, the teachers, who turned up at the Chief Minister’s residence without an appointment, did not get the chance to meet Mamata Banerjee.They were taken away by the security personnel deployed near the Chief Minister’s official residence at Kalighat in South Kolkata.A city police officer said that on Thursday morning, suddenly, a group of five teachers, all women, arrived at the doorsteps of the Chief Minister’s residence with a plea to meet her, without a prior appointment.The police personnel there denied them entry and explained to them that meeting the Chief Minister without a prior appointment was not possible.However, the women teachers started arguing with them.Soon the security personnel, with the assistance of female cops, first detained them, put them into a police van, and took them away from near the Chief Minister’s residence. They were taken to the nearby Kalighat Police Station for interrogation.The five detained teachers are Sahani Naznin, Rupa Karmakar, Shilpi Chakraborty, Nur Amina Gulshan and Sangeeta Saha.During the altercations with the police personnel, Saha told media persons that since they did not have the time to seek an appointment, they came directly to the Chief Minister’s residence.“Since the beginning, we had been seeking appointments with the Chief Minister. We had a hope that the Chief Minister would understand what we had been going through,” she said.Earlier this week, the Chief Minister announced that the West Bengal School Service Commission’s (WBSSC) notification for fresh recruitments to vacant posts for teaching and non-teaching jobs will be issued on May 30.She stated that even the ‘untainted’ teachers, who had lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order in the cash-for-job case, would have to appear for the written examination for recruitment.However, insiders from the state secretariat said that the notification might be issued by Thursday evening.On April 3, a Supreme Court Bench while upholding a previous order of the Calcutta High Court, which annulled 25,753 school appointments made through the WBSSC, also directed the state government to start a fresh recruitment process by issuing notifications or advertisements for the same by May 31.Since the teachers who had got their jobs without paying any money had been insisting that they would not appear for a fresh written examination, the Chief Minister clarified that after the Supreme Court’s order, there was no other option before them but to appear for the test.–IANSsrc/rad

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, on Thursday, cited a declassified letter from former US President Ronald Reagan to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to criticise the Congress party for questioning American involvement in diplomatic efforts between India and Pakistan.In a post on X, Dubey wrote, “Why does the Congress get angry? When I read this letter, I felt a deep sense of regret.”He shared a copy of the letter, which showed that the US played a central role in shaping the 1988 India-Pakistan nuclear agreement and other regional decisions.Dubey stated, “President Ronald Reagan sent this letter/telegram to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Under American pressure, we spoke to Pakistani President General Zia. The American President set the agenda for the talks.”He added, “This letter reveals that the 1988 nuclear agreement between India and Pakistan was signed under American pressure. Even our conversations with our friend Soviet Russia on the Afghanistan issue were driven by the American agenda. Is this what the Shimla Agreement stood for? Was this slavish mentality the legacy of the ‘Iron Lady’? Were we truly a sovereign nation? And now the Congress attacks Modi ji for strengthening India?”The excerpt of the letter shared by Dubey reads: “You know my apprehensions regarding nuclear competition in the subcontinent. Your discussions with President Zia next week in Delhi can help set the agenda for peace. I understand that nuclear issues will figure prominently in your talks. We will continue to support regional efforts aimed at achieving nuclear peace in the subcontinent. We are also working bilaterally to enhance non-proliferation prospects, as you asked.”The agreement referred to in the letter is the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack Against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, signed by India and Pakistan on December 31, 1988, and brought into force in 1991.Dubey’s remarks come amid renewed attacks by the Congress party over the Modi government’s handling of foreign involvement in India-Pakistan relations and the cessation of Operation Sindoor, which was launched following the Pahalgam terror attack.Dubey went a step further, questioning the rationale behind India’s military deployment in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, suggesting it, too, may have been influenced by Washington.“According to this letter, it seems that even in Sri Lanka, we sent the army to kill Tamil brothers only under American pressure?” he wrote.–IANSskp/

Bagdogra, May 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the brutal terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam was an assault on humanity itself, but India’s swift and precise response through Operation Sindoor has dealt a decisive blow to terrorism and exposed Pakistan on the global stage.Addressing the 50th-anniversary celebrations of Sikkim’s statehood virtually from Bagdogra, PM Modi strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack, in which Pakistan-linked terrorists killed 26 unarmed Indian tourists.”Tourism is not just about leisure, it is a celebration of diversity. But what the terrorists did in Pahalgam was not just an attack on Indians; it was an attack on the soul of humanity, on the spirit of brotherhood,” the Prime Minister said.Stressing the national unity in the face of terror, he said, “The terrorists shattered the happiness of many families; they conspired to divide us as Indians. Yet today, the entire world is witnessing a stronger, more united India.”In a firm tone, PM Modi said India responded to terrorism and its sponsors with “unwavering unity and sent a strong, clear message”.”They tried to wipe the sindoor off the heads of our daughters, leaving them in grief, but we responded with Operation Sindoor, delivering a fitting blow to terrorism,” he said.Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces launched targeted precision strikes on nine high-value terror infrastructures located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.PM Modi noted that while these hubs were dismantled, Pakistan retaliated by attacking Indian military, civilian, and religious sites.”When the terror hubs were destroyed, Pakistan, in fear, tried to attack our citizens and armed forces. But in that too, Pakistan was exposed. We destroyed several of their air bases and proved that India can do whatever it wants with precision and promptness,” he said.Earlier, in one of his speeches, the Prime Minister reiterated that Operation Sindoor is not over and is the “new normal” in India’s fight against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism.–IANSsd/dpb

Panama, May 29 (IANS) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at the ‘zealots’, in an apparent reference to Congress leader Udit Raj and said that his statement on India’s evolving counter-terrorism operation were being distorted and twisted for ‘vested interests’. The Thiruvananthapuram MP, while heading from Panama to Bogota (Colombia) – the next destination in India’s global outreach mission on Operation Sindoor, took to X on Thursday and stated that he was was clearly and explicitly speaking about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars.Congress leader Udit Raj, rather a section of party leaders, got riled up over Tharoor’s praise of Modi government’s policy of zero tolerance on terrorism in Panama and took a swipe, dubbing him as the BJP’s ‘super spokesperson’.Tharoor ticked off Congress colleague without taking name and wrote on X, “For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC…. I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars.”He further said “critics and trolls” are welcome to distort his views and that he has “better things to do”. Tharoor said that his remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB.The row erupted after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, leading a multi-party delegation as part of a global outreach programme, said in recent years, India’s stance on terrorism had changed and that terrorists now understand they will face consequences for their actions.His remark did not go down well with his party colleagues, who launched a scathing attack on him for ‘undermining’ Congress ‘golden history’.Udit Raj said that Tharoor should be declared the BJP’s spokesperson and claimed that the latter was “denigrating the golden history of Congress” by suggesting that, before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, India never crossed the Line of Control (LoC) or international border.”In 1965, the Indian Army entered Pakistan at multiple points, surprising the Pakistanis in the Lahore sector. In 1971, India split Pakistan into two, and during the UPA government, several surgical strikes were conducted without politicising them. How could you be so dishonest to the party that gave you so much?” Raj posted.Congress leader Pawan Khera also endorsed Udit Raj’s scathing attack on Tharoor by reposting his tweet.–IANSsvn/mr

Kolkata, May 29 (IANS) Humayun Kabir, an engineer by profession, who was arrested at Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal after stabbing four people in a local Madrasa, had killed his parents a day earlier, said officials.Kabir had attacked people within the madrasa premises late Wednesday evening.It has come to light now that he had killed his parents at Memari in East Burdwan district on Tuesday night, and their bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning.Kabir, who had fled after killing his parents, travelled from Memari to Bangaon, where he rushed into the madrasa premises and stabbed four persons.The investigating officials from Memari had contacted their counterparts in Bangaon, informing them about the sequence of events. A team of investigators from Memari has also reached Bangaon.Although the Bangaon police had claimed that the arrested accused is mentally unstable and there is no communal angle behind the mishap, questions have surfaced on what exactly prompted him to travel around 110 kilometres from Memari to Bangaon and then stab the four persons in the madrasa.Questions are also surfacing on why, after his arrest, a huge mob attacked the Bangaon Police station and tried to snatch away the accused from police custody. The locals believe that unless the accused had acquaintances at Bangaon, such a huge crowd couldn’t assemble at such short notice in front of the Bangaon police station and try to snatch him away.On Wednesday night, the Banagaon Police District superintendent, Dinesh Kumar, issued a statement confirming the stabbing incident, the arrest of the accused, and the attempts by a crowd to snatch the Kabir from police custody.“An incident took place in the Bangaon PS area this evening when a mentally unstable person stabbed 4 persons in a fit of rage. Police promptly reached the spot and arrested the accused person. Subsequently, a group of agitated mob reached the police station and attempted to snatch the arrested person from police custody and also attempted to vandalise the reception desk. Police dispersed the mob forthwith and arrested 10 persons. Raids are on to apprehend others who were involved in the attempted violence at the police station,” the statement issued by Kumar read.At the same time, Kumar categorically mentioned that there was no communal angle behind the incident and cautioned that rumour-mongers would be sternly dealt with as per the law.–IANSsrc/dpb