Patna, June 26 (IANS) Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav over the issue faced by Bihar, and asked the common people to consider their children’s future before voting in the upcoming elections.

Speaking at a massive public gathering in Barhara, Kishor, while targeting Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, said the 30-35 years of their rule have pushed Bihar into backwardness, turning it into a labour-exporting state.“Children from Ara and Bhojpur are being forced to go to Gujarat to work as labourers. Meanwhile, PM Modi is taking your votes but building factories in Gujarat,” Kishor said, questioning the crowd.“When the vote is yours, why are the factories in Gujarat and not in Bihar?” he asked. The crowd responded enthusiastically, raising hands in agreement.In a passionate appeal, Kishor urged voters to break away from traditional political loyalties.“Don’t vote for leaders who have looted you and your children’s future. Next time, vote not for Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, or PM Modi, but for the education and employment of your children,” Kishor said.He added that real change in Bihar will only come when people vote for their own issues, not for politicians.“Establish people’s rule in Bihar. Vote by looking at your children’s faces, not leaders’ faces,” he said.Kishor’s convoy received grand receptions across several towns en route from Patna to Bhojpur.Supporters welcomed him with drums, garlands, and slogans at various places, including Kayamnagar Bazaar, Bakhorapur, Nekham Tola, Saraiya Bazaar, Balua Bazaar, and others.Ahead of the meetings, Kishor also offered prayers at the Bakhorapur temple, signifying his grassroots connect.He thanked the Election Commission for allotting the “School Bag” as the election symbol of the Jan Suraj Party, calling it a symbol of hope, education, and transformation.“This school bag is the path to end poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment in Bihar,” he declared.Speaking to reporters after the event, Prashant Kishor reiterated that education is the foundation of Jan Suraaj’s ideology.“The only way to transform Bihar is through education. And the school bag symbolises that mission,” he said.He emphasised that Jan Suraaj’s dream is to ensure that the children of Bihar carry school bags, not migrate as labourers.“This is not just a symbol; it is a message to every household that we stand for your children’s future,” Kishor said.–IANSajk/dan

Mumbai, June 26 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday that the state government will go ahead with the development of 802-km Shaktipeeth Mahamarg costing Rs 86,300 crore, saying that the state Finance department has not raised objection regarding the infrastructure project.

The statement by CM Fadnavis comes after the state Finance department said the Rs 20,878-crore loan guarantee extended by the Maharashtra Cabinet will put financial burden on the state and the off-budget loan will impact the state’s capability of seeking the loan.The Finance department suggested to rethink on the state government’s build, operate and transfer (BOT) principle for mega infrastructure projects by deciding the priority use of financial resources available.The opposition parties have also asked the state government to rethink on project implementation as it will badly affect farmers in the state.However, the Chief Minister said that the development project will move forward as the finance department has not raised any objections.“There is no objection from the state Finance department. It has merely done its work of pointing out data and nothing else. Infrastructure across the world is built by availing loans,” CM Fadnavis told reporters after attending the business advisory committee meetings at the Vidhan Bhavan.He said that the construction of highways strengthens and expands the economy, adding that: “There was opposition to the Samruddhi Expressway as well, but it has changed the face of many districts. The Shaktipeeth Expressway will change the face of Marathwada and the drought-affected region of the state.”The Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway is one of the largest road infrastructure projects in the country.The proposed 802-km high-speed corridor, officially known as the Maharashtra Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, will connect Pavnar in Wardha district to Patradevi in Sindhudurg, near the Maharashtra-Goa border.The project had been halted due to farmers’ protests in 2024.The Maharashtra Finance department, on Tuesday, raised questions over borrowing at a higher rate for the project, pointed to the financial status of the state and advised the state government to rethink its Build, Operate and Transfer policy for mega infrastructure projects and prioritise such projects by the appropriate use of available financial resources.Meanwhile, NCP-SP Working President and party MP Supriya Sule said that the state government should rethink regarding the development of Shaktipeeth Expressway as the state Finance department has raised several critical points on loan guarantee extended to it.”The state is staring at the potential financial mismanagement due to this project. At a time when farmers are protesting against the land acquisition for the project, such financial burden will damage the financial health of the country. It is time for the state government to rethink the project,” Sule added.She also said that the Maharashtra government is facing a financial crunch to provide facilities of education, health and water, but wants to move ahead with a project which would be a financial burden on the state exchequer.”We do not want Maharashtra to get caught in financial bankruptcy. The issue needs to be raised at the national level as well,” she added.Congress MLC Satej Patil, who hails from Kolhapur and is leading the protest against the Shaktipeeth expressway, said that the Finance department has raised questions on the financial structure of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation — it will implement the Shaktipeeth Expressway project — as well.”It clearly shows that all is not well within the state government. There is disagreement within the state government itself over this project,” he added.He said that farmers across the state are opposing this project, and will continue to oppose it.–IANSsj/khz

Jabalpur, June 26 (IANS) In an unprecedented move that blends accountability with ecological restoration, the Madhya Pradesh High Court in Jabalpur has directed Satna’s City Kotwali Station House Officer (SHO), Ravendra Dwivedi, to plant “at least 1,000 fruit-bearing trees” in Chitrakoot, District Satna, as a consequence of his failure to serve a court notice to a victim in due time.The directive, issued by a division bench, comes after SHO Dwivedi tendered a “formal apology” and accepted the penalty of ₹5,000 imposed earlier by the Inspector General of Police.In addition to paying the fine, Dwivedi has committed to completing the plantation drive between “July 1, 2025 and August 31, 2025”.The court has specified that “fruiting varieties such as mango, jamun, mahua, and guava” be planted.As part of the compliance process, photographs and GPS (global positioning system) coordinates of each sapling must be submitted to the High Court registry.Moreover, the SHO is tasked with maintaining the plantation for a period of one year to ensure their healthy growth and establishment.Importantly, the “entire cost” of this exercise will be borne by Dwivedi personally, underscoring a rare instance of direct and personal accountability within the law enforcement hierarchy.The court has also mandated that the “Superintendent of Police (SP), Satna”, conduct an on-site inspection of the plantation and file an affidavit confirming compliance.This affidavit must accompany the final report, which will be taken up for review during the next hearing scheduled for “September 16, 2025”.Legal observers note that this order marks a shift toward “restorative justice” and sends a strong message about institutional responsibility in matters concerning vulnerable victims.The case is now officially listed for further compliance. The court’s decision stems from a procedural lapse in a 2021 case where the Satna District Court sentenced one Ram Avtar Chaudhary to life imprisonment for molesting a minor.Upon appeal, the High Court issued a notice to the victim on September 30, 2024, which was to be served by the Kotwali police.However, the notice was never delivered, prompting the court to take strict action during last Tuesday’s hearing.–IANSsktr/pgh

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s persistent demand that ECI provide machine-readable digital copies of the voter lists for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections appears to be legally untenable, said constitutional experts and sources on Thursday.

Election Commission of India insiders said an earlier Supreme Court verdict has already settled the matter in favour of the poll panel.They suggest that LoP Rahul Gandhi’s repeated attempts to rake up the demand for ‘machine-readable digital copies’ are nothing more than a publicity stunt, as the apex court has already ruled against such a demand.Poll panel insiders shared excerpts of the Supreme Court’s verdict on a writ petition filed in 2018 by Kamal Nath, the then president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, that said, “The format in which the draft electoral roll is supplied to the petitioner fulfils the requirement contained in the Election Manual.”“If the petitioner so wants, he can always convert it into searchable mode, which, of course, would require him to put his own efforts,” said the Supreme Court judgment.Insiders in the ECI have shed light on the apex court judgment in the backdrop of LoP Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of ‘fixed election’ in Maharashtra last November and the Election Commission’s invitation to him to sit for a doubt-clearing session, an offer which he has not accepted yet.“While it is factually correct that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, has been demanding a machine-readable, digital copy of the electoral roll for the last seven months, such a demand by the Congress is not new,” said an official source.The demand, it seems, is part of a strategy by the Congress for well over eight years, a fact that appears to have been selectively obscured in the present representation, he said.“The position historically maintained by the Indian National Congress is not tenable within the contours of the prevailing legal framework. It may be recalled that this very issue has already been agitated by the Congress before none other than the highest constitutional court of the country,” he said.An ECI insider cited the Supreme Court decision on the matter, which said: “We find force in the submission of ECI. Clause 11.2.2.2 of the Election Manual uses the expression ‘text mode’. The draft electoral roll in that mode, i.e. text mode, has been supplied to the petitioner. The clause nowhere says that the draft electoral roll has to be put up on the Chief Electoral Officer’s website in a ‘searchable PDF’.”“Therefore, the petitioner cannot claim, as a right, that the draft electoral roll should be placed on the website in a ‘searchable mode’. It has only to be in ‘text mode’ and it is so provided,” said the SC verdict, quoted by the expert.–IANSrch/dan

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) India on Thursday strongly condemned the demolition of the Durga Mandir (temple) in Dhaka, criticising the role of Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in allowing the destruction and projecting it as a case of illegal land use.”We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as a case of illegal land use and allowed the destruction of the temple today,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing in New Delhi.”This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and their religious institutions,” he stated.Earlier this week, the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) had highlighted another such incident, terming the vandalization of a Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple in Dinajpur district by miscreants as a horrifying act of terrorising the Hindu minority community in the country.”The assailants vandalised the temple, smashed idols, and severed the head of the Goddess Manasa’s idol — an act of deep sacrilege designed to humiliate the minority community and instill fear. As the attackers fled, they threatened local Hindus with further violence, vowing to kill community members at the next opportunity,” read a statement issued by the HRCBM.”The institutionalised fear prevalent among Bangladesh’s Hindu community — fueled by years of targetted violence, social marginalization, and systemic failures was painfully evident in this case,” it added.India has taken a tough line on the rights of the Hindu minority and repeatedly stated that there is “systematic persecution of Hindu minorities” under the Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh.Responding to another question about China, Pakistan and Bangladesh holding their first trilateral meeting in Kunming recently, the MEA spokesperson said that New Delhi continues to keep a close watch on the developments in the neighbourhood that affect the interests and security of the nation.”We maintain a constant watch on developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interests and security. Our relations with individual countries, while standing on their own footing, also take into account the evolving context as well,” he mentioned.The first trilateral meeting was held in China’s southern Yunnan province on June 19 where all three countries vowed their commitment to a “shared” future.During the meeting, the three sides also agreed to enhance their cooperation for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening cooperation in the diverse fields of bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, environmental protection and marine sciences, green infrastructure, culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges.Bangladesh’s growing outreach to China and Pakistan under the interim administration of Yunus remains quite noticeable since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.For decades, Dhaka-Islamabad relations remained frigid and hostile. However, with Yunus at the helm, a silver lining is clearly noticeable in the case of Bangladesh-Pakistan relationship.Analysts believe that Pakistan is leveraging the situation by positioning its non-state actors in Bangladesh, making them mingle with Rohingya refugees and working in conjunction with the radical-Islamist coterie promoting anti-India activities.–IANSscor/as

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Union Minister Ramdas Athawale came out strongly in support of Hindi as a national language, while taking a jibe at Maharashtra leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray for politicising the language issue.

Speaking to IANS in Mumbai, Athawale called the opposition to Hindi “unconstitutional” and urged the Maharashtra government not to bow to political pressure.Reacting to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s call for a massive protest on June 6 against the imposition of Hindi in schools, Athawale said, “Raj Thackeray is the head of a political party and has the right to protest in a democracy. But Hindi is our national language. Opposing Hindi is like opposing the Constitution. We respect Marathi, but teaching Hindi in one or two subjects won’t harm anyone.”On Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement of a July 7 protest and his allegations that the BJP is using language policy as propaganda, Athawale dismissed the claims.“There is no BJP propaganda. This is the agenda of the Constitution. Every state has its language — Tamil, Odia, Bengali — all are respected. But Hindi is a common language spoken across many states. Uddhav and Raj should not oppose it.”Commenting on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s decision not to sign the SCO summit declaration due to the omission of references to terrorism, Athawale supported the move.“Rajnath Singh is a big leader. What happened in Pahalgam and Pakistan’s role should have been included in that document. He did the right thing by refusing to sign,” he said.On Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praising PM Modi and being criticised by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Athawale remarked, “When it comes to national security, everyone should back the PM. Tharoor is a senior leader and rightly appreciated Operation Sindoor. But Rahul Gandhi and Kharge don’t like PM Modi, and that’s why they are opposing Operation Sindoor.”Responding to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of unfair elections in Maharashtra, Athawale said, “There was no rigging. Voter turnout increased; it was a natural phenomenon. Rahul Gandhi is spreading lies without any basis.”–IANSsas/dan

Jammu, June 26 (IANS) One terrorist was killed on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and the terrorists in J&K’s Udhampur district’s Basantgarh area.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti said that four terrorists are believed to be trapped in the ongoing encounter.Speaking with reporters, the IGP said the contact with the terrorists was established around 8.30 a.m., but the weather is unfavourable.“The situation will become clear once the weather improves. As per our assessment, a group of four terrorists is holed up,” he said.Earlier, the Army said an encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Bihali area of Basantgarh following specific inputs.Officials said that after suspicious movement was reported in the Basantgarh area of the district, security forces started a CASO (Cordon and Search Operation) in the area this morning.“The security forces came under heavy automatic gunfire, which was returned, triggering an encounter which is now going on. Reinforcements have been rushed to the spot,” officials said.After the Pahalgam attack on April 22, security forces are on maximum alert in the union territory. Additional companies of BSF, CRPF and SSB have been made available to Jammu and Kashmir to provide security to the upcoming Amarnath Yatra that starts on July 3 and concludes on August 9, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.The pilgrims approach the cave shrine either through the longer, traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route to reach the cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas.A mock security drill was held successfully on Wednesday in all the districts through which the Yatris will pass to reach the cave shrine. All mountain tops are being dominated by the security forces to prevent the terrorists from moving to the hinterland. In addition to the two base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Nunwan (Pahalgam) in Anantnag district, several transit camps have been set up on the two routes to the base camps.The successful and peaceful conduct of this year’s Amarnath Yatra is a challenge faced by the security forces and the local police, as this Yatra is being held after India and Pakistan engaged in hostilities during which the Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).–IANSsq/dan

Chandigarh, June 26 (IANS) BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday slammed former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for “weaponising state agencies” to arrest Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.“This is pure political vendetta. Kejriwal apologised to Majithia in 2018 for levelling baseless and unfounded charges on drugs, if that apology was genuine, how is it that Majithia has become an accused today? That exposes Kejriwal’s hypocrisy,” Chugh said in a statement.After a Delhi court has prima facie found Kejriwal guilty of corruption and told him that he does not deserve to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair, Kejriwal “is now running his ‘danda tantra’ in Punjab”.He said Punjab “is sliding into a full-blown police state. On the 50th anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency, Kejriwal has revived its very spirit, crushing dissent on the diktats of one authoritarian mind”.He accused the Mann government of “net-casting for small fish” and opposition voices while letting the real drug kingpins roam free.Calling the much-hyped ‘Yuddh Nashiyan Virudh’ drive a “PR stunt designed to muzzle the opposition”, Chugh asserted that whatever the truth in the Majithia case, it must be placed before the public transparently, without abusing the machinery of the state.He urged all opposition leaders in Punjab to speak out against this tyranny and appealed to the people of Punjab to “rise and uproot such unconstitutional, dictatorial forces”.“This land once defied the Emergency,” Chugh said. “It must do so again.”The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday arrested Akali Dal leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia from his residence in a posh locality in Amritsar city on charges of laundering more than Rs 540-crore drug money.Investigations by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police probing the first information report (FIR) of 2021 and the Vigilance Bureau revealed massive laundering of drug money facilitated by Majithia, the government said.Preliminary investigations revealed that more than Rs 540 crore drug money has been laundered through several ways, including a huge unaccounted cash of Rs 161 crore deposited in bank accounts of companies controlled by Majithia, channelisation of Rs 141 crore through suspected foreign entities and excess deposition of Rs 236 crore without disclosure or explanation in company financial statements.–IANSvg/pgh

Chennai , June 26 (IANS) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss, on Thursday, reaffirmed his decision to remain the party’s President for the rest of his life, asserting that his choice was guided by conscience rather than a desire for power or office.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Thailapuram near Tindivanam, S. Ramadoss said, “I am not after the loaves and fishes of office. My conscience has directed me to take up the responsibility of party President once again to guide the cadres and ensure the party’s future.”He clarified that his son and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had already served as the PMK’s President for three years.”I have now assigned him the post of party’s Working President, which is a crucial role. Once he accepts this, the stalemate over certain internal matters will end,” he added.Drawing a parallel with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, S. Ramadoss said he was following in the footsteps of his late friend.”Karunanidhi led the DMK while also holding the post of Chief Minister. Even M.K. Stalin, his son and the current Chief Minister, has never raised a voice of protest about that arrangement,” he noted.S. Ramadoss, however, expressed disappointment with a section of the media.”Journalists who never questioned Karunanidhi holding dual roles back then are now trying to press me for answers about my role as party president,” he said.Rejecting any suggestion that he was seeking political office or material gain, S. Ramadoss said that he had maintained close ties with at least five Prime Ministers, including incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but never sought a position in the Union Cabinet.”If I had wanted power, I could have taken any post. That has never been my aim,” he asserted.Referring to the evolution of the PMK, S. Ramadoss said the post of party president was created by him.”I have built this party (PMK) by travelling to 96,000 villages. It should be evident who my successor will be,” he said, hinting at Anbumani Ramadoss as his eventual successor.He also recalled having nurtured several party leaders, including Dalit Ezhilmalai, E. Ponnuswamy, and A.K. Moorthy, who went on to become Union Ministers.Responding to questions about Anbumani Ramadoss’s recent sacking of some party functionaries, S. Ramadoss said, “I had appointed many of those people to their positions in recognition of their service to the party and the public. They will continue in their roles.”Asked a query over forging alliances, he said the PMK would decide on any electoral tie-up during the next general council meeting after consultations with senior party leaders and cadres.–IANSaal/khz

Kolkata, June 26 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, questioned the fresh electoral roll revision guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) before the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar scheduled this year.

She also expressed apprehension that these fresh guidelines might be another step towards the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).She further claimed that although these fresh guidelines have been issued before the Bihar assembly polls, the main target of these new guidelines is West Bengal, which is also going for crucial assembly polls next year.The Chief Minister specially questioned the new guidelines that bar enrolment in the voters’ list without specific citizenship proof, mandatory furnishing of the place of birth for those whose names were not there in the voters’ list in 2003, mandatory furnishing of documents on places and dates of birth for those before July 1, 1987, and submission of related documents of parents for those born after July 1, 1987.“Actually, the Union government, through ECI, is targeting West Bengal, keeping Bihar as a shield. A BJP alliance government is already in Bihar. They will not do anything there. They are actually trying to target West Bengal and migrant workers. The commission is acting on the directions of the BJP,” said the Chief Minister.She was in Digha in the East Midnapore district to participate in the Ratha Yatra festival of the newly inaugurated Lord Jagannath.The temple, however, is officially termed as Shree Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre.She said that the ECI should not have issued these fresh electoral roll revision guidelines without consulting the different registered political parties in the country.“India is a democratic nation. The system of federal democracy prevails here,” the Chief Minister said. She said that the new guideline, which makes it mandatory for those born after July 1, 1987, to submit the birth-related documents of their parents, is an absurd proposition. “It is not necessary that everyone has all birth-related documents of their parents. Even I am not quite sure of the exact dates of birth of my parents,” the Chief Minister said.Thereafter, she claimed that she had doubts that, using these fresh guidelines, the Union government was once again proceeding towards the implementation of NRC.–IANSsrc/dan