Chandigarh, Aug 14 (IANS) Three days after repealing the contentious policy, which triggered statewide protests by thousands of farmers, the Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Thursday decided to withdraw the notification of the Department of Housing and Urban Development pertaining to land pooling policy of June 4, along with subsequent Amendments.Through the policy the government was looking to acquire 65,533 acres of land, of which 46,861 acres were to be acquired through…

Patna, Aug 14 (IANS) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit regions in Bihar and instructed officials to intensify relief and rescue operations as water levels in major rivers, including the Ganga and Kosi, crossed danger marks.The CM, accompanied by Water Resources Minister Vijay Chaudhary and senior officials, flew over the worst-affected districts, including Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Begusarai and Khagaria.The survey came a day later than planned after bad w…

Jammu, Aug 14 (IANS) A massive cloudburst hit J&K’s Kishtwar district on Thursday, with casualties feared, even as officials said a rescue operation has been started in the affected area.The cloudburst hit Chositi village in the Paddar sub-division of Kishtwar.While reports claimed 10 people have died in this cloudburst, there was no official word on the casualties.Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that the cloudburst had hit the Chositi area of the Paddar sub-division, and a rescue op…

Amaravati, Aug 14 (IANS) In a huge setback to YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the ruling Telugu Desam Party on Thursday wrested Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTC seats in his home district, YSR Kadapa. Making dents in the YSR family’s bastion, the ruling party won the by-election to Pulivendula and Ontimitta Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTCs) by a huge margin.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was also leading in Ontimitta ZPTC as the counting …

Kolkata, Aug 14 (IANS) The BJP on Thursday said the Trinamool Congress regime under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has pushed West Bengal back into the darkness filled with hate and rioting as was witnessed in 1947.BJP leader Amit Malviya, who is the party’s Information Technology Cell Chief, said the Mamata-led Trinamool Congress regime has brought back the dark days of riots, forcing the people to relive the trauma.“78 years ago, in 1947, Bengal was butchered on Cyril Radcl…

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) Marking August 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Thursday underscored the significance of the day while lauding the success of a special skilling programme for Sikh youth. Speaking to reporters in the national Capital, Rijiju said the date holds deep historical pain as it reminds the nation of the tragedy of Partition and the millions of lives lost during the turbulent period preceding Independence.“It …

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The sales of automobiles in the country posted a “stable performance” in July this year, across all segments including passenger vehicles (cars and utility vehicles), two-wheelers, three-wheelers and quadricycle, to cross a total of 26.98 lakh units during the month, according to a Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) statement released on Thursday.The two-wheeler segment grew by 8.7 per cent in July 2025, as compared to July 2024, with sales surpassing 15.6…

Lucknow, Aug 14 (IANS) The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday expelled party MLA Pooja Pal for praising Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the Assembly for his “zero-tolerance policy” against mafia and crime.SP National President Akhilesh Yadav issued an expulsion order to her saying, “The work done by you is anti-party and serious indiscipline. Therefore, you are expelled from the Samajwadi Party with immediate effect. Along with this, you are also removed from all other posts…

Ranchi, Aug 14 (IANS) In a major setback to suspended senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday rejected his bail plea in connection with the multi-crore liquor scam.The matter was heard by Justice Sanjay Dwivedi, with Advocate Devesh Azmani representing Vinay Chaubey.The plea not only sought bail but also challenged the validity of the FIR lodged by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the subsequent arrest, urging the court to quash all related crim…

Chennai, Aug 14 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of a sustained 11-year campaign to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI). Prasad alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s recent “vote theft” remarks were an attempt to equate the ECI – an independent constitutional body – with the Congress party’s “corrupt and self-serving” governance legacy.The senior BJP leader asserted that, unl…