Kolkata, Aug 8 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday, claimed that I-PAC, an agency working for strategising public relations exercises of Trinamool Congress since the 2021 polls, is interfering in administrative matters of the state government. On Friday morning, Adhikari posted on X a screenshot of an email sent from Avesh Singh, a representative of I-PAC, to the Director of Information and ex-officio Additional Secretary to the state Informat…

Bengaluru, Aug 8 (IANS) Criticising the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, over his allegations of election fraud against the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI), Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, described the charges by the Congress MP as a, “flood of lies against the Election Commission and a calculated conspiracy to strangle democracy.” The Congress said it had given the documents and it was up to the EC to rectify its mistakes or prove the…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The Lok Sabha was adjourned until noon on Friday due to ongoing disruptions by opposition members during Question Hour, despite tributes to the departed and appeals for decorum from Speaker Om Birla. As the day’s proceedings commenced, Speaker Birla announced the passing of former Governor and veteran politician Satpal Malik. Members across party lines observed a moment of silence and paid rich tributes to his public service.The House also commemorated the 83rd annivers…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Amid the row over the electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said that not a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party regarding the draft rolls in the poll-bound state.While the ECI has received 6,257 claims directly from electors so far, there have not been any claims from political parties.The Election Commission has been repeatedly stating that no eligible elector will be left out and no ineligible elector …

Srinagar, Aug 8 (IANS) The anti-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered its 8th day on Friday, making it one of the longest anti-terrorist actions in decades in the Union Territory.The Army said on Friday that the anti-terrorist operation in Akhal Devsar forest area of Kulgam has entered its 8th consecutive day, marking it as one of the longest lasting anti-terror operation in decades.“UAVs, attack helicopters, and high-tech equipment are being used as terrorists c…

Patna, Aug 8 (IANS) Separate teams of the Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) of Bihar conducted simultaneous raids on Friday at three locations linked to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sanjeev Kumar in Patna, Jehanabad, and Khagaria in connection with a disproportionate assets case.The raids began at 7 a.m. after the SVU registered an FIR against the senior police officer and obtained a warrant from the Special Vigilance Court in Patna on Thursday.Sanjeev Kumar, currently posted as DSP in Jehan…

Kochi, Aug 8 (IANS) Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), on Friday urged the Odisha government and the Centre to take decisive action against those who attacked Christian priests and nuns in Jaleswar on Thursday.“The priests and nuns had gone to attend prayer meetings and not for anything else. It is the responsibility of the state government and the Centre to take appropriate action against the attackers,” Thazhath said.He added, …

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Imposition of 25 per cent penalty on goods trade with India, with a proposition of additional 25 per cent on the world’s largest democracy, can be a bad policy decision for the US and its people, an SBI Research report said on Friday.On the other hand, India — strategically protecting its sovereignty — must continue to protect its farmers from likelihood of predatory practices of select global conglomerates who may vie for a lucrative ‘Desi’ pie without investin…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Reacting strongly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement that “India will never compromise on the interests of farmers”, local farmers in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district have voiced their support and trust in his leadership amid rising trade tensions with the US.Debadatta Mohanty, a prominent farmer from the coastal SIPI region of Jagatsinghpur, welcomed the Prime Minister’s assurance and said, “This is already a Viksit Bharat, and we congratulate PM Mod…

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations in Dharali, and said that every effort was being made to evacuate all affected people safely and restore normal public life at the earliest. As the race against time continues to locate the survivors in the devastated village, helicopters have been pressed into service.In a post on X in the morning, CM stated that relief and rescue operations are being carried out on…