Jammu and Kashmir: 'Attempt being made to evolve consensus'

Peoples Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Saturday confirmed that his party is in talks with the Bhartiya Janata Party to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir. “Track two talks with the BJP over government formation are in progress,” said Mufti. “We may differ in our vision and priorities, but an attempt is being made to...to evolve consensus on all issues to carry forward the peace process and the political and economic agenda.” The PDP emerged as the single largest party in last month’s Assembly polls but could not reach the halfway mark in the 87-member House.

Karnataka: Ravi Shankar declines Padma award

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is seen as a sympathiser of the Bharatiya Janata Party, declined a Padma award on Saturday. In a tweet, Ravi Shankar said: “Rajnath Singhji called to inform me about Padma awards. I thank Govt… Instead of me, I’d like them to honour someone else.” On the same day, yoga guru Baba Ramdev too refused the honour. In a letter to the home minister, Ramdev wrote, “I am a sanyasi and I consider it my sacred duty to work selflessly towards my sanyas dharma… I want to request you, with politeness and gratitude, to confer this honour to any other great personality.”

Maharashtra: Government to buy Ambedkar's London house

Culture Minister Vinod Tawde announced on Saturday that the Maharashtra government will buy the three-storey house in London where Dr B R Ambedkar lived for two years from 1921. The decision to buy the 2,050 sq ft house, which was on sale for Rs 35 crore, was taken after Tawde, who is in London, spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. “The residence will be open to public from April 14, Ambedkar’s birth anniversary,” Tawde said.

Delhi: AAP promises to revamp government schools

The Aam Aadmi Party has promised to provide free education in Delhi’s government schools till Class XII and open 500 new schools in the capital if it is voted to power in the upcoming Assembly polls. Addressing a rally in the Ambedkar Nagar constituency, party chief Arvind Kejriwal said: “When we come to power, we will revamp all government schools in the national capital in such a manner that even MLAs and ministers will send their kids to those schools.”

Tamil Nadu: Dayanidhi Maran ready to 'quit politics if proven guilty'

Former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran on Saturday said he would quit politics if Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue Gurumurthy could prove his allegations in the “illegal telephone exchange” case. Maran has been accused of setting up a mini-telephone exchange at his Chennai residence to “provide 323 phone lines at taxpayer’s expense to the Sun Network, which is owned by his elder brother Kalanithi Maran”. Maran said he would leave politics if Gurumurthy established that the phone lines could be operated simultaneously in an “ISDN PRI (primary rate interface) line”.