Bihar: Congress to contest 40 seats in elections
The Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Wednesday decided to contest 100 seats each in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, with the Congress being allotted 40 seats. The three parties said that the remaining three seats would be given to the Nationalist Congress Party if it was willing to join their alliance. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that the alliance would also give seats to the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party if it wished to take part in the elections. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said that the alliance will frame a common minimum programme and will conduct a joint campaign. Kumar is the alliance's chief ministerial candidate.
Goa: Kamat fails to appear before Crime Branch
Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday failed to appear before the state's Crime Branch to be questioned in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case. In a letter to the Crime Branch, Kamat said that he was unable to appear as he was consulting his lawyers on applying for anticipatory bail in the case. The Congress leader has already been questioned twice in connection with the scandal, which involves allegations that the United States firm had bribed public officials to win a contract for a major water development project in the state.
Tamil Nadu: High Court issues notice to Jaya
The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the state's Chief Secretary over a petition challenging the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners in the state. Two days after former Director-General of Police K Ramanujam assumed charge as the CIC of Tamil Nadu, the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam moved the High Court, questioning his appointment. The petition had contended that while the leader of the opposition had to be consulted with before the appointment of the Information Commissioners, no such consultations had taken place between the DMK and the government.
Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan fires mortar bombs
Pakistan violated its ceasefire with India twice on Wednesday by targeting Indian Army posts and civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian officials said that Pakistani troops used 120-millimetre mortar bombs in two sectors along the Line of Control in the Poonch district of the state. A senior defence spokesperson said that no casualties were reported in the attacks, adding that the Indian Army later retaliated. The ceasefire violations came over a week after militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba ambushed a Border Security Force convoy in the Udhampur district of the state.
Madhya Pradesh: High Court dismisses PIL on Sachin
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking the revocation of the Bharat Ratna awarded to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The petitioner, VK Naswah, had argued that Tendulkar had exploited the fame associated with the nation's highest civilian award for earning money by endorsing commercial products. However, the Division bench of Justices Rajendra Menon and SK Gupta said that Naswah's argument was not maintainable. Naswah later told reporters that he would approach the Central government and the Supreme Court over the matter.
The Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Wednesday decided to contest 100 seats each in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, with the Congress being allotted 40 seats. The three parties said that the remaining three seats would be given to the Nationalist Congress Party if it was willing to join their alliance. RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that the alliance would also give seats to the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party if it wished to take part in the elections. Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar said that the alliance will frame a common minimum programme and will conduct a joint campaign. Kumar is the alliance's chief ministerial candidate.
Goa: Kamat fails to appear before Crime Branch
Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday failed to appear before the state's Crime Branch to be questioned in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case. In a letter to the Crime Branch, Kamat said that he was unable to appear as he was consulting his lawyers on applying for anticipatory bail in the case. The Congress leader has already been questioned twice in connection with the scandal, which involves allegations that the United States firm had bribed public officials to win a contract for a major water development project in the state.
Tamil Nadu: High Court issues notice to Jaya
The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the state's Chief Secretary over a petition challenging the appointment of the Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners in the state. Two days after former Director-General of Police K Ramanujam assumed charge as the CIC of Tamil Nadu, the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam moved the High Court, questioning his appointment. The petition had contended that while the leader of the opposition had to be consulted with before the appointment of the Information Commissioners, no such consultations had taken place between the DMK and the government.
Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan fires mortar bombs
Pakistan violated its ceasefire with India twice on Wednesday by targeting Indian Army posts and civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian officials said that Pakistani troops used 120-millimetre mortar bombs in two sectors along the Line of Control in the Poonch district of the state. A senior defence spokesperson said that no casualties were reported in the attacks, adding that the Indian Army later retaliated. The ceasefire violations came over a week after militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba ambushed a Border Security Force convoy in the Udhampur district of the state.
Madhya Pradesh: High Court dismisses PIL on Sachin
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking the revocation of the Bharat Ratna awarded to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The petitioner, VK Naswah, had argued that Tendulkar had exploited the fame associated with the nation's highest civilian award for earning money by endorsing commercial products. However, the Division bench of Justices Rajendra Menon and SK Gupta said that Naswah's argument was not maintainable. Naswah later told reporters that he would approach the Central government and the Supreme Court over the matter.
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