Top news: Imran Khan claims India blamed Pakistan for Pulwama attack without proof

Here are the day’s biggest stories:

Pulwama attack: China asks India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, hold dialogue

China on Tuesday asked both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue, following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed. The Jaish-e-Mohammed extremist group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Uttar Pradesh: Police officer who had booked Adityanath under NSA suspended

An Uttar Pradesh Police officer, who had booked Chief Minister Adityanath under the National Security Act when he was the Gorakhpur MP in 2002, has been suspended. His suspension came weeks after the officer, Jasvir Singh, said in an interview that he had been sidelined ever since he booked Adityanath.

Bollywood celebrities agreed to promote political parties on social media for a fee: Cobrapost

Investigative website Cobrapost on Tuesday alleged that several celebrities from Bollywood, the music and television industries consented to promote political narratives of particular parties on social media for a fee. In most cases, the party was the Bharatiya Janata Party, in some others, it was the Aam Aadmi Party or the Congress, the media house added.

BJP to contest five Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu as part of alliance with AIADMK

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday announced an alliance in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP will contest five of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.

Patna High Court says former Bihar chief ministers cannot retain government bungalows for life

The Patna High Court on Tuesday said former chief ministers of Bihar cannot occupy government bungalows allotted to them for a lifetime. The court directed former state chief ministers, including incumbent Nitish Kumar, to vacate these bungalows. Kumar still retains a bungalow he was allotted during his last term as chief minister, while residing in another official bungalow.

Pulwama attack: Meghalaya governor endorses call for boycott of ‘everything Kashmiri’

Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy on Tuesday tweeted in support of a demand for a boycott of “everything Kashmiri” following the Pulwama attack. “Don’t visit Kashmir, don’t go to Amarnath for the next two years. Don’t buy articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter,” Roy wrote, quoting from an “appeal” by a retired Army officer. He said he was “inclined to agree”.

Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar transferred to CID

The West Bengal government on Tuesday transferred Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar to the Crime Investigation Department, where he will take over as the additional director general of police and inspector general of police.

‘FIR against Shehla Rashid makes things worse, police should focus on real spoilers’: Shah Faesal

Former Kashmiri bureaucrat Shah Faesal on Tuesday urged the Uttarakhand Police to “focus on real spoilers” instead of activist Shehla Rashid, who was booked for allegedly spreading rumours after the Pulwama terror attack. Human rights organisation Amnesty India called the action against Rashid “absurd”.

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: India is seeking relief for a terrorist in its petition, says Pakistan

The International Court of Justice on Tuesday resumed public hearings of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav’s case in The Hague. On Day 1 of the hearings on Monday, India had sought Jadhav’s release from a Pakistani prison.

Telangana: KCR expands Cabinet size to 12, two months after election victory

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday added 10 members to his Cabinet almost two months after his party won the Assembly elections by a majority, PTI reported.

Pulwama attack: Pakistani citizens in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district asked to leave within 48 hours

The district collector of Bikaner on Monday issued an order directing Pakistani citizens to leave within 48 hours, citing a law and order situation in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, PTI reported. Bikaner is a district in Rajasthan bordering Pakistan.

Pulwama attack: Pakistan PM claims India is blaming Islamabad without any evidence

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the Pulwama attack without any evidence, ANI reported. “It is in our interest that nobody from our soil spreads violence,” he added.

Pulwama attack: Pakistan PM claims India is blaming Islamabad without any evidence

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday claimed that New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the Pulwama attack without any evidence. “It is in our interest that nobody from our soil spreads violence,” he added. “I want to tell Indian government that we will take action if evidence is found against anyone from Pakistan.”

Pulwama attack: SBI waives loans of 23 soldiers who were killed, expedites release of insurance cash

The State Bank of India on Monday decided to waive the loans of 23 Central Reserve Police Force personnel who were killed in a suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14.

Caste discrimination is an impediment to social harmony, identify those who promote it: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to end caste discrimination and invoked Sant Ravidas, a Bhakti poet, on his birth anniversary, PTI reported.

Caste discrimination is an impediment to social harmony, identify those who promote it: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged people to end caste discrimination and invoked Sant Ravidas, a Bhakti poet, on his birth anniversary. “Irrespective of caste, creed and other factors, all should get benefit of government schemes,” Modi said after laying the foundation stone of Ravidas Janmasthali (birthplace) area development project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency.

Telangana: KCR expands Cabinet size to 12, two months after election victory

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday added 10 members to his Cabinet almost two months after his party won the Assembly elections by a majority. Rao was sworn in as chief minister for a second term on December 13, two days after results of the state Assembly elections were declared. Mohammad Mahmood Ali was the only minister to take oath along with Rao, as home minister.

Tamil Nadu: Ruling AIADMK, PMK announce alliance for Lok Sabha elections

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu signed an alliance on Tuesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The state has 39 parliamentary seats.

Tamil Nadu: Ruling AIADMK, PMK announce alliance for Lok Sabha elections

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu signed an alliance on Tuesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Pattali Makkal Katchi will get seven seats.

Spurious liquor deaths: NHRC issues notice to UP government on report claiming 150 died in 15 years

The National Human Rights Commission on Monday sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the reported deaths of 150 people in the last 15 years due to spurious liquor in Pusaina village of Mainpuri district.

Bengaluru: Two Surya Kiran jets of the IAF crash during rehearsal for Aero India 2019

Two aircraft of the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team of the Indian Air Force crashed on Tuesday at the Yelahanka airbase in Bengaluru, during the rehearsal session for Aero India 2019 show scheduled to begin Wednesday. One pilot has died, and the Bengaluru Police said one civilian has been hurt.

West Bengal: Trinamool Congress councillor shot at, injured in Kolkata suburb

A Trinamool Congress municipal councillor was injured after he was shot at inside a party office in a Kolkata suburb on Monday evening. The incident came a week after the murder of a Trinamool Congress MLA in Nadia district.

CBI row: Supreme Court refuses to interfere in Nageswara Rao’s appointment as agency’s interim chief

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Jaish-e-Mohammad leadership in Kashmir Valley eliminated within 100 hours of Pulwama attack: Army

Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad is nothing but a “child” of the Pakistan Army, and there is no doubt that the Pakistan government “100%” had a role in the terror attack in Pulwama last week, the Indian Army said at a media briefing on Tuesday.

CBI row: Supreme Court refuses to interfere in Nageswara Rao’s appointment as agency’s interim chief

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of M Nageswara Rao as interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. Rao was appointed the interim chief after the previous director of the agency Alok Verma was removed by a high-level committee presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 10.

Aadhaar leak: Gas company Indane’s website exposed details of millions of customers, claims report

The Aadhaar details of around 6.7 million customers on the website of state-owned gas company Indane has been leaked, a report claimed on Tuesday. The breach occurred after the part of the website for dealers and distributors was indexed in Google, allowing anyone to log in to the page without a valid username and password.

After Sidhu’s comments, Congress says political leaders should speak in sync with public sentiment

The Congress on Monday said political leaders should voice their views in sync with the “public sentiment” and the “thought process which is uppermost in the country”. The statement comes after Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu faced criticism for his comments following the Pulwama terror attack.

Priyanka Gandhi says she can’t perform miracle, workers should strengthen Congress at booth level

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said party workers should not expect a miracle from her and that the party’s performance will depend on booth-level organisation. “I cannot do a miracle from above,” Vadra told party workers. “The workers need to strengthen the party at the booth-level and I need your support for strengthening the party in the state.”

Delhi: One killed as car driven by liquor baron Ponty Chadha’s nephew hits autorickshaw, say reports

One person died and three others were injured on Monday when a speeding car hit an autorickshaw in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri area. The luxury car, a Bentley, was driven by liquor baron Ponty Chadha’s nephew Asees Singh Chadha, who has reportedly been arrested.

Puducherry CM Narayanasamy calls off dharna after four-hour long talks with L-G Kiran Bedi

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy late on Monday ended his six-day sit-in dharna after a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, saying that “partial success” on various demands was achieved. Narayanasamy, who began his demonstration on February 13 on front of the Assembly, had accused Bedi of not clearing 39 government proposals.

Saudi crown prince to visit India a day after he signed deals worth $20 billion in Pakistan

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit India on Tuesday, a day after he was in Pakistan. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that Salman will try to ease tension between India and Pakistan, after a suicide attack in Kashmir killed 40 Army personnel on February 14.

JNU scholar Shehla Rashid booked for ‘spreading rumours’ on Twitter after Pulwama attack

Jawaharlal Nehru University research scholar and activist Shehla Rashid on Monday was booked by Dehradun Police for allegedly spreading rumours and fear among a minority community on Twitter in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack that took place on February 14.