Top news: Rafale documents were stolen from defence ministry, Centre tells Supreme Court

Here are the day’s top stories:

Mamata Banerjee accuses PM Modi of ‘doing opportunistic politics over the dead bodies of jawans’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “doing opportunistic politics over the dead bodies of jawans”. This was a reference to the Pulwama attack on February 14, which killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force soldiers, and subsequent strikes by the Indian Air Force on the Jaish-e-Mohammad group’s terror camps in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 27.

Kartarpur Corridor: India confirms meeting with Pakistan on March 14 to finalise project details

India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that the first meeting between India and Pakistan to finalise the plan for the Kartarpur Corridor will be held at Attari-Wagah on the Indian side on March 14. On Tuesday, Pakistan had announced that its delegation will visit India for the meeting.

Pakistan military spokesperson claims Jaish ‘does not exist’ in the country, contradicts government

Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor claimed on Tuesday that the Jaish-e-Mohammad extremist group does not exist in the country. Ghafoor, the director general of Inter-Services Public Relations, the media arm of the Pakistan military, made the remark in an interview with CNN. He also denied that Pakistan has been clamping down on militants due to Indian or international pressure.

‘Chennai Central will be re-named after MGR’: Modi launches NDA campaign in Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his government had decided to rename the Chennai Central railway station after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran. The 146-year-old iconic building is considered a major landmark in Chennai. Lakhs of passengers use the station every day. Modi also added that they were “seriously thinking about ensuring that flights to and from Tamil Nadu have in-flight announcements in Tamil language”.

Line of Control relatively calm after India’s warning to Pakistan, says Army

The Indian Army on Wednesday said the Line of Control has been relatively calm after it warned Pakistan against targeting civilian areas. The statement said that any “provocation or misadventure” by Pakistan will be met with “dire consequences”.

Rafale deal: ‘Time has come to file an FIR against Modi under anti-corruption law,’ claims Congress

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala raised doubts about the cost of the deal as claimed by the Modi government. In a press release, the party showed calculations to estimate that the country would end up paying €10.3 billion (Rs 81,800 crore at current rate) for 36 Rafale aircraft, instead of the €7.9 billion that the government had claimed.

IAF says pilot Abhinandan does not have any social media accounts, warns against fake ones

Fake accounts operating in his name include “IAFAbhinandanV, abhinandanhere, @_Pilotiaf, @WC_Abhinandan, @AbhiNandan_Wcdr, and @W_abhinandan”, the air force said. “Please avoid following any fake accounts being used in the name of any IAF air warrior for spreading misinformation,” it appealed to people.

Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti leads protest against ban on Jamaat-e-Islami group

The former chief minister held the protest in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. A large number of workers and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party participated in the protest.

Karnataka: Rebel Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav joins BJP before Modi’s rally

The rebel lawmaker joined the saffron party in the presence of state BJP President BS Yeddyurappa, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and others. His induction was held just before Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s rally in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district. “I am happy and proud to join the BJP,” Jadhav said.

VK Singh criticises leaders questioning air strikes, says they should be tied to plane next time

“Next time when India does something, I think the opposition which is questioning today should be tied at the bottom the aircraft,” ANI quoted the minister as saying. “When the bomb is dropped, they can look at the target themselves, and then they can be dropped there, so that they can count and return.”

‘Opposition is trying to remove me, I am trying to remove terrorism,’ says Modi in Karnataka

Modi was in Kalaburagi to lay the foundation stone of various projects, after which he met beneficiaries of the Centre’s health insurance scheme and addressed a public meeting. He will travel to Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu later in the day.

Jammu and Kashmir: Pakistan allegedly violates ceasefire along LoC in Nowshera, Sunderbani sectors

Pakistani forces on Wednesday allegedly violated the ceasefire and resorted to heavy shelling along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. Heavy exchange of fire also took place in Mankote sector of Poonch

Digvijaya Singh slams Modi after Uttar Pradesh minister calls Pulwama attack ‘an accident’

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have remained silent after Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya termed the Pulwama suicide attack an “accident”.

Rafale deal: Review pleas were based on files stolen from defence ministry, Centre tells SC

The Centre on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that The Hindu newspaper had committed an offence under the Official Secrets Act by publishing details from confidential documents about the Rafale defence deal. The government said some documents were stolen from the Ministry of Defence and an investigation was under way.

Meghalaya: BJP says it will contest Lok Sabha elections on its own in the state

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced that it will fight alone from Meghalaya in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and field candidates from the two Parliamentary seats of Tura and Shillong. The saffron party supports the National People’s Party-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government in the state.

West Bengal: Man dies after woman he allegedly raped and set on fire grabs him

A man died in Malda district of West Bengal after a woman he had allegedly raped and set ablaze grabbed him while still on fire. The woman is being treated for her burn injuries.

Lok Sabha elections: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda discuss seat-sharing

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda to discuss the sharing of seats between the two parties in Karnataka for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The two leaders met at the former prime minister’s home in New Delhi.

Dalits were victims in 70% of all hate crimes since 2015 Dadri lynching case, says Amnesty

Nearly 70% of all alleged hate crimes in India since September 2015 were committed on the basis of caste, human rights organisation Amnesty International India claimed on Tuesday. The organisation documented 721 alleged incidents – including rapes, assaults and murders – in the period, of which 498 were against Dalits and 156 against Muslims.

Ayodhya: SC says it’s aware of gravity of dispute, reserves order on whether it should be mediated

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order on whether the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case should be referred for mediation for a “permanent solution”. The court said it was conscious of the gravity of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute and outcome of mediation on the body politic of the country.

Tripura: Suspected Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh operative arrested, say police

The Tripura police on Tuesday arrested a suspected member of the terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. Tripura Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla said the accused, identified as Nazir Sheikh alias Nazir SK, is an expert in making improvised explosive devices.

West Bengal: Matua community matriarch Binapani Devi dies at 100

All India Matua Mahasangha’s chief advisor Binapani Devi died at 100 in Kolkata on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. Her last rites will be performed at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday.

US says it is ‘closely following’ alleged use of F-16 jets by Pakistan in aerial skirmish with India

The United States said it is closely following reports that claim Pakistan used US-supplied F-16 fighter jets in the aerial confrontation with India on February 27. US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino was responding to questions on whether Pakistan has violated the end-user agreement on F-16 that it procured from the US.

SC acquits six people sentenced to death, asks Maharashtra government to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation

The Supreme Court on Tuesday acquitted six people who were given the death sentence for alleged murder and rape. A bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah also ordered the Maharashtra government to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to each of them.

Delhi: Fire breaks out at CGO Complex, one CISF sub-inspector dies

A major fire broke out on the fifth floor of Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan at CGO Complex in New Delhi on Wednesday morning, PTI reported. Officials said a Central Industrial Security Force sub-inspector, who fell unconscious after inhaling smoke, later succumbed to his injuries.

Women officers to be granted permanent commission in all 10 branches of Army

The central government has announced that women officers can now get permanent commissions in 10 branches of the Indian Army. The Ministry of Defence in a statement on Tuesday said it has taken necessary steps to ensure that women, who were earlier inducted for short service commission, get permanent commission in the armed forces.

Bulandshahr violence: Court has dropped sedition charge against all 38 accused, claims lawyer

A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr has dropped the sedition charge against all 38 accused of violence in December in which a police inspector and a village youth died. The police, however, said the charge had not been dropped and that they were waiting for permission from the state government.

‘Almost all parties want Jammu and Kashmir polls with Lok Sabha elections,’ says Election Commission

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said that almost all political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have called for holding Assembly polls in the state along with the Lok Sabha elections. They have all expressed complete faith in the poll panel, said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, who led an Election Commission team to gauge the state’s preparedness for the elections.

Transferred once again, IAS officer Ashok Khemka asks, ‘Whose interests should I protect?’

IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who the Haryana government has transferred once again, lashed out on Twitter on Tuesday, saying he has “suffered repeatedly”. In 27 years of service, Khemka has been transferred over 50 times.

All Sukhoi-30 aircraft engaged in combat with Pakistani jets returned safely: India

India on Tuesday refuted reports that Pakistan had shot down a Sukhoi-30 aircraft of the Indian Air Force during an aerial skirmish on the morning of February 27. The “false claim” appeared to be a “cover-up for loss of [Pakistan Air Force’s] own aircraft”, the Defence Ministry said.

Pakistan adds Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation to list of banned groups

The Pakistan government on Tuesday added Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation to its proscribed list of organisations under its Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997. Islamabad had reportedly banned these organisations on February 21, but then added them to its list of groups “under watch” on Monday.

IAF air strikes: Narendra Modi claims Opposition parties are the ‘poster boys of Pakistan’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday labelled Opposition parties the “poster boys of Pakistan” for seeking evidence of the Indian Air Force’s strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in the neighbouring country on February 26.

Kartarpur corridor: Pakistan says its delegation will visit India on March 14 to discuss draft deal

Islamabad on Tuesday said a Pakistani delegation will visit New Delhi on March 14 to discuss a draft agreement about the Kartarpur corridor. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said an Indian delegation will visit Islamabad on March 28 to discuss the deal.