Top news: Goa floor test scheduled for tomorrow, says new chief minister

Karnataka: Two dead after building collapses in Dharwad district, several trapped

At least two people were killed after an under-construction building collapsed in Dharwad district of Karnataka, police said. At least 40 people are feared trapped under the rubble, according to reports.

‘Modi baba and 40 thieves’: Congress says prime minister, BJP leaders have fooled people of India

The Congress on Tuesday mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party’s #MainBhiChowkidar campaign, claiming that “Modi baba and 40 thieves” have been duping the people of the country. “Nowadays, the whole country is talking about the theft committed by a chowkidar,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said at a press conference.

Lok Sabha elections: Tripura BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik returns to Congress

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tripura vice president Subal Bhowmik on Tuesday quit the saffron party and joined the Congress. Senior BJP leader Prakash Das and vice president of the BJP Kishan Morcha Premtosh Debnath also joined the Congress. Bhowmik, Das and Debnath have been associated with the Congress in the past too.

Ranchi: FIR against Union minister Jayant Sinha for allegedly violating Model Code of Conduct

The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 10, when dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections were announced. The elections will be held between April 11 and May 19, with the counting of votes slated for May 23.

Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign: Haryana minister asks Congress leaders to add ‘Pappu’ to their names

“You have a problem with us [BJP leaders] for prefixing #Chowkidar before our names,” Vij said in a tweet in Hindi. “Prefix #Pappu before your names, we will not mind at all.”

ED attaches 13 assets in terror financing case against Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin

The properties, worth Rs 1.22 crore, were attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, PTI reported. The Enforcement Directorate said they belong to a person called Mohammad Shafi Shah, a resident of Bandipora, and six other residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who allegedly work for Hizbul Mujahideen.

Priyanka Gandhi says there is an ‘expiry date’ for BJP’s claim of no development under Congress rule

“They [BJP] need to come to the ground to see the reality,” Gandhi told reporters in Bhadohi district, PTI reported. “This report card [of the state government] and publicity looks good, but the reality is different... all sections are feeling harassed.”

Adityanath claims law and order in Uttar Pradesh is now a ‘model for the country’

Adityanath claimed 227 major communal riots took place in the state in 2012, followed by 247 in 2013, and 242 in 2014. “And 219 riots in 2015 and more than 100 in 2016, in which properties worth crores were lost,” he said. “However, during the BJP government, not a single riot took place. Nor were there any incident of acid attacks or kidnapping.”

Robert Vadra gets relief from arrest in money laundering case till March 25

Special judge Arvind Kumar asked him to join the investigation after the agency said he was needed for custodial interrogation.

Jammu and Kashmir: School teacher dies in police custody, magisterial inquiry initiated

Several parts of Srinagar and Awantipora observed a shutdown soon after news about Pandit’s death surfaced. Clashes between protestors and security personnel also took place in several parts of Srinagar. The local administration suspended internet services as a “temporary measure”.

Itanagar: Rahul Gandhi promises special category status for Arunachal Pradesh again

“Arunachal Pradesh needs more roads, hospitals, airports, helipads,” Gandhi said. “We [Congress-led governments in the past] gave special status to all states of the Northeast. It also had a special place in our hearts. Today, the people of Arunachal Pradesh are not allowed to make their own decisions. These decisions are imposed on them from Delhi.”

Election manifestos: DMK, AIADMK promise to scrap NEET, set Rajiv Gandhi assassination convicts free

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam released their manifestos for the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, both promising to scrap the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medicine entrance examinations. Both parties also promised that if voted to power, they would release the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Goa Assembly floor test scheduled for Wednesday, says new CM Pramod Sawant

Goa’s newly-appointed Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said a floor test will be held on Wednesday. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo will preside over the session.

Jet Airways: Union minister Suresh Prabhu tells civil aviation secretary to hold emergency meet

Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday said he has directed the secretary of civil aviation hold an emergency meeting regarding debt-ridden private carrier Jet Airways.

Madhya Pradesh: 12-year-old girl raped, beheaded by her uncle and brothers in Sagar, say police

The Madhya Pradesh Police on Tuesday said they had charged the uncle and brothers of a 12-year-old girl for allegedly raping and murdering her in Sagar on March 14. The police said her body was found beheaded outside her village of Berkhedi in Sagar district.

Bengaluru: BJP alleges dictatorship after police action against protestors at Rahul Gandhi event

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Tuesday told the Congress to “stop intimidating youth”, a day after reports of police action against some protestors at a Rahul Gandhi event in Bengaluru. The BJP has claimed some people were arrested briefly, but the police have denied this.

‘India’s leadership has the courage to decide when and how to respond to terror’: NSA Ajit Doval

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday said the country’s leadership has both the capability and courage to decide when and how to respond to acts of terrorism. Speaking at the 80th raising day of the Central Reserve Police Force in Gurugram, Doval said the leadership was capable of responding to terrorists and those who protect them.

Congress reviewing possibility of alliance with AAP in Delhi, says PC Chacko

After recently rejecting an alliance with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress is reconsidering a tie-up for the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader PC Chacko said. The All India Congress Committee general secretary in Delhi said he is discussing the possibility of an alliance with Congress leaders.

Maharashtra: Injured tigress dies after being tranquillised during rescue operation in Tipeshwar

A tigress that had sustained injuries in a wire trap in September 2017 died during a rescue operation in Maharashtra’s Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. T-4’s death on March 17 has led to speculation about whether the tranquilliser dosage was beyond the permissible amount.

Maharashtra: Two held for magazine editor’s murder, accused alleges she was sexually harassed

The Thane Police in Maharashtra on Monday arrested two people for allegedly killing the editor of the news portal and magazine India Unbound. Nityanand Pandey was reported missing on March 15. A day later, his body was found with injuries to the head near a creek in Khardi village in Kharbao in Bhiwandi.

Rajasthan: Congress MLA Divya Maderna tells woman sarpanch to sit on floor

Rajasthan Congress MLA Divya Maderna, who represents Osian in the state Assembly, triggered a row after a video went viral in which she is seen asking a woman sarpanch to vacate a seat beside her and sit on the floor with local people. The incident took place on March 16, when the first-time legislator had gone for a “Dhanyawaad Sabha [Thank you meeting]” in Khetasar village in Osian near Jodhpur.

BJP files complaint against Congress leader Pawan Khera for alleged defamatory remark on PM Modi

The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera for using “unparliamentary” language against the prime minister. The BJP filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Office of Delhi, citing a TV debate aired on March 16, in which Khera claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name was an acronym – “M for Masood, O for Osama, D for Dawood and I for ISI”.

High Court orders removal of ‘adverse remarks’ from IAS officer Ashok Khemka’s performance report

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday ordered to expunge “adverse remarks” made by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the annual performance appraisal report of senior bureaucrat Ashok Khemka. The court said Khemka’s “integrity is beyond doubt”.

Dalai Lama says his successor may be found in India

The Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, on Monday said it was possible his successor could be found in India after his death. The Dalai Lama warned that a successor chosen by China would not be respected. The 14th Dalai Lama spoke a day after Tibetans in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala marked the anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Tibet’s capital of Lhasa in 1959. He fled to India during the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule and has since called for linguistic and cultural autonomy in Tibet.

EC tells Bombay High Court it will direct social media sites not to run unapproved political ads

The Election Commission of India told the Bombay High Court on Monday that it will issue directions asking social media platforms to not run political advertisements not approved by it. The poll panel’s counsel Pradeep Rajagopal told the court that a meeting between the commission and social media platforms was scheduled for Tuesday. Rajagopal made the submissions before Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice NM Jamdar.

India lodges protest with Pakistan over alleged harassment of diplomats in Islamabad: Reports

India has lodged a protest with Pakistan for alleged harassment of Indian High Commission officials in Islamabad between March 8 and March 11. The Indian High Commission issued a note verbale to Pakistan Foreign Ministry on March 13, with details of incidents including tailing of India’s deputy high commissioner, naval adviser and a first secretary on multiple occasions. Some reports, however, said the note verbale was issued on Monday.

One of the seven Indians abducted in Afghanistan in May 2018 has returned, says Centre

The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said one of the seven Indians who were abducted in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province in May 2018 has safely returned to India. The Indians were employed as engineers at KEC International, an RPG group company, and were working on a project for the construction of a power sub-station in Baghlan. Afghan media had reported that Taliban commander Qari Nooruddin had kidnapped the Indians from Bagh-e-Shamal area of Pul-e-Khumri on May 6, 2018.

Goa: BJP’s Pramod Sawant sworn in as chief minister past midnight

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant was sworn in as the chief minister of the state around 2 am on Tuesday. Sawant took oath hours after former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was cremated at Miramar beach. He had died on Sunday at his home after battling pancreatic cancer for over a year.

Mumbai bridge collapse: Owner of firm that conducted ‘irresponsible’ structural audit arrested

The Mumbai Police on Monday said they arrested Neerajkumar Desai, the owner of the firm that conducted a structural audit of the foot overbridge that collapsed on March 14. Six people were killed and many injured in the collapse. This was the first arrest made in the case. “We are conducting an independent investigation and we assure citizens that a chargesheet will be filed soon,” the police said.

Acid attacks are heartless and do not deserve clemency, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday described acid attacks as “uncivilised and heartless” and undeserving of clemency. The court was hearing a case filed by the Himachal Pradesh government against the High Court’s 2008 order which reduced the prison sentence for two convicts who had thrown acid on a 19-year-old woman in 2004. The High Court had also ordered them to pay Rs 25,000 each.

Odisha: Protestor, one security personnel killed during clash outside Vedanta’s aluminium unit

One person died and at least 20 others were injured in a clash between Odisha Industrial Security Force personnel and protestors at the Vedanta Alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Monday. One security personnel also died in the clash. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were imposed outside the refinery following the clash.