Breaking News, February 19 | HIGHLIGHTS

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the Election Commission's decision to allot his faction of the Shiv Sena the "bow and arrow" election symbol was a victory of truth.
Addressing a Shivaji Jayanti function in Agra in Uttar Pradesh Sunday evening, he said his faction got the "bow and arrow" symbol because of the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The Left-controlled JNU Students' Union on Sunday alleged that the ABVP attacked some students after a march seeking justice for an IIT Bombay student who died by suicide. The ABVP has denied the charge.
The RSS-affiliated ABVP accused the Left-backed student outfits of "insulting" Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress-led UPA government of indulging in scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore during its 10-year-rule, and said there has been no allegation of corruption involving even a single rupee against the Narendra Modi-led dispensation.

He was speaking at the 'Vijay Sankalp' rally of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Kolhapur city of western Maharashtra, around 370 kms from here.

Over 20 people were injured after a tempo on which they were travelling overturned here, police said on Sunday. The people were returning from Khatu Shyam Temple in outer Delhi's Narela, they said.
The injured were taken to the Raja Harish Chandra Hospital in Narela, police said. One of the injured, who is said to be critical, was referred to the LNJP Hospital, they added. 

The sports department of Meghalaya has denied permission to the BJP to host an election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at P A Sangma Stadium in Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s home constituency of South Tura, citing construction work at the venue.
The BJP, fuming over the development, alleged that the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), along with the Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties, were trying to stall a “wave of the saffron party” in the state.
The PM was scheduled to participate in campaigning in Shillong and Tura on February 24.

 Four wagons of a double-decker goods train derailed in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district on Sunday evening, following which some trains were either rescheduled or short-terminated, Western Railway officials said.
The derailment of the goods train, which had left from Pipavav Port, took place at Dhola railway station yard under WR's Bhavnagar division, a release said.

Over a dozen residential houses were damaged in a massive landslide in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, rendering 13 families homeless, officials said on Sunday.
The affected families were shifted to safer locations and provided immediate relief, while the main road passing near the village was closed for vehicular traffic after developing cracks, they said.
The incident that took place in Duksar Dal village in Gool sub-division, 45 km from Ramban district headquarters, comes barely a fortnight after 19 residential houses, a mosque, and a religious school for girls developed cracks due to land sinking at Nai Basti village of Doda district.

 The CBI on Sunday deferred the questioning of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi Excise policy scam case after he sought time from the probe agency citing the city government's ongoing budget exercise.
The agency had asked Sisodia to appear for questioning on Sunday.
The central probe agency accepted Sisodia's application to defer the questioning and will give a new date soon, officials said.

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon by a man, who also pulled her by hair on a busy road as he was angry after she stopped working at his shop in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, police said on Sunday.
The 47-year-old accused was arrested following the incident that occurred on Saturday night, while the girl is undergoing treatment at a hospital, they said.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

The BJP Udupi district committee on Sunday lodged a complaint with the police, stating that some of the banners put up by them welcoming party national president J P Nadda to Udupi were found torn by miscreants.
Nadda is scheduled to visit Udupi on Monday to take part in party programmes to be held at MGM College grounds and later in Byndoor in the district.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday said that the 'Chandrayaan-3' lander has "successfully" underwent the Electro-Magnetic Interference/Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMI/EMC) test between January 31 and February 2 at the U R Rao Satellite Centre here.
The EMI/EMC test is conducted for satellite missions to ensure the functionality of the satellite subsystems in the space environment and their compatibility with the expected electromagnetic levels, ISRO said.

 The Telangana unit of Congress on Sunday demanded the BRS government to give Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the family of Mohammed Qadeer, who died allegedly due to "torture" meted out to him.
Telangana PCC chief Revanth Reddy, in a tweet, demanded the state government to take the last video purportedly showing Qadeer alleging torture by the police as a "dying declaration".

Two labourers were killed, eight injured and some others feared trapped after the roof of an under-construction building collapsed here on Sunday, police said. The incident took place in the Roop Nagar industrial area in Loni, neighbouring Delhi.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravi Kumar told PTI that 10 labourers were pulled out from the debris. Two of them were declared dead and eight are injured.

An angry mob set fire to a few buildings after a violent clash between two groups over a parking dispute in Jethuli village, Patna on Sunday. 

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed on Sunday blamed the Haryana government and the state's police for the alleged abduction and murder of two men whose charred bodies were found in the state's Loharu area.
Ahmed visited Ghatmeeka village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district to meet the family members of Nasir and Junaid alias Juna, who were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on Wednesday. Their bodies were found inside a burnt car in Loharu in Haryana's Bhiwani on Thursday morning.

The Haryana Police on Sunday used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse a large group of state government employees holding a demonstration in Panchkula for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Police took action when the demonstrators, who had gathered on the Panchkula-Chandigarh border, tried to cross over into the Union Territory and march towards the Haryana chief minister's residence and 'gherao' it to press for their demand.

Ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA from Secunderabad Cantonment G Sayanna passed away here on Sunday, party sources said. He was 72. The five-time legislator, who had been suffering from health ailments for some time, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city where he breathed his last today, they said. Sayanna started his political journey with the Telugu Desam Party and won thrice to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1994, 1999 and 2004.
 

He again won as MLA from TDP from Secunderabad Cantonment constitutency in 2014 to Telangana Legislative Assembly, and later switched over to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (now BRS) and was re-elected to the Telangana Legislative Assembly in 2018 elections.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Sunday held  'Janata Darshan' and directed the officials to redress people's grievances on priority. During the interaction with about 300 people at the 'Janata Darshan', organised at the Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan, the chief minister said, "Public Health and disposal of grievances of all people is a top priority of the government."

Former Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Pravin Togadia on Sunday described India's rising population as a "ticking time bomb" and stressed the need to formulate a law to prevent its explosion and the resulting adverse effects. He also expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce a law for population control and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. Togadia, president of Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad, was talking to reporters in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur ahead of addressing a public meeting in Basna area of state's Mahasamund district.

Ahead of its plenary next week, the Congress on Sunday said the party top brass will deliberate and give direction on ways to forge opposition unity during the three-day conclave, asserting that any such effort without it would be unsuccessful.
The plenary session in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur will start from February 24 and is expected to be attended by around 15,000 delegates.

Two women were charred to death and another was injured when an LPG cylinder caught fire during a wedding preparation here, police said on Sunday. The incident took place in the Sikandra locality of this Uttar Pradesh district. Mayank Tiwari, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Hariparwat, Agra said, "In KK Nagar locality under the limits of the Sikandra Police Station in Agra, Gas Cylinder caught fire due to which two women were burnt to death."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hailed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for rebuilding the temples destroyed during the rule of Mughals and other foreign invaders, and said the restoration work that continued after the Maratha warrior king is being taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that Chhatrapati Shivaji's life was all about revolting against the atrocities, and the fight for 'swaraj' (self-rule) started by him continues still today. Shah was speaking after inaugurating the first phase of 'Shivsrushti', a theme park based on the life of Shivaji Maharaj at Narhe-Ambegaon in Pune, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the founder of the Maratha empire. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were also present on the occasion.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said future generations will study the "golden period" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as today's generation is taught the golden age of Chandragupta Maurya as part of the history curriculum.
Mandaviya made the comments on Saturday while speaking about the Union budget 2023-24 at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) in Ahmedabad.

At least five residential houses were damaged due to a landslide in a remote hilly village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, officials said on Sunday. The affected families were shifted to safer locations, they said. The incident that took place in Duksar Dal village of Sangaldan in Gool Subdivision, 45 km from Ramban district headquarters, comes barely a fortnight after 19 residential houses, a mosque, and a religious school for girls developed cracks due to land sinking at Nai Basti village of Doda district.

The government is likely to put on sale six mineral blocks, including four iron ore mines, in the current month. The move would give a boost to mining sector's contribution to the country's gross domestic product. The four iron ore blocks, situated in Chhattisgarh, are likely to be auctioned on Tuesday, according to the mines ministry. The notice inviting tenders for the mines -- Chhitpuri B iron ore block, Gomter – Wakeli, Bijapur, Hahaladdi, North Bastar Kanker, Lohhater, North Bastar Kanker -- were floated last year.

The coming budget session of the Haryana Assembly is likely to be a stormy affair with the opposition Congress deciding to corner the ruling BJP-JJP alliance over a host of issues, including unemployment, law and order, illegal mining and drug addiction. The session, which will begin on Monday, will be conducted in two phases, with the second one to happen between March 17 and March 22. The session will begin with the Governor's address on Monday followed by a discussion on his address on February 21 and 22.

A bus carrying students from Kerala overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Panna's district, killing the vehicle's helper and injuring 16 students, an official said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening near Kuakheda village, located about 150 km from the district headquarters, Raipura police station in-charge Sudhir Baigi said. The bus, carrying students from a college in Thrissur under a field visit programme, was going to Katni in MP when it overturned, killing its helper, he said.

BJP National President J P Nadda will be on a two-day visit to poll bound Karnataka on February 20 and 21, and will take part in various activities and events, aimed at preparing and strengthening the party for Assembly elections likely by April or May. Karnataka BJP General Secretary and MLC N Ravi Kumar in a statement said, Nadda, who will arrive in Mangaluru tonight, will be visiting parts of Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan districts during the next two days.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed a "deal of Rs 2000 crore" has taken place so far to "purchase" the Shiv Sena party name and its 'bow and arrow' symbol. However, MLA Sada Sarvankar from the camp led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dismissed the claim and asked, "Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?" Raut in a tweet claimed the Rs 2,000 crore was a preliminary figure and this was 100 per cent true. He also told reporters that a builder close to the ruling dispensation shared this information with him. The Rajya Sabha member said his claim was backed by proof which he would disclose soon.

Emergency Arbitration has enormous potential in the country and the legislature should take steps to promote and regulate it, Supreme Court judge Justice Hima Kohli has said. The top court judge, who was addressing the Delhi Arbitration Weekend on Saturday, said Emergency Arbitration (EA) provides a quick and efficient solution to pressing disputes and can help curtail delays and expenses. But the issues concerning the clarity and consistency in the applicable rules and procedures and the lack of awareness among the stakeholders remain to be addressed, she added.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan will join the Erode East bypoll campaign on Sunday, canvassing for ruling DMK-headed Secular Progressive Alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan. This will be the first time Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is backing another party in an electoral contest since it has faced all polls, including the 2021 Assembly elections by itself since its founding in 2018. Congress leader Elangovan is pitted against the AIADMK's K S Thennarasu while Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi and actor Vijayakanth's DMDK candidates are also in the fray.

Bihar Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said that if the poor states are not given special assistance by the Centre then regional disparities are bound to increase in the country. He made the comment on Saturday referring to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement that the Finance Commission has made a recommendation to the Centre, in which it said that no state will be accorded the special status.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will appear before CBI as the Central investigation agency summoned him on Sunday for questioning in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case nearly three months after filing the charge sheet in the case. 

Prominent Muslim organization Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Saturday termed as "barbaric" the alleged abduction and murder of two men by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan and called for a judicial inquiry into the matter. Charred bodies of Nasir (25) and Junaid alias Juna (35), residents of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were found inside a burnt car in Loharu in Bhiwani in Haryana on Thursday morning. Condemning the murders, Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani expressed shock and grief.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Saturday with China's top diplomat in the first high-level contact between the two countries since the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon two weeks ago, a senior US official said. Blinken and Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party's most senior foreign policy official, held the talks in Munich, where they were attending an international security conference, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity before an official announcement of the meeting.

Israeli airstrikes targeted a residential neighbourhood in central Damascus early Sunday, Syrian state news reported. Syrian state media agency SANA, citing a source in the Damascus police command, reported that an unspecified number of people had been killed and wounded. Loud explosions were heard over the capital around 12.30 am local time, and SANA reported that Syrian air defences were "confronting hostile targets in the sky around Damascus.