Chadars found burnt in MP dargahs

Two 'chadars' placed at separate 'dargahs' (mausoleums) were today found burnt in Alipur town of MP, which is part of the Ratlam Lok Sabha constituency that is up for bypolls on November 21. "We have registered a case against unidentified persons under Section 435 (mischief by fire) of IPC and started an investigation," district SP Kumar Saurabh told PTI, adding that the guilty will not be spared. The chadars were found burnt at two dargahs -- one known as Chakki-wale-Baba and the other, Jhari-wale-Baba, near Patel Public School on the Khandwa-Baroda state highway. The two dargahs are popular places of worship and both Muslims and Hindus offer prayers at them. The SP said that the case in this regard has been registered at the city kotwali police station.

23 'rowdy sheeters' caught during special police drive in Hakeempet

As many as twenty-three 'rowdy sheeters' were picked up by police for questioning during a massive cordon and search operation conducted at Hakeempet area, even as five African nationals were also found staying without valid documents. The operation, aimed at keeping a check on anti-social elements, was conducted around last midnight and saw participation of 500 police personnel including four Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACPs), 13 Inspectors and 30 SIs under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (West Zone) A Venkateshwara Rao, an official release said today. "Total 600 houses were searched and 45 two-wheelers were found without documents. Police also found that five African nationals were staying without having any proper documents. The papers are being verified," police said. The search parties caught 23 'rowdy sheeters' and questioned 19 suspects, who were moving suspiciously, including five persons, who had been earlier booked in a chain snatching case. Besides, the search parties also arrested two persons identified as Raju and Bhavan Singh, who were selling liquor without a valid licence. Police said they have been carrying out cordon and search operation in different parts of the city to keep a check on anti-social elements and induce a sense of security among people.

KCR congratulates Sania for lifting WTA Finals doubles trophy

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today congratulated tennis star Sania Mirza for winning the WTA Finals doubles title along with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis. "Winning nine titles in a year is a remarkable feat," an official statement quoted Rao as saying. The Chief Minister expressed hope that Sania will win more tournaments in future and bring laurels to the country and Telangana state. Sania and her Swiss partner Hingis lifted their ninth title together this year beating the Spanish pair of Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro to clinch the WTA Finals women's doubles trophy in Singapore today.

Sonia, Rahul to meet President on intolerance

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi are expected meet President Pranab Mukherjee this week to bring his attention towards growing intolerance in the country, sources said. "The Congress president and vice president along with senior party leaders including some Members of Parliament are expected to meet Mukherjee this week," Congress party sources said today. The two top leaders along with senior leaders and MPs are expected to tell the President about the growing concern over the issue (of intiolerance) and urge him to advice the government to act firmly, sources said. They are also expected to take out a march to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, sources said. Expressing her concern over rising intolerance, Sonia Gandhi had at a function in here yesterday vowed to fight the "diabolical design" of divisive forces to spread hatred, which posed a threat to the unity of the country. "Organisations and people of a particular ideology are spreading it to divide people. We are under no illusion that it is an accident. The hate, violence and petty mindedness is being unleashed as part of a pre-determined plan. We will not allow such a diabolical design to succeed...It will shake country's foundations... We are ready to fight the battle," she had said.

Rahul Gandhi will be elevated as Cong President: Antony

Rahul Gandhi will become President of the Congress, senior party leader A K Antony today said without specifying any time frame for the change of guard. "Rahul Gandhi will become the President of the party," Antony told reporters here when asked whether there would be a change of leadership in the party. To a question whether Rahul would assume charge of the party soon after the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections, he said, "We will let you know the date and time." Antony, a former Kerala chief minister, hailed the leadership of KPCC president V M Sudheeran handpicked by Rahul Gandhi ignoring voices of displeasure from within the state Congress against his appointment. In an apparent bid to project Rahul's ability in choosing the right persons to lead the party in states, Antony said factional feud in Congress in Kerala had come down after Sudheeran assumed charge of the state unit. He said there were no differences in the state Congress on who would lead the party-led UDF in the Assembly polls due next year. "There is no relevance for such talks at present," the Congress Working Committee member said responding to a query on the leadership issue in the Congress between Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala. He said the Thiruvananthapuram special vigilance court order on the bar bribery case involving state Finance Minister K M Mani would not affect the prospects of the UDF in the crucial civic polls being held this week. The former Union minister also hailed Chandy's leadership, saying he could lay a strong foundation for the UDF during his four-and a half year rule. "There is no anti-incumbency factor against the UDF government," Antony said.

Seemanchal polling :MIM hopes to open account in Bihar assembly

The two rival alliances in Bihar battling for electoral laurel are hoping for a repeat of their past performances in Seemanchal and Mithilanchal, two regions going to poll in the last phase of assembly elections on November 5. Asaduddin Owaisi led AIMIM is contesting for six seats in Seemanchal and hoping to open an account in Bihar assembly. Owaisi is aggressively campaigning and leaving no stone unturned to attract voters especially in Kochadhaman and Kishanganj constituencies. While 'Modi wave' did not amount to much in Seemanchal where BJP lost all four Lok Sabha seats in 2014, the region with big Muslim concentration has traditionally seen a strong saffron presence and the party had done well there in the 2010 Assembly polls. The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress expects to corner an overwhelming majority of Muslim votes besides a big chunk of backward caste electorate to leave the NDA behind, while the saffron alliance believes that it can turn the tables by consolidating its voters across all castes. In a recent interaction with the media, a top BJP leader had predicted "a most thrilling fight in the history of Indian electoral politics" in Seemanchal, adding that political pundits should come down to the region to witness it. The grand alliance leaders have accused BJP of trying to polarise voters on communal lines after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged an attempt was being made by them to give away 5 per cent from the share of reservations meant for Scheduled Castes, Schedule Tribes and OBCs to a "particular community". BJP chief Amit Shah's comment that firecrackers will be burst in celebration in Pakistan if his party lost in Bihar have also drawn similar accusations. BJP has refuted the charge and accused them of practising "politics of appeasement". While BJP expects to make a dent in the grand alliance's backward caste votebank by harping on the possibility of a chunk of quotas going away to Muslims and a consolidation of Hindu votes over alleged soft treatment to terror suspects, the JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine sees no such possibilities. "BJP will try to communalise polls but we will ensure that it does not happen. We will sweep the last phase," Bihar JD(U) chief Bashishtha Narain Singh said. In Mithilanchal, BJP believes that the Pappu Yadav factor may work to its advantage. The expelled RJD MP has put up candidates of his Jan Adhikar Party in several places. Yadav is a sitting MP from Madhepura and his wife Ranjeet Ranjan represents neighbouring Supaul in the Lok Sabha. Assembly seats under the two constituencies are going to polls in the fifth phase. 57 seats will go to polls in the fifth phase on November 5.

Shabana Azmi supports protesting writers

Supporting the stand of filmmakers and writers returning their National and Akademi awards respectively, veteran actress Shabana Azmi termed it a 'symbolic gesture' to raise awareness about "growing intolerance". The 65-year-old "Arth" actress' response comes after some eminent film personalities returned their National Awards in solidarity with FTII students. "It is not an either or. Artists returning awards will also reflect their concern in their work but making a film writing a book takes time...Returning awards is a symbolic gesture that brings attention.Instead of damning them read the writing on the wall," Azmi wrote on Twitter. Ten filmmakers including Anand Patwardhan, Dipankar Banerjee, Paresh Kamdar, Nishtha Jain, Kirti Nakhwa, Harshavardhan Kulkarni, Hari Nair, Rakesh Sharma returned their National awards last week.