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Abhilash Tomy's father has said he is confident his son will return to adventure sports. Abhilash was rescued on Monday by the French fishing vessel Osiris after his boat was stranded 1,900 nautical miles off the west coast of Australia.&nbsp;

"Praise the Lord. I am so happy...," VC Tomy, a retired navy man himself, told reporters in Kerala.&nbsp;

Abhilash's boat the Thuriya had got stuck in a massive storm on Friday. The boat had rolled 360 degrees in 10-metre-high waves and had been dismasted.&nbsp;

The boat continued to remain upright but was at the mercy of the seas.&nbsp;

Worse, Abhilash had hurt his back and was immobile. He was unable to reach most of his equipment.&nbsp;

He had however been able to send out an SOS.&nbsp;

“Extremely difficult to walk, Might need stretcher, can’t walk, thanks safe inside the boat, Unable to reach 2nd YB3 (texting unit) or anything. Sat phone down,” Abhilash had said in a message posted on the Golden Globe Race website.&nbsp;

India had pulled out all the stops to find Abhilash and bring him back. It sent out the stealth frigate INS Satpura with a chopper on it, the tanker INS Jyoti, and a P-81 surveillance aircraft.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Golden Globe Race (GGR) skipper &amp; Indian Naval officer, Commander Abhilash Tomy being rescued from South Indian Ocean, approximately 1900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia. He got dismasted and suffered a back injury, &amp; was rescued earlier today (Source: Indian Navy) <a href="https://t.co/mFfTYQrkNl">pic.twitter.com/mFfTYQrkNl</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044245838250356738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"He may be physically weak but he will be mentally stable. He will come back. I have full confidence in him," Abhilash's father said on Monday at his home in Udayamperoor in Thrippunithura.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said earlier on Monday that Abhilash was "conscious and doing okay". She added that he was being taken to Mauritius for "medical attention".&nbsp;

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A sense of relief to know that naval officer <a href="https://twitter.com/abhilashtomy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abhilashtomy</a> is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PIB_India</a>
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman/status/1044135181685329923?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Abhilash was taking part in the Golden Globe Race, a round-the-world solo race competition. The GGR is a copy of the original 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. The boats used have to be similar to the ones used back then.&nbsp;

Abhilash — a pilot with the navy, his rank is commander — had been coming third when he was injured.&nbsp;

Abhilash has sailed around the world before, having successfully circumnavigated the globe — solo — in 2013.&nbsp;

He has been awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the Kirti Chakra for valour and courageous action and the MacGregor medal valuable military reconnaissance.

According to GGR, ahead of commencing his voyage, Tomy had said: This event recreates in the closest way possible way, the magic of the original race.

"The emphasis is not on technology and its management, but on seamanship and a direct experience of sea. This spartan philosophy is in keeping with my own view that a lot can be achieved with very little," he was quoted as having said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

Abhilash Tomy's father has said he is confident his son will return to adventure sports. Abhilash was rescued on Monday by the French fishing vessel Osiris after his boat was stranded 1,900 nautical miles off the west coast of Australia.

Abhilash Tomy's father has said he is confident his son will return to adventure sports. Abhilash was rescued on Monday by the French fishing vessel Osiris after his boat was stranded 1,900 nautical miles off the west coast of Australia. "Praise the Lord. I am so happy...," VC Tomy, a retired navy man himself, told reporters in Kerala. Abhilash's boat the Thuriya had got stuck in a massive storm on Friday. The boat had rolled 360 degrees in 10-metre-high waves and had been dismasted. The boat continued to remain upright but was at the mercy of the seas. Worse, Abhilash had hurt his back and was immobile. He was unable to reach most of his equipment. He had however been able to send out an SOS. “Extremely difficult to walk, Might need stretcher, can’t walk, thanks safe inside the boat, Unable to reach 2nd YB3 (texting unit) or anything. Sat phone down,” Abhilash had said in a message posted on the Golden Globe Race website. India had pulled out all the stops to find Abhilash and bring him back. It sent out the stealth frigate INS Satpura with a chopper on it, the tanker INS Jyoti, and a P-81 surveillance aircraft. #WATCH Golden Globe Race (GGR) skipper & Indian Naval officer, Commander Abhilash Tomy being rescued from South Indian Ocean, approximately 1900 nautical miles from Perth, Australia. He got dismasted and suffered a back injury, & was rescued earlier today (Source: Indian Navy) pic.twitter.com/mFfTYQrkNl — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 × "He may be physically weak but he will be mentally stable. He will come back. I have full confidence in him," Abhilash's father said on Monday at his home in Udayamperoor in Thrippunithura. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said earlier on Monday that Abhilash was "conscious and doing okay". She added that he was being taken to Mauritius for "medical attention". A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's concious and doing okay. The vessel will shift him to a nearby island (I'lle Amsterdam) by evening. INS Satpura will take him to Mauritius for medical attention. @PIB_India — Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) September 24, 2018 × Abhilash was taking part in the Golden Globe Race, a round-the-world solo race competition. The GGR is a copy of the original 1968-69 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. The boats used have to be similar to the ones used back then. Abhilash — a pilot with the navy, his rank is commander — had been coming third when he was injured. Abhilash has sailed around the world before, having successfully circumnavigated the globe — solo — in 2013. He has been awarded the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the Kirti Chakra for valour and courageous action and the MacGregor medal valuable military reconnaissance. According to GGR, ahead of commencing his voyage, Tomy had said: This event recreates in the closest way possible way, the magic of the original race. "The emphasis is not on technology and its management, but on seamanship and a direct experience of sea. This spartan philosophy is in keeping with my own view that a lot can be achieved with very little," he was quoted as having said. (With inputs from PTI)

Abhilash Tomy will return to adventure sports, says his father

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on October 5 for the 19th India-Russia summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this comes against the backdrop of a complex dynamic that relates to the texture of their individual relations with the US.

On Thursday (September 20), the Trump administration imposed sanctions on China by invoking CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) provisions since Beijing had engaged in “significant transactions” with Russia. These include the Su-35 combat aircraft and the S-400 surface-to-air missile system and it is instructive to note that these inventory items are also part of the acquisitions that are in the pipeline for India to obtain from Russia. Moscow has been a major supplier of military equipment to India for five decades and the agenda for the current Putin visit is likely to include some important G2G (government to government) agreements for the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative.

It is pertinent to note that India is among the world’s largest importers of military equipment, for it has no significant indigenous manufacturing and design/R&amp;D capability in the defence sector as related to conventional weaponry. It is an anomalous characteristic, that while India has acquired a certain degree of self-sufficiency in relation to strategic capability (nuclear weapons, missiles and nuclear propulsion), it is also a country that has not been able to design and manufacture its own rifle or pistol with a performance index that is on par with the global benchmark.

This has been a major inadequacy in the higher defence management of India for years and this manufacturing-design void in conventional military capability dilutes India’s claim to “strategic autonomy” in the global arena. While Moscow, in its own transition from the former USSR to the current Russian Federation, has provided India invaluable support in certain niches — for instance nuclear submarine construction — this has not been the case in relation to conventional military equipment, however rudimentary. Consequently, the five decades of Indian engagement with the former Soviet Union and later Russia (after the end of the Cold War in December 1991) did not lead to any significant addition to India’s defence manufacturing sector.

Thus it is significant that the Putin visit in October may also include G2G protocols for the licenced-production of the AK-103 assault rifle in an Indian defence public sector unit and a joint venture between Rostec, a Russian helicopter entity, and HAL for the production of the Ka-226 light utility helicopters. Taken to their logical conclusion, this initiative will provide substantive content to the Make in India effort that has been prioritised by Prime Minister Modi, though the question lingers as to why such a step was not taken much earlier by New Delhi. It is understood that the Russian origin Talwar class frigates and IL-78 transport aircraft would also be considered for acquisition.

But all of this would be deemed to be a “significant” transaction with Russia by the White House and early signals coming from the Beltway are cautioning India that the CAASTA legislation could be invoked against New Delhi. It may be recalled that during the recently concluded ‘2+2’ talks that India had with the US, this issue had been flagged but no official position was articulated by both sides and prudently so.

The Trump administration has advised its allies and friends that it expects them to comply with the US line on both Russia and Iran and different domestic legislation such as CAASTA has been introduced. This is a demand that cannot easily be agreed to by many nations who have a long-standing military equipment relationship with Moscow and it is expected that the waiver route would be resorted to on a case-by-case basis.

For the US, the more immediate reaction has come from Beijing which responded to the September 19 CAASTA sanctions by summoning the US ambassador in Beijing and advising Washington to review its position or “bear the consequences.” The US-China tension that is already at play in the economic-trade domain has now spread to the military domain and has become a triangular issue involving Russia as well.

How India will deal with a Trump-led US diktat over CAASTA (and later Iran) will be a litmus test for the resilience of the India-US relationship, as also an indicator of the strategic import that Delhi accords to its ties with Moscow. There are many strands of tactical discord between India and Russia that have emerged in recent years — for instance Russian dismay at the Delhi-Washington partnership that had grown to a robust military sales relationship of $15 billion in a decade and the relative lack of enthusiasm from New Delhi to pursue any new big-ticket projects with Moscow.

On the Indian side, the more recent Russia-Pakistan military relationship and coordination over the Taliban issue in Afghanistan has stoked Indian anxiety. Furthermore, India has to accept the reality that there will be a greater degree of strategic engagement between Moscow and Beijing to deal with the current US orientation in global affairs led by an unpredictable Trump administration.

But the paradox is that while there are specific and complex tactical dissonances in the bilaterals, India remains a distinctive swing State for all three of its major interlocutors: Russia, US and China. While India is militarily dependent on both the US and Russia, they are aware that to realise their respective strategic objectives over the next 25 years, it would be desirable for them to have a stable and satisfactory relationship with India. In like fashion, the Indian swing index works differently for China, wherein pushing New Delhi into the Washington camp would introduce a brittleness in the China-US relationship that will not be favourable to Beijing. India has to distribute its military dependency astutely and Putin’s visit may enable a more nuanced dialogue with Washington over CAATSA and other prickly issues.

(This article was first published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-dynamics-around-putin-s-visit-2666999">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on October 5 for the 19th India-Russia summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this comes against the backdrop of a complex dynamic that relates to the texture of their individual relations with the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on October 5 for the 19th India-Russia summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and this comes against the backdrop of a complex dynamic that relates to the texture of their individual relations with the US. On Thursday (September 20), the Trump administration imposed sanctions on China by invoking CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) provisions since Beijing had engaged in “significant transactions” with Russia. These include the Su-35 combat aircraft and the S-400 surface-to-air missile system and it is instructive to note that these inventory items are also part of the acquisitions that are in the pipeline for India to obtain from Russia. Moscow has been a major supplier of military equipment to India for five decades and the agenda for the current Putin visit is likely to include some important G2G (government to government) agreements for the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative. It is pertinent to note that India is among the world’s largest importers of military equipment, for it has no significant indigenous manufacturing and design/R&D capability in the defence sector as related to conventional weaponry. It is an anomalous characteristic, that while India has acquired a certain degree of self-sufficiency in relation to strategic capability (nuclear weapons, missiles and nuclear propulsion), it is also a country that has not been able to design and manufacture its own rifle or pistol with a performance index that is on par with the global benchmark. This has been a major inadequacy in the higher defence management of India for years and this manufacturing-design void in conventional military capability dilutes India’s claim to “strategic autonomy” in the global arena. While Moscow, in its own transition from the former USSR to the current Russian Federation, has provided India invaluable support in certain niches — for instance nuclear submarine construction — this has not been the case in relation to conventional military equipment, however rudimentary. Consequently, the five decades of Indian engagement with the former Soviet Union and later Russia (after the end of the Cold War in December 1991) did not lead to any significant addition to India’s defence manufacturing sector. Thus it is significant that the Putin visit in October may also include G2G protocols for the licenced-production of the AK-103 assault rifle in an Indian defence public sector unit and a joint venture between Rostec, a Russian helicopter entity, and HAL for the production of the Ka-226 light utility helicopters. Taken to their logical conclusion, this initiative will provide substantive content to the Make in India effort that has been prioritised by Prime Minister Modi, though the question lingers as to why such a step was not taken much earlier by New Delhi. It is understood that the Russian origin Talwar class frigates and IL-78 transport aircraft would also be considered for acquisition. But all of this would be deemed to be a “significant” transaction with Russia by the White House and early signals coming from the Beltway are cautioning India that the CAASTA legislation could be invoked against New Delhi. It may be recalled that during the recently concluded ‘2+2’ talks that India had with the US, this issue had been flagged but no official position was articulated by both sides and prudently so. The Trump administration has advised its allies and friends that it expects them to comply with the US line on both Russia and Iran and different domestic legislation such as CAASTA has been introduced. This is a demand that cannot easily be agreed to by many nations who have a long-standing military equipment relationship with Moscow and it is expected that the waiver route would be resorted to on a case-by-case basis. For the US, the more immediate reaction has come from Beijing which responded to the September 19 CAASTA sanctions by summoning the US ambassador in Beijing and advising Washington to review its position or “bear the consequences.” The US-China tension that is already at play in the economic-trade domain has now spread to the military domain and has become a triangular issue involving Russia as well. How India will deal with a Trump-led US diktat over CAASTA (and later Iran) will be a litmus test for the resilience of the India-US relationship, as also an indicator of the strategic import that Delhi accords to its ties with Moscow. There are many strands of tactical discord between India and Russia that have emerged in recent years — for instance Russian dismay at the Delhi-Washington partnership that had grown to a robust military sales relationship of $15 billion in a decade and the relative lack of enthusiasm from New Delhi to pursue any new big-ticket projects with Moscow. On the Indian side, the more recent Russia-Pakistan military relationship and coordination over the Taliban issue in Afghanistan has stoked Indian anxiety. Furthermore, India has to accept the reality that there will be a greater degree of strategic engagement between Moscow and Beijing to deal with the current US orientation in global affairs led by an unpredictable Trump administration. But the paradox is that while there are specific and complex tactical dissonances in the bilaterals, India remains a distinctive swing State for all three of its major interlocutors: Russia, US and China. While India is militarily dependent on both the US and Russia, they are aware that to realise their respective strategic objectives over the next 25 years, it would be desirable for them to have a stable and satisfactory relationship with India. In like fashion, the Indian swing index works differently for China, wherein pushing New Delhi into the Washington camp would introduce a brittleness in the China-US relationship that will not be favourable to Beijing. India has to distribute its military dependency astutely and Putin’s visit may enable a more nuanced dialogue with Washington over CAATSA and other prickly issues. (This article was first published on The DNA. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Dynamics around Putin’s India visit

Police Monday claimed to have obtained vital clues in the killing of two TDP leaders by CPI (Maoists), saying the attackers were led by a woman member of its Andhra-Odisha Border committee.

A senior police officer, overseeing a joint combing operation by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police in the border areas to trace the outlaws, said the assailants were led by Aruna, a member of the CPI (Maoist) AOB Committee.

"We have preliminary information that the attack on the TDP leaders was led by Aruna. She led a team of Maoists to Araku 10 days ahead and conducted a recce before executing the killings," he said.

The execution was suspected to have been plotted by Maoist AOB Committee secretary Ramakrishna and his key aides, he said.

Incidentally, Ramakrishna and other key members of the AOB Committee had a narrow escape in the October 24, 2016 encounter in Odisha, in which 27 ultras were gunned down by AP, Odisha and Central police forces in a joint operation.

At least 20 of the 50 Maoist activists who took part in the attack were women and mostly in the 20-25 age group, the officer said.

Araku (ST) MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma were shot dead Sunday at Lippitiputta village when they went there to take part in a 'grama darsini' (village visit) programme.

Meanwhile the last rites of the two TDP leaders were performed in Visakhapatnam Agency (area dominated by tribals) Monday.

While Sarveswara Rao (45) was cremated in Paderu, Siveri Soma (52) was buried as per Christian tradition in Araku with state honours.

Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, several other ministers and Visakhapatnam District Collector Pravin Kumar visited Araku and paid homage to the slain leaders.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the situation in the Agency was under control and police have been deployed for security.

Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A B Venkateswara Rao and ADG (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta visited Araku and Paderu to take stock of the situation.

Visakhapatnam Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Srikanth is also camping in Araku to monitor law and order, a police spokesman said.

The two-day bandh called by tribal associations in protest against the killing of the MLA and ex-MLA was incident-free in Paderu and Araku.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said the high alert continued to be in force in the Agency and Andhra-Odisha border area.

Combing operations were being carried out jointly with Odisha police and special forces were also taking part in it.

He said a thorough investigation was being carried out into the killing to the legislator and the former MLA.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Police Monday claimed to have obtained vital clues in the killing of two TDP leaders by CPI (Maoists), saying the attackers were led by a woman member of its Andhra-Odisha Border committee.

Police Monday claimed to have obtained vital clues in the killing of two TDP leaders by CPI (Maoists), saying the attackers were led by a woman member of its Andhra-Odisha Border committee. A senior police officer, overseeing a joint combing operation by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha police in the border areas to trace the outlaws, said the assailants were led by Aruna, a member of the CPI (Maoist) AOB Committee. "We have preliminary information that the attack on the TDP leaders was led by Aruna. She led a team of Maoists to Araku 10 days ahead and conducted a recce before executing the killings," he said. The execution was suspected to have been plotted by Maoist AOB Committee secretary Ramakrishna and his key aides, he said. Incidentally, Ramakrishna and other key members of the AOB Committee had a narrow escape in the October 24, 2016 encounter in Odisha, in which 27 ultras were gunned down by AP, Odisha and Central police forces in a joint operation. At least 20 of the 50 Maoist activists who took part in the attack were women and mostly in the 20-25 age group, the officer said. Araku (ST) MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma were shot dead Sunday at Lippitiputta village when they went there to take part in a 'grama darsini' (village visit) programme. Meanwhile the last rites of the two TDP leaders were performed in Visakhapatnam Agency (area dominated by tribals) Monday. While Sarveswara Rao (45) was cremated in Paderu, Siveri Soma (52) was buried as per Christian tradition in Araku with state honours. Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa, several other ministers and Visakhapatnam District Collector Pravin Kumar visited Araku and paid homage to the slain leaders. The Deputy Chief Minister said the situation in the Agency was under control and police have been deployed for security. Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) A B Venkateswara Rao and ADG (Law and Order) Harish Kumar Gupta visited Araku and Paderu to take stock of the situation. Visakhapatnam Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Srikanth is also camping in Araku to monitor law and order, a police spokesman said. The two-day bandh called by tribal associations in protest against the killing of the MLA and ex-MLA was incident-free in Paderu and Araku. Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam Rural Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said the high alert continued to be in force in the Agency and Andhra-Odisha border area. Combing operations were being carried out jointly with Odisha police and special forces were also taking part in it. He said a thorough investigation was being carried out into the killing to the legislator and the former MLA.

'Attack on TDP leaders led by woman Maoist member': Police

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here, he told reporters, "I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination."

"Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said.

The government Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.

About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved.

At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting -- on need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said.

Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre.

Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well.

The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any.

Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.&nbsp;

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored".

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the government is "ready to talk to everyone" over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is "Pakistan-sponsored". After a meeting of the Central Zonal Council here, he told reporters, "I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination." "Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored," he said. The government Friday called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, barely 24 hours after agreeing to the engagement, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani. About the issues raised in the zonal council meeting, the home minister said out of 22 points, 20 have been resolved, adding in the last four years, in 12 meetings, 680 issues were discussed of which 428 were resolved. At the meeting, progress of implementation of recommendations made at the last meeting -- on need to increase density of roads and upgrading existing roads, assistance required to combat Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and modernisation of police forces were discussed, an official release issued here said. Singh said it has been the objective of the present government to strengthen the institution of zonal councils as well as the inter-state council to promote and maintain a good federal atmosphere of cooperation among states and the Centre. Besides Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivedra Singh Rawat respectively, the meeting was attended by representatives from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as well. The Central Zonal Council comprises Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand. The council's meeting aims at addressing common concerns of the participating states and settling cross-border concerns, if any. Five Zonal Councils -- central, western, northern, southern and eastern -- were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

Government is 'ready to talk to everyone' over Kashmir issue: Rajnath Singh

A woman named Prabha Muni, who was allegedly involved in human trafficking and carried a bounty of ₹25,000, was arrested by a team of Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) West District officials.&nbsp;

The police said that the 42-year-old, along with her husband, Rohit Muni, allegedly ran an NGO that lured girls on the pretext of getting them jobs as housemaids in Delhi and later sold them off.&nbsp;

Prabha was arrested under section 41.1(C) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), after following the due procedure of law as per Supreme Court guidelines, while her husband is still absconding.

The information about her arrest was given to the concerned police station and her family members.

A case was registered against the duo in 2013 and the accused were absconding since then.

A woman named Prabha Muni, who was allegedly involved in human trafficking and carried a bounty of ₹25,000, was arrested by a team of Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) West District officials.

A woman named Prabha Muni, who was allegedly involved in human trafficking and carried a bounty of ₹25,000, was arrested by a team of Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) West District officials. The police said that the 42-year-old, along with her husband, Rohit Muni, allegedly ran an NGO that lured girls on the pretext of getting them jobs as housemaids in Delhi and later sold them off. Prabha was arrested under section 41.1(C) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), after following the due procedure of law as per Supreme Court guidelines, while her husband is still absconding. The information about her arrest was given to the concerned police station and her family members. A case was registered against the duo in 2013 and the accused were absconding since then.

AATS arrests woman allegedly involved in human trafficking

Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendra Prasad Sharma informed that the police will procure drone cameras for the surveillance of severely Naxal-affected districts to augment security.&nbsp;

Drones will be used by Odisha police to watch the movement of Naxals in Malkangiri and Koraput districts.

Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "We will buy some drones in this financial year. The first drone that we are buying will be used for surveillance of severely Naxal-affected districts to augment security."

The DGP further said that the state police has also decided to use the drones for surveillance and traffic management during the Men's Hockey World Cup, scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 16 in Bhubaneswar.

In the initial stages, the police will use drones with 60 minutes of endurance time and night vision.

Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendra Prasad Sharma informed that the police will procure drone cameras for the surveillance of severely Naxal-affected districts to augment security.

Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Rajendra Prasad Sharma informed that the police will procure drone cameras for the surveillance of severely Naxal-affected districts to augment security. Drones will be used by Odisha police to watch the movement of Naxals in Malkangiri and Koraput districts. Speaking to ANI, Sharma said, "We will buy some drones in this financial year. The first drone that we are buying will be used for surveillance of severely Naxal-affected districts to augment security." The DGP further said that the state police has also decided to use the drones for surveillance and traffic management during the Men's Hockey World Cup, scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 16 in Bhubaneswar. In the initial stages, the police will use drones with 60 minutes of endurance time and night vision.

Soon, drone cameras will monitor Odisha's Naxal-affected areas

Sister Lucy Kalappura, a nun who joined a number of others in protesting against former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, demanded an explanation on why she was ousted from church activities.&nbsp;

"Before expelling me from my duties, explain what my mistake is. I've been very active till date in fulfilling my responsibilities. So, it must be made clear why I am expelled," she told reporters here.&nbsp;

Taking a jibe at the church authorities, the nun asked why no such immediate action was taken to support the nun who was allegedly raped by the former Jalandhar Bishop.&nbsp;

"What pained me is that the church couldn't raise its voice when Franco raped a nun 13 times. I felt I should go and support her. How is it that speedy action is taken against me while everybody was silent on rape? Maybe it is team of the church Vicars who took the decision," she added.&nbsp;

Sister Lucy, who joined a number of others outside the Kochi High Court to stage a protest against the rape-accused Bishop, was reportedly barred from her duties and relieved from church activities on Sunday. However, no official notice was sent to her regarding the same.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the probe team investigating the alleged Kerala nun rape case will file an application in the court seeking permission to take accused former Bishop of Jalandhar for a polygraph test.&nbsp;

The police have asked for the polygraph test, as according to them, the alleged rape accused Mulakkal is not cooperating during the interrogation. As per the police, the accused Bishop used to repeat words like "don't remember" and "don't know" and later refused to respond during the interrogation.

Sister Lucy Kalappura, a nun who joined a number of others in protesting against former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, demanded an explanation on why she was ousted from church activities.

Sister Lucy Kalappura, a nun who joined a number of others in protesting against former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakkal, demanded an explanation on why she was ousted from church activities. "Before expelling me from my duties, explain what my mistake is. I've been very active till date in fulfilling my responsibilities. So, it must be made clear why I am expelled," she told reporters here. Taking a jibe at the church authorities, the nun asked why no such immediate action was taken to support the nun who was allegedly raped by the former Jalandhar Bishop. "What pained me is that the church couldn't raise its voice when Franco raped a nun 13 times. I felt I should go and support her. How is it that speedy action is taken against me while everybody was silent on rape? Maybe it is team of the church Vicars who took the decision," she added. Sister Lucy, who joined a number of others outside the Kochi High Court to stage a protest against the rape-accused Bishop, was reportedly barred from her duties and relieved from church activities on Sunday. However, no official notice was sent to her regarding the same. Meanwhile, the probe team investigating the alleged Kerala nun rape case will file an application in the court seeking permission to take accused former Bishop of Jalandhar for a polygraph test. The police have asked for the polygraph test, as according to them, the alleged rape accused Mulakkal is not cooperating during the interrogation. As per the police, the accused Bishop used to repeat words like "don't remember" and "don't know" and later refused to respond during the interrogation.

Sister Lucy demands explanation on expulsion from duties

Incessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India, with at least 11 people killed Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a "red alert" being issued in Punjab.

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river.

Educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday in Punjab. Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh.

Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains.

The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said.

Punjab has been witnessing widespread rainfall for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations.

Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said.

In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his house collapsed due to heavy rains, police said.

Five people, including a minor girl, died and as many injured in separate incidents during heavy rains in Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district.

Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs.

An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours.

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and news of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places."

People residing in the low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said.

In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said.

In Uttarakhand, most of the places, including state capital Dehradun, received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said.

In Rajasthan, heavy to moderate rainfall was recorded in various parts of the state in 24 hours, an MeT official said.

Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city.

In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued.

Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain for the past two days.

"A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said.

With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.

Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning.

According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Incessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India, with at least 11 people killed Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a "red alert" being issued in Punjab.

Incessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India, with at least 11 people killed Monday in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and a "red alert" being issued in Punjab. The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) issued an advisory to the Punjab government that it will release "excess" water from the Pong dam in the wake of incessant rains in catchment areas of the Beas river. Educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday in Punjab. Schools have been closed in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and in most places of Himachal Pradesh. Heavy rains led to landslides which blocked the roads to Badrinath, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, affecting the Chardham Yatra, while traffic snarled in the national capital due to waterlogging following heavy rains. The Punjab government has asked district authorities to maintain vigil to avert any untoward situation due to heavy rains, an official said. Punjab has been witnessing widespread rainfall for the last two days and the downpour continued Monday, prompting state authorities to review preparations to tackle flood-like situations. Incessant rains in Punjab and Haryana could cause damage to kharif crops and dip in their yield, farm experts said. In Haryana's Ambala, a 45-year-old man died when the roof of his house collapsed due to heavy rains, police said. Five people, including a minor girl, died and as many injured in separate incidents during heavy rains in Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the officials said. A "high alert" has been sounded for Kullu district. Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas is flowing at a dangerous level, HP Forest Minister Govind Singh Thakur said, cautioning people against going near rivers and nullahs. An Indian Air Force team had rescued, with the help of a chopper, 21 people stranded due to flash floods at Dobi in Kullu district in the last 48 hours. BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur said, "So far, 126 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by rains and news of the loss of lives are too pouring in from many places." People residing in the low-lying areas, especially in Kangra, Chamba, Kullu and Mandi districts, are being evacuated, officials said. In Chamba, the Ravi river is still flowing at a dangerous level and people are being evacuated from low-lying areas by the administration since Sunday, Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru said. In Uttarakhand, most of the places, including state capital Dehradun, received showers with around 45 rural roads blocked in these districts, the state emergency operation centre said. In Rajasthan, heavy to moderate rainfall was recorded in various parts of the state in 24 hours, an MeT official said. Heavy rains lashed several parts of the national capital, causing waterlogging and traffic snarls on major intersections in the city. In Jammu and Kashmir, five members of a family, including three minors, were killed Monday when their house was buried under debris after a landslide in the Doda district, while 29 people stranded in Kathua district after flash floods were rescued. Doda and other parts of Jammu region have been lashed by incessant rain for the past two days. "A total of 29 persons, including six women and 10 children, were rescued from various flood-hit areas of Kathua district during overnight operations," a police officer said. With improvement in weather, authorities Monday morning opened the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic. Multiple landslides and shooting stones from a hillock along the highway between Ramban and Udhampur districts had blocked the arterial road since Sunday morning. According to the Meterological department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

11 killed as rains pound north India; 'red alert' sounded in Punjab

Prime Minister&nbsp;Narendra Modi&nbsp;will inaugurate&nbsp;Pakyong Airport,&nbsp;Sikkim's first-ever airport, later in the day.

The airport, which is located at Pakyong, is a Greenfield airport which will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of&nbsp;Sikkimcloser to the state capital.

Located around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for landing and taking off, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr&nbsp;Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday.

The establishment of the airport is expected to provide major impetus to tourism, with&nbsp;Sikkim&nbsp;being perceived as one of the most popular destinations for tourists all throughout the year.&nbsp;

It is also expected to cause a significant reduction in travel time for tourists, who earlier had to board from Bagdogra in West Bengal.

Built at an estimated cost of over ₹605 crore, the Pakyong airport is a new distinction for&nbsp;Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Pakyong Airport, Sikkim's first-ever airport, later in the day. The airport, which is located at Pakyong, is a Greenfield airport which will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of Sikkimcloser to the state capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Pakyong Airport, Sikkim's first-ever airport, later in the day. The airport, which is located at Pakyong, is a Greenfield airport which will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and bring citizens of Sikkimcloser to the state capital. Located around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, the airport is strategically relevant from a security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for landing and taking off, Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh, said on Sunday. The establishment of the airport is expected to provide major impetus to tourism, with Sikkim being perceived as one of the most popular destinations for tourists all throughout the year. It is also expected to cause a significant reduction in travel time for tourists, who earlier had to board from Bagdogra in West Bengal. Built at an estimated cost of over ₹605 crore, the Pakyong airport is a new distinction for Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India.

PM Modi to inaugurate Sikkim's first-ever airport today

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-opposition-leader-ibrahim-mohamed-solih-wins-presidential-poll-167323">Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-opposition-leader-ibrahim-mohamed-solih-wins-presidential-poll-167323">presidential</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-opposition-leader-ibrahim-mohamed-solih-wins-presidential-poll-167323"> poll</a>

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldives opposition leader, had beaten President Abdulla Yameen in the presidential polls. Solih won 58% of the vote with around 97 per cent of votes tallied, as indicated by the media reports. An election watchdog said he had won “by a decisive margin.”

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/team-showed-great-character-its-good-win-says-rohit-sharma-after-indias-win-over-pak-167332">Team</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/team-showed-great-character-its-good-win-says-rohit-sharma-after-indias-win-over-pak-167332"> showed great character, it's a good win, says Rohit Sharma after India's win over Pak</a>

Rohit Sharma, who scored his 19th ODI ton and also completed 7000 runs in ODI format, reacted to India's nine-wicket win against Pakistan in Super Four, match 3 of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/talking-about-kashmir-unga-pakistans-annual-itch-india-167326">Talking about Kashmir at UNGA is Pakistan's annual itch: India</a>

As India and Pakistan get ready to make the country statements at the United Nations general assembly, India has sent a stern message to Islamabad on Kashmir.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hard-time-not-crying-tiger-woods-reacts-pga-tour-championship-victory-167324">'Hard time not crying': Tiger Woods reacts to PGA Tour Championship victory</a>

US golfer Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour Championship by two shots to claim his first victory in five years. He said it is hard to believe that he has won the title.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment-news/shilpa-shetty-mistreated-australia-writes-racism-against-us-brown-people-167334">Shilpa Shetty mistreated in Australia, writes on racism against 'us, brown people'</a>

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty called out a racist incident as she faced a tough time at an Australian airport recently. Taking to Instagram, the actress who is very active on social media narrated an incident that can serve as an eye-opener for many.

Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins presidential poll Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldives opposition leader, had beaten President Abdulla Yameen in the presidential polls.

Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wins presidential poll Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Maldives opposition leader, had beaten President Abdulla Yameen in the presidential polls. Solih won 58% of the vote with around 97 per cent of votes tallied, as indicated by the media reports. An election watchdog said he had won “by a decisive margin.” Team showed great character, it's a good win, says Rohit Sharma after India's win over Pak Rohit Sharma, who scored his 19th ODI ton and also completed 7000 runs in ODI format, reacted to India's nine-wicket win against Pakistan in Super Four, match 3 of the ongoing Asia Cup tournament on Sunday. Talking about Kashmir at UNGA is Pakistan's annual itch: India As India and Pakistan get ready to make the country statements at the United Nations general assembly, India has sent a stern message to Islamabad on Kashmir. 'Hard time not crying': Tiger Woods reacts to PGA Tour Championship victory US golfer Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour Championship by two shots to claim his first victory in five years. He said it is hard to believe that he has won the title. Shilpa Shetty mistreated in Australia, writes on racism against 'us, brown people' Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty called out a racist incident as she faced a tough time at an Australian airport recently. Taking to Instagram, the actress who is very active on social media narrated an incident that can serve as an eye-opener for many.

Newsbrief: Big stories of the day

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five.

"Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district)," an Army spokesman said.&nbsp;

He added that a gallant soldier was also martyred in the operation.

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Photo of Indian Army's Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in action today during an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu &amp; Kashmir's Tangdhar sector today. <a href="https://t.co/nGGrT7la0j">pic.twitter.com/nGGrT7la0j</a>
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The army on Sunday had foiled an infiltration bid and killed two terrorists in the&nbsp;sector in the&nbsp;encounter that ensued after the terrorists&nbsp;were challenged by alert troops.

(With inputs from agencies)

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five.

Three militants and a soldier were killed Monday in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of ultras eliminated in the operation to five. "Three more terrorists have been killed today as the Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district)," an Army spokesman said. He added that a gallant soldier was also martyred in the operation. Photo of Indian Army's Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in action today during an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu & Kashmir's Tangdhar sector today. pic.twitter.com/nGGrT7la0j — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 × The army on Sunday had foiled an infiltration bid and killed two terrorists in the sector in the encounter that ensued after the terrorists were challenged by alert troops. (With inputs from agencies)

J&K: 3 militants, 1 solider killed in anti-infiltration operation along LoC

India to focus on multilateralism during 73rd session of UNGA

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory.

A 20kW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said.

The transmitter, that will be used for both domestic and external broadcast, is of immense strategic importance as programmes radiated from the transmitter can be heard in a radius of 90 km, including up to 50 km inside Pakistan, it said.

Sampla, while inaugurating the transmitter, told reporters that it will help in resolving the issues of non-availability of good quality signals of AIR in Amritsar and surrounding areas, and also help in countering malicious anti-India propaganda unleashed by radio channels from across the border.

The minister expressed hope that the content of the channel would also go a long way in bridging people-to-people contact among the Punjabi speaking people of the two countries.

Chairman Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash said on the occasion that as a public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati and its two constituents All India Radio and Doordarshan, were committed to playing a catalytic role in the development of the country.

Lauding the role of AIR, the Prasar Bharati Chairman said that AIR has always been at the forefront of preserving the country's cultural heritage and integrity.

Director General AIR Fayyaz Sheheryar said the FM transmitter shall ensure stereo quality listening of radio programmes in the region.

To begin with, the transmitter will carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast, the statement said.

Des Punjab programme and the programmes in Saraiki which are presently broadcast on medium wave are immensely popular in Pakistan as these are specially devised to focus on the commonality of the Punjabi culture and heritage between the two halves of Punjab, it said.

Initially the transmitter shall carry programmes for 18 hours per day from 6.00 AM to 12.00 midnight.

Amritsar and surrounding areas are inundated by radio programmes broadcast from across the border. The content broadcast from across the border is often found to be not conducive to India's national interest and needs to be countered, the statement said.

This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, it said.&nbsp;

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory.

In a bid to counter anti-India propaganda by Pakistan through its radio penetration, India on Monday launched an FM station for the border belt near Amritsar that can be heard 50 km into the Pakistani territory. A 20kW FM transmitter of the All India Radio (AIR) located at Gharinda close to the international border near Amritsar was formally inaugurated by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Vijay Sampla, an AIR statement said. The transmitter, that will be used for both domestic and external broadcast, is of immense strategic importance as programmes radiated from the transmitter can be heard in a radius of 90 km, including up to 50 km inside Pakistan, it said. Sampla, while inaugurating the transmitter, told reporters that it will help in resolving the issues of non-availability of good quality signals of AIR in Amritsar and surrounding areas, and also help in countering malicious anti-India propaganda unleashed by radio channels from across the border. The minister expressed hope that the content of the channel would also go a long way in bridging people-to-people contact among the Punjabi speaking people of the two countries. Chairman Prasar Bharati Surya Prakash said on the occasion that as a public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati and its two constituents All India Radio and Doordarshan, were committed to playing a catalytic role in the development of the country. Lauding the role of AIR, the Prasar Bharati Chairman said that AIR has always been at the forefront of preserving the country's cultural heritage and integrity. Director General AIR Fayyaz Sheheryar said the FM transmitter shall ensure stereo quality listening of radio programmes in the region. To begin with, the transmitter will carry an assortment of programmes broadcast in Punjabi by FM Rainbow Channel of AIR Jalandhar, 'Des Punjab', and programmes in Saraiki language. Popular programmes of Urdu service of the External Services Division, AIR, will also be broadcast, the statement said. Des Punjab programme and the programmes in Saraiki which are presently broadcast on medium wave are immensely popular in Pakistan as these are specially devised to focus on the commonality of the Punjabi culture and heritage between the two halves of Punjab, it said. Initially the transmitter shall carry programmes for 18 hours per day from 6.00 AM to 12.00 midnight. Amritsar and surrounding areas are inundated by radio programmes broadcast from across the border. The content broadcast from across the border is often found to be not conducive to India's national interest and needs to be countered, the statement said. This transmitter, due to its strategic location, would provide for countering of any misleading anti-India propaganda and put India's point of view in the correct perspective, it said.

AIR launches FM station in border belt to counter Pak's anti-India propaganda

An under-construction bridge collapsed in Kakdwip area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday, a senior official said.

The 120-metre bridge on Kalnagini river in the Sunderban region was scheduled to be inaugurated in 2021.

There has been no report of any casualty, District Magistrate Y Ratnakara Rao said.

"The work to clear the debris has started. The area has been cordoned off to stop people from going near the bridge," Rao said, adding that engineers were trying to ascertain the reason behind the collapse.

This was the third incident of bridge collapse in the state in September.

A portion of a bridge at Majerhat in south Kolkata had caved in on September 4, killing three persons and injuring more than 24.

On September 7, an old bridge had collapsed near Siliguri in north Bengal, leaving a truck driver injured.

Reacting to Monday's incident, Sunderban Development Minister Manturam Pakhira said the company that was constructing the bridge was to be blamed for its collapse.

"Girders were attached one after another to build the bridge. The interim concrete slabs are usually supported with temporary iron pillars for a certain period. But the iron support was removed, without consulting the department's engineers," Pakhira told reporters.

A district BJP leader claimed that the bridge collapsed because poor quality materials were used for its construction.

State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, during a press meet at the state secretariat, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will review the condition of bridges and flyovers in the state, including the ones under construction.

"Once she is back from her tour, she will seek opinion of experts on ways to overcome weakness in the structural pattern of the bridges and evaluate the experience of contractors entrusted with the job of building them," he said.

Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Germany and Italy to attract investments to the state.

Asked about the Kakdwip incident, Chatterjee told reporters that it was "not a functioning one", without getting into details.

He, however, asserted that the government was taking the issue seriously and the CM had been regularly seeking updates about every development in the state from Italy.&nbsp;

An under-construction bridge collapsed in Kakdwip area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday, a senior official said. The 120-metre bridge on Kalnagini river in the Sunderban region was scheduled to be inaugurated in 2021.

An under-construction bridge collapsed in Kakdwip area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday, a senior official said. The 120-metre bridge on Kalnagini river in the Sunderban region was scheduled to be inaugurated in 2021. There has been no report of any casualty, District Magistrate Y Ratnakara Rao said. "The work to clear the debris has started. The area has been cordoned off to stop people from going near the bridge," Rao said, adding that engineers were trying to ascertain the reason behind the collapse. This was the third incident of bridge collapse in the state in September. A portion of a bridge at Majerhat in south Kolkata had caved in on September 4, killing three persons and injuring more than 24. On September 7, an old bridge had collapsed near Siliguri in north Bengal, leaving a truck driver injured. Reacting to Monday's incident, Sunderban Development Minister Manturam Pakhira said the company that was constructing the bridge was to be blamed for its collapse. "Girders were attached one after another to build the bridge. The interim concrete slabs are usually supported with temporary iron pillars for a certain period. But the iron support was removed, without consulting the department's engineers," Pakhira told reporters. A district BJP leader claimed that the bridge collapsed because poor quality materials were used for its construction. State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, during a press meet at the state secretariat, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will review the condition of bridges and flyovers in the state, including the ones under construction. "Once she is back from her tour, she will seek opinion of experts on ways to overcome weakness in the structural pattern of the bridges and evaluate the experience of contractors entrusted with the job of building them," he said. Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Germany and Italy to attract investments to the state. Asked about the Kakdwip incident, Chatterjee told reporters that it was "not a functioning one", without getting into details. He, however, asserted that the government was taking the issue seriously and the CM had been regularly seeking updates about every development in the state from Italy.

Under-construction bridge collapses in Bengal

The AAP wants former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to contest from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency and talks between the two sides are in an advanced stage, a senior party leader said.

Talks are also on with disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha to field him from West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, but the actor-turned-politician is unwilling to leave his Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar, the AAP leader said.

Yashwant Sinha, who was a key cabinet member in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP under Amit Shah.

The Aam Aadmi Party is of the opinion that Yashwant Sinha's image and him being a former bureaucrat will help him garner significant number of votes from the New Delhi constituency.

"We want Yashwant Sinha ji to contest from New Delhi and talks are progressing in the right direction," the AAP leader said.

Earlier this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was joined by Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha to slam the Narendra Modi government at a Jan Adhikar rally in Noida.

This was not the first time that rebel BJP leaders are seen cosying up with the AAP leaders. Former Union minister Arun Shourie, rebel BJP MP Kirti Azad have been in close touch with the AAP leadership, another party leader claimed.&nbsp;

Yashwant Sinha had last won the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Hazaribagh constituency in Jharkhand. Since 2014, the seat is represented by his son Jayant Sinha, who is a minister in the NDA government at the Centre.

Of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, the AAP has declared constituency in-charge for East Delhi (Atishi Marlena), South Delhi (Raghva Chadha), Chandani Chowk (Pankaj Gupta), Northeast Delhi (Dilip Pandey) and Northwest Delhi (Gugan Singh).

AAP sources said the constituency in-charges will eventually be declared as candidates from respective constituencies. The party intends to field two "outsiders" from these New Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha seats.

The AAP wants former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to contest from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency and talks between the two sides are in an advanced stage, a senior party leader said.

The AAP wants former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha to contest from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency and talks between the two sides are in an advanced stage, a senior party leader said. Talks are also on with disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha to field him from West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, but the actor-turned-politician is unwilling to leave his Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar, the AAP leader said. Yashwant Sinha, who was a key cabinet member in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government, has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP under Amit Shah. The Aam Aadmi Party is of the opinion that Yashwant Sinha's image and him being a former bureaucrat will help him garner significant number of votes from the New Delhi constituency. "We want Yashwant Sinha ji to contest from New Delhi and talks are progressing in the right direction," the AAP leader said. Earlier this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was joined by Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha to slam the Narendra Modi government at a Jan Adhikar rally in Noida. This was not the first time that rebel BJP leaders are seen cosying up with the AAP leaders. Former Union minister Arun Shourie, rebel BJP MP Kirti Azad have been in close touch with the AAP leadership, another party leader claimed. Yashwant Sinha had last won the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Hazaribagh constituency in Jharkhand. Since 2014, the seat is represented by his son Jayant Sinha, who is a minister in the NDA government at the Centre. Of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, the AAP has declared constituency in-charge for East Delhi (Atishi Marlena), South Delhi (Raghva Chadha), Chandani Chowk (Pankaj Gupta), Northeast Delhi (Dilip Pandey) and Northwest Delhi (Gugan Singh). AAP sources said the constituency in-charges will eventually be declared as candidates from respective constituencies. The party intends to field two "outsiders" from these New Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha seats.

AAP in talks with Yashwant Sinha, wants him to contest New Delhi Lok Sabha seat: Sources

With the mudslinging over the Rafale fighter jets deal refusing to die down, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the controversial issue as a perception battle.

Vowing to fight the Rafale deal tussle, Sitharaman said, "This is a perception battle. We`ll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level. This is an attempt to malign our reputation."

Terming the controversial deal as India's "biggest Defence scam", the Congress demanded the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) KV Chowdary to seize all documents and register an FIR into the alleged corruption.

After meeting the CVC and seeking an independent probe into the case earlier today, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters, "A delegation of Congress has met with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), submitted a detailed memorandum on Rafale fighter jet purchase scam. It is the biggest scam in the acquisition history of this country."

"This was the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister of India who without any mandate from the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to do away with three important things of the original tender purchase of 126 planes and more importantly the approved price of Rs 526 crore that went up to Rs 1,670 crore. The government has been lying and hiding. Therefore, we have demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and register an FIR," he added.

The meeting came days after a Congress delegation met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

The Rafale controversy took a new twist last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence`s name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

The Congress has been accusing the Centre of irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, alleging that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

It has repeatedly asked the Prime Minister Modi-led government to reveal the price details of the aircraft and how the rate of each aircraft has shot up.

However, the government has refused to share the details, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.&nbsp;

With the mudslinging over the Rafale fighter jets deal refusing to die down, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the controversial issue as a perception battle.

With the mudslinging over the Rafale fighter jets deal refusing to die down, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday termed the controversial issue as a perception battle. Vowing to fight the Rafale deal tussle, Sitharaman said, "This is a perception battle. We`ll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level. This is an attempt to malign our reputation." Terming the controversial deal as India's "biggest Defence scam", the Congress demanded the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) KV Chowdary to seize all documents and register an FIR into the alleged corruption. After meeting the CVC and seeking an independent probe into the case earlier today, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters, "A delegation of Congress has met with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), submitted a detailed memorandum on Rafale fighter jet purchase scam. It is the biggest scam in the acquisition history of this country." "This was the arbitrary decision of the Prime Minister of India who without any mandate from the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to do away with three important things of the original tender purchase of 126 planes and more importantly the approved price of Rs 526 crore that went up to Rs 1,670 crore. The government has been lying and hiding. Therefore, we have demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and register an FIR," he added. The meeting came days after a Congress delegation met the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Rajiv Mehrishi and urged the apex auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament. The Rafale controversy took a new twist last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence`s name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation. The Congress has been accusing the Centre of irregularities in the high-profile Defence fighter jets contract, alleging that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. It has repeatedly asked the Prime Minister Modi-led government to reveal the price details of the aircraft and how the rate of each aircraft has shot up. However, the government has refused to share the details, citing a secrecy clause of a 2008 pact between India and France.

Rafale issue is 'perception battle': Nirmala Sitharaman

As India and Pakistan get ready to make the country statements at the United Nations general assembly, India has sent a stern message to Islamabad on Kashmir.&nbsp;

Calling Pakistan's reference to Kashmir at UNGA an "annual itch" for Pakistan, India's permanent representative to UN Syed Akbaruddin while speaking to WION said, "India is part of the mainstream of global community, if someone else wants to fritter away the time and have an annual itch, it is their choice."&nbsp;

He said UNGA is a global forum is that it provides "everybody an opportunity" and that opportunity "can either be used to broaden friendships, strengthen collaborations or to follow tracks that have no resonance.. each country has to do something that finds resonance. "

The sentiment was echoed by the head of the UN division in MEA Dinesh Patnaik who said India has been handling Pakistan raising Kashmir every year and "this is not the first time this is happening". He said &nbsp;Pakistan wants to "act solo and is not multilateralist. They want to bring issues that are not part of multilateral agenda. This is not the first time they do this. Whenever they have done it in past we have tackled it. This is nothing new"

India will strongly raise the issue of terrorism and call for an early resolution on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism or CCIT. &nbsp;Syed Akbaruddin while answering WION's question on terror said,' terrorism by its definition is a threat to the nation-state. Theoretically, these are state actors that threaten civil society. All in the comity of nation tackle it collectively. Its a growing and perennial threat."

India has been calling for a common definition of terror through the comprehensive convention on international terrorism. The treaty which India had proposed way back in 1996 calls for criminalizing all forms of terrorism and terror safe havens. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched for it during his address at the 69th session of the UNGA in September of 2014.

India will focus on many things from climate change to peacekeeping. On Climate change, Akbaruddin said, "India has a good story to tell". He also talked about the "challenges and stresses" multilateralism is facing" India is multilateralist by orientation and tradition"

India is being represented by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the 73rd session of UNGA. She will be having over 30 bilateral meetings with her counterparts from different nations and take in meets such as SAARC FMs meeting, IBSA Meeting, NAM meets on Palestine, G4 meet on the reformation of UNSC on the sidelines of UNGA. The external affairs minister will end her week-long visit to new york by making the country statement for India on 29th September which according to India's permanent representative will "give a broad picture of what India is doing and how India supports multilateralism".

As India and Pakistan get ready to make the country statements at the United Nations general assembly, India has sent a stern message to Islamabad on Kashmir. Calling Pakistan's reference to Kashmir at UNGA an "annual itch" for Pakistan, India's permanent representative to UN Syed Akbaruddin while speaking to WION said, "India is part of the mainstream of global community, if someone else wants to fritter away the time and have an annual itch, it is their choice.

As India and Pakistan get ready to make the country statements at the United Nations general assembly, India has sent a stern message to Islamabad on Kashmir. Calling Pakistan's reference to Kashmir at UNGA an "annual itch" for Pakistan, India's permanent representative to UN Syed Akbaruddin while speaking to WION said, "India is part of the mainstream of global community, if someone else wants to fritter away the time and have an annual itch, it is their choice." He said UNGA is a global forum is that it provides "everybody an opportunity" and that opportunity "can either be used to broaden friendships, strengthen collaborations or to follow tracks that have no resonance.. each country has to do something that finds resonance. " The sentiment was echoed by the head of the UN division in MEA Dinesh Patnaik who said India has been handling Pakistan raising Kashmir every year and "this is not the first time this is happening". He said Pakistan wants to "act solo and is not multilateralist. They want to bring issues that are not part of multilateral agenda. This is not the first time they do this. Whenever they have done it in past we have tackled it. This is nothing new" India will strongly raise the issue of terrorism and call for an early resolution on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism or CCIT. Syed Akbaruddin while answering WION's question on terror said,' terrorism by its definition is a threat to the nation-state. Theoretically, these are state actors that threaten civil society. All in the comity of nation tackle it collectively. Its a growing and perennial threat." India has been calling for a common definition of terror through the comprehensive convention on international terrorism. The treaty which India had proposed way back in 1996 calls for criminalizing all forms of terrorism and terror safe havens. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched for it during his address at the 69th session of the UNGA in September of 2014. India will focus on many things from climate change to peacekeeping. On Climate change, Akbaruddin said, "India has a good story to tell". He also talked about the "challenges and stresses" multilateralism is facing" India is multilateralist by orientation and tradition" India is being represented by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the 73rd session of UNGA. She will be having over 30 bilateral meetings with her counterparts from different nations and take in meets such as SAARC FMs meeting, IBSA Meeting, NAM meets on Palestine, G4 meet on the reformation of UNSC on the sidelines of UNGA. The external affairs minister will end her week-long visit to new york by making the country statement for India on 29th September which according to India's permanent representative will "give a broad picture of what India is doing and how India supports multilateralism".

Talking about Kashmir at UNGA is Pakistan's annual itch: India

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/both-congress-and-pakistan-want-modi-removed-indian-politics-bjp-167450">Both Congress and Pakistan want Modi removed from Indian politics: BJP</a>

Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sad-truth-about-indias-commander-thief-rahul-gandhi-167432">Watch: Rahul Gandhi says ex-French president Francois Hollande has called Modi a 'thief'</a>

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a one-line Twitter broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. In his tweet, he wrote: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief".&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/relief-maldives-strongman-concedes-defeat-167448">Relief as Maldives strongman concedes defeat</a>

The strongman leader of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in the presidential election, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-plane-downing-result-premeditated-actions-israeli-pilots-167437">Russia says plane downing result of 'premeditated' actions by Israeli pilots</a>

The Kremlin on Monday accused Israeli pilots of "premeditated actions" over the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, warning it will harm relations between the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/shah-rukh-khan-told-me-i-should-learn-how-act-kajol-167433">Shah Rukh Khan told me I should learn how to act: Kajol</a>

She may be a name to reckon with in the acting world but Kajol admits that she learnt the craft hands-on, one film at a time.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Both Congress and Pakistan want Modi removed from Indian politics: BJP Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics.

Both Congress and Pakistan want Modi removed from Indian politics: BJP Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics. Watch: Rahul Gandhi says ex-French president Francois Hollande has called Modi a 'thief' Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a one-line Twitter broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. In his tweet, he wrote: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief". Relief as Maldives strongman concedes defeat The strongman leader of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in the presidential election, easing fears of a fresh political crisis in the archipelago at the centre of a battle for influence between India and China. Russia says plane downing result of 'premeditated' actions by Israeli pilots The Kremlin on Monday accused Israeli pilots of "premeditated actions" over the downing of a Russian plane in Syria last week, warning it will harm relations between the two countries. Shah Rukh Khan told me I should learn how to act: Kajol She may be a name to reckon with in the acting world but Kajol admits that she learnt the craft hands-on, one film at a time.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters.

He then added that the poor, Dalits, backwards and the common man back Modi, and "nobody can remove him".

The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed.

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Is Congress forming an International Mahagathbandhan against PM Narendra Modi? <a href="https://t.co/sZKy6vZgU0">pic.twitter.com/sZKy6vZgU0</a>
— BJP (@BJP4India) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1044147782771081216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Patra accused Gandhi of targeting the Indian Army by using the term surgical strikes mockingly to attack the Modi government. Pakistan has been using his tweets to attack India, he said.

He also referred to party president Amit Shah's dig at the opposition party, wondering if it has formed a "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) with Pakistan against Modi.

He said Gandhi and his party should learn from Modi as he played a video clip of him, when he was Gujarat chief minister, attacking the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly mocking his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;

He also cited past comments of Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar, Sandeep Dikshit, Salman Khurshid and Ghulam Nabi Azad and mentioned Navjot Singh Sidhu's hug of Pak army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa to attack the opposition party.

While dissent is important in democracy, there should also be dignity for the nation, he said.

The BJP spokesperson claimed that Modi's motto is "all work, no holiday" while that of the UPA government was "no work no headache".&nbsp;

Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics.

Escalating its attack on the Congress, the BJP Monday drew a parallel between the opposition party and Pakistani leaders, saying both want Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed from Indian politics. Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra read out tweets attacking Modi posted by Pakistani leaders, including its Prime Minister Imran Khan and present and former ministers, and said they have been campaigning for Congress president Rahul Gandhi. "Some people want Gandhi to become a big leader in India. Who are they? They are Pakistani leaders, and also those who stand for corruption, dynasty and politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters. He then added that the poor, Dalits, backwards and the common man back Modi, and "nobody can remove him". The Congress and Pakistan have this commonality that they have "frustration" with Modi, and their "only aim is to remove Modi anyway from Indian polity", he claimed. Is Congress forming an International Mahagathbandhan against PM Narendra Modi? pic.twitter.com/sZKy6vZgU0 — BJP (@BJP4India) September 24, 2018 × Patra accused Gandhi of targeting the Indian Army by using the term surgical strikes mockingly to attack the Modi government. Pakistan has been using his tweets to attack India, he said. He also referred to party president Amit Shah's dig at the opposition party, wondering if it has formed a "mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) with Pakistan against Modi. He said Gandhi and his party should learn from Modi as he played a video clip of him, when he was Gujarat chief minister, attacking the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly mocking his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. He also cited past comments of Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar, Sandeep Dikshit, Salman Khurshid and Ghulam Nabi Azad and mentioned Navjot Singh Sidhu's hug of Pak army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa to attack the opposition party. While dissent is important in democracy, there should also be dignity for the nation, he said. The BJP spokesperson claimed that Modi's motto is "all work, no holiday" while that of the UPA government was "no work no headache".

Both Congress and Pakistan want Modi removed from Indian politics: BJP

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a one-line Twitter broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.&nbsp;In his tweet, he wrote: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief".&nbsp;

A video from the French online journal Mediapart accompanies the tweet. Mediapart is an independent French online investigative and opinion journal.&nbsp;

In the video, a Mediapart anchor dissects former French president Francois Hollande's recent reply to a question on the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

The anchor quotes Hollande as saying: "We did not have a choice. We did not have a word to say about that subject. The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice. We picked the interlocutor which was selected for us by the Indian government..."&nbsp;

"That's the contrary" (between what the Indian and French government are saying), the anchor adds.&nbsp;

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The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. <a href="https://t.co/USrxqlJTWe">pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1044120989116829696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A new Rafale deal was brokered between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hollande in 2015. In the new deal, India was to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation.&nbsp;

The original deal had been brokered between India's previous UPA government and Hollande.&nbsp;

The Congress now alleges that the Modi government has agreed to pay three times the amount the UPA had agreed to pay for every Rafale. The Congress also alleges that — the allegations are spearheaded by Congress President Rahul Gandhi — the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which was part of the original deal, was in the new deal junked in favour of the private Reliance Defence Ltd owned by Anil Ambani.&nbsp;

Ambani's Reliance Defence has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace manufacturing industries.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi alleges Ambani was given a sweetheart deal. (Under India's defence equipment acquisition laws, Dassault has to spend 30% of the money paid to it in India.)

The Indian government has so far been saying Dassault chose Reliance Defence on its own, and that it had no part to play in the choosing.&nbsp;

That explanation however fell flat on its face when former French president Francois Hollande said recently while on a trip to India that the Indian government had chosen Reliance Defence to be part of the deal and not Dassault Aviation.&nbsp;

On Monday, Gandhi followed up his tweet by telling reporters that Hollande has called Modi a "thief" (chor) and that the prime minister (Modi) must explain why this is happening.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Congress President Rahul Gandhi says on Rafale deal, "the main issue is that the former France President has called Indian Prime Minister a 'thief', and Narendra Modi has to clarify on it" <a href="https://t.co/a5xFkOSYxl">pic.twitter.com/a5xFkOSYxl</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1044180427823443968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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An answer from the BJP came from Defence Minister NIrmala&nbsp;Sitharaman, who told ANI: "This is a perception battle. We will fight this battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level."

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a one-line Twitter broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. In his tweet, he wrote: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief".

Congress President Rahul Gandhi launched a one-line Twitter broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. In his tweet, he wrote: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief". A video from the French online journal Mediapart accompanies the tweet. Mediapart is an independent French online investigative and opinion journal. In the video, a Mediapart anchor dissects former French president Francois Hollande's recent reply to a question on the Rafale deal. The anchor quotes Hollande as saying: "We did not have a choice. We did not have a word to say about that subject. The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We did not have a choice. We picked the interlocutor which was selected for us by the Indian government..." "That's the contrary" (between what the Indian and French government are saying), the anchor adds. The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2018 × A new Rafale deal was brokered between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Hollande in 2015. In the new deal, India was to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation. The original deal had been brokered between India's previous UPA government and Hollande. The Congress now alleges that the Modi government has agreed to pay three times the amount the UPA had agreed to pay for every Rafale. The Congress also alleges that — the allegations are spearheaded by Congress President Rahul Gandhi — the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which was part of the original deal, was in the new deal junked in favour of the private Reliance Defence Ltd owned by Anil Ambani. Ambani's Reliance Defence has little to no experience in the defence and aerospace manufacturing industries. Rahul Gandhi alleges Ambani was given a sweetheart deal. (Under India's defence equipment acquisition laws, Dassault has to spend 30% of the money paid to it in India.) The Indian government has so far been saying Dassault chose Reliance Defence on its own, and that it had no part to play in the choosing. That explanation however fell flat on its face when former French president Francois Hollande said recently while on a trip to India that the Indian government had chosen Reliance Defence to be part of the deal and not Dassault Aviation. On Monday, Gandhi followed up his tweet by telling reporters that Hollande has called Modi a "thief" (chor) and that the prime minister (Modi) must explain why this is happening. #WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi says on Rafale deal, "the main issue is that the former France President has called Indian Prime Minister a 'thief', and Narendra Modi has to clarify on it" pic.twitter.com/a5xFkOSYxl — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 24, 2018 × An answer from the BJP came from Defence Minister NIrmala Sitharaman, who told ANI: "This is a perception battle. We will fight this battle. We'll go to places and state facts on record on Rafale. Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us at an international level."

Watch: Rahul Gandhi says ex-French president Francois Hollande has called Modi a 'thief'

Rahul Gandhi speaks to reporters in Delhi. 

Following the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/two-ministers-dropped-manohar-parrikars-cabinet-goa-167360">removal of two ministers from Goa cabinet</a> on Monday, the BJP inducted&nbsp;Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik in the party.

The two MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet at Raj Bhawan.

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Goa: Curchorem BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral &amp; Mormugao BJP MLA Milind Naik have been sworn-in as ministers in the state cabinet at Raj Bhawan.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044191995969884163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The new induction has come after the BJP removed two ministers Francis D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar from the Manohar Parrikar cabinet in Goa.

D’Souza was heading the urban development department while Madkaikar was heading the power minister.

The ministers had been ailing for some time and are currently admitted at hospitals.

D’Souza is currently admitted at a hospital in the USA, while Madkaikar, who had suffered a brain stroke in June, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai.

The development comes at a time when Chief Minister Parrikar is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah had said Sunday that Parrikar would continue in his post and announced that a reshuffle of the state’s ministers would soon take place.

(With inputs from agencies)

Following the removal of two ministers from Goa cabinet on Monday, the BJP inducted Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik in the party. The two MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet at Raj Bhawan.

Following the removal of two ministers from Goa cabinet on Monday, the BJP inducted Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Mormugao MLA Milind Naik in the party. The two MLAs were sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet at Raj Bhawan. Goa: Curchorem BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral & Mormugao BJP MLA Milind Naik have been sworn-in as ministers in the state cabinet at Raj Bhawan. — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 × The new induction has come after the BJP removed two ministers Francis D’Souza and Pandurang Madkaikar from the Manohar Parrikar cabinet in Goa. D’Souza was heading the urban development department while Madkaikar was heading the power minister. The ministers had been ailing for some time and are currently admitted at hospitals. D’Souza is currently admitted at a hospital in the USA, while Madkaikar, who had suffered a brain stroke in June, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai. The development comes at a time when Chief Minister Parrikar is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah had said Sunday that Parrikar would continue in his post and announced that a reshuffle of the state’s ministers would soon take place. (With inputs from agencies)

After removing ailing ministers, BJP inducts MLA Nilesh Cabral and Milind Naik in Goa cabinet

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday submitted his reply before a Mumbai special court on Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea seeking that he be declared a fugitive under the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

Fugitive Economic Offenders Act act seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution.

The newly-introduced act also prescribes measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading prosecution by staying abroad.

The Enforcement Directorate will file a rejoinder on September 28&nbsp;to Mallya's plea.

The rejoinder is the reply by the accuser to the counter filed by the opposite party in the court.

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Enforcement Directorate to file a rejoinder on 28th September based on Vijay Mallya's reply on its plea to declare him a fugitive economic offender under the new law.
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044177465348968451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On September 3, the court had asked Mallya to file his reply on the plea by ED within three weeks.

ED had earlier moved the court to get Mallya declared as a fugitive economic offender under the new law.

On June 30, the court had issued a notice to Vijay Mallya to appear before it on August 27 after the ED's charges.&nbsp;

Mallya, however, did not appear before the court on August 27.

Mallya, who is wanted in India for defaulting on bank loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore, has been in the UK since March 2016. He was arrested by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in April this year.

(With inputs from agencies)

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday submitted his reply before a Mumbai special court on Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea seeking that he be declared a fugitive under the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Monday submitted his reply before a Mumbai special court on Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea seeking that he be declared a fugitive under the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. Fugitive Economic Offenders Act act seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution. The newly-introduced act also prescribes measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading prosecution by staying abroad. The Enforcement Directorate will file a rejoinder on September 28 to Mallya's plea. The rejoinder is the reply by the accuser to the counter filed by the opposite party in the court. Enforcement Directorate to file a rejoinder on 28th September based on Vijay Mallya's reply on its plea to declare him a fugitive economic offender under the new law. — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 × On September 3, the court had asked Mallya to file his reply on the plea by ED within three weeks. ED had earlier moved the court to get Mallya declared as a fugitive economic offender under the new law. On June 30, the court had issued a notice to Vijay Mallya to appear before it on August 27 after the ED's charges. Mallya, however, did not appear before the court on August 27. Mallya, who is wanted in India for defaulting on bank loans to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore, has been in the UK since March 2016. He was arrested by the Scotland Yard on an extradition warrant in April this year. (With inputs from agencies)

Mallya files reply on ED plea seeking to declare him fugitive

In a disappointment&nbsp;for the Bhartiya Janata Party, Padma&nbsp;Shukla a former BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh resigned from the party and joined the rival Congress on Monday.

Shukla who had been the member of the BJP since 1980 said she was leaving the party as the&nbsp;Madhya Pradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak used to humiliate and hurt her.

She said, "I tried to work with Madhya Pradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak for two years, but that seemed impossible. He used to humiliate BJP workers. It was hurting me and damaging self-respect of my workers".

Her resignation has come days before Madhya Pradesh goes for the assembly polls.

Shukla was serving as the chief of the Social Welfare Board. She had also held a state cabinet rank.&nbsp;

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I tried to work with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MadhyaPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MadhyaPradesh</a> Minister Sanjay Pathak for 2 yrs,but that seemed impossible.He used to humiliate BJP workers. It was hurting me&amp;damaging self-respect of my workers: Padma Shukla on joining Congress after resigning from primary membership of BJP earlier today. <a href="https://t.co/GNzfvKCFy0">pic.twitter.com/GNzfvKCFy0</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044163578364780544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In a disappointment for the Bhartiya Janata Party, Padma Shukla a former BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh resigned from the party and joined the rival Congress on Monday.

In a disappointment for the Bhartiya Janata Party, Padma Shukla a former BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh resigned from the party and joined the rival Congress on Monday. Shukla who had been the member of the BJP since 1980 said she was leaving the party as the Madhya Pradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak used to humiliate and hurt her. She said, "I tried to work with Madhya Pradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak for two years, but that seemed impossible. He used to humiliate BJP workers. It was hurting me and damaging self-respect of my workers". Her resignation has come days before Madhya Pradesh goes for the assembly polls. Shukla was serving as the chief of the Social Welfare Board. She had also held a state cabinet rank. I tried to work with #MadhyaPradesh Minister Sanjay Pathak for 2 yrs,but that seemed impossible.He used to humiliate BJP workers. It was hurting me&damaging self-respect of my workers: Padma Shukla on joining Congress after resigning from primary membership of BJP earlier today. pic.twitter.com/GNzfvKCFy0 — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2018 ×

Madhya Pradesh: Chief of Social Welfare Board Padma Shukla resigns from BJP, joins Congress

BJP President Amit Shah drew strong criticism on Monday from Bangladesh after he&nbsp;compared Bangladeshi migrants living in India with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bangladeshi-migrants-termites-will-be-sent-out-country-amit-shah-167170">"termites"</a> who are eating into the country's resources.

Reacting to the remarks, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu was quoted in media reports as saying that "Amit Shah made an unwanted remark"&nbsp;and Dhaka does not&nbsp;give any importance to his statement as it does not carry the gravity of an official statement of India.

"We have maintained that the NRC process in Assam and the welfare of the Bengali-speaking citizens of India are internal issues of India," Hasanul Haq added.

The senior Bangladesh&nbsp;minister and a veteran of 1971 War of Liberation also said that Amit Shah is perhaps uninformed about the dialogue that India and Bangladesh have held at the official level on the NRC in Assam with home minister Rajnath Singh and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla based in Dhaka in which India assured that not a single Bengali-speaking person will be sent to Bangladesh.

Hasanul Haq Inu's&nbsp;response came after Amit Shah in a public meeting in Rajasthan on Saturday said that&nbsp;Bangladeshi migrants are like termites and each one of them will be sent out of the country.

At another meeting in Kota, he said the Congress treated infiltrators as a vote bank while the BJP is committed to identifying each one of them and sending them out of the country.

He also repeated the remark in Delhi, a day after and promised that if BJP is re-elected in 2019 it will pick out each and every infiltrator and send them back. 
&nbsp;

BJP President Amit Shah drew strong criticism on Monday from Bangladesh after he compared Bangladeshi migrants living in India with "termites" who are eating into the country's resources.

BJP President Amit Shah drew strong criticism on Monday from Bangladesh after he compared Bangladeshi migrants living in India with "termites" who are eating into the country's resources. Reacting to the remarks, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu was quoted in media reports as saying that "Amit Shah made an unwanted remark" and Dhaka does not give any importance to his statement as it does not carry the gravity of an official statement of India. "We have maintained that the NRC process in Assam and the welfare of the Bengali-speaking citizens of India are internal issues of India," Hasanul Haq added. The senior Bangladesh minister and a veteran of 1971 War of Liberation also said that Amit Shah is perhaps uninformed about the dialogue that India and Bangladesh have held at the official level on the NRC in Assam with home minister Rajnath Singh and Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla based in Dhaka in which India assured that not a single Bengali-speaking person will be sent to Bangladesh. Hasanul Haq Inu's response came after Amit Shah in a public meeting in Rajasthan on Saturday said that Bangladeshi migrants are like termites and each one of them will be sent out of the country. At another meeting in Kota, he said the Congress treated infiltrators as a vote bank while the BJP is committed to identifying each one of them and sending them out of the country. He also repeated the remark in Delhi, a day after and promised that if BJP is re-elected in 2019 it will pick out each and every infiltrator and send them back.

Amit Shah's 'termites' remark 'unwanted', says Bangladesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, the first ever aerodrome of the state.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu were also present on the occasion, as the Prime Minister unveiled the plaque, formally inaugurating the 990-acre aero facility.

The first commercial flight from Pakyong is scheduled to start on October 4. 
The airport, located 33 kilometres off the state capital Gangtok, will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and is expected to ease off the air traffic congestion at West Bengal's Bagdogra.

Strategically, the airport holds relevance as it's 60 kilometres from the India-China border. It will also provide the Indian Air force (IAF) with a convenient landing and takeoff facility.

With Sikkim perceived as one of the major tourist destinations, the airport is expected to provide a much-needed impetus to the tourism industry in the state.

Built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 605 crores, the Pakyong Airport is another feature added to the profile of Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India.

The airport is an example of one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet projects- the UDAN. The programme started in 2016, is a regional airport development and "Regional Connectivity Scheme" for the common citizen of the country.

The UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and widespread, boosting the economy and infrastructural development of otherwise neglected regions of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, the first ever aerodrome of the state. Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu were also present on the occasion, as the Prime Minister unveiled the plaque, formally inaugurating the 990-acre aero facility.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Pakyong Airport in Sikkim, the first ever aerodrome of the state. Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu were also present on the occasion, as the Prime Minister unveiled the plaque, formally inaugurating the 990-acre aero facility. The first commercial flight from Pakyong is scheduled to start on October 4. The airport, located 33 kilometres off the state capital Gangtok, will circumvent the need for a five-hour journey through mountainous roads and is expected to ease off the air traffic congestion at West Bengal's Bagdogra. Strategically, the airport holds relevance as it's 60 kilometres from the India-China border. It will also provide the Indian Air force (IAF) with a convenient landing and takeoff facility. With Sikkim perceived as one of the major tourist destinations, the airport is expected to provide a much-needed impetus to the tourism industry in the state. Built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 605 crores, the Pakyong Airport is another feature added to the profile of Sikkim, which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) state of India. The airport is an example of one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet projects- the UDAN. The programme started in 2016, is a regional airport development and "Regional Connectivity Scheme" for the common citizen of the country. The UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and widespread, boosting the economy and infrastructural development of otherwise neglected regions of India.

Watch: PM Modi inaugurates India's 100th and Sikkim's first-ever airport at Pakyong

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