Rahul Gandhi denied permission to visit violence-hit Saharanpur
Lucknow, May 26 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday denied permission to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi to visit the violence-hit villages of Saharanpur, where caste conflict has left two dead and scores injured. The permission was denied based on the state policy of keeping the region out of bounds for leaders until the situation returns to normal, an official said. Newly appointed SSP of Saharanpur Babloo Kumar also said that in case the Congress leader still tried to come to Saharanpur, he would be prevented from doing so at the air strip itself.
Top opposition leaders attend Sonia luncheon over presidential candidate
New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): Leaders of 17 opposition parties on Friday attended a luncheon meet convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Parliament House as part of efforts to find a consensus candidate for the presidential election. The lunch was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav along with his party leaders Naresh Aggarwal and Ramgopal Yadav. Other leaders who attended included Kanimozhi (DMK), D. Raja (CPI), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) and Omar Abdullah (National Conference).
Delhi Police deploy 10 anti-terror vans with commandos
New Delhi, May 26 (IANS): The Delhi Police launched 10 anti-terror ‘Parakram’ vans on Friday, each carrying five commandos armed with assault rifles, to provide round-the-clock security in high footfall areas of the national capital. ‘Parakram’ personnel will act as a first response team in case of a terror attack until reinforcements arrive. “Around 200 commandos have been trained for the project and will work in three shifts to provide round-the-clock protection,” Pathak told IANS. All ‘Parakram’ vans are GPRS-enabled and will be tracked by the Police Control Room.
Yogi in Varanasi, to join Modi govt’s third anniversary events
Varanasi, May 26 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached the temple town of Varanasi on Friday evening to join the celebrations marking the third anniversary of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. Senior BJP leaders and officials of the district administration welcomed the Chief Minister at the airport in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency. He is scheduled to inaugurate an exhibition later in the evening to highlight the works done by the BJP-led NDA in the last three years. He will later address a public rally, after which he will take part in a dinner hosted for around 225 intellectuals of the city.
Indonesian cigarettes worth Rs 50.40 lakh were seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Goa, an official said on Friday. According to the agency’s Assistant Director (Goa) Lector Mascarenhas, the consignment of 2,100 cartons of Gudang Garag cigarettes were brought into India from Dubai. The consignment was stored in the unaccompanied baggage centre at the Mormugao Port Trust in South Goa, 45 km from Panaji.
Rumours about child lifters in Jharkhand and the attendant panic continued unabated as four more persons, suspected of being child lifters, were thrashed in a village on the outskirts of Ranchi on Friday, poice said. According to police, three men and a woman, suspected of being child lifters, were held hostage by the people in Timpur village. One of the persons threatened the villagers after which they got agitated and began thrashing the three men and woman. However, timely intervention by police saved their lives.
Clashes broke out between protestors and security forces after Friday prayers in north Kashmir’s Sopore town and Old City in Srinagar. Police said a group of protestors raised slogans against the government and indulged in stone-pelting at the deployed security forces in Sopore town after the congregational Friday prayers. Police used tear smoke to disperse the protestors who kept regrouping to engage the security forces in pitched clashes. Similar clashes also broke out between stone-pelters and the security forces in Nowhatta area of Srinagar city.
