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Ankita Bhandari's parents demand CBI probe into daughter's murder

The parents of Ankita Bhandari have urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for a CBI probe into the murder of their daughter, according to their letter.

Ankita's father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, and mother, Soni Devi, met Dhami Wednesday night and handed him a letter demanding an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

In the letter, Ankita's father said that his daughter was murdered because of a 'VIP' whose identity is still unknown.

He wrote, "I appeal to the government to get this case investigated by the CBI under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge to apprehend the VIP."

After the meeting, Dhami said, "I have listened to them. A decision will be taken soon after considering their concerns."

The chief minister on Thursday also demanded an apology from the Opposition after a new audio, purportedly of actress Urmila Sanawar, surfaced with another claim.

In the audio, Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former MLA Suresh Rathore, is purportedly heard telling Rathore that she was pressured to name BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as the "VIP".

Civic polls: SEC chief reviews preparations, visits Wilson College in Mumbai

Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare on Thursday visited Wilson College in Mumbai to inspect the ongoing process of preparing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Waghmare reviewed the arrangements and interacted with election officials, staff members and representatives of various candidates present at the venue.

For the BMC elections, a total of 23 Returning Officers have been appointed.

Representatives of different candidates were also present during the inspection, an official said.

"Waghmare held discussions with officials and representatives regarding election preparedness. For Ward Nos. 201 to 222, arrangements have been made for a total of 467 polling stations. As many as 610 EVMs are being prepared for the smooth conduct of polling in these wards," an SEC release said.

Death toll rises to 8 in Belagavi sugar factory explosion

The toll from the boiler explosion at a sugar factory here climbed to eight following five more deaths on Thursday, police sources said. Three company executives have been booked in connection with the fatal incident.

The explosion took place at Inamdar Sugar Factory at Marakumbi in Belagavi district on Wednesday, in which two people were killed on the spot, and another died later.

The incident had left five others wounded, all of whom succumbed to their burn injuries on Thursday.

Police have booked three executives including the general manager and technical head of the company.

Police said investigation is on and that they will book more people who were responsible for the accident.

The Marakumbi village in Bailahongal Taluk fell into an eerie gloom after the incident.

Family members who lost their dear ones in this tragedy were inconsolable at the mortuary where the postmortems were performed.

Ex-MP Sudhakar Shringare returns to BJP

Former Latur MP Sudhakar Shringare, who had joined the Congress after the last Lok Sabha elections, returned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Latur on Thursday.

He was inducted into the party in the presence of Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Dr Archana Patil Chakurkar and Ajit Patil Kavhekar.

Shringare had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Latur on a BJP ticket with a significant margin, but lost to Congress' Dr Shivaji Kalge in 2024.

After his defeat, Shringare blamed local BJP leaders and joined the Congress during the assembly elections.

His daughter Supriya Payal also joined the saffron party on Thursday.

BCB sends another letter to ICC asking for venue change for its T20 WC games

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday formally sent a second communication to the ICC, explaining the specific security concerns about travelling to India for the T20 World Cup while reiterating its demand for a change of venue to Sri Lanka.

The World Cup gets underway on February 7 and Bangladesh are scheduled to play four games (three in Kolkata and one in Mumbai).

They have refused to travel to India after pacer Mustafizur Rahman was released from the IPL on instructions of the BCCI, which cited unspecified "developments all around" to justify the decision.

"Following discussions with sports ministry advisor Asif Nazrul, the BCB has once again sent a communication to the ICC. The ICC wanted to know areas of concern with regards to security and BCB has cited them," a source close to the cricket board told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of the letter.

Look at Indore, don't trust PM: Congress to Thiruvananthapuram voters

The Congress on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for `not offering a single word of condolence' over the deaths due to contaminated water in Indore, and asked the people of Thiruvananthapuram not to trust his promises ahead of the assembly elections in Kerala.

The BJP's "triple-engine" government failed to do any good to Indore, the cleanest city of the country where "20 persons" have died due to contaminated water, said senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Sajjan Singh Verma.

After the BJP's victory in Thiruvananthapuram municipal polls, Modi wrote a letter congratulating the local BJP leadership and accused the earlier Congress and Left Party governments of bad governance and corruption, Verma noted.

In an open letter to the people of the Kerala capital, he said Modi had made "same false commitments" (about bringing good governance and development) to the people of Indore too.

"In the last eight days, 20 people have died in Indore because of consumption of poisonous drinking water as the sewer line got mixed with drinking water line. Despite such a huge massacre not a single word of condolence was given by PM Modi," the Congress leader claimed.

Notably, officials have put the death toll due to contaminated water in Bhagirathpura area of Indore at seven.

The BJP keeps claiming that Madhya Pradesh is run by a triple-engine government (benefits from the party being in power in the centre, state and local bodies), Verma said, adding, "Since shortly there are assembly elections in Kerala, PM Modi is raising false hopes and (offering) deceptive allure to the public of Thiruvananthapuram." In a sarcastic remark, he said the BJP is in power in Indore municipal corporation for 25 years, has won the last ten Lok Sabha elections from the city, and is governing Madhya Pradesh for 22 years, but "achievements of the triple-engine government are now bringing laurels nationwide." "You must have read in the newspapers how the 25 years of the BJP government failed to provide clean drinking water to its citizens. Currently hundreds of people are hospitalised and many of them are in critical care...," said the Congress leader.

Citizens of Thiruvananthapuram are educated enough and well aware of their civic rights and liabilities, and should respond appropriately to false hopes given by the prime minister in the coming assembly elections, he said. 

Karnataka Cabinet decides not to accept VB-G RAM G Act, to challenge it in court: Minister

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said that the state cabinet on Thursday decided not to accept the recently enacted VB-G RAM G Act, replacing the UPA-era rural employment initiative, MGNREGA, and to take up a legal battle against it.

The cabinet also decided to go to the ‘people’s court’ against ‘repealing’ of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and introducing Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G Act) in its place, he added.

Briefing reporters about the cabinet decision, Patil said, "It is unanimously decided not to accept the (VB-G RAM G) Act and to challenge the same in the court of law".

A cabinet note on the subject said the VB-G RAM G is in violation of right to work and livelihood of the citizens as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

“The Act tramples upon the legitimate rights of Panchayats as vested by the constitution and is against the spirit of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution. The bottom-up planning approach, as per local requirements, has been compromised,” the note said.

Schools in Ranchi shut till Jan 10 amid cold wave warning

The administration in Jharkhand's Ranchi district on Thursday directed that all schools will be closed till January 10 in view of the cold wave warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), an official said.

The order applies to all categories of schools operating in Ranchi.

“All classes from KG to Class 12 in all government, non-government, aided, non-aided (including minority), and all private schools operating under Ranchi district will remain closed till January 10,” the order said.

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the health and safety of the students, it added.

Won't part ways with Raj, says Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said he and his cousin Raj Thackeray, chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, who have united ahead of the civic elections, will never part ways.

“Till the time we came together, people used to ask us as to why we are not coming together. Now they are asking why we have come together and for how long will we stay together,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

“These things don’t mean a lot. We have come together after much thought and understanding. Now, we will never part ways and stay united,” he said.

Coming together politically for the first time in nearly two decades, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray last month announced an alliance ahead of the January 15 polls in Mumbai and 28 other municipal corporations in Maharashtra.

Asked if Uddhav Thackeray, the political leader prevails over Uddhav Thackeray, the avid photographer, the Sena-UBT leader said, “I am originally an artist. I am the son of a cartoonist (Sena founder Bal Thackeray). You can buy work of art but you can’t buy art.

“Art has to be in the blood. I am a person who is at home in the arts,” he said. Uddhav recalled that it was Raj Thackeray’s father Shrikant Thackeray who gave him his first camera.

Asked if he sees some other political leader who has “art in his blood,” Uddhav said, “(PM) Modi ji is one such person. Do you think of anyone else?”

Congress spreading 'lies' about VB-G RAM G: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday slammed Congress for spreading "lies" about Centre's VB-G RAM G that guarantees rural employment.

He said there is no basis behind the allegation that guaranteed jobs in the villages will be snatched and claimed there was "rampant corruption" in the erstwhile UPA-era job guarantee programme.

Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act was recently passed by the Parliament replacing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA).

Congress has alleged that the new scheme will destroy jobs in rural India and will have a devastating effect on economically weaker section in the villages.

Joshi on Thursday sought to debunk the charge.

"The Congress is lying that the VB- G RAM G will snatch the rural employment. This is a centrally sponsored scheme. VB-G RAM G is a legislation, an Act passed by the Parliament. Hence, there is no basis to say that it will take away employment. We are going to give 120 days' jobs," Joshi, who holds consumer affairs, food and public distribution portfolio, told reporters in Bengaluru.