Indian Sub-continent

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) With exit polls forecasting NDA's return to power, top leaders of the BJP-led alliance will meet on Tuesday over dinner to be hosted by party president Amit Shah where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present, party sources said on Monday.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Lok Janshakti Party head Ram Vilas Paswan are likely to attend the meeting, which will take place two days before the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls on May 23.

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) NaMo TV, a BJP-sponsored channel that publicised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies and other poll messages, has gone off air, party sources said.

They said it went off air on May 17 when all campaigns for the Lok Sabha election came to an end.

A BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said, "NaMo TV was meant as a tool of BJP campaign for the Lok Sabha election. With the polls over, it is no longer needed, so effectively from May 17, when all campaign has to be paused, it has also gone off air."

Bhopal, May 20 (PTI) Hours after the BJP in Madhya Pradesh asked the Congress government to prove its majority and wrote to state governor for convening a special session of the state Assembly, Chief Minister Kamal Nath Monday said he was all prepared to go for floor test.

Nath also claimed that he had proven majority of his coalition government "four times" in the last five months, and is ready to do so again.

Nagpur, May 20 (PTI) Commandos and naxals exchanged fire Monday in jungle in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, more than 140 kms from here, police said.

A team of C-60 commandos of Gadchiroli police came under fire at around 7-7:30 pm while conducting an anti-naxal operation in Koparshi jungle in Bhamragad area, a press release stated.

Police said naxals fled after commandos returned the fire.

Thane, May 20 (PTI) Six persons were arrested Monday from Uran in Navi Mumbai for allegedly looting 25 tonne copper, worth Rs 1.5 crore, from a container truck on May 14, police said.

The incident occurred between Ghavan Phata and Belapur Reti bunder when the truck carrying copper was headed towards Silvassa, the capital of Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

A gang of six men sitting in a car stopped the truck, attacked its driver, and fled with 25 tonne copper, a police officer said.

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday hit back at BJP leader Vijay Goel, who had said the CM should have the personal security officer of his choice if he doubts him, saying it is "Modi Ji who wants to get me killed, not my PSO .

Kejriwal on Saturday claimed he will be assassinated by his personal security officer, like former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party is after his life and will kill him one day.

Palghar, May21(PTI) A 20-year-old mentally challenged woman was allegedly raped by an unidentified man in Palghar district of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday.

The offence came to light some days back when doctors found that she was pregnant, a police spokesperson said.

Bengaluru, May 21 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has cancelled his scheduled visit to Delhi Tuesday, where he was expected to take part in a meeting of opposition leaders over the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), official sources said.

"The proposed visit of the chief minister to New Delhi today stands cancelled," the CMO said, without specifying any reasons.

Shahjahanpur, May 21 (PTI) A 25-year-old woman has alleged that she was raped by an occultist in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place in Samastipur village under Madnapur police station area on Sunday, they said.

On the pretext of curing the woman of some ailment, the occultist, identified as Pramod, took her into the jungle after sending her husband away. He allegedly raped her there, Madnapur police station in-charge Mohd Kasim said.

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday took to Twitter to pay tribute to former PM Rajiv Gandhi on his 28th death anniversary.

"Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Modi tweeted

This comes after Modi dubbed Rajiv Gandhi "bhrashtachari no 1" (corrupt no 1) at an election rally earlier this month