Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI) Former Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi Friday joined the Shiv Sena.

Addressing a press conference with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Chaturvedi said she left the Congress after being upset over reinstatement of party workers who misbehaved with her.

"It is not true that I quit the Congress after being denied Lok Sabha ticket," Chaturvedi said in response to a query.

Barabanki (UP), Apr 19 (PTI) An FIR was registered against a BJP leader on Friday for his controversial statements against Muslims.

"A case has been registered against BJP leader Ranjit Bahadur Srivastava for violation of model code of conduct. A probe is on in the matter," Additional Superintendent of Police R S Gautam said.

Addressing a gathering on Thursday as BJP candidate Upendra Rawat filed his nomination papers from Barabnki Lok Sabha constituency, Srivastava asked people to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "break the morale of Muslims".

Mumbai, Apr 19 (PTI) Associations of serving as well as former IPS officers on Friday condemned BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare died in a terrorist attack because she had cursed him.

The Indian Police Service (Central) Association tweeted from its official handle, `IPS Association', that Karkare had made the "supreme sacrifice".

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Social activist Swami Agnivesh Friday condemned BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha seat candidate Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks on ATS chief Hemant Karkare who died during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Agnivesh, in a statement, said Thakur's candidature reveals the saffron party's "true nature and value system".

Ghaziabad, Apr 19 (PTI) A man was arrested in Masuri town here for allegedly killing his 66-year-old mother by repeatedly hitting her with a brick for refusing to give him Rs 1 lakh, police said Friday.

The incident took place on April 15 when the woman, Ramrati, was sleeping outside a room in a wheat field owned by her, they said.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun said that on the basis of a tip-off, police arrested the accused, identified as Bhagat singh, from Ikla village in the morning.

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) The Election Commission is learnt to have finalised its stand on whether the ban imposed by it on the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi should continue.

Officials, drawn from the poll panel's model code and legal divisions, had on Wednesday watched the biopic on the directions of the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, the producers had put forth their views before the Commission.

Bhubaneswar, Apr 19 (PTI) BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday accused the BJP of conspiring to sell off the Chilika lake and claimed that falsehood is the saffron party's biggest asset.

Describing BJP leaders as "seasonal birds", Patnaik said these leaders do not visit the state during calamities or when people are in trouble.

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has been nominated as BJP candidate for Bhopal LS seat. Thakur, on bail, is an accused by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for conspiracy and allegation that her bike was used to plant the explosives that killed six in Malegaon bomb blasts in 2008.

Jaipur, Apr 17 (PTI) Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government a "government of rhetoric", Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday claimed its exit is imminent in the Lok Sabha elections.

He said the BJP's "rhetoric" will sink the Modi government.

Banda (UP), Apr 17 (PTI) Huge stock of explosives, including 200 detonators and 1200 gelatin rods, were recovered from two houses in the district and two persons arrested, police said Wednesday.

Additional Superintendent of Police Lal Bharat Kumar Pal said, "Based on a tip-off, police conducted raids at two houses in Barua Syogarh and Chandranagar villages".

"200 detonators, two quintal ammonium nitrate, 1200 gelatin rods, and exploder and other material used for explosion have been recovered," he said.