Indian Sub-continent

Dehradun, Jan 19 (PTI) The BJP will hold six special programmes across the country in the coming days to galvanise its cadres in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Trishakti Sammelan, Yuva Sammelan, Buddhijiwi Sammelan, Mera Parivar Bhajapa Parivar, Kamal Jyoti Prajwalan and a Kamal Sandesh Yatra will be organised in the coming days in all Lok Sabha constituencies, BJP national general secretary Saroj Pandey said.

Jammu, Jan 20 (PTI) Two absconders, including a man accused of raping a woman 21 years ago, were arrested in separate operations in Jammu and Kashmir, police said Sunday.

The rape accused, identified as Shadi Lal, a resident of Butla village, was arrested from Bhaderwah in Doda district Saturday, a police official said.

He said Lal was wanted in a case registered by Bhaderwah police station in 1997 under Sections 376 (rape) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Ranbir Panel Code.

Hyderabad, Jan 20 (PTI) Two people who allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy in Chandrayangutta area here were arrested, police said Sunday.

On January 16 night, when the boy was playing near his house, the two accused aged 22 and 19, took the boy to a secluded place near the railway station, under the pretext of an outing and later had unnatural sex with him, they said.

The duo later gave the boy a fruit drink and asked him not to reveal the incident to anyone, following which the victim narrated the episode to his mother, they added.

Barwani (MP), Jan 20 (PTI) A BJP leader was found dead in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh Sunday morning, with the police suspecting that he was murdered.

The death of Manoj Thakre (48) came to light three days after another BJP leader was shot dead in Mandsaur, prompting the party to claim that its leaders were being targeted.

Balwadi, where Thakre's body was found, is around 100 km from the district headquarters.

"The body had injury marks on the face and around the neck," said district Superintendent of Police Y D Bhutia.

Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) Disgruntled and previous stalwarts of BJP like Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shorie, who held important position in the past NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee,joined ranks with opposition leaders Saturday to call for ousting Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

Shatrughan Sinha, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, all members of the NDA cabinet under Vajpayee but, have fallen out with the present leadership, shared dais with senior opposition parties leaders at the rally which launched an attack on Modi and Shah.

Hyderabad, Jan 19 (PTI) Social activist Anna Hazare Saturday asked the youth to follow Mahatma Gandhi's principles and said he adopted his ideas and dedicated his life towards the development of society.

Addressing the Telangana Jagruthi International Youth Leadership Conference here, the activist said he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's thoughts and took up work on village development.

"Ideas and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi has gone into my life. Follow his ideas and principles," Hazare said.

Jammu, Jan 19 (PTI) Expressing confidence that it will come to power on its own in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference Saturday ruled out any alliance in the upcoming assembly polls.

"Coalition culture does not suit a state like Jammu and Kashmir, which is confronted with numerous challenges with the people essentially craving for peace and normalcy, development and progress," NC's Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 (PTI): The BJP Saturday admitted that its fight to protect the faith of devotees on the Sabarimala issue was 'not entirely successful.'

The party has been spearheading the nearly two-month-long agitation against the decision of the Kerala government to implement the Supreme Court order allowing entry of women of all age groups into the shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

Speaking at the venue of the protest, state BJP president P S Sreedharan Pillai said the party would end the indefinite fast on Sunday.

Jodhpur, Jan 19 (PTI): A village near here Saturday reported 17 cattle deaths due to food poisoning from fodder that was unfit for consumption, an official said.

The animals were given fodder bought by the villagers from the money they collected during a religious function recently.

Ten cows, six calves and a buffalo perished at different spots in Kaparda village on Saturday morning.

Srinagar, Jan 19 (PTI) Former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Altaf Bukhari, who was expelled by the PDP on Saturday, said he was happy over the party's decision.

"It has been a long association with PDP, especially with its founder Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. My association with this party has been enriching in many ways. It not only gave me a chance to work for my constituency, but provided me an opportunity to contribute my bit in the development across the nook and corner of the state," Bukhari said in a statement here.