Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Dec 19 (PTI) Some people in the BJP need to speak less, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said here Wednesday.

Politicians in general need to be more economical while speaking to media, the senior BJP leader said during an interaction at the Republic Summit.

Asked what prompted the BJP to hold as many as 70 press conferences in a day on the Rafale jet purchase issue, Gadkari said, "We have so many leaders, and we so like to speak before the (TV journalist's) boom, so we have to give them some work."

Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Terming farm loan waiver a "short-term solution", Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Wednesday hinted that the BJP government in the state did not have any immediate plans to write off farmers' debts.

He made the remarks in the wake of the newly-formed Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh announcing farm loan waivers, fulfilling a promise made by the party ahead of the Assembly polls.

Bokaro (Jharkhand), Dec 19 (PTI) A Bokaro court on Wednesday sentenced two persons to 20 years of imprisonment in the rape case of a 15-year-old girl in this district of Jharkhand last year.

Additional district and sessions judge Ranjit Kumar held Sumonto Choudhary and Gaju Mahto guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of them. If the convicts fail to deposit the fine, they would have to undergo an additional imprisonment of three months.

Jabalpur, Dec 19 (PTI) A 19-year-old man was Wednesday sentenced to death by a court in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh for raping and murdering a five-year-old girl in August this year.

Additional District Sessions Judge A K Singh held the accused, Anand Kushwaha, guilty under relevant sections of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court awarded Kushwaha death sentence under sections 376(A) (rape) and 302 (murder) of the IPC, said special public prosecutor Sheikh Wasim.

Mumbai, Dec 19 (PTI) A 35-year-old former vice president of a multinational company was arrested for chain snatching at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, police said Wednesday.

Sumitsen Gupta, a resident of Vashi was arrested on December 12, an official said.

"He had earlier stolen a sedan car near Fortis Hospital in Vashi. He used that vehicle for chain-snatching," the official added.

Kolkata, Dec 19 (PTI) The BJP's West Bengal unit Wednesday organised 'law violation programme' in various parts of the state to protest the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's refusal to allow the proposed Rath Yatra programme in the state.

BJP activists clashed with the police in Howrah, South Dinajpur and Hooghly district after the party was denied permission for a protest meeting.

Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) Over 5,000 survivors of sexual violence across the country Thursday embarked on a 65-day-long 'Dignity March' from the city, which will culminate in New Delhi on February 22, its organisers said.

The march has been organised by Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan, a group of NGOs. It will cover 200 districts across 24 states/union territories and traverse over 10,000 kms.

Abhiyan's convener Ashif Sheikh said over 5,000 survivors of sexual assault will highlight their plight through this "unique and first of its kind" march.

New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI) The Railways' fastest train - Train 18, which is scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 29, was pelted with stones on Thursday during a trial run between Delhi and Agra, a senior official said.

Mumbai, Dec 20 (PTI) The Bombay High Court Thursday upheld a trial court verdict awarding the death penalty to a man convicted of raping and killing a 23-year-old woman techie from Andhra Pradesh here in 2014, describing him as a "menace to the society".

The convict, 30-year-old Chandrabhan Sanap, was pronounced guilty by a special court in 2015 and awarded the death sentence.

A bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre dismissed an appeal filed by Sanap (30) challenging the trial court verdict.

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) After completion of six months of Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday, the state will come under President's rule from midnight paving the way for the union cabinet to take all policy decisions related to the militancy-hit state.

President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamation for imposition of central rule in the state, which plunged into a political crisis in June after the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government was reduced to minority following withdrawal of support by the 25-member BJP in the state.