India

New Delhi, Jan 20; PTI: The Congress is "best equipped" to lead the opposition's charge against the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said Sunday, asserting that the grand old party will have to handle its leadership role with "large-heartedness" and accommodate regional parties.

Yadav also hailed the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh  and emphasised that his "courtesy call" meetings with Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati post the tie-up should not be construed as a "pressure tactic" aimed at the Congress.

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) A court here questioned the Delhi police on Saturday for filing a chargesheet against former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and others in a 2016 sedition case without procuring requisite sanctions.

Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat granted police time till February 6 to procure requisite sanctions after they told the court they will get the approvals within 10 days.

"Why did you file (the chargesheet) without approval? You don't have a legal department," the court said.

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) India is likely to surpass the United Kingdom in the world's largest economy rankings in 2019, according to a report by global consultancy firm PwC.

As per the report, while the UK and France have regularly switched places owing to similar levels of development and roughly equal populations, India's climb up the rankings is likely to be permanent.

PwC's Global Economy Watch report projects real GDP growth of 1.6 per cent for the UK, 1.7 per cent for France and 7.6 per cent for India in 2019.

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) The measure for 10 per cent general category quota will boost the BJP-led NDA's vote share by 10 per cent, paving the way for Narendra Modi's re-election as prime minister, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said Sunday, asserting that people will reject the opposition's proposed grand alliance due to its inherent contradiction and instability.

Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah Saturday called the EVM the "chor machine" and demanded that the ballot paper system be brought back for the sake of transparency.

Speaking at the united opposition rally organised by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, he said, "It is not the question of ousting any single person (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but of saving the country and honouring the sacrifices of those who fought for its freedom."

Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday called upon people to defeat the "dangerous" BJP government at the Centre at any cost.

Stating that the country was at the crossroads of a serious crisis, he said there is need for immediate change of the Modi government to save the country and democracy.

Kolkata, Jan 19 (PTI) Lauding Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for her clarion call to defeat BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Saturday called upon people to fulfil her desire in its true spirit to save the country and democracy.

Addressing a huge rally at the historic Brigade Parade Ground here, Patel said that all non-BJP parties have united here to defeat the BJP government.

"We must save our country and democracy for the welfare of the nation," he said.

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Saturday launched Congress president Rahul Gandhi's flagship 'Shakti' project to galvanise party workers in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha election due by May.

According to the party, people can join the 'Shakti' project by sending an SMS, mentioning their voter ID number in the message box and they would be registered. The project also aims to connect Congress workers digitally with Gandhi.

Bengaluru, Jan 19 (PTI) The BJP would not destabilise Karnataka's ruling coalition, party state chief B S Yeddyurappa said Saturday, as the state remained in the grip of political unrest with the Congress on tenterhooks to keep its numbers intact.

As the Congress MLAs remained sequestered in a resort on the city outskirts fearing a poaching bid by the BJP, Yeddyurappa said he had asked all his party lawmakers camping at a hotel in Gurugram to return and tour the state's drought-hit areas.

Hyderabad, Jan 19 (PTI) Social activist Anna Hazare Saturday said he would sit on a fast from January 30 at his village in Maharashtra from January 30 against the Narendra Modi-led government for the delay in appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre.

The anti-corruption crusader claimed the government was resorting to excuses on the matter.