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READ MORE New Delhi:  Electoral revival in major Hindi heartland states and democratisation of Congress party’s organizations were the hallmarks of Rahul Gandhi’s first year as the party president. Mr Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress from his mother Sonia Gandhi this day last year and brought the party to power in six states. When he assumed charge, the party was in power in four states — Karnataka, Punjab, Mizoram and Puducherry. Positioning himself as the direct challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he has been routinely attacking over the Rafale jet purchase, Mr Gandhi is now preparing the Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by engaging like-minded parties and leading discussions on issues of national importance. On Sunday, DMK president MK Stalin made a strong pitch for Mr Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, saying the he has the ability to defeat the BJP-led NDA. However, there w...

READ MORE Patna:  RJD leader Lalu Yadav’s elder son Tej Pratap has announced his comeback to active politics after a hiatus of over a month that he took after filing for divorce in November. The Bihar legislator suddenly appeared at the party’s state headquarters and addressed young workers. He said at a press conference later that the party’s detractors will be “slayed” with the “Sudarshan Chakra” of vote. “I have returned to Bihar after receiving the blessings of Lord Krishna during my pilgrimage. The state will emerge as Kurukshetra in the Lok Sabha polls and our detractors will be slayed with the Sudarshan Chakra of popular vote,” he said. Tej Pratap praised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for the party’s win in recently concluded assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. He refused to take any question on his decision to divorce Aishwarya Rai – daughter of fellow RJD MLA Chandrika Rai –...

READ MORE Cyclone Phethai: Low-lying areas in many Andhra Pradesh districts could be flooded (Representational)

READ MORE Lucknow:  In an apparent attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that “people” are using “Janeu” (sacred threat) and “Gotra” to gain prominence in the country’s politics. “The word Kumbh has started becoming prevalent. It has become a fashion and trademark for the branding of one’s programme… These days people are showing their Gotra and Janeu to become prominent in the country’s politics,” Yogi Adityanath said without naming Mr Gandhi. “The people who described themselves as accidentally Hindu are now realising that they are also Hindus. (They are realising) it is not accidental and we are Hindus in the real sense. Now they are remembering their Janeu and Gotra . I think this is the victory of India’s Sanatan faith. This is the victory of our beliefs,” he said. Last year, the Congress described Mr Gandhi as a ‘ janeu...

READ MORE Jaipur:  A galaxy of political leaders and Congress workers will descend on the premises of the historic Albert Hall in Jaipur on Monday for the oath-taking ceremony of Ashok Gehlot as chief minister of Rajasthan there. A fine example of Indo-saracenic architecture, a revival architectural style mostly used by the British in the later 19th century, the foundation of the iconic structure was laid in 1876 during the visit the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, to Jaipur. The construction was completed in 1887 by the architect Samuel Swinton Jacob, who was the director of Jaipur PWD then. Located in Ram Niwas Garden outside the old city wall, the hall is a museum where thousands of people visit during the tourist season, usually during the winters. On Monday morning, Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot would take oath as chief minister and deputy chief minister of Rajasthan respectively at Albert Hall. CM Of Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot will take oath as deputy chief mini...

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READ MORE zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use.  This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, “the sites”). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. What are Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies? A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree.  The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information abou...

READ MORE zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use.  This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, “the sites”). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. What are Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies? A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree.  The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information abou...

READ MORE zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use.  This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, “the sites”). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. What are Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies? A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree.  The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information abou...

READ MORE The MeT department on Sunday warned that the cyclonic storm Phethai is likely to intensify into a severe category and cross Andhra Pradesh coast on Monday afternoon. The India Meteorological Department also issued an orange message as a warning of the storm. The IMD issued a press release on Sunday afternoon saying that the storm is very likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during the next six hours. It also stated that the storm is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast around Kakinada during Monday afternoon. However, due to unfavourable environmental conditions, it might weaken slightly before landfall and cross the coast as a cyclonic storm. “The Cyclonic storm ‘PHETHAI’ is very likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 06 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast around Kakinada during December 17 afternoon. However, due to unfa...

READ MORE New Delhi: Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress over the Rafale deal, calling it a “bad loser” and saying the CAG’s view of the issue was not relevant after the Supreme Court’s clean chit. With the first four days of winter session of Parliament washed out over various protests, Jaitley said the opposition Congress will prefer disruptions over discussion on Rafale during the remainder of the session. The Congress, which was not a petitioner before the apex court, wants the Rafale deal to be referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to go into the price arrived at by the BJP government versus the one negotiated by the previous UPA regime, as also how Anil Ambani’s group, with virtually no experience in manufacture of fighter jets, was selected as an offset partner for the deal. “After the Supreme Court has spoken the last word, it gets legitimacy. A political body can never come to a f...

READ MORE New Delhi: On a day Rahul Gandhi completed a year as Congress president, he reiterated his commitment to building a strong, united and a vibrant party. Gandhi, after being elected unopposed as the Congress chief, took over his new assignment on December 16 last year from his mother, Sonia Gandhi, at the party headquarters on Akbar Road here. “On the 1st anniversary of taking over as Congress President, I reiterate my commitment to building a strong, united and vibrant Congress party. “I am overwhelmed by the greetings and messages I’ve received today and thank each and every one of you for your affection and support,” he posted on Twitter on Sunday.

READ MORE Chennai: DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday proposed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s name for the Prime Minister’s post as opposition leaders gathered in Chennai for a show of strength. Stalin’s plea is in line with the tradition of his late father M Karunanidhi who had earlier invited Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for leadership roles. Stalin said, “In the five years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule, the country has gone 15 years back. If we give another chance to him, surely the country will go 50 years back. PM Modi is behaving like a king, that’s why we’ve all come together to safeguard democracy and country.” He added, “From the soil of Tamil Nadu, I propose the name of Rahul Gandhi for the prime ministerial candidate. I propose we’ll install a new Prime Minister in Delhi. I propose the candidature of Rahul Gandhi from Tamil Nadu. He has got the ability to defeat the fascist Modi government.” Earlie...

READ MORE Panaji: Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday inspected an under-construction bridge on Mandovi River here, the first time he has been seen in public since returning to the state on October 14 post hospitalisation in Delhi’s AIIMS. He later inspected the work of a bridge over Zuari River near Agassaim village, some 15 kilometres from here. Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, has been recuperating at his private residence near here since October 14 and this is the first time he has moved out of the house, officials said. A senior Chief Minister’s Office functionary on Sunday said Parrikar travelled from Porvorim to Merces inspecting the bridge, the third over the Mandovi. The bridge, which is expected to be completed next year, will connect Panaji to the rest of north Goa. Parrikar alighted from the car at the site and discussed the progress of the work with officials of the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation and contrac...

READ MORE Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Sunday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi a “chor” (thief), while addressing a rally in Prayagraj ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival. “Chowkidar imaandar hai, Rahul Gandhi chor hai (Watchman is honest, while Rahul Gandhi is the thief),” Singh said, inviting the wrath of the opposition party. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee said it did not just condemn the statement but would also take legal action against the minister for using derogatory language against their party president. Speaking to news18, UP Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said, “The kind of language and attack against the president of a national party by someone sitting at a constitutional post is showing the desperation of BJP and its ministers. We demand strict action against Singh by PM Modi and will take legal action against him.” Earlier today, while addressing a public gathering in Rae...

READ MORE Kurukshetra: Green-coloured balloons with ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan written on them were found at the site of the International Gita Festival, 2018, being held in Haryana. Some children were found playing with the balloons, police said on Sunday. An FIR has been registered in this regard following a complaint by Malkhan, a home guard, who found these balloons in the hands of children at the festival, Chhauto Ram, SHO, Adarsh police station said. “We are probing who brought these balloons and gave them to the children,” he said. The police were told that some youth were found carrying these balloons, but they could not be traced, the officer said. Superintendent of Police, Kurukshetra, Surinder Pal Singh said one such balloon was also found thrown near a police checkpost. He said CCTVs were being checked to gain clues about the culprits. The International Gita Festival, 2018, is being organised in Kurukshetra from December 7 to 23, in which Mauritiu...

READ MORE Hyderabad: A 20-year-old B.Tech student allegedly committed suicide by setting herself on fire at her house in Shankarpally area here, police said on Sunday. She was apparently upset after her mother questioned her over continuously talking and chatting on the phone, they said. The young woman, who was a second year student of B.Tech course, doused herself in kerosene and set herself on fire on Saturday when no one was present at her house, said Shankarpally police station inspector N Lingaiah. She died on the spot. “On Friday, her mother asked her over her regular talking and chatting on phone suspecting that she is talking to her boyfriend. The mother took away the phone and found that her daughter was using a new SIM card, following which an argument ensued between them”, Lingaiah said, adding that no suicide note was found. The deceased was staying with her mother and brother. A case has been registered under section 174 of CrPC.

READ MORE Shillong: Four day on, the fate of four miners trapped inside a coal mine in Meghalaya remains unknown even as the rescue operations are underway. The miners were trapped inside an illegal rat hole mine on Thursday in Ksan village of Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district. The rescue teams have so far been able to recover only three helmets. The mine is 370 feet deep and the flood level is estimated to be 70 feet. A pumping unit has been pressed into action to reduce the water level. Two teams of NDRF, comprising 60 personnel and 12 rescue workers of the SDRF are trying to evacuate the trapped miners. Despite a four-year-old ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal, mining activity was underway at this site in Meghalaya. Police have arrested one of the main accused Jrin Chullet alias Krip Chullet, who is also one of the owner. However, another owner of the rat hole mine James Shukhlain is still absconding. Meanwhile, MLA of Rajabala constituency visited the are...

READ MORE Dehradun: Union Minister Gen VK Singh (retd) on Sunday said the debate surrounding Rafale deal has become pointless after the Supreme court dismissed the pleas challenging the fighter aircraft deal, and asked whether the Gandhi family was above the country’s top court. In a relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets saying there was no occasion to “really doubt the decision making process” warranting setting aside of the contract. Accusing the Congress of not refraining from “spreading lies” on the issue, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said by questioning constitutional institutions like the apex court, the Congress had made its intentions suspicious. “I want to ask one question. Is the Gandhi family even above the Supreme Court?” the former Army chief said at a press conference here. Asked whether ...

READ MORE Thane Against the backdrop of recent poll victory of the Congress in three Hindi heartland states, Union minister Ramdas Athawale Sunday indicated that party president Rahul Gandhi has evolved into a matured leader. He also said the electoral defeat of BJP in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh has nothing to do with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Rahul Gandhi has achieved a good victory in three states. He is no more a ‘Pappu’ now but has become a ‘Pappa'”, Athawale, whose party RPI(A) is a member of the NDA, told reporters in Kalyan in Thane district. Gandhi was often termed as a “Pappu” (greenhorn) by trolls on the social media. “The defeat in the polls is that of the BJP and not of Narendra Modi”, Athawale said. The Dalit leader also advocated that Shiv Sena retain its alliance with the BJP. “It will be loss of the Sena if it doesn’t continue with the alliance”, he said responding to a quer...

READ MORE Allahabad:  Launching a blistering attack on the Congress in Allahabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the party has always thought itself to be above the judiciary. “The party (Congress) that has ruled the country for the longest time has always considered itself to be above every law, institution and even above the nation. This party has destroyed the democratic institutions of India,” PM Modi said while addressing a gathering ahead of the Ardh-Kumbh mela in Allahabad. “For some time now, the game of building pressure on the judiciary has once again been on. It demands that the youth be alerted of this,” he added. PM Modi recalled how the Allahabad High Court once set aside former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha.He also mentioned the Kesavananda Bharati case that saved the Constitution from the government’s overtures. PM Modi said that judge HR Khanna, who took exception to Indira Gandhi’s decision of...

READ MORE Chandigarh:  The rebel leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and others on Sunday launched a new political front in Punjab. It has been named Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA). The PDA was launched formally at a rally in Patiala, around 75 km from Chandigarh, in the presence of Patiala Member of Parliament or MP Dharam Vira Gandhi, former Leader of Opposition and legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Lok Insaaf Party or LIP legislators Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjeet Singh Bains, and Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP state president Rashpal Raju. Mr Khaira said the new political formation of “like-minded leaders” aims to clean the corrupt polity of Punjab. Mr Khaira, who was removed as leader of opposition by the AAP central leadership in August this year, and suspended from the party last month, said the alliance would aim to liberate Punjab from the clutches of corrupt traditional parties and the corrupt feudal families. “The actions of these corrupt parties and...

READ MORE Kolkata:  The West Bengal BJP leadership on Sunday said the party would move the court against the state government’s rejection of its application to hold a Rath Yatra in Kolkata. The BJP was scheduled to hold the Ganatantra Bachao Yatra or rally to save democracy, in north Bengal’s Cooch Behar, South 24 Parganas district’s Gangasagar and Birbhum district’s temple town of Tarapith but the state government on Saturday rejected its plea stating there was “grave apprehension of major breach of peace and communal violence during and in the aftermath” of the programme. “We will shortly move court against the Bengal government’s decision to stop the Rath Yatra. Our party will also hold demonstrations against the murder of democracy by the ruling party and shrinking of political space for the opposition parties in the state,” state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said. He also accused the Mamata Banerjee government of deliberately ...

READ MORE Raghuram Rajan, the former RBI governor, spoke to NDTV’s Prannoy Roy. New Delhi:  Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan spoke to NDTV’s Prannoy Roy on a range of challenges in front of the Indian economy today. Dr Rajan said the three biggest problems for the Indian economy today are the agrarian distress, the ailing power sector and the crisis in the banking system. The 55-year-old economist, who was the first RBI governor to not seek a second term in nearly two decades after his tenure ended in 2016, said government interference in institutions could affect both global and domestic investment. Mr Rajan’s comments come amid a row between the central bank and the government over its autonomy. Here are the live highlights of the interview with Raghuram Rajan:   “Given the controversies, it makes sense to have an external board to look at what’s been done. I’m not a GDP expert but my sense is that we’ve gone bac...

READ MORE Thiruvananthapuram:  A group of 30 women, all under the age of 50, will attempt to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple on December 23. The women, the youngest being in her 20s, are from Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala. They will observe the fast and all rituals for five days before heading for darshan . “Till now several women have attempted to reach the Sabarimala temple, but have been unsuccessful. They were doing things alone, but we plan to move together as a group. We have written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asking for police protection. We have also received a response from his office informing us that our request has been forwarded to police,” Chennai-based Selvy, who heads Manithi, a women’s rights forum, told NDTV. Ammanni, who is from Wayanad and part of the Adivasi Women’s Forum, told NDTV, “For now, we are not making any names public. But we cannot reach Sabarimala without the support of the poli...

READ MORE zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use.  This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, “the sites”). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. What are Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies? A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree.  The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information abou...

READ MORE zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use.  This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, “the sites”). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. What are Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies? A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree.  The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information abou...