INDIA

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) In a heartfelt moment that drew emotional responses from supporters and well-wishers, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday shared that he was “blessed to receive the blessings of his mother” during his visit to Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu.Taking to X, the Vice President wrote: “Blessed to get the blessings of my mother today at Tiruppur.” He also shared a photograph in which his mother can be seen blessing him.Radhakrishnan, who has been touring the region as part of a series of public engagements and community outreach programmes, took a brief pause from his busy schedule to visit his family home. The visit, marked by warmth and simplicity, was highlighted by his touching gesture of seeking his mother’s blessings - a tradition deeply rooted in Indian culture...

Amaravati, Oct 28 (IANS) The landfall by severe cyclonic storm Montha in the Bay of Bengal continued near Kakinada on Tuesday night, triggering heavy rains and strong winds in the region.The cyclone started making landfall around 8 p.m. at Antarvedipalli between Kakinada and Machilipatnam.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that land landfall process may continue for another two hours.The maximum wind speed at the time of landfall is likely to be 90-110 km per hour.There were reports of trees getting uprooted and disruption in the electricity supply in some towns and villages in the coastal districts.Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu remained at the Real Time Governance centre on Tuesday night to review the situation.He directed officials to remain alert throughout the night t...

Kolkata, Oct 28 (IANS) A total of 14 people were injured after a 70-feet-high Jagaddhatri puja pavilion collapsed due to gusty winds in Chandannagar of West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Tuesday evening.This year, the Kanailal Palli Jagaddhatri Puja Committee had constructed a towering 70-feet-high pavilion with a fibre-made idol of Goddess Jagaddhatri installed in front of it. However, since evening, gusty winds have been blowing across parts of south Bengal due to the peripheral impact of Cyclone Montha.Though the cyclone did not directly hit West Bengal, its outer bands triggered light rain and strong winds in several south Bengal districts, including Hooghly.Due to the high-speed winds, the massive pavilion structure gave way and collapsed. At the time of the incident, a large number of...

Jaipur, Oct 28 (IANS) The upcoming November 11 by-election for the Anta Assembly seat in Rajasthan’s Baran district has taken a national political tone after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal openly extended his support to independent candidate Naresh Meena, a Congress rebel. On Tuesday, Naresh Meena sought AAP’s backing on social media platform X, writing that he was “fighting for change” and needed Kejriwal’s support. Within hours, Kejriwal responded, “Naresh ji, the Aam Aadmi Party is completely with you.” Following this, Meena expressed his gratitude, saying he was thankful for the party’s solidarity.AAP workers across Rajasthan have since jumped into the campaign.The hashtag #AAPStandsWithNareshMeena started trending on social medi...

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) In a major success for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a cleaner and more efficient India, the ongoing Special Swachhata Campaign 5.0 has generated Rs 387 crore through scrap disposal in just three weeks, with projections soaring to Rs 8,000–10,000 crore by its conclusion on October 31.Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, hailed the initiative as a transformative “Waste to Wealth” drive that has freed up over 148 lakh square feet of valuable office space while covering more than 5.5 lakh sites nationwide.Launched on October 2 -- Gandhi Jayanti -- under the nodal Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), the month-long campaign builds on the 2014 Swachh Bhara...

Bhubaneswar, Oct 28 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said that the severe cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ has so far not caused any major impact in the Odisha districts expected to be affected by the system.While briefing the media after visiting the control room of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) at Rajiv Bhawan here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “As per reports, it appears that Cyclone Montha has so far not had any major impact in the eight districts that were earlier feared to be affected during its landfall. Except for some areas like Gajapati and Ganjam, which received heavy rainfall of around 115 millimetres today, no other part of the state has reported heavy rain or strong winds.” He further added that the cyclone is likely to move through ...

Patna, Oct 28 (IANS) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi intensified his Bihar Assembly election campaign on Tuesday, addressing rallies in Dhaka and Munger.In Dhaka of East Champaran district, he campaigned for Rana Ranjit Singh, the party’s candidate, while in Munger, he sought support for AIMIM candidate Monazir Hassan.During his speeches, Owaisi launched a sharp attack on both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), accusing them of neglecting the state’s Muslim community.Owaisi said Bihar must be freed from 15 years of Tejashwi’s jungle raj and 20 years of Nitish Kumar’s jungle raj.Taking aim at Tejashwi Yadav, he said, “In Bihar, a son of the Mallah community, which comprises just 3 per cent of the population, can be made Deputy Chief Minister, and a son of the 14 per cent commu...

Shillong, Oct 28 (IANS) In a major political development in Meghalaya, Trinamool Congress vice-president and former minister Zenith Sangma on Tuesday resigned from the party and its primary membership, ending his three-year association with the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC).In his resignation letter addressed to the party leadership, Sangma said the decision came “after much thought and reflection", describing it as a difficult but necessary step to embark on a new political journey aligned with his personal vision and the aspirations of the people he represents.“This has not been an easy decision. My journey with the AITC has been filled with invaluable experiences, lessons, and memories. I will always remain grateful for the trust, support, and friendship I received from colleagues...

Itanagar, Oct 28 (IANS) The police authority of the Arunachal Pradesh government on Tuesday transferred the probe of the twin suicide case involving allegations of sexual abuse, coercion and corruption by government officials, to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the crime branch, officials said.An official said that Director General of Police (DGP) Anand Mohan, in an order, directed the concerned police officials that all case records along with relevant documents should be handed over to the SIT of the crime branch police station at the police headquarters immediately. The SIT is headed by Superintendent of police Shivendu Bhushan, who is also the SP of the Crime Branch of Arunachal Pradesh police. The sensational twin suicide case is currently being investigated by the Nirjuli ...

Bhopal, Oct 28 (IANS) The BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has planned to showcase the achievements accomplished during the past two years on the occasion of the 70th Foundation Day of Madhya Pradesh on November 1.The Chief Minister, along with his cabinet colleagues, held a detailed discussion during a meeting at his office on Tuesday.The Foundation Day celebration programme will be organised at Lal Parade Ground and Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal."An exhibition at Ravindra Bhavan will highlight two years of investment promotion and other key achievements, including progress made through investments attracted at the Global Investors Summit (GIS)," the government said in a statement.The exhibition will also include 'One District, One Product (ODOP), the life of King Vikramadit...