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New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Saturday expressed grief over the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, which left at least nine devotees dead.“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the stampede at the Kashibugga Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. My heart goes out to the bereaved families and all those injured. I hope they find strength and recover soon,” said Gandhi in a message on X.“I urge the Government of Andhra Pradesh to mobilise every resource for relief and to engage with the victims’ families with empathy, dignity, and speed. I also appeal to our Congress leaders and workers in the region to assist in relief work and support the grieving,” said Gandhi....

Gandhinagar, Nov 1 (IANS) The historic town of Vadnagar in Gujarat's Mehsana district, the birthplace of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is set to witness another milestone in its journey toward becoming a global tourism and cultural destination. Under Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's leadership, the state government has announced the construction of the Vrindavan Gauchar Park, India's first-of-its-kind integrated cow-based rural development project.Estimated to cost Rs 15 crore, this initiative aims to transform Vadnagar into a "Tirthdham" (spiritual destination) of cow service and an international model of sustainable rural innovation.The Vrindavan Gauchar Park, to be developed near Gaurikund in Amarthol, will go far beyond the idea of a traditional cowshed.It will ...

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1 (IANS) In a stinging public rebuke, BJP's former Kerala spokesperson M.S. Kumar on Saturday accused the party leadership of abandoning its own workers and held it partly responsible for the suicide of Thiruvananthapuram councillor Anil Kumar.What has come as a shock to the state leadership is that this comes at a time when the local body polls are around the corner, with the party having huge hopes that they will be able to win the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.For the past two terms, the BJP has been the principal opposition in the civic body, pushing the Congress to a distant third place, with the CPI-M-led Left ruling it.In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Kumar, who now heads the Thiruvithamkoor Cooperative Society, said that, like the late councill...

Chandigarh, Nov 1 (IANS) Slamming the BJP-led Central government for its decision to unilaterally dissolve the 59-year-old Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University in Chandigarh, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday termed it a brazen attack on the state’s pride, democracy and intellect. Bains said, “It is not governance, it is political vandalism. The reckless move by the Centre tramples on Punjab’s hard-earned autonomy, academic freedom and constitutional rights. It is a blatant assault on the very soul of Punjab”.The Education Minister highlighted the historical and emotional significance of the Panjab University, which has been built and nurtured through decades of the state’s collective efforts, sweat, intellectual prowess and sacrifices. He questioned the intent ...

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Chhattisgarh’s 25th anniversary celebrations at the Rajat Mahotsav in Nava Raipur, with laying foundation stones for transformative projects worth over Rs 14,260 crore, spanning roads, energy, industry, healthcare, and rural livelihoods.He was on a day-long visit to the tribal dominated state.Opening with a focus on dignity and enterprise, PM Modi inaugurated 12 new Start-Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) blocks across nine districts to empower rural micro-entrepreneurs.He also joined the “Griha Pravesh” of 3.51 lakh completed homes under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) and released Rs 1,200 crore as instalments to three lakh beneficiaries, ensuring secure, pucca housing for the state’s rural poo...

Bengaluru, Nov 1 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah congratulated Kannada authors Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi for bringing the Booker Prize for Kannada literature, stating that their achievement showcased the global strength of the language.CM Siddaramaiah was earlier criticised for inviting only Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the historical Mysuru Dussehra celebrations, with the BJP alleging that she was chosen as "a part of appeasement politics" and translator Bhasthi, dropped because she is a Hindu.A Kannada-language writer, lawyer, journalist, and activist, Mushtaq, in May this year, won the International Booker Prize for her short-story collection "Heart Lamp" (original Kannada version). This was the first time a Kannada-language work has won the prize. The book was translate...

Kolkata, Nov 1 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the party's Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, on Saturday, had launched a scathing attack against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Lok Sabha member from Ranaghat constituency in Nadia district of West Bengal, Jagannath Sarkar, over his recent comments that there will be no barbed fencing at the India-Bangladesh borders if the BJP comes to power in the state after the 2026 Assembly elections.Banerjee, in a social media post, claiming that the comments by Sarkar prove that the hypocrisy of the BJP has fallen to new depths.According to the Trinamool Congress General Secretary, Sarkar's public declaration that if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, there will be no borders between India and Bangladesh and both nations will be...

Jaipur, Nov 1 (IANS) A 12-year-old girl, Amaira, a sixth-grade student at a reputed private institution, fell from the fifth floor of her school building on Saturday.According to preliminary reports, Amaira’s head struck a wall before she fell into nearby bushes, leaving her critically injured.Hearing her screams, school staff rushed to the area and immediately took her to Metro Mass Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Following the tragedy, serious allegations have emerged against the school management, with claims that staff tampered with the scene and erased key evidence. Members of the Parents’ Association have questioned the school’s safety and security protocols, demanding a transparent inquiry. Sources allege that blood stains and other traces of the incident we...

Srinagar, Nov 1 (IANS) The J&K Police's State Investigation Agency said on Saturday that it has arrested the key handler in a narco-terror case in Srinagar city."SIA Kashmir today achieved a major breakthrough in a Narco-Terror case after a key handler was arrested from the Bemina area of Srinagar city. The accused named Basharat Ali, son of Mohd Sadeeq, a resident of Tad Karnah Kupwara, was evading arrest in case FIR No 19/2022 of SIA Kashmir for the last three years," the SIA said in a statement.The case pertains to a Pakistan-sponsored Narco-Terror module of Lashkar-e-Taiba involved in the smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border in the Karnah sector, with the proceeds from the sale of narcotic substances being pumped into sustaining terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir...