Cong loses govt in Arunachal to a BJP front

Itanagar: The Congress today lost its government in Arunachal Pradesh to a BJP-led front when 43 of its MLAs led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu defected wholesale and merged with the People's Party of Arunachal, just two months after it had regained power.

Khandu, who had replaced Nabam Tuki following a dissident campaign in July, paraded 42 MLAs before Assembly Speaker Tenzing Norbu Thongdok, who accepted their joining the PPA, Assembly sources said.

Mamata government moves fast on Singur land return

Braving incessant rain and employing drones and satellite mapping technology, the West Bengal government is carrying out the survey expeditiously for initiating the process of returning land taken from peasants of Singur for the Tata Motors Nano project, an official said on Saturday.

Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Mamata Banerjee government started the land survey within the project area on Friday. The survey is to be completed within ten weeks.


"So far, we have cleaned up and cut wild grasses and bushes in about 150 acres of land in the project area. We will have to make requisite arrangements so that works can be done at night," said Hooghly's Additional District Magistrate (Land Revenue) Purnendu Maji.

Quran desecration: BJP accuses AAP of playing with sentiments of people

With Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Yadav booked for trying to incite riots in Punjab following a recent case of alleged 'desecration' of the Quran, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and said it clearly reveals the fact that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has been playing with the sentiments of the people.

BJP leader Zafar Islam said this is a very serious issue as it is connected to religion.

"Kejriwal and his party stand exposed. They have set an example of how they are going to play with the people's sentiments and religion," Islam told ANI here.

Modi Govt. has failed to carry out its constitutional obligations: Mayawati

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led government for working solely for the betterment of bureaucrats and putting the interests of the common man aside, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday accused the Centre of failing to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities.

Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati launched a fresh wave of attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and accused them of following the corrupt footsteps of the previous Congress government.

'Anti-national' Owaisi should be put behind bars: JD (U)

The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday launched a scathing attack on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for his decision to provide legal aid to five IS suspects arrested by the NIA from Hyderabad and demanded his arrest besides the cancellation of membership as a parliamentarian.

"There is uniform civil code in many states..so does that make those states Hindu or Catholic? But it definitely creates the Islamic states. Owaisi is the greatest anti-national. He said he will provide legal aid to the people associated with the ISIS. Such kind of persons should be put behind the bars and their Parliament membership must be cancelled," JD (U) leader Ajay Alok told ANI.

Malerkotla Quran sacrilege: AAP disrupting communal harmony, says BJP

 Demanding strict action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Naresh Yadav for allegedly desecrating the Quran, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it exposed the real face of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party which hatches conspiracies and spreads hatred for electoral benefits.

Taking a jibe at Yadav's remark, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said it is now evident that the AAP leaders would indulge in the same practice for which they are well-known.

"They will disrupt communal harmony and divide the people. This is the real face of the AAP. There should be strict probe against him (Naresh Yadav)," Tiwari told ANI.

Arrest of IS suspects in Hyderabad should not be politicised: Tejashwi Yadav

 Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has refrained from commenting on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's decision to provide legal aid to five IS suspects arrested from Hyderabad by the National Investigation agency, but asserted that such issues should not be politicised and the investigative agencies must be allowed to probe the matter freely.

Speaking to ANI here, Yadav said that Owaisi is entitled to have an opinion on the matter, adding that the NIA would not have arrested the individuals without suspicion.

"This is a sensitive issue. If people are found to be indulging in anti-national activities and are linked to terrorist organisations, then it is a matter to be probed. He is a local representative, if he thinks it is wrong or right then let the court decide. But these investigative agencies would also not have arrested them without any suspicion. These issues should not be politicised," he said.

Condemning the acts of the extremist Islamic groups such as the ISIS in unequivocal terms, Owaisi had earlier said 'generalising and blaming' the entire Muslim community, especially at times when several suspected terrorists have been arrested by the NIA, was not good.

Owaisi defends backing IS suspects, says Muslims must not be 'generalised'

Condemning the acts of the extremist Islamic groups such as the ISIS in unequivocal terms, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said 'generalising and blaming' the entire Muslim community, especially at times when several suspected terrorists have been arrested by the NIA, 'should not happen'.

"I have condemned ISIS. In my speech I spoke against them for 20 minutes and you (media) do not want to carry that. I also condemn this generalisation and blaming the whole Muslim community. And also blaming whole of south of Hyderabad. In south Hyderabad people of all communities are living peacefully. I will continue to condemn ISIS, it is a terrorist organisation. This is everyone's stand in the community," he told media here.