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AAP on Saturday claimed that the SAD and the BJP have already «finalised» an alliance in Punjab and are waiting for a suitable time to announce it. Malvinder Singh Kang, the AAP's chief spokesperson in Punjab, claimed that former Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal initiated efforts to seal the alliance. He also said that leaders of the two parties met in Delhi 15 days ago to discuss the terms of the coalition. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), however, rubbished the claims with senior party leader Daljit Singh Cheema slamming the AAP for spreading misinformation to «divert attention from the AAP and the Congress' unprincipled and unholy alliance». Both the Congress and the AAP are part of the opposition INDIA bloc. Kang claimed in a statement on Saturday, «The terms of the alliance are already decided… the BJP does not want SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia to contest the Lok Sabha elections.» «People in the BJP know the obvious dislike the people of Punjab have for these two leaders,» he said. Kang also claimed that «behind the curtain», the BJP and the SAD were «always one and never separated». The SAD broke off its ties with the BJP over the now-repealed farm laws in 2020.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu following his arrest in a Skill Development scam, Telugu Desam Party national general secretary Nara Lokesh has said the party remains non-aligned and equidistant both from BJP and the Opposition alliance. “We are non-aligned. We stand for the rights of the Telugu people,” Lokesh told ET in an interview.

Kejriwal on Saturday said his party would implement the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act in tribal-dominated areas of Chhattisgarh if voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing a rally in the Bastar district headquarter Jagdalpur, around 300 km from here, Kejriwal slammed the BJP, saying celebrations were underway at the saffron party's headquarters in Delhi when the sad news of the martyrdom of Army officers in Anantnag trickled in. He also hit out at the BJP over the "India vs Bharat" debate and the 'one nation and one election' agenda. «We guarantee that if AAP is elected to power in Chhattisgarh, PESA will be implemented within a month of the formation of the government in the interest of tribals and to protect their 'jal, jungle, and zameen' (land).

Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the India International Convention and Expo Centre, officials said on Saturday. The route from National Highway-48 to Nirmal Dham Nala (UER-II) will be affected during the whole day.

light to moderate intensity rain and winds at speeds of 20-40 km/h are expected in and around several places in Delhi (Jafarpur, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, Deramandi), NCR (Ghaziabad, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Manesar, Ballabhgarh), Narwana, Barwala, Gohana, Hansi, Meham, Sonipat, Tosham, Rohtak, Kharkhoda, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Kosali, Mahendargarh, Rewari, Narnaul, Bawal (Haryana), Pilakhua, Gulaoti, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahar, Jahangirabad, Anupshahar, Shikarpur, Khurja, Pahasu, Debai, Gabhana, Aligarh, Iglas, Hathras, Mathura (U.P.), Bhiwari, Jhunjunu, Tizara, Khairthal, Kotputli, Alwar, Viratnagar, Nagar, Deeg, Nadbai, Bharatpur (Rajasthan) during the next 2 hours," IMD said in an advisory on Saturday. At about 8:30 AM on Saturday, Delhi-NCR witnessed 0.6 mm of rainfall, and the humidity levels stood at 85%.

Narendra Modi, on his seventy third birthday on 17 September at 11am, 2023 will dedicate to India the Phase 1 of India International Convention and Expo Centre, also called ‘Yashobhoomi’, at Dwarka, New Delhi. The Yashobhoom is touted to become one of the world's largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facility.

Supreme Court has said, asking the Centre if there are ways the benefits of schemes, including PM Cares fund, which were meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be extended to all orphans. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Friday asked Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for Centre, to seek instructions in the matter. «You have rightly brought out a policy for orphans, whose parents died due to the COVID pandemic. An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of whether the parents died in an accident or illness. By bringing these schemes, you are attending to the condition and not the parentage. »You seek an instruction on whether benefits of schemes including PM Cares fund meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic can be extended to other orphaned children," the bench told Banerjee. The ASG said he was recently given a brief to appear in the matter and would respond to the court's query in four weeks' time.

G20 summit in Delhi was a “Chandrayaan landing moment” for the Indian Foreign Service as New Delhi converted a diplomatic event into “a people’s movement,” said Muktesh Pardeshi, Special Secretary in charge of summit operations, and eminent diplomats who participated in a post-summit conference. “India converted a diplomatic event into a people’s movement. It was a Chandrayaan landing moment for the foreign service,” said Pardeshi at a panel discussion on key outcomes of the September 9-10 G20 summit in New Delhi. “G20 has touched the hearts of people — that’s the real success of our Presidency,” said Mr Pardeshi, who played a pivotal role in organising around 200 preparatory meetings in the run-up to the New Delhi summit. “The transformative journey, exemplified by the G20 presidency, transcended the confines of a diplomatic event.

Narendra Modi will turn 73 on Sunday. The Prime Minister yesterday secured the highest approval rating globally among elected leaders as per the latest survey by Morning Consult. 76% of people approved of Modi's leadership while 18 per cent disapproved.

Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), named YashoBhoomi, in Dwarka tomorrow, Sunday, September 17. Besides this, PM Modi will also inaugurate the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25 on Sunday. Delhi Police issued a traffic advisory in view of the inaugural ceremonies.

India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), which is named YashoBhoomi, in Dwarka will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, which also marks the leader's birthday. He is also set to dedicate the extension of Delhi Airport Metro Express line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25. The operationalization of YashoBhoomi at Dwarka could bolster PM Modi's ambition to have a world-class infrastructure for hosting meetings, conferences, and exhibits in the nation. «The soon-to-be-inaugurated 'Yashobhoomi' at Dwarka has state-of-the-art features and unparalleled facilities. It will stand out as one of the top convention and exhibition centres globally,» PM Modi wrote in a Facebook post while sharing the pictures.

Lucknow division of Northern Railways has spent a staggering amount of Rs 69.5 lakh between 2020 and 2022 to catch just 168 rats, according to a report in the Times of India. This astonishing expenditure breaks down to approximately Rs 23.2 lakh per year or slightly over Rs 41,000 per rodent. The startling figures were disclosed in response to an RTI query posed by Chandrashekhar Gaur, an RTI activist based in Neemuch. Pest and rodent control activities within the railways fall under the category of primary maintenance. This primary maintenance is carried out on trains that belong to the respective railway divisions. Northern Railways comprises five divisions: Delhi, Ambala, Lucknow, Ferozepur, and Moradabad. It is noteworthy that Gaur's RTI inquiry was directed at Northern Railways, with only Lucknow division providing a comprehensive response to his queries. «So far, the Ferozpur and Moradabad divisions have not replied. The Ambala & Delhi divisions' replies scurried past the questions, much like a clever rodent would on seeing a trap,» the Times of India report added. However, even Lucknow division's response lacked information on the extent of damage caused by rodents. In this regard, the division's central public information officer stated, «details not available for damaged goods and items. No assessment of damage has been made.»

Indian Railway's Darshan Express derailed near Amargarh railway station in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. Only the engine and power coach of the train are reported to have been derailed.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress chief, will spearhead the meeting, supported by general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh. Also expected to attend are former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Venugopal revealed that out of 90 invitees, 84 confirmed their attendance, including four sitting chief ministers, PTI reported.

Narendra Modiretained his top position as the world's most popular leader with an approval rating of 76 percent, according to a survey by US-based consultancy firm ‘Morning Consult’. In previous ratings too, PM Modi had topped the ranking. The 'Global Leader Approval Rating Tracker’ 76 percent of people approve of PM Modi’s leadership, while 18 percent disapprove of it and six percent did not give any opinion, ANI reported.

visa interviews in India, the US consulate in Frankfurt has set aside specific interview appointments for Indian applicants. According to the State Department's website, the wait times for B1/B2 visa interview appointments in India have reached staggering durations, with 441 days in Hyderabad, 486 days in Chennai, 526 days in Delhi, 571 days in Mumbai, and 607 days in Kolkata. In stark contrast, the wait time in Frankfurt is a mere three days. To alleviate the backlog and cater to the increasing demand, Indians were granted the option to apply for visas at US consulates outside India, such as in Bangkok. Over the past year, various measures have been implemented to reduce the extensive waiting period, which had peaked at nearly three years last winter. Despite these efforts, applicants have encountered issues with a new scheduling portal for non-immigrant visa interviews in India. A US embassy official has told TOI that attempts are being made to resolve these issues «as quickly as possible». During recent discussions between the US embassy and Indian authorities, three key issues were addressed: visa wait times, technical problems with the scheduling portal, and concerns related to student visas.

Tejashwi Yadav has defended the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to boycott alleged pro-BJP news anchors. The RJD leader was talking to reporters here on Friday, upon his return from Delhi, where the decision to this effect was taken during a coordination committee meeting of the INDIA coalition. He also admonished his party colleague and cabinet minister Chandra Shekhar for his controversial remarks on Ramcharitmanas. «The sub-committee concerned took the decision not to take part in shows organised by those who are rabidly pro-BJP and try to give things an incendiary turn,» said Yadav, upon being asked about the opposition coalition's move, which has irked the ruling party at the Centre and also drawn flak from some journalists' bodies. About the utterances of Chandra Shekhar, who holds the education portfolio, the deputy CM said, «In my view, he should avoid raising unnecessary controversy and concentrate more on the functioning of his department.» The RJD leader, however, added, «I also have a complaint against too much of media glare around such negative things.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be held here on Saturday to evolve a strategy for the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Holding the crucial meeting in the Telangana capital, the Congress is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state. The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a «game changer» and a «transformative moment» for Telangana politics and the party, leaders said. Announcing the detailed plan for the CWC meeting to be chaired by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh on Friday said this is for the first time in many years that the party's top decision-making body will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi. The CWC will meet at 2:30 pm on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls. Talking about the deliberations to be held on Saturday, Venugopal said, «The Congress president will be present.

Delhi Metro line between Dwarka Sector 21 and the India International Convention Centre, named YashoBhoomi, will become operational from September 17, officials said on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the first phase of India International Convention Centre (IICC) in Dwarka and the extension of Delhi Airport Metro Express line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25 on Sunday. "Passenger operations on this new extension will be started from 3 pm onwards on the same day, that is, Sunday, September 17.

Narendra Modi, following the recent G20 Summit event held over the last weekend under India's presidency, is going to host an exclusive dinner today, September 16, in honour of Delhi Police personnel who played a pivotal role in ensuring the event's security and smooth execution, reported PTI. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora instructed the deputy commissioners of Delhi Police's 15 districts to arrange a 'bada khana' (a large meal) for the staff as a gesture of appreciation and recognition for their dedicated efforts during the G20 Summit.

Anurag Thakur, inaugurated the Amrit Kalash Yatra organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra, Mumbai under Meri Mati Mera Desh Abhiyan in Mumbai on Friday, said an official statement from Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Friday. Officials of Nehru Yuva Kendra, other dignitaries and volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS) were present on the occasion. Addressing the gathering, Thakur appealed to everyone to participate in commemorating 75 years of India's freedom and honouring the courageous souls who martyred their lives to protect our Nation, added the statement. On this occasion, Minister appealed to the youth to participate actively in this endeavour and contribute to the work of nation-building. «This sacred soil collected from across India will shape the Amrit Vatika near the War Memorial in Delhi.