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BJP fighting solo in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday in her first Lok Sabha rally in Krishnanagar constituency that she will not allow Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to be implemented in the state and added that BJP was lying to the Matua community, treating them as a vote bank ahead of Lok Sabha elections. «I will not allow CAA to be implemented in Bengal. We will not allow anyone to become part of NRC here. They (BJP) lie to the Matua for vote bank politics. Do you want to put yourself into danger? Once you apply, you will lose all your benefits in social schemes. Let all BJP candidates apply for CAA,» she said. Banerjee urged the Matua community not to apply for CAA as they will lose their citizenship. «If you apply for CAA, you will lose citizenship for five years,» Banerjee warned, adding that CAA will lead to NRC and Matua people will be in trouble. The promise of implementing CAA was a major electoral plank for BJP in the last Lok Sabha and assembly polls in West Bengal. The community, with more than one crore voters in the state, is spread over Nadia, Cooch Behar, North and South 24 Parganas districts bordering Bangladesh.

INDIA bloc held a massive rally here on Sunday against the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted the NDA Lok Sabha campaign from Meerut in west Uttar Pradesh with a public meeting where he alleged that the Opposition has formed a coalition to protect the corrupt while he has ensured that those engaged in huge corruption are put behind bars. “In the last ten years, the country has seen that we have started the fight against corruption, we have ensured that no middleman is able to steal money from the poor… I am fighting against corruption and because of this, some people are facing problems… Modi’s mantra is remove corruption and they say ‘save the corrupt’. This election is between the NDA, which is fighting against corruption and the other group, which is fighting to save the corrupt,” he said at the joint rally of NDA partners. He took digs at the Opposition on corruption and the formation of INDI Alliance to fight him.

Gold, alcohol, drugs and other goods worth around Rs 140 crore were seized in addition to Rs 7 crore cash in West Bengal till date after announcement of Lok Sabha polls last month, according to EC. The Election Commission has declared six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal as 'financially sensitive'. The EC has seized 12.7 lakh litres of alcohol worth Rs 33.86 crore and drugs weighing around 3.5 kg worth Rs 18.28 crore have been seized," people in the know said. The Commission seized the gold worth Rs 27.32 crore during this period.

Zomato received a GST demand order worth ₹23.26 crore for FY 2018-19 from Karnataka tax authorities. Further INDIA bloc leaders assembled at Ramlila Maidan in solidarity with Kejriwal, Soren. CUET-UG also extended application deadline till April 5.

Amit Shah on Sunday said former deputy prime minister L K Advani remained selflessly dedicated to national welfare and social upliftment throughout his life. Expressing happiness over the BJP patriarch being conferred with Bharat Ratna, Shah also said that Advani's life is «full of sacrifice, tenacity and dedication» and is an «unlimited source» of strength and inspiration to crores of people. «Today, being a witness to this historical moment, I am both happy and emotional. Honourable Shri LK Advani being honoured with 'Bharat Ratna' by Honourable President Smt. Droupadi Murmu is a proud moment for all of us. »Advani remained selflessly dedicated to national welfare and social upliftment throughout his life," he wrote on 'X' in Hindi.

Supriya Sule claimed on Sunday that the fight between her and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar in Baramati constituency is a design of the BJP to politically finish off NCP founder Sharad Pawar. Sule said the intra-family duel in the Lok Sabha polls will not waver her respect for Sunetra Pawar as she is her «elder brother's wife and like a mother». Baramati, the home turf of Sharad Pawar, is set for a high-profile battle after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday fielded Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, against Sule. The NCP (SP) has fielded three-term MP and Sharad Pawar's daughter Sule in the constituency.

National Testing Agency (NTA) today extended the application deadline for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG. As per NTA, candidates can now apply for CUET-UG till April 5th. This is the second time that the agency has extended application deadline for the exam. Earlier this month, the deadline was extended till March 31 from March 26. The application deadline thus was to end today at 9:50 PM. In a press release, NTA today said that it has decided to extend the deadline «on request received from candidates and other stakeholders».

poll campaign for forthcoming General Elections from Meerut, addressing the city as the land of revolution and revolutionaries. Taking a swipe at the Opposition and arrested leaders, the Prime Minister said that some people are rattled because his government is taking action against corruption. «In the last 10 years, the country has seen that we have started the fight against corruption, we have ensured that no middleman can steal money from the poor. I am fighting against corruption and because of this, some people are facing problems. Modi's mantra is 'Bhrashtachar hatao' and they say 'Bhrashtacahri bachao'. This election is between NDA, which is fighting against corruption and the other group, which is fighting to save the corrupt,» he further added.

money trail of the alleged Rs 45 crore kickbacks generated from the Delhi excise policy «scam» and used for the 2022 Goa election campaign by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate, has also been «substantiated» by the CBI and the Income-Tax department in their separate investigations, according to documents filed in court. A wide network of Hawala operators and 'Angadiyas' are also being investigated by the ED in this case where it recently arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and claimed he and his political outfit are liable to be prosecuted in the alleged laundering of these funds. Statements of five 'Angadiya' firm operators have also been recorded by the ED to establish the «money trail» of this alleged Rs 45 crore bribe amount.

INDIA bloc's rally on March 31, Opposition parties called upon the Election Commission guarantee fairness in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The leaders emphasised that they will fight what they termed as «undemocratic obstacles» created by the BJP. During the 'Loktantra Bachao Rally' held at Delhi's Ramlila ground, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set down five demands by the alliance, underlining that the EC should ensure a level playing field for all parties in Lok Sabha elections. The opposition leader stressed that the Election Commission must intervene to halt the actions of agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and the Income Tax department against opposition figures, which she said will impact the election process in a negative way. Gandhi also demanded the immediate release of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Mehta family has pledged to donate Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years to the philanthropic foundation set up in name of the group's founder U N Mehta as part of his birth centenary celebrations, the group said on Sunday. Torrent Group celebrated the birth centenary of its founder late Uttambhai Nathalal Mehta (January 14, 1924 to March 31, 1998). The Mehta family has committed to donate Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years to the UNM Foundation to honour the legacy of the visionary philanthropist, the group said in a statement.

Bharat Ratna upon Shri LK Advani Ji. This honour is a recognition of his enduring contributions to our nation's progress.

Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of violating the Constitution by resorting to «confrontational federalism». The Congress also accused the prime minister of resorting to fiscal centralisation, obstruction of state programs, destabilising state governments, misusing governors and subverting the rights of States. In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said as the INDIA Janbandhan's rally at Ramlila Maidan gets underway, it is necessary to recall how the PM is «violating», in letter and spirit, Article 1 of the Constitution of India that states «India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.» He said the prime minister started off his innings in May 2014 talking big about cooperative federalism.

Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Sunday read out a message sent by the AAP supremo from lock-up at the INDIA bloc's 'maharally' at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi. As part of his message, Kejriwal said that India is in pain and also announced 6 guarantees if INDIA bloc is voted to power, which include 24/7 power supply and high class education. «Your own Kejriwal has sent a message for you from jail. Before reading this message, I would like to ask you something. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi put my husband in jail, did the Prime Minister do the right thing? Do you believe that Kejriwal Ji is a true patriot and honest person? These BJP people are saying that Kejriwal ji is in jail, he should resign. Should he resign? Your Kejriwal is a lion, they will not be able to keep him in jail for long,» she said.

Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently parted ways with the Samajwadi Party, on Sunday said he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kushinagar as a candidate of his Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party. Claiming that he held talks with the INDIA bloc constituents from Uttar Pradesh over seat sharing but got no response, Maurya also announced that S N Chauhan will be his party's candidate from the Deoria Lok Sabha seat. The names of other candidates of the party would be announced soon, he added. Kushinagar and Deoria Lok Sabha seats will vote in the seventh and final phase of the general elections on June 1.

BJP leader LK Advani. President Murmu paid a visit to senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence and conferred him with the prestigious award. This was decided in view of the ailing health of the veteran BJP leader Advani.

NDTV. The girl identified as Manvi who was a resident of Patiala had ordered the cake online from a bakery nearby on March 24. The Patiala family marked their daughter's birthday celebrations by ordering a birthday cake online.

₹1,745 crore for the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17, the party said. With this, the total notice for assessment years 1994-95 and 2017-18 to 2020-21 now stands at ₹3,567 crore. The fresh notices were issued on Friday evening after the Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being indulged in tax terrorism to financially cripple opposition parties ahead of Lok Sabha elections that are scheduled to take place in seven phases beginning from April 19.

Reliance Industries Ltd has made substantial investments exceeding USD 125 billion over the past decade, primarily focusing on the expansion of its hydrocarbon and telecom sectors, according to a recent report. This investment spree, which included approximately USD 30 billion between FY13-18 to enhance the scale and competitiveness of its oil-to-chemical (O2C) business, and close to USD 60 billion between FY13-24E in 4G/5G capabilities for its telecom business, is now transitioning into a phase of less capital-intensive ventures. With the completion of the pan-India 5G rollout and potential tariff hikes in the telecom sector anticipated, Reliance's telecom business is poised to become a robust free-cash-flow (FCF) generator, complementing its existing cash cow O2C segment. Looking ahead, the conglomerate is shifting its focus towards relatively less capital-intensive ventures such as retail and upstream new energy, which offer higher returns and shorter gestation periods.

youth don't run after government jobs but have become job creators, Union minister Piyush Goyal has said. He was addressing a meeting Saturday night of the residents of Adarsh Welfare Association in Malad suburb of North Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is contesting as a BJP candidate. BJP's incumbent North Mumbai Lok Sabha member Gopal Shetty also addressed the meeting and requested the housing complex members to vote for Goyal. «Today's young men and women don't run after government jobs (but) with their talents become job creators. Today's youth are taking the country forward with new experiments and innovation,» Goyal said. «In the last 10 years, PM Narendra Modi took strong steps to strengthen India's economy. He attempted to bring in good governance in all areas. He brought in many schemes for the welfare of the poor,» the Commerce and Industry minister said.

twisted steel from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, The bridge crumpled into the Patapsco River on Tuesday after a massive cargo ship crashed into one of its main supports. Crews are carefully measuring and cutting the steel from the broken bridge before attaching straps so it can be lifted onto a barge and floated away, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm.