India

Srinagar, 25 Sep 2020: Two Kashmiris were killed on Friday by Indian security forces in Sirhama area of Anantnag district of the Indian Administered Kashmir, Indian officials said.

Fatehpur (UP), Sep 24 (PTI) Upset over not being able to "repay" his loan, a farmer allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place at Naraini village in the Kishanpur area.

The farmer, identified as Mahendra Savita (37), was found hanging from a tree around 9.30 am, Kishanpur SHO Pandhari Saroj said, adding that he had left his home in the morning to go to his fields.

Kondagaon, Sep 24 (PTI) Tension prevailed in five villages in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district after a mob of locals allegedly vandalised the houses of some Christian families.

While the police said on Thursday that the situation was under control, the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) demanded a high-level probe.

A police force has been deployed to prevent any untoward incident in Kakdabeda, Singanpur, Tiliyabeda, Silati and Jondrabeda villages under Kondagaon police station limits, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

Kolkata, Sep 24 (PTI) Facing flak from BJP for alleged minority appeasement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday doubled the annual financial assistance to Durga Puja organisers across the state to Rs 50,000.

She also announced a 50 per cent waiver in charges for consumption of electricity by the Puja committees in the state, who consume substantial power for the grand illumination during the five-day festival.

Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) Haryana BJP leaders Parminder Singh Dhull and Rampal Majra on Thursday dubbed the Centre's farm bills "anti-farmer", claiming that the apprehensions about the minimum support price were not unfounded.

The two former legislators said many farmer outfits were protesting against the Centre's farm reforms and their voices should be heard.

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for Bihar assembly elections on Friday.

The EC has convened a press conference in this regard at 12.30 pm on Friday.

The term of the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly comes to an end on November 29.

The Commission is likely to announce the schedule for the by-election to one Lok Sabha and 64 assembly seats spread across 15 states.

The bypoll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar has been pending.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Sep 25 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district a week ago, police said on Friday.

The girl was allegedly raped last Friday in the village under the Bhopa police station limits.

The accused, who had gone absconding after the incident, was arrested on Thursday, police said.

Bengaluru, Sept 25 (PTI) Farmers in Karnataka staged demonstrations across the state on Friday as part of a 'bandh' call given to protest the 'anti-farmer' policies of the central and state governments.

A large number of ryots from various parts of the state flocked to the state capital to take part in the demonstrations to register their protest against the amendments to the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act and the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.

Lucknow, Sep 25 (PTI) BSP president Mayawati on Friday questioned the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, claiming that there has been no check on atrocities and crimes against Dalits and women despite several announcements and directives by the government.

"Despite endless announcements and directions of the Uttar Pradesh government , incidents of injustice, atrocities against Dalits and women, cases of rape and murder etc. have not stopped. So, it is natural that questions are raised on the intention of the government," she tweeted.

Noida (UP), Sep 25 (PTI) Scores of farmers gathered on a key road in Noida in Uttar Pradesh in a protest demonstration on Friday, prompting deployment of police in riot gear that kept them from proceeding towards Delhi.

Around 150-200 farmers were at the Noida Gate in Sector 14A near Chilla, at the UP-Delhi border, where they were stopped by the Gautam Buddh Nagar police around 12 noon, officials said.