India

Bhopal, Jan 8 (PTI) Senior citizens living alone in Madhya Pradesh may soon get doorstep delivery of groceries from public distribution system (PDS) ration outlets.

This facility would be meant for people above 75 years of age who are living alone without any adult family member in their homes.

We are planning to deliver groceries from PDS shops to doorstep of citizens aged above 75 years and living alone, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Pradyumn Singh Tomar told reporters on Wednesday.

Bengaluru, Jan 8 (PTI) Former chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged the recent attack on students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi was government sponsored and sought to know what action has been taken against the culprits.

He also described as 'shameful' the police registering FIRs against those injured in the Sunday violence.

The attack on students at JNU was government sponsored, it was not done by some one else, he told reporters here.

New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) The government on Wednesday issued a travel advisory, asking citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iraq in view of prevailing situation in the Gulf country.

In retaliation to killing of top Iranian commander General Qassem Soleimani, Iran has launched missile strikes against two US military bases in Iraq on Wednesday.

"In view of the prevailing situation in Iraq, Indian nationals are advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Iraq until further notification," the advisory by Ministry of External Affairs said.

MUMBAI, Jan 8 (NNN-PTI) – Indian Police filed a first information report (FIR) against a woman, for holding “Free Kashmir” placard, during a protest at Gateway of India, late Tuesday, in Mumbai.

“We have filed a case against Mahek Mirza Prabhu, under Section 153b (Imputation, assertions prejudicial to national interest) under IPC (Indian Penal Code),” a city police official said.

So far, the police are scanning CCTV footage and other video evidences to get more details, but have not called her for a statement.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Some commercial airlines on Wednesday rerouted flights crossing the Middle East to avoid possible danger amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

Australian carrier Qantas said it was altering its London to Perth, Australia, routes to avoid Iran and Iraq airspace until further notice. The longer route meant that Qantas would have to carry fewer passengers and more fuel to remain in the air for an extra 40 to 50 minutes.

Malaysia Airlines said that “due to recent events,” its planes would avoid Iranian airspace.

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) The Congress on Monday said the country's economy continued to sink and the Modi government was clueless as regards how to deal with the situation.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said with oil prices continuing to rise amid an escalating Iran-US row, the government did not have the wisdom to deal with the situation if it turned similar to the 1991 economic crisis.

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Over 52 lakh calls were received by the BJP from people who have extended their support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday.

As part of its campaign to mobilise a nationwide support for the CAA, a toll-free number was launched by the BJP for people to give missed calls to extend their support to the newly enacted legislation.

As many as 52.72 lakh calls were received on the toll-free number till 8 pm on Monday, Shah told reporters here.

New Delhi, Jan 6 (PTI) Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra on Monday demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the attack on students and teachers at the Jawaharlal Nehru University a day ago, saying the country "did not witness" such violence even during the British rule.

Addressing a public meeting at Patparganj, Chopra claimed that people of Delhi were living in fear after masked men attacked JNU students and teachers on Sunday evening.

Kakdwip/Sagar Island (WB) Jan 6 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she was all in favour of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, but her party will not resort to the "cheap politics" of bandhs.

The Left parties had on December 26 last year called for a nationwide strike on January 8 and a seven-day protest from January 1 against the CAA, National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Pune, Jan 6 (PTI) Members of various students and youth organisations staged a demonstration at the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) here on Monday evening to denounce the violence at the JNU campus in New Delhi.

Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam also took part in the protest.

Holding placards and shouting slogans, the agitators took part in the protests and condemned the attack on the JNU students and teachers.