India

New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) "I never had the desire to enter politics, but since I am part of it now I give my best on how to work for the people," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

Interacting with a group of National Cadet Corps cadets in his "Mann ki Baat" radio programme, Modi also said that as an NCC cadet in his school days, he never got punished.

Raipur, Nov 24 (PTI) Five vehicles and a machine engaged in road construction work were set ablaze by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Saturday evening near Madonar village under Chhotedongar police station area where road construction work under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana is underway, a local police official told PTI.

Mumbai, Nov 24 (PTI) The BJP on Sunday expressed confidence that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will prove his government's majority in the state Assembly, claiming he has the support of more than 170 MLAs.

Talking to reporters here, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said Fadnavis will provide a stable and strong government.

Nagpur, Nov 23 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday that "anything can happen in cricket and politics", and expressed confidence that the new BJP-led government in Maharashtra will pass the floor test.

The BJP's Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday returned as Maharashtra chief minister for a second term, propped up by NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who took oath as deputy chief minister.

Bareilly (UP), Nov 23 (PTI) Six persons have been arrested for being allegedly involved in the gang rape of two minor girls in a village under Bahedi police station area here, police said on Saturday.

The girls aged 17 and 14, both cousins, were returning home after visiting a doctor on November 17 when they were dragged to nearby fields and raped by five persons, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Dr Sansar Singh said.

The culprits also made a video of the incident and circulated it, he said.

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Western Sydney University, Australia aimed at promoting collaboration in research and developing guidelines for integrating Ayurveda principles with modern medicine.

Professor Barney Glover, Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Australia and Prof Tanuja Nesari, Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed the MoU on Friday during the visit of the delegation led by Dan Tehan, Minister for Education, Australian government.

Hyderabad, Nov 23 (PTI) The Headmaster of a school and his wife were arrested here following allegations of rape levelled against him by a minor girl student, police said on Saturday.

A case was registered over allegations of rape and forcing girl students to work, they said.

The girl complained on Friday and a case relating to rape charges and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act was registered.

The principal and his wife have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, they added.

Mumbai, Nov 23 (PTI) The NCP on Saturday removed Ajit Pawar as its legislature party leader after he joined hands with the BJP to form government and took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state.

"The decision to sack Ajit Pawar was taken at the meeting of the party's MLAs here," party sources said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar was present at the meeting.

Ghaziabad, Nov 23 (PTI) Members of Dr Ambedkar Mission here on Saturday burnt an effigy of Baba Ramdev for his alleged derogatory remarks against followers of the Dalit icon.

Led by their founder and national president Ashok Sant, the protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to the President to the district magistrate and demanded Ramdev's arrest.

New Delhi, Nov 23 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday asserted that Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister early this morning, will have to step down "shamefully" as all its MLAs and those of the NCP, except a few from the Sharad Pawar-led party, are together.

Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said it is "shameful that the President and the governor have stooped to the standard of RSS workers for facilitating this dissolute political treachery as the chief minister was sworn in disgracefully under cover of darkness".