India

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India has increased security a week before the Supreme Court rules on a disputed religious site that has been fiercely contested by majority Hindus and Muslims for decades, police and home ministry officials said on Friday.

More than 5,000 paramilitary force members and police have been deployed in the northern town of Ayodhya, where an ancient mosque was razed in 1992 by hardline Hindus who believe the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, a physical incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.

New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on being re-elected as President of the United Arab Emirates.

"I am confident that under his dynamic and visionary leadership, our friendship and our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to further grow and deepen," Modi tweeted.

The UAE Supreme Council re-elected Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the UAE President for a fourth five-year term on Thursday.

New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) The Delhi government has demanded more onions from the Centre for distribution in the city, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday after a sudden rise in the vegetable's price.

The retail price of onions has risen by 45 per cent in the past week to Rs 80 per kg in the national capital. The rate stood at Rs 55 per kg on October 1, according to official data.

Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 (PTI) A woman was allegedly raped in a moving car and dumped in a critical condition near a college in Odisha's Khurda district, around 25 km from here, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday night when the woman was on her way to Khurda town from Bhubaneswar. She was found in an unconscious state by the local people and rushed to the district headquarters hospital at Khurda, the police said.

Panaji, Nov 7 (PTI) Ahead of the verdict in the Ayodhya case, the Goa government on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders in the state till further orders.

The Supreme Court is likely to deliver the verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid case in the next few days.

Additional District Magistrate Vikas S N Gaunekar said in his order that "upon delivery of the verdict there are chances of communal disharmony", and processions or protests by various groups could disturb peace.

Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) With government formation not happening in Maharashtra yet, the NCP on Friday accused the BJP of pushing the state towards President's rule and wanting to run it through Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA constituent's chief Amit Shah.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik also said the people of Maharashtra will not tolerate this "insult" of the state.

He added history shows the state doesn't bow before the "throne of Delhi".

Balodabazar, Nov 8 (PTI) Seven government school teachers were arrested for allegedly molesting two Class 9 students in Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar district, police said on Friday.

The Kasdol police on Thursday arrested Devendra Khunte (38), Rameshwar Prasad Sahu (44), Rupnarayan Sahu (36), Mahesh Kumar Verma (37), Dinesh Kumar Sahu (38), Chadan Das Baghel (39) and Lalram Bervansh, all teachers at Government Higher Secondary School in Marda village, station house officer Kasdol Dinbandhu Uikey said.

Mumbai, Nov 8 (PTI) The Congress in Maharashtra on Friday alleged that attempts were being made to put pressure on party legislators to switch sides.

State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said his party has not taken any decision to support a Shiv Sena-led government in the state, where there is an impasse over formation of the next dispensation.

Talking to reporters, he said, "To avoid harassment, some MLAs have gone out (of Mumbai). Legislators have told us that they are being given proposals to defect from the party."

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) The government has decided to take away the elite SPG protection from Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka, officials said on Friday.

The Gandhi family will now get 'Z+' security by the CRPF on an all-India basis, they said.

The Union government took the decision to withdraw the Gandhi family's Special Protection Group (SPG) cover after a security assessment, a senior official said.

Dankuni; 08 Nov 2019 (UMM): A man has approached Manappuram Finance Limited’s branch in West Bengal seeking loan against gold, his cow, after West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh claimed that milk produced by Indian cows contains gold in it.