India

Lucknow Jun 22 (PTI) UPCC chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Tuesday held a meeting of senior Congress leaders and former MLAs at the party headquarters here to deliberate on the Congress' strategy for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year.

Uttar Pradesh Congress' media convenor Lalan Kumar said during the meeting, discussions on the coming elections were held and former MLAs were asked to work towards strengthening the organisation in their respective areas.

New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Two women were allegedly raped by two army personnel at a crematorium ground in Delhi's Cantonment area, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Saturday and the accused -- Sandeep and Neeraj -- were arrested from the area, police said.

The matter is being investigated and the statement of the women will be recorded under Criminal Procedure Code Section 164, they said. A case has been registered based on the women's statement, police said.

New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Leaders of several opposition parties including TMC, SP, AAP, RLD and the Left parties assembled at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence here on Tuesday to hold a meeting, amid the heightened speculation about the possibility of a third front against the ruling BJP.

Srinagar, Jun 21 (PTI) In the wake of the Covid pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided that the annual Amarnath Yatra will be kept symbolic, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday.

He also directed officials to make arrangements so that devotees can virtually attend the morning and evening aartis' at the Himalayan cave shrine.

This will allow them to pay obeisance while avoiding travel and exposure to the infection, the lieutenant governor (L-G) said .

Banihal, Jun 21 (PTI) Five makeshift shops were gutted in a blaze on Jammu-Srinagar national highway near Seri in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said.

Fire broke out in one of the roadside tin-roofed shops around 5 am due to short circuit, Station House Officer (SHO) Ramban, Pardeep Sharma said.

He said police and fire service teams rushed to the spot and put off the fire well in time.

Gwalior, Jun 21 (PTI) Authorities in Madhya Pradesh on Monday suspended 14 police personnel of two districts for lapse in the security of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Jyotiraditya Scindia during his visit to the state, a senior official said.

The lapse in Scindia's security occurred on Sunday night when he was on his way to Gwalior after arriving from Delhi.

Gwalior Superintendent of Police Amit Sanghi told PTI that 14 police personnel - nine of Morena and five of Gwalior district - have been suspended for negligence in handling Scindia's security.

Kolkata, Jun 21 (PTI) In yet another jolt to the BJP, the party's Alipurduar district president, Ganga Prasad Sharma, joined the TMC on Monday, as senior leader of the state's ruling party Mukul Roy, who also switched sides two weeks ago, claimed that this was the "beginning of the saffron party's end" in the state.

Seven other BJP leaders from the region, too, followed in Sharma's footsteps and joined the Mamata Banerjee camp.

Mumbai, Jun 21 (PTI) NCP chief Sharad Pawar is working to unite all opposition leaders, party spokesperson Nawab Malik said while commenting on a meeting between Pawar and political strategist Prashant Kishor in New Delhi, their second one-on-one interaction this month, on Monday on the eve of the NCP's national executive meet.

Malik also said Pawar will host political leaders and eminent persons from different sections of society at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the "current scenario in the country".

Bhaderwah/Jammu, Jun 21 (PTI) A seven-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped by a man in a remote village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday.

Sohan Singh (35) has been arrested and booked under section 363 (abduction) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Abdul Qayoom said.

He said the incident took place at Kundi-Chiralla village of Thathri on Saturday night during a marriage function there.

Ballia (UP), Jun 22 (PTI) A statue of Bhimrao Ambedkar was found damaged on Tuesday morning in Rampur Asli village here, leading to protests by locals, police said.

They said some unidentified people damaged the statue late on Monday night.

The incident led to protests by locals who blocked on the Gadwar-Nagra road, Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjay Yadav said.