India

Ballia (UP), Dec 18 (PTI) BJP MLA Surendra Singh has described the farmers' protest against three farm laws as a "sponsored sit-in of anti-national forces" and claimed that the movement has foreign funding.

He alleged that the foreign forces were fuelling the farmers' protest in the same way they were supporting the movement in Shaheen Bagh during anti-CAA protests.

"After seeing the farmers' movement, it appears that this is a sponsored agitation by anti-national forces and has foreign funding," Singh, a BJP MLA from Bairia constituency, claimed.

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The CBI is likely to file its charge sheet in connection with the rape and murder of a 19-year old Dalit woman in a village in Hathras on Friday, sources said.

They said the agency is likely to file the charge sheet before a competent court in Hathras.

Pratapgarh (UP), Dec 18 (PTI) A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two teenagers in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district, police said on Friday.

The incident took place in Lalganj area on the night of December 15 and the boys, aged 15 and 16, were detained on Thursday, SP Anurag Arya said.

An FIR was registered in this connection based on the complaint of the girl's family members, Arya said.

The girl has been sent for medical examination and the matter is being probed, police said.

(APP) --- The Indian Army is planning yet another false flag operation on the pretext of fake encounter of three Kashmiri detainees, already held in police custody in Kishtwar District of the IIOJK, a security source said Wednesday.

The operation was aimed at “crafting fabricated stories against Pakistan,” the source said.

According to details, some of the already confiscated weapons were likely to be displayed as recovered from Marwah or Metwan area of the Kishtwar District in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the source said.

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,956,557 today, as 24,010 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, said the latest data from the federal health ministry.

According to the data, the death toll mounted to 144,451, as 355 patients died since yesterday morning.

Delhi is one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country. As many as 1,547 new cases and 32 deaths were registered in the national capital during the past 24 hours. On Monday the total death toll in the national capital crossed the 10,000-mark.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 16 (PTI) With counting of votes for local body polls in Kerala underway on Wednesday, early trends showed that the ruling CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front was leading in 520 of the total of 941 panchayats.

The LDF was also leading in 10 out of the 14 district panchayats and 108 block panchayats of the total of 152, according to the State Election Commission figures.

The Congress led UDF was ahead in four district panchayats.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore to sugar mills for the export of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener during the ongoing marketing year 2020-21 as part of its efforts to help them clear outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers.

Briefing media after the meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore on exports of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener and the subsidy amount will directly be given to farmers.

Hyderabad, Dec 16 (PTI) Lashing out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks that the BJP was 'spending money' to bring in a party from Hyderabad to her state to divide Hindu-Muslim votes, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said Muslim voters were not her 'jagir' (property).

Rebutting Banerjee's comments, Owaisi tweeted, "So far you've only dealt with obedient Mir Jaffers & Sadiqs. You dont like Muslims who think & speak for themselves.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Facebook's India head Ajit Mohan deposed before a parliamentary panel on Wednesday and was questioned about a recent report that the social media giant is reluctant to ban the Bajrang Dal due to concerns over the security of its staff.

Mohan deposed before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. The panel had called him on the issue of the citizens' data safety.

Mumbai, Dec 16 (PTI) A 28-year-old constable of the Mumbai Police was arrested for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl in suburban Ghatkopar, an official said on Wednesday.

The alleged incident had occurred a few days back, but it came to light after parents of the victim girl filed a complaint against the constable, who is attached to Vile Parle police station, he said.

A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including molestation, and under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences act (POCSO).