India

New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) The BJP is busy campaigning for Hyderabad civic polls which is why the date for talks with farmers protesting the Central agri laws have been pushed to December, showing that farmers are not a priority for the BJP and only elections matter to it, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alleged on Sunday.

Launching a scathing attack against the government over the ongoing protest by farmers, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary accused the BJP dispensation at the Centre of wanting to suppress the voice of the farmers with "brute force".

Kanpur, Nov 30 (PTI) A 14-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped for more than two days by four people in Chakeri town here, police said on Monday.

The matter came to light on Sunday evening when the minor managed to escape from the clutches of the accused after two days and reached her house in Chakeri, said Superintendent of Police (East), Raj Kumar Agarwal.

The girl informed her parents that four people had raped her for two days at different places, the SP added.

Chandigarh, Nov 29 (PTI) Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws on Sunday decided not to shift to the Burari ground in the national capital and stay put at the Delhi borders.

Thousands of farmers continued to protest at the Singhu and Tikri borders on the fourth consecutive day on Sunday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Saturday appealed to the farmers to shift to the Sant Nirankari ground in Burari that was offered to them for peaceful protests and said the Centre was ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place.

NEW DELHI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- India's COVID-19 tally reached 9,392,919 on Sunday as 41,810 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, said the latest data from the health ministry.

According to the data, the death toll mounted to 136,696 with 496 new deaths since Saturday morning.

There are still 453,956 active cases in the country, while 8,802,267 people have been discharged so far from hospitals after medical treatment, added the ministry's latest data.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Nov 28 (PTI) There were protests in a town in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district over the alleged abduction of a girl by a youth, police said on Saturday.

The student, who was allegedly abducted when she was on her way to tuition in Khatauli, was found at a railway station, an officer said.

Family members and locals had protested on Friday alleging abduction and demanding arrest of the suspect, according to the officer.

Hyderabad, Nov 28 (PTI): Seeking support for TRS in the Hyderabad civic polls, Chief Minister and party president K Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday alleged that some "divisive forces" were trying to enter the city to disturb peace and tranquility.

"Some divisive forces are trying to enter Hyderabad and create havoc in the city.

Are we going to allow it? Are we going to lose our peace?...

My dear brothers and sisters of Hyderabad...as Chief Minister of Telangana, I am appealing earnestly, please come forward.

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Amid massive protests by farmers for the third consecutive day, the government on Saturday said it is ready for talks with them anytime and urged them to call off their agitation.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that while a meeting with 32 protesting farmer unions has already been scheduled on December 3 to address their concerns, the government is ready to engage the unions' leaders before that if they wish to.

Ghaziabad, Nov 28 (PTI) A large number of farmers staged a protest against the Centre's farm laws at the Ghaziabad's UP Gate on Saturday.

Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union's national president Rakesh Tikait, farmers said they will continue their stir till the Centre does not give a written assurance about the continuation of the minimum support price (MSP) system.

Tikait said farmers associated with the body will not go the Delhi's Burari ground, a place earmarked for protests by police.

Raipur, Nov 29 (PTI) An official of the CRPF's specialised CoBRA unit has been killed and seven other personnel injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a police official said on Sunday.

The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off around 8.30 pm on Saturday in a forest near Aravraj Metta hills when a team of 206th battalion of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and police was out on an anti-Naxal operation, he said.

Lucknow, Nov 28 (PTI) Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said his party will oppose the state government's ordinance on religious conversions when placed in the assembly for passage.

The start cabinet earlier this week gave nod to the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 to curb forcible or dishonest religious conversions including those for the sake of marriage, which could land violators in jail for up to 10 years.